A review by megatza
The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews

emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 An achingly romantic Beauty and the Beast retelling.
Julia's parents are always "sickly* (to be fair if you were bled as frequently as them, you probably would be too). She's been a few seasons on the marriage mart, and she thinks it's because she's not desirable despite a very sizable dowry. But the moment Jasper Blount meets her, she's all he wants, even when her father turns him away. Jasper has a nasty reputation as a war veteran with three bastards. And worst, he lives far away and would keep Julia from being able to comfort and care for her parents. She marries him anyway - at death's door from a double bleeding at her mother's behest - and they abscond to the moors to his crumbling estate.

True to its BATB roots, this is for the book lovers. Like all of Mimi Matthews's books, it's closed door, but so romantic you don't need more than passionate kisses.