The Siren of Sussex

Belles of London, Book 1

De: Mimi Matthews

Narrado por: Vidish Athavale, Lydia Hanman

A PopSugar, Oprah Daily, and BookBub Most Anticipated Romance of 2022!

Victorian high society’s most daring equestrienne finds love and an unexpected ally in her fight for independence in the strong arms of London’s most sought after and devastatingly handsome half-Indian tailor.

Evelyn Maltravers understands exactly how little she's worth on the marriage mart. As an incurable bluestocking from a family tumbling swiftly toward ruin, she knows she'll never make a match in a ballroom. Her only hope is to distinguish herself by making the biggest splash in the one sphere she excels: on horseback. In haute couture. But to truly capture London's attention she'll need a habit-maker who's not afraid to take risks with his designs - and with his heart.

Half-Indian tailor Ahmad Malik has always had a talent for making women beautiful, inching his way toward recognition by designing riding habits for Rotten Row's infamous Pretty Horsebreakers - but no one compares to Evelyn. Her unbridled spirit enchants him, awakening a depth of feeling he never thought possible.

But pushing boundaries comes at a cost and not everyone is pleased to welcome Evelyn and Ahmad into fashionable society. With obstacles spanning between them, the indomitable pair must decide which hurdles they can jump and what matters most: making their mark or following their hearts?

©2022 Mimi Matthews (P)2022 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“What I love about Mimi Matthews is that in the crowded field of historical romance she always finds new and interesting slants for her plots and characters. That, along with her wonderful writing and meticulous research, makes every book she puts out a rare treat to enjoy and savor. Highly recommended!”—Kate Pearce, New York Times bestselling author

"Unflinching, tender, and moving, the delicately crafted The Siren of Sussex might just be my favourite work from Mimi Matthews; it certainly is one of my favourite historical romance reads this year."—Evie Dunmore, USA Today bestselling author of Portrait of a Scotsman

“Lush, seductive, original—The Siren of Sussex drew me in from the first page, and wove its magic. A fresh, vibrant, brilliant Victorian romance, making it an unforgettable read.”—Jane Porter, New York Times bestselling author

Just the Beginning

This wasn’t my FAVORITE Mimi book (not much can compare to Gentleman Jim or John Eyre ) but it was still very good! She laid fabulous groundwork with her characters for the next stories. In fact, she did this so well that I am beyond excited for the next books!
I was thrilled to have her follow up on the characters from A Modest Independence ♥️ I love when Authors do that!
Sweet love story! And she did a fabulous job of honing in on what really matters in life!

Enjoy historical fiction

i love that Mimi researches & incorporates history in her stories. She develops her characters based off of her research.

The struggle of the individual characters to find their way in a hostile environment

I liked the characters' honest communication of their thoughts and feelings and how they planned their way forward together in a relationship society deemed impossible to succeed.

A beautiful love story across cultural/class divides in Victorian England

Instant attraction between a woman fighting for her families reputation and a mixed race man who is a brilliant clothier.
Ahmad Malik (from the Parish Orphans of Devon series) is a tailor in London trying to make a name for himself. Evelyn has come to London to make a brilliant marriage to save her family’s reputation from her older sister’s disgrace and provide a future for her and her younger sisters. She has a plan-she isn’t particularly beautiful, nor money to attract men to propose. What she does have is a spectacular horse and her own brilliant horseback skills. With those things, she has a plan… Part of that plan is beautiful riding habits to show off her skill and attract men. She knows the exact tailor she needs to make those extraordinary habits. When Evelyn meets Ahmad the attraction is instant on both sides.

This was a smart, detailed love story between Evelyn and Ahmad (half Indian- half English) and all the struggles of forbidden love between the classes and how they fight for that love. I loved the dimensions of all the characters and the intensity of love they share. The best part is that it is a clean romance that creates the intensity without sex scenes. You feel everything. I rooted for them and all their friends and family. I love Mimi’s books and this was no exception. The narrator’s were good- switching between Ahmad and Evelyn’s voice which increased the feeling of understanding both characters. A wonderful read/listen!

And engaging story well told

Mimi is a master story crafter. Like the tailor dressmaker in her story she creates a beautiful romance without an excess word or tedious embellishment all while honoring the authentic history of the era. Thank you, Mimi.

Compelling story

Great performances and loved the details that brought me into the world the writer created

Not true to the time.

It beggars belief that an unmarried young woman would be measured for clothing by a man. The author needed these kinds of ridiculous plot points to set up her story and move it along. But it just isn't feasible. And women did not ride stallions in that period of history much less young unmarried women. And for a family of modest means having an imported stallion is just not believable. Much less that this young woman would have trained the horse for grand prix dressage movements. Nope.

TheSiren of Sussex

I anxiously waited months for this book to be released.
Ive been very disappointed in this purchase. It is so slow that every time I go to read it, I fall asleep. Every single time.
I have also found it strange that a man’s voice is used for a woman’s part.
I have had a difficult time wanting to listen to it. Perhaps it’s me, but It’s quite boring.

The Queen of Clean Reads!

Brilliant, breathtaking, and absolutely addictive! This series is fresh and fierce. These Belles will take you by storm, and you won't want to depart from their company. Mimi Matthews is the Queen of Clean Reads! And I'm just so giddy to leap into the next book.

I really liked this.

I enjoyed this story. The narrators' pronunciation of several words was laughable, which annoyed me. Otherwise it was a great light historical romance.