Talk Sweetly to Me

Talk Sweetly to Me
Courtney Milan
2014

The Summary
"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."

The Good
Talk Sweetly to Me is short and sweet and very cute.  It's a nice little end cap to Courtney Milan's Brothers Sinister series.  I loved the way Stephen treated Rose, how he showed his affection by encouraging her interests and going the extra mile simply to make her happy.  It was heart-warming, and I know I sighed happily when I finished reading.

Likewise, I was fascinated by Rose and by the history Milan incorporated into her novella.  Personally, I would have liked to have learned a little more about Rose and her family.  I would have liked to have known a little more about how her brother-in-law became the first black doctor in England, how her family arrived in London, how she became a "computer" and started calculating huge sums in her head.

However, I was very impressed by the work the author put into make the work historically accurate.  Milan made a point of incorporating scientific discoveries specific to that time and she even based Rose on a real person:  Shakuntala Devi.

According to the author's note:

"Shakuntala Devi...was known as the human computer for her ability to calculate complex cube roots in her head in a matter of seconds.  Her roots were modest--her father was a circus performer--but not only was she a mathematical genius, she also wrote cookbooks, nonfiction on homosexuality, nonfiction on learning mathematics, and novels (many of these are available as ebooks today).  She even ran for office."

I was fascinated, so, of course, I had to read more about Shakuntala Devi and discover what an amazing woman she was.  Truthfully, I'm always a little surprised by the historical accuracy of Courtney Milan's books and I always come away learning something new, some new fact or piece of history I never knew.  It's always worth reading the author's note in the Brothers Sinister series for this reason alone.

The Bad
Although I love the series as a whole and I enjoyed reading Talk Sweetly to Me, I didn't have as much fun with this one as the others.  Like The Suffragette Scandal, Talk Sweetly to Me felt a little more rushed, like it was wrapping up some final details, and I personally didn't feel as connected to characters.

Rose Sweetly was an intriguing character, and I would have loved to have learned more about her and her life; however, I'd met Stephen Shaughnessy in the last novel and I wasn't as attached to him as I was to Minerva and Robert (The Duchess War) or Violet and Sebastian (The Countess Conspiracy).  It's a sweet, little novella, and it's worth reading to round out the series, but, honestly, it wasn't a necessary thing for me.

I didn't have to read it.  In fact, if I'd never read it, I don't think I would have suffered much.

The Ugly
Explicit material.

However, I was more offended by the way Rose and her sister--her pregnant sister--were treated by the the local doctor.  I realize his attitudes were a product of the time, but I was irritated with him and his cavalier attitude toward his patient's health.  I mean, he really didn't care--and it was all because of the color of their skin.