{"id":24118,"date":"2024-12-07T10:23:21","date_gmt":"2024-12-07T15:23:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/?p=24118"},"modified":"2024-12-25T14:48:43","modified_gmt":"2024-12-25T19:48:43","slug":"the-siren-of-sussex","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/24118","title":{"rendered":"The Siren of Sussex"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Siren of Sussex<\/em><\/a> (2022) Mimi Matthews<\/a> (Belles of London #1)<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>Set in London in 1862<\/p>\n

Ahmad Malik and his cousin Mira came to England after her mother died, and after her father died, Ahmad took whatever work he could to care for her. Now he is a tailor, hoping to make his marking designing women’s gowns, but the business is hard and he needs a way to stand out.<\/p>\n

Evelyn Maltravers has come to London for a single season, to hopefully make a match and be able to bring out her younger sisters. Because she is not a beauty and has no dowry, she has pinned her hopes on making an impression with her riding.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause his riding costumes are beautiful. And because they make the ladies who wear them beautiful, too. It\u2019s a sort of magic, I believe. To create clothing that can do that for a person. That can transform them into something extraordinary.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

One thing I particularly like about her writing is that she doesn’t hide the realities of the world in the 1800s.<\/p>\n

Ahmad deals with the blatant racism of the time. Evie deals with the strictures society places on young, unmarried women.<\/p>\n

We also get glimpses of how difficult and dangerous the world could be for women.<\/p>\n

Her mother, Diana, had been Uncle Harris\u2019s youngest sister. She\u2019d died when Evelyn was but fifteen, a result of exhaustion, the village midwife had said. Too many children in too short a time, not all of them living. The final birth had done for her.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Despite those harsh realities, this is a romance, and the way she folds those facts into the romance isn’t dark or sad–because those things were just facts of life of the time. The focus of the story is upon Evelyn and Ahmad, and how they make their romance work, despite the barriers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat shall I call you?\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cAnything you want,\u201d Ahmad said. <\/p>\n

\u201cI wish to use your Christian name.\u201d His mouth hitched. <\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t vouch for its Christianness.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Additionally, we see the start of the craze for the supernatural that happened in England.<\/p>\n

\u201cHer ladyship has a seer in for the evening. A celebrated fellow, calls himself Zadkiel. Uses a crystal ball rumored to have been passed down from an Egyptian magician.\u201d <\/p>\n

Evelyn recalled the fortune-teller that Anne had mentioned. \u201cThis isn\u2019t the gentleman who writes the astrological almanac?\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cThe very same.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cIs he going to perform parlor tricks for us?\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There are, of course, awful people in the story, but they are awful in the normal way. There are no villains or monsters, just humans.<\/p>\n

Characters<\/strong>: Evelyn Maltravers, Ahmad Malik, Mira, Becky Rawlins, Tariq Jones, Mr. Doyle (tailor), Lady Arundell, Lady Anne, Julia Wychwood, Stella Hobhouse, Hephaestus, Uncle Harris Fielding, Aunt Nora, Fenella Maltravers, Augusta Maltravers, Caroline Maltravers, Elizabeth Maltravers, Isobel Maltravers, Lewis (groom), Mrs. Quick (housekeeper), Agnes (maid), Rosamond Deveril, Countess of Arundell, Anthony Connaught, Stephen Connaught, Mildred Lacey, Viscountess Heatherton, Tom Finchley, Mrs. Jenny Finchley, Lady Helena, Captain Thornhill, Captain Blunt, Joe Tweed, Mr. Lees, Mrs. Inkpen<\/p>\n

Publisher: Jove<\/p>\n

Rating: 8\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Siren of Sussex (2022) Mimi Matthews (Belles of London #1) Set in London in 1862 Ahmad Malik and his cousin Mira came to England after her mother died, and after her father died, Ahmad took whatever work he could to care for her. Now he is a tailor, hoping to make his marking designing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[12,30,292,204,33,207,26],"tags":[802,181,686,557],"class_list":["post-24118","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-8-10","category-british","category-ebook","category-good","category-historical","category-mental-health-rep","category-romance","tag-belles-of-london","tag-mimi-matthews","tag-racism","tag-victorian"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/piQkW-6h0","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":11792,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/11792","url_meta":{"origin":24118,"position":0},"title":"The Matrimonial Advertisement","author":"Michelle","date":"March 27, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"The Matrimonial Advertisement (Parish Orphans of Devon) (2018) Mimi Matthews Set in England in 1859. Helena Reynolds has fled London. She's in Devon responding to a matrimonial advertisement, but if this doesn't work, she return to London. Justin Thornhill was a captain in the British army who served in India,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "7.5\/10"","block_context":{"text":"7.5\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/7-5-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/The-Matrimonial-Advertisement.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12143,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/12143","url_meta":{"origin":24118,"position":1},"title":"The Work of Art","author":"Michelle","date":"October 8, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"The Work of Art (2019) Mimi Matthews Set in England in 1814 Phyllida Satterthwaite lived with her grandparents until their death, at which point she was taken to London to live with her uncle, who Had Plans For Her. both of her cousins immediately perked up, as if they expected\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "7.5\/10"","block_context":{"text":"7.5\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/7-5-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/The-Work-of-Art.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12661,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/12661","url_meta":{"origin":24118,"position":2},"title":"The Lost Letter","author":"Michelle","date":"March 28, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The Lost Letter (2017) Mimi Matthews Set in England in 1860. Sylvia Stafford now works as a governess. The suicide of her father left her destitute, abandoned by society and her friends. So she is shocked when a young lady appears, asking her to come to the country. Sebastian Conrad,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "British"","block_context":{"text":"British","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/british"},"img":{"alt_text":"The Lost Letter","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/The-Lost-Letter.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12313,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/12313","url_meta":{"origin":24118,"position":3},"title":"A Holiday By Gaslight","author":"Michelle","date":"December 8, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"A Holiday By Gaslight (2018) Mimi Matthews Set in England in 1861. Sophie Appersett has decided that although Mr Edward Sharpe is handsome as well as wealthy, they do not suit. After months, she still knows nothing about him, other than that he and his best friend made their money\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "7.5\/10"","block_context":{"text":"7.5\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/7-5-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"A Holiday By Gaslight","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/A-Holiday-By-Gaslight.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":19491,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/19491","url_meta":{"origin":24118,"position":4},"title":"A Holiday By Gaslight","author":"Michelle","date":"December 30, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"A Holiday By Gaslight (2018) Mimi Matthews Set in England in 1861 I love a good novella \/ short story. I have tremendous respect for an author who can build characters and an immersive story in under 200 pages. What I particularly liked about this story is Sophie has a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "9\/10"","block_context":{"text":"9\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/9-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"A Holiday By Gaslight","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/A-Holiday-By-Gaslight.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":22717,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/22717","url_meta":{"origin":24118,"position":5},"title":"A Holiday By Gaslight","author":"Michelle","date":"January 17, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"A Holiday By Gaslight (2018) Mimi Matthews Set in England in 1861 Sophie's father keeps improving their country estate--whether they have the funds to do so or not--so when wealthy manufacturer asks permission to court her, the family agrees. But despite wanting to help her family, Sophie also wants to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "8.5\/10"","block_context":{"text":"8.5\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/8-5-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"A Holiday By Gaslight","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/A-Holiday-By-Gaslight.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24118","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24118"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24118\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24118"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24118"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24118"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}