A Bloom for a Blacksmith

Living together as husband and wife for several thousand years might seem unrealistic for most couples, but for Stella and Darius, a long life has allowed them to enjoy numerous interests and indulge in various avocations, doing so in a number of countries. They have paid witness to cataclysmic events, wars, political upheavals, and pandemics, surviving all of them due to their immortality.

There was a time they might have been considered gods, but mortals these days would not tolerate such a claim. It's far better to simply blend into a society and stay until their lack of aging becomes noticeable. As the largest city in the world in 1832, London offers an excellent place in which to settle for a decade or two.

Unable to resist the urge to become involved in other people's lives-especially those who are in search of a spouse-they are the Immortal Matchmakers of Mayfair.

A shy blacksmith of twenty-five, Angus Thompson is convinced the steam-powered vehicle he is helping an eccentric inventor to develop will revolutionize transportation. Life in London is proving lonely, though, and his living situation is growing intolerable. How does a man find a woman to marry in the capital? His question to his new employer seems to send Darius into a quandary-and his wife Stella on a mission to find him a match. When he's enlisted to help move a young woman's belongings to the apartment above Stella's bookshop, he experiences a revelation-unexpected attraction and love at first sight.

Stunned by the sudden death of her brother, flower girl Iris O'Connor is not only without a protector, but also without means-her funds are no longer available to her. When she is found by Stella weeping outside a bank, she has no choice but to accept the position the woman with a strange accent offers her-to work as a clerk in her bookshop in exchange for a place to live. She can't help but think there might be more to Stella's plans for her, though-plans that involve a certain blacksmith.

Much can happen in only a week, even more when meddling matchmakers are involved.

Tropes you'll enjoy:

• Love at first sight
• Unexpected love
• Forced proximity
• Damsel in distress
• Mature love
• Hidden Immortals