“[Matthews’] books are classics and remind me of Georgette Heyer and Mary Balogh…simply wonderful.” -Jane Porter, New York Times bestselling authorA USA TODAY BESTSELLER She Needed A Husband… It’s been three years since Laura Hayes’s father died, leaving her and her invalid brother to subsist on the income from the family’s failing perfume business. But time is swiftly running out. What she … failing perfume business. But time is swiftly running out. What she needs is a husband, and fast. A noble gentleman who can rescue them all from penury. When a mysterious stranger arrives in the village, he seems a perfect candidate. But Alex Archer is no hero. In fact, he just might be the opposite.
He Wanted a Fortune…
Alex has no tolerance for sentiment. He’s returned to England for one reason only: to find a wealthy wife. A country-bred heiress in Surrey seems the perfect target. But somewhere between the village railway station and the manor house his mercenary plan begins to unravel. And it’s all the fault of Laura Hayes–a lady as unsuitable as she is enchanting.
From the beaches of Margate to the lavender fields of Provence, a grudging friendship slowly blossoms into something more. But when scandal threatens, can a man who has spent his entire life playing the villain, finally become a hero? Or will the lure of easy riches once again outweigh the demands of his heart?
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Simply Mimi Matthews
Excellent story! Love her stories
I love Mimi’s Writing style and the way she tells a story. This has all the things I love about a historical Romance; intrigue, desire, hope, endurance, sacrifice and forgiveness. A clean, beautiful and touching story. I cannot wait to read the others stories in the series.
Loved it!
Author Mimi Matthews is a fantastic author who creates very real characters and wonderful storylines. The stories are unique and thoughtful without being negative. Recommend all her books and the Parish Orphans series
The book was interesting and clean.
I adore the characters, they are phenomenal. Alex and Laura’s story is full of drama, humor, suspense, action… I enjoyed this book and was sorry to come to the end.
Good story
Love her books
My favorite of the series!
This might be my favorite in the series. Both the H & h had burdens they carried needlesly by themselves. I found this romance had some realisim to it & not just a ficitonal love story. Lots of times people will repeat the same lie to themselves that it becomes true to them & unable to see the forset from the trees. I thought the H & h complimented each other well and each made the other better. For Alex, the Hero, I felt like this was a redemption & healing story for him. A healing story for them both. At the end of the book there is a segway to the next in thie series & I am very excited to that story. I would say this should be read in order to get the most satisfaction. I love the imagry Mimi Matthews creates. I am well able to feel what the characters are going through. At times I may get frustrated with a character but thorough the writing I can see their pov. The secondary characters were great and well written as well. I’ve read every book Mimi Matthews has written and each one has good dialogue, the story flows well and naturally, and well developed character and story arc. Just fyi this story is clean but more pg-13 since there are no bedroom or passionate kissing scenes but their is talk or mention about the marriage or wedding night.
Mimi Matthews has become an “auto-buy” author for me and she never disappoints.
I listened to this one and it was entertaining. The male narrator has a sexy, husky English voice! The book is wonderfully written and moves along at a quick pace. Hated to see it end.
Laura is a strongly-written heroine: she’s strong, independent, and controls the failing resources left to her family. She’s learned not to rely on anyone but herself to get things done. Of course, this means she doesn’t give her younger brother a chance to learn how to help- or even how serious the situation is- and she’s at the mercy of a lawyer who doesn’t have her family’s best interests at heart even as he controls the finances. Until Alex appears on the scene Laura would never think of sharing her burdens, even as she drowns under them. Alex is more of an enigma, being all things to all people, and creating convenient fictions about his past to cover up what he sees as his past villainy. He believes he can’t be trusted when push comes to shove. When the going gets tough he’ll start going. A large part of him seems to still be the boy who ran away from Devon: hurting, lonely, and believing there are things that can’t be shared, even with those you consider family. He plans to marry an heiress with a good estate and instantly become part of a community but Laura sees what it is he is really looking for: a family.
Matthews does a lovely job describing the Surrey country-side, and later the French countryside, and her research into bathing resorts in Victorian times comes through perfectly. Her main characters are well-rounded, flawed and fully human, full of complex emotions, hopes, and dreams. Her secondary characters are a bit more uneven and under-developed and a few strings are left hanging, but overall, the story and the characters work. While readers may enjoy reading the first two books of the series (The Matrimonial Advertisement, A Modest Independence) before this one, Fiction can also stand on its own and you won’t be lost starting here. Although you will probably finish this and feel the need to read the rest of the series just to stay in Matthews’ world a bit longer.
A Convenient Fiction is a lovely book that will whisk readers away to 1860s England and make them glad they visited.
WOW! So Beautiful!
I have many books waiting to be read in my TBR file, but when a new-to-me author catches my attention, I can’t resist! Well, Neville and Clara’s story (the 4th in Mimi Matthews’ Parish Orphans of Devon series) definitely called to me. Usually I would read as a stand-alone, but the more I checked out these stories, I had to have the entire 4 book collection! So glad I did! Each and every one brought new and unique storylines, building on the lives of the four boys and the heart wrenching trials they faced growing up together as orphans in a remote coastal town. With wonderful characters and amazing writing, as fast as I finished one book, I dove into the next. I was glued to this series until I turned the last page of the final book.
I highly recommend, and am looking forward to more of this author’s work.
I’ve heard so many wonderful things about Mimi Matthews’ books, so I was excited to try this book. It was fantastic, and now I need to read the rest of this series. The characters were colorful and interesting, and the story was fascinating. It took me a while to warm up to Alex, as he seemed uncaring and materialistic. Laura is a wonderful heroine—courageous and so concerned about her family. I enjoyed this book very much. 4.5 stars
After the death of her father, Laura has served as head of the family and kept them afloat through careful planning and sheer determination. Now that her brother is about to turn 21, and legally able to take charge of the family’s former business things should be taking a turn for the better. But when legal troubles prevent this from this from going through, Laura must look for an alternative if she hopes to keep her family from destitution. The altenative available to her? Marriage.
Alex Archer has come to Surrey to catch himself a country heiress and he has his eyes set on Henrietta. He wasn’t counting on the presence of Laura though, there to act as Henrietta’s chaperone, nor was he counting on his attraction to her. He’ll need to push her and her troubles far from his mind if he hopes to move forward with his plan to woo Henrietta. But try as he might he finds himself drawn to her again and again. Will he give up on his mercenary plan and stop fighting the attraction? Will he let Laura into his heart and stop playing the villain?
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First just let me say that the cover of this book is absolutely gorgeous and I am in love with it.
This is the third book in Mimi Matthews’ Parish Orphans of Devon series. Although it is not entirely necessary for you to have read the other books in this series before reading this one, I would recommend it. Any information necessary to a full undertanding of the background of events are detailed by the author as you read. But to get the full impact of the relationship of these four childhood friends and why the seperation weighs so heavily you should read the previous two books as I think it makes the reading of this book all the more powerful.
I adored Alex, he’s so damaged and flawed and not nearly the villain that he imagines himself to be. Getting to read about his vulnerabilities, with regards to both his past and future really endeared his character to me.
Laura had such a quiet strength that I really respected in her, but it was also her weakness. I enjoyed following her character as she learns to face the toubles of life with the help of those around her instead of always carrying the weight of everything on her own shoulders. With her independent, take action nature I’m sure her and Jenny will be great friends in no time. Laura just has such a mix of strength and vulnerability, which is why I think her and Alex are so sweet togther, they have such a great balance together. Plus I ADORE a couple in a historical romance that aren’t constantly hiding, that actually communicate their feelings with one another. Yes, please! That way were not trapped in a revolving door of misunderstandings.
I enjoyed this book so much and had a hard time putting it down. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series, because I want to learn more about Neville. But I am a little sad that it’ll be the last in the series because I’ve enjoyed it so much.
I recommend this book and the series. If you’ve read any Mimi Matthews books before, then you already know this one will be great. If you aren’t familiar with her book though, I recommend them to anyone who loves a good historical romance.
This is a clean romance, intimacy is eluded to but does not go into detail.
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I would like to thank NetGalley and Perfectly Proper Press for sharing an eARC of A Convenient Fiction by Mimi Matthews with me for reviewing purposes. This is my honest review.
Slow burn romance, but an adventure nonetheless. Alex is determined to be bad, Laura is determined to stay in control of herself. It takes almost an entire book for them to realize how wrong they are. Great characterization of two people who need each other and need to change to appreciate their love.
Mimi Matthews is one of my favorite authors! Of the 3 books in this series, this one is my favorite. Not so dark or scary. Beautiful story!
Third book in this series, but can definitely be read as a stand-alone novel. I have to say, I think this story was perfection! I just loved the characters, the dialogue, the storyline, just… everything. Mimi Matthews has done it again. Superb writer!. Highly recommended.