Oh my, what a truly beautifully written story! I easily devoured it in one sitting because I simply couldn't stop myself. Mimi Matthews borrows a bit from Beauty and the Beast and Persuasion, but her tale feels fresh and original. I was rooting for Sylvia and Sebastian from the first page, but that didn't stop me from being frustrated at their (very believable) misunderstandings.

I'm very happy to add Matthews to my "must read" authors list. And thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I had no idea what to expect from this one. Small, unknown publisher, and a cover - while I love it for all the Victorian feelings, and wish more covers looked like this - that didn’t line up with my idea of a historical romance cover.
However, I LOVED this book. I really, really enjoyed it, loved that it was a proper romance, with a proper Victorian feel. I loved the angst and the genuine pain the characters seemed to feel. I loved that - as other reviews I’ve read have stated - that this felt like *HISTORICAL* romance.
It is a so-called “clean romance” (ugh, that term! - it means no sex), but this particular story would have been ruined with it.
While it seems to the hero that all the pain is on his side - after all, he is the one who was wounded badly in India after seeming to lose his (almost) fiancée - there is a moment around the halfway point where he realises what happened to that lost fiancée in the three years they were apart, and realises how awful her situation has been.
There’s one very sad, emotional scene that made me feel more than I’ve felt in many books, and even though I was reading in the early hours of the morning I just had to go on.
I also enjoyed the secondary characters, and that while they initially seemed to be stereotypes, they weren’t.
I don’t know what such a talented author and such a high-quality book is doing in such an obscure situation, but I hope to see more Victorian-era (yay!) books from this author.

The Lost Letter was a pretty good read. Looking forward to more by this author in the future.

A realistic retelling of Beauty and the Beast meets a story of love defeating the bonds of societal matchmaking...

A chance meeting begins a love story that could stand the test of the war if letters that were written weren't allowed to be delivered. Would you wait? This is a fantastic journey into the heart of loving past appearances and title to the beauty of belonging to each other.

The Lost Letter is a better piece of prose, with each phrase well thought out. The detail provided is well rounded with each character’s thoughts and feelings elaborated on. Whilst the story is a simple one, with Sylvia and Sebastian being forced apart by war, the missing letters that each wrote to the other, have gone astray and led to such devastation. The misunderstandings that exist between the couple play out despite their best efforts to withhold their feelings from each other. Their idiosyncrasies and their fallibility are evident for all to see.
What makes this novel unique, is that Sebastian is flawed. He bears the scars of war but is also overbearing and stilted. Sylvia’s despair is evident but her strength of character will almost be her undoing. Their feelings are evident to all but themselves. It was delightful to see them become aware of the other once again.

This was a clean romantic story. I appreciated that it was kisses only and no intimacy. The story line of falling in love and the miscommunication due to lost letters was delightful and kept the pace of the book flowing nicely. The characters were well developed and I enjoyed the secondary character, Julie as a sister very much. I plan to read more by this author.

I think the historical romance books become a little addicting overtime. They seem to have many of the same components: the blushing virgin, a cranky beau, a misunderstanding, and finally the declaration. It’s what the author does with this traditional system that makes all the difference.

Mimi Matthews has crafted a unique plot with some pretty traditional elements along a twist on the classic Beauty and the Beast story. While the story is a bit shorter than a typical novel, I actually appreciated the fact that you could get an entertaining and engaging read without the extraneous detail and conversation that you sometimes get in longer historical romance novels.

The author created solid characters that had a prior relationship in the years past. Things change, people change, and situations put them together again.

With lovely writing skills that develop the story from two points of view, the caring and emotional connection these two people have can be felt right on the pages. You can see firsthand how anger and loss affects a person. You find yourself hoping that misunderstandings get cleared faster so they can get to happily ever after. Then you can breathe a deep breath.

Perfect read for those that love a story written in the traditional style, The Lost Letter by Mimi Matthews is wonderful diversion that you want to take. I know I did.