{"id":29443,"date":"2022-10-19T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-19T02:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/?p=29443"},"modified":"2022-10-17T00:13:29","modified_gmt":"2022-10-16T19:13:29","slug":"review-the-belle-of-bellgrave-square-by-mimi-matthews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2022\/10\/19\/review-the-belle-of-bellgrave-square-by-mimi-matthews\/","title":{"rendered":"Review \u2764\ufe0f The Belle of Bellgrave Square by Mimi Matthews"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--themify_builder_content-->\n<div id=\"themify_builder_content-29443\" data-postid=\"29443\" class=\"themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-29443 themify_builder tf_clear\">\n    \t\t\t<!-- module_row -->\n\t<div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_row themify_builder_row tb_bbbcac8 tb_first tf_w tf_clearfix\">\n\t    \t\t\t<div class=\"row_inner gutter-narrow col_align_top tb_col_count_2 tf_box tf_rel\">\n\t\t            <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-1 tb_49667e8 first\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module image -->\n<div  class=\"module module-image tb_7036296 rounded drop-shadow customBorderRad_top image-center auto_fullwidth tf_mw\" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div class=\"image-wrap tf_rel tf_mw\">\n\t\t    <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"333\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/the-belle-of-belgrave-square-mimi-matthews.jpg?resize=333%2C500&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"wp-post-image wp-image-29444\" title=\"the-belle-of-belgrave-square-mimi-matthews\" alt=\"the-belle-of-belgrave-square-mimi-matthews\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/the-belle-of-belgrave-square-mimi-matthews.jpg?w=333&amp;ssl=1 333w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/the-belle-of-belgrave-square-mimi-matthews.jpg?resize=200%2C300&amp;ssl=1 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 333px) 100vw, 333px\" \/>\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/image-wrap -->\n    \n    \t<\/div>\n<!-- \/module image --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_a1982ef customBorderRad_bottom repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Tall, dark, and dour, the notorious Captain Jasper Blunt was once hailed a military hero, but tales abound of his bastard children and his haunted estate in Yorkshire. What he requires now is a rich wife to ornament his isolated ruin, and he has his sights set on the enchanting Julia Wychwood.<\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">\u00a0<\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">For Julia, an incurable romantic cursed with a crippling social anxiety, navigating a London ballroom is absolute torture. The only time Julia feels any degree of confidence is when she&#8217;s on her horse. Unfortunately, a young lady can&#8217;t spend the whole of her life in the saddle, so Julia makes an impetuous decision to take her future by the reins\u2014she proposes to Captain Blunt.<\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">\u00a0<\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">In exchange for her dowry and her hand, Jasper must promise to grant her freedom to do as she pleases. To ride\u2014and to read\u2014as much as she likes without masculine interference. He readily agrees to her conditions, with one provision of his own: Julia is forbidden from going into the tower rooms of his estate and snooping around his affairs. But the more she learns of the beastly former hero, the more intrigued she becomes&#8230;<\/span><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-2 tb_23787e9 last\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_2d1ea91  repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-16466 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/3-hearts-1.jpg?resize=135%2C44&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"135\" height=\"44\" \/><\/p><hr \/><p><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> Oct 11, 2022<br \/><strong>Series:<\/strong>\u00a0<em>Belles of London<br \/><\/em><strong>Book:\u00a0<\/strong>2<br \/><strong>Heat Level:<\/strong> Warm<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a0Penguin Group<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong>\u00a0Berkley<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $10.99<\/p><hr \/><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em>Great story, but if you\u2019re an open-door fan exit here.<\/em><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">First and foremost, <strong>Matthews<\/strong> writes one hell of a historical romance. Steeped in historical details and settings, of course with some artistic license to how things play out for our heroines, this one is another compelling read. Just like the first <em>Belles of London<\/em> series.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Captain <strong>Jasper Blunt<\/strong> is tall, dark, and dour as the book blurb says. He doesn\u2019t say much and when he does speak it\u2019s meant to be as his name says&#8230; Blunt. He has three illegitimate children, a moldering estate, and is in need of an heiress. Our London Belle, <strong>Julia<\/strong>, is such an heiress and yearns for a life away from her parents, whose poor health and whims end up punishing Julia as much as themselves. It seems a match made in convenience and turns into a scandal of fabulous proportions.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I enjoyed both characters, whose mannerisms are so different and yet suited for each other. The pair bond over a love of fiction novels, which I love too so I can easily support both Jasper and Julia. I also appreciate Matthews&#8217;s stories because the conflict is so sharp and so real that I couldn\u2019t see the resolution for these characters. Both for their future romantically and in general.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">So, why a three? I\u2019m glad you\u2019re wondering. It\u2019s because Matthews creates so much romantic tension, enough to drown a person only to have the characters use the most pitiful excuses to back away. With the first Bells of London series, it made sense why things were kept to a kiss, but I feel Matthews had an opportunity to show range in writing ability by going open door, repeatedly, through the marriage of convenience, and instead took the easy way out. This was a big letdown for me.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Will I read the third? Yes. Will I enjoy Matthews&#8217;s penchant for being less descriptive and detailed on the naked bits? No. Overall, this book is for those who like historical romance right in story and filled with longing. If you\u2019re a closed-door fan I highly recommend.<\/p><p><em>~ Landra<\/em><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_eb0616c customBorderRad repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3ELyMYU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a><\/span><span class=\"s2\">\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.co\/3ToC4FF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">iBooks<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/the-belle-of-belgrave-square-mimi-matthews\/1140838943?ean=9780593337172\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">B&amp;N<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/the-belle-of-belgrave-square\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">Kobo<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Mimi_Matthews_The_Belle_of_Belgrave_Square?id=t7FYEAAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">Google Play<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n            \t    <\/div>\n\t    <!-- \/row_inner -->\n\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/module_row -->\n\t<\/div>\n<!--\/themify_builder_content-->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tall, dark, and dour, the notorious Captain Jasper Blunt was once hailed a military hero, but tales abound of his bastard children and his haunted [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29444,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[146,305,406],"class_list":["post-29443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-3-stars","tag-historical-romance","tag-regency"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - 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What he requires now is a rich wife to ornament his isolated ruin, and he has his sights set on the enchanting Julia Wychwood.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>For Julia, an incurable romantic cursed with a crippling social anxiety, navigating a London ballroom is absolute torture. The only time Julia feels any degree of confidence is when she's on her horse. Unfortunately, a young lady can't spend the whole of her life in the saddle, so Julia makes an impetuous decision to take her future by the reins\u2014she proposes to Captain Blunt.<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>In exchange for her dowry and her hand, Jasper must promise to grant her freedom to do as she pleases. To ride\u2014and to read\u2014as much as she likes without masculine interference. He readily agrees to her conditions, with one provision of his own: Julia is forbidden from going into the tower rooms of his estate and snooping around his affairs. But the more she learns of the beastly former hero, the more intrigued she becomes...<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/3-hearts-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"135\" height=\"44\" \/><\/p><hr \/><p><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> Oct 11, 2022<br \/><strong>Series:<\/strong>\u00a0<em>Belles of London<br \/><\/em><strong>Book:\u00a0<\/strong>2<br \/><strong>Heat Level:<\/strong> Warm<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a0Penguin Group<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong>\u00a0Berkley<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $10.99<\/p><hr \/><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em>Great story, but if you\u2019re an open-door fan exit here.<\/em><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">First and foremost, <strong>Matthews<\/strong> writes one hell of a historical romance. Steeped in historical details and settings, of course with some artistic license to how things play out for our heroines, this one is another compelling read. Just like the first <em>Belles of London<\/em> series.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Captain <strong>Jasper Blunt<\/strong> is tall, dark, and dour as the book blurb says. He doesn\u2019t say much and when he does speak it\u2019s meant to be as his name says... Blunt. He has three illegitimate children, a moldering estate, and is in need of an heiress. Our London Belle, <strong>Julia<\/strong>, is such an heiress and yearns for a life away from her parents, whose poor health and whims end up punishing Julia as much as themselves. It seems a match made in convenience and turns into a scandal of fabulous proportions.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I enjoyed both characters, whose mannerisms are so different and yet suited for each other. The pair bond over a love of fiction novels, which I love too so I can easily support both Jasper and Julia. I also appreciate Matthews's stories because the conflict is so sharp and so real that I couldn\u2019t see the resolution for these characters. Both for their future romantically and in general.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">So, why a three? I\u2019m glad you\u2019re wondering. It\u2019s because Matthews creates so much romantic tension, enough to drown a person only to have the characters use the most pitiful excuses to back away. With the first Bells of London series, it made sense why things were kept to a kiss, but I feel Matthews had an opportunity to show range in writing ability by going open door, repeatedly, through the marriage of convenience, and instead took the easy way out. This was a big letdown for me.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Will I read the third? Yes. Will I enjoy Matthews's penchant for being less descriptive and detailed on the naked bits? No. Overall, this book is for those who like historical romance right in story and filled with longing. If you\u2019re a closed-door fan I highly recommend.<\/p><p><em>~ Landra<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3ELyMYU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.co\/3ToC4FF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">iBooks<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/the-belle-of-belgrave-square-mimi-matthews\/1140838943?ean=9780593337172\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">B&amp;N<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/the-belle-of-belgrave-square\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kobo<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Mimi_Matthews_The_Belle_of_Belgrave_Square?id=t7FYEAAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Play<\/a><\/strong><\/p>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29443"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29443\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29447,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29443\/revisions\/29447"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}