Ash and the Butterfly is a historic romance novel with a unique premise. At the start of the book, there is a devastating fire that brings the characters together to solve problems on a deadline. I really enjoyed this unique start to the book and it made for an interesting story throughout. Our main characters, Luke and Grace, have met before, but did not have a great start. Brought together in a stressful situation, with undertones of grief, these characters have to find ways to work together. I love a capable female character and Grace is definitely one! Grace is a mathematician and is implementing her decoding capabilities to assist in the project. Luke is also a scientist and values Grace's contributions and capabilities. The initial spicy encounter seemed a bit awkward for the character's relationship in my opinion, but as the book went on, I found it to be very natural to the story. Overall, I would recommend this to anyone that likes Regency era romances and romances with capable female characters.

So, "Ash and the Butterfly" by Lark Maitland. Holy cow, you guys. If you like historical romance, banter, and characters that make you *feel* things, you’re gonna love this one.

The setup is pure chaos in the best way. Luke Ashburton is a botanist (hot nerd, obviously) who shows up to open a new museum for his late friend—the Earl of Bexley—only to find the place literally on fire. Classic. The problem? The Earl’s notes, which are key to saving the museum’s reputation, are all written in code. Enter Grace Chetwood, a brilliant mathematician and social butterfly. Grace and Luke have a history, and let’s just say it involves a slap to the face. Awkward.

Grace is not some simpering Regency wallflower; she’s bold, she’s messy, and she’s doing her best to hold it together. Luke? Well, he’s kind of a judgmental stick in the mud at first, but watching him realize Grace is out of his league (in the best way) is *chef’s kiss*. And the side characters? Also fantastic. The whole academic crew working on the museum was fun and supportive, and Grace’s family is a whole vibe. Even the little details, like the quirky titles for each chapter, felt thoughtful and fresh. It’s smart and funny, but it also gets emotional in places.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

🌟 Review: Ash and the Butterfly by Lark Maitland🌟

This is book 2 in the series but can absolutely be read as a standalone--but ya best believe I will be looking for book 1 immediately. Also I read this in one sitting--what...I had to know how it ended.

An absolute gem of a read! I devoured Ash and the Butterfly and loved every deliciously angsty, tension-filled moment.

Let’s start with Grace—our sexy, sassy FMC who was a woman ahead of her time. She’s bold, brilliant, and doesn’t let society (or a certain stubborn man) tell her what she can and can’t do. And speaking of that stubborn man—Luke Ashburton? Whew. The angst. The longing. The undeniable chemistry. The way these two circled each other, pushing and pulling, was absolute perfection. The slow burn, the banter, the heated glances that could set the pages on fire—it was everything I wanted and more.

Now, if I had one critique… it's not even really a complaint, just an observation—how many times can we say the word “c*nt” before it starts to feel excessive? Listen, I’m not even mad about it—I actually found it fun and dirty at first—but by the end, I was like, okay, we are REALLY committing to this. 😂

But honestly? That minor quirk aside, this book was amazing. If you love historical romance with strong-willed heroines, smoldering romance, and that perfect mix of tension and payoff, Ash and the Butterfly needs to be on your TBR.

🔥 Rating: 5 Stars (with a side note to count the c-words next time 🤣) 🔥

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and provide my honest review for this title.

Sorry, this one isn't meshing with me. I'm 30% in and I've been skipping a lot since about 10%. I'm not going to rate publicly. Good luck!
The star rating is because they force me to input one.

I really enjoyed it. Both Grace and Luke were fascinating and I loved their relationship - I wanted to punch Luke for what he said as well. I'd prefer a little more grovel, since he was antagonizing Grace in the present too, but it was still a great story. I loved how sneaky Denton was too.

I enjoyed their fights and arguments and their banter later on. Luke has such a dirty mouth too, I enjoyed it. The scene in solarium was definitely my favourite, although the scene in the library was hot too.

I liked the story - I haven't read the previous one in the series but it works perfectly well as a standalone since I didn't have to read the previous book to understand this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lark Maitland for the ARC for my honest review (as late as it is).

My first regency historical romance and it went down very well!

This was a quick and entertaining read. I read it in one sitting and would consider this a short book. That being said, it was still worthwhile and fun to read.

The FMC has brains and the MMC is not the typical love interest and that made it for me. Their relationship is the best kind of messy! Plus, some spice during a time of general repression for women was a bonus in my book!

I recommend this to any who enjoy romance, historical fiction, regency period (think Jane Austen with some spice).

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Rating: 1/5

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC. Unfortunately, this book was a frustrating read for me, and I was unable to finish it.

From the outset, Ash and the Butterfly suffers from a glaring overuse of exposition. Entire chapters go by with minimal action, relying instead on run-on sentences and overly detailed descriptions, particularly self-descriptions that are dumped all at once rather than introduced naturally. While the setting initially showed promise, the story's structure and pacing fell apart quickly.

The characters, unfortunately, do not fare much better. The protagonist falls into heavy "not like other girls" tropes, and the romantic setup is painfully predictable. Attempts at writing "enemies to lovers" dynamics are fundamentally misunderstood, reducing what could have been engaging tension to shallow conflict.

A significant issue lies in the author’s approach to tropes. It feels as though the story was built around a checklist of marketable elements rather than an organic narrative. This results in forced, repetitive prose (e.g., sequences of "she stood, she stepped, she thought") and awkward, unnatural dialogue.

The romance, or more aptly, the smut, is poorly executed. Overwrought phrases like "engorged length" and "swollen petals" make the scenes more cringeworthy than steamy, leaving me questioning whether there was genuine effort in crafting this aspect of the book. The lack of dialogue throughout, further highlights the author's struggle with historical-style conversations, which could have added depth.

To make matters worse, the decision to use AI-generated art for the cover while discouraging its use for other purposes comes across as hypocritical and dismissive of genuine artistic effort.

While the initial chapters hinted at a competent writing style, it’s overshadowed by repetition, lackluster characters, and an absence of genuine storytelling. This book reads more like a rushed product than a heartfelt creation.

I would strongly recommend that the author work with an editor, agent, and publisher, and perhaps consider writing courses to refine their craft.

Ash and the Butterfly is the second book in the Secret Lives of Regency Ladies series by Lark Maitland but I'll tell you, I haven't read the first book and this one truly stands up on it's own. I wasn't confused on characters or storyline so don't hesitate to pick this one up. My attention was initially caught by the cover but when I read the summary, I couldn't resist - I love a good enemies to lovers story and this one doesn't disappoint.

When scientist Luke Ashburton arrives to help open the Earl of Bexley's new museum, he didn't expect to find the building on fire and the Earl himself passed away due to heart problems as a result. Now he is responsible for overseeing the salvage but in order to finish getting everything ready, he needs the Earl's field journals. The only problem is that they are all written in code. On the plus side - there is one brilliant mathematician who can help as the Earl routinely communicated with them in code so it should be something they can help decipher in time for the museum opening. Unfortunately for Luke, that mathematician also happens to be Grace Chetwood, a beautiful whirlwind he encountered at a ball years ago and became enamored with only for the night to end with her slapping him in the face.

Grace Chetwood isn't always what people expect. She loves flirting, gossip, and society but many people don't know is that she is also a brilliant mathematician and she has spent years solving codes via letters from the Earl of Bexley. After being introduced to Luke Ashburton at a ball and finding out what he really thought about her, she doesn't hold back and they end the night parting ways after she slaps him. Now it is years later and Grace has found herself in the middle of a scandal and she is now betrothed to someone who has no appreciation for her intelligence. Unfortunately she may not have much choice but she can hold everything off until she gets through this task. All she has to do is face off with the one man she thought she could like but someone fooled her...and now she can't stop thinking about him.

I thought the way Maitland set the stage for these character's backstory was well done. I enjoyed seeing how the attraction started and then how Luke's jealousy as the night progressed, made him do something he immediately regretted. It didn't prompt him to fix it and that obviously is his other mistake but it does set this story up well.

As for Grace, she's clearly looking for something more...she just doesn't know what it is and unfortunately for her, in thinking that the Viscount might be it, she finds herself in a sticky situation that she may not be able to get out of. Heading off to help with the museum is her way of escaping - at least for a little while - and avoiding the things she doesn't want to face. But, now she has to face off with the man who insulted her and the grief of losing someone she was very close to.

I enjoyed these characters and this story. I thought from start to finish that it was engaging and well done. Not only were the characters interesting but the story kept me turning the pages to see how these two would figure things out because there is some angst due to their situations, who they are, and what they want out of life.

If you're looking for a new historical romance to pick up, consider grabbing this one. I truly enjoyed it and will be going back to read the first book in the series too!

This book is absolutely wonderful. It is a real enemies to lovers book where they actually each did something to warrant each other's ire, not just some perceived slight or miscommunication.

I enjoyed seeing their relationship blossom as they communicated more and learned more about each other. Every interaction the main couple had was meaningful, complex, and helped us get to know each person individually. It is also great that they each were passionate about something different and respected the importance of each other's work. Once the couple got past their anger, they truly understood each other.

I also really liked the side characters and their scheming.

Most importantly, every scene added something to the plot and the author did not repeat the same concept over and over just to add words. 🙌

This book had emotions, longing, and angst that made you feel both sad and hopeful. Great work!

As Regency Romances go, Ash and Butterfly has a little bit of everything to build an entertaining and enjoyable romp through Regency England in 1822, when women were expected to be seen and very little else.
Grace Chetwood and Luke Ashburton have met before with a rather unhappy ending. She is a talented Mathematician, he is a Botanist and Scientist. Both are looking forward to the opening of the new Museum of their friend Bexley, Charles Calthorpe, Earl of Bexley, a man noted for his scientific expeditions and expertise in life sciences.
The last thing Luke had expected when he reached Estate to be greeted with the new building on fire, his friend Bexley dead and Denton, Philip Denton long-time friend of Bexley’s, covered in soot, with a vacant look on his face.
As if the tragedy was not bad enough they discover that what has managed to be saved means little, as Bexley had all the descriptions of the specimens in his notebooks; they are all in a carefully created mathematical code which none of the men can break.
They decide to ask for help by contacting Grace Calthorpe, who is more than happy to remove to Bexley Estate to get away from a somewhat disastrous situation created by her innate curiosity.
When Luke realises he is going to have to work with Grace, a woman he admits intrigues him the sparks fly, the temperature rises and the mad dash to try and solve the complex code reaches exhausting levels, both he and Grace have to resolve the issue of their ever increasing attraction to each other.
Ash and The Butterfly is a modern take on Regency Romance spun with wit, charm and enthusiasm, with a cast of characters that are each in their own right, absolutely realistic and entertaining.

This book perfectly balances witty banter and simmering sexual tension, drawing readers in with its clever dialogue and the growing emotional complexity between the leads. Grace and Luke are both strong characters with their own baggage, and watching them slowly shed their layers while deciphering not just the earl’s code but each other is a thrilling ride. The tension is fiery, but their ultimate connection is even more so. The historical setting offers the perfect backdrop for the slow burn of their romance, with their interactions filled with sharp words, glances, and subtle touches becoming the focal point of the book. The steamy undercurrent is expertly handled, making their evolving relationship all the more rewarding. It’s an emotional rollercoaster that will leave you rooting for them to work through their differences and finally give in to the undeniable pull between them. I loved every moment of it.

I was excited about the premise of this book, being based around two scientific intellectuals who were pitted against each other but both working towards the same goal to restore the library & museum collection… but the story fell flat for me. Specifically the sexual nature of it. Luke admits that visits to the whorehouse were part of this physical self care, and Grace tests out her sexual compatibility with a potential suitor in a rather graceless manner. All the while they are drawn towards the brilliance of each others minds… but seem to inevitably be mostly focused on each others bodies. This could have been a great read if it wasn’t so ragingly lusty.

"Do you remember when you told me that you are -I think the words were- too much? I never agreed, but once I was apart from you, it became hideously obvious that everyone else was too little."

I usually don't read or enjoy Regency era romances, but I adored this. It felt like a mix of Pride and Prejudice, Bridgerton, and Anatomy a Love Story. I think I enjoyed it so much because the FMC felt more like a women living in the modern day, with more progressive ideas and goals than most from the time she was living in. Enemies-to-lovers feels like a trope that can only be done well in fantasy books, but it was pulled off so beautifully and realistically, the initial disdain they had for each other was so believable. I love Luke's love and awe of Grace's brain and absolutely swooned reading their story. Thanks Netgalley for the e-ARC!

Loved reading about how women were finding ways to use their scientific expertise during a time when that was not socially acceptable. That being said, this is also a story about how two people completely misjudge one another and how life brings them together.

I requested this because I love regency romances but felt a little let down. I didnt fully feel the romance, it felt like a typical stereo romance and just had no energy to it. It was good but I just didn't feel the love and the characters felt a little robotic. The world building felt blend and it need more to it. I rated it four stars because I felt like the author just needs a bite more practice to her writing.

This is an enemies to lovers story after this couple meet 2 years before and some misunderstanding and miscommunication cause them to take a dislike to each other. Both characters were unique in their personalities and interests which made this feel like something better than the normal regency romance and really lifted the story to another level. I really enjoyed it. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Posted on Goodreads: 11/26/24

This book would be perfect for those who love spicy regency romances. I like that the two characters were unique in their personalities and interests, so this didn't simply feel like another typical regency romance. The main character is a woman with both beauty and brains, since her passion is being a mathematician. She and an unconventionally handsome scientist have a run-in a couple years back at some society events that cause some misunderstandings and prejudice, paving the way for an epic enemies-to-lovers story.

I really enjoyed this book and not just because it features one of my favourite tropes: enemies to lovers. Summed up, Ash and the Butterfly is about scientist Luke and mathematician Grace having to work together despite not getting along, but then sparks fly. Not literally as they’re in a library. 

I’m a huge fan of historical fiction, and this book transported me straight back to the Regency era. The author did a great job with the writing style, keeping the language true to the Regency era while also making it accessible and enjoyable for modern readers. The characters were also great, they were all distinctive and you understood why they acted in such a way, especially during the flashbacks to when Luke and Grace first meet. Grace is the star of the book for me, and not just because I love a smart and capable female character. I love how the author balanced Grace with making her fit the Regency era but also made her a smart mathematician and who wanted her to follow her own dreams despite society's disapproval.

I really enjoyed this story and would recommend it to anyone who wanted a cute, somewhat smutty historical book. .

Thank you to NetGalley and Lark Maitland for the eARC copy of this book. 3.75⭐️

Grace and Luke are compelling characters who bring depth to the story, and their dynamic kept me engaged. This was a relatively quick read (I read alongside other books). I enjoyed the plot of this hate-to-love historical regency romance that captures the restrictive lifestyle and limited freedoms that women faced during the time period.

Grace is a spirited young woman who refuses to conform to societal norms, pursuing unconventional hobbies like corresponding with mathematicians, breaking secret codes, and solving ciphers. Her intellect and independence make her an especially memorable character. The tension between her and Luke begins when she overhears him make a disparaging remark about her character at a ball. Years later, circumstances force them to collaborate on fulfilling a mutual friend’s vision for a museum. While Luke initially resents working with Grace, he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her.

I loved watching their relationship evolve, with layers of misunderstanding and mutual respect gradually giving way to something deeper. However, at times, I felt pulled out of the story due to the abundance of steamy scenes, which occasionally overshadowed the emotional and plot-driven aspects of the narrative.

This was a really quick read, in the best possible way: I picked it up and didn't want to put it down until I finished. My first from Lark Maitland, this short romance novel is about two intellectuals who fall in love despite a rocky start.

Grace is a mathematician who also lets herself feel all of her emotions. She first met Luke, a scientist, through their mutual mentor, the Earl of Baxter, another scholar. While both Grace and Luke felt an instant connection, he feels inadequate when he sees her dancing with, flirting with, and even kissing rich, titled men, which leads him to drag her in masculine company. She overhears him and they have a definite falling out. Since then, they've reveled in mutual hatred.

When Baxter dies, he leaves behind a trove of coded journals. Luke reluctantly asks Grace for her help decoding them, since he needs their resources to open a museum in a time crunch. Their close proximity makes them face up to the fact that if they can only get over their preconceived notions, they're actually very compatible.

There were a lot of things I liked about this short romance novel: I appreciated that Grace wasn't a blushing virgin and didn't feel ashamed or guilty about her sexual past. I always love a man who can apologize, especially when he can recognize the right thing to apologize for, and Luke knows how to grovel. And I love a supportive family. I'm glad I took a chance on a new HistRom author, and I'll be looking out for more from Maitland!

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.