I present to you a guest review of A CONVENIENT FICTION, a Parish Orphans of Devon novel by Mimi Matthews, published October 22, 2019.
Blurb for A CONVENIENT FICTION:
She Needed a Husband...
It’s been
three years since Laura Hayes’s father died, leaving her and her invalid
brother to subsist on the income from the family’s failing perfume business.
But time is swiftly running out. What she needs is a husband, and fast. A noble
gentleman who can rescue them all from penury. When a mysterious stranger
arrives in the village, he seems a perfect candidate. But Alex Archer is no
hero. In fact, he just might be the opposite.
He Wanted a Fortune...
Alex has
no tolerance for sentiment. He’s returned to England for one reason only: to
find a wealthy wife. A country-bred heiress in Surrey seems the perfect target.
But somewhere between the village railway station and the manor house his
mercenary plan begins to unravel. And it’s all the fault of Laura Hayes—a lady
as unsuitable as she is enchanting.
From the
beaches of Margate to the lavender fields of Provence, a grudging friendship
slowly blossoms into something more. But when scandal threatens, can a man who
has spent his entire life playing the villain, finally become a hero? Or will
the lure of easy riches once again outweigh the demands of his heart?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Connie’s
Review:
Surrey England - 1860
Laura Hayes, age 24, happens to be swimming in the pond near her home when a man jumps in the water and pulls her out thinking that she is drowning. When she assures him she is fine, he leaves.
Laura’s father was a perfumer who, when he invested in a large scheme, lost his money. Shortly afterward, he died from scarlett fever. Her brother contracted the disease too, surviving, but left wheelchair-bound and sickly. Their mother had passed away when they were very young and they now live with their Aunt Charlotte.
Alex Archer is on his way to the vicarage of Talbot’s Wood. His friend, George Wright, son of the parson lives there. Alex is there to meet Miss Henrietta Talbot of Edgington Park. They are scheduled to walk with Henrietta today and her chaperone will be Laura, Henrietta’s friend.
When Laura meets Alex, whom she finds very handsome, she realizes he is the man who tried to save her in the pond.
Alex has come to Surrey to seek a rich wife and is zeroing in on Henrietta to fit that bill. However, he finds her to be spoiled and flighty. It seems that she’s more interested in George.
Alex learns that Laura’s odious solicitor wants to maintain control of their money when her brother turns 21 soon because the man insists that the young man is too frail to handle the job. Now, Laura needs to get another solicitor to fight him if possible.
Alex’s past is a sad one and one that he does not want to admit to. But he is taken with Laura and she with him. They agree to marry and Laura understands that he may leave her at any time as he has a hard time with commitment. But will he? And will their marriage be a happy one?
Oh, my goodness! I loved, loved, loved this book! Mimi Matthews is a fabulous author and her books are the best. Don’t miss this one!
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Laura Hayes, age 24, happens to be swimming in the pond near her home when a man jumps in the water and pulls her out thinking that she is drowning. When she assures him she is fine, he leaves.
Laura’s father was a perfumer who, when he invested in a large scheme, lost his money. Shortly afterward, he died from scarlett fever. Her brother contracted the disease too, surviving, but left wheelchair-bound and sickly. Their mother had passed away when they were very young and they now live with their Aunt Charlotte.
Alex Archer is on his way to the vicarage of Talbot’s Wood. His friend, George Wright, son of the parson lives there. Alex is there to meet Miss Henrietta Talbot of Edgington Park. They are scheduled to walk with Henrietta today and her chaperone will be Laura, Henrietta’s friend.
When Laura meets Alex, whom she finds very handsome, she realizes he is the man who tried to save her in the pond.
Alex has come to Surrey to seek a rich wife and is zeroing in on Henrietta to fit that bill. However, he finds her to be spoiled and flighty. It seems that she’s more interested in George.
Alex learns that Laura’s odious solicitor wants to maintain control of their money when her brother turns 21 soon because the man insists that the young man is too frail to handle the job. Now, Laura needs to get another solicitor to fight him if possible.
Alex’s past is a sad one and one that he does not want to admit to. But he is taken with Laura and she with him. They agree to marry and Laura understands that he may leave her at any time as he has a hard time with commitment. But will he? And will their marriage be a happy one?
Oh, my goodness! I loved, loved, loved this book! Mimi Matthews is a fabulous author and her books are the best. Don’t miss this one!
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
A CONVENIENT FICTION, a Parish Orphans of Devon
novel by Mimi Matthews, Perfectly Proper Press, available now in ebook, audio,
and print at Amazon, Barnes
& Noble, and Kobobooks.
