Mimi Matthews Books in Order: The Complete Reading Guide
Mimi Matthews is the reigning queen of the slow burn that never needs to raise its voice. Her Victorian romances are "proper" in the best sense — closed-door, emotionally rich, meticulously researched — and somehow more swoony for all that restraint. Here is every Mimi Matthews series in order, from Parish Orphans of Devon to The Crinoline Academy, plus the standalones worth hunting down.
A quick orientation: Matthews writes clean/proper historical romance, mostly set in the Victorian era rather than the Regency. Intimacy stays behind closed doors; longing does not. Her catalogue centres on three series — the gothic-tinged Parish Orphans of Devon, the horsey, feminist Belles of London, and the newer Crinoline Academy — plus the loosely connected Somerset Stories and a shelf of standalones. Each book is a complete romance; within each series, friendships and families carry over, so order is recommended.
Parish Orphans of Devon in order
Four boys raised in the same orphanage grow into four very different men. Brooding coastal Victorian goodness — read in order.
- The Matrimonial Advertisement (2018) — A woman with dangerous relations answers a stranger's advertisement for a wife and marries an ex-soldier at his clifftop abbey in Devon. A marriage of convenience with real gothic atmosphere.
- A Modest Independence (2019) — A lady's companion with a small inheritance and a workaholic solicitor travel all the way to India in search of answers — and find each other. A genuine adventure romance.
- A Convenient Fiction (2019) — A charming fortune hunter meets a young woman holding her family together by sheer will. Both are pretending; neither can keep it up.
- The Winter Companion (2020) — A quiet stableman-turned-valet and a lady's companion find their voices — and each other — at a snowbound country house. The gentlest, most tender of the four.
Belles of London in order
Four horse-mad friends navigating Victorian London society. Matthews' traditionally published breakout series.
- The Siren of Sussex (2022) — A fearless equestrienne and an ambitious half-Indian tailor form a partnership: she will model his designs in Rotten Row, he will make her the most talked-about rider in London. Slow burn of the highest order.
- The Belle of Belgrave Square (2022) — An heiress with crippling anxiety and a hero with a rumor-shrouded past make a marriage bargain. Beauty and the Beast, Victorian style — a fan favorite.
- The Lily of Ludgate Hill (2024) — A second-chance romance between a lady who swore off love and the gentleman who once broke her heart — and now needs her help.
- The Muse of Maiden Lane (2024) — The last Belle finds her match in an artist determined to paint her. A hero who uses a wheelchair, a heroine with silver hair, and a finale full of heart.
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The Crinoline Academy in order
Her newest series, built around a select Victorian academy for young ladies whose education runs rather deeper than deportment.
- Rules for Ruin (2025) — An academy graduate deploys everything she was taught against a gentleman who threatens her mission. Sharp, subversive, and still perfectly proper.
- The Marriage Method — The second Crinoline Academy romance, continuing the school's formidable alumnae.
Standalones and the Somerset Stories
Matthews' early standalones are where many devoted readers started: The Lost Letter, The Viscount and the Vicar's Daughter, the Christmas novella A Holiday by Gaslight, and Fair as a Star — a compassionate, quietly groundbreaking romance whose heroine struggles with melancholy. The interconnected Somerset Stories begin with The Work of Art and Gentleman Jim (a swashbuckling revenge romance with serious Count of Monte Cristo energy) and continue through Return to Satterthwaite Court, Appointment in Bath, A Lady of Conscience, and The Governess and the Rogue. Read the Somerset books in that order; the standalones any way you please.
Where to start
Start with The Siren of Sussex if you want the book that made BookTok fall for proper romance — the yearning-over-dress-fittings of it all. Start with The Matrimonial Advertisement if you like your Victorians windswept and gothic. And if you are short on time, the novella A Holiday by Gaslight is a perfect one-evening introduction to what fade-to-black, full-hearted romance can do.
Frequently asked questions
Are Mimi Matthews' books clean romance?
Yes — she writes clean/proper historical romance. The romantic tension is intense, but intimate scenes fade to black or stay off the page. Longing glances and one devastating kiss, not explicit content.
Do I need to read the Belles of London books in order?
It helps. Each book is a complete romance, but the four heroines are close friends whose stories overlap. Start with The Siren of Sussex and read through in order.
What should I read first by Mimi Matthews?
The Siren of Sussex is the best-known entry point. If you prefer moody, gothic-tinged Victorian romance, start with The Matrimonial Advertisement instead.