First, thank you to the publisher for the chance to read this book. What a lovely finish to the series. Loved the non-traditional main characters because everyone deserves love and this series really showcased that. LOVED

This series has been a consistent pleasure! In book 4, The Muse of Maiden Lane, we follow the fourth of the Four Horsewomen, Stella, as she stumbles into becoming an independent and self-determining woman. She has seen her three compatriots doing so, and now it is Stella's turn.

I liked that the male main character has appeared before in Mimi Matthews' books (A Convenient Fiction, part of the Parish Orphans series). I love the intertwining of stories! In this current book, we see Teddy becoming his own person as well, and the link between him and Stella is magic to equal that in the first three stories of Belles of London.

I thought this was not the strongest in the series: Stella herself seems less defined and less definite than the other three horsewomen. But her story is still a strong one: engaging and entertaining.

Best of all, this fourth and final book in the series does a wonderful job of celebrating and tying together all four books. Readers will enjoy seeing their personal favorite characters reappear and have the story extended for each.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the chance to satisfy my literary need to complete this story. Publication date for Muse is expected November 19, 2024. This is a great series! And this book is a great wrap-up for the reader. Each book stands alone but is richer for the previous books.

Disability representation in romance novels is becoming increasingly commonplace, but I genuinely feel there should be more of these!!

Also - I'm biased regarding Mimi Matthews because I've always loved her books. However, one of the reasons I love her and the reason you'll love the fourth book in the Belles of London series is that her characters have SO much depth. Their relationships are unconventional but in a lovely, inspiring way.

- The first book in the series was The Siren of Sussex where the main couple was interracial during the Victorian Era.
- The second book, which I haven't read yet, although I have a physical copy waiting for me - Is a marriage of convenience romance and I will 100% be reading that while at the beach in a few weeks!!
- The third book in the series tackles overcoming serious self-doubt issues.
**The Muse of Maiden Lane is the fourth book, and one of the characters was an artist in a wheelchair - not the gentry at all, and I loved their characters all the more for it!!

(4.3/5) - I'll pretty much read anything that Mimi Matthews writes and most likely fall in love with her characters!! The one thing I was thinking throughout all of this though is that the MMC was very young? 24 seems like a really young little lad lol But overall - I still really enjoyed the story!

<i>**Thank you to Berkley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤</i>

I absolutely adore many of the books by Mimi Matthews, but find others a bit of a miss. The Muse of Maiden Lane is fine – well written, well researched – but it didn’t resonate with me. There is no tension in the relationship between Teddy and Stella. He says he doesn’t want to marry, but we don’t believe that. Stella is put off by Teddy’s forward ways, but not that much.

I was a bit puzzled by Stella dyeing her hair for a house party – did she not know eventually she might see those people somewhere else when her hair went back to gray? (“But one rule remained as inflexible in London as it was across Britain entire: a respectable female DID NOT color her hair. Only actresses and - Stella blushed to admit to herself – prostitutes would resort to such tawdry tricks.” p. 1 of the advance reader copy) For that matter, I don’t get the deal with a beautiful young woman having gray hair. Would that really have been a big deal in Victorian times?

As book four in this series, there are also too many brief and distracting appearances by so many characters from this series and another by the author. As a reader, I really don’t expect every happy character to cameo. I know the author loves horses, but this is also an excessively horsy book. Lots of descriptions of and focus on the four horses. Yes, they love their horses. Yes, we understand that Stella will not give up her spirited and dangerous gray horse that matches her hair.

I still love Matthews and eagerly await her next book, but The Muse of Maiden Lane was a miss for me. I read an advance reader copy from Netgalley.

A great ending to an enjoyable and well written series.
Stella and Teddy’s relationship developed through friendship first. I liked how they both wanted more for themselves than what their family members were projecting onto them.
All the other women from this series were included in The Muse of Maiden Lane and the support of found family was so important to this story and series.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

-Dual POVs
-MMC: artist/painter in a wheelchair due to an illness
-FMC: horsewoman/artist with premature gray hair
-Both are resilient yet with their own vulnerabilities

This book ties with book 2 (Belle of ...) in the series as my favorites in the Belles of London series. I haven't read the book in the Parish Orphans series where Teddy is introduced but I plan to. I love the way Teddy and Stella meet and interact with each other. A great end to the series!

This book, compared to the others in the series, is short!
Stella and Teddy sort of slowly, sort of quickly come together to make their own life together, and I appreciate that they don't really have to fight that hard to be together, they just have to decide they want each other enough to get on with it.
Teddy and Stella connect over art, and I really like that the author always does loads of historical research for their books.
This book features a lot of talk about art styles, new adaptations in wheelchairs, and as ever with this author, clothes.
Attention to detail in these areas makes for an educational and thrilling jaunt of a book!
Well done Mimi Matthews! <3

I absolutely loved this book! The disability representation, the found family, and slow burn of it all. This book was everything I needed in a historical romance. One thing that I loved was both lead characters battled a similar family turmoil that helped guide their relationship with each other that was beautiful to read. Stella and Teddy were just a delight to read and experience!

The Muse of Maiden Lane is a satisfying wrap up to a wonderful series. Stella and Teddy’s story is a wonderful, sweet romance that has disability representation that is not often seen in romance novels. It was a refreshing take at romance without the focus being so fully on the male main character’s unrealistic body type. Instead, their relationship truly grows from enjoying each other’s company and other ways that parallel true relationships, something that Matthew’s excels in writing.

The plot and main characters drew me in initially, but I found the dialogue to be too lengthy and meandering. As a result, I ended up skipping several chapters. While I think other readers might enjoy the book, it just wasn't my cup of tea.

3.5 stars for Stella and Teddy!

The Muse of Maiden Lane concludes the Belles of London series, leaving our Four Horsewomen to enjoy their happily ever afters.

Muse picks up shortly after Lily, with Stella and Anne at a Christmas Party, guests of Anne's beau's grandfather. Teddy and Stella are reunited after a brief meeting mentioned in the last book. They are both scandalized, Stella by his insistence on painting her, and Teddy by the fact that she has dyed her gorgeous gray hair!

The two bond over being outcasts in society, and with help from the other, learn to celebrate their uniqueness.

The main drawback for me was how character driven this novel was. There was little, if any, plot. A good third of the book takes place at the Christmas party, and for the next third they depart from the party to separate places, only exchanging letters. During this time, they go through significant arcs, but for me, it got tiresome to read. I simply wish there had been more happening in the meantime.

In the end, this is a good finale to the series, and if you enjoyed Evie, Julia, and Anne's stories, you will love Stella's.

Thank you to the publishers for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

If The Lily of Ludgate Hill is a slow, heart-wrenching burn, Muse is a wildfire. It's a faster read than most of Matthews' others, but the emotions are all still there. This is a soul-stealing romance where both parties have to overcome obstacles, but find themselves (and each other) in the process. This is love at first sight, an artist finding his muse, and a bold, brilliant woman finding out how much she can shine. While Lily will always be my favorite of this series, Stella and Teddy sparkle on their own.

The well written and captivating story of the final "fury" or London horsewoman, Stella Hobhouse. While an outstanding beauty, the oddity of having hair that turned gray at age 16 makes Stella stand out like no woman wants to in London. She encounters Edward "Teddy" Hayes, an artist, at a museum and so begins his fascination with her. Their interactions at a house party they both attend are enchanting, especially their moment in the sleigh. When the party ends and the real world catches back up to the characters, there are long conversations and scenes that, while at times are humorous (in a torturous way), made me feel impatient for "the rest of the story."

The best part of this story was the characters, which is always the case for me in books by Mimi Matthews. They are vivid and have heavy challenges that stretch them. I love seeing their strength as they find a way around the road blocks to their happiness. Stella and Teddy have a unique and tender romance.

In my review of the first book in this series, The Siren of Sussex, I noted the overuse in the story of the word "sensual." When I came across it (three times) in this book, it was like fingernails scratching a chalkboard. I also feel, as I did in the first book, that there was little depth to their relationship beyond physical attraction.

I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley. This is my honest opinion.

I am so in love with this series! I'm sad this is the final installment as I'll miss the girls and their horses.

I was especially excited to see Stella and Teddy (who uses a wheelchair) after their meet-cute in the previous book. I just wish we got more of them together! Both characters are so strong (even when they're scared to be) and it was exciting to see them thrive as a couple (especially that ending!)

I can't wait to see what Mimi Matthews puts out next!

The final novel in the Belles of London series finds Stella Hobhouse, the fourth horsewoman of the group of equestrian friends, regretfully seeking a husband for financial security.

When she meets disabled artist Teddy Hayes again at a country house Christmas party, he is determined to paint her portrait. Since proper young ladies do not work as artist's models, she is perplexed by his dogged determination that only she can be his muse to begin his professional career. The story is about their own personal challenges that are holding them back and how they resolve them together.

This was a great conclusion to the series bringing all of the previous couples back into the story at different moments to support Stella and help her find her happiness. Matthews continues her smooth prose and historical references skillfully. The romance is a slow burn, so be patient until the finale.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was lovely to see all the characters reunited and to see characters from the Parish Orphans of Devon series! My only complaint is I wish there was more of Teddy and Stella. It felt like too much back story of the other characters were crammed in and their love story was cut off a bit. Still a good read!

I'm a huge fan of Mimi Matthews, and this series in particular. Loved this final installment in this series! Such unique characters and a beautiful backdrop of the French Impressionism of the time.

I love Matthews when she’s writing at the top of her game & I like her A Lot even when she isn’t. Here we get somewhat of a mixed result - I liked parts of it and loved others. **the scenes with our principals riffing off one another are chefs kiss excellent.

This is another great addition to the series - maybe my 2nd favorite? I love both principal characters and how their backstories inform the uphill battles they’re forging alone… until they find each other and finally recognize vanquishing their private/public demons (?) is easier and better together.

My only quibble is perhaps there isn’t enough of them together (I loved their conversations) and with an artist as our MC, the cover is a missed opportunity to show us that final portrait. Obv, the cover is in keeping with the series and that makes sense. But. Ms. Matthew’s has some of the Most Beautiful covers in the business and I wish this one was different.

Good stuff!

Haven’t tried a Mimi Matthew’s novel? Why not? Romantic, lovely in every way & the kinds of books you can hook romance-reading-avoiders on. THEY’RE SO ROMANTIC! But not super steamy - which, I’ve come to decide, is okay IF it’s a Matthew’s novel.

The Muse of Maiden Lane was a sweet conclusion to the Belles of London Series! I did, however, struggle with the pacing in this one. I felt that the ending was a little rushed and the build-up between Stella and Teddy finally realizing their feelings was not nearly as satisfying. But, I did respect and appreciate the representation of those who have physical disabilities and how Mimi Matthews and Stella challenge society and beauty standards. I recommend this series to anyone looking for a sweet closed-door romance with so much tension!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for an ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was a sweet ending to the "Belles of London" quartet of books about the Four Horsewomen - I found most of the story, exposition and narration fairly standard for this historical romance period (e.g. the scandal if a woman dyes her hair, poses for a painting; the dependence of women on male relatives, who (here) are depicted as almost absurdley dismissive of women as anything but property and breeding/childrearing/homekeeping potential); the scant or nonexistant options for women on their own etc etc.) The most interesting aspects were the new movement in the art world that Teddy enthusiastically takes part in, and Teddy's wheelchair -- how much more difficult it made every aspect of his life -- and the inventor who came up with the newer version for him, It was stunning that basic technology of the time (i.e. a hand brake) in common use on almost every horse drawn conveyance, had not been thought to be applied to a wheelchair until then. And, in an afterword, the author even said she took a bit of artistic license and sped up the development of some of the chair advancements she described. Beyond these aspects, the best part of the book that had the most excitement and tension was the brief middle section where Teddy and Stella are exchanging letters and Stella's future and fate are hanging in the balance.

The aspect I found almost weird for its lack of description was Teddy's assistant Jennings, employed to carry him/transport him and his chair wherever needed. He was ever present, but almost eerily void of personality, motivation or volition. He could have been a robot. His presence was like a monochrome gray spot on the canvas of the story -- was he cheerily doing his tasks? begrudgingly? angry? placid? volatile? eager? lazy? Maybe it was intentional but it was a constant bother throughout that I, as the reader, could not get any hint of any description to get a grasp on what his character was like. The chemistry between Stella & Teddy was kind of hit or miss too... a bit lukewarm overall.

Other than that, it was a nice finish to the series, we got to see all the characters from the Belles series, as well as many from the Parish Orphans series. Happy that Stella and her compatriots all got their happily ever afters!