Book Details
The Lily of Ludgate Hill
Fortune favors the bold—but is a confirmed spinster daring enough to loosen the reins and accept a favor from the wicked gentleman who haunts her dreams?
Lady Anne Deveril doesn’t spook easily. A woman of lofty social standing known for her glacial beauty and starchy opinions, she’s the unofficial leader of her small group of equestriennes. Since her mother’s devastating plunge into mourning six years ago, Anne voluntarily renounced any fanciful notions of love and marriage. And yet, when fate puts Anne back into the entirely too enticing path of Mr. Felix Hartford, she’s tempted to run…right into his arms.
No one understands why Lady Anne withdrew into the shadows of society, Hart least of all. The youthful torch he once held for her has long since cooled. Or so he keeps telling himself. But now Anne needs a favor to help a friend. Hart will play along with her little ruse—on the condition that Anne attend a holiday house party at his grandfather’s country estate. No more mourning clothes. No more barriers. Only the two of them, unrequited feelings at last laid bare.
Finally free to gallop out on her own, Anne makes the tantalizing discovery that beneath the roguish exterior of her not-so-white knight is a man with hidden depths, scorching passions—and a tender heart.
The Review
Hello book lovers!
Mimi Matthews continues her Belle’s of London series in her third book, The Lily of Ludgate Hill. In this novel, readers will continue the Victorian Era story featuring Lady Anne Deveril, an Earls daughter, who seems to have two options: become a spinster and live out her days with her eccentric mother, or come to terms with her feelings for the dashing friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers Mr. Felix Hartford.
Authors have a challenging task of bringing to life, human feelings and emotions. Giving their characters the humanity we see in ourselves. One aspect of life is the loss of a parent. And for some, that type of grief can be harrowing. Regardless of our relationship with our parents, they are the people who cared for us since infancy, keeping our lead strings tied snug and safe. An echo of those strings keep us connected, even into adulthood. But when a parent dies, the connection is severed, leaving some unmoored. Unable to find purchase on a ground that is soaked in salt water, and limbs that feel leaden with the wait of that grief.
And Matthews paints that grief in shades of midnight and sable, showing us why Lady Anne has found it so difficult to find a way to happiness. It’s in that journey, pulling herself out of her pain and the shadow of her mother’s own heartache, where she’s capable of shedding her mourning garb, that she’s able to redefine her own future and rediscovering love and joy in a man who she once loathed.
Romance readers, definitely add this one to your TBR!
Happy Reading ~ Cece
RATING: 
– Satisfyingly Inked
About the Author
USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews writes both historical nonfiction and award-winning Victorian romances. Her novels have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus, and Shelf Awareness, 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.
publication details
| Pub Date | ISBN | Page Count | Publisher | Age Group | Source & Format | Review Posted Online |
| 16-Jan-24 | 978-0593337189 | 432 | Berkley | Adult | NetGalley, Digital ARC | November 5, 2023 |
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OTHER BOOKS YOU MAY ENJOY
Welcome Reader!
I’m Cecelia and I’m so glad you’re here! You’ll find honest reviews, book recommendations, along with other bookish essentials. So happy you stopped by!
– C
ABOUT THE CREATOR
CECE BECKMAN
Cece holds a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing from California State University, Long Beach. She lives in California with her husband and children. When she’s not reading or writing reviews she can be found wandering book aisles at local bookshops, drinking iced cold lattes with cold cream foam, or passing the time with her cat.
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