I was delighted when I saw this book was being released. I devoured book one in the series, Rules for Ruin, and ended that review with a note about how I was looking forward to the couple I guessed would be in the next book. I was delighted to be right! Nell is one of the earliest cohorts at Miss Corvus’ school and when she was younger, she felt destined for great things. But a … Continue reading The Marriage Method by Mimi Matthews
Rules for Ruin, the first book in Mimi Matthews’ The Crinoline Academy series, is $1.99! Lara reviewed this book and gave it an A (!!) saying, “This is my first Bad Decisions Book Club of 2025. Sleep became a distant memory with this book. For context, I have a newborn. I had the opportunity to sleep, but chose not to because this book was much more important.”
She gave up sleep, y’all. The second book, The Marriage Method, will be out on November 25. If you know you’ll want it, a heads up that this is the week of Thanksgiving, so preordering means SURPRISE BOOK when you might be super duper busy and maaaaybe ready to not talk to people for a bit.
This is my first Bad Decisions Book Club of 2025. Sleep became a distant memory with this book. For context, I have a newborn. I had the opportunity to sleep, but chose not to because this book was much more important. It is also the start of a series and it’s a series I’m now very excited about! Euphemia Flite was raised in a school for girls on the outskirts of Victorian London. Her origins … Continue reading Rules for Ruin by Mimi Matthews
This series has been hit-or-miss for me. This one wasn’t quite the heights of some of the other books by this author that I’ve read, but I devoured it nonetheless and am happy to recommend it to others. Stella Hobhouse is a clergyman’s sister, a great friend, an excellent horsewoman and completely stuck in life. Her brother has really strict expectations of her and Stella chafes against them. (This later causes serious ructions in her … Continue reading The Muse of Maiden Lane by Mimi Matthews
RECOMMENDED: A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske is $2.99! Carrie wrote a Lightning Review for this one and gave it a B:
Readers who love thoughtful, specific worldbuilding and very thoughtful characters who slowly fall for one another will likely enjoy this book, though be warned that the tension and pace felt uneven and may require some reader perseverance.
Silver Silence by Nalini Singh is $1.99! Big thank you to everyone who let us know about this sale and hopefully it’s still valid. This is the start to the first Psy-Changeling Trilogy. If you’re wondering whether you can start here, the answer is yes. Elyse did, though still have some questions, and gave it a B:
I think Silver Silence will be a big hit with readers of the series, and a little less effective with newcomers. I did love the healthy portrayal of an alpha hero, though, and found the world of the bear shifters to be fun and fascinating.
Mimi Matthews returns to the show to talk about her latest novel, The Lily of Ludgate Hill, which is the third book in her Belles of London series. Among the major themes of this book? PINING. SO MUCH PINING. Which I love. But this is also a book about grief: characters are pining for what was as much as other characters are pining for what could be. So we talk about grief, loss, hope, and … Continue reading 598. Historical Romances for Horse Girls with Mimi Matthews
This book drove me crackers but I still read the whole thing in a couple days. While it was as compelling as Matthews’ usual work, it brought me none of the joy. The reason for this is the role a character from a previous book played in this book. But first, let’s focus on this book on its own merits. Ivo Beresford is a young man with his eye on the future. He wants to … Continue reading Appointment in Bath by Mimi Matthews
Mimi Matthews joins me to talk about her latest book, Appointment in Bath, about self publishing historical romance, and about being one of many lawyers who write romance. We also talk about chronic pain and recovery, disability, and the joys of re-reading. Plus, she shares some of her all time favorite historical romances. … Music: Purple-planet.com
You know, I love a series that’s connected enough to be rewarding, but separate enough to be dipped into at any point. I did not enjoy the first book in Mimi Matthews’ Belles of London series, but I decided to give book 2 a try and I’m so glad that I did. As with so many of my reading kinks, they are so different from my real life preferences in human companionship. And as it … Continue reading The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews
Y’all know how much I love Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, so it’s no surprise that when someone mentioned a gender-bent version I was intrigued. John Eyre doesn’t match up for me as a version of Jane Eyre, but it is an atmospheric, compelling Gothic – low on heat and character development, but with enough chills to be fun for a stormy winter’s night. John Eyre: A Tale of Darkness and Shadow tells the tale … Continue reading John Eyre by Mimi Matthews
