“Matthews weaves suspense and mystery within an absorbing love story. Readers will be hard put to set this one down before the end.” -Library Journal, starred reviewWinner of the 2020 HOLT MedallionAn Uncommon Beauty… London, her oddity has made her a sensation. Far worse, it’s caught the eye of the sinister Duke of Moreland—a notorious art collector obsessed with acquiring one-of-a-kind treasures. To escape the duke’s clutches, she’s going to need a little help.
An Unlikely Hero…
Captain Arthur Heywood’s days of heroism are long past. Grievously injured in the Peninsular War, he can no longer walk unaided, let alone shoot a pistol. What use can he possibly be to a damsel in distress? He has nothing left to offer except his good name.
Can a marriage of convenience save Philly from the vengeful duke? Or will life with Arthur put her—and her heart—in more danger than ever?
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I loved this book so much! I thought the main character getting unwanted attention because of her heterochromia was a really unique way to approach a very traditional romance plot. I adored the hero too and thought the chemistry between them was fantastically written. As a bonus, there were some plot twists that completely surprised me! I’ll be looking for more by this author.
I loved the honesty between the main characters and how their relationship grew as they were willing to be vulnerable with each other.
Enjoyed this book!
I’ve only heard positive comments about this author’s books and now that I have read one myself, I understand the praise. The last 24 hours have had me either reading or listening and then finishing this marvelous work of historical fiction/romance. I now want to ignore any and all urgent books on the horizon and pick up my next Matthews read.
Not only was the writing impeccable, but the author painted a thorough portrait of regency England in and out of London homes, as well as a grand country estate. The evocative writing also had me feeling the worry and tension of the heroine and the near hopelessness of the hero. Those feelings early in the story pressed on me and urged my rapid reading pace.
Work of Art contained one of my favorite romance tropes, marriage of convenience. The story also had a favorite type of hero – broken, scarred, and reclusive. Together with the also wonderful heroine, they had a deeply swoon-worthy romance.
There was a mystery/suspense element to the story, as well. This led to the great deal of angst I felt. It wasn’t overwhelming to the romance or unnecessarily dark, but it kept me in a state of awareness where I really couldn’t trust anyone. The villain wasn’t a complete surprise, but still an entertaining finish. From the horrible villains to the tender and swoon-worthy romance, this story is a new favorite.
Looking at what I wrote above, I realize that it was really hard for me to describe why I enjoyed it so much. Not one element outshone the other. I’m beginning to think that it was the evocative writing overall. I was immediately pulled into the story and simply “felt.”
I really like books by Mimi Matthews. For me, it is proper Regency – when the focus is on the people, the way of life, the different kinds of relationships, and not the seductions. I would buy more of her books in the future – if I earn more money or catch a discount!
Phyllida (Philly) Satterthwaite’s entire life has chnged since the death of her grandfather. Now she must rely on the hospitality of others, she has been taken into her uncle’s household. But she soon begins to realize that he cares nothing for her happiness or safety, merely his own business schemes. She has been feeling isolated and stifled, the only person around her she can feel safe or understood around is Arthur Heywood and so she turns to him for help.
Captain Arthur Heywood’s life changed three years ago on a battlefield in the Penninsular War. He has lived a life of seclusion and of feeling incapable since returning home. His father is concerned for him and pushes him into handling some business in London in order to get him around other people once more. The business is a potential deal with none other than Philly’s uncle. He is intrigued by her from their first and less-than-ideal meeting and he finds that he enjoys spending time with her. His interest in her grows with each meeting and so when Philly comes to him for help he is determined to do what he can to keep her safe.
What follows is a marriage of convenience that sends them fleeing London and the alternate path her life could have taken.
I loved this book so much, I started it after coming home from work and could not put it down. I refused to go to bed until I had finished it. I became so invested in Philly and Arthur’s story, I just wanted the best for them and for them to be happy.
Mimi Matthews is such a phenomenal historical romance author, and this one has a mystery in it too. That’s basically all my boxes checked. I’ve read almost all of her books so far and I think this one might be my favorite thus far.
I highly recommend this book, you’ll love it.
I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of this book from Perfectly Proper Press via NetGalley, this is my honest review.
Love Mimi Matthews!
Enjoyable. I didn’t bog down, or debate putting it down, which is actually a real commendation. It means the author managed to create a story that was realistic to the times, with characters I cared about. She is a good writer, and I enjoy most everything of hers I read.
My only real complaint (and the loss of one star) was the possessive-domination of the hero. Yes, he felt he had reason, and yes, in that time, women were property, so why should he explain anything to her, but it made me extremely uncomfortable. And it wasn’t clear whether it bothered the heroine. At one point we’re told her face is sad at his obsessive isolating her from everything, but then we’re told she understands he just wants to protect her. I couldn’t ever get a feel for what she really thought.
A well written Regency with more originality than most, well edited good read. Recommend!
Really enjoyed the story and didn’t see the bad guy coming. Lots of misdirection while Arthur and Philly establish and build their lives together. Immensely enjoyable
This was a very different, interesting story about a woman who, due to her heterachromia, was singled out by a collector of Fine Art.
She was taken in by relatives who had promised to give her a Season so she could help the rest of her sisters make good matches after she was able to marry advantageously.
Little did she know that her relatives had actually arranged her marriage to the Art Collector leaving almost no time in the season for her to meet anyone else.
They meant for her to have no other choice.
This is not to say the the Collector wasn’t fabulously rich – her was and was paying quite a large sum for her hand.
There is some adventure, a hero, and a few other exciting things in store for the heroine before the story ends that you’ll have to read to find out!
Thoroughly entertaining.
Liked it. Gave insight into women’s options in the 29th century.
Mimi Matthews writes excellent romantic novels, and this one is no exception. This is a wonderful story with interesting, complicated characters. I’ve read all of her novels and all are delightful escapist reading with a bit of sadness/darkness sprinkled in for good balance.
This is the first book I’ve read by Mimi Mathews and I’m a fan now. I don’t usually read Regency novels, but this one sounded interesting and it was! The characters are engaging and the writing is wonderful. It centers on Philly, who draws the attention of a rich duke. The duke is known as the Collector because he buys one-of-kind objects. He decides to buy Philly because she is a beauty who happens to have one blue eye and one brown eye. Philly is appalled when her uncle says he has sold her to the duke. She turns to the only friend she’s made so far in London, a handsome captain who was injured in the calvary. He spirits her away, saving her from the horrible marriage, and marries her instead. The growth of their tentative but passionate love is beautifully rendered in this page-turner. There is even some suspense in it. It’s a lovely book with characters I won’t soon forget.
I throughly enjoyed this book. I loved the romance and the Intrigue and the redemption. This was my first Mimi Mathews book and I loved it. I will definitely be reading more.
Too melodramatic for me and too long!
Enjoyed this book immensely. Had an interesting premise, excellent characters and page turning events. Highly recommend.
I loved this book. I especially liked when Phyllida steps next to Arthur to help him walk. I just loved that whole concept. Couldn’t put it down.
Really enjoyed reading this book.
Oh my! This was delicious! I enjoyed this one so much. The story line is a mix of B&B and an arraigned marriage. The dark sad hero who is hurt and misunderstood and the amazing leading lady who sees past all of it. I LOVED Philly! She was an amazing character, a balance of kindness and intellect that I loved. The way she handled all the negative people that came into her life was brilliant! The way she handled Arthur was perfection. This had just the right amount of heart tugging, light and loving, and danger that I love in a romance. This is a little more sensual then her other books. They are married and there are fade to black bedroom scenes. Lots of yummy kisses! This added to the tenderness and passion of this story and it just worked so well. This is an adult read that has a great message of kindness and love.