The Marriage Method

 

The Marriage Method (The Crinoline Academy #2)- Mimi Matthews

Berkley

Release Date: November 25, 2025

Rating: 📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Well removed from London’s more curious eyes, the Benevolent Academy for the Betterment of Young Ladies strives toward one clandestine to distract, disrupt, and discredit men in power who would seek to harm the advancement of women—by appropriate means, of course.

When intrepid newspaper editor Miles Quincy starts to question the school’s intentions, the Academy appoints Penelope “Nell” Trewlove, one of their brightest graduates, to put this nuisance to rest. An easy enough mission, she supposes. Or it would be, if Miles wasn’t so fascinating—too fascinating to resist—and if Nell’s visit to London didn’t perfectly coincide with the murder of one of Miles’s reporters. 

When the inexorable claws of fate trap Nell and Miles in a compromising situation, they agree to an arrangement that will save their reputations while enabling them to investigate the story that led to a man’s death, as well as the surprising chemistry between them . . .

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When Nell ventures to London to stop newspaperman Miles Quincy from asking questions about her beloved Academy, she has no idea she'll end up married to him. But one feral cat, a crinoline skirt, and a judgy reverend mean marriage between Miles and Nell becomes necessary. They thought they would be saving their reputations, but events quickly lead to investigating kidnappings and murder- where relying on each other as equals is the only way they'll solve the crimes.

Book 2 of Mimi Matthews' latest Crinoline Academy pulls Nell from the Academy she'd never meant to leave and lets her put her theory into realy world practice. I love how Matthews shows us both sides of Nell- the strong and confident woman who knows she's been trained to take on anything as well as the emotional one who's facing upheavals she never anticipated. She never doubts what she can do and (even when it sends poor Miles into fits of the vapors) she does what's needed. One of my favorite scenes is when Nell and Effie (Rules for Ruin) go into Whitechapel searching for a missing girl and come out successfully- leaving their husbands furious for the danger they were in and having to admit they were completely capable of protecting themselves. Miles took a little teaching to understand who Nell was, I think largely because while he knew women could be hurt by men, it didn't seem to occur to him that they would learn to protect themselves. When he finally understands what the Academy is and who Nell is, the partnership they develop is one that may prove unstoppable.

Each book in the Crinoline Academy can be read alone, but Book 2 is probably fleshed out a little (as is Effie's walk-on role) if you read Rules for Ruin first. A fun, slow burn romance and mystery—with cats!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

 

Rules for Ruin

Rules for Ruin (The Crinoline Academy #1)- Mimi Matthews

Berkley Publishing

Release Date: May 20, 2025

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: On the outskirts of London sits a seemingly innocuous institution with a secretive aim—train young women to distract, disrupt, and discredit the patriarchy. Outraged by a powerful politician’s systematic attack on women’s rights, the Academy summons its brightest—and most bitter—pupil to infiltrate the odious man’s inner circle. A deal is struck: bring down the viscount, and Miss Euphemia Flite will finally earn her freedom.

But betting shop owner Gabriel Royce has other plans. The viscount is the perfect pawn to insulate Gabriel’s underworld empire from government interference. He’s not about to let some crinoline-clad miss destroy his carefully constructed enterprise—no matter how captivating he finds her threats.

From the rookeries of St. Giles to the ballrooms of Mayfair, Euphemia and Gabriel engage in a battle of wits and wills that’s complicated by a blossoming desire. Soon Euphemia realizes it’s not the broken promises to her Academy sisters she should fear. . . . It’s the danger to her heart.

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Raised in a girl's school that teaches women to think for themselves- along with teaching a few select students more useful life skills like picking locks- Effie Flite is ordered by the school's headmistress to take down a viscount standing in the way of a Parliamentary bill that will mean married women get to keep control over their own property. It's an assignment that appeals to her not only as a woman, but as a way of gaining her freedom and making her own way in the world, and Effie is willing to take it. After all, the viscount isn't exactly an innocent man.

But Gabriel Royce needs those secrets to stay hidden so he can blackmail the viscount for his own ends. The most powerful man in St. Giles, Gabriel has plans and he needs a few rich politicians to achieve those plans. When Gabriel and Effie meet, each knows a worthy opponent when they see one. And the longer their battle of wills and wits continues, the more they realize they may just be each other's perfect match. 

I absolutely fell in love with these two. Effie and Gabriel are dedicated to their respective causes, stubborn, intelligent loners and absolutely sure they are hardened cases against the outside world. Put them in the same room and BAM! Sparks ignite before either one knows what's happened. Effie challenges Gabriel as no one ever has, refusing to back down from her own agenda and forcing him to rethink his own plans. Gabriel is overprotective, finds intelligence in a woman total catnip, and is willing to put himself in situations that could get him rejected to make sure Effie is ok without even thinking about it. They share bone-melting kisses and her poodle Franc likes him. Clearly, these two are meant for each other.

A clash of business and personal interests, strong personalities, delightfully barbed wits, and high-stakes adventure, this is a romance not to be missed! Perhaps Mimi Matthews best book yet!

If you like women who believe knowledge is power, you'll love the women of the Crinoline Academy.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

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Muse of Maiden Lane

 

The Muse of Maiden Lane (The Belles of London #4)- Mimi Matthews

Berkeley/Penguin

Release Date: November 19, 2024

Rating: 📚📚📚📚

Synopsis:  Stella Hobhouse is a brilliant rider, stalwart friend, skilled sketch artist—and completely overlooked. Her outmodish gray hair makes her invisible to London society. Combined with her brother’s pious restrictions and her dwindling inheritance, Stella is on the verge of a lifetime marooned in Derbyshire as a spinster. Unless she does something drastic…like posing for a daring new style of portrait by the only man who’s ever really seen her. Aspiring painter Edward “Teddy” Hayes knows true beauty when he sees it. He would never ask Stella to risk her reputation as an artist’s model but in the five years since a virulent bout of scarlet fever left him partially paralyzed, Teddy has learned to heed good fortune when he finds it. He’ll do anything to persuade his muse to pose for him, even if he must offer her a marriage of convenience.   After all, though Teddy has yearned to trace Stella’s luminous beauty on canvas since their chance meeting, her heart is what he truly aches to capture….

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The final book in Mimi Matthews' Belles of London series features Stella Hobhouse, a brave rider and friend who knows if she doesn't marry soon she'll find herself buried in the quiet countryside forever. Thanks to her odd gray hair and lively personality, she's had more trouble than her friends when it comes to finding a suitor. Thinking if men could just look past her hair to her they might give her a chance, Stella decides to be daring and dye her hair while attending a houseparty with her friend Lady Anne, since noone else will know her there. 

Edward "Teddy" Hayes is a fustrated artist who briefly met his muse at a museum, only to lose her to his blunt speech. Now he's at a house party he doesn't want to attend and only knows his sister and brother-in-law. Deciding to spend most of his time painting and hiding away to avoid people and dealing with the annoyance of his wheelchair, he's as surprised as Stella when they meet again. 

Muse is a slow burn romance very different from what readers might generally expect- both from Matthews' normal books or traditional romance in general, but I thought it worked very well. At the heart of the story, both Stella and Teddy want independence. They want to discover who they are, what they are capable of in life. While they each start off thinking they need to chart their paths separately, by the end they've discovered that love can make them stronger together. Both have wanted to be truly seen for who they are and what they are capable of beyond their physical appearance- Stella's hair and Teddy's wheelchair. Even early on it is clear (to the reader anyway) that they see each other for who they are. The question is, how long will it take them to figure it out? The suggested marriage of convenience comes late in the book, which might annoy some people. After all, traditionally you have an early marriage of convenience and then love grows from that. But I enjoyed how Matthews played with the expectations and turned the idea into something new- rather like Teddy and his fellow painters were trying to do with what we now call Impressionist art!

One of my absolute favorite things in this book is how Teddy encourages Stella to be herself. Not to be small and quiet, but to be whatever she feels she is, because once they are married they only have to please themselves. That's the kind of support I want in a partner!

This is a story of two people finding their own way, discovering friendship and strengths within themselves that allow for a beautiful, trusting partnership of a loving marriage.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

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Lily of Ludgate Hill

 

Lily of Ludgate Hill (Belles of London #3)-Mimi Matthews

Berkley

Release Date: January 16, 2024

Rate: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Lady Anne Deveril doesn’t spook easily. A woman of lofty social standing known for her glacial beauty and starchy opinions, she’s the unofficial leader of her small group of equestriennes. Since her mother’s devastating plunge into mourning six years ago, Anne voluntarily renounced any fanciful notions of love and marriage. And yet, when fate puts Anne back into the entirely too enticing path of Mr. Felix Hartford, she’s tempted to run…right into his arms.

No one understands why Lady Anne withdrew into the shadows of society, Hart least of all. The youthful torch he once held for her has long since cooled. Or so he keeps telling himself. But now Anne needs a favor to help a friend. Hart will play along with her little ruse—on the condition that Anne attend a holiday house party at his grandfather’s country estate. No more mourning clothes. No more barriers. Only the two of them, unrequited feelings at last laid bare.

Finally free to gallop out on her own, Anne makes the tantalizing discovery that beneath the roguish exterior of her not-so-white knight is a man with hidden depths, scorching passions—and a tender heart.

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Book 3 in Mimi Matthews' latest series finally gives us Lady Anne Deveril and Felix Hartford! They've sniped at each other in scenes throughout the last two books, so readers knew they had an unresolved past, and here things get resolved! This may be one of the best second-chance romances I've ever read: a lovers to enemies to lovers who never actually stopped loving each other and just wouldn't admit it (even to themselves) book. Think Jane Austen's Persuasion (one of my favorites) with major doses of "mistakes were made", "we were too young to be mature about things", and "prove it to me this time" going on here. 

Lily of Ludgate Hill has lots going on and keeps the hits coming to our characters. Some I won't mention for too many spoilers. But Anne is watching her friends marry and starting to wonder about her own life. She's chosen to withdraw from things like love and much of society in favor of caring for her mother, and while she isn't entirely sure how she could (especially in the past) have balanced the two any differently, she does regret that she couldn't have found a way. What's so great about Anne is that she doesn't care about what Society thinks of her to change who she is- especially when it comes to the people she loves. Early on Felix argues with her about how people see her as being in her mother's shadow, as being weak, how she doesn't seem like the girl he used to know. She tells him she doesn't care what people who don't know her think because they don't know about her life and she knows who she is. Anne may be willing to play within the confining rules of Society, and she and her friends may regret how those rules limit their actions, but she doesn't let them define her as a person. I absolutely love her!

I also love how we see Felix grow and understand Anne, and their past, and how to relate to her as an equal. As we uncover what happened between them and see both Felix and Anne work towards accepting the hurt they've done and the changes that have happened, Felix in particular has to change how he thinks about a lot of things. He comes to see that what he thought of as weaknesses can actually be strengths, and Matthews does a wonderful job of showing us this in multiple ways. But he gets there in the end because he figures out what's important to him.

The layers to the characters and the plot were beautifully and masterfully done, and I imagine I'll discover more nuances next time I read the book! You don't necessarily need to have read The Siren of Sussex or Belle of Belgrave Square to enjoy The Lily of Ludgate Hill, but you'll enjoy watching the characters develop throughout the series, and Belle and Lily do overlap a bit at the beginning. And this book has definitely planted the seeds for Stella's book for us to look forward to!

Appointment in Bath

 

Appointment in Bath- Mimi Matthews

Perfectly Proper Press

Release Date: June 27, 2023

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Shy and stammering Meg Burton-Smythe has spent the whole of her life living on the fringes of local society. She’s more comfortable with her daydreams than she is with people. But when a dashing, golden-haired hero rides to her rescue one morning, she dares to hope that her dreams might finally come true. There’s only one problem: her handsome rescuer is the son of her father’s sworn enemy.

Ivo Beresford doesn’t believe in clinging to the past. Freshly returned from a lengthy grand tour, he’s looking to the future, eager to spearhead the building of a new railway extension in Somersetshire. But an unexpected encounter with Meg Burton-Smythe, the isolated only daughter of his parents’ oldest foe, sets the past and the future colliding.

Resolved to put ancient grudges to rest—at least where innocent young ladies are concerned—Ivo encourages lonely Meg to embark on a secret friendship. After all, what harm can a friendship do? It isn’t as though there’s any danger of the two of them falling in love…

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I always enjoy Mimi Matthews' books and Appointment in Bath does not disappoint! This is the story of Ivo Beresford and Meg Burton-Smythe, whose parents (Gentleman Jim) have a long-standing feud. But Ivo believes in looking to the future, not the past, and befriends Meg anyway. 

Meg starts out almost painfully shy from being so isolated- her only companions have really always been a few servants, her governess who has now left to get married, and her father- a man who is as much an entitled bully now as he was as a younger man. In her head, Meg thinks of him as Henry VIII, only without the power to chop people's heads off. Thanks to her unlikely friendship with Ivo, she slowly grows in confidence, and watching that was really delightful. Ivo is impetuous and full of plans for the future, sure his was is best and ready to hurry everyone else to get there. He has a good heart and good intentions, is always helping others, but still needs some experience when it comes to people. 

Meg and Ivo are younger than Matthews' usual main characters (18 and 23 years old) or most main characters that I've read recently. This gave them a different feel occasionally- though in a realistic way, not a bad way. They are fresh and optimistic, Ivo in particular is sure he can change the world by dragging everyone into the future with him and his railroad friends. 

Meg and Ivo feel like that second-chance couple who magically didn't need a second chance but were able to have their families, circumstances, and their own hearts line up to give them their happily ever after the first time around.

This book overlaps Return to Satterwaite Court, and refers to the past created in Gentleman Jim, but while both are wonderful books and I completely recommend them, you don't necessarily need to read them in order to enjoy Appointment in Bath.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

 

Return to Satterthwaite Court

 

Return to Satterthwaite Court- Mimi Matthews

Perfectly Proper Press

Release Date: April 11, 2023

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Lieutenant Charles Heywood has had his fill of adventure. Battle-weary and disillusioned, he returns to England, resolved to settle down to a quiet, uneventful life on an estate of his own. But arranging to purchase the property he desires is more difficult than Charles ever imagined. The place is mired in secrets, some of which may prove deadly. If he's going to unravel them, he'll need the assistance of someone as daring as he is.

At only twenty, Lady Katherine Beresford has already earned a scandalous reputation. As skilled with pistols as she is on horseback, she's never met an obstacle she can't surmount-or a man she can't win. That is, until she encounters the infuriatingly somber Lieutenant Heywood. But Kate refuses to be deterred by the raven-haired soldier's strong, silent facade. After all, faint heart never won handsome gentleman.

From the wilds of rural Somersetshire to the glittering ballrooms of early-Victorian London, Charles and Kate embark on a cross-country quest to solve a decades' old mystery. Will the greatest danger be to their hearts-or to their lives?

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Years after the characters of Mimi Matthews' wonderful A Work of Art and Gentleman Jim had their happy endings, their children meet. The moment Charles Heywood and Lady Katherine (Kate) Beresford see each other, there's something there. Something more than a small, half-feral dog attacking Kate's skirts. Charles may have too much on his mind at that moment to know how to follow up on his mystery lady, but fortunately, Kate is able to track him down. And fortunately, their families live close enough to each other in the country that she can pursue the accidental meeting, and Charles, to make sure he's what she has bee looking for all Season. A man interested in her for more than her looks or her money. One who might treat her as an equal, even make her happy.

Charles is adorable in his confused reaction to Kate's pursuit. He doesn't know what to make of her, let alone the fact that she invites herself into his investigation of the mystery of Satterthwaite Court, his mother Phyllida's family home. Entail broken, the home is up for sale, but the owner won't sell it to Charles for any amount of money. At first Charles is a little too overwhelmed with his own family issues of going into the Navy without his parents' blessing and now, almost ten years later, leaving it, plus Satterthwaite Court, plus trying to decide his future to know what to do about Kate. Is she serious or is this a game to her? He's been away from Society long enough that he can't tell.

Kate is delightful. She chafes at Society's rules and we see several good examples of how those rule almost seem designed to hurt women instead of help them here. But Kate is adventurous, strong-willed, and confident, and when she is sure of something, she doesn't want to waver from her path. Her few moments of self-consciousness and doubt are all the tougher to see in such a strong woman, but remind readers that we are all allowed to be a mix of strong and emotional, solitary and in need of support.

Mimi Matthews once again creates a delightful set of characters who learn how to come together to make the perfect couple. They learn when to give and when to stand, to bring out the best in each other and to support each other along the way. Return to Satterthwaite Court is a lovely, fast-paced book that will make you smile until the last page. You don't have to have read A Work of Art or Gentleman Jim to enjoy this spin off, but they are great books by themselves and I highly recommend them.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Belle of Belgrave Square

 The Belle of Belgrave Square- Mimi Matthews

Berkley

Release Date: October 11, 2022

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Tall, dark, and dour, the notorious Captain Jasper Blunt was once hailed a military hero, but tales abound of his bastard children and his haunted estate in Yorkshire. What he requires now is a rich wife to ornament his isolated ruin, and he has his sights set on the enchanting Julia Wychwood.

For Julia, an incurable romantic cursed with a crippling social anxiety, navigating a London ballroom is absolute torture. The only time Julia feels any degree of confidence is when she’s on her horse. Unfortunately, a young lady can’t spend the whole of her life in the saddle, so Julia makes an impetuous decision to take her future by the reins—she proposes to Captain Blunt.
 
In exchange for her dowry and her hand, Jasper must promise to grant her freedom to do as she pleases. To ride—and to read—as much as she likes without masculine interference. He readily agrees to her conditions, with one provision of his own: Julia is forbidden from going into the tower rooms of his estate and snooping around his affairs. But the more she learns of the beastly former hero, the more intrigued she becomes…

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In this lovely book with inspiration drawn from Beauty and the Beast, the socially anxious Julia Wychwood decides to run away with the darkly mysterious fortune hunter Captain Blunt. He needs her money, she needs to not be under her selfish parents' control anymore. And Julia thinks as long as she has her books and her horse, and no longer has to deal with London Society, she can handle everything else. But even the wildest gothic novel might not prepare her for the secrets her new husband is hiding.

I loved the first book in Mimi Matthews' new series, The Siren of Sussex (okay, I love all Matthews's books but I really loved Siren). Now I have to say I think The Belle of Belgrave Square is my new favorite Mimi Matthews book of all time. Julia is the kind of heroine you don't see much of, but always wonder about: the quiet woman who has social anxiety in a London Season literally designed to put marriageable women in the spotlight, thus being Hell on Earth to those women who can't stand being in the spotlight but still need to be married. How do they manage the Season? Julia manages by riding her horse whenever possible and drawing strength from her few dear friends the rest of the time. But here, her friends are away and she has to face social events by herself. She's kind and caring and an unapologetic novel reader- not just of Dickens and Wilkie Collins but of the penny dreadfuls and gothic horrors and romances. The books that newspaper reviews call tripe and her parents and doctor think are harmful to young ladies. But she has an unexpected ally in Captain Jasper Blunt: a man who reads novels, rides horses, sees her when others see only her money, and has a reputation for incredible cruelty on the battlefield. His secrets have secrets and you spend much of the book trying to figure out what his truths will be. It was really great to be kept guessing. Every time I thought I had the answer, Matthews would come up with something else to make me question if I had all the secrets, right up until the big reveal at the end. What was never in doubt was that Jasper wanted Julia, and not just for her money. Their scenes together, even before their marriage, are filled with a tenderness and sweetness that was wonderful. Watching them come together was like watching a dance- steps closer together and further apart but knowing in the end they were going to be a perfect match, their strengths and weaknesses a perfect fit when they worked together. 

I loved watching both Julia and Jasper grow in confidence, and watching the love grow between them was beautiful. Gorgeously written and full of emotion, a book I never wanted to put down, The Belle of Belgrave Square may be Mimi Matthews' best book yet!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The Siren of Sussex

 The Siren of Sussex- Mimi Matthews

Berkley

Release Date: January 11, 2022

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Evelyn Maltravers understands exactly how little she's worth on the marriage mart. As an incurable bluestocking from a family tumbling swiftly toward ruin, she knows she'll never make a match in a ballroom. Her only hope is to distinguish herself by making the biggest splash in the one sphere she excels: on horseback. In haute couture. But to truly capture London's attention she'll need a habit-maker who's not afraid to take risks with his designs—and with his heart.

Half-Indian tailor Ahmad Malik has always had a talent for making women beautiful, inching his way toward recognition by designing riding habits for Rotten Row's infamous Pretty Horsebreakers—but no one compares to Evelyn. Her unbridled spirit enchants him, awakening a depth of feeling he never thought possible.

But pushing boundaries comes at a cost and not everyone is pleased to welcome Evelyn and Ahmad into fashionable society. With obstacles spanning between them, the indomitable pair must decide which hurdles they can jump and what matters most: making their mark or following their hearts?

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The Siren of Sussex begins a new series where a set of friends more at home on horseback than the ballroom will (hopefully) meet their matches. Evelyn Maltravers begins the series, and the plan, by coming to London for a Season in order to find a husband who will in turn support her family. Ever since her older sister ran off with a neighbor the family fortunes have been falling and now Evie has to marry to save the rest of her sisters. It's a tale as old as time in Victorian England, the difference being Evie knows she's nothing special in the ballroom so she plans to make her big splash where she does shine: on horseback. But to really set her apart she needs fabulous riding habits and that sends her to Ahmad Malik, half-Indian, half-English, and all genius when it comes to designing women's clothes. There's a spark between them from the beginning, but plenty of hurdles to overcome before love can win the day.

The Siren of Sussex may be my new favorite of Mimi Matthews' books- books which have always impressed me with excellent writing, detailed descriptions and enjoyable characters. Matthews takes all of this to a new level in Siren with characters willing to look outside of the box to solve their problems, face problems together, change plans as they go, and more. One of the things that always bothers me in books is when characters start the book with a PLAN-whether for their entire life or a set goal- and don't admit that this PLAN can change when they change over the course of the story (until the end of the book at least- I do like a happy ending). Evie starts off with a plan: make her debut on horseback and find someone to marry and support her younger sisters. But when she realizes it's Ahmad she loves, she is completely willing to change plans right away. Then it becomes about how she and Ahmad can be together. Matthews does a good job of not shying away from racism or classism. Evie goes from being a Sussex innocent to discovering how Britain treats India and her people in an excellent scene at Hatchards Books. She also glimpses the lives of seamstresses in sweatshops, the poor living at the docks, and many other worlds that a country gentlewoman would often not be exposed to.  Her instinct is always to help, to stand by her man, to work with him towards the greater good. 

Ahmad's only goal is to have his own dressmaking shop and that goal is nearly in reach. He has to deal with sexual harassment (and more) from some of his wealthy clients who think he can't say 'no' because of his position. He always feels like he's living on the outside- not truly English, not truly Indian. Evie becomes his muse because he can't admit he loves her, then he wants to do the honorable thing and stay away to not ruin her plans. He's a wonderfully complicated, caring, thoughtful man and easy to see why Evie falls for him.  Since Matthews believes in happy endings for her main characters, the challenge is how will they overcome the obstacles in front of them and make things work? It's as complicated as real life, but I found it to have quite the perfect ending.

I can't finish this review without singing the praise to one of the great characters in The Siren of Sussex: fashion. For those of you who don't know, Mimi Matthews has written a nonfiction book, A Victorian Lady's Guide to Fashion and Beauty. Her research into 1861-2 women's fashions comes through each page here- beautiful and detailed without being overdone, much like Ahmad's designs themselves.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Gentleman Jim

 

Gentleman Jim- Mimi Matthews

Perfectly Proper Press

Release Date: November 10, 2020

Caution: Spoilers! (sort of)

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Wealthy squire's daughter Margaret Honeywell was always meant to marry her neighbor, Frederick Burton-Smythe, but it's bastard-born Nicholas Seaton who has her heart. Raised alongside her on her father's estate, Nicholas is the rumored son of notorious highwayman Gentleman Jim. When Fred frames him for theft, Nicholas escapes into the night, vowing to find his legendary sire. But Nicholas never returns. A decade later, he's long been presumed dead.

After years spent on the continent, John Beresford, Viscount St. Clare has finally come home to England. Tall, blond, and dangerous, he's on a mission to restore his family's honor. If he can mete out a bit of revenge along the way, so much the better. But he hasn't reckoned for Maggie Honeywell. She's bold and beautiful--and entirely convinced he's someone else. 

As danger closes in, St. Clare is torn between love and vengeance. Will he sacrifice one to gain other? Or, with a little daring, will he find a way to have them both?

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Wealthy Margaret Honeywell grew up alongside neighbor Frederick Burton-Smythe and stablehand Nicholas Seaton.  She's always disliked the one and loved the other.  When Fred frames Nicholas for theft, she helps Nicholas escape and he leaves promising to come back to her.  Ten years later she is in the difficult position of having to marry Fred -who has only grown worse with age- or see her fortune and estate pass into his hands and leave her nothing.  Then the appearance on the scene of the mysterious John Beresford, Viscount St. Clare, changes everything. Maggie is certain he is her long-lost love Nicholas. St. Clare denies it, but proceeds to court her and drive Fred to increasing levels of cruel antagonism.  St. Clare's right to inherit the title and estate of his grandfather is being questioned by distant relations and he should be keeping his focus on dealing with that.  But Maggie changes all of his plans and now he must decide who he is, and what he is willing to do- and to give up- to be that man.

Author Mimi Matthews (Work of Art) has once again written a book that enthralls and entertains from start to finish.  She's admitted that Gentleman Jim has some Count of Monte Cristo inspirations and I enjoyed every one of those moments.  That knowledge means that it won't surprise readers familiar with the story to know that St. Clare and Nicholas are the same person.  But there's much more to the story of Nicholas and his origins than that and one of the questions that keeps readers guessing is: how much of St. Clare/Nicholas is fiction and how much is truth?  He grows into an intelligent, cold, and calculating planner with an obvious path set out, but how much is his plan and how much his (supposed) grandfather's?  Trying to keep up with the secrets and machinations of the Beresford men kept me guessing all the way to the end, which I very much enjoyed. Maggie may be one of my favorite Matthews' heroines- a strong woman willing to overcome obstacles, believing unconditionally in her love even when she isn't always able to believe in herself or see her way out of a situation. She's willing to accept help from friends (unlike so many headstrong characters), take risks, and when in doubt, use a pistol to great effect.

 I also loved the relationship between Maggie and St. Clare. These are two people who are meant to be together, and who have a soul-deep understanding despite being separated by ten years, a continent, and endless secrets.  Their chemistry is perfect, and their connection perhaps shows readers that there are times when people are just meant to be together.

From shadowy taverns to glittering ballrooms, Gentleman Jim is a winner from start to finish. Wonderful characters with electrical chemistry, revenge, adventure, and fortunes hanging in the balance, this is a perfect book to read and re-read. This is Mimi Matthews at her finest! 

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The Winter Companion

The Winter Companion (Parish Orphans of Devon 4)- Mimi Matthews
Perfectly Proper Press
Release Date: February 11, 2020

Rating:
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Synopsis:  As a lady's companion, Clara Hartwright never receives much attention from anyone. And that's precisely how she likes it. With a stormy past, and an unconventional plan for her future, it's far safer to remain invisible. But when her new employer is invited to a month-long holiday at a remote coastal abbey, Clara discovers that she may not be as invisible as she'd hoped. At least, not as far as one gentleman is concerned.

Neville Cross has always been more comfortable with animals than people. An accident in his youth has left him with a brain injury that affects his speech. Forming the words to speak to his childhood friends is difficult enough. Finding the right things to say to a lovely young lady's companion seems downright impossible. But Miss Hartwright is no ordinary companion. In fact, there may not be anything ordinary about her at all.

During a bleak Devon winter, two sensitive souls forge an unexpected friendship. But when Clara needs him most, will Neville find the courage to face his fears? Or is saying goodbye to her the most heroic thing he can do?

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For the last of her Parish Orphans of Devon series, Mimi Matthews (A Convenient Fiction) gives us the story of Neville and Clara- a sweet romance and story of bravery and love overcoming fear and the restrictions that we place on ourselves.  We've known Neville for the entire series- a gentle, quiet man who's childhood accident was, in many ways, the catalyst to the four friends becoming who they are today.  Neville's head injury left him with difficulties speaking sometimes, and his self-consciousness over how he must appear to outsiders led him to a retiring life focused more on spending time with animals rather than people.  He's seen his friends meet their matches and has begun to wonder if he can have more in life when he meets Clara.  A ladies companion, Clara wants more out of her life- she wants knowledge and learning and to be useful. Her goal is to be her brother's assistant when he's finished at Cambridge.

A Winter Companion spoke to me in a lot of ways, and touched me in ways other books haven't.  As a sufferer from TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) myself, I had an easy time identifying with Neville.  His frustrations and difficulties when he would lose words or drift off and lose time were things I experience myself- and Matthews does a wonderful job of sensitively and naturally showing readers what Neville deals with every day.  He begins to want more than what he has, but isn't sure he can reach for it.  What if he fails? Is it better to stay safe and at home, not risking anything, but not being completely content?  Clara also shines as a woman trying to fit the mold that circumstances and society tell her she needs to fill: an invisible companion  who has no dreams of a larger life using her intellect.  Life has taught her not to expect anything: no help from family, no friends, no romance, and no dreams.  

Neville and Clara become the right people in the right place at the right time for each other, and Matthews did a lovely job of slowly and naturally growing their romance and their confidence in themselves.  There were no murderers to catch here, no evil villains to overcome.  Instead, Neville and Clara have to overcome something even harder: their own fears and to decide if love is enough to try to dream new dreams, and if love itself can open new doors to new dreams even grander than they might have imagined alone.

Although book 4 in a series, A Winter Companion can also be a stand alone book.  Readers who've enjoyed the rest of the series will get to see Justin, Alex, and Tom again, and happily close the circle on the friends and their happily ever afters, but new readers won't feel lost among the characters.  This was a sensitive and lovely book, and a definite must read.  

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Convenient Fiction

A Convenient Fiction (Parish Orphans of Devon 3)- Mimi Matthews
Amazon Digital Services
Release Date: October 22, 2019

Rating:
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Synopsis: It's been three years since Laura Hayes's father died, leaving her and her invalid brother to subsist on the income from the family's failing perfume business. But time is swiftly running out. What she needs is a husband, and fast. A noble gentleman who can rescue them all from penury. When a mysterious stranger arrives in the village, he seems a perfect candidate. But Alex Archer is no hero. In fact, he just might be the opposite.

Alex has no tolerance for sentiment. He's returned to England for one reason only: to find a wealthy wife. A country-bred heiress in Surrey seems the perfect target. But somewhere between the village railway station and the manor house his mercenary plan begins to unravel. And it's all the fault of Laura Hayes--a lady as unsuitable as she is enchanting.

From the beaches of Margate to the lavender fields of Provence, a grudging friendship slowly blossoms into something more. But when scandal threatens, can a man who has spent his entire life playing the villain, finally become a hero? Or will the lure of easy riches once again outweigh the demands of his heart?

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Mimi Matthews continues her Parish Orphans of Devon series with Alex Archer- the orphan who disappeared as a child and no one knew if he was alive or dead, or why he left.  Now Alex is all grown up, has a well-earned reputation as a gambler, and a plan to marry an heiress and settle down somewhere in England so that he can finally feel like he belongs.  His plans fall apart when he meets Laura Hayes, an impoverished perfumer's daughter trying desperately to hold onto what her family has left.  Two people used to being in control of themselves begin to lose control with their first meeting- and it may be the best thing that ever happened to them.

Laura is a strongly-written heroine: she's strong, independent, and controls the failing resources left to her family.  She's learned not to rely on anyone but herself to get things done.  Of course, this means she doesn't give her younger brother a chance to learn how to help- or even how serious the situation is- and she's at the mercy of a lawyer who doesn't have her family's best interests at heart even as he controls the finances.  Until Alex appears on the scene Laura would never think of sharing her burdens, even as she drowns under them.   Alex is more of an enigma, being all things to all people, and creating convenient fictions about his past to cover up what he sees as his past villainy.  He believes he can't be trusted when push comes to shove.  When the going gets tough he'll start going.  A large part of him seems to still be the boy who ran away from Devon: hurting, lonely, and believing there are things that can't be shared, even with those you consider family.  He plans to marry an heiress with a good estate and instantly become part of a community but Laura sees what it is he is really looking for: a family. 

Matthews does a lovely job describing the Surrey country-side, and later the French countryside, and her research into bathing resorts in Victorian times comes through perfectly.  Her main characters are well-rounded, flawed and fully human, full of complex emotions, hopes, and dreams.  Her secondary characters are a bit more uneven and under-developed and a few strings are left hanging, but overall, the story and the characters work.  While readers may enjoy reading the first two books of the series (The Matrimonial Advertisement, A Modest Independence) before this one, Fiction can also stand on its own and you won't be lost starting here.  Although you will probably finish this and feel the need to read the rest of the series just to stay in Matthews' world a bit longer. 

A Convenient Fiction is a lovely book that will whisk readers away to 1860s England and make them glad they visited.  

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review