Brilliant story of being yourself

I really love Mimi Matthew's books, so romantic, such great characters, excellent stories. The Must of Maiden Lane has got to be one of my very favorites. It's all about being yourself, not making yourself 'small and quiet' to please others, 'be conspicuous'. A super interesting story about an artist and horsewoman, both of who have had to fit others' expectations and who slowly discover themselves and each other. Please don't hesitate to buy and read this one, today and keep for another read in the future!

Thank you to the publisher who lent me an e-arc via Netgalley with no obligations. This review is optional and my own opinion.

Let me just start by saying - I think Mimi left us a piece of her soul in this book. Starting and ending with her love of her beautiful horse.

Stella is the last of our 4 friends in this series. It can be read as a stand-alone, but I highly recommend reading the others first. They set the stage for Stella and Teddy’s story plus you will appreciate the cameos of all the other characters when they make appearances here. (I LOVED seeing all my old friends again!)

Stella is tired of being put into a small box. Of trying to pass as inconspicuous when she has hair and behavior that make her stand out. Teddy is no stranger to challenges, having to face his own physical limitations.

Some things I loved:
Elemental
Wildness and passion
Love of horses and the bond between them and the girls
Desire to be seen, to live large
Teddy!!
Understanding more about Teddy - his pain, his frustration, desires
Chemistry between Stella and Teddy!
Navigating changing friendships
Conquering challenges
The art!
The history!
The fashion (Mimi is SO good with the details!!)
Kissing scenes

I literally did NOT want this book to end! I’m looking forward to listening to the audio and rereading this as a favorite in the years to come. Do not delay picking up this book!

I’ve adored the Belles of London series from Mimi Matthews, so it’s bittersweet to have read the fourth and final book. In The Muse of Maiden Lane, Stella Hobhouse gets her happily ever after with Teddy Hayes, a character who previously appeared in the Parish Orphans of Devon series.

Stella Hobhouse has completed two seasons but still hasn’t secured any offers of marriage. Her brother, a clergyman, won’t allow her any additional seasons, instead preparing to marry her off to an elderly widower. But Stella wants so much more than that, and when she attends a weeklong house party over Christmas, she hopes she’ll have one last chance to find a husband. Instead she finds an unlikely friend in Teddy Hayes, an artist who studied in France. He wants her to pose for him—a scandalous request! But the two find they have much in common, from a love of art to their mutual feelings of not fitting in with society: Stella’s hair went gray at 16, and Teddy uses a wheeled chair since a bad case of scarlet fever. Can these new friends find a way to stay in each other’s lives?

Tropes & Narrative Devices:
• New friends to lovers
• Marriage of convenience?
• Dual third-person POV (Stella and Teddy)

What I Liked:

• Stella and Teddy don’t fit in. Stella’s hair turned gray when she was only sixteen, leaving her feeling insecure about how society sees her. Unfortunately, some people fixate too much on her hair, and her instinct is to hide it. Teddy had scarlet fever five years earlier, paralyzing his legs and resulting in him using a wheeled chair for mobility. While he claims to have no shame in it, he does avoid scenarios in which he’d need to be transported by his manservant. Their situations and experiences are different, but both Stella and Teddy understand what it’s like to feel like an outcast. But should they hide their differences… or boldly embrace them?

• Love of art. For years, Teddy’s passion and refuge has been art, and he has two years of training in Paris under his belt. His initial interest in Stella is one of an artist and his muse: he wants to paint her. Stella also loves art and is skilled at sketches, even if she lacks formal instruction. I enjoyed getting a look at the early impressionist movement in art—my personal favorite!

• Finding common ground. As illustrated by the two above points, Teddy and Stella are more alike than they may have first realized. I loved seeing these two get to know each other and develop a deep friendship. Theirs is a true pairing of the minds, and this sets up a beautiful foundation for their feelings to develop later.

• Pushback against antiquated ideas on women. As much as Stella tries to fit into society’s expectations of women, she has strong opinions on what women can and should do. I loved the scene when she argues with her family and guests about a woman’s place in family and politics. Yes, women are more than broodmares! Yes, women should have a say in the laws that govern their lives!

• Family and friends. A recurring theme in this series has been complicated (and sometimes problematic) family relationships and the strength of friendship. Stella and her three friends form a strong bond, always there to protect each other and lift each other up. Her family, however, isn’t nearly so supportive. Teddy’s family is loving, if overprotective. From found family to the pain of cutting ties, I appreciated the nuances in relationships here.

• Working class characters. As with the previous books in this series, neither Stella nor Teddy are titled aristocrats. She’s the sister of a small town clergyman; he’s a painter with a family in the perfume business. With so many historical romances starring dukes and earls and such, it’s refreshing to see people who work for a living, or who are willing to work for a living in order to gain independence.

Final Thoughts
The Muse of Maiden Lane is a perfect novel that is inspiring, empowering, and deeply romantic. This is one of only a few romances I’ve read in which a lead character has limited mobility, and the first in which that character uses a wheelchair. I loved getting to see Teddy and Stella find understanding, confidence, and safety with each other. While it’s hard to say goodbye to the Belles of London series, this was a wonderful way to close the chapter on these characters.

Mimi Matthews has become a favorite author for me, and I look forward to reading her upcoming Crinoline Academy series, her two previous/ongoing series (Parish Orphans of Devon and Somerset Stories), and everything else she’s written!

\\\\\ 4.5 \\\\\

It is truly a bittersweet feeling to end this series. I discovered Mimi Matthews with The Belle of Belgrave Square and quickly fell in love with her writing. She fast became one of my favorite authors, and it is making me a bit sad this series is now over, but what a beautiful ending.

This one was a slow-paced romantic story with such amazing character depth. I feel like I truly know our two characters so well and understand them in all their facets. I love the instant chemistry you could feel between them and how they both had their own difficulties to overcome.

I enjoyed how Stella remained strong through all that was happening to her and stayed bold and true to herself with the help of Teddy as well. Teddy was truly fascinating, such a complex character with a touching story. Both were a bit unconventional in their own way, which was certainly refreshing. And the fact that our MMC was so young was also nice. I feel like it fitted perfectly with his need of being independent and wanting a life of his own without his protective and a bit overbearing family.

From the descriptions of clothings to those of paintings, you can vividly imagine everything in this book. The atmosphere is perfectly created and you are surrounded by it throughout your reading.

One thing that never fails to make me happy is when Captain Blunt is part of a book (I'm still obsessed with him, can't help it), so yeah, I enjoyed all the moments he was involved in. His protectiveness is everything! And I of course enjoyed seeing all other characters having their own moments in this one. It was nice to end this series with them being around and involved in Stella's story.

Thanks so much to Mimi Matthews, Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for my eARC. All opinions are my own.

Mimi Matthews has saved the best for last because the Muse of Maiden Lane was a brilliant story of love and acceptance and my favorite in the series. Stella Hobhouse is in desperate need to marry and puts all her hopes that this holiday party will be the place that she makes a match. It hasn’t been easy, with her clergyman brother pushing her to marry an older gentleman so he can be rid of her, and the fact that she is a bit odd being 22 years old and has gray hair. Teddy Hayes, an aspiring painter, can’t believe his good fortune that he runs into his muse again (Stella) at the house party and wants desperately to paint her. What develops between these two individuals is an understanding and acceptance of one another.
Stella’s story was one in which I was anticipating because I knew it was going to take a special someone to see past her physical appearance. She’s been ridiculed for her hair in the past and knew it made it harder for her in finding a husband. Teddy lives now in a wheelchair after having scarlet fever 5 years ago. He doesn’t plan to marry because it was all about his art for him. Until Stella. Now he proposes a marriage of convenience for both of them to get what they both desire. They can live independently and live on their own terms. I loved how their secret correspondence brought them closer, and once Teddy recognizes Stella for herself, she blooms into a confident woman. Love came softly for these two but just as sweet and rewarding that they could find someone who would truly understand them. I loved this story and it was a beautiful way for these 4 ladies of the series to find their happiness in life

I read the first chapter of The Muse of Maiden Lane at the end of The Lily of Ludgate Hill, and immediately, I felt secondhand embarrassment on behalf of Stella. She has naturally silver hair and has decided to dye it for a house party she's going to with Anne. No one there hardly knows her so she isn't worried about them knowing her hair is dyed. I wasn't aware it was culturally taboo to dye one's hair, but it makes sense that the only ones who would do so during this period would be people of questionable morals. But Stella is hoping for a connection that might turn into a marriage. And so it's obvious that she didn't quite think this through. Because even if she does find someone she connects with at the party, and she fools them into thinking she's someone who doesn't have silver hair, eventually dyes wash out. Thus she would be faced with either coming clean about her hair or attempting to maintain the ruse the rest of her life. Quite impossible.

Stella, in fact, quickly runs into Teddy who already knows she has silver hair. Teddy is a crossover character from Mimi Matthew's Parish Orphans of Devon series. And I love that she's crossed these series. There is so much fan service. Tom Finchley already appears nearly every time she needs a solicitor. But now we have Archer and Laura crossing over with Teddy as is necessary. Teddy is now wheelchair-bound after having a bad case of scarlet fever when he was younger. He's an artist. Art is what has sustained and driven him through his challenges in life. And now he's met Stella. He feels a drive that he can't even explain to paint her. Another scandalous thing. Models in those days were usually loved ones, mistresses, or again, women of questionable morals.

Because of Stella's choice to dye her hair, she spends time hiding from the other guests at the house party. And, she stumbles upon a drawing room that the host has allowed Teddy to use as his personal art studio during the stay. Stella and Teddy spend much of the book here getting to know one another. And Teddy spends much of that time begging her to let him paint her.

Favoriote quotes:
-Of all the offensive masculine qualities that ladies detested, eagerness was one of the worst.

I can attest to this one. It's so offputting.

-"Your face is the only reason I'd consider keeping it," he said frankly. "But I don't need to." He tapped his forefinger to his temple. "You're etched up here, more indelibly than a pencil drawing. I won't easily forget you."

The Muse of Maiden Lane was probably my second favorite in the series. It's a hard tie for second place though. I had a clear favorite of the series and a clear least favorite. Stella and Teddy were both characters that I could feel for and root for a happily ever after. They had a non-traditional courtship and journey. And sometimes I balk when characters do things intentionally against the norms, but I didn't mind it in this book. It fits the characters and the story. I loved the crossovers from Mimi Matthew's previous series. I can always appreciate fan service. The Muse of Maiden Lane gets 4 Stars. Have you read The Muse of Maiden Lane? What did you think? Let me know!

Overall I enjoyed this one though I think it's my least favorite of the series. The characters themselves are fantastic and I loved the disability representation but I felt like some of the chemistry was missing.

A Matthews romance is always anticipated, even if I have to play catch up with the Belles of London series, reading the final volume first and backtracking. Though it took a while to get into this one thanks to the frequent, voluble appearances of the series’ past heroines and now-husbands, Matthews’s protagonists, wheelchair-bound artist Teddy Hayes and prematurely-grey-haired-plain-Jane heroine Stella Hobhouse, won me over. I don’t know how Matthews gets her reader to care so much about her protagonists. Maybe one reason is how they come alive on the page that the too-often-sense of contrivance with most romances melts?

To the blurbish details to orient us:

Stella Hobhouse is a brilliant rider, stalwart friend, skilled sketch artist—and completely overlooked. Her outmodish gray hair makes her invisible to London society. Combined with her brother’s pious restrictions and her dwindling inheritance, Stella is on the verge of a lifetime marooned in Derbyshire as a spinster. Unless she does something drastic…like posing for a daring new style of portrait by the only man who’s ever really seen her.

Aspiring painter Edward “Teddy” Hayes knows true beauty when he sees it. He would never ask Stella to risk her reputation as an artist’s model but in the five years since a virulent bout of scarlet fever left him partially paralyzed, Teddy has learned to heed good fortune when he finds it. He’ll do anything to persuade his muse to pose for him, even if he must offer her a marriage of convenience.

After all, though Teddy has yearned to trace Stella’s luminous beauty on canvas since their chance meeting, her heart is what he truly aches to capture….


Stella is introduced at a house party where she dyed her hair determined to make this last chance (indeed, given her surly, sour brother’s lack of care) to find a husband, to give herself a life a modicum better than spinster-aunt (read “drudge” to her vicar brother’s soon-to-be family). On the ballroom’s edges sits handsome, intense, roguish artist Teddy Hayes, in his wheelchair. He has eyes only for Stella, taken by the desire to paint her. We learn they had an encounter three months ago, at the British Museum, where he sketched, she gazed, and he recommended a Whistler at one of the galleries. Now, Stella coloured her hair the shade of the woman in the Whistler painting, for once to feel like other young women at a social gathering, instead of an oddity and nonentity. Since their initial encounter, Teddy has wanted to find his muse, this silver-haired goddess who, with a brief encounter, made him yearn to paint her and here she is.

A prematurely-grey-haired young heroine, merely 22, and ambitious, physically-challenged artist-hero: original choices on Matthews’s part. Matthews could have gone the way of conventional historical romance: Stella’s fortunes growing, Teddy walking again…etc etc. you get the trite picture. But she didn’t and made these two more memorable than if she had.

If there is a flaw in Matthews’s romance, it is that the story of Teddy and Stella is interrupted and punctuated with too many secondary characters (which may be enjoyable to long-time series fans). As a standalone, I could only bear with it: don’t bother trying to figure out who’s who, just enjoy the ride. The reward will be twofold: Teddy and Stella have sympathetic inner voices and together, they are honest, heart-felt, truly lovely to read. I wanted to see more of them together and fewer drawing-room scenes, but that is the lot of the TBR-laden reader who hasn’t caught up with a series.

Teddy, in particular, is funny, sharp, intelligent, and blunt. He is charming: it’s not easy for a romance writer to pull off charming. Quite often, lesser romance writers declare their hero and/or heroines charming, but don’t show us. What is even more heart-stirringly engaging is Teddy’s inner voice: the one fully aware of his limitations, especially in the context of Victorian society, where to be confined to a wheel-chair makes one invisible. Teddy knows he is side-lined, but he has built a world for himself, through his art and determination for independence, that is admirable. Matthews doesn’t give him any miracles, but makes him a wonderful romance hero just the way he is, at times vulnerable and more often than not, strong in spirit and body.

Stella is his match in banter, thought, and ethos. They are both social side-lines, but have a core of devoted, loyal friends (who appear once too often, but sigh, I’ve belaboured this point). Stella and Teddy are less flirtatious than converse with wry humour, but also care for one another’s heart and sensibility. They challenge each other; they encourage each other. When Stella is bound by society not to pose for Teddy’s painting and trapped in the possibility of a love-less marriage, she takes the reins, literally on Locket her horse, to leave for friends, London, and Teddy, where friendship, mutual care, and a modified, not reckless, flouting of stodgy social conventions brings these two worthy protagonists the love and life they deserve. I cheered and enjoyed every moment of it.

If anyone would agree, it would be Miss Austen, who’d deem The Muse of Maiden Lane “real comfort,” Emma.

Mimi Matthews’s The Muse of Maiden Lane is published by Berkley. It releases tomorrow, November 19th. I received an e-galley from Berkley, via Netgalley. The above review is my honest, AI-free opinion.

Stella Hobhouse is a skilled rider, a talented artist, and invisible—a status she works hard to maintain as her prematurely white hair makes her an oddity in London society. A diminishing inheritance and her brother’s calloused expectations have her well on her way to being trapped in obscurity and misery.

As an aspiring painter, Edward Hayes has an eye for beauty, which he immediately recognizes in Stella. Asking her to model for him would risk her reputation, but he is unwilling to loose his muse, so he proposes the only solution he can think of—a marriage of convenience. A union between the two could solve both their problems as long as they don’t mess it up by falling in love.

The Muse of Maiden Lane brings the Belles of London series to a sweet conclusion. Mimi Matthews transports readers to Victorian England as she pens a heart-warming romance that explores some issues of the time period.

Both Stella, a woman dependent on her male relative, and Teddy, a man confined to a wheelchair, struggle to find independence in a society stacked against them. A master wordsmith, Matthews’ creates moments and characters that can as easily make me swoon as make me fume.

The Muse of Maiden Lane is not your usual marriage-of-convenience story. While the arrangement between the protagonists started out that way, the marriage itself does not take place until almost the end of the novel, and by then, the characters are already in love. This is neither good nor bad, just something to keep in mind if you are picking up the book specifically for that trope.

I recommend this novel and Mimi Matthews in general, to anyone who enjoys Victorian Romances. Matthews brings the era to life with a dexterity few possess. Fans of the Parish Orphans of Devon will enjoy reuniting with familiar faces.

Bewitched!

Artist Edward (Teddy) Hayes is astounded, awed when he first sees Stella Hobhouse.
They’re at an exhibition at the British Museum. He can’t take his eyes off her. Her hair is unusual—pure silver! He’s mesmerised, struck by Stella’s beauty. He must paint her! Stella must be his muse!
Stella is entranced by the gentleman in the wheel chair who speaks his mind, who sees her, who discusses art with her free from condescension.
Stella’s a gentlewoman with an impatient vicar for a brother. He wants to marry her off, even if the potential suitors are years older than Stella. After all her hair is gray! A match! Grr!
Her brother’s also casting his eyes over someone who wouldn’t and doesn’t suffer Stella gladly. What can Stella do?
A member of the Furies, four women who galloped their horses in the early morning on Rotten Row, who became known as the Four Horsewomen. Except two are now married and the third just became engaged. There’s only Stella left.
What does Stella want?
We journey alongside her as she deals with the questions about life, love and disappointments.
Another fabulous tale from Matthew’s that causes one to pause and reflect.

A Berkley Group ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Stella Hobhouse appears to be bound for spinsterhood. She has fully silver/gray hair that makes her conspicuous (never a good thing for a young lady!) She decides to try to catch a suitor one more time by dyeing her hair auburn and attending a house party where no one knows her as the silver-haired equestrienne in London... except there is one who recognizes her, of course!

Teddy Hayes is a mysterious, outspoken artist who has been obsessed with Stella from the first moment he saw her and he cannot believe he has found her again--now with a temporarily changed hair color! (Ah, I just love the hair color catastrophe in this novel.) Teddy is partially paralyzed and uses a wheelchair. I like how the author includes wheelchair advancements in this story and what a difference it makes when Teddy gains access to a different type of chair.

Of the four, this book was definitely the lowest on the angst scale--but I didn't mind that! I have been so looking forward to Stella's story and I loved the way we met the love interest in book 3. This book was an incredibly gentle love story between two people navigating their desire for independence, but finding out that they are so much stronger when they let the other person help and support them.

What else?
•I love artist heroes. They're so intense and broody. Even better when they just MUST draw/paint/sculpt their muse!
• I also loved the art history and real artist names in this novel. Art geek here! 👋 🤓
• The "do you require mistletoe?" first kiss
• A bit of marriage of convenience!

I truly enjoy what Mimi brings to the historical romance world. I'm a reader who prefers steam, so the fact that I can still rave about these completely closed door books is saying something!

Thank you to Berkley Romance for the advance reader copy and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

I have adored this entire Belles of London series. And this final book touched my heart. Stella Hobhouse is in the final season she can afford. And she needs to find a husband to escape her conservative brother and his intended's household. But she fears she won't be successful.

Teddy has wanted her to serve as a model for his painting since he first saw her. But he has no interest in marriage ever. He uses a wheelchair for mobility, but still requires regular assistance from a servant. And he chafes for more freedom.

You can read this as a bit of a Christmas book since the book starts during the holidays. There's even a lovely sleigh ride.

For me, my favorite parts of the book were how in their own ways, Stella and Teddy were both trying to learn to be independent. And how they found their independence with each other was beautiful.

I recommend reading this series in order. While this book could stand alone, the first meeting between Stella and Teddy occurs in the previous book (The Lily of Ludgate Hill), and the two even overlap in describing the same party from different perspectives.

Stewart Crank and Zara Hampton-Brown narrated the audiobook beautifully.

4.25 stars

Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (0-5)
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 (0-5)
Overall: 4.5/5
Steam: 🔥☄️ (0-5) Very closed wedding night door & some scrumptious kisses.

What I’m Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 This is so unlike me, starting a series in book 4. That’s how much the book blurb intrigued me—read it!
🤩 Fabulous characterization.
🤩 Boy/artist obsessed.
🤩 What beautiful physical disability representation.
🤩 The artsy conversations. And when Stella calls Teddy handsome.
🤩 I love Teddy’s bluntness—they have the best conversations. And both narrators give us a great performance with fantastic conversations.
🤩 The house party—when Teddy shares a house cap with Stella and when Stella talks Teddy into the sleigh ride. It gives us so much hope for how they can take care of each other in a beautiful HEA.
🤩 The not under the mistletoe kiss.
🤩 Oh, my goodness, I hate Stella’s brother so much, but it definitely helps with all the feels including so much deep longing for them to find love and support in their HEA.
🤩 The letter correspondence is everything!! I just love epistolary components in my books.
🤩 Sloooooooow burn with so many cute interactions as they naturally and beautifully fall in love. “I love your company.” “And I love yours.”
🤩 Marriage of convenience.
🤩 Found family.

What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 Some secret pining and more descriptions of sexual chemistry would have been helpful in their connection.

And just like that, the series is complete.

The Muse of Maiden Lane is everything I’ve come to know and love about a Mimi Matthews book and SO much more.

The attention to detail of setting and character was immaculate. Teddy and Stella will find a way into your heart with their passions, longings, and bravery for being conspicuous! They are the youngest represented characters in this series, but still felt very age appropriate in all their interactions which I really enjoyed!

This book follows Stella, a woman with graying hair at an early age who loves nothing but riding her horse and living in the moment. And…Teddy, a tortured artist who while confined by his disability, doesn’t let it confine his opinionated, no nonsense spirit.

The two clash together like threads of intertwining fate, somehow being the exact thing the other person needs them to be, all while shining their own unique and vibrant light. Teddy’s passionate candor and Stella’s vulnerable yet stubborn heart really create some crazy good chemistry! I was so here for it.🔥

This book was incredibly well researched, the disability rep for the time period was very well done, the relationship build was well timed out, and beautifully romantic, and the ending came together like an epic and colorful masterpiece. It was a perfect finale for the series.

If I am a fool for being such an intense fan, then let that foolery convince you to pick up your next book by Matthews.

The Muse of Maiden Lane is the fourth and final instalment in Mimi Matthew’s Belles of London series, which follows four misfit equestriennes trying to navigate life and love in Victorian society.

Mimi Matthews is a master at the Victorian closed-door romance and has an extensive back catalogue. I really appreciate her stories for incorporating and not shying away from the diversity of Victorian society. I particularly enjoyed the first of the series, the Siren of Sussex that explored interracial relationships and colonialism.

Muse centres Stella, the last of the women in the story to find her happy ending. She is resigned to trying to find herself a match that will provide her with financial stability, as she believes her prematurely grey hair has ruined her prospects for a love match. She longs for independence from her overbearing brother and a simple life of riding her beloved horse.

Stella doesn’t count on meeting the forthright and blunt Teddy, himself determined for more independence from his loving sister and brother in law, whose protectiveness of him is borne out of his near death and subsequent disability due to scarlet fever, which left him wheelchair bound. Teddy is an artist and is immediately captivated by Stella and her ethereal beauty, and is determined to paint her.

There are the familiar tropes of multiple misunderstandings, and a late set marriage of convenience. The blossoming of Stella’s confidence is sweet, as well as Teddy’s growing vulnerability and trust in her.

Mimi’s attention to detail within the time period is one of my favourite things about all her books - they are stuffed full which makes the world building so imaginable and evocative.

Thanks to @penguinukbooks @berkleyromance and @mimimatthewsesq for an advanced copy for review. The Muse of Maiden Lane is out in the US on the 19th and the UK on the 21st of November!

I will post reviews on retail sites and instagram from publication day.

ENGLISH REVIEW (ESPAÑOL DESPUÉS)

The Muse of Maiden Lane is the last book of the four stories of the "Belles of London", or the "Furies" of Mimi Matthews, 4 young women who are ignored during the "season" due to their particular character, and who end up falling in love with 4 unexpected suitors , due to its origin, its fame or its particularities.

Having especially loved "The Belle of Belgrave Square", and liked the other books prior to this one, I was expecting an especially sweet romance, given that we already knew Stella, especially from the previous book, and because her suitor is Teddy, brother of the protagonist of "A Convenient Fiction" (from the Parish Orphans of Devon saga), who is a painter in a wheelchair, which separates him from the classic heroes of romantic novels.

Indeed, I have not felt disappointed with this story, which without being my favorite in the saga (the story of Julia and Jasper is too wonderful), it has given me that "slow-burning love" between two people with the same passion (painting, beauty, arts), and that they are limited due to their nature (his handicap or her sex), and that they must move in a society that wants to shelter them, without allowing them to be owners of their own lives.

A new example of Mimi Matthews romance, well documented and in this case, full of nods to art and painting.

********************************************************************************************************************************************************
CRÍTICA EN ESPAÑOL

The Muse of Maiden Lane es el cierre de las cuatro historias de las "Londinenses", o las "Furias" de Mimi Matthews, 4 jóvenes que son ignoradas durante la "temporada" por su caracter particular, y que acabarán enamorándose de 4 inesperados pretendientes, por su origen, su fama o sus particularidades.
Habiendo especialmente amado "The Belle of Belgrave Square", y gustado los demás libros previos a éste, estaba esperando un romance especialmente dulce, dado que ya conocíamos a Stella, especialmente por el libro anterior, y porque su pretendiente es Teddy, hermano de la protagonista de "A Convenient Fiction" (de la saga de los Huérfanos de Devon), que es un pintor en silla de ruedas, que lo separa de los clásicos héroes de novela romántica.

Efectivamente, no me he sentido decepcionada con esta historia, que sin llegar a ser mi favorita en la saga (la historia de Julia y Jasper es insuperable), sí que me ha dado ese "amor a fuego lento" entre dos personas con una misma pasión (la pintura, el arte y la belleza), y que están limitados debido a su naturaleza (su minusvalía o su sexo), y que deben moverse en una sociedad que los quiere arropar, sin permitirles ser dueños de sus propias vidas.

Un nuevo ejemplo de romance de Mimi Matthews, bien documentado y en este caso, lleno de guiños al arte y la pintura. Esperando que llegue pronto también a Libros de Seda para que podáis leerlo en español.

This is a unique and well written love story. The characters were delightful, bold, complex, and interesting. I enjoyed this original, emotional marriage of convenience or true love romance? I'll let you decide. I highly recommend reading!

The final book in Mimi Matthews' Belles of London series features Stella Hobhouse, a brave rider and friend who knows if she doesn't marry soon she'll find herself buried in the quiet countryside forever. Thanks to her odd gray hair and lively personality, she's had more trouble than her friends when it comes to finding a suitor. Thinking if men could just look past her hair to her they might give her a chance, Stella decides to be daring and dye her hair while attending a houseparty with her friend Lady Anne, since noone else will know her there.
Edward "Teddy" Hayes is a fustrated artist who briefly met his muse at a museum, only to lose her to his blunt speech. Now he's at a house party he doesn't want to attend and only knows his sister and brother-in-law. Deciding to spend most of his time painting and hiding away to avoid people and dealing with the annoyance of his wheelchair, he's as surprised as Stella when they meet again.

Muse is a slow burn romance very different from what readers might generally expect- both from Matthews' normal books or traditional romance in general, but I thought it worked very well. At the heart of the story, both Stella and Teddy want independence. They want to discover who they are, what they are capable of in life. While they each start off thinking they need to chart their paths separately, by the end they've discovered that love can make them stronger together. Both have wanted to be truly seen for who they are and what they are capable of beyond their physical appearance- Stella's hair and Teddy's wheelchair. Even early on it is clear (to the reader anyway) that they see each other for who they are. The question is, how long will it take them to figure it out? The suggested marriage of convenience comes late in the book, which might annoy some people. After all, traditionally you have an early marriage of convenience and then love grows from that. But I enjoyed how Matthews played with the expectations and turned the idea into something new- rather like Teddy and his fellow painters were trying to do with what we now call Impressionist art!

One of my absolute favorite things in this book is how Teddy encourages Stella to be herself. Not to be small and quiet, but to be whatever she feels she is, because once they are married they only have to please themselves. That's the kind of support I want in a partner!

This is a story of two people finding their own way, discovering friendship and strengths within themselves that allow for a beautiful, trusting partnership of a loving marriage.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

The Muse of Maiden Lane is the fourth book in Mimi Matthews’s wonderful Victorian Romance series, Belles of London. The series centers around four women who come to London for the Season to find husbands. Initially, they find only each other, bonding over their love of and skill with horses. The series includes The Siren of Sussex, The Belle of Belgrave Square, and The Lily of Ludgate Hill. You don’t have to read them in order, but you might get to know the ladies best if you do.

The last of “the four horsewomen” to make a love match is Stella Hobhouse. When Stella’s father died, he left her a small inheritance, just enough to live on (with her horse) and to have two London Seasons to find a husband. If she doesn’t, she is doomed to live with her brother, a sour, self-righteous clergyman, who criticizes her constantly and keeps trying to control her and her money. Worst of all, he’s interested in marrying a woman who is even more critical than he is.

But Stella has another problem. Although she is only twenty-two, her hair has gone completely platinum gray. She is seen as an oddity, and the ton is cruel to oddities. She hides in the background. But there is one man who sees her for the beauty she is.

Teddy Hayes is a young, very talented artist who burns to paint her from the first moment he sets eyes on her. Teddy has his own obstacle. An illness has left his legs paralyzed and he is confined to a wheelchair. He is accompanied everywhere by a manservant. And he is coddled by his sister and her husband, who infantilize him. But he is as determined to gain his independence as he is to paint Stella.

Stella can’t possibly pose for Teddy. Artist’s models are usually prostitutes or actresses, and Stella has enough trouble with her gray hair and judgmental brother. Still, the two are drawn together.

This is a beautiful story of two people overcoming society’s boundaries to fall in love and find their happily-ever-after.

A mostly solid, albeit predictable tale.

I'm a sucker for a fun historical romance. I liked Stella well enough and understood her desire for love and acceptance. But I never quite understood why she fell in love with Teddy. He's an acceptable enough match, certainly, however, I never got butterflies when they were together—no kicking my feet or smiling like an idiot at their cuteness.

Since the book leans into the fade-to-back territory, it can't depend on spice to help prop it up. It's forced to rely purely on relationship development and chemistry. While I liked Stella and Teddy together, it sometimes felt more like a comfortable friendship. They were attracted to each other, yes. But not enough time was spent growing their friendship into a full-on romantic relationship.

That being said, did I enjoy the book overall? Yes, I did.
Was it easy to read? Absolutely.
Is it an absolute must-read? Probably not.