The Lily of Ludgate Hill

This may be my favourite one yet. Our leads hurt each other 6 years and 5 months earlier at the start of the book, which we discover later was because they were both reeling from great losses and needed the other to support them. Now, Anne needs Hart's help with a situation that was part of the previous book. In that book, we saw them from the outside. This time we see their perspective. Their journey is to learn to be vulnerable and truly understand each other. We do get some time with the other horsewomen that form this series and we see the wedding of the couple from the first book. Their story unfolds beautifully.

The author writes at the end that she lost her father a month before starting this book. It was around the same time I show more lost mine. This book handles grief splendidly. That and the continued diversity of this world is what takes it up a notch. That diversity continues with the hero of the final book and I can't wait. He makes an appearance in this book with his family and I thought they seemed familiar. They were. His sister and brother-in-law are the main couple of A Convenient Fiction from her Parish Orphans of Devon series. It's not the first time the author has tied those two series together and I'm here show less

This engaging historical romance is the third in the Belles of London historical romance series set in the 1860s. Lady Anne has been her mother's companion in grief for the loss of her father for over seven years. She feels obligated to follow her mother's ever-more-eccentric demands including wearing only black and visiting every sort of spiritualist that London offers.

When Anne was just sixteen, she fell in love with Felix Hartford but her mourning and his trip with his uncle to gather specimens of all sorts of plants separated them. When he returned to wed her, she put him off because she felt she couldn't leave her emotionally fragile mother. He took it badly and said hurtful things still resonating in Anne's mind.

Felix had show more problems of his own. When he learned that his supposedly upright and righteous father left a mistress and three children upon his death, Felix feels compelled to care for them. But their demands, especially those of the eldest son who is a gambler, threaten to ruin him financially and ruin his family if their existence becomes public knowledge.

Each character is carrying secret burdens which complicate the resumption of their romance making for an interesting story firmly set in the social mores of the day. Information about aristocrats entering trade and the role of women in society infuse this novel. So does the whole topic of grief and the changes it makes in a person. With Anne's mother embracing her grief and unwilling to let it go, she mirrors the grief of Queen Victoria with the same consequences to her daughter as the queen faced with her children.

This was a thought-provoking historical romance with engaging characters. show less

Just when I think I’ve found my favorite Mimi Matthews book, she writes The Lily of Ludgate Hill. It’s magnificent, passionate, witty, and everything I love in a closed door Victorian romance. I adored this book! The second chance, childhood friends to more romance with a touch of enemies to lovers was so delicious. I loved watching these two strong willed people find their way back to each other. I also enjoyed the themes of working class versus aristocracy, spiritualism as it relates to grief, the Victorian double standards when it comes to women and inheritance, and forgiveness and second chances.

Lady Anne Deveril has had a lot thrust upon her beautiful shoulders. Dressed in unrelieved black long past the time of mourning, she show more tries to support & humor her grieving mother. She’s also a fierce defender of her friends known as the Furies. When she believes her friend Julia is in trouble, she turns to the last man she wants to ask for help. Though Felix Hartford hurt her so many years ago, she’s still in love with him. Determined to remain single, she deftly ignores his witty barbs and the sizzling attraction between them until she can’t.

Felix “Hart” Hartford regrets not marrying Anne when he had the chance. He’s never met another woman like her, but her fierce independence and rejection bring out his cutting wit. When she comes to him needing help, he offers her a bargain she can’t refuse. Yet, underneath his handsome, playboy facade, is a hardworking man who cares for his family and employees. He’s determined to keep his father’s indiscretions a secret from his grandfather and uncle, but it might just cost him his fortune and life. He’s also ready to do whatever it takes to gain Anne’s forgiveness, good opinion & love.

I absolutely adored Hart & Anne! Oh the banter and wit! And those kisses! *sigh* I loved their intellectual battles. Hart’s sarcasm is expertly matched with Anne’s sharp tongue. But, underneath that pretended animosity is a passionate love waiting to be unleashed, if only Hart can convince Anne. I loved the added complexity to the characters. There was so much more than just a simple misunderstanding that drove these two apart and I enjoyed how the past was revealed and seeing the characters recognize their own faults.

I also appreciated the way grief, pain of loss, and forgiveness are addressed in the story. Both Anne and Hart carry heavy burdens and I loved the way they helped each other. The side characters were intriguing and I’d love to know how Marcus fairs in the Highlands. I also loved seeing Julia & Capt. Blunt again as well as the other “Furies.”

It’s a must read for closed door Victorian romance fans! I’ve loved each of these Furies’ stories and am excited for more. Though this is the third book in the series, it can be read as a standalone, but is more enjoyable if you’ve read the previous books. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided.

CW: mild swears, mild violence, only passionate kissing show less

So rich and satisfying!

Fascinating and complex tale of the third of the four horsewomen friends who ride together in the mornings galloping along Rotten Row. Named by the ton, The Four Horsewomen.
When her beloved father dies Lady Anne Deveril is besieged with grief. Her own and her mother’s.
When her fiancé Felix Hartford, whom Anne had loved from childhood, returned twelve months later after a trip to India with his grandfather collecting plants, Anne still wore black and refused to marry him in order to support her mothers grief. Harsh words were said and Anne repudiated him.
Now, some seven years later, Anne is still wearing black and supporting her mother’s grief, travelling to spiritualists endeavoring to be in touch with her show more beloved husband, Anne’s father.
Hartford has returned and continues to pursue her, from a distance.
Hart has discovered an awful secret about his father. A man whose love and approval he could never gain. A man who was pointed out as moral and upstanding, a vigorous upholder of Christian values.
As it turned out a man who had a family and three children with his mistress, Hart’s mother’s ex maid. The scandal would reverberate throughout society and badly affect his worthy politician uncle if it ever came out!
More than this, his father had left his alternate family destitute. Hart had taken on responsibility for his half siblings and their rather unpleasant mother. However his half brother Marcus was bleeding him dry with his gambling debts. He and his mother are blackmailing Hart.
Unknown to all Hart’s father had left his inheritance in desperate straights. Hart been quietly investing in a Plumbago mine, and pursuing other methods of making money to support his estate and his siblings.
Hart has never given up on Anne. He offers to escort Anne and her mother to Yorkshire in order to visit one of Anne’s close friends, Julia Wychwood at her abductor’s (now husband) residence. Anne wants to check on Julia, her mother wants to see Captain Blunt’s residence that’s of spiritual significance. His hope is that their relationship might stand some chance of being renewed.
However rough patches are very much ahead for Hart and Anne. Including Anne and her mother having to leave their Mayfair home as the new heir has finally decided to claim his London home. Anne’s mother decides they’ll move to a place on Ludgate Hill, crowded and never quiet, yet claimed to be spiritually important.
Maybe all Anne needs is to be replanted in different soil, like Hart’s grandfather’s giant Himalayan Lily that refuses to bloom. Maybe then they’ll each come into their own?!
Once again a brilliant novel from Mimi Matthews, a second chance romance, with twists and turns I couldn’t see around until they happened!
A novel full of love disregarded, love reclaimed, duty chosen, independence gained in true love, and so much more.
I loved Hart’s column about plants that hinted of course at the Lily of Ludgate Hill.
Despite the frustrations there’s so much joy and anticipation in this novel! Rich indeed!

A Berkley Group ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher. show less

review - https://booksteacupreviews.com/2024/02/09/the-lily-of-ludgate-hill-by-mimi-matth...

The Lily of Ludgate Hill is slow burn second chance historical romance, third in Belles of London, that follows story of Lady Ann Deveril and Mr. Felix Hartford.

They both knew each other since childhood, they loved each other. Six and half years ago a day after Hart’s proposal for marriage to Anne, tragedy strikes Anne’s family that changed her life. Once the required mourning period ended and Hart returned from his exploration in India he thought they would get married but instead, they had a huge fight with bitter hateful words, breaking their heart and each other.

Anne and her mother have lived in never ending mourning ever since. Anne had show more put behind her dream of marriage or happily ever after but when her best friend Julia eloped with Captain Blunt, she has to put aside her animosity with Hart and ask for his help that takes them on road trip forcing them to confront their past, old, regrets, guilts and feelings that never died with their break up.

Writing is gripping and emotive with dual perspective as the previous books in the series but The Lily of Ludgate Hill was much slower than I expected. Setting of Victorian England is as captivating as the characters that are heart of the book.

The Lily of Ludgate Hill focuses on Anne and Hart, their life in past six and half years, and their feelings along with the theme of grief, forgiveness, familial duty, and growth. It is filled with society and fmaily drama, romance, emotions, friendship and romance.

The confident, feisty, fiery Anne I have come to know in previous books is shadowed by the vulnerability she was hiding inside her so far. It was heartaching to see her bearing the responsibility of her mother’s grief, trying to hold on to little family she has left leaving no room for her own grief along with the loneliness she felt and the looming trouble of her cousin- who inherited Arundel name, status, and estate after her father’s death- wanting them to move out of their London house.

I could understand why she felt Hart left her all those years ago not understanding her position and even now behaving the same way until she has to word them. She wasn’t wrong in her belief Hart failed to give her surety, support, and security when she knew nothing of what he was going through but at the same time, I felt she was too hard on him because of her own fear of losing not just her mother but also him.

Hart was careless, young, and lacked maturity six and half years ago. He did things for amusement but little anyone knew how he made his humor an armor to keep his vulnerability and burden of responsibility hidden. I loved him for his patience with not just Anne but also with his step-family. It made me angry on his behalf how they behaved after everything he had done for the past nine years and at the same time how society and his own family was saying about him.

He was that misunderstood hero who carried more baggage and suffered alone without confiding in a single person. He wasn’t wrong in blaming everything on Anne’s mother. At some points, I also felt how she couldn’t see the effects of her decision of perpetual mourning on Anne. I get her own wish to keep the mourning clothes but why wouldn’t she let Anne be free of it and why wouldn’t she want to find a husband for Anne?

But I liked how Hart had been honest about his thoughts and feelings from the beginning. I loved how he accepted his past mistakes with Anne and how he took one opportunity to right that wrong and never gave up on Anne now that he had hope of having her.

Romance is filled with angst, tension, banter, and pining for most of the book. Even though we can see they love each other their situation and past make their feelings so complex making push and pull quite enjoyable. The only thing that made me frustrated a little was the slow progress in their relationship. It can be both positive and negative depending on how you like your romance stories but for me it just made me want to flip the pages fast to reach the part of sweet, heartwarming moments that we finally get after 60% of the book.

I absolutely loved their stolen kisses and all the moments of Hart winning Anne back and not hiding it this time making it so plain it’s hard for Anne’s mother to ignore. I loved how that brought back Anne I used to know, how spending time with Hart made her confront her own grief and also talk about it with her mother. And that moment she finally discarded her blacks was epic. It was so great to see her in colors.

I was anticipating the drama near the end and thought it would be pretty serious but it turned out amusing. I loved how things turned out in Anne and Hart’s favor and they finally getting their happily ever after. Loved reading some of Victorian facts related to theme and layers of the story in author’s note in the end.

Overall, The Lily of Ludgate Hill is captivating and delightful, slow burn, second chance, friends-lover-enemies-lovers Victorian romance. show less

”I’ll always care what happens to you, Anne. The truth is . . . I wouldn’t know how to stop.”

Six and a half years ago Anne and Hart had a terrible fight and broke their secret engagement. Now they cross paths again…

These two never stopped loving each other, but their journey to HEA was not easy. Nothing was obvious and it took Hart some time to get Anne to trust him again. It was wonderful how he fought for her and for their love, how he always thought of her and never lost hope.

This book was much more than a romance, there were so many layers to it! It was a poignant story about grief, forgiveness and allowing yourself to be happy. There was the complex family dynamic on Hart’s side which showed how incredibly kind and show more loving he was, and there was Anne’s relationship with her mother.
My heart was breaking for both women, especially knowing that the author based the story partly on her own experiences.

I am absolutely in love with this book and the Alex Archer cameo was just a cherry on top.

Thanks Kristina for the buddy read!

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I want to go back in time and read this book for the first time again. I need more stars to rate it.

RTC show less

Matthews does a great job weaving history and modern conversations together in her romances, and I love the way she handles diversity -- she doesn't whitewash history. I also love that her character's inner demons and dramas are a little more believable than most, and that this was a satisfying end to a story arc that's been building for a while.

Advanced reader's copy provided by Edelweiss.