ARC Review: The Belle of Belgrave Square (Belles of London #2) by Mimi Matthews
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Series: Belles of London #2
Author: Mimi Matthews
Published October 11th 2022 by Berkley
Goodreads Synopsis
A London heiress rides out to the wilds of the English countryside to honor a marriage of convenience with a mysterious and reclusive stranger.
Tall, dark, and dour, the notorious Captain Jasper Blunt was once hailed a military hero, but tales abound of his bastard children and his haunted estate in Yorkshire. What he requires now is a rich wife to ornament his isolated ruin, and he has his sights set on the enchanting Julia Wychwood.
For Julia, an incurable romantic cursed with a crippling social anxiety, navigating a London ballroom is absolute torture. The only time Julia feels any degree of confidence is when she’s on her horse. Unfortunately, a young lady can’t spend the whole of her life in the saddle, so Julia makes an impetuous decision to take her future by the reins—she proposes to Captain Blunt.
In exchange for her dowry and her hand, Jasper must promise to grant her freedom to do as she pleases. To ride—and to read—as much as she likes without masculine interference. He readily agrees to her conditions, with one provision of his own: Julia is forbidden from going into the tower rooms of his estate and snooping around his affairs. But the more she learns of the beastly former hero, the more intrigued she becomes…
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
In The Belle of Belgrave Square, Julia Wychwood starts the day with a hard ride on her beloved horse, before she's forced to face he social anxiety and navigate the marriage mart. Because of her parent's many ailments, she's forced to care for them, but longs to escape, and hide away from society once and for all. Every morning, she sees the handsome Captain Jasper Blunt, but she's never really been able to talk to him, until she decides to take the plunge and propose. Jasper may be a war hero, but he has a crumbling castle, and bevy of illegitimate children in the Yorkshire moors, that even the shyest of debutantes would think twice. But in exchange for freedom, Julia is more than willing to risk it, and soon finds more than she ever imagined.
This book just blew me away. After enjoying The Siren of Sussex, I had high hopes, but they were blown out of the water completely here. As soon as I started it, and saw the romance between Julia and Jasper brewing, I just couldn't put it down. Julia was such a dear person, who I couldn't help but love immediately. She adored her horse, and her reading, and because of her parents selfishness, she was kept with them, and treated like a nursemaid. She longed for freedom, and that's why she took the plunge and proposed to Jasper. Jasper was a broody hero, whose home and life in the Yorkshire Moors was perfect for his character. He's hiding a big secret, which you learn early on, but Julia doesn't yet know, and the true story of it all was gripping, and made the book so unforgettable. I am quickly falling in love with this author's books, and am desperate to read by next by her!
Dates Read:
April 18, 2022
Rating
4 Stars
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