Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


“Just because a lady shared a deep, smoldering kiss with a gentleman didn’t mean that gentleman need be privy to all that lady’s business.”

Rules for Ruin by Mimi Matthews

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Monthly Keyword 26: Ruin Official plot summary (because I read this in February): 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 bring down the viscount, and Miss Euphemia Flite will finally earn her freedom. But betting shop owner Gabriel Royce has other plans. […]

Horse Girls ftw

The Lily of Ludgate Hill by Mimi Matthews

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Truth be told, I think I’m giving all of these a pass because of how much I liked her first novel. That book was well researched, had novel elements grounded in real history, horse-girl-ness, all the female friend interaction your heart could desire and such! sumptuous! descriptions of clothing! that I almost wanted to become a Victorian era cosplayer. But since then, the books have moved away from these elements that I loved or kept them at an arm’s length. This book owes a debt […]

How could one ever capture a star?

The Muse of Maiden Lane by Mimi Matthews

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CBR16 Bingo: Celestial – Teddy paints Stella as Electra, one of the Pleiades of Greek mythology – the daughters of the Titan Atlas who were transformed into stars by Zeus. Grey-haired Stella is the only one of her friends still unwed, and does not expect to marry soon either. But between her new acquaintance with aspiring artist Teddy and the pressure from her brother’s impending marriage, Stella finds that her path may not be what she always envisioned. After a whirlwind read of the previous three […]

If novel reading were really bad for the health, we all on this site would have perished long ago.

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

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Didn’t expect to read this whole thing in a day! But that is exactly what I did. I really, really like Mimi Matthews’s style. This is the second book of hers I’ve given 4.5 stars. I think I’ll have to look up her backlist sometime soon, especially since the last book in this series (Belles of London) has a character from a previous series (Parish Orphans of Devon) as the hero. The Belle of Belgrave Square follows the second of our equestriennes, Julia Wychwood, who […]

volumes 1 and 2 in a lovely Victorian romance series

The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews

The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews

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What a fascinating book, with a beautiful cover to boot—a nice departure from that paper cutout cartoon design that everyone has deemed the style du jour. Mimi Matthews is also a nonfiction author and a Victorian era historian, both of which come across very strongly in this novel. The main characters are a half-Indian tailor and a blue stocking equestrian, and for once the ethnic backgrounds and occupations don’t seem superfluous to the main plot. Evelyn is looking to make a match on the marriage […]

“Everyone knows high-spirited termagants are the only sorts of ladies I fancy.”

Gentleman Jim by Mimi Matthews

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Classic style regency romance without the problematic bits. Plot: Nicholas and Margaret have been best friends their whole lives and had assumed that they would marry as well. Minor problem: Maggie is the daughter of a wealthy Squire and Nicholas is the son of a retired prostitute now working in the Squire’s home. Other minor problem: her neighbour Frederick is very confident that she will marry him instead, and figures there’s nothing wrong with helping turn the page on this childish infatuation by getting Nicholas […]



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