#the siren of sussex | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

a-skirmish-of-wit-and-lit · 21 days

Text

Book Review: The Siren of Sussex (The Belles of London #1) by Mimi Matthews

Sometimes I need a forbidden Victorian romance to perk me up, a softly building love story that'll set my heart a'flutter with all those longing looks and chaste lingering touches. So imagine my delight to have come across Ahmad and Evelyn!

These two are characters who are out to make their mark in society, but who are both operating under some kind of disadvantage. For Evie, that's being a bluestocking with a family who's on the edge of ruin and who needs to raise her worth on the marriage mart, not, as one would assume, in ballrooms, but on horseback, since that's where she believes she's mostly likely to snag attention. For Ahmad, that's being a half-Indian tailor who's trying to gain recognition for his riding habit designs so that he can achieve his dream of opening his own women's dress shop. As such, they come together out of mutual need...at least at first. However, it isn't long before a deeper connection and attachment is borne.

While this was more of a closed door, fade-to-black, love story, what I liked about it was that it focused heavily on the emotional intimacy and respect that Ahmad and Evelyn had for one another. As a result of that, there was an incremental blossoming of trust and sensuality between them. That was deepened, of course, by the fact that she became his muse, inspiring his designs, and she became his prime fashion showcaser wherever and whenever she could, acquiring him the clientele he needed for his business. I enjoyed their mutually beneficial arrangement as well as the support they gave each other without prompting. Plus, Ahmad sewed pockets into all of Evie's dresses. What's not to love about a man who understands the importance of pockets in women's clothing? SWOON.

Definitely recommended for historical romance readers, especially those who favor books that critique colonialism.

3.5/5 stars

**Follow me on Goodreads

#ashlee bree's book reviews #the siren of sussex #the belles of london #mimi matthews #historical fiction #historical romance #romance #recs: ashlee approved #read april 2024 #bookblr #booklr #book reviews #book recs

2 notes · View notes

neverthetwinsshallmeet · 1 year

Link

Do you like ROMANCE NOVELS? Do you like HISTORY? Then surely you’ll like our most recent episode on historical romance novels!

#a caribbean heiress in paris #las leonas #adriana herrera #the siren of sussex #mimi matthews #the queer principles of kit webb #cab sebastian #the duke who didn't #courtney milan #wedgeford trials #the lady's guide to celestial mechanics #olivia waite #feminine pursuits #captain's log #never the twins shall meet #podcasts

0 notes

overflowingshelf · 1 year

Text

Audiobook Review: The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews

The Siren of Sussex was not as tempting as I wanted it to be. Plus, I wish I read this in print over audio (they made some CHOICES having two narrators). See my full review:

The Siren of Sussex Mimi Matthews Narrators: Vidish Athavale & Lydia Hanman Publisher: Berkley Publication Date: January 11, 2022 Series or Standalone: Belles of London Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads – StoryGraph Overall Rating: Performance Rating: Story Rating: MY REVIEW CW: Racism/racial slurs; misogyny/sexism; sexual harrasment; colonization; death of parent; references…

View On WordPress

#3 Stars #Audiobook #Audiobook Review #Belles of London #Berkley #book review #Lydia Hanman #Mimi Matthews #Review #The Siren of Sussex #Vidish Athavale

0 notes

lizabethstucker · 2 years

Text

The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews

3 out of 5

Belles of London 1

Evelyn Maltravers is frequently called a bluestocking and a wallflower simply because she wears spectacles and isn't traditionally beautiful in her country clothes. In reality her two passions are horses and fashion. As the oldest of her family of girls and the only one selected for her London Season appearance, Evie is determined to find a wealthy husband. To do so, she decides to play on her strengths. Going to the tailor who makes the riding habits of the Pretty Horsebreakers who ride through Rotten Row, Evie meets the man behind the outfits, Ahmad Malik. She explains her plans to outshine them, not caring that they are courtesans.

Ahmad longs to break out of gentlemen's wear and begin designing women's dresses. That is hard enough for a man in London, but adding his Indian heritage makes it even harder. He takes on Evie as his client, slowly gaining attention to the outfits she wears. Close quarters during fittings leads to attraction between the two, but is Society ready for a mixed race and mixed status romance?

This book deserved much tighter editing. In my opinion it was trying to hard to include pretty much everything and anything you could think of. I also felt the tighter editing would bring it down from the bloated page count. Plus I didn't feel any chemistry between the main characters.

The premise attracted me when I first saw it. Plus my historical romances rarely if ever are set in the Victorian period, especially around the time of Prince Albert's death and the extended mourning period much of London Society was forced into. I wish I could've enjoyed this more. It wasn't bad, just … boring.

#book review #Mimi Matthews #The Siren of Sussex #Belles of London series #Indian heritage hero #tailor hero #dress designer hero #Victorian romance #Historical romance #romance

0 notes

mercerislandbooks · 1 month

Text

Book Notes: Belles of London Series

Some of you may have noticed a new addition to our store — Island Books now has a dedicated romance section and I couldn't be happier. Cheerful covers in bright colors, containing stories where all kinds of people find their HEA (happy ever after) or HFN (happy for now). As a person who decidedly prefers books to end on a happy (or at least hopeful) note, romances are a genre I can count on. And often an author will write a series that lets you watch everyone out of a friend group find love, allowing me to linger in a delightful fictional world.

One series that I just discovered, a little late to the party, is Belles of London by Mimi Matthews. Lil recommended the first book, The Siren of Sussex, a few years ago, and I was finally able to pick it up. I barely needed Cindy’s "first page test" to be hooked and quickly finished it. I then raced through the next two books, The Belle of Belgrave Square and The Lily of Ludgate Hill, in this planned four book series. (The fourth being The Muse of Maiden Lane, coming out 11/19/24).

Set in Victorian England, all the heroines are equestriennes, and finding the marriage mart challenging for a variety of reasons. The Siren of Sussex features Evelyn Maltravers, the second daughter of an impoverished family. After her older sister embroiled herself in scandal instead of making the advantageous marriage she was supposed to, Evelyn is tasked with snaring herself a wealthy husband and saving her family. But she knows her best chance to catch the eye of eligible noblemen is not in the ballroom but on the back of her horse, a place she always feels confident. And to really make an impression, she needs the most fashionable riding habits she can afford.

Enter Ahmad Malik, who only needs the right influential woman of the ton to wear his designs to help him finally realize his dream of owning his own dressmaker's establishment. When Evelyn commissions him to make her riding habits, he decides to take her as his muse and dress her for the season. It's not long before fitting sessions blossom into something more, but Evelyn is bound by financial constraints. And Ahmad is reluctant to entangle his own heart with a woman society says he could never have. The path of true love never did run smooth!

I loved the way Mimi Matthews took on the challenges of an interracial couple with significant class differences as the heart of her romance. And I also loved every lushly described detail of the gorgeous clothes Ahmad designs for Evelyn. Throughout The Siren of Sussex, enough teasers are dropped for the other heroines of her series (and their prospective beaus) that I was eager to continue on and see what romances lay in store for them. Matthews builds romantic tension masterfully and employs a dual point-of-view so the reader can appreciate the inner journeys of both leads.

Pick up The Siren of Sussex if a swoony Victorian historical romance series sounds like the escape read you need right now. Or come check out our new romance section and see what else catches your eye!

— Lori

#island books #lori robinson #book notes #mimi matthews #siren of sussex #belle of belgrave square #lily of ludgate hill #belles of london #victorian romance

2 notes · View notes

betterbooksandthings · 1 year

Link

“What is a closed door romance? Like any fan community, romance has phrases and lingo that have developed over time for fans to talk to other fans. We have romancelandia (referring to the collective of romance readers and writers), HEA/HFN (happily ever after/ happy for now), and have mostly co-opted the use of tropes in both book marketing and slang. Closed door romance is the informative slang term used by romance readers and writers that I am breaking down today.“

#WHAT IS A CLOSED DOOR ROMANCE?#closed door romance #romance #romance books #THE SIREN OF SUSSEX BY MIMI MATTHEWS #AYESHA AT LAST BY UZMA JALALUDDIN #THEN THERE WAS YOU BY MONA SHROFF #BISCLAVRET BY K.L. NOONE

3 notes · View notes

deliriousdisquisitions · 2 years

Text

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

You Should Read This If You Like: historical romances with bipoc characters, British-Indian love interest, historical romances that don’t take place in a ballroom, sizzling chemistry, and seemingly doomed romances.

I adore Mimi Matthews, she has quickly become one of my favorite authors in the historical romance genre. Her books always have a melancholic undertone to them, the kind of tragic unease best suited for haunting, doomed romances. Which is why stories like Gentleman Jim and The Matrimonial Advertisement are some of my favorites of her works. Matthews' writing feels very reminiscent of older classics. If "The Perish Orphans" series has the gothic, eerie moodiness of Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre, Then Siren of Sussex is more evocative of a classic Dickensenian novel.

It follows Evelyn Maltravers who’s in London for the season. On the brink of destitution, Evelyn desperately needs to make a wealthy match in order to pave the way for her younger sister's futures. But as a bluestocking wallflower, Evelyn is well aware of her lack of charms. In order to attract a wealthy husband, she hatches a plan to distinguish herself by making the biggest splash in the one sphere she excels: on horseback. But in order to attract the attention of a potential husband, she needs to dress and look the part. This is where she meets Ahemad, a British-Indian habit maker, whose revolutionary designs catches Evelyn’s eye. Together the two form a partnership to showcase their best designs to find Evelyn a wealthy husband, and Ahmad a wilder clientele guarding their hearts in the process.

The story is told through Evelyn and Ahmad’s shifting perspectives which makes for an interesting narrative as we get to explore both sides of British colonialism and the way that it shapes their relationship. In Evelyn we see the privileges of being born into the British upper class, even one that exists on the fringes. Confined within the limitations of her role as head of her household, Evelyn struggles to find a means to secure a future for her sisters in the wake of her older sister’s scandalous elopement. It lends a pseudo-claustrophobic undertone to the novel that never quite dissipates. However, Evelyn is a very dull protagonist, at times even laughably naïve in her worldview, which makes it hard to truly sympathize with her circumstances. Conversely, Ahmad is a more interesting character. He represents all the socio-economic struggles, microaggressions, and discriminations of being a racial minority and an immigrant working class in Britain. However, the novel only skims the surface of colonialism, only hinting at horrors like British soldiers “marrying” Indian women, indoctrinating families into the British lifestyle, forced religious conversions, or even the details of the Jallianwala Bagh massacres, etc.

In much the same way, Evelyn and Ahmad’s relationship feels superficial bordering on insta-love. There is an almost instantaneous attraction, the chemistry palpable in every stolen glance and every accidental brush of finger. The taboo/scandalous nature of their relationship drives the narrative tension. But their socio-economic, racial, and cultural differences set up various obstacles and narrative threats that are never fully realized. Seemingly insurmountable conflicts are easily resolved. There are cramped conversions on colonialism and colonial guilt with an attempt to highlight the impossibility of their relationship and yet the happily ever after never quite truly feels earned. With the writing style I almost wish this didn’t attempt to subvert the genre and ended as a tragedy instead.

Mimi Matthews’ writing has the kind of evocative quality to it that instantaneously transports the reader into the streets of London’s East End. The world building is fairly new as most of the action takes place on the fringes of London society. Unlike most historical romances, Evelyn and Ahmad fall in love in the cramped backroom of his Tailor shop, across racing tracks, and while browsing for books in closed bookstores. They exist on the fringes of society and these marginal spaces are described so vividly that you can almost smell the musty smell of old second hand books and cloth or leather. I just wish I could see more of it.

I struggled writing a review for this book. Sirens of Sussex has all the potential for being a truly outstanding novel in the genre. It had the promise of something new and no one is more disappointed that it failed to live up to the expectations I had built for this book in my head. 3.5 stars.

4 notes · View notes

televinita · 11 months

Text

Took 1.5 grocery bags' worth of books (around 30 total) to Half Price (including the ones I mentioned in this post) and got five whole dollars for my trouble. Which I guess is about what I was expecting, and maybe even toward the higher end of that. At least that paid for the books that are keepers! And more importantly, freed up a small amount of space.

Space that I want to immediately fill with books I saw there, of course. Sigh. I swear they specially populate their stock to be most appealing when I’m most determined not to get anything.

#but in my defense: there are THREE copies of Siren of Sussex which I am currently on week 7 of hoarding from the library #i can CHOOSE my favorite!#and i am loaded with gift card money #anyway: finishing the book catalog really lit a 'MUST REMOVE BOOKS NOW' fire under my butt

1 note · View note

whimsicaldragonette · 2 years

Text

Blog Tour & ARC Review: The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews

Order

Add to Goodreads

Publishing Date: October 11, 2022

Welcome to the Belle of Belgrave Square book tour with Berkley Publishing Group. (This blog tour post is also posted on my Wordpress book review blog Whimsical Dragonette.)

Synopsis:

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 set his sights 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 in his affairs. But the more she learns of the beastly former hero, the more intrigued she becomes….

Author Bio:

USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews writes both historical nonfiction and award-winning proper Victorian romances. Her novels have received starred reviews in Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, 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. Learn more online at mimimatthews.com.

Author Photo by Vicki Hahn 2021

My Rating: ★★★★★

*My Review, Favorite Quotes, and Excerpt below the cut.

My Review:

I loved this so much. I loved the first as well but I had reservations about it - not so here. Everything about this story was historical romance perfection. I had a smile on my face the entire time I was reading.

The romance was swoony, the characters beautifully written, the struggles and misunderstandings relatable, and the closed-door romance a big plus for me. I also really loved the use of the Bluebeard story - and the way the expectations arising from that were flipped. It was also really well-written - I had no problems at all with the writing like I often do with romances.

The plot felt familiar to me but I think this was a combination of having read the preview at the end of the previous book and also that it just hits every historical romance beat to perfection. This makes it somewhat predictable but isn't that one of the main selling points of romances? I like that they're cozy and predictable and follow a familiar pattern. I also am a huge fan of almost all of the tropes used in this book so that probably contributed as well.

The children were adorable in their wildness and reluctance to open up, and also in the sweet way they responded to Julia. Captain Blunt was broody and cold for a reason and as he opened up and showed his true self I couldn't help but love him. I was SO happy to see Julia learn to stand up for herself and believe in herself and her worth. I also really appreciated seeing her anxiety - I really felt for her because I, too, have extreme anxiety and would generally prefer to be reading a book. Every part of this novel just made me so happy, I was reluctant to put it down and wanted the story to go on forever.

I highly recommend this.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing an e-arc for review.

Favorite Quotes:

In a novel she was safe. Her throat didn’t close up and her palms didn’t grow damp. She could experience things in a way that didn’t overwhelm her.

---

“Laws are made by men and, therefore, fallible. Justice is something greater. Most of us—the poorest and the weakest—won’t see it on this side of the grave. But sometimes, on rare occasions, someone manages to balance the scales. It can be difficult to reconcile it with the law. That doesn’t negate the rightness of it.”

Non-Exclusive Excerpt:

Cossack tossed his head at something in the distance. Julia's gloved hands tightened reflexively on the reins. She squinted down the length of the Row at the rider coming toward them. "Easy," she murmured to Cossack. "It's just another horse." An enormous horse. Bigger and blacker than Cossack himself. But it wasn't the horse that made Julia tense in her sidesaddle. It was the gentleman astride him: a stern-faced, battle-scarred ex-military man. Captain Blunt, the Hero of the Crimea. Her mouth went dry as he approached. She was half-tempted to bolt. But there was no escaping him. She brought Cossack down to a trot and then to a walk. She'd met the captain once before. It had been at Lady Arundell's spring ball. Viscount Ridgeway, a mutual acquaintance of theirs, had introduced him to Julia as a worthy partner. In other circumstances, the interaction might have been the veriest commonplace-a few polite words exchanged and a turn about the polished wood dance floor. Instead, Julia had gawped at Captain Blunt like a stricken nitwit. Her breath had stopped and her pulse had roared in her ears. Afraid she might faint, she'd fled the ballroom before the introduction had been completed, leaving Captain Blunt standing there, his granite-hewn features frozen in a mask of displeasure. It had been one of the most mortifying experiences of Julia's life. And that was saying something. For a lady prone to panicking in company, mortifications were a daily occurrence. At the advanced age of two-and-twenty, she'd nearly grown accustomed to them. But even for her, the incident at Lady Arundell's ball had marked a new low. No doubt Captain Blunt thought her actions had had something to do with his appearance. He was powerfully made. Tall, strong, and impossibly broad shouldered. Already a physically intimidating gentleman, he was made even more so by the scar on his face. The deep, gruesome slash bisected his right eyebrow and ran all the way down to his mouth, notching into the flesh of his lip. It gave the impression of a permanent sneer. Rather ironic that he was hailed as a hero. In looks, there seemed nothing heroic about him. Indeed, he appeared in every way a villain. "Miss Wychwood." He removed his beaver hat, inclining his head in a bow. His hair was a lustrous raven black. Cut short to his collar, it was complemented by a pair of similarly short sideburns edging the harsh lines of his jaw. "Good morning." She scarcely dared look him in the face. "Good morning." He didn't reply. Not immediately. He was studying her. She could feel the weight of his stare. It set off a storm of butterflies in her stomach. Ride on, she wanted to say. Please, ride on. He didn't ride on. He seemed intent on making her squirm. She suspected she knew why. She'd never apologized to him for her behavior at the ball. There'd been no opportunity. Perhaps he wanted her to suffer for embarrassing him? If that was the case, Julia was resigned to take her medicine. Heaven knew she deserved it. She forced herself to meet his gaze. The butterflies in her stomach threatened to revolt. Goodness. His eyes were the color of hoarfrost-a gray so cold and stark it sent an icy shiver tracing down the curve of her spine. Every feminine instinct within her rose up in warning. Run, it said. Flee. But this wasn't Lady Arundell's ballroom. This was Hyde Park. Here in the open air, mounted on Cossack, she wasn't the same person she was at a ball or a dinner dance. For one thing, she wasn't alone. She had a partner-and an imposing one, at that. Cossack lent her his strength and his stature. Made her feel nearly as formidable as he was. It's why she was more confident on horseback. At least, she'd always been so before. "How do you do?" she asked.

"Very well." His voice was deep and commanding, with a growl at the edge of it. A soldier's voice. The kind that, when necessary, could be heard across a battlefield. "And yourself?" "I'm enjoying our spell of fine weather," she said. "It's excellent for riding." He flicked a glance over her habit. Made of faded black wool, it did nothing to emphasize the contours of her figure. Rather the opposite. It obscured her shape, much as the net veil on her short-brimmed riding hat obscured her face. His black brows notched into a frown. She suppressed a flicker of self-consciousness. Her clothing wasn't meant to attract attention. It was meant to render her invisible. But it hadn't-not to him. The way he looked at her . . . Hades might have regarded Persephone thus before dragging her down to hell to be his unwilling bride. And everyone knew Captain Blunt was looking for a wife. If one believed the prevailing rumors, it was the sole reason he'd come to town. He was on the hunt for a vulnerable heiress he could spirit back to his isolated Yorkshire estate. An estate that was said to be haunted.

"You ride often at this time of day?" he asked. "Whenever I can," she said. "Cossack is glad for the exercise." "You handle him well." Some of the tightness in her chest eased at the compliment. "It's not difficult." She stroked Cossack's neck. "He may look imposing, but he's a lamb underneath. The biggest creatures often are in my experience." Captain Blunt's own mount stamped his gigantic hooves as if in objection to her statement. She gave the great beast an interested look. He was built like a medieval warhorse, with a broad chest, heavy fetlocks, and a thickly waving mane and tail. "What do you call him?" "Quintus." "And is he-" "A brute through and through," Captain Blunt said. "Sometimes, Miss Wychwood, what you see is precisely what you get."

---

Excerpted from The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews Copyright © 2022 by Mimi Matthews. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

#belle of belgrave square #siren of sussex #mimi matthews #historical romance #regency romance #berkley publishing #shilo reads #drarry #arc review #blog tour

1 note · View note

theladyragnell · 6 days

Note

Hi!! I heartily recommend The Belles of London series by Mimi Matthews - they're historical romances following 4 friends in Victorian London, with one book per heroine. The first one is the Siren of Sussex, and the story feels very heartwarming - the heroine is dutifully looking for a rich husband to provide for her younger sisters, and commissions gowns from a (very dashing) tailor who's famous for the riding habits he makes for London's courtesans.

For sci-fi romances, I recently read This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, which follows rival time travellers who leave each other letters throughout time. I hope you have fun with these if you give them a shot, they were highlights for me🙏🙏🙏

I love This Is How You Lose the Time War so much, I am always a sucker for epistolary.

And thank you for the Matthews rec! I think I've seen those around but haven't reached for them, but it's good to have a rec for the next time I run into them.

#answered asks #saessenach

16 notes · View notes

darkhorse-javert · 6 months

Text

On an Air-Raid

@flashfictionfridayofficial

17th January 1943

The clarion wail of the siren rippled through the air, through the glass, through the blanketing of the blackout-blinds.

Oh bother, bother Germans. Sam sighed, made herself get out of the chair, the very comfortable chair, as Kit quickly tipped some water, kept nearby onto the flames in the grate, "Go down, I'll be there in a moment."

Sam crossed the room, out into the hall and opened the understaurs door, lifting the lamp from the little hook inside. She waited, looking back until Kit came through the lounge doorway, and frowned at her.

She got out of bed, scooping the blanket into her arms and padded to the door. Kit stood there, eyes impatient, then he quickly turned and went down the stairs. She followed him down the wind of staircase, then took the lamp from him, then she ducked, went through the door and down the wooden staircase into the cellar. Behind her there was the thick darkness and click as Kit pulled the cellar door shut tight behind them.

She set the lamp on the crate at the foot of the stairs, and truck the match by feel. The glow was too sharp for a second against the darkness, it settled as she lit the lamp and brought the glass down over it. Pulling a chair over to the middle of the room, she stepped up and hung it on the hook perpendicular to the rafter, so the light pooled out across the cellar, it rocked back and forth a little, settling, as she climbed back down. Kit had sat down one of the trunks covered with a rough blanket, Sam found her spot, on a crate of something, and flicked open the book she'd carried down with her. The light was dull, but enough to read, and might as well do something to pass the time. Secret aerial photos, the loyalty of friendships, and set up in the Downs was more fun, excitement and familiar at once. If only she could work out exactly where 'Under' would be.

---

A/N there actually was an 8pm raid on Fairlight place in Hastings on Sunday 17th January. The book Sam is reading is 'So Distained' by Neville Shute (1928), set partly in fictional Under, probably somewhere near South Harting in West Sussex. A good story, although with questionable political elements in hindsight

#[FFF223 BY CANDLELIGHT]#foyle's war #sam stewart #foyle's war fanfiction #christopher foyle #fff223 #by candlelight #(sort of)

11 notes · View notes

greenconverses · 1 year

Photo

Recently read: Looks like shades of green was the theme for a chunk of my books this week! I visited my family early for the holidays, so I had some time to get through some of the pile.

Invisible Women: Data Bias In A World Designed For Men by Caroline Criado Perez will likely be my last audiobook for the year. Super interesting and full of fun facts to disturb you about living in world designed around the average cis white man. Each chapter/section could probably be (or have been!) a book all on their own. (★★★★)

Enraptured by Candace Camp was delightful. Definitely should’ve grabbed the second book in the series when I had the chance! I’ll be on the lookout to finish this trilogy off. (★★★.5)

Decided to give one of Katee Roberts’ other series a try. Dark Villains is essentially erotica inspired by Disney villains and heroes, so as you can probably guess, The Beast is a BatB-inspired mfm threesome involving the Belle, Gaston, and Beast characters. As usual, the erotica was fab, with the world building and overall story kinda meh. Don’t know if I’ll try any others in this series -- depends on what the library makes available! (★★★)

I absolutely adored The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews. It was a closed door romance (no boning), which was a bit of a letdown, and I wish we’d gotten a bit more development of the romance from the hero’s end, but overall I liked the characters and Matthews’ writing, so I for sure have the next book on my list! (★★★★)

Ashley Herring Blake did it again! Hot sapphic contemp romance with characters I absolutely adore. I wanted Astrid’s story as soon as she was introduced in Delilah Green, and I’m so happy with how it turned out in Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail. This book didn’t hit me as hard in the emotions as Delilah’s did, but it was still very very good on all levels. Can Herring Blake write all the romance books ever please? (★★★★★)

#currently reading #books of 2022 #romance novels #contemporary romance #historical romance #books #non-fiction

21 notes · View notes

mediaevalmusereads · 1 year

Text

2022 Reading Wrap-Up: the Good, the Bad, and the Meh

Below is a list of books that I read in 2022. I've sorted them into 3 categories: the good (books I loved), the bad (books I didn't like), and the meh (books I thought were just ok). Other than these categories, the books aren't listed in any special order or ranking.

The Good

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Witches by Brenda Lozano (trans. Heather Cleary)

How the Dukes Stole Christmas by Tessa Dare, Lisa Kleypas, Sophie Jordan, and Joanna Shupe

A Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews

A Kiss for Midwinter by Courtney Milan

Cinnamon and Gunpowder by Eli Brown

Lady Chatterley's Lover by DH Lawrence

Red Clocks by Leni Zumas

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ni Ghriofa

Possession by AS Byatt

The Good Girl's Guide to Rakes by Eva Leigh

Foote by Tom Bredehoft

The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews

Supersex Ed. Anna Peppard

The Girl in Red by Christina Henry

A Rogue by Night by Kelly Bowen

The Book of Joy by the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu

Would I Lie to the Duke by Eva Leigh

Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas

My Fake Rake by Eva Leigh

The Governess Game by Tessa Dare

Morality Play by Barry Unsworth

The Meh

The Witches of New York by Ami McKay

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Not All Supermen by Tim Hanley

A Gentleman Never Keeps Score by Cat Sebastian

Witchy, Vol. 1 by Ariel Slamet Reis

The End Games by T. Michael Martin

The Companion by EE Ottoman

Grit by Angela Duckworth

The Invention of Murder by Judith Flanders

The Devil All the Time by Donald Ray Pollock

Last Night with the Earl by Kelly Bowen

A Duke in the Night by Kelly Bowen

Waiting for a Scot Like You by Eva Leigh

Forever Your Earl by Eva Leigh

The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare

The Rogue of Fifth Avenue by Joanna Shupe

A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourne

The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

The Widow of Rose House by Dianna Biller

I'm Only Wicked with You by Julie Ann Long

Dangerous Women by Hope Adams

The Rakess by Scarlett Peckham

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

The Bad

Once Upon a Winter's Eve by Tessa Dare

Aphrodite and the Duke by JJ McAvoy

The Arctic Fury by Grace McAllister

The Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

Born to be Wilde by Eloisa James

3 notes · View notes