Spotlight & Giveaway: The Lily of Ludgate Hill by Mimi Matthews

Posted January 15th, 2024 by in Blog, Spotlight / 28 comments

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Mimi Matthews to HJ!
Spotlight&Giveaway

Hi Mimi and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, The Lily of Ludgate Hill (Belles of London, Book 3)!

Hi everyone! Thanks so much for having me!

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

Starchy Victorian spinster Lady Anne Deveril has long given up any hopes of romance, preferring to focus on riding her horse and looking after her eccentric widowed mother. But when one of Anne’s friends is in danger, Anne will risk anything to come to her aid, even if that means enlisting the help of her infuriating former love, the roguishly handsome Mr. Felix Hartford. Their journey together rekindles old feelings, but is Anne ready to let go of the past and move into the future?
 

Please share your favorite line(s) or quote from this book:

It’s difficult for me to choose a favorite line, but I do like this exchange from Chapter Nine:

A guarded look came into her eyes. “Why do you concern yourself with my troubles? After everything that’s passed between us—”

““Yes,” he said. “Precisely that. You and I have a history together. It’s the reason you came to me in the first place. The very reason I’m here. I’ll always care what happens to you Anne. The truth is . . . I wouldn’t know how to stop.”

 

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

  • The origin story of Hart’s secret crucible factory in Battersea was based on the real-life origin story of Morgan Advance Materials, a company founded in 1856. Crucibles like the ones produced by the Morgan brothers revolutionized Victorian industry.
  • Another inspiration for the story comes from the prolonged period of mourning observed by the widowed Queen Victorian. She kept to her blacks from the death of her husband in 1861 until her death in 1901. The character of the Countess of Arundell, Lady Anne’s mother, was partially modeled on Queen Victoria.

 

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

Hart and Anne are superficially opposite, but beneath their exteriors they share many of the same traits and values: commitment to family, dependability, and a love of physical sport in the form of horseback riding and carriage driving.

Anne is attracted to Hart’s humor. He lightens her seriousness, and he makes her laugh. He’s also handsome, kind, and extremely competent (as she learns throughout the story).

Hart is attracted to Anne’s intelligence, strength, and beauty. She’s an excellent friend, a skilled horsewoman, and she’s loyal to a fault.

 

Did any scene have you blushing, crying or laughing while writing it? And Why?

I felt emotional when Anne was going through her late father’s books. She’s grieving, feeling lost and heartbroken, and then Hart arrives. He takes her into his arms:

“Have things been dreadful?” he asked. “But they must be so, else you wouldn’t be turning to me.” He brushed his lips over her temple, his voice a low-pitched murmur. “Damn the lot of them. They’re not worth a single one of your tears.”

“I’m not crying,” she sniffled.

“Of course not. Furies don’t cry. They rage.” Bringing a finger under her chin, he gently tipped her face to his. “Why don’t you rage at me awhile? I can withstand it.”

 

Readers should read this book….

For tart banter, sweet kisses, spirited horses, lush Victorian history, and sooooo much pining.
 

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have in the works?

I’m currently finishing copyedits on the final book in my Belles of London series. Stella Hobhouse’s story, The Muse of Maiden Lane, will be out in November 2024!
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

 

Giveaway: 1 paperback copy of THE LILY OF LUDGATE HILL. U.S. entries only.

 

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: How much would you risk to rescue a friend in need? Would you be willing to enlist the help of a former love?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Book Info:

A BookBub Best Romance of Winter 2024!

Fortune favors the bold—but is a confirmed spinster daring enough to loosen the reins and accept a favor from the wicked gentleman who haunts her dreams?

Lady Anne Deveril doesn’t spook easily. A woman of lofty social standing known for her glacial beauty and starchy opinions, she’s the unofficial leader of her small group of equestriennes. Since her mother’s devastating plunge into mourning six years ago, Anne voluntarily renounced any fanciful notions of love and marriage. And yet, when fate puts Anne back into the entirely too enticing path of Mr. Felix Hartford, she’s tempted to run…right into his arms.

No one understands why Lady Anne withdrew into the shadows of society, Hart least of all. The youthful torch he once held for her has long since cooled. Or so he keeps telling himself. But now Anne needs a favor to help a friend. Hart will play along with her little ruse—on the condition that Anne attend a holiday house party at his grandfather’s country estate. No more mourning clothes. No more barriers. Only the two of them, unrequited feelings at last laid bare.

Finally free to gallop out on her own, Anne makes the tantalizing discovery that beneath the roguish exterior of her not-so-white knight is a man with hidden depths, scorching passions—and a tender heart.
Book Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | kobo | Google |
 
 

Meet the Author:

USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews writes both historical nonfiction and award-winning Victorian romances. Her novels have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus, and Shelf Awareness, and her articles have been featured on the Victorian Web, the Journal of Victorian Culture, and in syndication at BUST Magazine. In her other life, Mimi is an attorney. She resides in California with her family, which includes a retired Andalusian dressage horse, a Sheltie, and two Siamese cats.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | GoodReads |
 
 
 

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28 Responses to “Spotlight & Giveaway: The Lily of Ludgate Hill by Mimi Matthews”

  1. erahime

    How much would you risk to rescue a friend in need?

    Depends on the risk factor and what kind of need the friend requires of me.

    Would you be willing to enlist the help of a former love?

    Depending on the person and how the relationship ended, yes I would.

    • Dianne Casey

      I would do whatever I possibly could, even if I had to enlist the help of a former love.

  10. Ina Jane Rodino

    How much would I do for a friend?

    I’d like to think a lot! But for an ex-fiancée like Hart did for Anne? I dunno… He’s a keeper for sure!

  13. Tabita Ramos

    For a friend I would stop at nothing:
    Need a ride to the airport at 4am? Let’s roll;
    Need a shoulder to cry on? I’ll be right there with ice cream and Pride and Prejudice;
    Need to plan a million dollar heist? I’ll talk you out of it, because that’s crazy.
    We would however, have to do without the former love, because I’m married and it would be awkward

  16. Nora-Adrienne Deret

    As teens my friends and I spent time getting each other out of trouble. We’ lie like a rug to their parents about what we’d been up to.

  20. Patricia Barraclough

    I don’t have a former love, but I would enlist anyone I could that would help me rescue a friend.

  22. Laurie Gommermann

    I hope I would step up and help a friend in need. Now that I have children and grandchildren I would be cautious about giving up my life for a friend. I would consider giving blood marrow or a kidney.
    Would I enlist the aid of an ex? Definitely!

  23. Amy R

    How much would you risk to rescue a friend in need? Depends on the type of friend and what was needed
    Would you be willing to enlist the help of a former love? Yes