A Modest Independence - Mimi Matthews

A Modest Independence

By Mimi Matthews

  • Release Date: 2019-04-23
  • Genre: Historical Romance
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 187 Ratings

Description

"Fans of the series will enjoy exploring secondary characters' lives and the truly heroic compromises Tom makes to be with the woman he loves." —Library Journal

An Instant USA Today Bestseller!


He Needed Peace...

Solicitor Tom Finchley has spent his life using his devious intellect to solve the problems of others. As for his own problems, they're nothing that a bit of calculated vengeance can't remedy. But that's all over now. He's finally ready to put the past behind him and settle down to a quiet, uncomplicated life. If only he could find an equally uncomplicated woman.

She Wanted Adventure...

Former lady's companion Jenny Holloway has just been given a modest independence. Now, all she wants is a bit of adventure. A chance to see the world and experience life far outside the restrictive limits of Victorian England. If she can discover the fate of the missing Earl of Castleton while she's at it, so much the better.

From the gaslit streets of London to the lush tea gardens of colonial India, Jenny and Tom embark on an epic quest—and an equally epic romance. But even at the farthest edges of the British Empire, the past has a way of catching up with you...

Reviews

  • Needs editing

    2
    By Ekams
    I agree with the other less than stellar reviews. Needs to be 25% shorter. It’s tediously repetitive. So much pining and guilt for touching each other’s hands. Eye roll.
  • Simmering love, travels to far away lands, mystery!

    5
    By lite it up
    I’ve just recently discovered Mimi Matthews. What a gift of a writer. In this tale she weaves complex and fascinating characters, Tom, Jenny, and Giles into an investigative story set in England, Egypt and India, along with a simmering love story. So much fun to read!
  • A Modest Independence

    1
    By Suzette23
    Tedious. Angst ridden. Main character is unlikeable, cold,obsessed with being “independent”. Just a boring book. Save your money.
  • A Modest Independence

    3
    By PalatableDinner
    Though this can be read as a standalone, after reading the first book, A Matrimonial Advertisement, I was looking forward to Jenny and Tom’s story. I was disappointed. There are several typos throughout the book. Circular arguments, recycled descriptions, and unnecessary explanations made for repetitive reading that dragged, resulting in a book that should be at least twenty percent shorter, and at times Jenny and Tom’s relationship journey felt forced. The writing gets progressively less show and more tell throughout the story. At halfway I was disenchanted and at three-quarters I was ready for this book to be over. At the very beginning it was Jenny who suspected that Giles did not want to be found because he had taken to India and because of the death of his mother, and likely had no idea of Helena’s abuse at the hands of his uncle because news could not reach him. But when they finally reunite, for some reason she thinks he should be grateful Tom helped find him and is all “haven’t you read the paper” as they stand in the middle of the wilderness, and acts completely ignorant when he recites the very reasons she hypothesized at the start. When Jenny and Tom finally have their big fight it just comes off as very stupid and melodramatic. For a supposed “no-nonsense” 28-year-old, Jenny reads like an obnoxious 21 -year-old, made worse considering the life expectancy back then. She may have been given a retirement sum, but Tom is a lawyer and as far as readers are aware still needs to work, and becoming one in another country where he doesn’t even speak the primary language is no simple task, lest he be financially dependent on her which is another thing. It’s extra cringe when he later says he should have given up everything and stayed with her. It’s a shame because a lot of research went into this book. There are interesting parallels drawn between Jenny and Tom, and a lot of merit in a story about taking time to discover who you are and exploring concepts of independence and dependence, of power dynamics in relationships and boundaries. But the execution wasn’t there. This book does romanticize Colonial India, which, to the author’s credit, is acknowledged and apologized for.
  • A Modest Independence

    5
    By Sisters4ever!
    I love this series!! I want to read from beginning to end without stopping!!
  • A Modest Independence

    5
    By littlepinkpumpkin
    Such strong and independent characters. I absolutely loved the story line. Everything that Ms. Matthew’s writes is so exciting and adventurous.

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