Synopsis:
A Courtship of Convenience
Sophie
Appersett is quite willing to marry outside of her class to ensure the
survival of her family. But the darkly handsome Mr. Edward Sharpe is no
run-of-the-mill London merchant. He’s grim and silent. A man of little
emotion–or perhaps no emotion at all. After two months of courtship,
she’s ready to put an end to things.
A Last Chance for Love
But
severing ties with her taciturn suitor isn’t as straightforward as
Sophie envisioned. Her parents are outraged. And then there’s Charles
Darwin, Prince Albert, and that dratted gaslight. What’s a girl to do
except invite Mr. Sharpe to Appersett House for Christmas and give him
one last chance to win her? Only this time there’ll be no false
formality. This time they’ll get to know each other for who they really
are.
My Thoughts: I LOVED this book! I really didn't know what to expect but I was so pleased with the story. It was a super sweet romance with a wonderful holiday backdrop. It definitely put me in the holiday spirit! Ms. Matthews' descriptions of
Appersett House were just lovely and I could easily imagine what it must
have looked like all decorated for the holidays. I want to spend
Christmas there!
All of the characters were wonderful and even though the story was short, I thought the characters were so well-developed. I especially loved Edward; it cracked me up that he was trying to follow a silly 'how to' book while courting Sophie. No wonder things got off to a rocky start! I really liked that he was a self-made man in a society that didn't necessarily appreciate that in a person.
Sophie was a refreshing character too. She was very no - nonsense and knew her own mind (for a girl of that time period). She really softened by the end of the story and I enjoyed seeing her become more open and trusting of people besides herself. I felt really bad that she had to deal with all of her father's shenanigans. He was completely ridiculous and irritated me to no end. Her sister was almost as ridiculous at times but ended up being quite endearing.
Overall, this was just a feel good holiday story that I could not put down. I would love to see more stories like this from Ms. Matthews. 4 stars!
About the Author
Mimi
Matthews (A Victorian Lady’s Guide to Fashion and Beauty, The Lost
Letter) writes both historical non-fiction and traditional historical
romances set in Victorian England. Her articles on nineteenth century
history have been published on various academic and history sites,
including the Victorian Web and the Journal of Victorian Culture, and
are also syndicated weekly at BUST Magazine. In her other life, Mimi is
an attorney. She resides in California with her family, which includes
an Andalusian dressage horse, two Shelties, and two Siamese cats.
For more information, please visit Mimi Matthews’ website and blog. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, BookBub,
Giveaway
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– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.
– Giveaway is open to US residents only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.
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