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New Release Review and Giveaway! THE BELLE OF BELGRAVE SQUARE by Mimi Matthews (Belles of London #2)

The Belle of Belgave Square
"An 'effervescent second Belles of London romance'" - Publisher's Weekly starred review
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Title:The Belle of Belgrave Square
Series: Belles of London (Book 2)
Author:Mimi Matthews
Genre:Historical Romance, Historical Fiction
Publisher: ‎Berkley Romance (October 11, 2022)
Length: (432) pages
Format: Trade paperback, eBook, & audiobook 
ISBN: 978-0593337158
Tour Dates: October 3 – 23, 2022

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…

A BookBub Best Romance of 2022

The Belle of Belgrave Square cover

PURCHASE LINKS:
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Review:

Just lovely!

I thoroughly enjoyed Julia and Jasper’s story. It has shades of Beauty and the Beast, Blackbeard, and The Blue Castle , but is still very much the story of its two main characters and their deliciously slow burn romance.

I loved that Jasper was able to truly see Julia, in a way that up until that point only her close friends did (the other “belles” of the series, of course). The reader will probably see the clues about Jasper’s past (and present, for that matter) a bit before Julia does (truly, how did he think he would keep it from her for any amount of time?) but it’s still rather thrilling to figure it out. Even more thrilling is watching Julia come into her own, finally standing up for herself and those that she loves.

The author’s note at the end was alternately quite interesting and truly terrifying–don’t skip it! As always, reading well-researched historical fiction always makes me quite grateful to live in the time period we do, in spite of all the other craziness that is going on right now.

I haven’t read the first book ( The Siren of Sussex ) yet, but this one worked fine as a standalone. The other series characters–the “belles”–play small roles here, with most of the emphasis on Julia and Jasper.

Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Mimi Matthews author photo

About the author:

USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews writes both historical nonfiction and award-winning proper Victorian romances. Her novels have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, and Kirkus, and her articles have been featured on the Victorian Web, the Journal of Victorian Culture, and in syndication at BUST Magazine. 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.

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VICTORIAN READING ROOM:
Join Mimi at her Victorian Reading Room Facebook Group for exclusive access as she shares her love of writing, historical romance, Victorian fashion, brooding heroes, independent heroines, and of course, her beloved pets!

READ AN EXCLSUIVE INTERVIEW WITH MIMI MATTHEWS:
Discover intriguing insights into The Belle of Belgrave Square and Mimi’s writing life in this exclusive interview at austenprose.com.

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