BLOG TOUR and GIVEAWAY - Fair As a Star

DESCRIPTION:

A Secret Burden…

After a mysterious sojourn in Paris, Beryl Burnham has returned home to the village of Shepton Worthy ready to resume the life she left behind. Betrothed to the wealthy Sir Henry Rivenhall, she has no reason to be unhappy—or so people keep reminding her. But Beryl’s life isn’t as perfect as everyone believes.

A Longstanding Love…

As village curate, Mark Rivenhall is known for his compassionate understanding. When his older brother’s intended needs a shoulder to lean on, Mark’s more than willing to provide one. There’s no danger of losing his heart. He already lost that to Beryl a long time ago.

During an idyllic Victorian summer, friends and family gather in anticipation of Beryl and Sir Henry’s wedding. But in her darkest moment, it’s Mark who comes to Beryl’s aid. Can he help her without revealing his feelings—or betraying his brother?

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

MY THOUGHTS:

Title:   Fair As a Star

Author:  Mimi Matthews

Series:  Victorian Romantics #1
Publisher:  Perfectly Proper Press

Genre:   Historical Fiction; Romance

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   202

Date of Publication:   July 14, 2020

My Rating:   5 Stars

Beryl Burnham is betrothed, but she is far from happy. Her intended is the wealthy Sir Henry Rivenhall, and there is something missing between the pair. Meanwhile, Beryl is coping with something that is very serious, and this only adds to her concerns. She has a dear friend, however, and that is Mark Rivenhall, Henry's brother. Mark is currently a curate in the village of Shepton Worthy, and soon hopes to become the vicar.

Mark is holding onto something that is rather heartbreaking. He is in love with Beryl, but knows that the most he can offer her is friendship, and he hopes to never let his deeper feelings for her to ever be known. Mark's role in Beryl's life takes on a far deeper meaning as he painfully aware of her fragile mental state. As a reader, seeing how difficult things were for Beryl, especially because at that time in history, mental illness was considered to be a real weakness and it was most certainly frowned up.

Mark and Henry have very different views of Beryl's state of mind, and that was refreshing to me to read because it made the conflict with Mark's feelings for Beryl turn into hope and support. No doubt Beryl would see Henry's true colors as time progressed.

I adored this book by Mimi Matthews. Mark was absolutely ideal in this story. Not only when it came to how he handled his feelings for Beryl, but the fact that genuine goodness was part of his fiber. As much as I love reading "typical" historical romance stories, I truly appreciated that mental health was dealt with openly in this well-developed book. I so felt for Beryl all through the book as I resonated with her on many levels., as I also suffer with mental health issues.

I have read a few of Ms. Matthews books over the past couple of years and absolutely adore her writing. So much so that when this book was offered for review I didn't even need to read the description. I knew I would be in for a very good read, and I certainly was not disappointed in Fair As a Star. I cannot wait to see what this fabulous author has in store for other books in this Victorian Romance series.

Many thanks to Perfectly Proper Press, HFVBT and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

GIVEAWAY

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a copy of Fair as a Star by Mimi Matthews! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on July 28th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

– Paperback giveaway is open to the US only.

– Only one entry per household.

– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.

– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.

Enter the Gleam Giveaway Here

Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, July 14

Review at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, July 15

Interview at Austenprose

Review at Gwendalyn’s Books

Feature at I’m All About Books

Review at Probably at the Library

Thursday, July 16

Review at Library of Clean Reads

Friday, July 17

Review at View from the Birdhouse

Saturday, July 18

Review at The Green Mockingbird

Sunday, July 19

Review at Robin Loves Reading

Monday, July 20

Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Tuesday, July 21

Review at Book Bustle

Wednesday, July 22

Review at Bookish Rantings

Thursday, July 23

Review at Heidi Reads

Friday, July 24

Review at The Lit Bitch

Saturday, July 25

Feature at What Is That Book About

Monday, July 27

Review at Chicks, Rogues and Scandals

Tuesday, July 28

Review at Donna’s Book Blog

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 Library Journal and Publishers Weekly, 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.

For more information, please visit Mimi Matthews’ website and blog. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, BookBub, Pinterest, Google+, and Goodreads.