4/5 stars

This was absolutely fantastic! It perfectly combined my love for period dramas in film with a wonderful wlw romance. I don't often read historical romance (I honestly don't know why), but this book really makes me want to jump back into the genre. This was definitely a case of going in with little expectations, and coming out finding a new author that I love, characters floating around in my head for days afterwards and a compelling romance.

Although I am definitely no expert in history, it was so clear that the author knew what she was talking about. I felt so immersed into the time period in every aspect of the story, from the language to the dress and social expectations. This really pulled on my love for period drama films, which I grew up on, so it felt as if I was in my very own historical romance. This really added a feeling of warmth to the book for me, like I wanted to be curled in front of a fire reading this. The setting also just added a whole new level of interest for me. As someone that loves history, I enjoyed just being in the time, going to the balls and being immersed in a different time. That is definitely something this book did really well.

I loved the diversity of characters we had here, not only in terms of sexuality and gender identity, but also in terms of personality. As a Queer reader, I am always happy for some good representation, so I loved Georgina and their experience with gender fluidity. I also really loved that there was no big fanfare of homophobia or bigotry against them. While their was mention on judgement being passed against these characters, as is to be expected, it really didn't weigh the book down. While Gina was a caring, honourable and intelligent character, Beatrice was much more fiery, confident and unapologetic. I loved them both and together they were even better. Their romance really flew off the page, sweeping me up in this epic romance that felt equal parts down to earth and like a love story of the ages.

After finishing this I am looking forward to reading so much more from this author, I was so pleasantly surprised by this book!

3.5 stars rounded up.

I really enjoyed this book. It follows Beatrice (Bea), a recently married countess who falls in love with Georgina who is gender fluid and is extremely well written. I thought the chapter switches between George/Gina were done exceptionally well and it all flowed together. I disliked Bea at the start but she grew on me as the novel progressed. I also really loved Cici as a character although she wasn't in it much.

I appreciated the wide spectrum of characters in this and how it showcased a wide variety of ways in which people of different gender identities and sexual orientations are making their lives in this version of Regency England.

My biggest gripe with this book has nothing to do with the story itself but instead the marketing, I've seen a lot of things selling it is a lesbian romance which I don't think it is as Georgina is gender fluid but that's not really related to the story itself so it's mostly irrelevant, just a pet peeve.

Overall I had a lot of fun reading this and it was a delightful quick read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an Arc of this in exchange for an honest review.

This was quite a historical romance.. I thought the book was well written. The characters were quite charming and loveable. I loved how Jane Tastefully wrote the story showcasing Gina/George gender identity. Well done Ms. Walsh.! I recommend 4.5 Stars. I look forward to reading more books from this author.

I received an ARC copy from the publisher Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank You.

This is the queer sapphic regency romance of my dreams. A prickly bisexual heroine, an earnest bigender bluestocking lead, queers all around. This is exactly what I want in a romance novel.

Bea has a rivalry with Gina, has a crush on George, and does not know they're the same person! It's such a delight.

(A quick note on gender pronouns: Georgina is bigender, and uses she/her and the name Gina on some days, and he/him and the name George on other days.)

This book is so complex and honest, while being hilarious and joyful at the same time. It tackles the intricacies of friendship between queer women, and what it takes to build community. There are such satisfying arcs for both Bea and Georgina, and there's an immensely satisfying ending that really is a happily ever after. One thing that's magnificent about this book is that it takes these beloved tropes - "heroine" in pants, bluestocking, mistaken identity, marriage of convenience - and queers them so deftly. It is also so deeply romantic. The idea of being seen fully and seeing someone else in return, beyond prejudice and misconception, beyond social conventions and personal flaws, is the beating heart of this book. It's so beautiful and raw and powerful.

I love reading about queers finding community, thriving, and working for change in their world in the past. One of the things I love about reading historicals, and especially historicals with queer, disabled, BIPOC, and other marginalized leads, is that it reminds me that we have always been here. We have always been falling in love and finding joy and working make the world around us better for ourselves and people like us. It makes me think about ancestry, and about the resilience of myself and my communities. It makes me grateful and it makes me proud and it makes me feel seen. And this book is all of that.

If you loved Sarah MacLean's Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover but also love you books queer as hell, this one's for you. Her Countess to Cherish quickly became a favorite read, and I absolutely recommend starting with the first in the series, Her Lady to Love, for even more queer sapphic regency joy.

Big big thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for this ARC!

CW: Police violence, cheating (not between leads)

I really love historical romances but I am not so sure about this one. I just didnt get this much into it and I cant even say why. It is definietly written well so that was not the problem.

Rejected by her new husband, Beatrice flees to the countryside to spend a few weeks at her best friend’s home. Also in residence is Lady Georgina, a bluestocking with a secret. Identifying as both male and female, she sometimes lives as Gina, sometimes as George. Beatrice and Georgina fall in love, but what will they do when Bea’s husband comes to take her home?

The author did a great job presenting Georgina’s gender identity in a believable and insightful way. I also liked Georgina’s character arc, with her learning to let go of control and share responsibilities with others. Bea was more difficult to like in the beginning - she’s a nightmare of an aristocratic wife. My sympathies were with her husband. But she matures over the course of the novel and becomes less unreasonable. This book has an unapologetically modern feel to it. It seems to be targeted at readers of LGBTQ+ stories rather than Regency fans.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Miss Beatrice Everson has managed to marry the Earl of Sinclair, solving her family's disastrous financial problems for good. She should be the happiest woman in London, but a less than satisfactory wedding night has Beatrice fleeing her husband. Lady Georgina Smith has a secret she must keep at all costs: she divides her time running a bluestocking salon as Gina, and carousing across London as George. Captivated by Beatrice's wit and charm, Georgina realizes that her secret is in danger--along with her heart. When Beatrice discovers that her wedding night has resulted in an unexpected pregnancy, she sees an opportunity to have it all by divorcing Sinclair and marrying George.
A new author to me & I’m sitting on the fence with this book whilst it was well written I didn’t like the characters. I found Beatrice to be manipulative & selfish wanting her cake with cream & a cherry on top. I did like Gina / George but whilst I thought she was brave to live as she did I found I didn’t care what happened to the pair. I’m not sure if I’d read any more from the author. This just wasn’t for me
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Thank you to Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley for the eARC.

This was an enjoyable F/NB romance, though I’ll admit to having some difficulty with it at the start.

Beatrice has schemed her way into a marriage with an Earl but found the reality less than satisfactory. Rather than stay where she feels unwanted, she flees to the country to stay with her friends, Jacquie and Nora.

Jacquie and Nora, a couple who I believe were established in an earlier book in his series (I didn’t realise this was part two until I started it, but I don’t think it matters. Anything that needed to be known was explained within this book), already have some interesting houseguests – Lady Gina Smith, a bluestocking seeking to establish a new ladies salon in the village where Jacquie and Nora reside, and her cousin, George Smith.

In reality, George and Gina are the two identities taken on by Georgina, who is non binary. Beatrice finds herself charmed by both until Georgina reveals to her the truth – it’s the true start of a sweet romance. There are, of course, complications, because Beatrice is still unhappily married.
Not being non binary myself, I’m hesitant to comment overmuch on the representation, though I believe the author consulted a sensitivity reader on this respect, which is always a positive sign. I did think it was well done though, with Georgina’s explanations to Beatrice considered and simple.

The characters themselves were charming, if frustrating at times. Beatrice is very difficult to like for the first quarter of the book. She comes across as selfish and scheming and it’s a little difficult to have a great deal of sympathy for her when her problems are entirely a result of that. She does warm up though and it’s revealed that there’s a lot more to her than meets the eye. I also enjoyed Georgina, who is much easier to like from the outset but does develop some stubborn ways of thinking towards the end that left me frustrated.

I did enjoy the romance, though at times I was wishing for something a little more. I think this is largely a personal thing because I tend to prefer my romances flavoured with a drop of mystery or fantastical element. Not at all the book’s fault, and readers of regency romance would very much enjoy this.

I quite enjoyed this historical romance involving a bigender character. I think it might be one of the first stories I've written with a bigender character and I thought it was given nuance and respect.

The setting was fun (to me to read about, I'm sure it would've been hell to live through), the characters were likable (mostly), and the romance had chemistry.

I recommend this book to fans of the genre.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 stars, rounded up

Her Countess to Cherish centers on Beatrice, who is trapped in an unhappy marriage, and Georgina, a genderfluid bluestocking. While spending a summer away from their respective responsibilities, Beatrice and Georgina fall for each other. However, as the summer comes to a close, Beatrice's marriage and Georgina's work threaten to tear them apart.

I did not read the first novel, but I never felt confused through this one. I really enjoyed this novel. I love historical romances, and LGBTQ+ novels in this genre are few and far between. Both Beatrice and Georgina were charming, and the romance between them was sweet and well-paced. Seeing a genderfluid character in a historical setting was really interesting, and I thought it was well done. From the description of the novel, it was unclear to me that Georgina was genderfluid, and I kind of wish that was spelled out a little bit more as it would have erased any confusion at the start. I also enjoyed the queer circle of characters surrounding the protagonists, as having a safe space in this setting was heartwarming and just made me happy.

I thought the conclusion could have been paced a little better, as the conflict was resolved rather quickly and painlessly, but at the same time, I am a sucker for a happy ending so this didn't bother me too much. Reading this novel has made me want to read the first one and excited for any additions that may be made to this series. I recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

While I wasn’t super wowed by Jane Walsh’s debut historical, I was still interested in what she would do next, so I picked up Her Countess to Cherish. The premise did give me some pause, as I’ve grown a bit apprehensive of the cross-dressing trope, although the fact that it was f/f was already a cool twist.

But my fears were immediately assuaged. While I can’t speak to the experience of gender fluidity itself, I liked the way this was expressed while still staying fairly accurate to the language the characters would have known at the time, describing how Georgiana came to the realization: “She was herself and also himself. She was both.” I will say that this mix of pronouns does result in the text occasionally being a little confusing, but I can understand the reasoning behind it, and with closer attention, I could make sense of it.

It was fun how this double identity played into Georgina’s dynamic with Beatrice, with “George” falling in love with her, “Gina” and Beatrice frequently being at odds. It’s a fun little twist on the typical setup in similar books, where the hero meets the heroine in her disguise and not.

Beatrice herself is in a dire situation, having been compelled to marry for advantage to a man who mistreated and shamed her, then ended up pregnant with his child. She isn’t always the most likable character, but I could understand her being a bit prickly, and I think it also helped that, while I read the first book, my memory of it is rather fuzzy.

This book was a nice surprise to me in its portrayal of gender fluidity, along with a delightful romance between two sympathetic characters. If you love queer historical romance, you should absolutely check this out.

3.5 stars

I was pleasantly surprised by this heartfelt LGTBQ+ historical romance.

We follow Beatrice who has snook her way into high society by marrying the Earl of Sinclair through a lie, in order to solve her families money worries.

When her new husband treats her less than favourably on their wedding night, she runs away to the country to stay with her best friend.
There she meets Lady Georgina Smith and her cousin Mr George Smith. Bea adores the company of George but finds his cousin Gina totally abhorrent to begin with.

George and his cousin Gina have a secret.. they’re actually one in the same. Georgina feels both male and female and presents as her different gender on different days. As George falls for Bea, Georgina realises her secret is in danger.

Will Beatrice accept her for who she is and where does Beatrice’s marriage to the Earl of Sinclair leave their hearts?

Her Countess to Cherish was heartfelt, fun and flirty. I enjoyed all the characters and found myself smiling a lot as I was reading.
I really liked watching the friendships and relationships blossom and found the first half of the book really believable but unfortunately the last 30% of the book felt off with it’s pacing and just felt slightly rushed and therefore fell a little flat for me. I’d have liked just a little bit more ‘something’ before everything was so nicely resolved.
I did enjoy this book though and read it really quickly!

Would recommend if you like a heartfelt LGTBQ romance.

A sequel to "Her Lady to Love". Some of the characters from there return in this story. It's quite a good story. Beatrice Everson, now a countess, goes to the country to visit two, not quite so well off, old friends. Although on the surface she seems rather ill mannered at times and brash she is, well hidden underneath it all, a caring person. She meets "two" new friends while there. And although not in love with her husband, does find love with one (or both) of her new friends. A lively historical romance.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Her Countess To Cherish focuses on the decision between Beatrice and Georgiana/George of whether happily ever after is worth risking giving up their secrets. Beatrice Everson marries the Earl of Sinclair to solve her family’s debts. She flees after her wedding night and meets Mr. George Smith. Lady Georgiana Smith runs a bluestocking salon as Gina and runs around London as George. Beatrice and George fall in love. However, Beatrice discovers she is pregnant, and Georgiana isn’t sure she wants to spend a lifetime as a man, not being true to herself.

I found myself confused at times with the narration, but it became clear later in the story. The relationship between Georgiana/George and Beatrice was entertaining. Beatrice was off-putting at first. However, her character grew in emotional depth substantially throughout the novel. I felt Georgiana/George could be callous at times, especially during the conclusion. It was frustrating that Beatrice seems to shoulder most of the situation's responsibility when it could have been shared. All in all, the characters were likable. The plot moved well but seemed a bit rushed at times. Personally, there was too must angst. This is a redemption story. The author’s explanation of his/her identity and how it fitted into society is well defined. This was a good read, just not my favorite.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book through Netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Really good historical romance. The relationship between Georgina/George and Beatrice was fun and entertaining. Beatrice was a character in the beginning of the story that I kind of didn't like, but towards the middle of the story I really came to see her true nature and she became a character that I liked a lot. Georgina/ George was such a character she has several different personalities and they're all very loveable. I liked the way the author wrote this book. It's not just about a female loving another female, but a female loving someone who identified as both genders. There was some drama and a bit of angst but nothing that bogged it down to much. This was my first time reading this author, but it won't be the last,and I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family.

Her Countess to Cherish is an interesting historical story featuring Georgina/George/Gina who is gender fluid depending on the mood of the day.
Beatrice has married the Earl of Sinclair in part to help her father pay off his gambling debts as well as the fact Bea will soon be considered a spinster. Bea nor the Earl really love each other and the Earl's only concern is an heir.
Events of the past will separate them for a time and soon Bea will meet George/Gina. Bea enjoys the time she spends with him/her and their circle of friends. Soon she realizes that she is pregnant but the Earl isn't sure the baby is his.
Bea has feelings for George/Gina and wants to remain in his/her company.
This is really a fast moving story so you need to hold on and see how this all unfolds.

This book was adorable. Bea was like an onion, as the book went along you just keep getting to know more and more about her, and while she started off as one note, in her arrogance and standoffishness, she was really sweet and caring about the ones that she loved. George was a very interesting character and I loved her as well. The book is really wonderful and I’m glad that I found a new author.

Okay, this was a pleasant surprise that I really, really enjoyed! It's the second book in a series (but can be read as a standalone) and is a F/F romance set in the regency era - just that simple fact made me sold for the concept. It's rare to find historical romances with queer characters and I absolutely loved the diverse cast we got in this book.

Beatrice and Georgina are the couple we get to follow this time and the start of their story is... complicated. You see, Georgina identifies as both a man (George) and woman (Gina). In other words the plot isn't exactly what you think. Georgina doesn't disguise herself/himself as a man to be able to do stuff women wasn't allowed to do back in that time, it is because she/he identifies as both genders.

"She was herself and also himself . She was both ."

Aaaaand Bea happens to fall in love with George, while she more or less hates Gina. So it's definitely complicated, but it all falls were nicely into place as the story proceeds.
At first I had a hard time liking Beatrice, but she did grow on me. What I also have come to understand after reading some reviews of the first book, Her lady to love , is that her character was not likable at all in that book. So I'm glad I got to read this one first and get a better impression of her (even though it was a rocky start). Or maybe I would have liked it all the same since she redeems herself quite good anyway.
However, I found Georgina interesting from the very beginning and I loved reading chapters from both George's and Gina's PoV. It added an another depth to her/his character which I really liked seeing.

Side note, the side characters were great as well and I loved that Bea and Georgina weren't the only queer couple we got to read about, but also Jacquie and Nora (from the first book), Hawthorne (a duke) and Phineas, and also establishments where people from the LGBTQ+ community could get together as a, more or less, safe space. But women were still not allowed there...

Overall, a book that I thoroughly enjoyed with an interesting setting and complex, and flawed, characters that really makes me want to read more by Jane Walsh.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

Wow sexy and sweet just what I needed! Great writing and style.

I did not remember anything from the first book. and for that I'm grateful since I got to know them as if they were not introduce to me before and so I really liked them both. the one thing that I found confusing was when the "he" part started, I read the part so many times just to check if I'm really following correctly. but I got used to it as the story unfolded. it made sense after than when Gina explained it. very enjoyable read

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.