Summary: Gentleman Jim by Mimi Matthews
She couldn’t forget…
Wealthy squire’s daughter Margaret Honeywell was always meant to marry her
neighbor, Frederick Burton-Smythe, but it’s bastard-born Nicholas Seaton who
has her heart. Raised alongside her on her father’s estate, Nicholas is the
rumored son of notorious highwayman Gentleman Jim. When Fred frames him for
theft, Nicholas escapes into the night, vowing to find his legendary sire. But
Nicholas never returns. A decade later, he’s long been presumed dead.
He wouldn’t forgive…
After years spent on the continent, John Beresford, Viscount St. Clare has
finally come home to England. Tall, blond, and dangerous, he’s on a mission to
restore his family’s honor. If he can mete out a bit of revenge along the way,
so much the better. But he hasn’t reckoned for Maggie Honeywell. She’s bold and
beautiful—and entirely convinced he’s someone else.
As danger closes in, St. Clare is torn between love and vengeance. Will he
sacrifice one to gain the other? Or with a little luck—and a lot of daring—will
he find a way to have them both? (from Goodreads).
My thoughts about this historical regency romance
When squire’s daughter Margaret Honeywell’s father
dies, her abusive neighbor and prospective husband Fredrick Burton-Smythe gets total
control of her. He has challenged a stranger to a duel and Margret finds he looks
the spitting image of her childhood friend. Events spiral into a race of
jealousy and revenge, where Margaret is stuck in the middle.
Getleman Jim is the standalone
regency romance by Mimi Matthews set in Somerset 1817 about squire’s daughter Margaret
Honeywell who has been left in control of her abusive guardian and neighbor
Frederick Burton-Smythe. Through his will, her father forces her to marry Fred
and have the estates joined or she will lose all her assets. But Margaret has
her heart set on illegitimate son and estate groom Nicholas Seaton, who went in
search for his father years ago and never returned.
When Margaret tries to prevent Fred from dueling, she is shocked to meet John Beresford, Viscount St. Clare, who looks just like Nicholas but denies having met him. Fred picks up on a connection between the two and becomes even more bullying and controlling towards Margaret. She finds herself stuck between the two men trying to prevent them from hurting each other.
Main character John Beresford, Viscount St. Clare, has a secret history having grown up in Europe. I feel for him as the plot progresses and he is not able to tell Margaret the truth.
Secondary character
squire’s daughter Margaret Honeywell was verbally assertive but suffered health
challenges following her father’s death. Descriptions of her health I felt
made her character come alive and be relatable. She is my favorite character of
this story.
I felt this plot included some unique elements. The terrible
lack of judgment and next level cynicism in the will added excellent dramatic effect.
I particularly felt surprised and relieved by how Margaret’s closest friend
Jane acted reminiscent to her lawyer in the early parts of the story. She certainly
needed one as the plot progressed. The writing was captivating with
thoroughly engaging dialogue and great character building. All
this made me fly through the pages and wish for more.
The best part of this story was when Margaret tried to stop Fred’s duel by visiting his opponent. This serious surprise became the center of the plot. The effects of the will were by far the worst part.
The heart wrenching feelings between St. Clare and Margaret I
felt were particularly well written. St. Clare offered Margaret 3 forfeits
which I felt gave the story an element of fairy tale I’m sure would appeal to
younger readers.
This unique story with several fresh elements would captivate
readers of regency romance and fans of Mimi Matthews. Similar authors might be
Michelle Griep or Erica Vetsch.
Thank you to publisher Perfectly
Proper Press and NetGalley for this eARC which gave me the opportunity to share my
honest review. All opinions in this review are completely my own.
Conclusion:
this unique regency romance includes captivating drama, legal issues,
mystery and romance as St. Clare and Margaret tackle difficulties of secrecy,
jealousy and revenge. I look forward to reading whatever Mimi Matthews releases next because of the enjoyable plots she comes up with.
My rating: 5 stars / 5
Main reasons: unique plot, entertaining writing, great characters and dialogue.
Book Details
Publisher : Perfectly Proper Press (November 10, 2020)
ASIN : B0842YLCNF
Here is where to buy
About The Author
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 and Publishers Weekly, 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. To learn more, please visit www.MimiMatthews.com
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