I really love this story enough that I can say our patrons,will love it too because the Victorian inspired love story where a,woman is stuck in financial ruin and then later grows to love and in it for the right reasons. This is a prime example to never be afraid to be who you are and to find love for the right reasons. How someone may appear on the outside might not who he'll be in the inside and it might be totally unexpected.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This will definitely be considered for collection historical fiction collection. That is,why we give this book 5 stars.

Mimi Matthews is a fairly recent discovery, but a favourite historical romance author of mine. She writes historically accurate Victorian novels and novellas that are on the sweet side as far as steaminess goes, but usually also emotional stories with great characters.
I liked all of the mixed messages and class confusion in this one. The hero is completely out of his depth trying to navigate the society of the landed gentry (as is his friend), and this results in him nearly losing his chance with the heroine before the courtship even begins.
As you can probably tell by the title, Matthews has struggled to find a home in mainstream publishing because of the style of her books, but they are worth your time.
Much of A Holiday by Gaslight takes place in rural Derbyshire at Christmastime, and I actually read it while *I* was in rural Derbyshire, and so it felt that little bit extra special to read.

Loved this little novella! It was long enough to get a great story in and not too overwrought with historical romance tropes. I did feel vindicated by the author's note about her using Gaskell's North and South as an influence because I totally thought Mrs. Sharpe had some Mrs. Thornton in her. I saw some influence of Mr. Thornton in Ned but not nearly as much as I would have thought as it kept going so I was glad that it wasn't heavy handed.

This would be a great Christmas movie!

Thank you net galley for the advance read copy of this novella. I enjoyed this historical fiction set in Victorian times. The storyline tells of the ups and downs of main characters Sophie and Ned who come from two different classes. I was cheering them on and loved the deeply swoon worthy missed in the novella. I loved the Christmas setting. I enjoyed and would recommend this clean romance by this gifted author.

Victorian London, romance, class-consciousness, love

She is level headed and knows that her aristocratic father has spent the family into debt with all of his farsighted improvements to the country house, but she is more ill at ease with man who is courting her because he seems so unemotional than because he is a rich cit. He has been raised to be reserved but it seems that he is going to lose the woman who fascinates him. They agree to begin again at the Christmas house party and decide the outcome at the end of it.
Well told and engaging!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Perfectly Proper Press via NetGalley.

Do you see that cover? The beauty and atmosphere perfectly showcases the romance inside!

Like any dutiful, Victorian era daughter, Sophie is willing to marry for the financial assistance her family needs, but the handsome Edward Sharpe is too grim, too serious and too quiet for her. Sophie does what any strong-willed young lady would do, she breaks off their courtship, but was that a wise decision? Could there be more to Edward than she gave him credit for? Did she even give him a chance?

A simple, and sweet tale of romance with all of the feeling of the Victorian era, with the addition of a young woman far ahead of her time and a man looking for more than a simpering damsel. Maybe all Sophie needed to do was be herself and the real Edward would come out, too!

A HOLIDAY BY GASLIGHT by Mimi Matthews is a feel good, yet sweet romance just in time for the holidays!

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Perfectly Proper Press!

Publisher: Perfectly Proper Press (November 13, 2018)
Publication Date: November 13, 2018
Genre: Historical Holiday Romance
Print Length: 147 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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If your heart desires something that is basically fanfiction inspired by North and South (Elizabeth Gaskell), you might like this.
Sophie has been courted by the silent manufacturer Ned Sharpe for about two months, but she's tired of being the one to do all the talking. She hasn't learned a single thing about him in these two months, and can barely tell whether he likes her. She tells him that their courtship must end, since they have nothing in common.
At home that day, she's confronted by the reality of her family's situation...with no money to speak of, and a father and sister who like to spend, Sophie's best hope of a stable future is to marry well. But she will not do this unless she feels at least friendship for the gentleman. Admitting that she may have been too hasty about Mr. Sharpe, she seeks him out and suggests that they continue their courtship, but only if they can be perfectly candid with each other and get to know each other's true personalities. To that end, she invites him to spend the holidays at her family's estate.
This was a sweet story, with more than one nod to North & South by Elizabeth Gaskell: the strong, silent suitor with an intense mother and a background of poverty, and some mistaken assumptions on the part of the heroine.
I enjoyed it. It was fairly clean, although there was some passionate kissing.
Since it's a novella, it's a very fast read.

4.5 Stars. This historical romance is a charming novella with a festive holiday backdrop. It's a perfect Christmas read for the Victoria-era loving romantic! I really enjoyed the development of the connection between the main characters. Both Ned and Sophie were great characters that I really liked.

Ned is a wealthy man who has made his fortune in trade. Sophie is the daughter of a Baron facing financial ruin. Due to the fact that her family finances are not very good and that she has no dowry (spent by her father), Sophie's family was encouraging of her being courted by the wealthy Ned, even though he was in trade and from a humble background. Sophie initially gives it a chance but decides Ned's lack of conversation and cold formality is not something she wants in her life so she ends it. After ending the courtship, much to her father's dismay, Sophie realizes that her options are limited and that maybe if she could get Ned to open up, to be less formal and cold, they could be a good match. The story follows what happens when she agrees to give it another chance over the holiday. It's truly a great read! I really enjoyed it.

Mimi Matthews is a new author to me but I really enjoyed the style of her writing and the way she conveys the story. I wasn't sure what to expect when I first began reading but right from the start I was sucked into the story. The characters are well developed and the plot doesn't feel rushed or cut short like I sometimes find in novellas. I will definitely be checking out more from this author.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not in any way affect my opinion of the book. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

This was such an enchanting holiday novella. I picked it up when I was in a less than stellar mood and it had me smiling in no time. Sophie's family needs for her to marry money, which Ned has plenty of, but she wants to marry someone that she feels a connection to. Since Ned does not really talk to her she feels that excludes him. She gives Ned one last chance to convince her to risk the happiness of the rest of her life on him during a Christmas house party. I loved Sophie so much and poor confused Ned stole my heart. Sophie's family issues were a bit over the top for me but they did not keep me from loving every page of this tale. Mimi Matthews is a new to me author but I will certainly be reading more of her books as soon as I can get my hands on them.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A perfect short escape to a sweet Victorian Christmas romance. I've never read Mimi Matthews works before, but I enjoyed her writing style. The characters were people you would want to know and the settings were lovely. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author!

Well done Mimi Matthews. You’ve done it again. Pairing Prince Albert’s death with the theory of evolution and gaslight making its way into English homes is ingenious. Sophie is part of the aristocracy, her father throwing all the family money into modernising his home while along along his attitude towards his two daughters is outdated. Ned is the son of a draperer. With ambition and intelligence he has made himself a wealthy man. Now he wants to court Sophie but has no idea how to bridge the gap society has placed on them. It’s Christmas and there’s a house party - the scene is set for angst, romance and a happy ending. Loved it.

God, I LOVE Mimi Matthews. I love netgalley for giving me advance access to her books and I love Christmas for inspiring this bit of magic.
I literally read this book all the way through without stopping. I love stories like this and characters like this: sensible heroines and heroes who seem so cold and unfeeling but actually are SO into their girl. I'm gonna buy this when it's released and read it all over again!

A sweet, romantic novella set in historic England focuses on Sophie, the daughter of a Baron, and Ned, a wealthy tradesman.

If you're a fan of Downton Abbey or Outlander, I think you would enjoy this story.

Sophie and Ned are an endearing couple, trying to find their way through a romance that neither expected and learning about each other as they go. Trying to navigate cultural mores of the time, all while deciding if they can truly make it as a couple.

The story was absolutely worth a read, I really enjoyed it and found myself rooting for Sophie and Ned throughout its entirety.

This is a very cute holiday novella. I loved the main characters of Ned and Sophie. He is a man of trade, who is very wealthy.
She is the daughter of a Baron.
Her family finances are not good, so they encourage the match. Sophie gives it a chance but decides Ned isnt for her. He's too formal. cold and hardly speaks. She ends it, much to his dismay and that of her father.
After rethinking her decision, she invites him to the country for Christmas, hoping the informal circumstances will help them get to know each other better.
From there you can see the relationship develope.
A quick read, but an entertaining one.

Hooray hooray! A Christmas novella by one of my favorite authors! A Holiday by Gaslight is a wonderful story about Sophie Appersett and Edward Sharpe. They have been courting until Sophie decides they do not suit. Woe! Misunderstandings! Change of hearts! This is such a sweet and tender romance, and Sophie and Edward are both extremely likable. Mimi Matthews has been able to give such depth of character to both of them in this novella than some other authors are able to do in a whole book! The novella rings true to the time period and touches on the technological innovations and thinking of the time. I would highly recommend this novella as well as the rest of Mimi Matthew's books.

I don’t usually jump up and down getting all excited about a book but there is a time for everything, and so you can picture me jumping up and down. This novella is delightful!, wonderful!, and perfect for a spirited lift in the Holiday season.

Sophie is not going to marry a man she doesn’t like and for the 2 months Ned Sharpe has been courting her, he has been uncommunicative and cold. So it is best to end it with Ned because he seems not to even like her. Ned does like her but he is from “trade” and Sophie is an aristocrat. He is out of his element. He bought a book that tells him “the rules” of courtship and he’s trying not to make a mistake, until he messes up everything. But Sophie’s parents need her to marry for money and play on her sense of duty to try and rectify the breach with Ned.

So often I complain about how characters are not well developed in novellas but Mimi Matthews has shown here that it can be done and done well. Not only the main characters but also the side characters. The Romance is slow developing and the essence of Victorian mores is ever present. This gives the book a true feeling of the era. There is a Christmasy feeling with the festivities at the house party. There are touches of the times in discussion of Prince Albert’s death and modern innovations. All in all a 5+ star book, I highly recommend this book for your relaxing holiday pleasure.

Before this book I haven’t had the pleasure to read a Mimi Matthews’ novel and I now I am determined to search for her other books.

“A Holyday by Gaslight” is an amazingly endearing Christmas Victorian novella that follows Sophie Appersett as she does her part to help her family, even if it means marrying for obligation and not for love. Or is she?

For such a short reading I ended up wanting to be friends with Sophie, sighed my heart out for Mr. Edward Sharpe, revolted against some of the characters and giggled like a fool to some very well written tender moments.

This is the perfect little reading to warm your Christmas nights.

Very nicely written, ridding with the Victorian spirit of change and progress, completely endearing and delightful, this is a book that every romance reader will want to have on their collection.

"A Holiday by Gaslight" is a romance set in 1861 England. Sophie is a practical, dutiful daughter of a baronet. When a rich merchant asks to court her despite her lack of dowry (it was spent on adding gaslights to the family manor), her parents urge the match in hopes of more funds. However, the hero has been reading an etiquette manual with rather vague advice, so he says little during the courtship in hopes of avoiding offense.

Most of the story happened at a Christmas party held at the manor. The hero has been given a second chance as long as he agrees to share about himself. They get to know each other and admire each other's character, but the differences in their class does make for a few misunderstandings. Historical details about manners, the latest technology, Christmas customs, and such were woven into the story and brought it to life. The characters were likable and were a good match in temperament and interests.

There was no sex. There was occasional use of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable romance.

A Holiday by Gaslight is a charming and light-hearted romance that kind of begins with a broken romance. Sophie and Ned appeared to not suit according to Sophia. Thus, she breaks the courtship. Sophie finds Ned to be cold and non-feeling, when the exact opposite is true. Ned is taking his advice on courtship from the Gentleman’s Book on Etiquette, while Sophie is taking her cues from Darwin’s On the Origin of the Species. Neither of these are helping the situation.

To make matters even worse, Sophie’s parents are expecting her to marry Ned, who is in trade, to bring wealth back into the family. Her sister Emily is the special daughter (spoiled and not too caring of other’s feelings) to be treated to a London season so she will marry well to a title. Without the family’s knowledge, Emily seems to have fallen for Ned’s business partner, Walter.

The main reason Sophie has to marry wealth is her father’s extreme desire to have the best of everything and make his home the grandest. This quest has taken Sophie’s dowry money, leaving nothing for an upcoming marriage. Sophie’s father seems extremely selfish and egotistical. While Sophie and her mother economize to try to help keep the family from sinking into poverty.

Ned is an extremely kind man, who cares very deeply for Sophie, he just does not know how to show it. He has given her another chance upon her request, to see if they might get to know each other better. At first, it may have seemed Sophie, too, was being selfish, but you realize quickly that she just wants to marry for love. She even indicated that she wanted to love Ned, but just did not know him well enough to love him.

It was sweet reading of these two going beyond acquaintance to friendship to love, to learn more about each other so as not to make a mistake by marrying and then, find out they do not suit. The dating rituals of that time period made courting difficult. There were several hurdles to overcome on their way to their HEA. And, it was a delight. This is my first Mimi Matthews book and will not be my last. The cover is adorable and drew me in to ready the synopsis. Another great part of this book is the cleanness of the romance without a lot sensuality or just gratuitous sex in the majority of romances today.

3.5/stars.


Mimi Matthews is a new author for me. Never having read her before I went in quite blind. The thing that caught my attention was the cover (which is so pretty) and the description. Overall, I enjoyed this book.

Sophie is a wonderful character, I immidiately took a liking to her and felt for her. She's been used as a sacrificial lamb her entire life by her power and status hungry father and emotionally manipulative mother. She has to make a good match, even if that means stopping below peerage and marrying a man in trade - but a man rich enough to make her parents forget his less than stellar title. Edward Sharpe is the man, and while she takes a liking to him almost instantly she is certain he couldn't care about her any less.

Of course, she's wrong. Edward is a man trying to balance and exist in two worlds that couldn't be more different. A drapers son, and now successful business he has access to a class completely different to him. His wish to marry Sophie comes from pure liking, however since he believes he's a misfit in her life he models his behaviour to what he thinks she'll except. He keeps his conversations curt and monotonous, never really showing her who he is - or trying to figure out who she is.

Hence, the novella starts with her breaking out their courtship saying they don't suit. When she rethinks this, she invites him to their house for a Christmas Party to try one last time if they suit. What follows is a wonderful read of two polar opposite people learning about each other, and understanding that they have more in common than they ever realized. I loved the dialogues, I loved their conversations and almost pure manner in which they were described.

It's a clean book through and through - if that's not a problem for you, this is an enjoyable novella. While I wouldn't have minded some steamy scenes, however this novella was more about them discovering each other and learning to love.

Overall, a wonderful short read!