Belles of London Historical Romance Book Series by Mimi Matthews

The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews (2022)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Belles of London series. Another amazing romance from Mimi Matthews. Evelyn is in London for the Season and intends to make her impression on the marriage mart on horseback. And that means hiring the lesser known, but very talented habit-maker, Ahmad. It’s pretty much sparks at first sight here, on top of mutual respect for each others’ talents. But they’re different classes, different races, and a pairing between them will not solve their respective financial problems. But they definitely grow closer as Ahmad goes from just making Evelyn’s riding habits to making all of her dresses, and it’s easy to see how they slowly fall in love.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews (2022)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Belles of London series. This one is a marriage of convenience story with Beauty and the Beast vibes. Julia is the daughter of sickly parents and has social anxiety. She thinks that no one wants to marry her because of her awkwardness, but Captain Jasper Blunt is very much interested. He needs a wealthy wife to restore his estate and care for his three illegitimate children. Nevermind that he’s known as a monster and has a huge scar on the side of his face. But Julia sees beyond the rumors and the appearance and notices that he’s actually very kind to her. So when she needs help getting away from her parents, she proposes to him. It’s delightful seeing her being both vulnerable and bold, and I love a protective husband. And Jasper is keeping secrets, which are so much fun to uncover. Another stellar book from Mimi Matthews.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Lily of Ludgate Hill by Mimi Matthews (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Belles of London series. If you want to talk about yearning, this book is the one to read. We spent the first two books of this series seeing the animosity between Anne and Hart, but really, they have a history as childhood friends and then a brief romance followed by a huge falling out. When Anne needs a favor, she asks for Hart’s help in rescuing her friend. And he has conditions. But as they spend more time together, it’s clear that they still have feelings for each other, buried under all that bickering. This whole book is super angsty and makes you feel all the feelings. I loved slowly uncovering what went wrong all those years ago and what they’re doing now to make things right. Loads of family drama on both sides of the relationship, which definitely brings more challenge to the romance. Loved this book.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Muse of Maiden Lane by Mimi Matthews (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 4 of the Belles of London series. Final book of the series and ties back to the Parish Orphans of Devon series. Stella and Teddy had a brief meeting once at an art gallery (in Book 3) and she’s shocked to find him at the Christmas house party that she’s attending. She’s especially embarrassed because she normally has grey hair but has dyed it for the party. He’s just happy to see her because he’s an artist who is captivated by her beauty and wants very much to paint her. But that’s not at all proper and they seem to disagree how to the proceed here. What follows is a super slow burn romance with each of them dealing with their separate troublesome families. I loved seeing these two assert their independence together and learn to trust each other.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.