The Unassuming Curator - Review

The Unassuming Curator (Georgian Gentlemen, # 5)

By: Sian Ann Bessey

Publication: April 11, 2023

224 pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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Goodreads description--Emily Norton loves nothing more than losing herself within the pages of a good book. But the solitary pastime is poor preparation for participating in the dreaded London Season. Her trepidation over formally entering Society is all-encompassing, until she stumbles upon an enigmatic gentleman digging up flowers in a hedgerow. Before she can learn his name or the reason for his unusual activity, however, she is whisked into a carriage bound for London.

Henry Buckland has a secret: he cannot discern the difference between certain colors. It’s a particularly difficult disability for the curator of natural history at the British Museum, but no more challenging than his repeated attempts to outmaneuver the machinations of the town’s most notorious matchmaker. At his parents’ dinner party, he receives assistance in outwitting the persistent busy-body from a surprising source: the intriguing young lady he met on the country lane. As Emily and Henry become formally acquainted, they discover a shared love of science and nature that makes them ideally suited. However, Henry is not alone in his admiration for the young woman. As the competition to woo Emily escalates, so, too, do tensions at the museum. When an unexpected danger threatens Henry’s livelihood―and life―it appears he may not have the chance to win Emily’s heart after all.

I have only read books 3 and 4 in this series prior to The Unassuming Curator. Each book follows a different couple so the stories aren't entirely dependent upon each other. I rated both of the previous books 4 Stars. Each one had a couple and a love story I could root for. Each one also had a mystery to be solved and a bad guy to be apprehended. I liked that the love stories took the largest portion of the previous books, but the mysteries detract from my overall enjoyment of a book. Knowing that this book would be no different and knowing that I'm not all that interested in a curator of a museum--especially one so concerned about flowers and plants--led to me feeling less enthusiastic than I might have. But I've liked the previous books so I figured I would probably enjoy this one as well. And I did.

Emily is the sister of Adam, the leading male character from An Alleged Rogue. She is finally ready for a Season in the London marriage mart. Emily, Adam, and Phoebe have traveled to London to Phoebe's aunt's house to visit. Phoebe's Aunt Millward agrees to introduce her to her friends and contacts in the city. One of those such contacts is Aunt Millward's nephew, Henry. Emily is different from most women in London. She has a hunger for learning. She truly seems eager to devour any and all knowledge she can collect.

Henry is as the description and title state, a museum curator. While I don't find that job all that fascinating from my own personal interests, I was interested in the history of the museum itself and how Sian Ann Bessey chose to make this hero colorblind. This wasn't a condition much known about during this time period. As a matter of fact, no one really understood it yet. Henry has kept this knowledge a secret, but he finds it easy to confide in Emily as her hunger for knowledge is attractive to him, especially since she's just as interested in his work as he is.

Of course as I stated, there has to be a mystery, and I won't ruin any of that for you. I never find this aspect of the story to be my favorite, but I don't generally read mysteries at all for that reason. Sian Ann Bessey does a great job of including them and having them be a true part of the story without having the mystery take over or feel forced where it doesn't fit.

Favorite quote:

-The recent change in his colleague's attitude toward him made sense now, but understanding the reason did little to lessen the loss.

I liked this quote so much because it's so true. We can often understand people's action and even their motivations. But understanding doesn't change the fact that sometimes we are hurt by others. Sometimes things hurt us, even though we understand why they happened. It doesn't lessen our pain or our experiences.

The Unassuming Curator was exactly what I've come to expect from Sian Ann Bessey. I enjoyed it. I read it quickly. I found the inclusion of Henry's colorblindness interesting and unique. And I also enjoyed the information about the museum. I didn't enjoy the mystery as much as the rest of the book, but I never do. That's just a personal reading preference of mine. I will continue to seek out the rest of this series and Sian Ann Bessey's other work. The Unassuming Curator gets 3.5 Stars. Have you read The Unassuming Curator? What did you think? Let me know!