“For this impressive Victorian romance, Matthews crafts a tale that sparkles with chemistry…an excellent series launch that will appeal to fans of Loretta Chase and Stephanie Laurens.” -Publishers WeeklyShe Wanted Sanctuary…Helena Reynolds will do anything to escape her life in London, even if that means traveling to a remote cliffside estate on the North Devon coast and … estate on the North Devon coast and marrying a complete stranger. But Greyfriar’s Abbey isn’t the sort of refuge she imagined. And ex-army captain Justin Thornhill–though he may be tall, dark, and devastatingly handsome–is anything but a romantic hero.
He Needed Redemption…
Justin has spent the last two decades making his fortune, settling scores, and suffering a prolonged period of torture in an Indian prison. Now, he needs someone to smooth the way for him with the villagers. Someone to manage his household–and warm his bed on occasion. What he needs, in short, is a wife and a matrimonial advertisement seems the perfect way to acquire one.
Their marriage was meant to be a business arrangement and nothing more. A dispassionate union free from the entanglements of love and affection. But when Helena’s past threatens, will Justin’s burgeoning feelings for his new bride compel him to come to her rescue? Or will dark secrets of his own force him to let her go?
more
For Helena Reynolds, a matrimonial advertisement in the newspaper may be her salvation. Constantly looking over her shoulder to make sure she isn’t followed, she takes the train to Devon to meet Justin Thornhill, the former army captain who owns Greyfriars Abbey and has advertised for a wife. He may be a complete stranger, but the two things she knows about him are enough to settle the question: he is reputed to be kind and he has the ability to protect her.
Growing up as a parish orphan, Justin had to make his own way in the world, becoming an army captain, suffering torture in India at Cawnpore, and coming back to England to claim the property of the man he hates. Now he needs a wife to normalize his existence, but he never expected anyone as beautiful as Helena Reynolds to answer his advertisement. He has secrets of his own to hide, so it’s not fair to demand what hers are. As the day of their marriage dawns, he is destined to find them out, and then everyone will discover whether Helena’s hopes of him are well-founded….
This Gothic romance was a page turner of the first order. The Victorian world comes to life in all the outdated grandeur of steam engines, crinolines, and electrotherapy. Loosely inspired by the classic Jane Eyre, this novel turns many of Brontë’s tropes on their head and comes out with something wholly original, highly suspenseful, and desperately romantic. Helena’s plight is frightful in the extreme, and Justin is just the man she needs to see her through. Every time I read one of Mimi Matthews’ books, I think, “This is her best one yet!” But seriously, this one is it. Recommended.
A wonderful read, I couldn’t put it down. The story was so well written, I loved the historical background. Mimi Matthews writes engrossing Victorian stories.
From strangers to acquaintance to friends to lovers to forever . . .
I just felt transported. I was part of this read with each turn of the (or tap of the eReader) page. There was so much more than a romance. There was depth and history. There were lives behind and beyond the ones that were written out for you. You could see things beyond the scope of the page. The words brought to life the lives of those in and around Devon. Justin and Helena were more than just strangers contemplating an arrangement. They were more than the advertisement set and answered.
A new destination of a new series that will give you more than just romance. There was the location, the people, the history, their story. Justin was a man with much in his past and even more to look to for his future. Revenge comes to play in this romance. Secrets. Compassion. Understanding. Both Justin and Helena learn that what was once a convenience turns in to much more.
The first installment in the Parish Orphans of Devon turns in to a emotional journey to the past of two people that meet from an advertisement during a time when it was common place. The depth of feelings, the reach of understanding, the growth of their relationship shows that there can be a story without the gore of violence or the explicit of sex. You find a full body read that will give you something you may have never expected you were missing.
For my first read from author Mimi Matthews, I was superiorily pleased and excited to find the next read to add to my collection.
This first book in a trilogy was a very entertaining read. Helena and Justin are both looking for a quick solution to their problems. Justin wants to appease the locals in their criticism of him and to have someone to share his home and bed. Helena needs a man to protect her. A well written and very readable book. Looking forward to the next installment in the series.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a review copy. This is my honest opinion.
Beautifully written exploration of a woman with one choice to escape abuse.
I’ve not had a chance to finish this book, but it’s good enough to recommend without finishing. Thoroughly enjoying the author’s voice, and the hero and heroine are extremely likable. My only quibble is the beautiful, virginal heroine stereotype.
When I was younger, I loved books where the heroines were beautiful waifs that needed protecting by the hero. While this heroine is a strong woman, her stunning beauty doesn’t resonate with me in comparison to books where the heroine is beautiful only to the hero and tends to be voluptuous size 14 and up. I’m a diehard of Jane Eyre, who is plain in everyone’s eyes except Rochester’s. That’s my ONLY issue, which most definitely a personal preference.
However, I LIKE THE HEROINE A GREAT DEAL, which says a lot since I’m primarily a fan of less “perfect” heroines. This isn’t as steamy as my usual reads, but I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT for it’s strong characters, intriguing storyline and the need to turn the page and know what happens next. BUY this book!
After reading Mimi Matthews first two books (The Lost Letter/The Viscount and the Vicar’s Daughter), I am definitely a fan. I read a sample chapter of this book and was prepared to enjoy more of the writing style, character development, romance and emotion that I have come to appreciate from Matthews.
The Matrimonial Advertisement is a departure from the sweet romance of her other books. Its Beauty and the Beast shell is cracked open to reveal a dark, Victorian period where private asylums were prevalent and abuses were common. Helen Reynolds answers Justin Thornhill’s matrimonial advertisement out of desperation, as her uncle wants to have her committed to gain control of her fortune. Helen and Justin’s relationship develops against this backdrop and, while they grow to care for and love each other, the dark subject matter does overshadow them.
Unresolved questions remain at the end but, as the book is subtitled Parish Orphans of Devon, Book 1, Matthews has deftly set the stage for future installments. Tom Finchley, Justin’s lawyer and one of his orphan “family,” figures prominently in the book and seems to be set for his own story.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review
Beautifully written, The Matrimonial Advertisement is an emotional, moving and touching romance. It brings two wounded people together that really were meant for each other and are strong together. The premise of this new series surrounds some men that were orphaned and had so many challenges in their lives. What a great first book that held me captive from the first page in this unique storyline.
Lady Helena Reynolds is running for her life and when she sees an advertisement for a wife in the paper, she hurries to Devon to get away from London as fast as she can. She needs protection and to be safe and prays the man she is going to will provide that in spades.
Justin Thornhill, ex military captain with a hard background, only wants a wife to help him gain the trust of the villagers and bring some much needed structure to his home. He thinks that the woman who answered the ad is an older widow, but what he gets is young lovely Helena.
Both have secrets and eventually as they begin to spend time together, they find the arrangement is more than they expected. Of course Justin is wary thinking no woman could really love him but he supports and guards Helena with his life.
I wish I could convey how this story gripped my heart with the wonderful writing of this author. This is the first book I have read by her, but now I cannot wait to read more. Some of the secondary characters will soon have their own story and I know I will be reading them as soon as they are released.
*** 3.75 Stars ***
This first book in the Parish Orphans of Devon series is my first one by Mimi Matthews. The book is intelligently written and the characters are interesting.
Ex-army captain Justin Thornhill is tall, dark, handsome, and he takes care of those for whom he cares. He also has things in his past that, while they are not a secret, he’d just as soon everybody would forget them. He’s finally reached his goal of purchasing Greyfriar’s Abbey on the remote North Devon coast. He is a self-made man of modest means and his steward thinks he needs a wife. To that end, the steward placed an ad in the London papers advertising for a bride. The ad was very brief and to the point – a retired army officer needs a wife who is a spinster or widow near his own age, sensible, compassionate and capable of managing a remote country property. At first, Justin threatened to fire the steward, but then warmed to the idea since it was, after all, only a business arrangement with no love or affection expected.
Lady Helena Reynolds is in dire straits and must, absolutely must, escape London permanently because her uncle will stop at nothing to gain control of her fortune. When her cousin sees a Matrimonial Advertisement in the paper, Helena thinks it might be her way out. If she marries, then her uncle cannot usurp her fortune, nor would he have control of her. She’d rather trust a stranger than her uncle. She manages to escape to North Devon and to marry Justin Thornhill.
I had a really, really, really hard time liking Helena. Yes, I understand that her predicament was of the very worst kind and I really felt sorry for that. However, all of her actions up until about the 80% mark were very selfish. She married Justin without telling him what her situation was – and that was a situation that could have cost Justin to be injured, etc. She never thought of the implications to anyone other than herself. By the time I was at around the 80% mark, she had had an epiphany and realized she loved Justin.
Justin was a real hero and I liked him very much throughout the book. He had things he preferred not to tell, but if Helena asked, he answered – unlike her. Then at about the 80% mark of the book, he gets altruistic and I just wanted to kick his rear.
This was a very nice story, very clean, but it was also just a bit slow-paced to me and I found myself skimming a bit in spots.
Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages…
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview
“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”