Synopsis:~

She Wanted Sanctuary…

Helena Reynolds will do anything to escape her life in London, even if that means traveling to a remote cliffside estate on the North Devon coast and marrying a complete stranger. But Greyfriar’s Abbey isn’t the sort of refuge she imagined. And ex-army captain Justin Thornhill–though he may be tall, dark, and devastatingly handsome–is anything but a romantic hero.

He Needed Redemption…

Justin has spent the last two decades making his fortune, settling scores, and suffering a prolonged period of torture in an Indian prison. Now, he needs someone to smooth the way for him with the villagers. Someone to manage his household–and warm his bed on occasion. What he needs, in short, is a wife and a matrimonial advertisement seems the perfect way to acquire one.

Their marriage was meant to be a business arrangement and nothing more. A dispassionate union free from the entanglements of love and affection. But when Helena’s past threatens, will Justin’s burgeoning feelings for his new bride compel him to come to her rescue? Or will dark secrets of his own force him to let her go?

My take:~

The Matrimonial Advertisement had been patiently waiting on my Kindle since I purchased it many months ago on the recommendation of dear book-loving friends, Katie Donovan and Rachel McMillan. I had the best of intentions as they rarely lead me astray, but other reading obligations had me leaving it languishing in my ever growing TBR. What was I thinking?! When I finally opened it up, I devoured every word, every sentence, every emotion, every page of this truly delightful, refreshing, and delectable tale!

Exquisite prose, exceptional historicity, and a love story for the ages, Mimi Matthews secured my readerly devotion from the first chapter and took my emotions along for the ride. Thornhill is most assuredly a Rochester archetype, yet his redemptive story is beautifully satisfying in every way. Helena is a woman of her era, made remarkable by her courage and willingness to see beyond Justin’s chilly and somewhat threatening demeanour to the tender and protective soul hidden from those unwilling to see beyond the exterior.

I was so taken with this story that I acquired the next two books in the Parish Orphans of Devon series, reading the 3 novels in four days. Each one unique and charming in their own right, so there will be more reviews to come.

As her imprint suggests – Perfectly Proper Press – these stories are wonderfully romantic while remaining perfectly proper! I highly recommend Mimi Matthews and am so very glad I listened (eventually!) to Katie and Rachel’s enthusiastic nudging!

I purchased my own copy (in print and ebook) of The Matrimonial Advertisement.

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