Return to Satterthwaite Court (Somerset Stories #3) by Mimi Matthews

Return to Satterthwaite Court is the third installment in Mimi Matthews’ Somerset Stories series. Matthews is a prolific USA Today bestselling author of proper Regency romance and Victorian romance.

The Somerset Stories Series follows the love stories of several families across the Regency and Victorian eras. While the stories are interlinked, each can be read as a standalone novel.

I was already a fan of Mimi Matthews’ work and of the first two novels in the Somerset Stories series, The Work of Art (#1) and Gentleman Jim (#2), so I was thrilled to be chosen for the launch team to help Mimi put this new story into the world. I received a free copy of Return to Satterthwaite Court (#3) in exchange for an honest review.

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|Related: The Hourglass House Guide to Mimi Matthews’ Proper Historical Romances

What is Return to Satterthwaite Court about?

I’ll let Mimi tell you herself. Here is the publisher’s synopsis.

A reckless Victorian heiress sets her sights on a dashing ex-naval lieutenant, determined
to win his heart as the two of them embark on a quest to solve a decades-old mystery
in USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews’s sequel to her critically acclaimed
novels The Work of Art and Gentleman Jim.

Lieutenant Charles Heywood has had his fill of adventure. Battle-weary and disillusioned,
he returns to England, resolved to settle down to a quiet, uneventful life on an estate of his
own. But arranging to purchase the property he desires is more difficult than Charles ever
imagined. The place is mired in secrets, some of which may prove deadly. If he’s going to
unravel them, he’ll need the assistance of someone as daring as he is.

At only twenty, Lady Katherine Beresford has already earned a scandalous reputation. As
skilled with pistols as she is on horseback, she’s never met an obstacle she can’t surmount—
or a man she can’t win. That is, until she encounters the infuriatingly somber Lieutenant
Heywood. But Kate refuses to be deterred by the raven-haired soldier’s strong, silent facade.
After all, faint heart never won handsome gentleman.

From the wilds of rural Somersetshire to the glittering ballrooms of early-Victorian London,
Charles and Kate embark on a cross-country quest to solve a decades’ old mystery. Will the
greatest danger be to their hearts—or to their lives?

Why I Think You’ll Love Return to Satterthwaite Court

I’ve never been disappointed in a Mimi Matthews novel, and I’ve read many. Return to Satterthwaite Court is no exception.

A Thrilling Story

From the moment Lady Katherine Beresford and Lieutenant Charles Heywood meet in pursuit of a runaway mongrel in the first pages, I was off and running with them. The pace never slackens as the former naval officer relentlessly pursues the purchase of his mother’s lost childhood home, Satterthwaite Court–and as Lady Katherine relentlessly pursues him.

Set a generation later than The Work of Art and Gentleman Jim, this third book in the Somerset Stories series weaves together stories from the first two installments. Charles and Kate are the children of the Heywoods of The Work of Art and the Beresfords of Gentleman Jim.

As I read, I had to conclude that I am much more a Heywood than a Beresford. I have more in common with the calm, homebody Heywoods, content with their books and their houseful of pets, than I do with the boisterous Beresfords.

In fact, sometimes I wanted to tell Kate to calm down and be careful, so the more reserved Charles and I have that in common. Sometimes I expected the villain of the piece to twirl his mustaches. Yet for all his conventional dastardliness (is that a word?) he is a reminder of the very real dangers posed to young women by unscrupulous, selfish men in Victorian society–and in our own.

I loved both previous books, and Return to Satterthwaite Court offers the best of both.

A Satisfying Ending

While we all know the main couple will get their HEA (happily ever after), I was surprised and delighted by the way the book answers the implicit question in the title. How will the return to Satterthwaite Court happen?

The way the book answers this question is one of the its strongest points. An ending should be both totally surprising and yet totally inevitable. The reader, looking back, should see that it’s the only way the story could have ended. That is definitely the case here.

As far as I’m aware, there are at least two more books planned in this series. Return to Satterthwaite Court serves as a perfect center for the series, as it is (literally) the offspring of the first two novels and it sets up the next two.

While all the novels can be read as standalones, I find it gratifying as a reader to experience the links between the Somerset Stories. It’s nice to get a little more time with and see a different side of characters you’ve enjoyed in other books.

Who Will Love Return to Satterthwaite Court?

Old and new fans of Mimi Matthews’ work will enjoy her most recent proper Victorian historical romance.

Mimi’s books are “closed door” romance, which means that the romance takes center stage while any sex is simply implied. My favorite part of any romance novel is always the witty conversation between the leads, so this suits me fine.

Fans of Georgette Heyer, Bridgerton, and Jane Austen’s Persuasion will find something to delight them here. Lieutenant Heywood gives me serious Captain Wentworth vibes.

I love Mimi Matthews books because they are always smart, frequently funny, and are above all, page-turners. I struggle to put them down. There’s a good chance you’ll feel the same.

Get Your Copy!

Return to Satterthwaite Court is available from April 11, 2023 as a paperback, ebook, or audiobook wherever books are sold.

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