Review by Kayleigh
Series Name: The Crinoline Academy #2
The Marriage Method is Mimi’s best book yet!
Favourite Quote:
“In other words,” Miles concluded, “Miss Brent is not like other girls.”
“No girls are like other girls,” Nell informed him. “We are all of us individuals with our own unique sets of gifts. Sometimes, those gifts are in harmony with the goals of the Academy. Sometimes not.” She paused. “Which has absolutely nothing to do with what we’re dealing with at present.”
Book Synopsis:
Well removed from London’s more curious eyes, the Benevolent Academy for the Betterment of Young Ladies strives toward one clandestine way to distract, disrupt, and discredit men in power who would seek to harm the advancement of women—by appropriate means, of course.
When intrepid newspaper editor Miles Quincy starts to question the school’s intentions, the Academy appoints Penelope “Nell” Trewlove, one of their brightest graduates, to put this nuisance to rest. An easy enough mission, she supposes. Or it would be, if Miles wasn’t so fascinating—too fascinating to resist—and if Nell’s visit to London didn’t perfectly coincide with the murder of one of Miles’s reporters.
When the inexorable claws of fate trap Nell and Miles in a compromising situation, they agree to an arrangement that will save their reputations while enabling them to investigate the story that led to a man’s death, as well as the surprising chemistry between them . . .
Review:
I’m a massive Mimi Matthews fan, and The Marriage Method reminds me why: it’s smart, fun, angsty and delivers a satisfying swoon-worthy romance (with no third act breakup). We meet Nell in the first of the Crinoline Academy series, and I recommend you read it first – you’ll enjoy The Marriage Method even more! Nell is sweet and kind and loves the life she has as a teacher at the academy she grew up in. Now, Nell is gorgeous, and was originally destined for bigger things, but an accident and brutal recovery has left her lame and a bit limited mobility wise. She, however, perseveres and doesn’t allow her limitations to define her. As a representative of the academy, who finds herself being a spokesperson for the school thanks to some incidents that happened in book 1 of the series, she heads into London to deal with an annoying journalist. However, one of Mile’s cats gets caught in her crinoline, and Nell and Miles are discovered in a compromising position by a reverend of the school while Mile is trying to disengage the cat. In a very short period of time, Nell finds herself let go from the academy and homeless. Miles suggests a solution: a marriage of convenience to solve her problems because he has caused them. He’ll take care of her, and Nell is hopeful that means she can gain her independence and go back to the school as a proper woman again. Of course, the two of them are wildly attracted to each other which does cause problems in Nell’s plans.
Nell has also headed into London to try to track down a student who went missing in the large city. This plot line drives Nell’s and Mile’s story forward: there is murder, assault and mystery, and Nell gets to show just how capable she is of defending herself. Miles and Nell are a fabulous couple, and watching them fall for each other is what makes this one of my favourite reads of the year. However, what makes this match so darn sexy to me is that they also respect the hell out of each other even as they fall in love. They hold each other in high regard as people and professionals. Miles, even with his touch-her-and-die attitude (hot) lets Nell save herself and it’s a sign of respect that even though he’d burn the world down for her, he also respects her strength and ingenuity. These two had my squealing as they discovered how to let down their guards and trauma and learn to depend on each other. Miles is a walking green flag and just a delightful character. He also rescues cats and the five cats he has in his house made my heart melt.
Mimi is an expert at playing with different people’s abilities, background, class and racial identities while being true to the time she is writing in. This skill is shown expertly in Nell’s characterization. As someone who also has limited mobility, her character representation was a balm for my soul. Nell is a woman who has learned to live with her pain and disability, and Mimi expertly shows the struggle with chronic pain where some days are great, some days are bad, and some days you have to push through even though you know the pain is going to be even worse. She also highlights the mental strife that happens as someone deals with constant pain. Nell is used to hiding it, and one of the most intimate moments in the book is when she allows Miles to help her feel better through care and kindness.
The Marriage Method is a triumph of a romance novel.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
