But (surprise!) Wyn is there too, and he and Harriet have to share a (very romantic) room and a bed. She’s ready for a vacation at her happy place-the Maine cottage she and her friends visit every summer. So they keep it a secret from their friends and families-in fact, Harriet barely even admits it to herself, focusing instead on her grueling hours as a surgical resident. They’ve been part of the same boisterous friend group since college, and they know that their breakup will devastate the others and make things more than a little awkward. Wyn Connor and Harriet Kilpatrick were the perfect couple-until Wyn dumped Harriet for reasons she still doesn’t fully understand. Julia’s bluestocking ways will please contemporary readers, but Matthews never truly abandons the realities of the Victorian era, giving the book excellent balance overall and the feel of a story from Heyer or even Austen.Ī swoony Victorian romance that celebrates the genre.Įxes pretend they’re still together for the sake of their friends on their annual summer vacation. Secondary characters may feel a bit one-note, but most won’t notice, distracted by the beautiful relationship blossoming between the captain and Mrs. Matthews brings their story to life with dozens of impeccable details, especially when it comes to fashion and medicine, giving readers a unique glimpse into how the era looked. The heat in this relatively chaste story comes entirely from the slowest of slow burns between Julia and Jasper, which is irresistible. But as secrets from Blunt’s past continue to unfurl, Julia wonders whether she will ever trust him enough to love him. Despite mysteries and misunderstandings between them, Julia begins to settle into her new country life, and it seems they may find some happiness in their marriage of convenience. But after a brush with death makes Julia realize she needs to escape her family before it’s too late, the two impulsively marry and then run away to Blunt’s country estate in Yorkshire. Blunt is taken by Julia as well-and especially her dowry, which would allow him to fix his estate-though he's quickly warned off by her father.

Jasper Blunt, a mysterious hero (or possible villain) of the Crimean War who happens to love romantic novels as much as she does. They have an elderly nearby earl in mind, but she's drawn to Capt. Unfortunately, her overbearing and sickly parents are insisting that she do her duty, as long as she chooses a titled man who lives close enough to their house on Belgrave Square that she can keep taking care of them. Julia Wychwood doesn’t want to get married, especially if it means actually talking to someone at a ball. A cloistered wallflower and a notorious war hero look between the covers.

The belle of belgrave square