Stevie‘s review of The Siren of Sussex (Belles of London, Book 1) by Mimi Matthews
Historical Romance published by Berkley 11 Jan 22
Obviously I love historical fiction that shines a spotlight on the less represented groups in society, but throw in a hint of the scandalous side of more commonly represented groups as well, and I’m totally sold. So it is with this novel by a new-to-me author, and also the beginning of a new series. Taking inspiration from the real-life ‘pretty horsebreakers,’ a group of Victorian courtesans, this series follows a quartet of more respectable, but still highly accomplished, equestriennes, as they negotiate the Season: its social highlights, dramas, and restrictions on behaviour, all the while preferring to spend their time with their horses on Royton Row. This novel follows Evelyn Maltravers as she seeks out a riding habit that will win her attention from the fashionable members of Society for all the best reasons, in the process befriending and then falling for her tailor, Ahmad Malik.
Evelyn had her life planned out, and it didn’t involve her ever visiting London for any prolonged length of time. She was going to stay in the countryside, marry her childhood best friend, and put her stallion out to stud in order to make the money her family desperately needs following her father’s untimely death. All that changed, however, when Evelyn’s sister eloped with her best friend’s brother, and Evelyn found herself abandoned amidst the resulting scandal. Now she needs to find a new prospective husband in order to continue her plans and secure the futures of her younger sisters. Lacking social graces, Evelyn determines to become famous through her riding skills and decides that she needs a stunning riding habit to show them – and her horse – to best advantage.
When she approaches the tailor who produces habits for the notorious pretty horsebreakers, he is at first reluctant, but is eventually won over by Evelyn’s skills, as are a trio of respectable, but equally independently-minded, ladies who also love horses, and who struggle to make their way through Society.
So begins a series of adventures for Evelyn as she meets Ahmad’s sister, along with the seamstresses who work for him, explores some of the more eccentric aspects of society including spiritualism, is briefly reunited with estranged family members, and ultimately has to choose her plans and her heart’s new desire: Ahmad.
I was very much taken with this book, its setting, and its characters. Ahmad is a delight, and the story never skimped on showing the challenges he and his sister face as the children of a relationship between an English officer and an Indian woman, a theme I expect to see again in the next book, having had hints of who the next protagonists will be. Likewise, Evelyn is easy to like, and I was rooting for the pair of them all the way through the story. I’m very much looking forward to the next book in the series, as well as the subsequent ones, and shall have to explore the author’s other works.
Grade: A
Summary:
Victorian high society’s most daring equestrienne finds love and an unexpected ally in her fight for independence in the strong arms of London’s most sought after and devastatingly handsome half-Indian tailor.
Evelyn Maltravers understands exactly how little she’s worth on the marriage mart. As an incurable bluestocking from a family tumbling swiftly toward ruin, she knows she’ll never make a match in a ballroom. Her only hope is to distinguish herself by making the biggest splash in the one sphere she excels: on horseback. In haute couture. But to truly capture London’s attention she’ll need a habit-maker who’s not afraid to take risks with his designs—and with his heart.
Half-Indian tailor Ahmad Malik has always had a talent for making women beautiful, inching his way toward recognition by designing riding habits for Rotten Row’s infamous Pretty Horsebreakers—but no one compares to Evelyn. Her unbridled spirit enchants him, awakening a depth of feeling he never thought possible.
But pushing boundaries comes at a cost and not everyone is pleased to welcome Evelyn and Ahmad into fashionable society. With obstacles spanning between them, the indomitable pair must decide which hurdles they can jump and what matters most: making their mark or following their hearts?
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
