Familial Dependency and Second Chances

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Source: Purchased

TYPE OF NOVEL: Victorian Romance

SERIES: Belles of London #3 (Each book is standalone and can be read out of order) For those unfamiliar with this series: it is about four friends that share proclivities for all things equestrian and unconventionality.

THE PREMISE: Lady Anne almost had a friends-to-lovers romance when she was young, but her father’s death, her mother’s dependency, and an impossible ultimatum stopped any happily ever after before it could begin. Now, more than six years later, Lady Anne has found some comfort in her spinsterish ways… that is until she notices that all the stability in her world is shifting around her. Is the man she refused all those years ago the one constant she can count on?

MY THOUGHTS: 

As a reader who ardently admires a well-written historical romance (even when it doesn’t involve Jane Austen’s characters) I’ve come to greatly appreciate and admire the stories penned by Mimi Matthews. Her stories often include strong and well-developed characters, tantalizing and riveting plots, and arrestingly beautiful romances. I have especially enjoyed this series of this particular group of female friends and witnessing how they take bold actions and think for themselves…

And then there are the swoony heroes that claim their hearts… I have been a fan of each of them! While the valiant and vulnerable Captain Blunt (hero in the previous novel) has a special place in my heart, I was easily charmed by Mr. Felix Hartford and his provoking and playful demeanor. I also loved how beneath all that he was sincere, loyal, and full of hidden cares. I enjoyed seeing the evolution of Felix’s relationship with Anne – the tentative truce, the re-canvassing the past, the glimmer of hope.

Both characters struggle with the decisions of the past and familial duty. I enjoyed seeing both characters learn to recognize and manage what is their responsibility and what isn’t. And while Anne’s and Felix’s journey to love had its share of stirring moments, there were some parts of the story that felt a bit slow and uneventful. Especially after all the pieces were laid in place for a their second chance romance to end successfully.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

🪴 Like Giant Himalayan Lilies, some romances progress slowly before they bloom, but when they do it is worth the wait.

➡️  Childhood friends to lovers to enemies to second chance romance – I love romances with a long and winding path

🌟  Anything by Mimi Matthews is always guaranteed to captivate, delight, and entertain.

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