The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics audiobook

Sapphic historical fiction.... truly the best thing since sliced bread They were here all along: spotting comets, naming stars, pointing telescopes at the sky alongside their fathers and brothers and sons. And still the men they worked with scorned them. A Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics is a historical romance novel about two girls who fall in unlikely love. Lucy is an aspiring astronomer whose father has recently died and whose lover has gotten married to a man she does not love. Catherine is a widower of a famous scientist whose anger at her often outweighed his kindness. The thing is that as well as living in a society that enforces strict homophobia, Catherine and Lucy live in a society that devalues relationships that do not end in marriage. So though the two have a loving, mutually trusting relationship by around 50% of the way through the book, each is quite convinced that the other will, at any moment, leave them.I was deeply impressed by how the author pulled this off: there’s no dramatic miscommunication, per se, but instead an expression of anxiety from both sides that leads them both to understand the relationship as meaning less to the other person than it does to them. Celestial Mechanics manages to pull this off in such a matter-of-fact, honest manner that it’s impossible to read as a trope. It’s simply an expression of the honest insecurities of these two characters, and esolutions come when character growth comes, rather than when the plot calls for it.There’s something Silvia said in her review that I really wanted to quote: “...I realized I needed to stop bracing myself for the stuff I mentioned above, because, amazingly, it kept not coming. And there's a lesson for histfic authors: you don't have to pretend that historical times weren't a cesspool of misogyny, homophobia and racism, but it's entirely possible to write a book for the people who have historically been hurt and marginalized that focuses on the good stuff instead of on the awful. This book is proof of that.” Because that is one of the things that amazes me the most about this book: it focuses on and deals with homophobia in a culture and how it is internalized by the lead characters, but it focuses that energy towards development and crafting tenderness and love between these two characters. I think there is a lot of value in lit that talks about and deconstructs historical homophobia, but it should be noted, in saying that, that much of this type of literature is written by and for the heterosexual lens. This book is absolutely not that. Side queer characters are involved and given their own non-tragic stories; Catherine’s aunt is notable in that. And the pain and trauma of homophobia is only used to explain the character’s internalized homophobia and build their characters, and only subtly. That is not to say stories involving homophobia on-page cannot be worthwhile — past homophobia can and should be explored in a way that puts queer people front and center — but I loved that this one avoided it entirely. Celestial Mechanics also impressively targets not only the devaluation of the work women do in their selected fields, but also how “women’s fields” which actually require great amounts of talent are systematically devalued. Catherine’s work as an embroiderer is simply not respected, while Lucy’s work is given to men to receive credit; each of them, however, suffer from a devaluation of craft. This becomes a major element of their relationship and of each’s character development and I thought it was wonderful. Also, I am a total nerd about translated work, and the fact thatthe politics of translation became such a major narrative in this book was so entertaining. Something I genuinely loved about this story was the way in which Catherine’s characterization was crafted. Catherine’s husband, we learn fairly quickly on, was prone to rage. So Catherine, within the first half of the book, is constantly on edge around others, expecting that they’re about to snap at any second. It is only after spending a great deal of time with Lucy in which Lucy does not snap that she begins to regain trust. I thought the narrative dealt with this with a degree of respect for both Catherine and Lucy that is frankly and tragically unprecedented. Oh god, um, I know I’ve said a lot about this book being excellent, but it’s also just… a really good romance? I frankly don’t read a ton of romance as it’s not my gig and also there are no sapphics in romance ever, but this! romance! was so tender and full of so much kindness and care between these two characters. It’s just angsty enough to get you immediately invested but not so angsty as to be upsetting; each character is so well-crafted and well-respected by the narrative. Also, it’s just really fucking well written. I think I might end up going back to my kindle notes after I post this review because I think I highlighted half of the book (it’s actually a little embarrassing). In case you didn’t notice. I really loved this book. I didn’t want this book to end. I delayed reading the last 5% simply because I didn’t want it to end and I never do that. This is a very very special romance and I would highly, highly recommend it. *Thank you so, SO much to Macmillan for the arc.Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram | Spotify | Youtube

JANE AUSTEN WISHES!!!!!!!!this was such a lovely historical romance, truly the best i've ever read. AND IT'S SAPPHIC? i know. we're thriving in 2019.such a perfect blend of plot (astronomy, fighting the patriarchy!!) and romance. what really stood out to me was how each woman was so thoughtfully written and given her own unique set of characteristics, interests, ways of interacting. romances are hit or miss with characters and olivia waite really went ALL THE FUCK OUT making these ladies unique and interesting. i also loved how supportive of each other they were in their career pursuits. it was *chefs kiss* perfect. 10/10 recommend this.i will note though, that this is not a campy/fun historical but a slightly more serious jane austen angsty kind. so basically, perfect.

It took me two weeks to read this because of my book hangover after The Poppy War trilogy and also moving to University but OH MY GOSH THE WAIT WAS WORTH IT.This story is so brilliant, so wonderful. It truly speaks to feminism in the long eighteenth century and how women supported one another through societies and from a literary-historical perspective, it is truly beautiful and a new favorite book of mine.All the stars and I cannot wait to reread this in the future.

(This was such a thoughtful gift from Bethany!) “We thought we were separate satellites, but we aren’t. We’re stars, and though we might burn separately, we’ll always be in one another’s orbit.” I really loved this a lot! I especially loved all the different kinds of reclaiming in this story! Maybe all it took for me to fall in love with a historical romance was sapphics in STEM (and art)! Who would have guessed? :] This was so feminist, so queer, so healing, and so beautiful. And I loved hearing these girls talk unapologetically about how so many other women's ideas have been taken all throughout history by men who then take the credit, too. Trigger and Content Warnings: domestic abuse in the past, sexism, misogyny, talk of colonization, and talk of loss of a loved one in past.Blog | Instagram | Youtube | Ko-fi | Spotify | Twitch Buddy read with Maëlys! ❤❤ Reading Rush 2020

I was sent this book as an advanced copy by the publisher via Edelweiss for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own. I don't often read historical fiction but I've been trying to make exceptions for queer histfic, especially when they're f/f. And there's a special set of emotions I go through while reading, the most unpleasant of which is the fear that something bad will happen, that will make me recoil and make me want to put down the book not because it's not good but because of the unnecessary bad stuff (read: homophobia, transphobia, racism, violence against women, etc) that traditionally has been associated with historical fiction. It's realistic, you say, to which I say: ✨fuck off✨This premise just so I can talk about what it did to me to go into this book and soon realize I needed to stop bracing myself for the stuff I mentioned above, because, amazingly, it kept not coming. And there's a lesson for histfic authors: you don't have to pretend that historical times weren't a cesspool of misogyny, homophobia and racism, but it's entirely possible to write a book for the people who have historically been hurt and marginalized that focuses on the good stuff instead of on the awful. This book is proof of that.It's not that this book shies away from a lot of stuff including misogyny and the fact that the two women won't ever be able to live their relationship publicly. But it's written so delicately and carefully that as long as you know the content warnings you don't have to be scared that things are going to get bad. In fact, things get so, so good.This is a romance that's certainly good and wholesome and that made me so happy. But the romance is almost secondary to the beautiful messages this book sends about art, science, and the presence and importance of women in both fields, and how this presence has always been there, whether we care to know it or not.And, you know, this is a book about two cis, white women. But it manages to be intersectional and acknowledge issues that wouldn't necessary touch the lives of the two main characters, in a way that makes anybody feel welcome while reading. I can't stress enough how books like this are so important.The relationship itself was very cute and while the MCs got together a little soon for my liking (with necessary later drama), I still liked everything about it. Catherine, the widow, had never explored her attraction to women and although she's older than Lucy she is kind of the more inexperienced of the two. I really liked that and it was so great to see them explore consent in every scene together. There's also a little bit of an age gap (I think it's about 10 years, Catherine is 35 and Lucy 25), which is not something I usually love in romance, but the fact that they're both relatively older and both have experience in love/dating, as well as their own interests and expertise made me enjoy it and not really care about the gap at all. They both had things to teach each other and they helped one other out in so many ways, not in a "love fixes everything" way but in a way where they both figured out who they want, who they deserve to be and that was so beautiful to see. I also loved the writing style so much I actually got mad that I was reading this with a read-out-loud app because I couldn't highlight the best quotes. But that also means I definitely want to reread it sometime when time will allow me to, because it was so atmospheric and at times poetic, I just have to sit down and read it with my own two eyes.Sometimes the endings of romance books can seem a little weak, but not this book's. It was actually one of the most satisfying endings ever (and I'm not only talking about the romance but the actual plot too). Everything came together so nicely and I might or might not have started bawling my eyes out while I was finishing washing the dishes because it was just THAT good.So, if it's not obvious, I think if you are uncertain whether to buy this book or not you should definitely go for it. If you don't normally read historical romance, let this one be your exception. If you're a historical romance veteran, go for it without a doubt. If you're craving sapphic romance, this is your fix. You can thank me later and scream @ me about how good it is.CW: misogyny, talks of homophobic mentality, mention of past nonconsensual sexual acts, mention of a dead parent_________“f/f historical romance about a lady astronomer and an explorer’s widow” 👀👀👀👀👀👀Wake me up when this is on netgalley Y'ALL I GOT APPROVED BY EDELWEISS THIS NEVER HAPPENS I'M THE HAPPIEST PERSON IN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe more of a 3.5. I enjoyed this one, but I wanted more romance and less science! If you're someone that really enjoys science and math and stuff and are looking for a queer romance, you will probably LOVE this.

“So I started thinking: maybe being an artist is also really about the work. It’s not about standing up and trumpeting one’s own genius to a throng of adoring inferiors, agog with admiration. Maybe an artist is simply one who does an artist’s work, over and over. A process, not a paragon.” What a perfect book to start a year with.And what a surprise. I would have never thought it will have this huge impact on me. Wow. The end made me cry, and bringing emotions out of me is really hard. But it gave me so much hope and anticipation for the future, which is... a miracle.I NEVER read or watch anything historical, because every cell in my body loaths "the old times" and everything connected to it. I told this to my family many times before if they brought up the "good old days", that if I had to choose between living in the past or never being born, I would rather never want to be alive.The only reason I read this, was because it's sapphic, literally everyone loves it and I wanted to know what the fuss is about.So imagine my surprise when I knew few chapters in that I will love it.Imagine my surprise when I actually did.Imagine my surprise when the two main characters were kicking ass with politeness.Imagine my surprise when I realised it's about women's empowerment.Imagine my surprise when I cried at the end.And don't even let me start on the quotes. "Women’s ideas are treated as though they sprung from nowhere, to be claimed by the first man who comes along. Every generation had women stand up and ask to be counted—and every generation of brilliant, insightful, educated men has raised a hand and wiped those women’s names from the greater historical record." She had not known until he asked the question how deep ran her horror of putting herself once more under a man’s legal, financial, and emotional control."She had depended far too much on the insolubility of her marriage license, it seemed. Not on her own merits at all.Loving another woman didn’t bring any such luxuries [...] You could never sit back and let the official pieces of paper do the work for you, oh no: you had to choose the other person over and over again, every time. What’s worse, you had to trust them to choose you. It was horribly frightening—"I guess this is why we should read out of our comfort zone.

I got this book from the library on a whim because I’m trying to read all of the 123 LGBT books my library holds. As with Seven Husbands (another library checkout) I’ve seen this book around but the cover never really did anything for me so I was never interested. Well I was in for a surprise with this one too. ‘The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics’ is beautifully written romance set in the Regency days. I almost feel bad writing that because it was a lot more than that too. It’s about science and fashion and art and women who are clearly ahead of their time. Lucy and Catherine are brilliant women who are in a world stuck in a time where their lives are controlled by the men in their lives. Lucy is an astronomer who works with her father until he dies. Afterwards, she receives a letter from Catherine, the Countess of Moth, needing some assistance from her father. Lucy decides to take up Catherine’s offer rather than stay home and put her future in her brother’s hands.Catherine, along with being a Countess, has traveled the world with her late husband (a scientist) and is a talented embroider herself. As a rich widow she isn’t as dependent on men as Lucy, but she’s still just a woman living in a world ruled by men. Her art can’t even be considered art because it’s just women’s work. Their romance starts pretty early on in the story, it’s not a will they/won’t they type of story. It’s more about how they navigate their relationship and lives together after falling in love. As I said before, it’s a beautifully written story. Well worth a read, even if historical romances aren’t your thing.

After the death of her father, Lucy Muchelney’s days as an astronomer seem over. After all, as her brother so delicately put it, who would want a female astronomer? Her lover’s wedding to a man is the last straw for the young woman, who runs away to London. Her not-very-well-thought plan is to convince the Countess of Moth to allow her to translate a famous French astronomer’s groundbreaking book. Catherine St Day, the countess, was content with never having to support another scientist after her self-centred fame-hungry husband passed away. She also never expected to fall for a younger woman.I listened to the audiobook and I’m in two minds about the narration. I liked the narrator’s voice and pace, and I loved Lucy’s voice. I thought Catherine’s voice sounded too old at first but since she often seems to think herself to be old, it worked. The other female voices were good too, but the men’s voices often sounded oddly high and, for some, downright childish. The narrator offset this by varying accents, which I liked (except for the French accent but that’s on me, French accents make me cringe, even real ones).I enjoyed the relationship between the two main characters a lot, the mutual respect and admiration. It was nice to see them get together pretty early in the story and watch them navigate the newness of it, their surroundings, the artificial opposition of art and science. The best part was the way each helps elevate the other, believes in her and in her capabilities and that these capabilities should be widely appreciated. I liked that Catherine’s insecurity and Lucy’s well-founded ego weren’t enough to break them. There’s some conflict and miscommunication but both make sense and don’t last too long. The character growth, especially on Catherine’s part, is really heartwarming.Don’t expect historical accuracy, it’s not that kind of book. The author uses the atmosphere associated with the period the story is supposedly set in and turns it into her own imaginary world. There’s a steampunk energy to it, an almost fantastical feel that makes me think it would make a very enjoyable and empowering movie. Lesbian historical movies seem to be trendy these days and it would be nice to have one with a happy ending for once.

I FINALLY read this and I'm so happy that I did. I will say, this is really low angst (in regards to the romance) and our couple gets together fairly early on (around 30% in). I would have loved some more pining and angst in their romance. There was definitely some drama thrown in to add conflict to their romance, but I would have loved a bit more pining in the beginning between the two. I definitely think we need more sapphic historical romances, though, and I really loved the way this one was set up. Lucy was in love, but the woman she loved left her to marry a man and live a "proper life" in society. Now, she finds herself very drawn to Catherine, who is a widow and who needs a text translated that Lucy can help with. I did love that both women had individual lives and pursuits and were fighting for the rights of women in male spaces at the time. Definitely a historical romance I would recommend!

Love this female/female romance with my entire soul Full review will be in Monday's vlog. 4/4/22

♦ Video Review ♦This book is the wholesome sapphic Historical Romance I was waiting for! “We are not simply minds, trained like lamps on the world around us, producing light but taking nothing in: we are bodies, and hearts, and hopes, and dreams. We are men, and we are women. We are poetry and prose in equal measure. We are earth and clay, but we are all – no matter our shape – lit with a spark of something divine.” I think when it comes to queer books in general but especially ones with a historical setting, it is so important to talk about how the queerness is handled. This could've focused on homophobia but THANK GOD it didn't. Yes, they have to hide their relationship but the people that do find out are all supportive and accepting. We definitely know the homophobic people exist but we don't need to read their words.And hey, if it's your jam to read about (real) queer people in History and how they were treated, there's books out there for you too! I just don't think that queerphobia and tragic gay stories have ANY place in Romance novels! “The point of fashion is not for gentlemen: they call it trivial because they cannot bear the thought of women having a whole silent language between themselves.” With this being about Lucy being an astronomer, there's also a lot of misogyny and that definitely plays a bigger role in this book but even that is handled in a way that feels so bearable. While women are very blatantly excluded from the scientific field, there are so many hopeful moments and the men's behaviour is mostly portrayed in a comedic way instead of having them threaten the women.It was great to see this book talk about women in science in general and that they did exist back in the day, it's just that they were hidden behind acronyms or their brother's/father's name. And this also had a side character that was a woman of colour in science! “It was like every touch of Lucy's hand was a silken thread, painting a sunsrise one skein of warm light at a time.” This book put a lot of emphasis on consent and that even if someone is verbally consenting, it is important to pay attention to their body language as well.There are so many different aspects of consent and a lot of them were brought up, like the fact that it doesn't mean anything that your partner has already been with someone for a long time, or that they're older. It was lovely to see Lucy, the younger woman, take care of Catherine, who had never been with a woman before.It also talked about Catherine's former husband enjoying giving and receiving pain during sex but that Catherine never consented to it. I liked that the book talked about the fact that it's totally okay to enjoy it, it's just that all parties need to be consenting and there was a scene later that reinforced exactly that. “She'd believed she could bear a widow's loneliness more peacefully than the misery of a bad marriage. But that was like choosing whether hemlock or belladonna was the better poison. In the end, they both sapped the life from you.” I do think this had more potential for a slow burn romance and it definitely would've been a 5 star in that case. But then again, it felt so good for this romance to just kinda happen without much of the angst we're used to? It felt so very easy but in a good way.There is obviously some angst later on and your good old misunderstanding trope but it honestly always feels refreshing to me to see those tropes used in "out of the norm" books. “Then Aunt Kelmarsh grumbled something about the food, and Catherine laughed gently, and Lucy found herself back on earth. But a different earth than the one she'd walked just a few hours before. A wider earth, with more space to expand and grow into the best version of herself. She couldn't wait to begin.” So overall, I am highly recommending this book. It is a really wholesome read, with a wonderful romance and an interesting, but hopeful, look into women in science back in the day. Please pick this up and show publishers that we want more sapphic Historical Romances!♦ Booktube Channel ♦ Twitter ♦ Instagram ♦I received an ARC through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review!