So using the Garden as a setting was fascinating to me because in 1822 it moved from a site on Leith Walk to only a few acres initially at Inverleith (these days it’s more than 80 acres). Enough plot (but not too much), interesting characters, a good mix of the real history and fun diversions. This emotion was ignited by our fantastic free walking tour guide Rory (if you happen to be in Edinburgh, do book a free walking tour with City Explorers) who managed to introduce us to Scotland's and Edinburgh's rich history and the mentality of their people within two hours while also being entertaining, funny and at the same time mindful of the not-so-shiny-parts such as involvement in the slave trade, Highland Clearances or neglected female history. The story surrounds the pomp and intrigue in Scotland’s Enlightenment City centred around the Royal Botanic Garden in the run-up to the visit of King George IV. I always find them much richer when they are integrated and play out together, rather than being read separately and eventually coming together towards the end.

Other characterisations were well done, apart from Elizabeth who came out a bit too naive, I thought I was put off by the present-tense narrative, but that's just a personal opinion. Initially Elizabeth comes across as quite a passive character, although the more I learned of her past experiences the more sympathy I felt towards her. Even beyond the style struggles, the prose problems, and the tense troubles, the story itself is utterly, entirely unforgettable, with as much hold on the reader as a gentle breeze.With a gorgeous eye for detail, vividly realised characters and a masterfully crafted plot set within the grounds of the Botanic Garden, she seamlessly weaves fiction with history to enchanting and fascinating results. This lends itself to making the story of Belle and Elizabeth believable, fun, enjoyable and a little risque (in its 18th century setting). The Fair Botanists" is, at its heart, a story of empowered women who make their own rules, at a time when such behaviour was not deemed seemly. Joyously seductive prose with evocatively-drawn characters, The Fair Botanists is a beautiful tale of scandal and intrigue firmly rooted in the capital of 1820s Scotland. Beautifully written book but I think setting it in Edinburgh is really the biggest thing that sold me on it.

The heroines are no-nonsense and although they want independent lives for themselves, they understand they must do so within what is possible at that time and place. I’m aware that this is a ridiculous bone to pick, but it’s my bone, and I’m going to chew on it until I reach the marrow. Nothing is left unclear or intriguing – everything is narrated to us as though we are schoolchildren being told that A is for Apple.

So it's hardly surprising that she creates fantastic female characters in this book, from courtesan Belle Brodie who is passionate about the use of plants in perfumery (or perhaps I should say potions), to recently widowed botanical artist Elizabeth Rocheid relying on the kindness of her late husband's relatives, to blind Mhairi MacDonald who works for an Edinburgh whisky distiller. I really enjoyed the convergence of all of these storylines, and the ramifications of what happens to the flower. But moving on from bones and corset boning (or lack thereof), let's move onto another area where this book struggled: the tense.

The Graham’s keep separate rooms, with the lady housed in larger accommodation to the rear where a mahogany four-poster is upholstered in sky-blue, fringed damask. There's no enlightenment without enlightening women, and Sara Sheridan gives us two great ones to reckon with in Belle and Elizabeth. Set against some real historical events, and featuring important figures of the time, such as Sir Walter Scott, it’s a really fascinating read,which had me cheering on the female protagonists and some of the men who support them. I like a novel where location is as big a character as the people and Edinburgh really lends itself to that. There are some cracking painters – a friend has just written a book about Christina Robertson and I’m excited for that story.I made my first perfume when I was 10 – it went mouldy because I squeezed in some oranges, but I was not wrong – orange remains one of my favourite scents. Tiene pasión por la repostería y ocupa su tiempo dibujando, lo que la llevará a convertirse en la ilustradora oficial del Jardín Botánico a su llegada a Edinburgo.

This book feels the need to advertise to you, in direct, clear words, as a core component of its cover, just how good it is (and yes, I am aware that other books have reviews on the cover, but none that I’ve encountered have put them so blatantly front and centre as this one). I was hooked by the mystery and the secrets, engaged by the historical references and the social issues hinted at, charmed by the flowers and the perfumes, entertained by the lively style, titillated by the romantic liaisons. I found the friendship between Elizabeth and Belle a little forced possibly because it happens rather hastily and Elizabeth is far more muted and indistinct than go-getting Belle. Aunque a ratos deseara estrangularla, el personaje de Belle Brodie es la mar de interesante, y con gusto me hubiera gustado seguir leyendo sobre ella. In BookTrail terms, the wonderful thing is that you can pretty much go to Edinburgh today and you barely have to squint to see the scenes and buildings that Sara recreates here.It is then that she meets the vivacious and mysterious Belle Brodie, a woman with a passion for botany and the lucrative, dark art of perfume creation. The early 19C was a time of many changes in Edinburgh, including the move of richer residents from the medieval Old Town to Craig's expanding New Town.