Publication: 25th August 2026 (eBook), 13th October 2026 (paperback, audiobook) – Perfectly Proper Press
A spirited Victorian beauty with a fondness for fairytales unwittingly falls under the power of a beastly, scandal-plagued nobleman in the first book in USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews’s new Daughters of Somerset series.
Charlotte Beresford has spent far too long under the iron rule of strict governesses and unflinching finishing school teachers. When she’s offered a brief window of freedom—an invitation to spend the summer with a recent acquaintance in a remote corner of Yorkshire, far from societal expectations—she jumps at the chance. Never mind that her new friend is odd, their chaperone questionable, and the village rumored to be cursed. Charlotte knows how to look after herself. All she must do is show a friendly face, keep her wits about her, and—above all—avoid the derelict manor house that stands on the edge of the moors…
Battle-scarred and bad tempered, Magnus Sterling never intended to return to England, let alone Yorkshire. But now he’s inherited the title, it’s his responsibility to settle his late father’s affairs. It should be simple enough to do without riling up the superstitious locals. Indeed, they don’t even need to know that the infamous son of the equally infamous Earl of Eversleigh is back on British soil. Magnus will keep to himself, and to the crumbling manor house, and for once in his miserable life avoid any cloud of scandal. A straightforward enough plan, or so he believes, until he catches sight of the bold, auburn-haired intruder infiltrating the grounds of his estate…
I was really sad when the last book in the Somerset Series was published. I love all of Mimi Matthews’ novels, but the Somerset Series is my favourite: the characters and their families, their stories, and the settings kept me completely engrossed and I didn’t want to end. So when the author announced the new series, the Daughters of Somerset, I was thrilled, especially when I received a copy of the first book, Miss Beresford and the Beast.
Set in North Yorkshire, we have an abandoned manor on the moor, a cursed village, a young woman full of dreams and a hero haunted by his past. The two protagonists couldn’t be more different. Charlotte Beresford is the youngest daughter of Viscount St. Clare and Hannah Heywood. She likes riding, reading, and sketching, and talking to herself (“the person I like the best”). She is loyal, full of life, bold, and inquisitive, always in search of adventures. And it’s her love for adventures and her care for animals (like her mother and grandmother) that lead her to Moorcross Manor where the new Earl of Eversleigh is tearing the house apart in search of his inheritance. Magnus Stirling has left the British Navy to reclaim his inheritance and spent the rest of his days in solitude, but first he needs to find it. The guilt from something that happened in his past still haunts him as well as his complicated relationship with his father. Scarred, grumpy, and stubborn, Charlotte seems to be the only one to see through his real character, even if it means going against an entire village, her friend, and her own family.
Miss Beresford and the Beast is yet another wonderful, addictive, and immersive Victorian novel from Mimi Matthews. It features an intriguing cast of characters, including a fool valet and an abandoned dog who provide humour to the story, a heroine with amnesia and a hero who plays along with it, a village full of superstition, and a slow burn romance that was perfection. I loved every page of it and I can’t wait for the next one!
A huge thank you to Mimi Matthews for providing me with a proof of this fantastic novel.
USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews writes both historical nonfiction and award-winning Victorian romances, including The Siren of Sussex, a 2023 RUSA Reading List shortlist pick for Best Romance; Fair as a Star, a Library Journal Best Romance of 2020; Gentleman Jim, a Kirkus Best Book of 2020; and The Work of Art, winner of the 2020 HOLT Medallion and a 2021 Daphne du Maurier Award nominee. Mimi’s novels have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus, and Shelf Awareness, and her articles have been featured on the Victorian Web, the Journal of Victorian Culture, and in syndication at BUST Magazine.
In her other life, Mimi is an attorney. She resides in California with her family, which includes a retired Andalusian dressage horse, a Sheltie, and two Siamese cats. To learn more, please visit www.MimiMatthews.com
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