Title: The Matrimonial Advertisement
Author: Mimi Matthews
Genre: Historical romance
Rating: 4 out of 5

Ex-army captain Justin Thornhill needs someone to make his life a little bit easier. Orphaned and growing up in poverty, he’s spent 20 years paying back old grievances, making his fortune, and getting tortured in an Indian prison. Now he just wants to get along with the local villagers and have someone run his isolated household. A matrimonial advertisement seems the perfect way to accomplish that.

Helena will do anything to escape London, even traveling to the back of beyond and marrying a stranger. It’s a small price to pay for her freedom. She even starts to think she and Justin can be happy together. But when secrets from her past show up, will Justin keep her safe? Or will he listen to his own fears and walk away?

Occasionally I’ll read a book marketed as romance. Not often. And only if the premise and characters sound fairly unique and promising. Which is why I picked this one up. I’m glad I did. Helena’s secret was perfectly horrible and completely believable, given what I know about her era, but I loved her strength. Justin is deeply wounded, but so willing to help everyone around him. I loved how their relationship grew and developed.

Mimi Matthews writes about 19th century English history, historical romances, and she’s a lawyer. The Matrimonial Advertisement is her newest book.

(Galley provided by Perfectly Proper Press in exchange for an honest review.)

North Devon, England - 1859

Helena Reynolds, age 25, has arrived at The King’s Arms to meet with Mr. Boothroyd. Her friend had encouraged her to respond to a matrimonial advertisement. Now, she is to be interviewed as a possible bride for Mr. Justin Thornhill, age 32. He had once been a soldier fighting in India and has a burned area on his neck. He needs a wife to help him share Greyfriar’s Abbey. He has had problems keeping employees and needs help with that too.

Justin chooses Helena who says she is simply looking for someone who is kind and will keep her safe. They then head back to the Abbey with Mr. Boothroyd, steward to Justin, and Bess, a lady’s maid for Helena.

The remote Abbey is very large, drafty, and sparsely furnished. It sits on the edge of a cliff that drops down to the sea.

Justin was an orphan who had been a ward to the local blacksmith and his wife. With children of their own, there was little extra affection for Justin.

Helena is eager to get the wedding over and be safe in the Abbey for she fears someone will come and hurt her again.

On the evening of their wedding, a man comes looking for Helena saying she is the niece of the Earl of Castleton who was in the process of having her committed to an asylum when she ran away. Helena’s father had been the Earl and her brother, Giles, was to inherit his title. Her father died and it is believed that her brother died in battle, but this has never been proven. The title and property then passed to her uncle. However, Helena was left all of the money. Therefore, her uncle wants to have her declared insane so he can get the money from her.

This is a totally delightful story that grabs the reader’s heartstrings. I loved the sweet Helena and the damaged Justin. Watching their relationship go from friendship to trust and finally on to unconditional love was thrilling. I cannot wait to read the next book in this new series. I’m hoping we will finally find out what happened to Giles. This is an author to watch. Fabulous book!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Helena Reynolds has her secrets and must leave London and hide away. An ex-army captain Justin Thornhill living in North Devon has advertised for a wife. But he has his secrets, he needs redemption, and someone to manage his home.
This is a delightful, well-written Victorian Gothic romance. Another enjoyable story by this author with likeable well-drawn characters.

The initial scary, isolated setting is haunting and leaves you ready to jump at what might come around the corner. The tension is palpable. Then things falter somewhat after the action moves to London. The reason behind it makes sense but it takes a lot of the intensity out of the book.

I also felt that Justin emotionally beating himself up over what happened in India is settled too quickly. “Justin it wasn’t your fault” “Oh, okay” is basically all we get. Plus his horrible childhood and what it drove him to do seems to dodge in and out of the plot when it’s convenient. The whole “I’m going to turn into a noble martyr” didn’t work for me either. Up until then, Justin had been single minded and driven to get what he wants then “oh, no, I mustn’t.” Thank goodness that he has come across a woman who is more determined than he. Helena gets great marks from me because she is strong and despite what has happened to her, she hasn’t given in and keeps fighting. Then when she has to, she goes after the man she knows she wants. If not for her, Justin would have just kept wallowing in his angst. Helena snaps him out of it. Go Helena.

Helena gets to be strong but period. Justin gets to help save a woman which as his friend Tom says, is good for him. I have high hopes for the next book in the series as I enjoyed the two characters I believe will be featured in it and there’s a hint of another intriguing situation wafting through the last few pages of this story. There’s a lot I liked here. 60% is good and the rest isn’t too bad. B-

It’s a dangerous genre; historical romance novels. The highborn gentlemen who tries to win the heart of a simple young woman, or instead the noble lady who encounters a diamond in the rough; before you know it, both writer and reader are caught in a quagmire of clichés. Not with Mimi Matthews, however. Her third novel, The Matrimonial Advertisement, navigates its way past the beaten paths, and captivates the reader until the end.

Admittedly, The Matrimonial Advertisement too features a main cast straight out of Beauty and The Beast. Intriguing circumstances lead them to meet each other on opposite ends of a matrimonial advert. Naturally, the reader doesn’t have to be particularly gifted to realise that this ‘relationship’ will work out before the end, but the road to get there turns out to be remarkably interesting.

Matthews’ novel is set in the year 1859, during the heydays of the Victorian Era. We bear witness to the life of 25 year old Helena, who finds herself forced to find a husband. Why exactly will remain to be seen for the time being; but that she’s desperate is abundantly clear because of her hasty and unchaperoned journey to rural Devon. Arriving at her destination, a rough inn, her delicate appearance and exquisite crinoline gown cut a conspicuous figure.

Helena has agreed to rendezvous at said inn because of the titular matrimonial advertisement. As a reader, I found it incredibly interesting to explore this side of Victorian life; because this sort of advertisement did indeed exist at the time. Whereas 20th century contact ads or our modern Tinder swipes can lead you to contact without any strings attached, in the 19th century this would be a definite no-go. Looking for a partner in the papers was possible, but obviously only with the intension marrying them. An oppressive idea to our modern sensibilities, perhaps, but at least you didn’t have to doubt whether your date was in fact being serious or not.

Marrying a complete stranger, that’s Helena’s plan. And make it snappy! The one behind the advertisement turns out to be a grim army captain, who has spent many years in India. He now lives in an ancient and remote Gothic estate (“a gothic nightmare of a house”) that is situated on such an inhospitable stretch of coastline that nobody dares to come close. And just like Helena, he too has his own reasons to enter a rational, unromantic marriage agreement. Justin Tornhill doesn’t strike me as the ideal husband.

Now, I’m always rather critical when it comes to historical fiction. As somebody who spends a lot of time in the trenches of history, I am in the habit of shooting down anachronisms. In my mind, a novel with a historical setting can only be called a triumph provided the author succeeds in transporting me to another time, without obvious mistakes and without the need to inject the story with decidedly modern concerns, such as contemporary feminism or a general distrust of religions.

No need to worry about any of that with Mimi Matthews, though. As with her previous novels, The Matrimonial Advertisement sees her excelling with well-crafted characters and a keen eye for details. Through her competence on a broad selection of topics such as travel, fashion, etiquette, law and the socio-political context of the 1850’s, she has produced something that’s a remarkably fascinating tale in its entirety – which just so happens to be tied up with a love story. If you’re looking forward to spending a couple of hours in the 19th century, Matthews’ new novel is just the ticket.

That’s not saying that Matthews doesn’t come with her own shortcomings. While I read her novel The Viscount And The Vicar’s Daughter with gusto, I can’t escape the notion that the characters in that novel and The Matrimonial Advertisement resemble each other quite a bit. Take away the fact that the one plot features a gentleman of a higher station than the lady, whereas things are reversed in the next, the cast is rather similar. We have encountered both the elegant damsel in distress as well as the roughly-hewn man looking for purpose and stability in his life so many times before in all kinds of stories, that they might be at risk of becoming too predictable.

But regardless of the obvious direction the romantic plot takes, Matthews deftly turns the journey to this expected finale into something unusually gripping. The breakdown in communication and the subsequent drama between the main characters can at times be cringe-worthy, but – let’s be honest – very true to life because of it. Also, the traumas with which Helena and Mr. Tornhill both have to come to terms with aren’t manufactured like some convenient plot contrivances, but offer a real chance to lend some very human depth of character to the main cast. By making these choices within the genre- predicated confines of historical fiction, Matthews showcases her ambition to offer more than a sugar-coated love story, but to add something worthwhile and original to the catalogue.

All the while, the author manages to spin a secondary thread of romance through the proceedings, as well as striking a connection with both a number of historical events, as with an influential work of literature from the mid 1800’s – but I’m not going to spoil which one). As far as I’m concerned, Mimi Matthews deserves a grand round of applause for a truly intense storyline, featuring lifelike characters and being firmly based in a historical reality that still has plenty of adventures to tell.

I want to thank the publishers for sending me a review copy. This review is also available in Dutch at www.myinnervictorian.nl.

The Matrimonial Advertisement is such a wonderful historical romance. Thornhill totally gave me bad-boy-Mr. Darcy vibe, which made me immediately love him. He is gruff and stoic on the outside but that man has such a big heart and will do whatever he can to take care of and protect those he cares for. Not only is the hero swoon-worthy in The Matrimonial Advertisement, but the background characters and heroine are also well developed and easy to relate to. I didn't realize this book would be the first in a series and I am really hoping book 2 will be Mr. Finchley's story, because I am so intrigued about him and his "diabolical" mind.

I voluntarily received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

*** 3.75 Stars ***

This first book in the Parish Orphans of Devon series is my first one by Mimi Matthews. The book is intelligently written and the characters are interesting.

Ex-army captain Justin Thornhill is tall, dark, handsome, and he takes care of those for whom he cares. He also has things in his past that, while they are not a secret, he’d just as soon everybody would forget them. He’s finally reached his goal of purchasing Greyfriar’s Abbey on the remote North Devon coast. He is a self-made man of modest means and his steward thinks he needs a wife. To that end, the steward placed an ad in the London papers advertising for a bride. The ad was very brief and to the point – a retired army officer needs a wife who is a spinster or widow near his own age, sensible, compassionate and capable of managing a remote country property. At first, Justin threatened to fire the steward, but then warmed to the idea since it was, after all, only a business arrangement with no love or affection expected.

Lady Helena Reynolds is in dire straits and must, absolutely must, escape London permanently because her uncle will stop at nothing to gain control of her fortune. When her cousin sees a Matrimonial Advertisement in the paper, Helena thinks it might be her way out. If she marries, then her uncle cannot usurp her fortune, nor would he have control of her. She’d rather trust a stranger than her uncle. She manages to escape to North Devon and to marry Justin Thornhill.

I had a really, really, really hard time liking Helena. Yes, I understand that her predicament was of the very worst kind and I really felt sorry for that. However, all of her actions up until about the 80% mark were very selfish. She married Justin without telling him what her situation was – and that was a situation that could have cost Justin to be injured, etc. She never thought of the implications to anyone other than herself. By the time I was at around the 80% mark, she had had an epiphany and realized she loved Justin.

Justin was a real hero and I liked him very much throughout the book. He had things he preferred not to tell, but if Helena asked, he answered – unlike her. Then at about the 80% mark of the book, he gets altruistic and I just wanted to kick his rear.

This was a very nice story, very clean, but it was also just a bit slow-paced to me and I found myself skimming a bit in spots.

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"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."

"She Wanted Sanctuary...

Helena Reynolds will do anything to escape her life in London, even if that means traveling to a remote cliffside estate on the North Devon coast and marrying a complete stranger. But Greyfriar's Abbey isn't the sort of refuge she imagined. And ex-army captain Justin Thornhill--though he may be tall, dark, and devastatingly handsome--is anything but a romantic hero.

He Needed Redemption...

Justin has spent the last two decades making his fortune, settling scores, and suffering a prolonged period of torture in an Indian prison. Now, firmly established in the grandest house in King's Abbot, he needs someone to smooth the way for him with the villagers. Someone to manage his household--and warm his bed on occasion. What he needs, in short, is a wife and a matrimonial advertisement seems the perfect way to acquire one.

Their marriage was meant to be a business arrangement and nothing more. A dispassionate union free from the entanglements of love and affection. But when Helena's past threatens, will Justin's burgeoning feelings for his new bride compel him to come to her rescue? Or will dark secrets of his own force him to let her go?"

It's a coast a love and a conceit I adore!

3.5 Stars

I thought this was an interesting and well-written story, and I would consider reading more by this author if the subject matter interested me. I think this book could not quite decide if it was a romance or a mystery/suspense story, and as a result, both aspects were underwhelming.

The heroine, Helena, is in desperate straights and answers a matrimonial advert as a last resort. The hero, Justin, is an ex-soldier who has recently purchased a remote estate and places the advert in hopes for companionship. Both characters have demons that haunt them, but Justin’s are mostly in the past. Most of the novel revolves around conquering Helena’s current demons.

With the theme of false insanity accusation to gain a large inheritance being central to the story, the resolution was unsatisfying to me, especially considering the romance development was set aside for much of the story in favor of its telling. The romance was not very sensual or passionate, and I was not totally sold on it.

There were some interesting characters that would make me consider reading further if this continues as a series. Overall, this was a mostly entertaining read though not entirely satisfying.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I had never heard of Mimi Matthews until I saw this book on NetGalley. The story blurb sounded interesting, so I requested it. I now will not forget her name. As a matter of fact, I just bought two more of her books, because I LOVED this one!

One of my favorite books, Flowers From the Storm, partly concerned an insane asylum and the brutal practices that took place there. This book also dealt with that issue, and dealt with it very well. It's astounding what evil people can do to others in the name of medicine and greed. Though that was a strong theme in this story, its main attraction was the relationship between two broken people who needed each other to bring them back to life.

I adored both Helena and Justin. Neither realized how strong they really were. It took one another to draw out the courage within. I especially loved Justin, who was a tortured hero (both literally and figuratively). He was a scarred, bitter man with a tragic past. ~Sigh~.....My favorite type of hero. I usually like my romances with quite a bit of steam that leaves nothing to the imagination. There was none of that here, yet the story was so compelling I didn't even realize this until I finished! Now that is some good storytelling. I look forward to more books in this series.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

The Matrimonial Advertisement by Mimi Matthews
Parish Orphans of Devon #1

Some books are more than just well written and well plotted stories because they truly engage the reader. This book did that. I felt I was in Victorian England and all of my senses were engaged. I cared about the characters and felt with them as their stories unfolded. I hoped and cared and wished right along with Justin and Helena as they slowly got to know one another.

None of the historical information was new to me but experiencing it from the viewpoints of Justin and Helena made it more relevant and brought it closer to home than just reading about the issues in a history textbook. What were the issues? Public and private orphanages and mental asylums, greedy relatives, underhanded practices to steal money from family, the disparity between the haves and have nots, the return home of military men after capture and torture, the Sepoy rebellion, massacres perpetrated by both British and those they colonized in India, women as property, family, friendship, nobility and so much more.

This is in some ways a story of a mail order bride but it is also more than that. It is about a woman, Helena, who has only one hope of thwarting the evil intentions of her uncle by taking a husband who will then “own” her and hopefully protect her. It is about a man, Justin, who is seeking a woman to ease his life as he lives in remote Devon. It is about a friend, Jenny, who finds the matrimonial advertisement and assists Helena in reaching the interview with her potential husband. It is about a man, Finchley, who solves problems and one of those is providing a safe haven and defender for Helena while also providing a woman to love for his friend Justin. It also lays the groundwork for more books that will no doubt tell the stories of orphans like Justin…at least three were mentioned in this book: Justin Thornhill, Neville, Tom Finchley and Alex Archer. I believe Finchley and Jenny will have their story told next but I look forward to reading all of their stories when the books come out.

Mimi Matthews is a new author to me. I loved her writing and though only a few kisses were shared by Justin and Helena there was no doubt in my mind that once the two finally opened up and shared what was bubbling beneath the surface their relationship would become all that they both were hopeful for in a marriage and no doubt much more.

Did I like this book? Yes
Do I want to read more in this series? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Perfectly Proper Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

Helena Reynolds will do anything to escape her life in London, even if that means travelling to a remote cliffside estate on the North Devon coast and answering an advertisement to marry a complete stranger. But Greyfriar's Abbey isn't the sort of refuge she imagined. And ex-army captain Justin Thornhill though he may be tall, dark, and devastatingly handsome is anything but a romantic hero. Justin has spent the last two decades making his fortune, settling scores, and suffering a prolonged period of torture in an Indian prison. Now, he needs someone to smooth the way for him with the villagers. Someone to manage his household and warm his bed on occasion. What he needs, in short, is a wife and a matrimonial advertisement seems the perfect way to acquire one.
A different trope a mix of arranged marriage and mail order bride. I found it to be an absorbing read, the pace of the story was good, there were plenty of secrets, which were gradually revealed so the suspense grew. The characters were well portrayed, I hope some secondary characters have their stories as the ending left me wanting more especially regarding Giles & Archer. Helena & Justin were both tortured souls who needed to find someone to cared for them. I preferred Justin , a wounded soldier who'd been tortured & trying to cope. It took me a long time to warm to Helena as I found her very self centred & quite prepared to put Justin in danger without telling him why, no wonder he doubted her commitment to the marriage & he was so very patient with her. An interesting start to the series

My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Well written with wonderful prose. Helena is desperate for someone to protect her from her greedy uncle. Justin is taken with Helena when they first meet and will “go to the ends of the earth” for her. But they are worlds apart in social standing, she an Earl’s daughter and he is an orphan bastard. There are many obstacles to overcome and scandal will follow.
I truly enjoyed reading this very original story. I do look forward to future books in this series. (Some of the orphans were introduced; Finchely and Nevelle.) I also hope the future books will explain why Mr. Oswald was so reviled. I was disappointed in this feature not being concluded satisfactorily. There is interesting information about the horrors of the Private Mental Asylums in the Victorian era.

This was a really fun book to read. The main characters were interestingly flawed, but I would have enjoyed more depth. I do hope Ms Matthews is setting it up to be a series!

Her mother went mad and had to be put into a private asylum. Now her uncle is threatening to treat her the same way, so as to get at her inheritance. Her options are rapidly vanishing, when she sees an advertisement for a bride in the paper. Fleeing for her life, she meets and marries the man - without telling him anything about her problems, or other minor things like the fact that she is the daughter of an earl... He lives buried in the country and is in need of a wife - or so his servants and friends think. In fact, they put an ad in the paper for a wife for him! But when she turns up, it is clear both that she has problems, and that he wants her anyway. Despite the discouragement of one friend, he marries her - only to be confronted later the same day with the news that her father was an earl, and she is being pursued by her uncle, the current earl, on the premise of madness. He promises to look after her, but will he be able to? And will he ever be able to overcome his feeling of complete inadequacy toward her, or will it destroy their marriage?

I thought this sounded interesting from the description, and I certainly wasn't disappointed. The story grabbed me from the first page, and both interested and entertained me. Seeing things from each of the main characters' points of view in turn was helpful, and it was done in a way that was not at all confusing. Overall, I enjoyed the book, though the description of how easy it was at the time to declare someone insane, as well as the ways they were treated and the difficulty of escaping, were equally enlightening and horrifying. The historical note at the end was good for that too. A book I'll probably reread, and an author I hope to see more of.

Characters: Felt realistic - I'd like to hear more about their marriage once it actually gets going.
Storyline: Enjoyable and not too predictable.
Content and language: Clean and well written, with no sex at all. Note though that some of the descriptions of her 'treatment' for her supposed insanity were unpleasant and may bother some readers. Generally not too graphic though, and they occupied little very of the book.

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

The Matrimonial Advertisement is a historical novel by Mimi Matthews set in the Victorian era. Although it's a romance it also addresses the incomprehensible problem of people committing family members to asylums for the insane for personal gain. I don't typically read romances but really enjoyed this one.

Helena Reynolds answers a matrimonial advertisement placed by ex-army captain Justin Thornhill. After a brief correspondence Helena leaves London and travels to Justin's Greyfriars Abbey estate so they can meet and to see if they wish to wed. When they meet it is apparent to both of them that they other isn't telling all and their are many secrets between them.

The storyline of the book is well developed and draws the reader in because there are clearly secrets that aren't immediately known. The authors description of the asylums and medical horrors practiced on those deemed insane is accurate to the period. It's important to understand this historical nightmare because treatment for the mentally ill has become such a hot button topic today. What makes this piece of history worse is knowing that many of these practices were still in use in the U.S. up until the 1990's.

The character development is well done. The reader can relate to the overwhelming fear Helena is experiencing and understands why she would run into the arms of a stranger for help. Justin is a flawed character immersed in guilt over things that were not his fault and were beyond his control. He also feels it's his duty to protect everyone he cares about and has been trying to carry that burden since he was an orphaned child. They are two people the reader can't help but wish the best for.

I recommend this book. From a historical aspect it provides important lessons on the treatment of the mentally ill. It also makes the point that society should never again give family the power to commit someone who is sane to a lifetime of institutional living. It's also an enjoyable read about two people striving to find someone to accept and care for them in spite of their blemished past.

Many thanks to NetGalley and to Perfectly Proper Press for a digital galley of this novel.

This is the second historical romance I've read by Mimi Matthews over a short time period and I am pleased to say I enjoyed this one as much as the first. It's becoming increasingly difficult to find historical romances that are so pleasingly presented with no profanity and no sex scenes. Yes, that's what I said. So if that isn't the style of book you are looking for, you can stop reading this review here. The name for this series is Parish Orphans of Devon and the orphan in question is (Captain) Justin Thornhill who grew up in this area of North Devon with three other orphan boys who were his friends. This novel nicely sets up what will most likely be other novels to feature the other boys after they are grown men. The story takes place in 1859, in Thornhill's isolated home on the coast, Greyfriar's Abbey. Thornhill's secretary and his attorney placed an advertisement in the London papers for a wife for him - without actually getting his permission to do it. The only answer is from Helena Reynolds, spinster, twenty-five years old with a whole slew of secrets.

This novel broke no new ground in the traditional Victorian romance novel. If you've read many of these books you can write out your own outline for what will happen in the story. But, what this book does have is great characters who come alive on the page under the pen of a talented author. I didn't get upset with Helena or Justin over their unwillingness to reveal their secrets instantly upon meeting each other. Helena only did one foolish thing (which is almost the same as saying she didn't do any!) and that one happened because she was traumatized over her London experiences. I cut her some slack.

Some books I read and then want to share them with others. This one falls into that category. I would have no qualms about passing this book along to my daughters, my granddaughters or my friends who enjoy romance novels. Thank goodness for Mimi Matthews because passing books along is becoming more and more of a no-no.

Great start to a new series. Characters are engaging and not in the "usual" for a Regency. The story has twists and turns, totally engaging. Learned it will also be made into an audio book. Can hardly wait for the audio and the next book!!

Usually I read romance novels as a palette cleanser after a very intense and heavy book. Usually I have low expectations on quality. Characters draw out drama and the romance scenes are placed evenly and systematically rather than what makes sense.

However, I found the Matrimonial Advertisement rather charming. Helena is a woman forced into a corner by the societal views of women and her lying uncle. After her brothers death, Helena inherits a fortune leaving the family title to her uncle. Not willing to believe that her brother is even gone at first, her uncle takes the opportunity to concoct a plan that leaves her entirely under his control and her fortune in his control. Looking for a way to escape, she decides to take a chance and find a protector in a man through a matrimonial advertisement. While she never planned to marry, this may be her only option,

I found this story of women's place in society in the 19th century an interesting approach from what I expected. The characters seem fully fleshed out and whole, their world rich and descriptive. About three quarters of the way in they start to act silly - the usual assumptions and communication issues. But maybe that's what love does to us, turn us in to idiots.

Overall beautifully written and atmospheric, I'm very much looking forward to the next book in the series. The author has created a world I am excited to return to.

I have such conflicting thoughts about this book. It had so many elements I usually love: meticulously researched historical detail; good use of period language; and a cute romance. And it’s not that I didn’t enjoy those elements – because I did, very much so – but I had such strong opposition to one particular aspect of the plot that I found my enjoyment sadly overshadowed by frustration.

The first few chapters of the novel created a fabulously Gothic vibe. Accompanied by atmospheric descriptions of the North Devon coastal scenery, Mimi Matthews introduces us to Helena Reynolds, who has responded to Captain Justin Thornhill’s matrimonial advertisement in the papers.

From the outset I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Helena and Justin; it was of a slow-burning nature, as each slowly began to chip away at the other’s defences. With Mimi Matthews’ flawless use of period language, I found both characters to be very believable in their dialogue and behaviour, and I was rooting for them all the way.

Unfortunately, at about a third of the way through the plot took a turn which just didn’t sit well with me. It’s difficult for me to state exactly what I didn’t like without spoiling the rest of the book, but I will just say that it had to do with the representation of a topic about which people generally held extremely damaging views back in the Victorian period.

I can’t fault Mimi Matthews’ representation of the topic as it would have been viewed in the period – but understanding of this topic has improved immeasurably since the 19th century, for good reason. This is a historical fiction, yes – but personally I feel there is no excuse in this day and age for publishing a novel with a message which bluntly and unfeelingly deals with what is such a triggering topic for so many people, including myself.

The last third of the book lost momentum for me. I’d been expected a bit more of a dramatic climax, but everything resolved itself too easily. I’m aware that this is the first in a trilogy, which might explain why the ending wasn’t as exciting and gripping as I’d hoped – but I think I’d also lost heart a bit by the end, since there were further unfeeling portrayals of the aforementioned topic which only increased my frustration.

I can’t fault Mimi Matthews’ portrayal of the time period, and I did very much enjoy her writing style. It’s a shame that I didn’t enjoy this book more, but I just couldn’t get past the potentially damaging messages it sent out about a topic which should always be dealt with sensitively and considerately.