Review of "The Work of Art" by Mimi Matthews

The Work of Art

By Mimi Matthews

Published: 2019

I am a self-professed historical romance novel junky. There, I confessed it! What does this have to do with the review? Nothing, other than the fact that I tend to be ‘particular’ (read anal) with the historicals I actually enjoy. Granted, historical romance stories,  unlike their contemporary counterparts,  require more work. Not just references to events, locations and technology of the time. No indeed, a good historical romance must be able to portray the time period with the social obligations and behaviours befitting of that particular time setting. As a result, I find that often authors, in trying to make their story relatable to the modern audiences, take modern day characters and transpose them into a time in which they simply couldn’t exist. Example, a willful heroine who could get away with anything that would normally compromise her and still secure the marriage proposal from the hero, who usually is a rich and powerful [insert title/rank of no lower than a viscount] and would in reality very much care about how his wife would be viewed by society.  Anachronistic language and liberal amount of sex scenes in locals such as carriages, gardens and theaters is also pervasive and rather irritating to yours truly. But I digress. All this I write in order to tell you that you won’t find it in this book. Mimi Matthews’ The Work Of Art is not only a sweet romance story about two very compelling characters but also has been written in the spirit of the Regency era and in a language that is accessible to modern audiences. Not at all surprising, since Ms. Matthews is also known for her non-fictional works set in the 19th century.

The Plot

Our heroine, Phyllida Satterthwaite is a young and beautiful woman with very unique features. She has what today we know as heterochromia of the eyes, one eye being amber and the other being blue. After the death of her grandfather, she finds herself uprooted from the countryside to go to London and live with her uncle and his family. She is told she will have a ‘Season’ in London in order to make a suitable marriage. Little does she know that her uncle has secretly promised her to the Duke of Moreland, who is known for his obsession with all things beautiful and unique. He is known as ‘The Collector’ and Phyllida, because of her beauty and unique eyes, has been dubbed as ‘The Work Of Art’. Our hero, Captain Arthur Heywood, is a second son of an earl (Oh I know, he isn’t titled!). He has been gravely injured in the war. Captain Heywood and Phyllida quickly find a connection upon meeting. When she finds out about her uncle’s scheme to marry her off to the Duke, she turns to Captain Heywood for assistance. Can the couple find happiness as they try to escape the Duke’s vengeance?   

My Review

Well as noted above, it is absolutely delightful to discover an author who appreciates the Regency setting. I found both the hero and the heroine compelling and the romance real and believable. The marriage of convenience / beauty and the beast type trope can be challenging. Often authors tend to make the hero quite unlikeable when trying to fit him in the role of the ‘beast’. I personally find it annoying and I tend to dislike asshole heros (the world is full of them, why fantasize about them). Here, the hero, while boorish and moody to others, is very much loving and protective of the heroine from early on. He is honourable and will stop at nothing to ensure the safety and happiness of the heroine. I also like that the heroine wasn’t some free-spirited hoyden who defied all social norms and suffered no repercussions. No, Phyllida, is both gentle and nurturing, yet has a very strong character. I will say this, many readers of the genre may find the book a bit slow. There are no huge misunderstandings that separate the characters. In fact, the characters act as adults (shocking!) and work through their issues together.  Most of the conflict comes from external factors/characters. Although, this is a romance novel, there are no sexually explicit scenes, so if that is what you are looking for - you will not find it here. What I didn’t like so much about the book is the secondary plot. Granted, I don’t usually read novels for the mystery within, I was still a little disappointed in terms of how it was resolved here. Perhaps, due to the fact that I found the rest of the book so enjoyable. I won’t give away any spoilers, but suffice to say, this is a romance novel and should be read for the romance, which Ms. Matthews has done extremely well .

Verdict

Definitely 4.5 out of 5 stars.