There is much to love about The Muse of Maiden Lane by Mimi Matthews. The attention to historical detail in this novel is perfection. I love feeling like I’m transported back in time to the historical period I’m reading, and Matthews does a superb job in this. The sights, the smells, the clothes, the busyness of London, the Social trappings of the time…I was truly carried away to England circa 1863 and I loved it so much! I also really, really enjoyed being immersed in the art scene of the 1860s. The Pre-Raphaelites and the Impressionists are some of my most favorite artists ever. It was fun to participate a little in this world via Teddy and his amazing artistic talents and friendships. In addition to the historical detail, I very much enjoyed all the cameos we get in this book. The characters from the Parish Orphans of Devon series make appearances in this book, as do all the Belles and their husbands from this series. So much fun to see all these great characters interact. I love getting the extra insight into who’s pregnant or who has children now, and who is doing what and where. I also love the connections between series. I think that is so much fun! As far as this story goes, Stella is the star of this romance. Her character is absolutely wonderful. She is a heroine in every sense of the word. My heart hurt so badly for her as she is forced to deal with her horrid brother. I wanted very much to reach into the confines of this story so I could smack Daniel and hug Stella. In this, I am so glad she has Evie, Julia, and Anne. Their strong bond as best friends illustrates just how important it is for people to have real, true friendships. They are so essential to a good, contented life! My favorite aspect of this story is getting to watch Stella discover her fierceness and strength. I love that she breaks out of her shell and becomes the woman she was always meant to be. Teddy is not my favorite hero — in fact, I found him to be quite an anti-hero — but I did love how he helps Stella in her process to becoming strong in who she is and to go after what she wants. There is a lot of good girl-power in this novel and I rather enjoyed every minute of it!

As with the previous novels in this series, The Muse of Maiden Lane is an excellent Historical Romance that I highly recommend. I am sad that my time with these characters has come to an end, but I do look forward to what Ms. Matthews has in store for us readers next.