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Review by Christina Boyd
A Convenient Fiction, third in Mimi Matthews’ “Parish Orphans of Devon” series, did not disappoint. Alex Archer, a mysterious visitor to Lower Hawley, an inconsequential village in Surrey, has a tortured past—and his maneuvering to marry the heiress of Edington Park is overturned when he meets the beguiling Miss Laura Hayes.
Since her father died three years before leaving the family in straightened circumstances, Laura has managed her household with a meager allowance allotted through a shady solicitor. Knowing her father’s Will dictates she must marry before her next birthday or forfeit fifty percent control of the family’s business and properties, Laura eventually looks to the charming, handsome stranger for a marriage of convenience.
Even though Laura and Alex hide their true motives at first through this convenient fiction, their true passions are revealed. “‘You’re mine now,’ he’d whispered to her on the beach. ‘And I’m yours.’ It had been a foolish, impulsive thing to say. A sentiment brought on by her words to him as they’d waltzed together. But he’d meant it, God help him.” #Swoon (God help me, I may love Alex Archer as much as Justin Thornhill from Book 1, The Matrimonial Advertisement.)
As in her previous romances, Mimi Matthews builds a complex tale and offers full-bodied and intellectually satisfying characters. Well-researched details—bathing machines, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, perfume industry, the architecture, culture, dress—lend authenticity to the narrative. Matthews’ elegant, deft storytelling and likable, well-developed characters has proven why she has quickly become one of my all time favorite historical romance authors. A Convenient Fiction is the perfect pairing with a glass of wine and a quiet night in.
Rated “Mild” for kissing.
