The Siren of Sussex (Belles of London #1)

By: Mimi Matthews

Blurb:

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?

Review:

I’m in what has become an incredibly rare mood and feel like writing book reviews, so here you go.

The Siren of Sussex was a historical romance set in Victorian England. The heroine was looking to land a rich husband so that she could take care of her family. She believed that the only way to do that was through her skill as a rider, which meant she required an amazing riding habit.

Enter the hero. An immigrant from India trying to make his name as a designer of women’s clothing. So far, he’s managed to get some courtesans to wear his riding habits, but he’s got a big break planned, but of course, things don’t go to plan.

When they meet there’s an instant attraction. I wouldn’t call it love at first sight, but it was close. The romance was incredibly chaste, and you never saw more than a kiss and even that was really tame. Tongue was hinted at.

Most of the book was about clothes, horses, and being a bluestocking. The Siren of Sussex was well written, but I found it boring. I didn’t have a problem with the lack of spice, but there was not much in relationship development between the main leads. It was just they had an instant connection, don’t look further. It was about the obstacles they would have to overcome if they were together. There were a lot because of the time period, but I wanted more than just the obstacles I wanted a reason for them to want to overcome them.

I didn’t hate Siren but I don’t feel the need to read further books in the series. It was clear who was going to have books and who they would be paired with, but I wasn’t drawn to any of the characters.

2.75/5