REVIEW of Appointment in Bath (Somerset Stories #4) by Mimi Matthews

Publication Date: June 27, 2023

About the Author: USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews writes both historical nonfiction and award-winning proper Victorian romances. Her novels have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, and Kirkus, 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.

MY REVIEW

Just because his parents are mortal enemies with the Burton-Smythes doesn’t mean that Ivo Beresford shares that prejudice. When Ivo encounters shy, stammering Meg Burton-Smythe while out riding, he is drawn to her as a friend…and perhaps something more. But matters become tangled when Ivo’s parents and older brother discover the secret connection. And how will Meg’s father react when he finally discovers his daughter’s betrayal?

Modern, independent, handsome, young, and idealistic, Ivo is a hero who is easy to enjoy. Lovely and sheltered Meg, accustomed to being ignored or humiliated by her father, is overawed by him at first, but eventually she becomes so comfortable with him that her nervous stammer disappears. I enjoyed seeing how over the course of this tale Meg learns to speak up for herself and Ivo learns not to bowl her over with his own over-confidence.

In this fourth book of the Somerset Stories series, Mimi Matthews delivers a charming take on the forbidden romance trope, with memorable and loveable characters who are both sweet and tenacious. Just what the “appointment in Bath” is, I will leave for you to discover yourself, but let me advise you that it provides a satisfying conclusion to a swoon-worthy romance. Recommended.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this title from the author. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.