Shy and stammering Meg Burton-Smythe has spent the whole of her life living on the fringes of local society. She’s more comfortable with her daydreams than she is with people. But when a dashing, golden-haired hero rides to her rescue one morning, she dares to hope that her dreams might finally come true. There’s only one problem: her handsome rescuer is the son of her father’s sworn enemy.
Ivo Beresford doesn’t believe in clinging to the past. Freshly returned from a lengthy grand tour, he’s looking to the future, eager to spearhead the building of a new railway extension in Somersetshire. But an unexpected encounter with Meg Burton-Smythe, the isolated only daughter of his parents’ oldest foe, sets the past and the future colliding.
Resolved to put ancient grudges to rest—at least where innocent young ladies are concerned—Ivo encourages lonely Meg to embark on a secret friendship. After all, what harm can a friendship do? It isn’t as though there’s any danger of the two of them falling in love…
Within Mimi Matthews’ fourth title in the Somerset Stories series, readers will find the shy, faltering and beautiful Margaret “Meg” Burton-Smythe. At the youthful age of eighteen she is untried in the ways of the world, yet she is eager to make her debut in society as a gentleman’s daughter. As a sheltered young woman, she has a lively imagination, fueled by copious reading while living a quiet life on her father’s country estate. This fosters a longing for success not only on England’s marriage mart, but also for success in finding a chivalrous hero with whom she would fall in love. She faces several relational challenges in this diverting narrative, not the least of which is the veritable Shakespearian rivalry between her father and the nearby Beresford family. This decades-long feud is not unwarranted, but is a festering wound within the community. Meg befriends one of the Beresford sons, which leads to emotional confrontations on both sides.
Although Appointment in Bath is the fourth title in the Somerset Stories series, this reviewer has not read the previous two volumes. Thus far I have enjoyed Matthews’s title The Work of Art, the opening novel of this collection. With the publication date of Appointment in Bath occurring the week of this writing, I wanted to be a part of promoting this latest story. Although it was a bit of a risk to temporarily skip over Gentleman Jim and Return to Satterthwaite Court, I was nonetheless rewarded with a delightful tale. There are some references to those prior works, but Appointment in Bath works quite well as a standalone.
Mimi Matthews’s work is a pure delight. Her writing skill enables her to craft a compelling story, present well-drawn characters and avoid predictability in her choices. While much of her writing is firmly set in the 19th century, she presents characters who are relatable and accessible. The protagonists are likable, and the villains earn this reader’s disdain. She doesn’t avoid addressing difficult and gritty issues, but the content is not salacious or gratuitous. Mature themes are addressed in a realistic yet modest way. The romantic moments are simply delicious and leave the audience wanting more without drawing us deep into the minutiae of bedroom scenes. I loved the friendship of Meg and Ivo, and my heart broke for her as she yearned for more love and affection from her father.
While Appointment in Bath does offer a satisfying, realistic conclusion, not every difficult issue is tied with a neat little bow. Characters face challenges that are common to many in our non-fictional, modern existence. Some readers may easily identify with Meg’s stuttering problem, her struggles with anxiety, and her growth as a young woman. Others will relate to Ivo as he works to improve his community in the face of a local township that is resistant to modernization. Between the characters’ ambitions, family conflicts, desires for reconciliation and romantic endeavors, Appointment in Bath offers an absorbing narrative that was thoroughly enjoyable. Due to Matthews’ excellent work in this as well as the opening novel The Work of Art, I look forward to retracing my literary steps in order to also read the other books in this series, Gentleman Jim and Return to Satterthwaite Court. A fifth title, A Lady of Conscience is also due for publication in June of 2024. Mimi Matthews continues to show herself to be a reliable and entertaining author, one who consistently earns my hearty endorsement.
Hollywood Casting
As I read Appointment in Bath, I kept in mind several actors who could play the parts of Mimi's characters. While I didn't "cast" everyone in the novel, these mental images help me organize some of the personalities in my head. Regardless of their current ages or nationalities, my imagination placed them at their ages in the story, with corresponding cultural accents when they spoke.
Would you like a sample of Appointment in Bath? Click HERE to read Chapter One!
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.
The Somerset Stories Series
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Paperback Kindle Audio |
Paperback Kindle Audio |
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