A Holiday by Gaslight

Mimi Matthews is quickly becoming a favorite author, and as the holidays rapidly approach, I wanted to read her Christmas novella, A Holiday by Gaslight. Like her other historical romances, this is set in the 1860s. Sophie Appersett’s family is running out of money, so she’s been engaged to a London merchant, Edward Sharpe, for the past two months. But she feels no connection with this distant man and is ready to end the engagement. Instead, she gives him one last chance and invites him to Appersett House for Christmas. Can their holiday together provide them a spark of love, or will it only prove the end of their brief relationship?

Review

This may be the first time I’ve read a historical romance between a betrothed couple on the brink of ending their engagement. At first it seemed like there really was no spark between Sophie and Edward, but I was so happy to be proven wrong. Edward may seem aloof, yes, but before long his closely hidden emotions will finally emerge. I loved watching these two truly get to know each other. All they needed was some time alone together, maybe under the stars in a sleigh at night… swoon!

It was also interesting to learn about the advent of gaslighting (the literal lights, not manipulation!) and seeing Sophie’s family spend all the money they have on modernizing their home. Comfort and progress, or financial responsibility? Her father may not have his priorities in order. I like how this layer colors Sophie and Edward’s relationship and what a marriage between them would look like.

Even with the shorter format, A Holiday by Gaslight captures all that I love in Mimi Matthews’s writing. She portrays the 1860s so vividly, but moreover, I adore how she captures emotion and passion between characters—and without the extra spice that many romances I read have. I always fall in love with her characters and their evolving relationship.

Final Thoughts

A Holiday by Gaslight has a unique setup and blossoms into a wonderful Victorian era romance, perfect for those in the Christmas spirit. I love Mimi Matthews’s books, whether full-length novels or novellas like this one. This is a splendid holiday read, and I look forward to reading more of her books in the new year.

Get the Book

You can buy A Holiday by Gaslight here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

A Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews
Audience	Adult
Genre	Historical Romance
Setting	England
Number of Pages	174
Format I Read	Ebook
Original Publication Date	November 13, 2018
Publisher	Perfectly Proper Press

Official Summary

A Courtship of Convenience

Sophie Appersett is quite willing to marry outside of her class to ensure the survival of her family. But the darkly handsome Mr. Edward Sharpe is no run-of-the-mill London merchant. He’s grim and silent. A man of little emotion—or perhaps no emotion at all. After two months of courtship, she’s ready to put an end to things.

A Last Chance for Love

But severing ties with her taciturn suitor isn’t as straightforward as Sophie envisioned. Her parents are outraged. And then there’s Charles Darwin, Prince Albert, and that dratted gaslight. What’s a girl to do except invite Mr. Sharpe to Appersett House for Christmas and give him one last chance to win her? Only this time there’ll be no false formality. This time they’ll get to know each other for who they really are.