Talk Sweetly to Me (The Brothers Sinister) (Volume 5)

I love Courtney Milan, but this novella that finishes off her Brothers Sinister series just felt kind of "meh." The premise was interesting--an Irish Catholic writer in Victorian London falls in love with his black, middle class, mathematician neighbor--but a premise like that requires much more STORY than can be explored in a 100-page novella. I think my biggest disappointment was that Stephen and Rose were already in love when the story began, and so the plot wasn't so much a romance but about overcoming Rose's (eminently reasonable) objections to their relationship. As a result, I couldn't really buy into their happily ever after because I didn't have a good sense of what their relationship was based upon, other than mutual attraction.

If you like Math and Astronomy, though, this novella is totally your catnip. I do not like math, and there is a lot of math humor. I understood it (yay, me!), but it didn't do much for me.

I have been desperately looking for my next fix and I so grateful that I found it. Reading another review sparked my interest in wanting to read a book of attraction between true parallels. It's a short story of romance: a rogue falling in love with an intelligent lady. Written humorously, and with an equal dedication to each character- I laughed, gasped and awwwed. The author made me love who she wanted me to love and hate who she wanted me to hate. P.s: I loved the corny mathematical puns!!

For a novella by this author...this was very disappointing. Small plot, extremely unlikely circumstances, and no sparks whatsoever between the two. The author has been good, but this is a sad showing of her talent. Pay the extra money and read another...but don't even waste the time on this one. Boring and fake...

In my opinion not up to Courtney Milan's standards. I liked it but would not read it again, plus areas dragged. Story was good and you like the character but not a re-read book which is how I judge a book.

This novella is the seventh book in The Brothers Sinister Series and I will say that it is just as amazing as the previous six. Courtney's style of writing is pure enjoyment. In this book she tackles two major sterotypes of the time period.

The first one is that women are just as intelligent as men and the prevailing assumption that women should be wives and mothers and stay in their place. Rose is a shopkeepers daughter who happens to be a mathamatics genius and loves Astronomy. She is shy and prefers to remain unnoticed.

The other is that is a black women in a white man's world. She has grown up knowing that she has a certain place in the world and that to step out of it would only cause her and her family scandal and heartbreak.

And then she meets Stephen Shaughnessy, a white irishman who writes a scandalous advice column. (You met Stephen in The Suffragette Scandal). He is a rake who is very handsome and funny. He lives two doors down from her sister who she is staying with .

Stephen is fascinated by Rose. He is a devil may care kinda guy who has seduced many women, but he has never gone out of his way for any of them. Rose is different, she is beautiful, intelligent, demure and he cannot seem to stop thinking about her. He feels differently about her, when he first starts to flirt with her he is not thinking about seducing her, he just wants to be with her however he can.

Rose knows that she has to discourage him because nothing good can come out of a relationship between them. She cannot let him seduce her even though she wants him to.
Stephen talks her employer into letting him take mathematical lessons from her just so he can be in her company. Rose is wary of this but agrees. The more time they spend together the more Stephen realizes he is in love with her. Rose loves him too but she sees the world for what it really is and knows that she cannot have him for herself.

The idea of them getting married and having children scares her and she thinks that Stephen is being naive about the consequences.

I won't spoil the rest of the story for you, but you have to read this book. As usual Courtney has written a beautiful book that keeps you turning the pages until the end. This is the first historical romance that I have read that tackles the issue of romance between black and white races and I applaud Courtney for wirting it. Today an inter-racial romance is no big deal, but in 1882 this wa a big, big deal.

If you have not read any of Courtney books, do so right away. You won't be sorry!!!

*** Originally published on The Season Blog ***

You know you thoroughly enjoyed a book when you don’t want it to end.

That’s how I felt about Courtney Milan’s novella, Talk Sweetly To Me. I wanted to follow them headlong into their HEA. I wanted the wedding, the babies; I wanted it all.

And honestly, there’s simply nothing to not love about this book. The heroine, Rose Sweetly, is nothing short of brilliant. Her brain is a veritable calculator and she works as a “computer” (one who computes) for an astronomer. Not only is her talent rare in a woman in 1882, but it’s even rarer in a beautiful, twenty-year-old black woman, which Rose is.

Rose is also terribly sweet and innocent (no pun intended) and the hero, Stephen Shaughnessy is a dyed in the wool ladies man. He’s a writer, and honestly, what’s not to like about that. But as an Irish man in England during this time, he was not held in the greatest esteem by the Brits. Ladies adored his handsome face, his laid-back charm, but to many he was only good enough to bed and that’s all.

I can only say I was utterly charmed by Stephen. And it’s easy to see why Rose is so smitten with him. But their differences are many, so she keeps her distance. Until she doesn’t anymore. Through Stephen machinations, she finds herself spending a great deal of her working hours with him, which Stephen uses to his advantage. He doesn’t necessarily set out to seduce us, but he does.

And what a sweet seduction it was. I loved every single word of it. One of the things I really loved about Stephen was that he could be humorously self-deprecating

“Are you trying to intrigue me by hinting at hidden depths, Mr Shaughnessy?”

He shrugged. “Why would I? I don’t even have hidden shallows.”

And I laughed every time he’d say, “Talk sweetly to me.” In my head all I could hear was the song, Talk Dirty to Me.

This is a novella, so I didn’t expect the kind of love scenes I’d usually find in a full-length novel. But I must say I thought their love scenes were perfectly appropriate for the story; a nice mixture of sweetness, passion and heat. And even then, Stephen managed to amuse me again.

“We need more astronomical events,” he said. “Because I am not waiting until the year 2004 to do this again.”

Seriously, I wanted an entire novel devoted to their courtship, that’s how much I enjoyed the two of them together and apart.

But while there are many light moments in scenes including Stephen, there is subplot that deals with the prejudices that were widespread during the time.

Rose’s sister, Patricia, is pregnant with her first child. Rose is staying with her while her brother-in-law is away. The doctor attending her sister is… Let’s just say I wanted to take a couple of swings at him myself.

I really loved the way Courtney handled the whole situation with the doctor. In dealing with the issue of racism, she doesn’t bang you over the head with it and make it overwhelm the story. There’s no way she can’t not acknowledge its existence, especially during this time. But the story is a romance to the very core, and it’s careful to keep the story focused on Rose’s inner turmoil regarding a relationship with Stephen.

When I got to the end of this novella all I could do was smile. That’s how it made me feel. Hopeful. Happy. Pleased. So what else can I say but, Go right now and buy this book. The writing is top-notch, the story beautiful, and the characters fully developed. And at .99, this novella is a steal. A steal. My only gripe is I wish it were longer.

Reviewed by Bev

Heat Level: Sensual

This novella is the final entry in the “Brothers Sinister” series, which makes me sad. It features…gasp…an interracial couple! Really! In 1882! Readers met Irishman Stephen Shaughnessy, also known as “An Actual Man,” in the previous book, The Suffragette Scandal (reviewed here). His romantic interest is Rose Sweetly, a brilliant mathematician who also happens to be of African descent.

Rose is a lot more interested in Stephen, her neighbor, than she should be. First, she knows his reputation with women. Second, he’s always joking, and she’s got serious things on her mind, like the distance between planets and caring for her very-pregnant sister. Third, she believes her racial background pretty much prevents her from ever being more to him than a mistress. But Stephen will not be denied a chance with Rose. He manages to set up math lessons with her as his tutor. He buys her a telescope for a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event. And at every step, he’s unselfish as can be. But Rose just can’t take the chance until a life-or-death situation proves whom she can trust most in the world.

How can you not love Rose? She’s a geek! She’s a genius! And, unfortunately, she’s forced to face the barriers of racism. (As I was reading Rose, I was picturing Freema Agyeman, who played another smart, geeky Brit who also happened to have dark skin.) And while I enjoyed Stephen, Rose was really the star of this story. She wrestles with her own feelings and the dictates of society, all while just wanting to be alone with her slide rule. (That is not a euphemism.) The moments where Rose shines the most are those she shares with her sister, Patricia, whose complicated pregnancy is even more endangered by the racist doctor who’s supposed to be caring for her. The first time the doctor referred to Patricia as “women like her,” I physically flinched. I’m so glad Rose gets to…oh, but wait, that would be a spoiler.

For those interested, no other Brothers Sinister characters show up. There is a mention of Free, but that’s all.

A really good novella, but I wish this story could have been a full-length novel. I feel like the story itself is stronger than the romance, which, granted, is not necessarily a bad thing. Stephen and Rose’s relationship could have developed so much more, and more gradually, over a longer novel. Definitely worth checking out, even if you haven’t read the rest of the series, especially if you appreciate diversity in your reading.

Note: Review is based on an ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Originally Reviewed For: Bodice Rippers, Femme Fatales and Fantasy

Have You read Courtney Milan's Brother's Sinister Series? Most especially her last book The Suffragette Scandal? If you have you will recognize the delightful characters in Talk Sweetly to Me, well at least one of them. If you haven't, that's ok, this is a sweet fast read and easily enjoyed.

Miss Rose Sweetly has a brilliant mind. As a matter of fact she is so brilliant that the men at the astronomical society employ her as their computer. She dreams big and vast dreams and makes space more than just stars in the sky or the physics aspect of numbers on a page. She would be a leader in her field with the exception of two minor problems. One, well she's a she and it's the 1860's for pete's sake. And two, she's black. And there are still those, even in the enlightened England, who question if she is equal to whites (soul wise). But she does what she can. Living most often in her head because it's really more interesting there.

Stephen Shaughnessy (seriously, great choice for a last name) the second son of an Irish Immigrant (yeah not much love lost with society there either) has made a name for himself. A brilliant columnist who gives a man's opinion in a woman's newsletter (see The Suffragette Scandal). He i witty and much desired. A total man about town and a known rake. But Rose Sweetly does it for him. One or two conversations and he is totally lost to her. Now if he can only convince her that she's it.

Ms. Milan takes it on.. Racial discrimination, class structure, female intelligence... yep she shows us under it all we are all the same. Of course there will always be those who disagree and she does a wonderful job of showing that as well.

A sweet short story about finding love no matter the obstacles.

Shauni

This review is based on the ARC of Talk Sweetly to me, provided by netgalley.

What intrigued me about this book is that it features a computer: my initial thought was that Rose was a living machine who did what modern computers do, but, then, I had to track back my thoughts and remember that a computer is "one that computes" -- what is extraordinary about Rose is that:

1. She is a female computer.
2. Her family background is very humble.
3. Rose is black.

Stephen Shaughnessy is a fun-loving rake, who writes the "Ask a Man" column for Free Marshall's newspaper. He's good with words, but finds that he loses them when he's in Rose's presence -- content to listen to her talk about numbers and calculations. (I loved reading about her talk about numbers with such passion and life.)

One would think that Mathematics was the least romantic and least emotional of all the academic disciplines, but Courtney Milan has shown us otherwise. I love and admire Rose -- to live in a fixed place, to live knowing there's a glass ceiling above you that limits you, and tells you how far or high you can aspire for -- I thought her situation was, at once, inspiring and heartbreaking. She's broken down one barrier and is working at the Royal Observatory, but there are yet more barriers for her to break down.

This novella is about discovering one's heart's desires -- Rose has lived her whole life believing she would marry like her sister and live her days like her sister, but, when she meets Stephen, she realises she wants something more for her life. The question is whether she's brave enough to reach out for it. Stephen hadn't really thought about his future. When he began his flirtation/courtship of Rose, he really didn't think to see beyond the present and beyond himself.

She did not dream timid dreams. She didn't want to dream timid dreams. She just knew the truth: She didn't belong in his sphere, and women like her were not invited to join men like him in matrimony. The only way she would have a man like him was if he did seduce her. They could with each other very well alone. It was only when she imagined ... oh, anyone else at all around them that it all fell to pieces.
- p. 45

It's a story about opposites-attract: he's too carefree, and she's too cautious; she lives in a world of precise calculations, and his is a world of fluidity and humour; he's well-established in society and she's a quiet shopkeeper's daughter.

But, like all Courtney Milan romances, this is also a story about something more: Rose's story is a reflection on a woman's social role, position and limitation -- and about Stephen's (and the world's) role in correcting these social conventions.

Rose Sweetly is computer. She has gift for mathematics and works for an Astronomer, working out the complicated computations necessary to track the transit of Venus. She is incredibly passionate about her work and thrilled to do it even if it is in a secondary position. Stephen Shaughnessy is writer, the author of a popular and outrageous column in woman’s paper called “Ask a Man” and Rose’s neighbor. Rose has captured Stephen’s attention and despite knowing he shouldn’t pursue it he does. No longer content with moments of snatched conversation on the street, Stephen pretends to be doing research on a book on astronomy and arranges with her employer for Rose to tutor him on the necessary maths. Rose is wary but secretly delighted to spend time with him, even though she knows that there is can be no future for them. Typically a shopkeeper’s daughter and stable master’s son would not be too far from each other in social class in Victorian England, but Rose is black and Stephen is white Catholic Irish and a romantic relationship would make them the object of gossip or scandal.

“It was only when she talked mathematics that he could see this side of her — sure and steady, swift and beautiful, as if when she was surrounded by numbers, she forgot that she was supposed to be shy.” (Kindle Loc 314)

The novella explores two major intertwined themes of seeing and knowing. Rose and the whole Astronomy community are preparing to watch the transit of Venus across the Sun in hopes that they can use the measurements they take to better estimate the distances between other heavenly bodies. They will use what they see to know the heavens. Stephen feels he sees Rose like no one else does, he recognizes her brilliance and knows she has bigger dreams that she will ever acknowledge and wants to help her achieve them. Rose sees past his facade of frivolous charm, his jokes and good humor, to his hurts, his compassion and honor, to see a man better than his outrageous reputation. Stephen doesn’t intend to seduce her, but his actions constantly work as a seduction, opening Rose’s eyes to his value and worth. But despite Stephen’s good intentions and his behavior toward her Rose fears that he has only the barest idea of how hard it would be for them, and she can’t trust that love and good intentions will be enough for them to withstand what they would face. They both need to move beyond seeing to trusting and knowing and I was fully satisfied with how Milan brought that about, it felt true to the story and more importantly true to Rose and Stephen. I highly recommend this sweetly romantic novella.

A copy of Talk Sweetly to Me was provided by the author via NetGalley for review purposes.

I listened to this via the audible romance package. I usually love a good short story but this fell a bit short of the mark. I liked the premise very much but as many reviewers have said, maybe it should have been taken on as a full length novel instead. Regardless of that, I found the romance a bit lacking somehow. The is a charming fellow with a rake's reputation and the h is a genius mathematician. Opposites attract etc. They're both nice characters and have something of a nodding acquaintance until the H requests some lessons from the h. He says that he needs to know more because of a writing project he's working on. It was sweet but as I said lacked something.

Pray tell who would wish to have the migraine while supposedly reading for pleasure? Mathematics romantic? Yes I guess if your idea of filling in leisure time is to take a course in quantum anything. It takes skill to blend historical facts with fiction. The matter is to be able to blend the insousiance with the hard facts. An actual skill is a requirement, absent from this work.

This is book 4.5 in the Brothers Sinister series (and sadly the last...)

Stephen Shaughnessy, a infamous advice columnist and known rake, is NOT the type of man you want as a husband but Miss Rose Sweetly is intrigued nonetheless. Having "run into" each other a number of times near their homes, neither know that the other has become intrigued during those brief encounters.

Stephen arranges it so that he has Rose tutoring him in math and science. As they spend more time with each other, they soon realize that their is much more under the surface than either of them expected.

I really enjoyed this last installment of the Brothers Sinister. I liked Stephen in The Suffragette Scandal and fell in love with Rose during this story.

Once again, Milan tells a story that is not often told in historical romances, the love story of a couple that are not of the same race. If anyone of African descent is a part of a historical romance, they often play the role of servant and not hero or heroine. Thank you for being an author that doesn't follow the other mainstream writers and for choosing topics that are not often brought up in this genre.

Being a math and science teacher, I really loved all the planetary science elements of the story!! Thank you for ending your series with a wonderful story. I will definitely miss these characters!

Thanks go out to Courtney Milan for a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.

What worked for me?

The characters… Stephen and Rose were not nobility. They both work for a living—Stephen as an infamous advice columnist and Rose as a computer for astronomers. But they’ve been living almost next door to each other for the past two months and the attraction is definitely there. So is wariness, the beginnings of companionship, and comfortable conversation. Rose is of African descent and the racial difference and the racial prejudice of the society at large is one of the challenges that they had to overcome in the story. I love that they know themselves enough to know what they really want in life and enough that they can argue their case with each other.

Courtney Milan’s take on racial discrimination… This is, I believe, my first historical romance book that featured a heroine who is of African descent in England during that time in history. If you’ve been an avid follower of her Brothers Sinister series, you know that Courtney Milan has given us amazing female characters that are, in a sense, as unconventional as they are fantastic—a governess, a writer, a scientist, a suffragette—and now a genius mathematician who also has to contend with the prejudice of society because she is of African descent. I was just riveted by her portrayals of the trials that Rose and her sister went through just because of the color of their skin. I’m mentally shaking in anger whenever they have to endure something awful because of ill-informed people and I was mentally fist-pumping towards the ceiling when the villainous character had his come-uppance. But I love most of all that in the end, while Rose’s race did become an issue, it served as an important reminder of the strength and depth of their affection for each other.

What did not work for me?

I was a little disoriented in the beginning because I didn’t know that the story blurb had changed and so I was expecting a particular plot that did not materialize in what I was reading. And I was looking forward to the references with numbers in the conversations between the two and although Courtney Milan did have that in abundance during the first parts, I felt there was a disconnect between the characters and what they were saying, sort of like a joke falling a little short of the punch-line.

I think this novella is shorter than any of the other novellas she’s written so I was in want of more backstory as to why and how Rose and Stephen fell in love with each other. There were references to it but I was actually waiting for more.

My favorites…

The part where Rose did some punching… Gosh, that was so good to read…

And of course, that first kiss…

My over-all take on it?

This wasn’t Courtney Milan’s best novella (and I might be a little biased here since her A Kiss for Midwinter is one of my favorite stories of all time!) but it is still a very worthwhile read and the unique story and characters are a gem especially in a genre such as historical romance.

Miss Rose Sweetly is intelligent, street smart, funny and hoping for love. She is a “computer” for an astronomer, she excels at mathematics. Her love of math and all its components makes her shy with men, because women are not considered to be capable of things she does. When she talks about math she lights up and glows with joy. While her heritage is seen as a bump in the road, she excels in a male world.

Mr. Stephen Shaughnessy is an outrageous and infamous author of an advice column. He thrives on keeping the ton on their toes or ears. His reputation as a rake is not totally made of substance but it keeps him in the ton’s mind. He is intrigued by Rose and the fact that she does not seem to see him as the rest of society does.

They share an attraction but she wants to avoid scandal at all costs. He takes matters into his own hands and even though it causes him an inner debate he goes after what he wants- Rose. This is an enchanting story of love and looking past the obvious. Although this is a novella, the characters are richly developed with warmth and humor. Stephen’s surprise and support of Rose and her abilities were touching. I applaud having Ms. Milan for creating a strong and technically smart heroine with such a warm heart! There was an excellent balance in the tension between Rose and Stephen. The climax of the story made me cheer out loud, it was heartwarming and the perfect conclusion to a charming story. I am off to read more of Ms. Milan’s books!

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed reading this novella. I liked how the author created such interesting leads. It's rare to read a historical romance novel with an African female character. I also really enjoyed how the male lead was an Irish man living in England who writes feminist works. The story between the two developed sweetly (just like the title!) and I liked how the hero devised a reason to be schooled by the heroine. I really enjoyed how the female lead had a brain and was putting her acumen to good use and recognized for it. It was interesting to learn about the mathematical theories and things like how she used a slide ruler - something we have forgotten about since the invention of the calculator. Overall, this was a fun and quick read. I haven't read the rest in the series, but I enjoyed this book and will be reading more by the author.

Nobody knows who Miss Rose Sweetly is, and she prefers it that way. She’s a shy, mathematically-minded shopkeeper’s daughter who dreams of the stars. Women like her only ever come to attention through scandal. She’ll take obscurity, thank you very much.

All of England knows who Stephen Shaughnessy is. He’s an infamous advice columnist and a known rake. When he moves into the house next door to Rose, she discovers that he’s also wickedly funny, devilishly flirtatious, and heart-stoppingly handsome. But when he takes an interest in her mathematical work, she realizes that Mr. Shaughnessy isn’t just a scandal waiting to happen. He’s waiting to happen to her…and if she’s not careful, she’ll give in to certain ruination.

Talk Sweetly to Me is the final novella in The Brothers Sinister series. The other books in the series are:

½. The Governess Affair (prequel novella)
1. The Duchess War
1½. A Kiss for Midwinter (a companion novella to The Duchess War)
2. The Heiress Effect
3. The Countess Conspiracy
4. The Suffragette Scandal
4½. Talk Sweetly to Me

Goodness but I loved this short story. It was an absolutely wonderful way to pass my lunch hour and left me feeling fabulous for the entire afternoon. There's nothing better than watching a rogue fall in love after all when he loses his heart he won't worry about what he's missing because he'll have already gotten his share of lovin'. Stephen was so utterly charming and while he was over-the-top with his charismatic allure he never once came across as callous. Rose is a wonderful heroine so true to herself and her unique personality. I've never been a fan of mathematics but she had me looking at the subject through her eyes and understanding the appeal. Courtney Milan is always a solid choice if you are looking for a well-written and highly entertaining historical and this short story is no exception. She gives you all the elements of her full-length novels in a brief story you can enjoy during your lunch hour or if you can find a little pocket of quiet time.

I saw “Courtney Milan” and “novella” and “mathmetics” and I was in! I have a good history reading Milan and enjoying her stories. I’m not a huge historical fan anymore, but Milan + math was enough for me. I was right, too, this story did not disappoint.

Rose is a “computer,” a person who does math for a researcher. She’s a genius and really enjoys her work. She’s a bit shy and shocked to find herself attracted to her neighbor, the scandalous Stephen Shaughnessy. He’s an advice columnist and a known rake and he’s surprised to find himself falling for her. As a way to spend more time with her, he manipulates her into giving him math lessons. This leads to some incredible math innuendo!

Stephen and Rose are wonderful characters. I was pleasantly surprised that the Rose is black! That was new for me in a historical. Stephen is white. He seems untroubled by their differences, but Stephen is not a worrier by nature, and he’s not experienced the discrimination that Rose is used to, both for her gender and her race.

Rose is very intelligent and comfortable with it. Stephen is entranced by her and her abilities. He appears to be quite shallow, and as it turns out, he has a pretty light hearted approach to life, and he doesn’t feel bad about that. It’s who he is. It does turn out to be an obstacle between him and Rose, though. He’ll have to convince her that he’s serious about her.

This was a wonderful historical novella, and I highly recommend it to historical or math lovers. I think it’s the very first historical nerd-mance I’ve read! And the math jokes abound and are awesome!

“You’re not going to multiply with me?”

“No,” she said somewhat severely. “You’re going to multiply on your own.” p. 20

"All you had to do was look up a number in a table. Was that too difficult for you?"

"A great and might table, ringed by fearsome logarithms, with their terribly, terrible..." He trailed off. "Oh, very well. Set me another problem, Miss Sweetly. My resolve is firm and my angles are acute. But beware -- if I have to draw another diagram, things may become graphic." p.32

I will say, despite the cover, it’s not a ballroom and opera historical. Stephen and Rose are solidly middle class. It’s a great story, though!

This is the last installment in the Brothers Sinister series. I haven’t read any of the others, and I still loved this one, so jump right in!

Courtney Milan, you have outdone yourself! Bravo!
This has been a thoroughly entertaining and very enjoyable story and I even managed to learn something about mathematics and the 'Computers' of yesterday-year (the people who were able to compute things in their heads when given facts, measurements etc., and come to logical and workable conclusions in science and maths and even the breaking of codes and so on).
The love affair between Rose and Stephen grew with every meeting even though she kept him at a distance. He was a Rake but fell head over heels for her.
All that happened from the moment they met to the end of the book made this brilliantly told tale an absolute pleasure to read and I really enjoyed it.

We met Stephen in The Suffragette Scandal and all signs pointed to him being a hero to love. There was no disappointment in that, he is all those delightful things we love about a hero and most important of them he is head over heels in love with the heroine. Now the heroine, Miss Rose Sweetly, encounters our hero often in the street where he engages her in conversation that usually turns to her passion for mathematics. He is not put off by this topic he absolutely enjoys listening to her expound on theory and astronomy, so much so that he goes to her employer and finagles a way to take astronomy lessons from Miss Sweetly. Of course Rose is wary, because she is already falling for him and there is just too much societal restrictions for them to ever be serious.

Once again Ms Milan gives us an original plot and protagonists to cheer for. She touches on women’s rights, racism and religious prejudice prevalent in Victorian times and she ties this all up in a lusciously sensual romance.

This is the final entry in the Brothers Sinister Series but like the others it is a standalone book. This has been a wonderful series by a top-tier author, I highly recommend this book and the entire series.

Talk Sweetly to Me is the final novella in The Brothers Sinister series.
I received this book free for review from the author.

I received an advanced reading copy from Victory Editing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. As a historical romance, Rose and Stephen’s story is not an easy one. They have some major obstacles to overcome, but they are both strong people, up for the challenge. This was my first Courtney Milan novel, and while I enjoyed Rose and Stephen’s story, there were a little too many historical astronomy factoids and math calculations for my tastes. However, as a former math geek, I’ll have to say I was definitely loving the math puns; they really had me laughing, and the love story itself was very sweet. I also enjoyed reading the background information Ms. Milan included at the end of the book to show the research she covered, as well as how it fit into the story. This book is supposed to be the last novel in The Brothers Sinister series and after reading this story, I’m curious enough to want to take a look at the others in the series.

I loved these characters!!!

Romances almost always start at the couples first meeting. This novella begins at a scene where we know Stephen and Rose have a cordial knowledge of each other on the surface. There is also smoldering chemistry beneath in these seemingly innocent interactions.

Rose Sweetly is a genius mathematician, a computer, and an African woman thriving in Victorian England. I adored her character! She is quirky and honest and doesn't shy away from speaking her mind, even though she is shy and awkward at times.

The use of language is so visceral,and enticing, I felt like I was right there in the moment with these characters. The dialogue is smart and witty. The interactions between Stephen and Rose were hilarious and beautifully done.

Ms.Milan has a knack for developing characters that are unique, relatable and utterly loveable.

I vaguely remember reading an interview with Sherry Thomas, some time ago, in which she explained how the use of an item, one that she gave great significance, could thread through a story, enrapturing a reader. Her assessment is very true, evidenced in this Milan novella not by an item, but rather a saying, used by her as the title: "Talk Sweetly to Me".

Stephen Shaughnessy, witty columnist and satirist, womaniser, joker, master of shallow repartee and just as shallow affaires, finds himself rocked to his knees by his fascination, then infatuation and growing love for Miss Rose Sweetly, the bespectacled mathematical genius who is his new neighbour. He is beguiled by her apparent shyness, the intensity of her passion for mathematics, by her initial imperviousness to his charm, her reluctant and growing attraction to him, her blunt honesty, her unpredictability and her physical beauty. He is stunned to find that he wants to make her happy, that he wants her to keep talking sweetly to him, that he does not want to win her with his much-practiced seductiveness.

Rose realises that she is on a hiding to nothing. She is very young, shy, a shopkeeper's daughter with huge dreams, living in a man's world. She happily goes to work, as a "computer", living an intellectually satisfying but unglamorous life. She has a loving family and expects to marry some day, to someone more or less handed to her through one of her family's interests. Oh, and she is also black. And Stephen is a relatively rich white man who was born in Ireland, is lusted over by thousands of his female readers and who doesn't seem to have a serious bone in his body.

Rose knows that she is just like Stephen's many other fans. She desires his gorgeous body and is warmed by his charming attentiveness. She loves talking to him, realising that their exchanges aren't just about wit and puns and bad jokes, but also the allure of him actually listening to what she says and especially to what she dreams for.

This is only a novella but Milan packs a great many gorgeous scenes into the small space she provides for the development of Rose and Stephen's romance. Even though I recognise how carefully Milan stages the episode where they climb the church tower - from beginning to absolute end - I'm happy to be manipulated by her. In my view, this scene outstrips all others, even the one when they finally come together (except for the lovely chat between them about "four months" which is a hard to beat moment).

Rose is the genius in the relationship and also the one who best knows what trials they are likely to face as a couple and the challenges that will face their children, Stephen is no intellectual lightweight, but he is blinded by love, an optimist who at first minimises those challenges as he tells her of his humble birth and the way he has been patronised by his wealthy lovers as Irish and therefore innately feckless. An incident with the doctor who should have been caring for Rose's pregnant sister reminds him that this is not so, that what they will face will be much, much more insidious. However, the behaviour of that same doctor reminds Rose of who she turned to for help and who gave it unhesitantly - Stephen. That realisation confirms her trust in his newly enlightened promise to stand by her always. His next advice column makes that promise of devotion a public one that Milan crafts deliberately to ensnare her readers as well.

In her newsletter Milan explains that she originally intended to open each chapter with an entry from Stephen's advice column, but scrapped the idea. Drat. The couple she does provide - but especially the last one - are so clever, amusing, kind-hearted and romantic that it is impossible not to feel robbed by knowing the others are sitting somewhere unread. (She could have cut out some of the mathematical detail instead. There are no prizes for guessing which her readers would have preferred.)

I did NOT receive a review copy of this novella. I bought it and I'm glad I did.