A Holiday By Gaslight by Mimi Matthews - Sophie Appersett's parents have been very supportive of Mr Edward Sharpe's courtship of her, despite his humble family background in the trades. Ned Sharpe is very successful and wealthy, and Sophie's father has spent all the Appersett family money on improvements and "progress" to the estate, even Sophie's dowry. Sophie has no objection to marrying below her class in order to benefit her family, but after they've been courting awhile she decides to break it off. After all, shouldn't they be able to speak of something other than the weather? Ned is so stiff and formal that Sophie feels they are ill-suited.
Ned is taken by surprise, and wonders where he has gone wrong. In his attempts to do everything right, he has relied on the advice in a book of etiquette for gentlemen, which was to remain very reserved, yet Sophie seems offended. Not long afterwards, Ned is surprised again, when Sophie comes offering a second chance by renewing the invitation for him - and his parents - to spend Christmas at their country home, Appersett House. They agree to put strict formality aside and truly get to know each other, to see if their courtship has a chance at success after all.
The Christmas house party at Appersett House has an unusual mix of classes among the guests, but Sophie is determined to make it a success, and hopes for a chance at happiness with Ned. Ned puts forth his best effort to show Sophie how much he truly cares for her. And Sophie's father goes all out to convince Mr Sharpe and his business partner that the improvements he has in mind for the estate are good investments for them. Will that pressure push Ned away, or will the growing affection and attraction between him and Sophie lead them to a happy marriage?
The story and romance in this novella were delightful, and Sophie and Ned are both very likeable and interesting characters. I wanted their happiness and success very much, but I also rather wanted Mr Appersett to get the wakeup call he needed. He's a secondary character, but his own unfettered spending has put his entire family at risk, and he remains selfish and unrepentant in the face of his foolishness. The references to Charles Darwin are timely, since his work was being published during the time period of the setting, but seems unrelated to the actual storyline, and so unnecessary to mention, in my opinion.
From the Publisher:
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.
By the same author: The Work of Art, The Matrimonial Advertisment, Fair As A Star, The Viscount and the Vicar's Daughter
This is a book that explores social class (#43) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.
#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2025
This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot, and at the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2025 hosted by The Intrepid Reader and Baker.
#histficreadingchallenge
This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
