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Stitch of Secrets

By Tori Matthews
Level 1 Intimacy
No Innuendo
Zero Swearing
Mild Violence
Adult
No LGBTQ Content

Trigger Warnings

None

Book Details

Genre

Cozy Mystery, Historical Romance

Publisher

Self Published

Series

The Matchmaker of Bell Court

Book #

2

Point of View

Single Third Person

Length

Novel
forced proximityslow burn

Found a trope you love? → Tap it to explore more ❤️

Audiobook Details

Narrators

Narration Type

Single

Synopsis

Jane Matthews has always known how to read damage — the way other people read words. So when a gown arrives at Clark’s Laundry with a two‑inch compression line hidden deep in the seam, she recognises it instantly.

Not sloppy. Not careless. Personal.

Someone understands her work with unsettling precision. Someone who knows her methods, her logic, the way she reinforces a bodice so it holds under movement. That knowledge did not originate in Bell Court.

As Jane studies the ruined gown under the lamp, another presence enters the workroom: Colin, the delivery manager whose quiet steadiness hides a talent for noticing far more than he says. He sees patterns everywhere — in routes, in ledgers, in people — and he sees the truth in Jane’s hands before she speaks it aloud.

The sabotage is deliberate. And it has only just begun.

Drawn together by circumstance and pressure, Jane and Colin must uncover who is targeting her work before the damage spreads further than anyone expects. But forced proximity has a way of revealing more than danger — and Bell Court has a way of noticing everything.

A slow‑burn Victorian mystery‑romance filled with tension, tenderness, and secrets stitched where no one should look.

Where to Read

Amazon

*Affiliate link — I may earn a commission*

Reader Reviews

Have you read this book? Help other readers by leaving a review.

Great Victorian romance and mystery combo

May 30, 2026
Review of Stitch of Secrets

I really enjoy the Bell Court this series is in. I can really imagine daily life there. Good story telling and slow burn romance.

Avatar for Jessica
Jessica

Leave a Review

Reviews help other readers know what to expect from a book.
Please avoid spoilers and be respectful in your review.

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Amazon

*Affiliate link — I may earn a commission*

Stitch of Secrets

By Tori Matthews

Genre

Cozy Mystery, Historical Romance

Publisher

Self Published

Series

The Matchmaker of Bell Court

Book #

2

Point of View

Single Third Person

Length

Novel

Narrator(s)

Narration Type

Single
forced proximityslow burn

Found a trope you love? → Tap it to explore more ❤️

Content Guide

This guide helps readers understand the content of this book.
Click the ⓘ icons to see how each level is defined.

Level 1 Intimacy
No Innuendo
Zero Swearing
Mild Violence
Adult
No LGBTQ Content

Trigger Warnings

None

Synopsis

Jane Matthews has always known how to read damage — the way other people read words. So when a gown arrives at Clark’s Laundry with a two‑inch compression line hidden deep in the seam, she recognises it instantly.

Not sloppy. Not careless. Personal.

Someone understands her work with unsettling precision. Someone who knows her methods, her logic, the way she reinforces a bodice so it holds under movement. That knowledge did not originate in Bell Court.

As Jane studies the ruined gown under the lamp, another presence enters the workroom: Colin, the delivery manager whose quiet steadiness hides a talent for noticing far more than he says. He sees patterns everywhere — in routes, in ledgers, in people — and he sees the truth in Jane’s hands before she speaks it aloud.

The sabotage is deliberate. And it has only just begun.

Drawn together by circumstance and pressure, Jane and Colin must uncover who is targeting her work before the damage spreads further than anyone expects. But forced proximity has a way of revealing more than danger — and Bell Court has a way of noticing everything.

A slow‑burn Victorian mystery‑romance filled with tension, tenderness, and secrets stitched where no one should look.

Reader Reviews

Have you read this book? Help other readers by leaving a review.

Great Victorian romance and mystery combo

May 30, 2026
Review of Stitch of Secrets

I really enjoy the Bell Court this series is in. I can really imagine daily life there. Good story telling and slow burn romance.

Avatar for Jessica
Jessica

Leave a Review

Reviews help other readers know what to expect from a book.
Please avoid spoilers and be respectful in your review.

More Books to Explore

Laced with Deceit
Seam of Deception

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Waves of Redemption

Find Your Next Closed Door Romance

Stop guessing — find books that actually match your preferences
Filter by intimacy level, tropes, and more in seconds

Find books you'll love

2700+ books • Filter by exact content levels • Built for closed door readers

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Physical Intimacy Levels

Level 1

  • Holding hands or affectionate touching
  • Compliments or confessing love
  • Low-description kissing
  • Tender embraces or cuddling
  • Blushing and sighing
  • Non-descriptive discussions of sex
  • Established relationships
  • Fade to black if married
  • Any sexual encounters are only referred to from the past, not described or shown on page
 

Level 2

  • Touch that signals attraction
  • No touching in the underwear zone
  • Long kisses, lightly descriptive
  • Deeper kisses, tongue implied but not described
  • Feeling warm or flushed
  • Gasping, deep sighs, light growls or groans
  • Thinking or speaking about desire in a non-descriptive way
  • Fade to black for established relationships after a scene that matches this level, though this may be unpopular if they are not married
 

Level 3

 

  • Hands moving, still not in the underwear zone
  • French kissing with tongue described
  • Make-out sessions that still follow these guidelines
  • Feeling hot or sweaty
  • Heavier gasping, groaning, deep growls, or panting
  • More frantic moments and some loss of control
  • Male shirt may come off, but nothing else
  • Leg may straddle waist, but no mention of arousal
  • If characters lie down together, there should be little description of contact or movement
  • May happen in a bedroom or on a bed, but should be interrupted or end with a fade to black scene
  • Focus stays on the emotion
  • Fade to black should still happen between married couples or at the end of the book between engaged or committed couples

Innuendo Levels

Level 0 — None

  • No sexual innuendo
  • No suggestive humor
  • No crude or sexual jokes

Level 1 — Minimal

  • Minimal innuendo or double meanings
  • Light teasing
  • Mild crude or dad humor
  • Not frequent or strong

Level 2 — Moderate

  • Moderate suggestive humor
  • Double meanings
  • Sexual tension
  • May include crude or sexual jokes

Level 3 — Heavy

  • Heavy innuendo
  • Strong suggestive dialogue
  • Frequent crude or sexual humor

Swearing Levels

Zero

  • No swearing

Mild

  • Up to 10 uses of “hel*” or “dam*”

Moderate

  • 10+ uses of “hel*” or “dam*”
  • And/or use of bodily swear words like “shi*,” “as*,” etc.

Severe

  • 30+ swear words
  • And/or any use of the F-word one or more times

Violence Levels

Zero

  • No on-page violence

Mild

  • Violence is present without detail or only referenced vaguely
  • May briefly mention blood or injuries
  • Comparable to a G-rated movie

Moderate

  • Violence is more frequent and/or more detailed
  • Can be more intense
  • Injuries may be lightly described
  • Comparable to a PG-rated movie

Severe

  • Violence is more detailed and frequent
  • Blood may be mentioned and injuries may be described in detail
  • Comparable to a PG-13-rated movie

Intimacy Levels

Level 1

  • Holding hands/Affectionate touching
  • Compliments/confessing love
  • Low-description kissing
  • Tender embraces/cuddling
  • Blushing and sighing
  • Non-descriptive discussions of sex
  • Established relationships
  • Fade to black if married
  • Any sexual encounters from past only referred to, not described or on-screen

Level 2

  • Touch that signals attraction
  • No touching in underwear zone
  • Long kisses, lightly descriptive
  • Deeper kisses, tongue implied not described
  • Feel warm/flushed
  • Gasping, deep sighs, light growls and groans
  • Thinking/speaking about desire non-descriptive
  • Fade to black for established relationships after a scene that matches this level – but may be unpopular if not married

Level 3

  • Hands moving, still not in underwear zone
  • French kiss with tongue described
  • Make-out sessions still follow guidelines
  • Feel hot, sweating
  • Heavier gasping, groaning, deep growls, panting
  • More frantic and lose some control
  • Male shirt may come off, but nothing else
  • Leg may straddle waist, but no mention of arousal
  • If they lay down together anywhere, use little description of contact/moving
  • May happen in a bedroom or on a bed, but should be interrupted or end with fade to black scene. Keep focus on the emotion.
  • Fade to black should still happen between married couples or at the end of the book between engaged/committed couples.