The Reformer Author: Jaima Fixsen
Series: Power of the Matchmaker #12
Genres: Historical Romance
Format: eBook, Print
Pages: 274
Date: December 1, 2016
Publisher: Indie
Love at first sight…
Mary Buchanan has bigger worries than the radical journalist next door who’s spoiling her father’s digestion: unrequited love for a footman, a fractious aunt, patiently awaiting her destiny… She’s certain he’ll be handsome.
Then she meets the reformer, journalist Samuel Brown. Destiny is closer at hand than Mary has supposed—if she can just get Mr. Brown to realize it.
[bctt tweet=”Is Mr Brown to be Mary’s destiny? THE REFORMER #victorian #romance Jaima Fixsen”]
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I had a harder time getting into this book and never really connected with the characters. Mary’s life is very sheltered and her father and aunt do not treat her well. I felt for her, and liked seeing her grow and find her self-confidence, but never felt invested in her story. I didn’t feel like I ever got to know Samuel, beyond his passion for the reform movement. Niall annoyed me in the beginning, but grew on me as the book went on. I did like the way things ended.
The romantic relationships are clean, but there is some innuendo and the heroine turns to a book to learn about sex and some of the physical responses are described. In my opinion, it wasn’t necessary. I’ve read nine other books in the series, and all have been very clean, so I was surprised to see those things included.
The Power of the Matchmaker series is now complete. It has been fun to read these books and see the different techniques Miss Pearl uses to help couples find love. In this book, Miss Pearl is never actually called by that name. She goes by Mrs. Chin, and is Mary’s neighbor. I really enjoyed her part in the story.
I received a complimentary copy of the book. This review contains my honest opinion.
To say Mary Buchanan leads a boring life could be considered somewhat of an understatement. She spends her days trying to keep her father’s temperament in check and fetching powders or laudanum for her Aunt Yates’ migraines and other ‘ailments’. At almost 18 years old she hasn’t had a season and doesn’t seem to have any type of social life unless you count attending church. Although her father seems to be a busy and well respected doctor the family seems to live quite frugally, if the descriptions of Mary’s clothing and her Aunt Yates routinely taking inventory and thorough inspections of the household are any indications.
As Mary’s father is very conventional, naturally he’s against political reform, and he also seems to dislike the Chinese. When Samuel Brown, a ‘radical’ journalist, moves into the house next door Mary’s father is extremely displeased since they already have Mrs. Chin (Miss Pearl) living on the other side of them.
Mary first meets Samuel Brown when she’s inadvertently locked out of her house (she isn’t allowed a key) in a downpour, and finds she’s instantly attracted to him. His best friend, Neil Murray is quite rude to Mary in an effort to dissuade her from pursuing Samuel.
Mary’s only outlet seems to be drawing and she starts drawing pictures of botanicals for Mrs. Chin. Later she anonymously leaves political cartoons at Samuel’s house which leads to Mary secretly working for The Times.
I really felt for Mary–she seemed to simply be tolerated by her father and aunt, but came into her own once she started drawing the political cartoons. She accepted the way her family treated her for what it was and something she couldn’t change but made plans to use her drawing talent to make money so she could move out and live on her own.
I’m not sure how I feel about Samuel–he was very devoted to the cause of reform but it seemed he was unable to give that much devotion to a wife. His best friend (and brother-in-law) Neil had good intentions for keeping Samuel and Mary apart, but came on a little too strong. Mary was very young and Samuel was probably her first crush–Neil didn’t have to treat her as rudely as he did at Mrs. Chin’s house that one morning when she rushed home in tears. It serves him right that he would turn around and fall in love with her himself. Lol.
I don’t know why the character of Pearl is called Mrs. Chin in this book, but I found her as mysterious as ever. This is the last book in the Power of the Matchmaker series and although I haven’t had the opportunity to read all of them, I’m sad to see the series end.
Jaima Fixsen is a new author to me but I enjoyed this book. There was a surprise towards the end that I definitely didn’t see coming.