So rich and satisfying!
The Lily of Ludgate Hill (Belles of London #3) by Mimi Matthews
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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 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.
Comments
Post a Comment