Gentleman Jim by Mimi Matthews is a story of love and revenge. It was a captivating page-turner from the beginning to the very happy ending. Margaret Honeywell, a wealthy squire’s daughter is in love with Nicholas Seaton, a stable boy on her father’s estate, but is intended for the neighboring gentleman’s son, Frederick Burton-Smythe. Fred frames Nicholas to get him out of the picture, but he escapes with Maggie’s help, from being hung for a crime he didn’t commit. Nicholas asks her to wait for his return and she willingly accepts. Ten years later she is still waiting but doesn’t think he’s still alive. She is also running out of time because her father has put Fred in charge of her monies and she must marry him if she wants to keep her home. Knowing she must find a way to marry another she heads to London and the adventure of a lifetime begins.

I absolutely loved this sweet tale of young love and the journey they take to be together. Historical romances fascinate me because their social norms work against them and how do they overcome the rules that govern them. When a new suitor arrives in London his presence creates more havoc and a little mystery on what is his true identity. John Beresford, Viscount St. Clare has returned to England to marry and produce an heir for his grandfather. However, when Maggie shows up late one evening to ask St. Clare to stop the duel he has with Fred, things go sideways. Maggie and Nicholas fight hard to be together but there are always people out to thwart those plans and the tension kept rising. The story was well written and you can feel the love these two have for one another. I love stories with a bit of mystery and intrigue, and characters rich with emotion and wonderful dialogue. Gentleman Jim was an enjoyable story and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

I regretted that what happened to Maggie during these ten years is poorly told when it has a lot of importance to understand her present situation: she was seriously sick (we learn later how) and she’s been physically weak since then, so her father, then his executor after his death, took the opportunity to overprotect her, and she’s far from the full of life and strong-willed person she seems to have been before. Fortunately we see her going from resigned to more determined progressively as she puts into perspective what she really wants in her life through contact with the hero.
When she meets St Clare she’s sure he’s in fact Nicholas and she stands by it, to the hero’s great displeasure. However she puts herself in situations that could be detrimental to her, only thinking about it after doing it.

St Clare is an enigmatic hero, and I thought the author did a good job to plant seed of doubt in the readers: after his meeting with Maggie, he reacts like all the other heroes after meeting their heroine for the first time, even wondering why this chit of a girl obsesses him so fast. On the other side he shows hostile feelings for Fred without any reason (even if it happens we don’t like the look of an unknown person from the start). He needs some time before admitting his feelings to himself and standing up to his grandfather, but once decided, no threat can make him change his mind. I also liked that his identity (view spoiler)

Among the secondary characters we mainly have the heroine’s best friend and confident, her aunt who serves as chaperon – but an almost deaf chaperon who only wakes up to babble while mixing the characters with their parents – and the hero’s grandfather, a not very likeable character who control his life in order to get a heir. As for the antagonist characters we find some distant cousin of the hero, next in line to inherit the title, who conspires with his mother to remove St Clare, and of course Fred, the childhood friend who’s also the heroine’s executor, and who manages her inheritance until the day she marries a man he approves – that is himself.

I must say that even if we suspect the story from the beginning, I liked how the author thought her story in spite of some faults (especially the fact Fred, after everything he’s done, still gets a kind of happy end with wife and children), and I had a good reading time with it.

Mimi Matthews is such a good writer. Her writing very nearly makes up for the fact that this book has almost zero plot. Gentleman Jim was way too long for the amount of action that actually occurred. It was just the same sequence of events happening over and over and the characters wondering over and over if St. Clare is really the true heir of Allendale or is he Nicholas Seton? Spoiler: the answers are all clear from about chapter 2. There were seriously zero surprises here.

The two main characters didn’t have any real chemistry. All of their feelings were told more than shown. I didn’t feel any of that delicious tension between them that I’ve felt with other MM’s characters. 

And overall the book just didn’t have any of the warmth normally found in Mimi Matthews’s books. It seemed to be lacking a certain spark that I’ve come to expect from Mimi Matthews. It left me feeling like I was being held at a distance from the story. I was pretty disappointed. But it is hard to admit because dang her writing is so good despite all of the other shortcomings.

I highly recommend A Holiday By Gaslight, The Lost Letter, or Fair As A Star over this one.

Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
An interesting and entertaining tale. I led the break from tradition and the inclusion of highway men.. The writing is good and the action begins from the very first page. 
A good read.

Review excerpted from my blog post over at Titillated Termagant Romance Reviews (https://titillatedtermagant.wordpress.com/2021/01/27/gentleman-jim-by-mimi-matthews/)

My Rating: 4 stars

Library recommendation: Recommended for public library historical romance collections.

Warning: Hereafter, you chance spoilers. I will try never to reveal major plot points, but to review any book, you must reveal some parts of the story.

____________ 

Number of titles I have read by this author: 10

Love story speed: Almost instalove

Relationship dynamics: The Suitor of Dubious Parentage (H) / Headstrong Gentlewoman (h) ; Friends to lovers; Soulmates

Physical descriptions: Maggie is described as being petite, having a cleft chin, mink coloured hair and large blue eyes. Viscount St. Clare is described as “standing well over six feet,” with a lean, muscular build, golden hair and grey eyes.

Sexual content: None. Kissing only.

Triggers: Violence; emotional abuse (of h, not by H)

Grammar/Editing: My ARC had a few typos.

Review: This moderately paced novel is, unusually for Matthews, set in Regency era London and Somerset and is billed as being “a tale of romance & revenge” (the epigraph is suitably drawn from Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo). That being said, it is built on a foundation of high quality of research that can always be expected from Matthews.

The main characters are Maggie and Viscount St. Clare. They have immediate chemistry and their relationship can be characterized as instalove. It is difficult to elaborate further than this without this review becoming laden with spoilers. Essentially, the most important thing to know is that this is a “soulmates” narrative – there is little question of the main characters ending up together, regardless of what is thrown in their paths. There are many supporting characters in this novel; some are well-developed, while others are less-so. That being said, I did enjoy the subplot romance featuring the main characters’ best friends – it was a very satisfying addition. I also found that the villain’s comeuppance is satisfying.

Full disclosure: I received a free advance review copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book, it was just what I had been craving to read. A childhood friends to lovers, second chance romance. The sweet and loving relationship between the illegitimate servant boy Nicholas Seaton and the spirited, loving squire’s daughter Maggie Honeywell was a delight to read.

They are inseparable as children, and Maggie teaches Nicholas his letters, and looks after him as much as she can, protecting him from the bullying and taunting of heir to the neighbouring estate Fred Burton-Smythe. When Nicholas is accused of a crime he didn’t commit, due to Fred’s machinations, and in danger of losing his life. Maggie gives him the means to escape and find his father, reputed to be Gentleman Jim, and aristocratic highwayman and trickster. Nicholas asks her to wait for him no matter what, as he will return. 

10 years later things are very different, Lord Honeywell has died, Maggie is recovering from 2 long mourning periods and an extremely debilitating bout of influenza, when she finally makes it back to London for the season to spend some time with her friend Lady Jane Trimble.Her father and Sir Reginald Burton-Smythe have conspired to join their estates together by ensuring their children marry. Fred has been appointed Maggie’s guardian and trustee of the estate, with a veto over her choice of husband. Maggie just wants a bit of freedom before she finally gives in.

When she meets the handsome and cool St CLare, she is convinced he is Nicholas come back to her, when he denies all knowledge of Nicholas and introduces himself as the heir and grandson of Lord Allendale, How can Maggie be free of Fred’s control, and hang on to her beloved Beasley Park. Is Nicholas dead on some battlefield somewhere, so she can be courted by the mysterious St Clare, and when rumours start to surface about St Clare’s parentage, is he really who he seems, and can Lord Allendale ensure he inherits thatcher than the avaricious and uncouth Lionel Beresford.

This was a lovely story with some fab characters in Nicholas and St CLare, Maggie and Lady Jane as well as the irascible Lord Allendale. I really loved it.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

What a fascinating story. I fell in love with the main characters immediately and was rooting for them the whole way. 

I loved how the story developed. I love how smart Maggie was and how quick of a study she was. I also loved her tenacity. 

Nicholas was at times infuriating and other times quite heroic. His ability to compartmentalize parts of his life was very strong.

I loved the glimpses into culture of that time. The idea that people would become invalid after a bout with a flu or fever when all they really needed was exercise. 

I also loved that this book had more of an air of suspense/mystery. It was a very engaging read.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. This is my honest review.

I love Mimi Matthews and have purchased everything she has written for my library collection. Her attention to detail, realistic characters, witty dialogue and interesting stories make her an autobuy and an autoread. Her novels provide genuine chemistry between the characters but don't have graphic love scenes so they can be enjoyed by a wide range of readers.
Gentleman Jim does not disappoint and the story of Margaret Honeywell and Nicholas Seaton is highly entertaining, suspenseful and well told. While the resolution may not have been completely believable, the journey to the end was entertaining. Highly recommend.

Romance, clean, period; 
M.M. creates a vivid period novel of romance, and revenge.  Maggie is upper class, and Nicholas the bastard son of a loose woman, rumored to be the son of a notorious highwayman.  They have an innocent friendship, that grows into a romance. Maggie is however intended for the son of a neighboring landowner.  As they are pulled apart, Maggie has to try to remain true to her promise to keep her heart for Nicholas.  The neighboring son, tyrannically holds Maggie's home, and her ability to inherit and live there after her father's passing in order to force her hand. Maggie will have to choose between her heart and her home.
St. Clare appears, and there are hints to the reader as to his real identity. 
Lovely romance, sweet revenge, and Maggie staying true to her heart's promise to Nicholas.  St. Clare is a great character as well, and his backstory and relations made for an interesting subplot.  M.M. always writes compelling novels, with heartfelt emotions, and characters that you want to find their HEA.

I have been an avid reader of Mimi Matthews work for a long time now, I never turn down the chance to read one of her books, and I have been hooked by each and everyone since the very first. I am so used to her classically Victorian romances, that Gentleman Jim was a little shock to the system, it’s so different to what we are used to, especially as it is a Regency and not my beloved Victorian, but hey, that’s OK, I can cope with that and I certainly did more than cope with this beauty, I completely fell in love with it.

Set during the Regency era, Gentleman Jim tells the heart-warming story of finding love in the most unexpected places, Maggie is a landowners daughter raised to make a good marriage, her life has been set out for her and she is expected to marry a man of influence. But, our Maggie’s heart has already been stolen by Nicholas, a low born groom; son of a maid and one notorious highwayman who goes by the name; Gentleman Jim – a character who for me stole the whole book – But life goes wrong and Nicholas is soon having to flee.

Years later a mysterious man by the name of St.Claire turns up wanting revenge, he is an enigma, a complex individual with secrets and more intrigues, as soon as Maggie sets eyes on him she knows that there is something about this man, she knows him, is he really who he claims to be or is there something more?

This book is all about love, it’s about finding true love and happiness, with two young sweethearts who are torn apart by social standing, but entwined within is the classic Mimi Matthews love story which is full of secrets, lies, revenge, mystery, intrigue and sadness.

As much as I loved this book, I will be honest and say I would have loved to actually ‘meet’ the notorious highwayman; Gentleman Jim, I did feel as though something was missing by not actually seeing the rogue, I was fascinated by him, I was hooked with his exploits and those whispers and rumours, the stories about him made him all the more compelling to me, I have to admit I did become a little addicted to this shadowy figure lurking in the back of the story but never shows his face – but that’s me, I d love a bad boy, highwayman!

Gentleman Jim is a beautiful, captivating, intriguing and wonderfully romantic story, all about love and loss, about finding happiness and it is a story that will take you on a richly textured journey and settle upon your heart. As always with Mimi Matthews, she will cast a spell around you with her wondrous words.

#gentlemanjim #netgalley

Mimi Matthews is one of my all time favorite authors right now! She writes an amazing storyline filled with intrigue and romance. I know that I can't put a Mimi Matthews book down until I'm finished. This book was amazing!

Inspired by two classics - The Count of Monte Cristo and Tom Jones - both foundling stories - Gentleman Jim is a wildly improbably romantic romp that Mimi Matthews draws with infinite delicacy to a satisfying end. An "ordained for each other" couple, separated by impossible odds - both societal and their own ornery personalities.  What could be more delicious, what could fill a compulsive historic romance reader with more anticipation than such a setup?
Mimi Matthews firstly creates a believable hypothesis, and then brings it to a credible conclusion, thanks to convincing characterisation and persuasive historical detail. I'm no expert on the Regency period, far from it, but the reader senses the author is, and it gives Gentleman Jim a compelling reality.  Yes, Gentleman Jim starts with a high stakes concept, but it's robustly supported by a strong sense of the period.
Entertaining and diverting, it's a great option to have in hand at a warm fireside on a winter's night.

When Margaret Honeywell was sixteen years old, her best friend and first love—who also happened to be the stable boy—runs away after being falsely accused of stealing her jewelry. Nicholas Seaton believes his father was the notorious highwayman Gentleman Jim, and sets off to find the man and a place to truly belong.

Maggie has never forgotten Nicholas, though a decade has now passed. Grief and illness have changed her life, and she's near to accepting the marriage proposal of her odious neighbor Frederick Burton-Smythe in order to fulfill the terms of her father's will. It's not what she wants, but she'll do anything to keep Beasley Park. When she hears Fred has challenged the mysterious Lord St. Clare to a duel, she pleads with him to call it off. Fred refuses, and Maggie calls upon her spirited upbringing to visit Lord St. Clare herself.

But Lord St. Clare looks shockingly familiar—and yet not familiar at all. He protests her claims that he's her childhood friend come back to her at last. But is he really? Has her first love returned, or will the cold and aloof stranger turn out to be someone else entirely?

This gripping story held many twists, turns, and delicious layers. If you're a fan of Mimi Matthews or Regency romance, you are going to want to check out this title.

Content warning: This is not a Christian fiction book, which I knew ahead of time. There is quite a bit of PG-rated swearing. If you're familiar with any BBC shows like Poldark or Downton Abbey, it's very much in line with what you would hear there. Use your own discretion.

I received my copy of the book through NetGalley. All thoughts in this review are my own.

***4.5 stars***

I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I started reading this book, I thought it might be about someone named Jim. He is part of the story, but not the focus.

This book follows Maggie and Nicholas. They were childhood friends that realized that they loved each other as teenagers. Nicholas is forced to flee his home when the neighboring son of a landowner, Frederick, accuses him of stealing Maggie's jewelry. The word of a servant does not carry the weight of someone with money.

The book picks up ten years later when Maggie makes a clandestine trip to ask the Viscount who is going to duel Frederick not to kill him. Her father has entrusted her care to him when he passed away. He has control over her finances and whom she marries. She faints when the Viscount bears a striking resemblance to Nicholas.

This book.... sigh. I honestly enjoyed every moment of it. The relationship between Viscount St. Clair and Maggie is intriguing. She speaks to him just as she did Nicholas. She's not afraid to voice her opinion and take chances. She is a strong female MC set in Regency England. The banter and the relationship that they share is fantastic.

The book also deals with extended family who wants to secure their future and threaten the legitimacy of St. Clair's claim. I honestly did not like them one bit. I didn't like Fred either. They get lumped in with him at one point and they become less likable together. Anywho.....

If you are looking for a fast-paced Regency Romance with intrigue and fantastic characters you should definitely read this one!

Source: I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I am thrilled to participate in the blog tour for Gentleman Jim by Mimi Matthews! When I was contacted about reading and reviewing this novel in exchange for an advance reader copy, I was immediately intrigued. 

This novel was really engaging. It fits perfectly in my favorite historical romance genre. I loved the unique elements and the connections to classics like The Count of Monte Cristo. A fun read!

One of my favorite narration styles is the dual perspective and this novel offers a great combination of Maggie and St. Clare’s points of view. I love getting inside both of their heads so see how their love build them up. They are so passionate about and loyal to each other. We see that in Maggie’s narration when she is constant drawn to St Clare and is willing to give up her home for him. And we see it in St Clare’s narration as he can’t truly forget how much she means to him. The narrations support each other well and build a beautiful love story.

This is a gorgeous, passionate love story that shows the power that true love has to make us into our best selves. I love how long Maggie and St Clare have loved each other and I love how loyal they are to each other. Maggie is nearly an invalid at the start of the story and in a precarious situation with her inheritance and marriage prospects. I love how St Clare helps her engage with the world again and embraces her fierce loyalty and even her temper. St Clare is seeking to distance himself from his difficult past and wants revenge on those who wronged him. Maggie helps him embrace his past as a part of his identity and move forward without defining himself by his past. True love requires sacrifice and dedication and there is plenty of both in this story. These characters are willing to give up everything to be together. Not in a cliche, immature way, but in a deeply committed way. These two truly are soul mates and their journey to being together is fantastic. Mimi writes beautifully about their feelings towards each other and creates some truly swoon worthy romantic moments. I’m getting goosebumps thinking about their waltz on the veranda and the scene when St Clare’s identity is finally revealed. Well done, Mimi!

I really loved all the connections to and elements from other classics like The Count of Monte Cristo and Wuthering Heights. I love the story of The Count of Monte Cristo. Honestly, the reference to that novel alone sold me on reading this book. The similarities to that story are engaging and subtle. St Clare is wrongly accused like Edmund Dantes and loses seemingly everything to begin the story. He seems consumed by revenge at first as well. I was relieved that Maggie isn’t married to someone else like in the original. And I loved the way she discovers his identity long before he is willing to admit it. Another review made the connection to Wuthering Heights and I like that comparison. Maggie and St Clare really are star crossed lovers and their passionate love affair in their youth haunts them for years before they are reunited. Mimi takes compelling elements from both of these classic novels and uses them to create a new and exciting story of her own. 

My standard for historical romance novels is somewhat intensely high and this was a great novel with a few things that I didn’t enjoy. None of these ideas distract too much from the overall story, but they are worth noting. The beginning of the story is not as well developed as the later parts. I would have liked more development about Maggie’s relationship to her father and the estate as well as more development of Nicholas’ situation–more show rather than tell. It wasn’t clear to me why Maggie loved the estate so much and yet her father’s will is forcing her to marry Fredrick. Also it seems to be a small miracle that Maggie’s reputation remains untarnished for all the after dark meetings they have. I appreciated the clean romance but some of those encounters seemed a bit unrealistic for me. The ending could have been more complex as well. Everything comes together a bit too neatly for me. 

Overall, this historical romance takes readers on a passionate and thrilling journey to discover that who you love can define who you are. A brilliant love story with engaging characters and riveting adventures. This is a novel for romance lovers and anyone who appreciates a happy ending.

Growing up, Maggie Honeywell wasn't your typical female member of British high society.  She loved to ride, hunt, and spend time with her best friend and first love, Nicholas. That all changed when Nicholas, the stable boy, left when wrongly accused of theft and was never seen again. It was hard for Maggie to overcome this great loss and then her father died leaving her penniless and under the control of Frederick, who not only now controls Maggie, but her father's will and Beasley Park where she grew up.  Now Maggie is twenty six, which for 1817, means she is a spinster.  She realizes that in order to keep Beasley Park, she must marry the odious Fred as he isn't giving her much choice. World on the street is that Fred got into a little trouble last night.  He challenged Viscount St. Clare, who is known to have a great shot, over a card game snafu.  What will happen to Maggie's estate if Frederick dies? Who will inherit Beasley Park? After trying to talk Fred out of a duel and him not agreeing, she is determined to speak to Viscount St. Clare, who is new to London after being abroad for many years.  She knows this isn't exactly proper, but her inheritance is at stake.  After meeting with St. Clare, Maggie's life changes forever and readers are taken on an exciting tale of revenge and romance in Gentleman Jim by Mimi Matthews.

My heart went out to Maggie after all she's been through in Gentleman Jim.  I hated that she was controlled by Fred and couldn't just inherit her father's estate outright.  I was feeling frustration for her, especially when dealing with Fred as he is a major pain.  The truth is, Maggie never really got over her love for Nicholas and she would have ran away with him, but he was a stable boy and she was being groomed for high society.  She ended up receiving many marriage offers, but denied them all. She always held out hope that Nicholas would return for her, but tragically he never did.

St. Clare is also an equally interesting character in Gentleman Jim. He seems like the dreamy newcomer to town whose mysterious background leaves a few questions up in the air, but he is so much more than that. I thoroughly enjoyed the witty banter and moments between Maggie and St. Clare.  I don't want to give too much away, but it was all very well done and he is a swoon-worthy hero for sure.

I really enjoyed every aspect of Gentleman Jim; it was just the kind of Regency romance that I needed.  Matthews says at the end of the novel that The Count of Monte Cristo inspired this story and I wholeheartedly agree; I adored some of the similarities. There's highway men, inheritance issues, romance, a mysterious identity, revenge, fancy balls, stolen kisses, duels, and of course, the controlling Fred constantly trying to throw a wrench in Maggie's plans. If you love a good Regency tale and are a Janeite, you won't want to miss Gentleman Jim; it would be the perfect book to curl up with this holiday season.

The bastard son of scullery maid Jenny Seaton and highwayman Gentleman Jim, Nicholas Seaton’s one joy in life is his friendship and burgeoning romance with the outspoken Squire’s daughter, Maggie Honeywell. But when Maggie’s smug neighbor, Frederick Burton-Smythe, frames Nicholas for robbery, the young serving man must flee for his life. He makes Maggie a promise–that he will return for her no matter what, no matter how long it takes.

As the years go by, Maggie Honeywell finds life closing in on her. Her deceased father leaves the estate bound up in a silly trust designed to force her to choose Frederick Burton-Smythe as her husband. But throughout her London debut and throughout the long period of mourning and sickness that came afterward, she has never forgotten her first love, Nicholas Seaton.

When John Beresford, Viscount St. Clare, arrives in England from the continent and takes London by storm, Maggie is aghast to see the face of her childhood friend on the shoulders of this cold aristocrat. And however much the Viscount might deny that identity, he cannot deny his intractable attraction to Miss Honeywell or his utter contempt and loathing for Burton-Smythe. But even if St. Clare could be brought to remember everything they have shared, would Maggie give up the claim on her father’s estate and the responsibility for the people she holds dear? And would St. Clare renounce the quest for vengeance that has been the reason for his survival, the impetus behind his metamorphosis, and the desire he has nourished, for so long, like a serpent in his heart?

This new novel by Mimi Matthews is a top-notch adventure bound up with a swoon-worthy romance. As a newly-minted aristocrat playing a part to perfection, St. Clare is everything that fans of The Scarlet Pimpernel could hope for. Maggie’s physical weakness from her long illness gives a vulnerability to her character that contrasts well with her iron determination. With echoes of Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo, the story deals deftly with the themes of vengeance and love, and what happens when the two are intertwined. Maggie and Nicholas must both contend with their own pride as the visions for what they want to accomplish prove incompatible with the love they both share. Highly recommended.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I don’t want to give away any details about this book, but let me say this:  It’s a fabulous story from one of my favorite authors.  This storyline and these characters are wonderful.  Be prepared to become deeply absorbed in every page of this book.  This is one you’ll want to read again and again.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This book! I had read a review on Smart Bitches, Trashy Books that recommended just diving in without reading any plot description, so that's what I did. What I got was an extremely fun, wild ride - something I don't usually expect with period romance, but that was very welcome! I really liked how good Matthews's period details are - she's clearly done her research, and those details add to texture of the story. I was on the edge of my seat for the entire book (which I finished in two days), and afterwards I immediately looked up all of Matthews's previous books, which I plan to read soon!

This was my first book by Mimi Matthews but it certainly won’t be the last! I thoroughly enjoyed St. Clare and Maggie’s love story. There is romance, adventure and of course a happy ending! If you’re in the mood for a clean, Regency romance I heartily recommend Gentleman Jim! 

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review.