Showing posts with label Will Watt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Will Watt. Show all posts

Friday, November 28, 2025

Review: The Marriage Method by Mimi Matthews

 
The Marriage Method (The Crinoline Academy #2) by Mimi Matthews

The Marriage Method (The Crinoline Academy #2)  by Mimi Matthews
Publication Date: November 25th 2025 by Berkley
Pages: 416
Source: Publisher
Rating: 
Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Libro.fm | Audible | Kobo | Goodreads

My Thoughts:
The Benevolent Academy for the Betterment of Young Ladies isn’t your typical school for orphaned girls. Instead of teaching them to be quiet and proper, the Academy trains them to be independent and formidable, something their wealthy backers definitely wouldn’t approve of. When Miles Quincey, editor of the London Courant, starts digging too deep, Nell is sent to handle him. However, while in his office Nell and Miles are caught in a compromising position forcing them into a marriage of convenience.
 
It ends up they have common goals, as Nell was sent to find a young girl, Flora Brent, who went missing on her way to the school and Miles is investigating the disappearance of his gossip columnist. The mysteries end up intersecting, a sinister plot at the heart of both cases. I was very worried about Flora, as London was no place for an unaccompanied, young girl!
 
Nell and Miles’ romance was utter fun with clever banter, gradually deepening into tenderness and trust. Their empathy for one another lends the story real emotional weight, tugging at my heartstrings!
 
They worked well together as they looked for answers. The danger they faced was chilling, but both Nell and Miles were well equipped to handle it!
 
I absolutely loved The Marriage Method! It was a captivating blend of mystery and romance! And can’t forget about the adorable cats! With danger, charm, and emotional depth, this story kept me hooked from the first page to the last! Five stars all the way!

5 Stars


Book Description:

The Academy always comes first . . . which makes marriage to its most formidable adversary an exceedingly inconvenient arrangement.

Well removed from London’s more curious eyes, the Benevolent Academy for the Betterment of Young Ladies strives toward one clandestine goal: to distract, disrupt, and discredit men in power who would seek to harm the advancement of women—by appropriate means, of course.

     When intrepid newspaper editor Miles Quincy starts to question the school’s intentions, the Academy appoints Penelope “Nell” Trewlove, one of their brightest graduates, to put this nuisance to rest. An easy enough mission, she supposes. Or it would be, if Miles wasn’t so fascinating—too fascinating to resist—and if Nell’s visit to London didn’t perfectly coincide with the murder of one of Miles’s reporters.  

     When the inexorable claws of fate trap Nell and Miles in a compromising situation, they agree to an arrangement that will save their reputations while enabling them to investigate the story that led to a man’s death, as well as the surprising chemistry between them . . .


Photo Credit: Vickie Hahn 2021

About the Author:
USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews writes both historical nonfiction and award-winning Victorian romances. Her novels have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and Shelf Awareness, and her articles have been featured on the Victorian Web, the Journal of Victorian Culture, and in syndication at BUST magazine. In her other life, Mimi is an attorney. She resides in California with her family, which includes an Andalusian dressage horse, a Sheltie, a miniature poodle, and two Siamese cats. 

Connect with Mimi Matthews:





Wednesday, August 27, 2025

Review: Rules for Ruin by Mimi Matthews

 
Rules for Ruin (The Crinoline Academy #1) by Mimi Matthews

Rules for Ruin (The Crinoline Academy #1)  by Mimi Matthews
Publication Date: May 20th 2025 by Berkley
Pages: 364
Source: Publisher
Rating: 
Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Libro.fm | Audible | Kobo | Goodreads

My Thoughts:
Euphemia “Effie” Flite is tasked by her former teacher and guardian, Miss Corvus, to find evidence to ruin Lord Compton, a powerful political opponent of women’s rights. Effie’s all for women’s rights and wants the stipend promised to her, so she agrees. She hits a snag on meeting Gabriel Royce, a man intent on keeping Compton in power.
 
Lord Compton keeps the law away from Gabriel Royce’s gambling hall, but that’s not the only reason he wants Lord Compton in his pocket. Gabriel has plans to help reform the Rookery and he needs Compton’s connections and influence to accomplish them. Euphemia is a danger to his goals, but his plans to thwart her are undermined by his growing respect and attraction to her.
 
While this sounds like an enemies-to-lovers sort of romance, these two were never hateful or mean. Effie and Gabriel shared similar values and goals. Their admiration, attraction and care came through loud and clear and they had chemistry in spades!
 
I loved that Effie was a force to be reckoned with, well-educated in self-defense and strategy! Loved her adorable, spirited poodle, Franc, too!
 
Rules for Ruin was an utter delight! I was hooked from page one! The writing was beautiful, the characters multilayered and likable. I also enjoyed the author’s note detailing some of the history the story was based on. I can’t wait for the next installment, The Marriage Method (11/25/25) which centers on Nell and Miles!

5 Stars


Book Description:

No one betrays the Academy. But now Euphemia must decide: break the rules for her enemy, or let the rules break her heart.

On the outskirts of London sits a seemingly innocuous institution with a secretive aim—train young women to distract, disrupt, and discredit the patriarchy. Outraged by a powerful politician’s systematic attack on women’s rights, the Academy summons its brightest—and most bitter—pupil to infiltrate the odious man’s inner circle. A deal is struck: bring down the viscount, and Miss Euphemia Flite will finally earn her freedom.

But betting shop owner Gabriel Royce has other plans. The viscount is the perfect pawn to insulate Gabriel’s underworld empire from government interference. He’s not about to let some crinoline-clad miss destroy his carefully constructed enterprise—no matter how captivating he finds her threats.

From the rookeries of St. Giles to the ballrooms of Mayfair, Euphemia and Gabriel engage in a battle of wits and wills that’s complicated by a blossoming desire. Soon Euphemia realizes it’s not the broken promises to her Academy sisters she should fear. . . . It’s the danger to her heart.


 

Photo credit: Vickie Hahn 2021

About the Author:
USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews writes both historical nonfiction and award-winning Victorian romances. Her novels have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus, and Shelf Awareness, and her articles have been featured on the Victorian Web, the Journal of Victorian Culture, and in syndication at BUST Magazine. In her other life, Mimi is an attorney. She resides in California with her family, which includes a retired Andalusian dressage horse, a Sheltie, and two Siamese cats. Learn more online at www.mimimatthews.com

Thursday, October 17, 2024

Review: An Instruction in Shadow by Benedict Jacka

 
An Instruction in Shadow by Benedict Jacka

An Instruction in Shadow (Inheritance of Magic #2) by Benedict Jacka
Publication Date: October 15th 2024 by Ace
Pages: 336
Source: Publisher
Rating: ½
Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Librofm | Audible | Goodreads 

My Thoughts:
Stephen Oakwood had been training with his father in the art of drucrafting (sort of magic) until his father went missing.  Stephen didn’t know there was a whole world of drucrafters, with a hierarchy, politics, and grabs for more power. He learned the hard way, through his conniving family, House Ashford, in the last book.
 
Now, Stephen has a bit more information, a lot more sigls for defense and offense, and a way to make money. Now that he has a few things sorted, Stephen is determined to find his father. However, things go bad in the job department. Stephen narrowly fends off a few attacks. Byron from the mysterious “Winged” claims he can find Stephen’s father and will give him the information if Stephen joins. Also, Stephen meets with his mother for the first time to get answers. Can’t say I like that woman.
 
Stephen has landed in a dangerous world, and for good reason, he’s suspicious of everyone. Thankfully, he has a few in his corner, like his friend, Colin, and his trusty super cat, Hobbs! Omg! I love Hobbs! I laughed my head off in one scene with him!
 
An Instruction in Shadow was a riveting second installment! The world created is original and interesting, with information weaved in a way that informs without interrupting the pace. I’m eager for the next book since this one left off in a to-be-continued situation! 

4.5 Stars


Book Description:

The ultra-rich control magic—the same way they control everything else—but Stephen Oakwood may just beat them at their own game in this exhilarating contemporary fantasy from the author of the Alex Verus novels. 
Stephen Oakwood has emerged victorious against the schemes of his aristocratic family. Now he finally has the opportunity to do what he’s been wanting to do for a long track down his father.  But doing so won’t be easy. Stephen’s not so isolated any more, but the contacts he’s making in the magical world—everyone from the corporation he works for to the mother he’s just beginning to reconnect with—all have agendas of their own. And now a new group is emerging from the shadows, calling themselves the Winged. Their leader, the mysterious Byron, promises that he can show Stephen how to find his father...but he wants something in return.Following that trail will throw Stephen into greater danger than he’s ever faced before. To survive, he’ll need to use all of his tricks and sigls, and pick up some new ones. Only then will he be able to prevail against his enemies...and find out who’s really pulling the strings.