Women have healed since the beginning of time, but accessing a formal degree in medicine was impossible for them in Britain until the late 19th century. In 1869, a group of women began arriving in Edinburgh to study at the medical faculty, led by the indomitable Sophia Jex Blake. They would eventually be known around the world as The Edinburgh Seven. They were delighted to become students of medicine and as Sophia said, they simply wanted 'a fair field and no favour'. But some of the traditional professors at the university did not approve of women becoming practising doctors. The medical women would soon discover that they were welcome as hobbyists but not as competitors with male students. There were legal wrangles, court cases, personal attacks and even a full blown riot - all because some male medics wanted rid of the women. And the women did leave Edinburgh - without degrees. But they finished their studies in mainland Europe and came back as fully fledged doctors. In 2019, the University of Edinburgh awarded the Seven their degrees posthumously via current day medical students. At last, the right thing was done, but the struggles of the original Seven should never be forgotten. This is their story.

Piedmont, the height of summer. Bee can't wait to conclude the biggest deal of her life. An ambitious young city girl, she's at the top of her game as a perfumier. Her heart is set on making an international success of her new fragrance -- which means she has lavender fields to buy. And so Bee arrives in the sleepy town of Lavandula. It's gloriously picturesque with its ice-cream parlours and cobbled streets, but from the get-go, this Italian adventure doesn't go quite according to plan. A sudden downpour and twisted ankle get Bee off on the wrong foot with Alessandro - an infuriatingly arrogant local entrepreneur - and soon it feels like he's thwarting her at every turn. Until one day, Bee's host, the elderly and charming Umberto, suggests a road trip out to some faraway lavender fields. A trip that unexpectedly throws Alessandro and Bee together. As the heat rises, so does the tension in Alessandro's vintage sports car - tension that's broken only by encounters with a racing cyclist and a wedding party. After an impromptu night in the mountains, Bee's life will never be the same again... but Alessandro is an enigma - and where does that leave Bee's dreams of world domination on a grand and perfumed scale? 'Has a flirtatious charm and incredible feel good vibe that fizzes throughout... fresh and radiant, and brimming with a wonderful optimism' - Little Bookness Lane 'Like a perfect glass of Buck's Fizz: bubbly, effervescent with a cool sharp tang. I loved it' - Shaz's Book Blog