Lord of Secrets: A Regency Romance

“Lord of Secrets” is the fifth book in Erica Rigley’s Rogues to Riches series. The story was well written, with a well structured storyline and well developed characters. Ms. Eleanora Winfield the daughter of a sheep farmer is the paid companion to Lady Roundtree and Mr. Heath Grenville is heir to a baronetcy. Society dictates they can never be together yet they begin to develop feelings for each other. Their romance had a slow build up and there seemed to be more interaction with Heath and his family than Nora and Heath. In this storyline, Mr. Grenville, the problem solver for the Ton vows to identify the person responsible for infamous caricatures that hurt his sisters while Ms. Winfield secretly pens those unflattering caricatures of the ton to help her family survive. What happens when Ms. Winfield’s secret is exposed and how it affects their budding romance makes for an interesting and entertaining story. I also found Lady Roundtree’s part in their romance fun to watch since it soon became obvious she had her own agenda when it came to Nora and Heath. I never give storyline specifics in my reviews because writing is an author’s livelihood. The book was an enjoyable read that I recommend and look forward to the next in the series. I received an ARC of this book from the author. This is my honest opinion about the book.

Three and a half stars. Miss Eleanora (Nora) Winfield has been summoned from her family's sheep farm in the West Midlands to act as a lady's companion to her (distant) cousin Lady Roundtree whilst that lady recovers from a fractured ankle. She's homesick and lonely, treated as a servant, invisible and overlooked she finds her employer catty and an incurable gossip but eight weeks work as a paid companion could help her brother and aged grandparents enormously, taking them from the brink of destitution to almost comfortable so she'll grit her teeth and get on with it. At Lord Carlisle's ball Nora runs into a handsome gentleman by accident whilst carrying a glass of lemonade to her employer. The gentleman is the first person to actually 'see' Nora and she is struck by his good looks and his charming manners. Later in the evening the gentleman, Mr Heath Grenville, approaches her to ask her to dance and is horrified to discover that she is little better than a servant (and consequently far beneath the heir to a baronetcy). Heath Grenville is the older brother of three sisters, two of whom have had their own books. He is very aware that his duty to his family and his future role is to marry a woman of impeccable lineage, one who will not bring any hint of scandal to the family. Yet he can't help but remember a young woman with red hair and a pink dress who acts as a companion to Lady Roundtree. Nora sends drawings and caricatures of the people and places she sees in London back to her family, partly because she has difficulty reading and writing but partly to share her life with them. Unfortunately her brother shares some of the caricatures (anonymously) with a contact and the next thing she knows her sketch of Lord Wainwright, which she laughingly titled 'Lord of Pleasure' has been published in a London newspaper and is the talk of the ton. Not only that, the paper will pay her five pounds for every caricature she sends them - provided of course that they are of the ton. Nora is torn between wanting to earn money to help her family and horror at being exposed as the artist who dared to lampoon a member of the aristocracy - she knows if the artist's identity is discovered she will be sacked and bring censure down upon her cousin's family. This was immediately gripping, I love a romance featuring a lowly lady's companion, especially one who draws vicious caricatures of the stupidity and ridiculousness of high society and throw in an untameable puppy and you've got me hooked. It would have got a higher rating if Heath hadn't come across as a leetle bit of a prig, so dismissive of all the eligible young ladies of the ton and so judgemental if they so much as smiled in his direction, despite his own mother's obsession with marrying off each of her offspring. I also felt that there was a lack of angst/ tension - whilst that was a twist to confound my expectations it also felt like the ending slightly puttered out. Nevertheless, another fun read from Erica Ridley. I am SO stoked about the next book ... can't wait. I received a free copy of this book from the author, via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

A man who's known for keeping secrets falls for the woman who has the biggest secret of all! Heath is known for keeping society's secrets, so he has been hired to discover the identity of the political satirist who is mocking London's elite. Meanwhile, he's attracted to a beautiful companion, despite the class differences that make them wholly unsuitable for each other. Nora will do anything to keep food on the table for her impoverished family, including working as a paid companion for a distant relative. And including selling her clever drawings, anonymously of course, drawings that force the lords and ladies of London to look at themselves from a completely different perspective. What follows is a delightful romance as both Heath and Nora have several obstacles to overcome on their way to a satisfying HEA. I enjoyed the developing relationship between Nora and Lady Roundtree, especially the subtle ways that the baroness found to bring Heath and Nora together. I especially enjoyed the way the final resolution scene was written with honesty and openness, acknowledging all the truths while determined to find a way to move past it all. It was brilliantly and beautifully written. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.