Member Reviews
A amazing story that are well written. I like the storyline and plot. It made me laugh a lot sometimes. But it has also got passion, drama, emotional ups and downs. The twists are unsuspected. Characters are well described and develops nicely. Great chemistry and true to the timeperiod. A quick and romantic read.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
Viscount St. Ashton is seeking an escape when he visits one of the most notorious house parties in society. What he finds, however, is an innocent young lady and his heart is caught.
This was a sweetly told tale. St. Ashton was believable young man, wishing to be independent of his family. The one point I did not like was the insta-love he had for Miss March. His determination to prove himself worthy of this young woman, despite his father's opinion, made me root for him.
Miss March has her own back story and baggage weighing on her. The friendship she had with St. Ashton was enjoyable and I liked seeing her come into her own.
Overall, this was a well written story and a lovely follow-up to the first book. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy Victorian Romances.
(Published on Goodreads November 20, 2017. Later will be published on Amazon)
A very well written love at first sight romance, set in Victorian England. And also a story of how an innocent but strong young woman transforms a handsome rakish viscount.
I liked the fact that the main characters were so loyal and trustful of each other (at some point, the heroine, Valentine, felt some understandable doubts).
The author also brings to life a bunch of quite compelling secondary characters – Tristan’s father (I believe he would make a fascinating main character), Valentine’s feminist distant relative – and a lot of historical and Victorian-era details that make this an interesting read (yet, I found confusing the ease with which the main characters were left alone). The heroine’s family history was interesting too.
Although I liked that Tristan is smitten with the heroine right away, I felt that their relationship was a bit rushed for my taste (instant attraction romance is not amongst my favorite trope).
This is my second story by Mimi Matthews and I really appreciate her writing style. After reading an excerpt from her next book – “The Advertisement” -, with a wounded soldier, I’m looking forward for it.
I love Victorian romance's and read them often. A lot of them have the same plot and this one did as well, but the characters were engaging and the book was written by someone who obviously has researched the Victorian Era. I thoroughly enjoyed this one from beginning to end and could not put it down. Tristan is your typical wealthy rake at the beginning of the book, but as soon as he meets Valentine he begins to change. Her warmth and innocence are exactly what was needed to break him free from the life he had been living. It is a wonderful story and I highly recommend it.
What a delight! I loved the heroine, the hero, their interactions, his relationship with his father, everything. The only thing I didn't like was that it is a novella instead of a full length novel.
I read an advance reader copy from Netgalley.
The Viscount and the Vicar’s Daughter⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
By Mimi Mathews
New Yorkshire, England, 1862 Valentine March is a lady’s companion and lands innocently at a notorious party.
Tristan Sinclair, Viscount St. Ashton seeks escape from society and attends this party as a guest.
It is when he hurriedly arrives he stumbles into a folly in the garden upon hearing crying. He see a dowdy your spinster in tears. As he observes her he realizes she has been purposely dressed this way with drab clothes and spectacles.
It is a familiar story plot but yet it takes a turn which fully absorbs the reader. This is the first book I have read by Ms Mathews and I truly enjoyed the quick wit and true conversations of both the characters. The unveiling of the spinsters background was quite intriguing.
Tristan try’s successfully to repent his previous ways and show how sincere he is with his intentions towards Valentine.
I guess the moral of this story is never to give up on someone.
I received this book from Netgalley for a review. I really would recommend and buy this book.
Sent from my iPad
She was a prim vicar's daughter. He was a notorious rake. They were ill-suited by societal standards, but the attraction between them was too strong to ignore.
Valentine's beautiful society mother was pregnant and alone when the vicar married her to save her. Val grew up understanding her mother was a fallen woman, a sinner, and her father endeavored to ensure that Val did not follow her mother's path.
The death of her father brings Val to be the companion of a vain and shallow beauty who forces Val to wear dowdy clothes and glasses. Val dreams of escape by going into missionary work abroad.
Unaware, Val is brought to a gathering of dissolutes, ensembled for a drunken and adulterous spree. There she meets Viscount St. Ashton, the devilishly handsome rake with a score of conquests behind him, an heir to fortune who has made nothing of his life. St. Ashton is attracted to the girl and when he makes advances he is not repulsed. He proposes to Val, but she believes he is motivated only by societal expectations, expiating for a drunken and unwise moment of passion. A time apart is forced upon them.
As St. Ashton tries to prove he is a changed man, both to his father and to Val, she discovers her true heritage and is offered other options. Misunderstandings arise as St. Ashton constrains his desire. The road to love is rarely smooth. And in Victorian society it is fraught with concerns that have little to do with the human heart.
Mimi Matthews employs her deep understanding of the Victorian world of 1861 in this romance.
Learn more about Matthews books and blog at https://www.mimimatthews.com
I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
I really enjoyed this book and hope to read more books from the author in the future.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc to read in exchange for an honest review.
I completely enjoyed this book. The characters development was well thought out and I loved them. For the first time in ages, I found myself not wanting a book to end. I wanted more. Their budding relationship was endearing.
After enjoying the author’s first Victorian romance so much, I snapped The Viscount and the Vicar’s Daughter up immediately. Mimi Matthews writes “proper” Victorian books, where the characters act era-appropriately, the conversations are entertaining, and there’s a focus on the *romance*.
The relationship in this one moves fast - it has to, as hero and heroine are caught together and forced into an engagement. Now, this is a plot device used a million times over in historical romance, but it is handled differently here and it felt different - refreshed.
There are few books I’ve read where I believe in an instant connection, “love at first sight” more or less. In fact, I can think of only three: this is one of them. The first meeting and the hurried arrangement between them was convincing to me, and it was helped by the two spending a lot of time together over the course of only a few days.
The characters - hero, his father, heroine, various relatives - come across as real, well-rounded people. Rakish aristocrats aren’t exactly what they seem, and prim vicar’s daughters have secrets, disappointments, hopes and dreams.
The Victorian setting is always special to me, and never more so than when written by an author who knows the era inside out. This is very much a *Victorian* book, and couldn’t be mistaken for a Regency romance. The fashions, the train travel etc. It’s an era of so much energy and change, which is why I love it.
I enjoyed The Viscount and the Vicar’s Daughter for heaps of reasons, but especially because it took well-used (almost over-used?) tropes and turned every single one of them around, making them new again.