The Belles of London is a four book Victorian Romance series by Mimi Matthews.
I found this in an ad on Goodreads while I was writing a review for one of the Heartland books. I RARELY buy books off ads, but the cover of this book was intriguing to me as I searched for my next horsey read. This series seemed promising, since it combined two of my favorite literary elements, history and horses.
I am not a huge fan of overly romantic books, or at least I thought I wasn’t, but “this first book in the four book Victorian romance series “The Siren of Sussex” was so good! It was hard to put down. I love that each book in the series centers on one young horsewoman and her search for love during the London season.
Evelyn Maltravers is the main character in the first book, and she is so relatable. She’s not considered a beauty, she wears glasses, and she loves her horse and family more than anything. That’s why she goes to London to look for a husband in the first place, to ensure their support and comfort. Evelyn seeks out the man who makes the riding habits for all the “pretty horsebreakers”, who are prostitutes who ride through the park. She finds Mr. Malik, and Indian-English tailor, and he agrees to take her and her riding habit project on. They grow closer together as he builds a whole new fantastic wardrobe for her. The love story in this book was of the “will they won’t they” subgenre. I found myself wanting so desperately for them to just kiss already and work it out! Mimi Matthews really knows how to make you want to see two people together finally.
I loved that the author also doesn’t give up all the character’s secrets upfront, which makes these books feel a little like mysteries as well. There are things in Mr. Malik’s past that we slowly learn as his own history unravels for Evelyn. I love it!
I also love the friendship between the four outcast horsey girls as they ride through the park judging all the societal men who look up at them, judging them as well. I look forward to continuing the series to hear their stories!
Alex Apostol 