Miss Beresford & The Beast Among My Summer’s Favorite Things
It’s been a hot minute since I posted on here, and since I left you all on a sad note about a former classmate and his family, I thought I should lighten it up a bit a few months later.
Our Homeschool
You know this wouldn’t be a Favorites post if I didn’t include a note about how much I love our homeschool. This Summer saw the end of a school year (and the start of a new year!) for our oldest and a new daily rhythm for our youngest after she outgrew her nap. Although she did this somewhat earlier than I expected, I was so glad she did before things officially ramped back up in our homeschool as it gave us a nice and gentle start to our new routine.
And A Silverado for a Surgery
There are two other significant things that occurred this past Summer: my appendicitis and resulting appendectomy (something I never had on my Bingo card, and fortunately the pain never escalated past an uncomfortable stomach ache!) and our new Silverado, which we purchased shortly after my surgery because the deal we found couldn’t be beat. (And everyone we share its crazy low price with can’t believe it, either.) It’s really my husband’s main car because I’m too daunted by it, haha.
Nighttime Reading: Miss Beresford & The Beast is a Can’t Miss!
I also shared a while back that I’ve been into the historical fiction, closed-door romance genre for a few years and it’s become somewhat of my literary home, the type of reading I like to always come back to after a “vacation” or “detour” into something different that I may enjoy.
I like this genre for many reasons. It’s wholesome, for one. There are some mystery novels within it that explore bad actors and their actions, but there isn’t any kind of sexual impropriety or things I have to question or skip. Along those lines, some novels even have Christian themes or actual Bible verses as part of the plot (like with scenes at a church), which is refreshing.
These books also embrace modesty, both among single people and married couples. I don’t care to know what someone does behind closed doors, and these authors take special care to not include more than a chaste kiss or two in the whole book. They value the reader’s intellect and respect our time enough to not bog either one down with unsightly references.
Which brings me to the author Mimi Matthews. Having read her several of her series, including Parish Orphans of Devon and Somerset Stories, I couldn’t wait to read her upcoming Miss Beresford and The Beast, her first installment in her new Daughters of Somerset series. (I’m grateful to her and her team for inviting me to review it in exchange for a digital copy.)
Official description
Charlotte Beresford has spent far too long under the iron rule of strict governesses and unflinching finishing school teachers. When she’s offered a brief window of freedom—an invitation to spend the summer with a recent acquaintance in a remote corner of Yorkshire, far from societal expectations—she jumps at the chance. Never mind that her new friend is odd, their chaperone questionable, and the village rumored to be cursed. Charlotte knows how to look after herself. All she must do is show a friendly face, keep her wits about her, and—above all—avoid the derelict manor house that stands on the edge of the moors…
I found this new “odd” friend of Charlotte’s very endearing and charming. She made me smile often with her old-fashioned ideas and is the kind of loyal friend any woman would be fortunate to have.
Battle-scarred and bad tempered, Magnus Sterling never intended to return to England, let alone Yorkshire. But now he’s inherited the title, it’s his responsibility to settle his late father’s affairs. It should be simple enough to do without riling up the superstitious locals. Indeed, they don’t even need to know that the infamous son of the equally infamous Earl of Eversleigh is back on British soil. Magnus will keep to himself, and to the crumbling manor house, and for once in his miserable life avoid any cloud of scandal. A straightforward enough plan, or so he believes, until he catches sight of the bold, auburn-haired intruder infiltrating the grounds of his estate…
I found Magnus kind of unbearable at times with how jaded, cynical, and completely closed off to anything favorable he seemed. Or maybe I’m the narrow-minded one for failing to see how all the tragedy in his life has significantly impacted his perspective.
Most of the time, though, I could see what a softie he really was. I hope I don’t give much away when I say that it’s not every day that a “beast” unwillingly befriends a dog, of all beings. Beta male protagonists do NOT exist in Mimi’s universe(s), and thank God for that.
Magnus’s assistant provided plenty of comedic relief, as did Charlotte’s friend. One subplot had me cracking up, and I couldn’t wait to come back to these characters every night. Although I’ve read more a few dozen books in the genre, I had never seen memory loss used as a literary device, and Miss Beresford didn’t disappoint with how hilariously it took advantage of it.
The other townspeople and their beliefs on modesty and reputations were representative of what I’ve read from other authors whose stories were set during those times. Gossip and “high society” uppiness are not things I’d want to be a part of, though we might be better off somewhat if more people cared more single women’s reputations nowadays.
Being home after a vacation
Earlier on I touched on how much I like the historical fiction, closed-door romance genre, and I likened it to being home. That’s no understatement: I can’t get enough of my home and my people, just like I can’t get enough of these books, even if I’ve just been to a nearby town, an island, or read a funny memoir.
Along those lines, Mimi’s books are so familiar and sweet, that they’ve become my literary haven, the “place” I want to come back to after I’ve taken a gander into other genres or popular titles.
Miss Beresford and the Beast was no exception. Sure, you know the protagonists will fall in love, and just like a loving home, you end up craving the story’s predictable rhythm. But the slow burn, the cameos (which Mimi loves to use; it’s the beauty of having multiple series and family trees to write about!), the surprises, and the witty comebacks that are so characteristic of Mimi’s writing are among the many elements that make her books (just like one’s home) purely delightful.
If you’re a fan of Mimi’s, this one’s a Must. And if you’re new to her books or this genre, this one’s a Must. Chances are you’ll stick around and will ultimately want to make her books your home, too.
Pre-order Miss Beresford and The Beast today!
The ebook is available now and the paperback and audiobook will be available around mid-October. If a surprising (but much better) retelling of Beauty & The Beast seems right up your alley, you won’t want to miss.. Miss Beresford and The Beast.
