Mimi Matthew's book A Holiday by Gaslight is a wonderful holiday read that you won't be able to put down!

This was a fun and gentle read. I have to say that I rarely, if ever, read a Victorian romance, but this was a nice holiday story. I could totally see this as a Hallmark holiday movie!

Thank you for my review e-copy via Net Galley! I love my Christmas reads!!

(full review at www.drbethnolan.com)

I'll be honest, I'm not a romance reader. Not saying I mind a bit of romance in a story, but I don't head for the romance section when I go to a bookstore. This may be the book to change my mind about that.
Our heroine, Sophie Appersett, is the oldest daughter of a baronet whose finances are not in a good state. She is resigned to the idea that she'll be marrying for money, not for love, but she wants to marry a man she at least likes. Her current suitor, Ned Sharpe, is a very wealthy tradesman- he has the money, if not the social standing, her family needs. After two months of courting, however, he remains stiff and cold, barely conversing with her. Deciding they just don't suit each other, Sophie breaks things off. This upsets her parents, and her mother confides that the family needs the money more than Sophie realizes. So she goes to Mr. Sharpe and makes a proposal- come to the Appersett manor in the country for Christmas, actually talk to each other, get to know each other, and see what happens. He accepts her offer, and over the holiday, well.....I won't spoil it. There are some definite swoon-worthy moments, but no heaving bosoms or bodices being ripped. There was wonderful period detail- the death of Prince Albert, the introduction of gaslight, plumbing, and other modern conveniences (worthy pursuits, but expensive), the controversy of Charles Darwin's writings, and changing times. I quite enjoyed this book, and I look forward to reading other books by Mimi Matthews as well!

Thank you, Netgalley, for this arc. This was a fun and romantic Christmas story. The cover is gorgeous!!

Sophie and Ned have been courting for a few months but know nothing about each other. She views it as a promise to marriage that will save her family,but she can’t spend her life with a man who is as cold as a rock. She just can’t do it. He views her as a kindhearted beauty. He is really put off when she breaks off the courtship.

Can a Christmas party at her family home really bring these two together? They are both willing to give it a shot for their own reasons. All the wintry fun doesn’t seem to hurt.

This is the first book that I have read by Mimi Matthews. I enjoyed her writing style and storytelling. I will definitely be reading her again.

My thoughts: A delight of a novella! Mimi Matthews combines the opulent traditions of the era (Christmas trees! Mistletoe! Sleigh Rides! Country mansions with gaslight!) with two lead characters whose initial misperceptions set up a lovely romantic match with depth. With nods to one of my favorite classics, North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell, this story transcends classes and the bounds of familial expectations all through the discovery of two persons and their common values. I appreciate how Ned’s attraction to Sophie goes way beyond surface beauty (their intellects are a great match!), and how her journey through her family’s ups and downs makes her recognize the depth of his care, even if he doesn’t show it as easily.

There’s something about the propriety of the Victorian era that is, in itself, romantic. Combined with Ms. Matthew’s prose-like ability to paint a scene and refreshingly honest characters, we have a Christmas romance not-to-be-missed!

Content note: the romance content is squeaky-clean but there are just a few mild, era-appropriate expletives.

Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy. This is my honest review.

I've given this 3 stars because I cannot give 2.5 and am rounding up. This story is a sweet romance surrounded by ugly, shallow, terrible people, mostly on the heroine's side. Ms. Matthews built a beautiful image of a nation changing politically, socially, and technologically. Her efforts in research shine through in her settings and descriptions.

Sophia Appersett has been courted by Edward (Ned) Sharpe for the past two months. in that time, he has been nothing but polite, and the constant socially acceptable talk has left Sophie feeling like he is still a stranger. Fearing that they simply do not suit, she severs the courtship. After this news upsets her family, who needs Sophie to marry a wealthy (pedigree not required) husband thanks to her father's spending, Sophie insists that Mr. Sharpe maintain his invitation to the family's Christmas house party. While there, they will renew their courtship and be more forthcoming with one another and develop a truer picture of their compatability.

Ned, who has been yearning for Sophie, reluctantly accepts the invitation. He fears that no amount of money can make him truly acceptable with his genteel beginnings. He did everything the etiquette book he consulted said, and Sophie still cried off the first time. But Ned is determined to give this new opportunity a chance and show the lady that he truly sees her, not her title.

Again, it's a sweet, tender Christmas romance, but everyone surrounding it is awful. Sophie is put upon to marry, marry well, and not be picky about it because her father has drained her dowry entirely making unnecessary, top of the line, upgrades to the family estate. The expectation is that when Sophie DOES marry, her newfound husband will not only continue to fund the house, but at least another season for her pretty younger sister, Emily, as well. Emily is expected to marry well, but she will have better chances and choices on the back of Sophie's sacrifice.

Emily is spoiled, selfish and cruel. Even in her genteel poverty, she looks down on those who have made their money working. She finds nothing wrong with her opinion, only feeling sorry when someone overhears her talking poorly of him. She (and their father) still receive new clothes despite the family's admitted financial troubles, while Sophie and their mother pinch pennies and wear old clothes turned out and remade as long as they can. Despite this, Emily resents Sophie's economies, going so far as to chastise her for them. She's also overheard mocking her sister's courtship with Ned, laughing at her being the 'sacrificial lamb.' Emily continues to be spoiled and spiteful yet engages in her own courtship behind the scenes. Being a proper romance, Sophie receives the occasional smoldering look and heated kiss on the page while Emily likely engages in a more passionate, and likely satisfying romance undetected.

The Baron Appersett is similarly horrible. He spends on his home relentlessly and when he gives his reasons to Ned at the party, it is every bit as ugly as you can imagine. He has no respect or love for his daughters, but is willing to spoil Emily in hopes of her finding a good marriage to continue to fund his projects. Lady Appersett manages and manipulates Sophie to do what's best for the family and Emily regardless of her own needs, but I assume that we are supposed to ignore this because she also economizes and wears second-hand clothes. Ned's mother tars Sophie with a broad brush as snobbish aristocracy willing to use her son for his money but ultimately break his heart and treats her coldly as a result

Again, great historical detail, a sweet central romance, all overshadowed by TERRIBLE surrounding characters.

A Holiday by Gaslight was written by Mimi Matthews and is a romantic Christmas novella set in the Victorian era.

Summary: Sophie Appersett knows her duty. She must marry into money to ensure her family’s financial security, as well as allow for funds to see her younger sister married well. She is more than willing to do so, but she hopes for a marriage with love-or at least someone she can talk to. But, after months of courtship with Mr. Edward Sharpe, she still has no idea if he even cares for her at all. He is withdrawn, silent, and brooding. Edward may be a good match financially, but he is someone she can spend the rest of her life with-even with her own family’s future at stake?

My Thoughts: On the first page of this book, Sophie breaks off her relationship with Mr. Sharpe. I was immediately confused. Isn’t this supposed to be a romance? How is this going to work out? But, it intrigued me. Was she going to find someone else, or how would they end up together?

Well, I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed discovering the answers to these questions. The book was an absolutely delightful read. It is well-written, has interesting characters, and explores the difficulties of love versus duty as many novels of this era do-but with an unexpected twist. I loved the insight into what each character was thinking, the relationship between Edward and his best friend was especially fun to read about, and overall, I just really liked it.

I highly recommend this book. If you enjoy romantic fiction-especially from the Victorian era-this is the book for you. If you want a fun, romantic read, it is wonderful, and I can’t wait to get my hands on more books by Mimi Matthews.

I would like to thank Perfectly Proper Press for providing me with a copy of this book for my unbiased review.

I had to chuckle when I finished this lovely, sweet Victorian historical romance because from the beginning I got a North & South vibe from it (and I do love that classic by Elizabeth Gaskell) and, there, in the author’s end remarks, she mentioned putting several N&S Easter eggs into the story. This reader was certainly delighted by the story and its tribute to a classic.
Review

A Holiday By Gaslight was a lovely and swiftly read class difference romance that took place at a holiday country estate party. It begins with the heroine, Sophie Appersett, jilting the hero, Edward Sharpe, because she wasn’t feeling the courtship. Edward is a wall of cold correctness in her eyes and she is only willing to do her duty just so far. But, when she gives him another chance, she discovers that still waters run deep and she hadn’t taken into consideration how difficult it was for him to balance acting the part of a gentleman was for a man brought up in the working class and being made to feel it constantly or that she might have been hasty about what she really wanted and needed in a husband when she sees him around her family and guests. She also never realized that Mr. Sharpe never did see courting her in the same light she saw it.

The story is a novella-length so it does get right to the heart of matters. Sophie has cold feet when she thinks she can’t do her duty and marry a hard, cold man even if she disappoints her family’s expectation of Edward Sharpe’s wealth. This is the turning point for her. She has done her duty all her life, but she wants something more when she thinks of leaving her home and placing herself in the hands of a husband she feels is a stranger. I enjoyed her journey of getting to know Ned while seeing her family and herself more clearly especially through his eyes.

I felt Ned’s pain from the moment Sophie dumps him. He tried so hard to be what he thought she wanted and was afraid, with reason, to show her his plain unvarnished self. The author really did a good job of bringing out the development of a romance set in a class difference of that time. I wanted to thump Sophie’s father who was a snobbish wastrel and utterly selfish. Sophie was caught between being part of her class and her family, but having an awareness of its shortcomings.

The romance was lovely against the backdrop of a Victorian Christmas on a country estate. Holiday activities abounded as Ned and Sophie sought to get to know each other, navigate their families, and tackle all the misunderstandings. There was some humor, sweet times under the mistletoe, and tender romance. I enjoyed my first time reading the author’s work and will definitely look for more of her Victorian historical romances.

I rec’d this book from Net Galley to read in exchange for an honest review.

What a charming book! A sweet and simple Victorian love story that was a quick and easy Christmastime read!
Also, the cover is beautiful!

I am absolutely in love with this cover. The more I saw this book, the more I wanted to read it—even if it was just a novella. I was thrilled that I was able to get it in over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend so that I could start getting in the mood for more holiday reading.

This book was super shot (just over 100 pages) and I could easily have read it in one sitting, though it did take me two sittings, but only because I started it late at night. This was a quick, fun read full of Christmas cheer and love.

A Dutiful Daughter

Sophie Appersett is quite willing to marry outside of her class to ensure the survival of her family. But the darkly handsome Mr. Edward Sharpe is no run of the mill London merchant. He’s grim and silent. A man of little emotion–or perhaps no emotion at all. After two months of courtship, she’s ready to put an end to things. After all, even a dutiful daughter has her limits.

A Taciturn Tradesman

Ned has come a long way since his days working as a draper’s assistant. He’s wealthy, ambitious, and eager to take a wife. But the courtship advice issued in The Gentlemen’s Book of Etiquetteisn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Though he’s followed it to the letter, Miss Appersett still doesn’t wish to see him again. Frustrated and hurt, he’s more than happy to oblige her.

A Christmas Courtship

Severing ties with her former beau isn’t as straightforward as Sophie envisioned. Her parents are outraged. And then there’s Charles Darwin, Prince Albert, and that dratted gaslight. What’s a girl to do except invite Mr. Sharpe to the annual Christmas party at Appersett House and give him one more chance to win her? But this time there’ll be no false formality. This time they’ll get to know each other for who they really are (summary from Goodreads).

I haven’t read anything by this author before, and honestly I’ve seen a couple of her books and even featured one on my blog, but I wasn’t entirely sure that I would find anything that sets her apart from other historical fiction/romance writers. I love when I get to be proven wrong.

This book had a believable, sweet romance that made me believe in true love. Was it cliche? Yes. Was it cheesy? No. I loved Sophie’s independence and maturity, and found that Ned was tender and mysterious but we find out what he’s about rather quickly. I loved watching their romance come alive in this book and the only regret that I had was that this book wasn’t longer. I would have loved to see how their relationship grew if the author had more time to build the tension.

With novellas, sometimes I feel like they tend to run a little flat because of the length. However with this book, I felt the opposite. I thought Matthews did a superb job writing a believable romance with well drawn characters and tension in only a few pages! I loved how the story started and the ending was so fitting. The actions of the characters tied up loose ends and put a pretty bow on the romance.

This was such a pleasure to read and I am excited to read more by this author. While the troupe might be cliche, the characters and the story were so well executed especially considering the constraints of the length, that I was excited to see what this author can do in a full length novel! Sign me up for more of her books!

And one final note…..that cover gives me all the heart eyes!

Challenge/Book Summary:

Book: A Holiday By Gaslight: A Victorian Christmas Novella by Mimi Matthews

Kindle Edition, 147 pages
Published November 13th 2018 by Perfectly Proper Press
ASIN B07GTCFPWS
Review copy provided by: Publisher/Author in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own. This book was read as part of the HFVBT book tour.
Recommendation: 5 out of 5
Genre: romance, holiday romance, victorian lit, gaslight lit, historical fiction
Memorable lines/quotes

A Holiday by Gaslight is meticulous in its research and lovely in its sweetness, it follows two characters who have gotten off on the wrong foot. It’s a second chance romance without dramatic breakups and deeply guarded secrets of the past. The more time they spend together, the more Edward and Sophie realize that their original assessments of each other were shallow at best. Their coming together felt real and sweet and perfectly appropriate for the time period and their class status. You can see a young lady of the gentility and a man who has pulled himself up from humble beginnings actually having these conversations and misunderstandings and finally standing in front of one another at their most vulnerable.

This was a new to me author, and I would love to read another one of her books. For a novella this had great character development. I loved the Victorian setting and all the little details included in the story. If your looking for a clean romance this Christmas season, this would be a great one to try.
I was given a free copy of this books from Netgalley for review.

Oh my goodness as soon as I saw this cover I fell in love with it - it is gorgeous and so fitting for this story!

The setting for the book is great, the plot is lovely and it is very well written and the author has achieved a lovely flow in the story which made it a very easy read for me.

The characters were great and really suited the story. It is a lovely story that makes you feel like you are getting a warm hug.

Four stars from me, a lovely festive read that I thoroughly enjoyed!

Mimi Matthews has written the perfect read to jumpstart your holidays. This beautiful cover is enough to make you buy it but when you stick around for the story you will be happy you did.

Good. Nice little story for this time of year, characters were enjoyable to read. Overall I enjoyed it.

This festive little warmer is the perfect precursor to Christmas! And who does Christmas better than the Victorians?

The romance in question is between Sophia Appersett and Edward, or Ned, Sharpe. He’s a London merchant, and she’s the daughter of a Baron, from an impoverished family. Rather oddly, the story begins with them breaking off their engagement; however, as you might expect, things soon take an unexpected turn and romance blooms over the Christmas holidays as they relocate to the Appersett country pile in the countryside. Along with Sophie and Ned’s entire families.

I really liked the chemistry between the two protagonists. Sophie and Ned are really likeable characters, and I liked how the author blindsided us by having them break off their engagement and start anew, without the expectations of Victorian social norms. Sophie is pleasingly stubborn and forthright, especially for a lady of the time; Ned is like Richard Armitage in North and South: taciturn, proud but with a heart of gold underneath. And once I imagined him as Richard Armitage it was game over.

Watching their relationship slowly develop is very sweet: very chaste but oddly touching. When compared to the rest of Sophia’s family- her shallow sister, but especially the father who spent her dowry on fitting their country pile out with gas-powered lighting- it’s all the more satisfying when Sophia and Ned get their happy ending. The only problem I had is that the novel was too short to really flesh out these secondary characters any more; how about an extended edition?

Of course, the book isn’t just a romance- it’s a Victorian romance, and Matthews’ love for the time period really shines through in her writing. All the tiny details about Victorian life, from the gas lighting through to the hairstyles that were fashionable in the period, really breathes life into the writing, and makes the book feel that much more special. Given that Mimi Matthews is known as much for her articles on Victorian life as she is for her books- and I thoroughly recommend reading them, they’re super interesting- it’s no surprise that the writing feels so engaging.

Christmas, gas lights and all, this is a really sweet holiday romance that will definitely get you in the festive mood. Now excuse me, I’m just off for some mince pies…

My Thoughts...

This was such a cute novella, perfect for putting me in the holiday spirit. The male lead reminded me a lot of Mr. Darcy until he allowed his emotions to be seen. Obviously, the difference being that Mr. Darcy was a member of the gentry while Edward Sharpe is from the merchant class.

At times Sophie frustrated me, because I wanted her to stand up for herself; however, this is a trait I hate in myself, so I may be too critical in this situation. Otherwise, she was sweet and caring, determined to find at least companionship in her partner.

The love story built around the holidays was heart-warming. Especially since the reader gets a glimpse of wat Christmas in the English countryside was like in Victorian London. This book doesn’t take long to read and I perfect for a yuletide afternoon with a blanket and a warm cup of cider.



* Special thanks to Mimi Matthews, Perfectly Proper Press, and HF Virtual Book Tours for providing a copy of A Holiday by Gaslight in exchange for an honest review.

I was smitten with Sophie and Ned from the beginning! Something about these unpretentious, straight-forward characters drew me in. The setting was just perfect for a Christmas romance with gaslight manors, evergreen, mistletoe, and a sleigh ride. And three holiday kisses to make a girl swoon. This is one of my favorite Christmas reads! I love the cover equally as much.

Mimi Matthews portrays a Holiday by Gaslight as Sophie has first put aside an understanding with her industrialist suitor Edward Sharpe just as Prince Albert dies. Then she finds out her father has wasted her dowry on gaslight on their country home and is about to waste her sister's dowry. Sophie gets Edward to come to the country holiday festivities in her family's county home; Edward and Sophie explore romance in this holiday novella. Cozy Victorian reading.