“Matthews’ tale hits all the high notes of a great romance novel…Cue the satisfied sighs of romance readers everywhere.” -Kirkus ReviewsA WORLD-WEARY RAKEAfter years of unbridled debauchery, Tristan Sinclair, Viscount St. Ashton has hit proverbial rock bottom. Seeking to escape his melancholy, he takes refuge at one of Victorian society’s most notorious house parties. As the … most notorious house parties. As the Christmas season approaches, he prepares to settle in for a month of heavy drinking…until an unexpected encounter changes his plans–and threatens his heart.
A PRIM VICAR’S DAUGHTER
Valentine March is not the drab little spinster she appears to be. When her new job as a lady’s companion lands her smack in the middle of Yorkshire with England’s most infamous rake, she resolves to keep her head down and her eyes fixed firmly on her future–a future which most definitely does not include a sinfully handsome viscount.
A MATCH MADE IN SCANDAL
A friendship is impossible. An affair out of the question. But when one reckless act binds them together, will two star-crossed souls discover there’s more to each other than meets the eye? Or will revelations from the past end their fragile romance before it begins?
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I enoyed the characters and their story build.
Hard to put down!
Very enjoyable characters, both are strong intelligent with a sense of humor in a class crash. Smarter than the average romance.
I could not stop reading till the last page .. and then still wanted more .
This book is like comfort food – nice, chewy, a bit predictable, but still a very pleasant read. The characters are well fleshed out, and one gets attached to them. I have read it till the small hours in the morning – and went to sleep with a smile.
An interesting story with well thought out characters. Both main characters have deeply seated morals. Well worth a read
Liked it
I very much like the narrator. for this book. She is very good at changing voices and keeping the story moving. It was a fun listen.
I just love Mimi Matthews. I’ve not yet read a book by her that I haven’t liked. She is permanently on my book release radar and I’m looking forward to “A Modest Independence,” the second book in her new series in April.
But anywho, on to the book that this review is actually about! I don’t typically enjoy a book where the male lead is a notorious and incredibly wealthy rake and libertine, but this book manages to get it just right. Tristan may be a rake, admittedly so, but he is attempting to be a better person. After spending the majority of his adult life indulging in his every whim, he has been tempering his flagrant ways and his indulgent spending for the last couple years and has been living a more subdued existence, even if he has been having a bit of a miserable time of it. Of course he is a bit overdue in learning to stand on his own two feet and not being completely dependent on his allowance from his father, but the fact is he is actually willing to put the effort in to being his own man, even before his father threatens to cut him off. And he isn’t just all talk, he actually begins taking some action.
Valentine is innocent and very naive, which can be a slippery slope, but makes complete sense for her character, having been raised as a vicar’s daughter. She is also sweet and kind, but she is also strong. She is essentially completely dependent on other’s hospitality, but is willing to try to make her own way by becoming employed as a lady’s companion and to avoid taking advantage of others or being a burden. She also takes a stand against those that seek to belittle or take advantage of her.
I do wish that there had been a little more after leaving Stokedale’s because we had just recieved this big revelation and I would have loved to read a little more. Or even learning a bit on how things are fairing for them at Tristan’s property.
But the point is I loved this book and I am seemingly never ready for any book to end. Would recommend.
It was a sweet romance story
Good story and no steamy sex. Yea!
Good chemistry between the two main characters. Lots of moments made me smile. I could guess what was going to happen but that didn’t matter. I loved the journey. Easy-to-read, sweet book.
I loved all of the characters and also the sweet ending.
After years of unbridled debauchery, Tristan Sinclair, Viscount St. Ashton has hit proverbial rock bottom & spends his time looking at he bottom of a bottle. Seeking to escape his melancholy, he accepts an invitation to one of Victorian society’s most notorious house parties. Valentine March is a lady’s companion & her job of two months lands her smack in the middle of Yorkshire with England’s most infamous.
Tristan meets Valentine in one of the estates follies where she is crying as the daughter of her mistress has deliberately destroyed some drawings & verses Valentine’s mother drew. They are both immediately attracted to each other & during the house party gravitate to each other.
Things don’t go smoothly for the pair, with disapproving relatives & enforced separation. A very well written delightful sweet story. The characterisation is very good & the story is well paced. A straight forward romance with no intrigue just some slight misunderstandings. I thoroughly enjoyed it & look forward to reading more from the author
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
So I picked this one off of Kindle Unlimited, and with that title I thought it would be slightly more religious in nature. So of you are looking for Christian fiction, this may not be strictly your flavor. But it was a very cute historical romance! Call me trite, but I love reforming the rake novels. This one is a cutie! Happy Reading!
Estranged from his father, tearing through his allowance on wine, women, and cards, Tristan Sinclair, the Viscount St. Ashton, is at point non plus. But when he visits a notorious Victorian house party intending to drown his sorrows in drink, he runs across a diminutive and terribly-dressed female companion crying in the woods. His protective instincts flare into action, and instead of seducing this vicar’s daughter, he warns her about the perils of the house party, and to stay away from him, most of all.
The recently orphaned Valentine March has a plan. If she can eke out a year’s worth of wages as companion to Lady Brightwell, she can take passage to the Far East as a missionary. But when Lady Brightwell’s daughter Felicity becomes too mean-spirited to handle, Valentine fears she may never accomplish dream. Unwittingly encountering the rakish Viscount St. Ashton, she later discovers to her horror that his attentions are not entirely unwelcome, and when a compromising situation forces him to offer for her, she must decide what she really wants out of life.
In typical Mimi Matthews fashion, this book is “clean” but very, very heavy on the romance. The Victorian milieu was well done, and the railway travel, narrow waists, and huge skirts separate this book from Regencies that might have a similar plot. My favorite character was the Earl of Lynden, Tristan’s austere and seemingly omniscient father, who arrives unexpectedly at the debauched house party to banish his son to a derelict country estate. The relationship of the hero and his father reminded me a bit of Devil’s Cub by Georgette Heyer, although the Earl in this book has a much more dubious view of his own offspring than Heyer’s Duke of Avon does.
Valentine and Tristan were also intriguing characters, both of them with complex backstories that added to their emotional vulnerability. Tristan’s attempts to shock the demure vicar’s daughter were quite humorous at times–as was his protestation that she could be a more effective missionary by reforming him than by traveling to foreign climes. A little shorter than a typical novel, this book is a quick read and my favorite so far in the Mimi Matthews canon.
Beautiful!
A sweet romantic story.
THE VISCOUNT AND THE VICAR’S DAUGHTER by Mimi Matthews is the second historical romance I have read and reviewed by this author and it will not be the last. Ms. Matthews sets her romances in Victorian England. They are beautifully written and era appropriate. The plots are character driven with no sex, but swoon worthy romance.
Tristan Sinclair, Viscount St. Ashton is world weary. Years of drinking, gambling and evading the responsibilities of his station have left him with the reputation as a rake and scoundrel beyond redemption. He has made his way to a notorious house party in Yorkshire to escape into drink as the Christmas season approaches, but his father has sent word that he will meet him there for a discussion of his future.
Valentine March is alone in the world and accepts a new position as a lady’s companion. The daughter of a vicar, she is very innocent and does not realize the type of house party she is attending.
When Valentine and Tristan meet, Valentine knows nothing of Tristan and his reputation. When she finds out what others say of him, she vows to avoid him and keep to herself, but one foolish encounter binds them together. As Valentine gets to know Tristan, she realizes that he wishes to be more than his reputation. As Tristan gets to know Valentine, she inspires him with her belief and trust, but she has a secret in her past that she believes makes her unworthy of him. Can these two find happiness together or will their pasts separate them?
The plot may be like others in this genre, but Ms. Matthews brings her characters to life on the page and so it feels completely unique. Tristan and Valentine both have pasts that make them feel lost and alone. They find each other at just the right time. Tristan needs Valentine’s belief in him and Valentine needs Tristan’s love and acceptance. The romance develops at a steady pace and the dialogue is witty and believable. The description of travel, dress and mores demonstrates the author’s exceptional knowledge of the time period.
I am looking forward to reading many more Victorian romance books by Ms. Matthews!
Nicely done, sweet Recency romance. Will read this author again.