Olivia Waite

When Agatha Griffin finds a colony of bees in her warehouse, it’s the not-so-perfect ending to a not-so-perfect week. Busy trying to keep her printing business afloat amidst rising taxes and the suppression of radical printers like her son, the last thing the widow wants is to be the victim of a thousand bees. But when a beautiful beekeeper arrives to take care of the pests, Agatha may be in danger of being stung by something far more dangerous… Penelope Flood exists between two worlds in her small seaside town, the society of rich landowners and the tradesfolk. Soon, tensions boil over when the formerly exiled Queen arrives on England’s shores—and when Penelope’s long-absent husband returns to Melliton, she once again finds herself torn, between her burgeoning love for Agatha and her loyalty to the man who once gave her refuge. As Penelope finally discovers her true place, Agatha must learn to accept the changing world in front of her. But will these longing hearts settle for a safe but stale existence or will they learn to fight for the future they most desire?

Feminine Pursuits

The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows

The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows was a delightful read! It definitely had great promise and I had some high expectations after loving the first one ( I five starred it) so I was expecting some things with this one and I will be honest while it had some factors that I did enjoy, it just didn't quite work for me. The biggest issue that I had with this one here is that there is cheating. One of the protaganists is married, and even though he is a ocean away, they are still legally married so I did struggle with that aspect all the way through the book. In fact, it really put me off. I just don't care for cheating at all no matter the circumstance. Then another factor is the modernisms in this book. There were some situations in here that are not historically authentic at all. Like for example, the situation with Agatha's son and refusing to marry and the fact that so many people that Agatha talked to agreed with her son and his girl. I am sorry but that wouldn't have been the case in historical times when marriage would be expected or they would practically be shunned by society. This would even be the case even 20-30 years ago let alone a couple hundred years lol And there were some phrases here and there that just wouldn't have been said back then. So while I did enjoy this story as a whole, it just didn't quite do it for me. I still plan on reading the third book though, I am hoping that it is much better than my experience with this one here. I did enjoy the actual romance between these two though, and this author definitely knows how to write sensuality in such a beautiful way. I absolutely loved those moments and seeing the small moments between these two that was so tender and sweet!

Lover of Romance 

The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows was a delightful read! It definitely had great promise and I had some high expectations after loving the first one ( I five starred it) so I was expecting some things with this one and I will be honest while it had some factors that I did enjoy, it just didn't quite work for me. The biggest issue that I had with this one here is that there is cheating. One of the protaganists is married, and even though he is a ocean away, they are still legally married so I did struggle with that aspect all the way through the book. In fact, it really put me off. I just don't care for cheating at all no matter the circumstance. Then another factor is the modernisms in this book. There were some situations in here that are not historically authentic at all. Like for example, the situation with Agatha's son and refusing to marry and the fact that so many people that Agatha talked to agreed with her son and his girl. I am sorry but that wouldn't have been the case in historical times when marriage would be expected or they would practically be shunned by society. This would even be the case even 20-30 years ago let alone a couple hundred years lol And there were some phrases here and there that just wouldn't have been said back then. So while I did enjoy this story as a whole, it just didn't quite do it for me. I still plan on reading the third book though, I am hoping that it is much better than my experience with this one here. I did enjoy the actual romance between these two though, and this author definitely knows how to write sensuality in such a beautiful way. I absolutely loved those moments and seeing the small moments between these two that was so tender and sweet!




Jude Silberfeld

I am, it seems, one of a few who enjoyed this book more than the first one in Olivia Waite’s Feminine Pursuits series (both books can be read as standalones). While I liked The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics a lot, I pretty much fell in love with Penelope and therefore with her story.

Set four years after The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics, The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows brings Agatha Griffin, a secondary character in The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics, to the forefront. Agatha’s husband Thomas died three years ago and she’s since been trying to keep the printing business afloat while managing her son’s increasingly radical ideas. Enter Penelope Flood, also in her mid-forties, come to save the Melliton branch of the print shop from a colony of bees. Penelope is married in name only, which Agatha doesn’t know, and both women quickly find themselves fighting feelings for one another, neither daring to voice them.

I have no idea how accurate the historical background is and I don’t really care, to be honest. I enjoyed the atmosphere, the small-town feel (there’s a map of Melliton on the author’s website) and the political backdrop – from class war to women’s rights to freedom of the press and libel. As a side note, if you’d like to know why your dildo shouldn’t be made of walnut, read J.S. Fields’ review of this book. Also, ignore the cover. It’s pretty but completely wrong.

I had doubts about the narration of The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics and I’m very happy to say I liked this one a lot more. The pace is perfect and each voice works. I laughed a lot more as well. Waite makes beekeeping sound extremely sensual and sexy. Or maybe, as I wrote above, I fell just a tiny bit in love with Penelope, her kindness and her wit. I also enjoyed witnessing the changes in Agatha’s views of the world and her sometimes very sarcastic sense of humour. I loved how uncompromising she is with both her beliefs (even though I completely disagree with most of them) and her love. While Penelope’s journey leads to her growing a backbone, Agatha’s softens her.

All the longing and yearning and the slow burn were delightful, and I loved how hot the sex scenes were once Agatha and Penelope allowed their desires to take over. I’m very impatient to get to read or listen to the third book in the series, The Hellion’s Waltz, which will be released on June 15th.

When Agatha Griffin finds a colony of bees in her warehouse, it's the not-so-perfect ending to a not-so-perfect week. Busy trying to keep her printing business afloat amidst rising taxes and the suppression of radical printers like her son, the last thing the widow wants is to be the victim of a thousand bees. But when a beautiful beekeeper arrives to take care of the pests, Agatha may be in danger of being stung by something far more dangerous... Penelope Flood exists between two worlds in her small seaside town, the society of rich landowners and the tradesfolk. Soon, tensions boil over when the formerly exiled Queen arrives on England's shores--and when Penelope's long-absent husband returns to Melliton, she once again finds herself torn, between her burgeoning love for Agatha and her loyalty to the man who once gave her refuge. As Penelope finally discovers her true place, Agatha must learn to accept the changing world in front of her. But will these longing hearts settle for a safe but stale existence or will they learn to fight for the future they most desire?

The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows Feminine Pursuits

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