A Convenient Fiction

By: Mimi Matthews

Narrated by: Alex Wyndham

The mysterious Alex Archer returns to England in Book 3 of Mimi Matthews' USA Today best-selling Parish Orphans of Devon series.

She Needed a Husband....

It's been three years since Laura Hayes' father died, leaving her and her invalid brother to subsist on the income from the family's failing perfume business. But time is swiftly running out. What she needs is a husband, and fast. A noble gentleman who can rescue them all from penury. When a mysterious stranger arrives in the village, he seems a perfect candidate. But Alex Archer is no hero. In fact, he just might be the opposite.

He Wanted a Fortune....

Alex has no tolerance for sentiment. He's returned to England for one reason only: to find a wealthy wife. A country-bred heiress in Surrey seems the perfect target. But somewhere between the village railway station and the manor house his mercenary plan begins to unravel. And it's all the fault of Laura Hayes - a lady as unsuitable as she is enchanting.

From the beaches of Margate to the lavender fields of Provence, a grudging friendship slowly blossoms into something more. But when scandal threatens, can a man who has spent his entire life playing the villain finally become a hero? Or will the lure of easy riches once again outweigh the demands of his heart?

©2019 Mimi Matthews (P)2019 Audible, Inc.

Love this series!

I have read the first three books of the Parish Orphans of Devon series, and I hope it conitnues! I've loved all three books so far - - each orphan boy is now grown, and the story of their past lives as orphans and how it has affected their lives as men individually, is enthralling. I was especially glad that Alex "returned to the fold" through the love of his wife, and the resulting courage she brought out in him. He was so harsh on himself, not believing himself worthy of forgiveness. I hope that Ms. Matthews will continue this saga with Neville. It would be such an interesting conclusion to the series.

Incredible

Alex always does a phenomenal job; his voice is so incredible as he bounces between female/male

Great story

Once again Mimi Mathews comes up with a great story . I hope she continues to regale us for years.

So very good.

I have read the first two books and they were extremely good. This one brought tears. Thanks Mimi. Keep writing.

Mimi Matthews' Best Yet!

I have listened to all of Mimi Matthews' books on Audible, and "A Convenient Fiction" is her best yet. The story is immediately engaging, and the plot hums along. Ms. Matthews' writing has improved greatly, especially her use of dialogue. The most important quality to me in a romance novel is whether or not the author and narrator can convincingly relate not only how and why the hero and heroine fall in love, but also their feelings as they do so. Matthews and Wyndham do this particularly well in this book. As the third in the trilogy, previous threads are closed up while not subjecting the reader to too much tedious backstory. The main characters are compelling and well matched.

I cannot say enough good things about Alex Wyndham's narration. I am in love with his voice. I have also noticed that his narration has improved in his voicing of female characters. His voice is by turns seductive, romantic, shy, commanding, honest, and always enjoyable to listen to. Just listening to him makes me happy.

If I could make one suggestion to the author, it would be to be mindful that when certain phrases are used repeatedly, it becomes especially obvious while listening. In this book, there is too much stomach "clenching" and heart "flopping/flipping/skipping" and so forth.

Overall, this is a lovely and charming romance. Although more love scenes are intimated at than in previous Mimi Matthews books, this is still very clean. I look forward to more from Matthews and Wyndham.

Loved! (Spoilers below)

I fell for parish orphan #3 Alex Archer more than I expected! Being invested in this series I thought he wouldn’t be as sympathetic of a character for me, but I was wrong! Well done again Mimi Matthews, book 3 didn’t disappoint and I was inordinately excited to see the men and their lady loves all meeting and reunited at the end, the set up for our last parish orphan Neville to find his own HEA! Can’t wait for book #4
Side note: there is a little steam to this romance BUT Mimi Matthews always keeps it classy :-) perfect

Great Story!

What a wonderful third book. Fabulous narrator. Thank you Ms Mathews! Now please tell us about Neville.

A delight!

I loved the first book in the series and enjoyed the second one. Since we had only heard bad things about Alex in those previous stories, I wondered about him. He was the one who disserted his friends and took abandoned jewels that could have rescued them all. And he's spent the last twenty years beating himself up about it, convinced he's a bad man. His has done unscrupulous things, but in his heart is a hero.

A hero that Laura sees in spirt of how he tries to hide it. I enjoyed the settings and the glimpse into Victorian swimming practices. Matthews does such a great job painting the time. I loved how Laura and Alex were together. She SAW the good man inside and she trusted him to live up to his potential even when he couldn't see it in himself. But she also made him want to be a good man because he didn't want to disappoint her. I also appreciate how we got to see them on their honeymoon and, without too much detail, found their physical love changing their "marriage of convenience" a true love match. Laura was perfect for him, and he didn't want to hold her back from what she wanted to do.

I'm so excited for the next book.

best of the three

This one had me hooked from the first chapter. I really loved this one. And it brings the orphans all together and heals old wounds. Best if you have read the other two 1st.

A good listen!

I felt like I was missing something-like coming in on a sequel or partway through another story.