Muse of Maiden Lane by Mimi Matthews is a heartfelt journey of art, love, and redemption. The story follows a gifted artist, exploring themes of creative passion and societal expectations in Victorian England. Matthews’ attention to historical detail is impeccable, immersing readers in the era.

The romance is a slow burn, with beautifully crafted characters whose struggles feel authentic and relatable. The heroine’s resilience and the hero’s emotional depth make their connection compelling. While the pacing occasionally lags, the narrative’s charm and depth shine through, offering a satisfying conclusion.

If you enjoy well-researched historical fiction with clean romance, this book will capture your heart. A delightful read that leaves you inspired!

The final book in the Belles of London series lives up to being the final book. Stella and Teddy are wonderful characters and this book hits so many emotional notes.

Stella has gray hair and is so done with people only noticing her for it. So when she goes to a house party far away she dyes her hair... with mixed outcomes. Teddy, an artist at the party, is enamored by her beauty. This is a SLOW burn novel. Like wow. But Stella goes through a ton of emotional baggage and her awful brother and trying to figure out who she wants to be--which is not someone hidden in the shadow. Teddy is confident, but only recently after having to come to acceptance of his life in a wheelchair.

Like this book is so soft and wandering. The plot is not super strong, but the characters are at the heart of it and you are so enraptured by their story you don't mind it. All of the side characters from the previous Belle books come in and play off each other so well (Capt Blunt is still my favorite).

This is a warm historical novel that is feminist, understanding, and brilliant. Highly recommend picking this book up. Mimi Matthews continues to be one of my favorite historical romance writers out there.

Mimi Matthews is an auto-read author for me, and I am never disappointed. I love the strength of female friendships shown, the diversity of backgrounds and struggles, and the humor weaved throughout. In this fourth and final story of The Belles of London, we follow Stella and Teddy as they navigate life and love in the most unexpected ways. Not having read Mimi's Parish Orphans of Devon series, I still loved this story, but will most likely love it more knowing the surrounding characters better.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy. I really enjoyed this whole series, so sad to see it come to an end. I enjoyed all of the characters in each installment. While, I found this one very good as while, I feel like this was perhaps the slowest paced one for me in comparison to the others. I still found all of the characters very likeable, and enjoyed the friendships between all of the women from in the Belles.

When it’s a must-read author, I don’t bother with pesky things like reviews or blurbs. But in case, no one has told you: you need to have read her Parish Orphans of Devon series before this one or you won’t care a horse’s harness for most of the people orbiting around this couple. You won’t receive the complete effect of this utter full circle or delight in all the tiny nods and winks of their previously detailed love stories. Matthews ties up two series here, okay? I’m all dazzled and heart-squished by what was pulled off at the end. We really were smiled upon the day she decided dear, dear, prickly, intense Teddy would pair up with darling Stella Hobhouse.

That’s not to say I didn’t grumble on the way. To me this read like we had some good forced proximity and chemistry from the start but that the inciting incident didn’t truly happen until like 75%. And then it stalled for a bit and then it pushed through with realizations, transformations, declarations, affirmations, and palpitations. Agh, but I loved that last little test and resolution. All worries that the HEA would not be secured and our moody artist would continue to lash out or our burgeoning independent woman would go back into her shell were dispelled.

Plus I got to see Alex Archer all protective husband mode, Captain Blunt staring down country vicars, and Hartford in yet another snappy suit. Smiled upon, I tell you.

Content notes: Married fade to black, some biblical swearing. Toxic family relationship. Brief mention of prostitution.

I have loved this entire series. Always so well researched, combining information and swoony feelings perfectly! I always especially appreciate the author's note with additional historical information.

I enjoyed this book but it just wasn't for me. I'd still recommend it to others but I unfortunately DNF'ed at 40%

"You're made of light, Miss Hobhouse. It shines all around you. I've never yet met a lady who possesses one fraction of your brilliancy."

The perfect ending for my most favorite Horsewomen. This whole series and it’s author, will always have a special spot in my heart.

✨THINGS✨
•England 1862
•“Would you object to my painting you?”
•Marriage of convenience
•Horses
•Sketching and Art
•Disability rep
•Vulnerability and trust
•Artists Muse
•Secret letters
•“For you it will always be starlight”

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I’m so sad the series is ending but I adore Teddy and Stella. I love unconventional characters and they both fit that quality. We get all of our favorites from previous books of course. I screamed so hard when Captain Blunt showed up near the end of the book to help Stella. Teddy’s self loathing is painful and so is Stella’s treatment from her brother (especially since he’s a vicar). I love their unconventional love story and it was so hot for being a closed door book! As always Matthews transports you to another time where females are restricted but take their futures into their own hands. I’m so glad these women get what they want in a world where it often didn’t happen.

Mimi delivers a cross-over novel that does not rely on nostalgia for her other series to be emotionally compelling. Teddy and Stella's story is one of yearning for freedom, whether in art or in life. Matthews renders the frustrations and longings of life in her classic style.

I couldn’t wait for Stella’s story! It was perfect and fun! I love the adventures she and Teddy got into! Great end to the series!

It was great to finally get to read Stella's story! She's been one of my favourite characters throughout this series and especially with her family dynamic I was intrigues to see where Mimi Matthews would take her. I thought she and Teddy were extremely well suited and enjoyed watching their relationship play out.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

This is the final book in the Belles of London series and also kind of a finale for Mimi’s Parish Orphans of Devon series as we see both Stella from the Belles and Teddy from Parish Orphans book three meet together in a fabulous combustion.

Stella is a brilliant free spirit who’s gone prematurely gray and is basically ridiculed for it. Teddy is a brilliant and talented artist who lived a carefree existence until scarlett fever left him paralyzed and his family to treat him like a child.

The two meet once in an art gallery and then again after Stella tries dying her hair at a house party to try and attract a suitor so she can remove herself from her pious brother’s house.

Teddy is looking for a muse, Stella is looking for someone to love her for her differences. Teddy becomes obsessed with having Stella as his muse and will stop at nothing to get her to pose for him. What develops is a slow burn friendship that turns into angsty longing. These two take their time discovering their true feelings for each other, and it’s delicious. There’s so much tension. And yet, all I kept wanting was more of them. Their banter in scenes and in letters they write to each other, is terrific. Mimi is such a strong and beautiful writer and I loved watching her bring to life both their passion for each other (albeit slowly) and their focus on supporting each other to be the best they can be.

As this is kind of a wrap-up of two series, there’s a lot of secondary characters in the book. Teddy’s friends and family are kind of an easter egg - you don’t need to have read that series to enjoy or understand the book, but it was a delight to see them all on page again. I love the Belle series and I think you should read the series to understand how Stella sees her world.

As always, Mimi does a terrific amount of research in her books. It was fascinating to see Teddy’s disability on the page. There were parallels to The Secret Garden with his frustration and loneliness and how Stella was able to bring light and passion back to his life. Also interesting was the history of wheelchairs that Mimi explores in the book and how hard it especially was for Teddy to move around the world with any bit of freedom because of his paralyzed legs.

I love Mimi and I was sad to reach the end of The Muse of Maiden Lane. I miss the women and the men who love them already.

I am obsessed with this series and this was such a great addition. Stella is such a great character who steps up to all obstacles in her way and finds a way to get around them. I love a marriage of convenience that turns into true love. All of the talk about impressionist art was also fabulous.

I have absolutely loved reading about the four Belles of London and it is bittersweet to be writing this review of the final book in such a fantastic saga. This book has everything from slow burn romance that feels genuine to a great disability rep in the form of the main male love interest! Honestly, Teddy is my favorite of the Belles' heroes and I was thrilled to realize that there is a prequel series that tells the stories of some of the side characters in this novel including his sister! I love Mimi Matthews' books so much! She has a hefty backlog of books that I look forward to reading soon!

Such a late review but not because I didn’t love it!! This whole series has my heart. Four women who love horses and live on the outskirts of society find love matches and learn to follow their dreams.

This was the final book in the Belles of London series. Mimi Matthews paints a beautiful picture of life in the city and the country in the Victorian era. Her descriptions really bring the story to life.

Teddy and Stella don’t blend in, but life being what it was at that time they did their best to find ways to fade into the background. They bond over their mutual desire to live a life as more than a wallflower. I loved watching them give each other confidence and strength to embrace who they are.

Finding beauty in each other’s perceived flaws. The slow burn romance was perfection. Mimi writes romantic tension so well, I love the subtle glances and longing that you feel between her characters.

Favorite Quotes:

“His injury wasn’t the whole of him. It wasn’t even the most interesting part. It irked him to no end that, for some people, it was the only thing worth noticing.”

“It didn’t just sadden her. It made her doubt her worth. That was the power of words. Especially harsh words from someone you’d once loved.”

“You deserve more than a life in the background.”

“She’d been made so small for so long, the words hadn’t existed to articulate the wild yearnings within her. But no longer.”

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group for this ARC!

This is book 4 in a series (can standalone)
Romance: closed door

I liked this book, and I think it was probably the strongest of the series and a good ending for the Four Horsewomen. I did think that the fundamental places in which Stella and Teddy found themselves were at times unbearably sad, and I'm both glad they ended up with each other and also wish it could have been different. The plot is much slower at the beginning of the book than the end, though I'm not sure that's a criticism so much as a note that I could have handled a more drawn out ending.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley.

In this fun and fascinating new Victorian romance novel, readers meet Stella Hobhouse, an excellent horsewoman and a sketch artist whose skills and talents are overshadowed by her gray hair. With her pious brother’s restrictions on her behavior and a lack of funds, she is prepared for a life as a spinster in Derbyshire until Edward “Teddy” Hayes, an aspiring painter, finds inspiration in Stella and her striking hair. Not willing to risk her reputation but looking for his big break into the art world, Teddy will do almost anything to persuade her to pose, even if that means a marriage of convenience for the both of them. With two complex characters on the outskirts of society for different reasons, readers will love the growing romance and relationship between Stella and Teddy over the course of the novel. Charming, steamy, and full of incredible detail, these characters are the stars of the novel as a pair and as individuals. The historical setting -- country parties, weddings, social stratification, and the artists’ community -- really bring the novel to life and add color to complement Stella, Teddy, and their relationship as all three evolve over this charming, heartwarming, and properly romantic historical fiction novel.

This was an incredibly good read! The story was beautifully written and the characters were flushed out really well! Definitely worth the read!

The Muse of Maiden Lane is a very sweet and charming romance. 

Stella has a small inheritance, enough to keep her beloved horse. But her sanctimonious vicar brother expects her to give him her money for his parishioners. Marriage is her only option, but her prematurely gray hair makes her stand out in a way she doesn’t want.

Teddy is an artist, and he lost the use of his legs from scarlet fever. When he first sees Stella, he’s stunned by her beautiful hair and decides he must pain her. And so begins a slow burn romance.

Mimi Matthews is really good at characterization, and Stella and Teddy feel very realistic. This is sort of a quiet romance, and I really liked that. Matthews proves that you don't need high drama to make a relationship work in a historical romance.

I was impressed by how Matthews wrote about Teddy's disability and how he manages in a society that's not built for a wheelchair user. She includes an authors' note about her research, which was very interesting.