The Muse of Maiden Lane

By: Mimi Matthews

Narrated by: Stewart Crank, Zara Hampton-Brown

A 2024 BookBub Best Historical Romance!
One of Parade's Best New Books of November 2024!
One of Amazon's and Apple's Best Romance Books of November 2024!

A silver-haired equestrienne and a charismatic artist turn a scandalous bargain into a vibrant portrait of love.

Stella Hobhouse is a brilliant rider, stalwart friend, skilled sketch artist—and completely overlooked. Her outmodish gray hair makes her invisible to London society. Combined with her brother’s pious restrictions and her dwindling inheritance, Stella is on the verge of a lifetime marooned in Derbyshire as a spinster. Unless she does something drastic…like posing for a daring new style of portrait by the only man who’s ever really seen her.

Aspiring painter Edward “Teddy” Hayes knows true beauty when he sees it. He would never ask Stella to risk her reputation as an artist’s model but in the five years since a virulent bout of scarlet fever left him partially paralyzed, Teddy has learned to heed good fortune when he finds it. He’ll do anything to persuade his muse to pose for him, even if he must offer her a marriage of convenience.

After all, though Teddy has yearned to trace Stella’s luminous beauty on canvas since their chance meeting, her heart is what he truly aches to capture….

Critic reviews

Praise for Mimi Matthews

“Shiveringly Gothic…For best effect, save this one for a windy night when trees scrape against the windowpanes.”—New York Times Book Review on The Belle of Belgrave Square

“Mimi Matthews never disappoints.”—Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"No one writes Victorian romance like Mimi Matthews."—Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author

“Mimi is truly a national treasure. All of her books are filled with such delicious chemistry and heart, and her writing is superb.”—Isabel Ibañez, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Mimi Matthews just doesn’t miss."—Evie Dunmore, USA Today bestselling author

"An effortlessly elegant slow-burn romance."—Kirkus, starred review

"Full of both wit and heart, this is another winner from Matthews."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Matthews builds the romance as skillfully as Teddy layers the brushstrokes in his paintings. Balancing witty banter and historical detail and practical concerns about living with a disability, Matthews renders a romance that’s both realistic and as luminous as the starlight—and the woman—Teddy loves."—Shelf Awareness

This brought me joy!

A lovely conclusion to a beautifully written series. I think too, this might have been my favorite. Mimi does it again! 💕

not great, but good

The story would have been a lot better if the female voice hadn't have been so ridiculous. When she was speaking as a man, I outright laughed at how fake it sounded. I don't know how I got through it. I love that those with disabilities were included.

Stars and light

This book features the fourth of the four horsewomen, Stella, the one with the gray hair. She meets Teddy, the younger brother of Alex from the Parish Orphans series. I loved how the two series interconnected. Teddy is an artist and he admires Stella for who she is. It’s a lovely story, beautifully narrated. Highly recommended!

My favorite in the series!

This one seemed to have the most romance and swoon which I loved. The narrators were great except when the female narrator spoke as Teddy. But I still couldn't put it down. Finished it in one day.

Narration Distracting

I love all of Mimi Matthews books but I did not care for the narration on this one. The back-and-forth between the two narrators was distracting. The male voice was good, and I wish he had read the entire book. The female voice was cheesy when she tried to imitate Teddy‘s voice that didn’t match the male counterpart. It was distracting enough to me to abandon the narration and just finish reading the book myself.