Yesterday I was blessed by the NetGalley gods and Perfectly Proper Press with an e-ARC of Mimi Matthews’s new Regency Romance, Gentleman Jim.

This was my first Mimi Matthews, and certainly not my last. For the past few months I’d been kind of circling her work, but not really diving in because I am a shameless hussy who loves smut and I had heard her books are *clean*. I really enjoy her Twitter presence, and her depth of knowledge on the Victorian era, but I just could not move past the lack of smut. 

Wow do I feel stupid currently for having put off her books for so long. Gentleman Jim was such a joy for me! I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump for the past few weeks, and have been unable to get interested enough to finish any of the books I’ve been picking up lately. That was not the case with Gentleman Jim; I was immediately sucked in and in fact getting really annoyed at anyone that needed my attention and made me book down the book. 

I adored all of the references to The Count of Monte Cristo and The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling. Not to mention both the heroine and hero had amazing chemistry and depth, I felt they leapt off the page! 

I’m going to re-read and then come back with a bit of a longer post really getting into the nitty-gritty, as we get closer to the publication date.

Gentleman Jim is due out November 10, 2020.

I was provided an ARC by NetGalley and Perfectly Proper Press in exchange for a fair and honest review.

https://fleawithadegree.tumblr.com/post/627196499771752448/first-thoughts-on-gentleman-jim-by-mimi-matthews

"Gentleman Jim" is an engrossing Regency romance by Mimi Matthews. Gentleman Jim is central to the plot of this novel, as was Rebecca in Daphne Du Maurier's "Rebecca". However, this story does not have that sinister gothic tone.

Maggie Honeywell, called a "Pocket Venus" -I love that moniker- during her long ago first Season, has eschewed all suitors, faithful to the long-absent love of her life, Nicholas Seaton. Upon meeting Viscount St. Clare, Maggie is shocked. She believes he is her long lost soulmate Nicholas, something the Viscount denies. 

The plot moves along quickly, and the resolution is thankfully hard to predict. This is a serious novel, although Jane Trumble's Aunt Harriet provides some comic relief. The characters are well-developed, even Frederick Burton-Smythe, a bully as a child who remains so as an adult. John Beresford, Viscount St. Clare is really just looking for "home"; he reminds me a bit of Alex Archer in "A Convenient Fiction".

Matthews' prose is always a delight. This book is clean, well-edited, and historically accurate.

Thanks to NetGalley and Perfectly Proper Press for an ARC of this wonderful novel.

SOMEBODY HOLD ME!

So, as standard, I got super excited when I saw the new Mimi Matthews book on Netgalley. It was approved for me to read almost immediately and I had to tell myself, very sternly, that 2am was not an appropriate time to start a new book. I knew I wouldn't be able to put it down and I was right!

As is always the case when I finish reading one of her books, I am convinced that these two may be favourite pairing yet (although, again, I say that after literally every single Mimi Matthews book).

This story is heartbreaking and uplifting all in one breath and, despite the fact that I knew Ms. Matthews would not let me down, I worried that there was no happy ending in store for Nicholas and Maggie. 

I admit, I did doubt whether Maggie was right to begin with, purely because of how things were written from St. Clare's side of things but, like Maggie, I hoped soooo badly that she wasn't mistaken! 

I loved Allendale and was thrilled to see Jane get her happy ever after too (I was shipping her and Mattingly hard when I was sighing over Nicholas).

Mimi Matthews is up there with the likes of Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn and Eloisa James in my all time historical romance authors playlist and this book just solidifies the reason why I get so bloody excited every time I see a new release of hers!