The Reading Frenzy: Sophia Rose Reviews: The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews Blog Tour #Giveaway AustenProse PR

Good Day all today is Sophia Rose's stop on The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews blog tour. Read her review and don't forget to enter the fab #Giveaway at the end
Enjoy!

The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews

#2 Belles of London

Historical Romance

Publisher: Berkley Romance

Published: 10.11.22

Pages: 432

Rating: 4. 5 stars

Format: eARC

Source: Net Galley

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | BOOKSHOP | GOODREADS

ADD TO: GoodReads

GoodReads Blurb:

A London heiress rides out to the wilds of the English countryside to honor a marriage of convenience with a mysterious and reclusive stranger.

Tall, dark, and dour, the notorious Captain Jasper Blunt was once hailed a military hero, but tales abound of his bastard children and his haunted estate in Yorkshire. What he requires now is a rich wife to ornament his isolated ruin, and he has his sights set on the enchanting Julia Wychwood.

For Julia, an incurable romantic cursed with a crippling social anxiety, navigating a London ballroom is absolute torture. The only time Julia feels any degree of confidence is when she’s on her horse. Unfortunately, a young lady can’t spend the whole of her life in the saddle, so Julia makes an impetuous decision to take her future by the reins—she proposes to Captain Blunt.

In exchange for her dowry and her hand, Jasper must promise to grant her freedom to do as she pleases. To ride—and to read—as much as she likes without masculine interference. He readily agrees to her conditions, with one provision of his own: Julia is forbidden from going into the tower rooms of his estate and snooping around his affairs. But the more she learns of the beastly former hero, the more intrigued she becomes…

Sophia Rose's Review:

A woman who loves novels and horses and gets twitchy in a social setting and a man who has deep, dark secrets and seen too much of war and bloodshed traverse the London Season and discover that they both want more than the deal they both make in desperation.

Belle of Belgrave Square is the second of the Belles of London series and has the flexibility to operate as a standalone or connected series book just fine. Mimi Matthews has this latest running slightly parallel with latter events in the first book so readers who come to it in order are aware of what Miss Evelyn is up to off scene and know a bit more about the four young ladies who are now close friends, but a new reader can pick up with Julia’s story and not feel like anything is lacking.

The Victorian Era London social scene is brought to life in vivid detail as are the two main characters, Juliet and Jasper. I enjoyed their shared narrative and getting to know them well even as they awkwardly try to get to know each other through a string of encounters. Jasper is a big, dark, brooding man with a livid scar who comes with a scary reputation as being a brutal man on the Crimean battlefield and scandalous at home where he keeps his illegitimate children. Julia is intimidated at first, but then when the man rescues her from more than one social coil and shows respect and interest for her love of novels and her powerful, spirited horse, she sees there is much more to him than rumor led one to believe.

Jasper, on the other hand, needs a wife- a well-dowered one without pesky family keeping an eye on things. Julia’s parents are invalids and he heard that she has a sizeable dowry. He is mystified why this beautiful woman, and an interesting one at that, is left on the shelf. But, lately her parents and chaperone are putting pressure on her to marry and not a man who will think kindly on her quirks. Fortune hunting has soured him and Julia wants nothing to do with him, or so it seems, until desperation sets in. If only he can keep his secrets and have this woman who is coming to mean so much more than a way out of financial difficulty.

The romance is slow-burn and builds even as their situations reveal that they both need each other to save them. They are an unlikely pair and I was all in to see them work through some big issues. Jasper’s secrets were huge, but he drove me nuts because it was obvious Juliet was going to pry it all out of him and she wasn’t going to deepen the relationship or trust him until he did open up completely. I was frustrated because I guessed at all his secrets fairly early on so I could understand somewhat why he was reluctant, but knew what he was keeping back.

Like with the first book, this one gives a good lead in to the next romance pair who will get their story in the background of Jasper and Julia’s. I loved seeing Julia, especially, come into her own and have those big moments in the end.

Another fabulous entry in the series and a historical romance I can heartily recommend to those who love references to some great classic stories (I spotted the Blue Castle by LM Montgomery connection and loved it) and flavoring of fairytale romances dotting their stories. Get this one on your reading pile with no regrets.

Praise:

“A grand cross-class romance, a twisty mystery, and emotional internal struggles combine to excellent effect…fans and new readers alike will root for this well-earned love story.”— Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“[C]ombines deception, risk, and a resourceful heroine to create an intoxicating, suspenseful romance. Highly recommended.”— Library Journal (starred review)

“If you’re a fan of Beauty and the Beast, this regency romance will rapidly become a new favorite of yours. Wallflower meets an infamous war hero in this fascinating and intriguing love story.”— BuzzFeed

“Mimi Matthews never disappoints, with richly drawn characters and couples whose individual shortcomings become strengths, when paired together. In this Beauty and the Beast retelling, we get to root for two underdogs who get to rewrite their own stories.”— Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wish You Were Here

“The Belle of Belgrave Square is such tremendous, good fun: a heroine with a big horse, an even bigger novel-reading habit, and a hidden anxiety; a hero with a crumbling estate, a trio of wary children, and a literary secret—what's not to love? Mimi Matthews paints Victorian England with vivid humor, and her Belles of London is set to go on for at least a few more much-anticipated installments. Julian Fellowes fans will rejoice!”— Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye

Author’s Bio:

Mimi Matthews is a USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of proper historical romances. Her works include The Siren of Sussex, one of Oprah Daily’s Most Anticipated Romances of 2022; Fair as a Star, a Library Journal Best Romance of 2020; Gentleman Jim, a Kirkus Best Book of 2020; and The Work of Art, winner of the 2020 HOLT Medallion and a 2021 Daphne du Maurier Award nominee.

Mimi’s novels have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus, and Shelf Awareness, and have been featured at Oprah Daily, NPR, USA Today, PopSugar, and Book Riot. They have been translated into six languages.

When not writing historical romance, Mimi authors nonfiction books and articles on all aspects of nineteenth century history—from animals, art, and etiquette to fashion, beauty, feminism, and law. Her nonfiction history books (A Victorian Lady’s Guide to Fashion and Beauty and The Pug Who Bit Napoleon) are published by Pen and Sword Books UK. Her articles are available at various academic and history sites, including the Victorian Web and the Journal of Victorian Culture, and can also be found at BUST Magazine.

Mimi’s research has been referenced in such diverse web and print publications as Smithsonian Magazine, The Paris Review, The Journal of Civil War Medicine, and Apartment Therapy. Her work is often used in high school and college classrooms as part of an English or History curriculum.

“Matthews brings the Victorian era to vivid life with meticulously researched details and an impossible romance made believable and memorable.”

-Booklist, starred review
(The Siren of Sussex)

In her other life, Mimi is an attorney. She resides in California with her family, which includes a retired Andalusian dressage horse, a Sheltie, and two Siamese cats.

Representation: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency
Publicity: Yazmine Hassan, Penguin Random House

GIVEAWAY

Mimi has generously offered a fabulous giveaway that book tour participants can add to their post and on social media. Here are the details:

Giveaway period: October 3 – October 30

Terms & Conditions:
Giveaway hosted by Mimi Matthews. No Purchase Necessary. Entrants must be 18 years or older. Open to US residents only. All information will remain confidential and will not be sold or otherwise used, except to notify the winner and to facilitate postage of the book to the winner. Void where prohibited.

Giveaway Details:
1 winner (selected at random by Rafflecopter) receives a paperback copy of The Belle of Belgrave Square, signed and annotated by the author with personal comments, underlining of her favorite lines, and other highlights by Mimi Matthews.

Giveaway is open from 12:01 am Pacific time 10/03/22 until 11:59pm Pacific time on 10/30/22.

The winner will be announced on Mimi's blog on 10/31/22.