This is one of the purest Beauty and the Beast retellings I've ever read, and I absolutely loved it. A lonely only daughter to abusive older parents, Julia Wychwood is determined to escape the confines of her home, which has become an increasingly dangerous place for her. Captain Jasper Blunt, returned from The Crimea a feared (and morally bankrupt) war hero, is desperate to find an heiress to sustain his crumbling estate and support his three illegitimate children. While initially it is the convenience of their pairing that brings them together - a fortune in her dowry for him, and an isolated remove to the country, for her - they discover true kinship in each other. Their marriage of convenience quickly becomes complicated, though, and the specter of the captain's past and the machinations of Julia's scheming parents haunt them.

What I love most is how isolated the story feels - this is Gothic and introspective and wholly suited to both its source material and the Victorian-era London it depicts. There are so many wonderful homages to popular Victorian stories - several of which are referenced on page by the characters and in specific plot points by Matthews herself - and the novel feels like the story-within-a-story of a well-told fairy tale. Matthews is known for writing deeply romantic closed-door romances, and the tension and chemistry between these two is palpable all the way through. The central mystery - the captain's backstory - is deftly alluded to, so that the reader can piece together the available clues (including many from captain's inner monologue) before Julia can, increasing the dramatic irony for the reader as we watch Julia circle the truth of her new husband. With threats to never enter his secret tower room, entreaties to ignore his past and demands to ask no questions of him, our captain is a real Beast, soothed and secured by the persistent and trusting Belle of Belgrave Square. 

This is one I will easily recommend to any and all historical romance readers! I particularly enjoyed the audiobook's dual narration by Ell Potter (one of my very favorite narrators) and Sebastian Brown. 

1🌶️ euphemisms

The constant lying and forced kiss after confession was NOT cool with me.

I devoured this. I listened on audiobook and I cooked/cleaned for like 5 hours straight because I was enjoying this book so much and didn't want to do something else where I'd have to stop listening. If you love the drama and romance of fairy tales like Beauty and the Beast, and you also love it when characters communicate and treat each other with respect and compassion, you will probably enjoy this as well. Yes, it's incredibly romantic to be swept up in the arms of a steadfast man and carried off to a safe haven, but it's also incredibly romantic to have someone listen to you when you talk about your interests and always consider your advice and opinions. There's plenty of both here. Like The Siren of Sussex, the sex scenes are closed door, but omg this book presses you right up against that door. I was flustered and blushing through certain parts. For me, this was a perfect mix of the grand gestures and dramatic imagery of classic fairy tales, the subtleties and sweetness of real human experience and emotion, and the grounding and informative qualities of good historical fiction.

Well, colour me surprised! Mimi Matthews actually got me to like a romance with the

secret identity

trope.

I think it worked for me because the stakes were so much higher than the usual bullshit 'they'll reject me if they knew who I really was!' reasoning. And also because it's not a You've Got Mail retelling, which I seem to dislike across the board. I thought it was executed very well in the text in the way that the clues and foreshadowing make it obvious to the reader, but it isn't explicitly mentioned until the actual reveal.

I adored this Beauty and the Beast-esque romance with a sort of subverted Gothic vibe to it. I loved how Julia came out of her shell and began to thrive when she got away from the crowds of London (and her parents). Even though she's shy, socially anxious, and needs rescuing from her initial situation, she's still portrayed as strong and capable. And I do like a hero who is secretly a gentle cinnamon roll but hides it behind a grouchy exterior. The way he so patiently courted Julia was swoon-worthy. I don't normally enjoy children in romance, but they were a great addition here; not overly precocious or taking over the story. This also felt slightly hotter than the other books I've read from Mimi — it's still fade-to-black, but there is the vaguest description in there, which I'm not mad at. I do wish there'd been a bit more of the haunted house aspect though — I was a bit disappointed that there were no suspected ghosts or spooky happenings (even if they'd later turned out to be pranks from the kids or something). 

Loved all the nods to The Blue Castle too!

What a fun read! I was able to guess some of the more obvious twists, but not all of them! I really enjoyed reading this book, I loved the idea of the nerdy, shy girl getting this big rugged man. They’re such a good match and I am amazed Julia stayed despite the lies. I really enjoyed this author’s writing and how she is able to seamlessly place the reader in that time period. I’m excited to read the next book!