Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match" where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It's our great pleasure to present Mimi Matthews!
Writes:
I write USA Today bestselling, award-winning proper Victorian romances, rich with history, emotional passion, and lush period detail. I’m known for my vivid settings, strong characterization, and attention to social issues of the day. I’m also known for writing about regular people—lawyers, tailors, clergyman, parish orphans, and other untitled heroes and heroines.
Though my stories are closed-door (i.e. no sex on the page), they’re charged with sexual tension, where even the brush of a skirt against a trouser leg or the touch of an ungloved hand can turn the temperature up several degrees. This is especially evident in my latest Victorian romance, THE SIREN OF SUSSEX, in which bluestocking equestrienne Evelyn Maltravers and habit-maker Ahmad Malik spend countless erotic-tension-filled hours together as he fits her clothes.
About:
Raised on the California coast, I grew up reading books, riding horses, and shopping way too much for pretty clothes. After earning an undergraduate degree in English, I went on to law school where I obtained my Juris Doctor. I now use my research skills for writing about Victorian history. THE SIREN OF SUSSEX is the first of my novels to fully combine my love of romance, horses, and fashion. It’s also my first Own Voices novel, with a character (Ahmad Malik) who shares my half-Indian heritage.
What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match:
My ideal reader match for THE SIREN OF SUSSEX must love…
- A gorgeous, gruff, amazingly talented tailor
- An earnest, intelligent, supremely gifted equestrienne
- A slow burn romance
- Strong female friendships
- Authentic Victorian history
- Diverse characters and settings
What to expect if we're compatible:
- A swoon-worthy historical romance that will reaffirm your belief in the power of love.
- Delicious descriptions of Victorian fashion
- Beautiful horses, exquisite riding, and lots of love for animals
- Characters that actually talk to each other
- An immersive Victorian experience, as informative as it is entertaining
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Be sure to check out the Fresh Fiction Podcast later this week; Mimi Matthews is the special guest author! We discuss her new book and fashion in pop culture. More information and show notes can be found for all Fresh Fiction podcast shows on PodBean or your favorite podcasting app.
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Belles of London #1
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?
Romance Historical [Berkley, On Sale: January 11, 2022, Trade Size / e-Book, ISBN: 9780593337134 / eISBN: 9780593337141]
USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews writes both historical nonfiction and award-winning proper Victorian romances. Her novels have received starred reviews in Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and Booklist, 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.
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