Samantha Hastings

Mimi Matthews Interview Samantha: Your characters are always so loveable! I know it’s hard to pick a favorite, but do you have one in this book? Mimi: It’s really hard to choose! I love Julia and Jasper, of course, but I also have a soft spot for Daisy Blunt. Samantha: I adored Goldfinch Hall as a setting in Yorkshire. It’s damp, creepy, and deliciously gothic! What was your inspiration for it? Mimi: I’m a huge fan of gothic fiction and Victorian sensation novels. Remote, creepy houses often play a part in those stories. It’s always fun to include one of them in mine. Samantha: Julia’s invalid parents remind me of Mr. Woodhouse in Jane Austen’s EMMA. How did you make them both comical and sinister? Mimi: Their hypochondriacal quirks make them comical, a bit in the vein of Austen characters like Mrs. Bennet or Mr. Woodhouse. However, the power they hold over Julia makes them sinister.   They’re capable of controlling her future and taking away her bodily autonomy. Truly ...

  THE BELLE OF BELGRAVE SQUARE by Mimi Matthews Review: ✨✨✨✨✨ Mimi Matthew’s books are always a treat and this story was absolutely delectable! Captain Blunt and Julia are an unlikely pairing. He is a strong man with a shocking past and reputation. She is the socially anxious daughter of invalids. The only thing they share in common is a love of horse riding. In sharing their secrets, they discover their inner strength. THE BLUE CASTLE by L.M. Montgomery is one of my favorite books and I definitely saw shades of the story in THE BELLE OF BELGRAVE SQUARE. Author Mimi Matthews also used these books for inspiration, THE LAW AND THE LADY by Wilkie Collins (1875); LADY AUDLEY’S SECRET by Mary Elizabeth Braddon (1862). I can hardly wait for the next book in the BELLES OF LONDON series! Coming October 11, 2022. 

NEVER RESCUE A ROGUE by Virginia Heath   Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review.  The Merriwell sisters continue to both charm and make me laugh out loud in this second novel. (You don’t need to have read the first book to enjoy this one. But I highly recommend it! NEVER FALL FOR YOUR FIANCÉE is an absolute hoot). Giles Sinclair is an heir in trouble. He has a terrible secret and no one is better at sniffing out secrets then the journalist called the Sentinel. Who also happens to be Miss Diana Merriwell. The former foes become friends and solve a family mystery. It’s a witty war of words with two likable protagonists.  Heat level: Diana has her way with the Duke 😉. #stmartins #stmartinspress #stmartinsgriffin #VirginiaHeath #NeverRescueARogue #regency #regencyromance #bookrecommendation #bookreview #bookish #booklove

 Read for free!  Miss Selina Stubbs signs the contract of her life with her father—her perfumes in every major shop in London, in exchange for marrying the reluctant son of the Duke of Hampford. Lord Theophilus, the courtesy Marquess of Cheswick, has no desire to wed the daughter of a London merchant. He wishes to go to Africa and study the animals there. But his father, the Duke of Hampford, desperately needs her dowry. After the wedding, Selina gets to know Theophilus and learns of his care for wounded animals. Together they plan a daring rescue of a lion from the Tower of London. Selina decides to make a new bargain…this time for love.

MARLOWE BANKS, REDESIGNED by Jacqueline Firkins @jfkillsdarlings Review: ✨✨✨✨✨ Perfect for fans of BEACH READ by Emily Henry! Marlowe Banks has moved from NY to LA to leave behind a fiancé and a stage failure. She’s a personal assistant to a costume designer and by chance, ends up in a small bit on a TV show with sexy actor Angus Gordon. Sparks fly on and off screen, but Marlowe doesn’t want to be in the spotlight…she wants her costuming to be. Misunderstandings, internet trolls, and social media threaten their budding relationship. It’s a meet-rude instead of a meet-cute, but the chemistry between them sizzles. I loved the vulnerability and growth of the characters beneath their costumes and the faces they show to the world. I also adored how Marlowe dealt with her ex and how she learned to love herself. Sweet, steamy, and completely satisfying. #MarloweBanksRedesigned #JacquelineFirkins #stmartinsgriffinsbooks

  SOMETHING IN THE HEIR by Suzanne Enoch Rating: ✨✨✨✨✨ An original premise, charming prose, and hilarious characters make this story a positive delight. “Are there any more little blessings I should know about?” Mrs. Pershing informs her husband that she has made up not one, but two children! To keep her estate Emmeline married her friend Will, but they didn’t have an obligatory child in five years. So she made some up. Her grandfather, the Duke who owns the estate, insists that she bring her children. The Pershing’s try to borrow children from neighbors but eventual are forced to get some from an orphanage. The romance is subtle and sweet, but secondary to the family plot. The focus is on humorous antics and heartwarming family time as two partners, who are almost strangers, learn how to be parents. #SuzanneEnoch #SomethingInTheHeir #StMartinsPress

  A Dreadful Splendor releases today! 1. Do you believe in ghosts? And/or have you ever attended a séance?   I don’t believe in ghosts, but I do when I wake up in the middle of the night and hear a noise   downstairs. We had a Ouija board when I was a kid, Parker Brothers sold them, it only seemed to come out during sleepovers. The planchette always spelled out something like ‘fart’ or ‘poop head’, but of course everyone denied interfering with the spirit world. They really should reconsider calling it, “I’m not pushing it, are you pushing it?” 2. Who is your favorite character in the book and why? Genevieve. She came to me completely fleshed out with a backstory and a trunk full of coping mechanisms and grief. Still, she is one determined character with a lot of sass. I could have easily written it from another character’s point of view, but it wouldn’t have been as effective. 3.What made you choose Victorian England as the setting for your book? G...