Review: The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews

 

The Belle of Belgrave Square (Belles of London #2)  by Mimi Matthews

Publication Date: October 11th 2022 by Berkley

Pages: 432

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Julia has a large dowry, but she has yet to make a match and she marks that up to her social anxiety. Not that she minds. She has her books, friends, and her horse to keep her happy. In fact the social season of London is a torture to be endured only able to get out by begging off sick which is a double edged sword because then her awful, hypochondriac parents call for doctors, brutal in their treatments: bloodletting being their preferred cure.

When Julia captures the attention of the infamous Captain Jasper Blunt she’s a little alarmed at first. He’s a big, imposing man with a dark reputation, but as they keep meeting, she they start to bond over horses, and surprisingly books.  I just loved the whole book connection here that I won’t elaborate on.

Jasper needs to marry for money. He has three children in his charge and a crumbling estate with tenant cottages that are all in desperate need of repair. He can’t let his heart factor into the equation, but Julia makes his heart sing and she’s got the money he needs. It seems like the easy solution to all his problems.  Unfortunately, it’s not all that simple and there are some bumps in the road to get over.

I felt for Julia with her horrid parents and feelings of being boxed in and then the relief and joy of connecting with Jasper. I loved the tender way Jasper dealt with Julia and his steadfastness to her and the children! Their romance was so beautiful, swoony and passionate!

The Belle of Belgrave Square was oh-so-lovely! I relished every word and didn’t want the story to end. Definite recommend!

5 Stars

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Book Description:

A London heiress rides out to the wilds of the English countryside to honor a marriage of convenience with a mysterious and reclusive stranger.

Tall, dark, and dour, the notorious Captain Jasper Blunt was once hailed a military hero, but tales abound of his bastard children and his haunted estate in Yorkshire. What he requires now is a rich wife to ornament his isolated ruin, and he has his sights set on the enchanting Julia Wychwood.

For Julia, an incurable romantic cursed with a crippling social anxiety, navigating a London ballroom is absolute torture. The only time Julia feels any degree of confidence is when she’s on her horse. Unfortunately, a young lady can’t spend the whole of her life in the saddle, so Julia makes an impetuous decision to take her future by the reins—she proposes to Captain Blunt.

In exchange for her dowry and her hand, Jasper must promise to grant her freedom to do as she pleases. To ride—and to read—as much as she likes without masculine interference. He readily agrees to her conditions, with one provision of his own: Julia is forbidden from going into the tower rooms of his estate and snooping around his affairs. But the more she learns of the beastly former hero, the more intrigued she becomes…