Review excerpted from my blog post over at FanSciHist (https://fanscihist.wordpress.com/2019/09/22/a-convenient-fiction-by-mimi-matthews/)


My Rating: 4.5 stars

Library recommendation: Recommended for public library historical romance collections.

Warning: Hereafter, you chance spoilers. I will try never to reveal major plot points, but to review any book, you must reveal some parts of the story.


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Number of titles I have read by this author: 7

Love story speed: Medium burn

Relationship dynamics: The Scheming Card Sharp (H) / The Straitened Miss (h)

Sexual content: None “on-screen”, some vaguely described after the fact.

Triggers: Descriptions of child abuse (of H)

Grammar/Editing: This ARC had more typos and punctuation errors than can be usually found in Matthews’ work, but hopefully they will be cleaned up in the final version.

Review: As is always the case with Matthews’ writing, the pacing is even and the progression of the story is very natural. The setting is also impeccably researched and presented, and where artistic license is taken, it is acknowledged and described in the afterword.

While Alex and Laura initially get off on the wrong foot and seem, to each other, to be a match that could never happen, they find their way together in what seems like an inevitable way. Both are emotionally scarred by their pasts, but manage to find in each other what they each have always been lacking. Matthews makes this possible through her excellent writing and the innate sense of flow in her storytelling. The supporting characters in this novel are interesting and three dimensional, but readers will have much more enjoyment of certain parts of the novel if they have read the other books in the series, as there are recurring characters from the previous books. Indeed, certain encounters will hit loyal series readers “right in the feels.”

I am very much looking forward to book 4 in this series.

Perfume review version: A subtle, attractive scent that lures in the willing admirer and leaves them longing for another experience.



Full disclosure: I received a free advance review copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a woman to do when dire circumstances force her into a wall, and the man who could rescue her wants to have nothing to do with her.

There is nothing I like better than the redemption of a man’s way, all in the name of Love.
Having not read the two previous installments, I do understand Alex was described as the vilain of the group of four orphans. The one who took off and never looked back.
Still he carries his past transgressions like a cross, so ashamed by what he sees as his sins, he never stopped running away.
For his first encounter with Laura, he fights his attraction to her, chemistry he senses either way.
She awaken feelings he has long ago bury and refuses to experience again as it has carved deep scars last time he felt the same.
Laura is holding her household with her fortitude, but now she struggles to make ends meet.
She is kind and caring but also hardheaded and not easy to relinquish her control.
She tries to find a way to restaure her family business but her plans are dwarfed by her solicitor and as a woman she hold little to no power.
As for Alex, her relationship with him unsettles her, but still, she is drawn to him even knowing he has come with a specific goal and hide a great deal of things.
Alex might be introduced as the wicked guy but George and Henriette, Laura’s childhood friends are no flawless angels, they bear their own sins.

Mrs Mimi Matthews has manufactured an arresting tale of vanquishing one past’s guilt to let it go for the hope of a future. This tremendous story with vibrant and spirited characters had me turning the pages with bliss, eager to see the plot unfold and Alex and Laura find their way to one another. Their romance was so sensual, by small touches with bare hands, a hint of skin revealed, a scent lingering, Mrs Matthews expressed voluptuously their growing sentiments. Scorching gaze does enough a steamy scene to convey the magnitude of their love.
The one matter was to find where home was really, an act of property or in the heart of those you care for.
5 stars

I was granted through Netgalley by the publisher Perfectly Proper Press an advance copy, prior to it I have preordered my own.
Here is my true and unbiased opinion.

Ever since her father's death, Laura Hayes has been forced to shoulder the burden of her invalid brother and the family finances. An unscrupulous lawyer holds the remnants of the family fortune, and in order to wrest control of her father's property from his oily fingers, Laura must marry. Husbands are scarce in rural Surrey, however. Dissolute neighbor George Wright is hardly a prime choice, and given their past history, Laura would never accept his advances...matrimonial or otherwise. 

When George brings a handsome friend named Alex Archer home to visit, Laura is instantly drawn to him. But although Mr. Archer seems to feel the same attraction, he is also assiduous in his attentions to local heiress, Henrietta Talbot. Is Mr. Archer nothing more than a manipulative fortune hunter, or does he have the kindness and character to be the savior Laura Hayes needs?

Alex Archer has arrived in Surrey with one goal in mind: to marry, and marry rich. But although foolish George has provided him with the necessary introduction to Miss Henrietta Talbot, Alex finds another woman occupying his thoughts entirely. The penurious Miss Hayes, with her alabaster skin and raven-haired beauty, seems determined to peer through his carefully-crafted façade and see him as he truly is. And this, more than anything, terrifies him, for he has spent his entire life running from the demons of his past, insulating his loneliness with lies, and pushing away anyone who threatens to come too close. 

This book is a beautiful addition to Mimi Matthews' Parish Orphans of Devon series. While the book can stand on its own, it's helpful to know the past stories of Alex's "brothers" from the orphanage (Justin Thornhill from A Matrimonial Advertisement and Tom Finchley from A Modest Independence). I particularly enjoyed getting a glimpse of Finchley again and seeing his unfinished business with Alex Archer resolved.

As the opening scene commences, one wonders if things will stay "proper" in this romance, but the relationship between the main characters is sweet throughout. One of the best moments of the book was when Laura declares to Alex that he doesn't really want property, he wants a family, and family is exactly what she has to offer him. It is a breathtakingly simple truth often overlooked in romance novels. 

The imagery of being pulled underwater is woven throughout the novel, both in a literal and metaphorical manner--foreshadowed in the first scene and fulfilled in a most dramatic way as the book moves to its climax. One of the things I appreciate about Mimi Matthews' book is that she doesn't always conclude with wedding bells but lets us follow the couple a few weeks or months further, to the point where they have truly grown into their love for each other. This book is a satisfying romance on its own merits but even richer when you see the connections with the other Parish Orphans of Devon. Recommended.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Alex returns to England with intentions to marry a wealthy heiress, but his plans begin to disrupt when he meets Laura Hayes, a lady who is in risk of penury and so unsuitable for him. They get enchanted with each other but try to restrain their feelings, until a scandal happens and Alex has to make the decision of marrying her or following up with his plans.
A delightful and sweet story, i adored the couple and when their happy ending finally happened it was amazing.

The third novel in Mimi Matthews' Parish Orphans of Devon series, "A Convenient Fiction" is the story of Alex Archer, now thirty-three, who returns to England after twenty years abroad. He spent his time gambling and formed no real friendships, and uses a gambling debt owed him as a means of obtaining an introduction to a marriageable heiress.

Alex was hard for me to like at first. He is a fortune hunter and WAS a gambler. His first meeting with Laura doesn't sway him from his course.

All characters are well-drawn. Alex is an enigma, crafting a fictitious backstory for himself. As unpleasant truths of his childhood are revealed, one understands why he ran and why he is the way he is now. While the heiress, Henrietta Talbot can be spoiled and petty, even she has her good points. George is weak and easily manipulated. Laura Hayes is wonderful, and her brother Teddy is delightful. Laura's assessment of what Alex is REALLY looking for is heartfelt and insightful.

It always amazes me when I read about bathing machines. They're positively ridiculous. While mouth-to-mouth resuscitation was a proven method for reviving drowning victims, it was still misunderstood by the populace.

Mimi Matthews' writing style is lovely and flows well. There are one or two very minor grammatical errors. This book is clean.

For a clearer understanding of Alex and his fellow orphans, it is best if this series is read in order, although each novel is technically a stand-alone. I am looking forward to Neville's story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this lovely novel. All opinions are my own.