I so love to dive into this author's novels when I get a chance. You get transported back in time with the excellent written word here. The characters Charlotte and Elliot will take you on quite the adventure also. With the sinister that comes a calling she must have aid even though it chaps her hide to do so. Elliot does so but with misgivings that will be outlayed in here. There is also magnetism between that will carry them along. The formula is just right in this with the suspense that will carry you and the touch of romance that lingers. I was glad I got into this one and devoured it to my delight.

For my first historical romance, The Pursuit of Mrs. Pennyworth gave me all I wanted and more. The thriller aspect was creepy and kept me guessing up to the reveal. The romance was sexy with just enough push and pull between the characters to stay interesting and fun. Mrs. Pennyworth was so relatable which I absolutely loved. She wasn't a damsel in distress and wasn't afraid to stand up for what she believed in. I love the descriptions of historical London and their way of life. I felt transported into this world for a few hours and honestly would have loved to stay a bit longer. The pacing was a bit slow, but I've heard that is common for historical romances, and the story was never boring. If anything I was kept on my toes up until the very end.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It's 1887 London and Mrs Charlotte Pennyworth has just come out of a years mourning for her husband when she starts to rceive unwelcome 'presents'. She employs ex-police inspector Elliott Baker to investigate who now works as a private investigator and solicitor. The case becomes complicated by their growing attachment to each other.
The mystery in this story was quite good though I did have my suspicions. I enjoyed the story and found the characters likeable and wait to see if there will be more written about Elliott Baker's investigations.

Unfortunately, this book isn't as good as I thought it'd be. At least, for me it's an average read, something you take your time with and maybe then it won't get boring in the middle. I'm the kind of reader who mostly read books in one sitting, so I prefer fast paced reads, which will keep me entertained for a few hours. This is not one of those books. Although, story is good and both main characters are well-written, however, it is really slow. Nothing much seems to happen for a while at times. I'll be honest I skipped few chapters after 50%. It picked up again at the end, ending is good. Overall, as I said, it's an average read for me.
Charlotte's life hasn't been easy and just when she thinks it will get better it actually gets worse. She has no idea who is after her but she is sure someone out there doesn't want her to live a quite peaceful life. After few dead animals are left on her doorstep she decides to hire an investigator. Hopefully he will be able to catch the perpetrator and then she can deal with it.
Mr. Baker seems like a very professional person. He also thinks of himself as one, but apparently Charlotte is going to test his believes. Soon he realizes that being professional around her is not something he is capable of. First, they must solve the mystery behind all the 'gifts' she has been receiving and after that they can think about their future, hopefully together...
The mystery side of the book is quite good. It kept me intrigued and ending is completely unexpected so I loved that part. If you like slow-paced historical fiction then this is a book you'd definitely enjoy.

Melbourne Station, England - 1887

Miss Charlotte Reading, age 23, is supposed to meet with Lord Barton, but instead she has packed her belongings and headed to London on the train. She had been a companion to Lord Barton’s mother until he tried to coerce her into being his mistress by threatening to accuse her of theft. Now, Charlotte hopes to find a new position soon.

London - 18 months later

Charlotte is now Mrs. Gabriel Pennyworth and a widow just coming out of mourning. She had been married to Gabriel for just a few months when he foolishly lost his life racing a carriage.

Charlotte has called upon Mr. Elliot Baker for his help. She has been receiving strange items left on her doorstep that range from flowers to a dead bird. Since she lives with just her servants, and a prostitute murderer is on the loose called Jack the Ripper, she is even more frightened. Mr. Baker used to be an Inspector at the police before becoming a private investigator. He agrees to help Charlotte find out who is leaving these things on her doorstep.

He begins accompanying her to social functions observing the people she knows and trying to ascertain if one of these people could be her tormentor. Before too long, their frequent togetherness sparks an attraction between them. Who is the person intent on frightening Charlotte and why?

The story introduces readers to many acquaintances of Charlotte, many with strange personalities, making it more difficult to figure out who is trying to terrify her.

I liked the story but must say that while Elliot is a good help to her, I could not have forgiven him like she did. You will have to read the book to see what I mean and I’m interested in seeing if you could forgive him or not.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Skillfully plotted and full of suspense, I was intrigued from the start. Late 1880's England, the story starts out with our heroine, Miss Charlotte Reading fleeing from a position as a companion after being accused of theft. Fast forward 18 mos and we find Charlotte visiting Elliot Baker, private PI and solicitor, formally of the Metropolitan Police. Charlotte, now Mrs Pennyworth had married but lost her husband shortly afterwards in an accident. Now a widow after a year, strange packages had begun showing up on her doorstep, thus her need of an investigator. Elliott really did not want to take the case due to having had a bad experience with another beautiful lady making a fool out of him. But against his better judgement he decides to help her. There is definitely a threat being made against Charlotte but the clues are few and far between. With a strong attraction beginning to form the more they spend with each other, Elliott tries to keep himself distanced. But when he becomes the aim of the mysterious threat, can he leave Charlotte on her own? I truly love historical romance and when there is added mystery and suspense, it really draws me further in. This reminded me a little of Victoria Holt and Georgette Heyer although Callie Hutton has a style of her own with this book. I truly did not want to turn the last page because I so enjoyed the interaction between Charlotte and Elliott. I hope there will be many more stories like this to come and will have my fingers crossed!!

I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

The hero, Elliot, and Charlotte, the heroine, were kind characters and were easy to like. One aspect of the story I liked was that the characters were not from the peerage.

I enjoyed the suspense thread of the story. Though I had guessed who the stalker was before it was revealed, I was interested in seeing how the reveal would occur and how it would play out.

Charlotte Pennyworth is being targeted by a stalker and with the police unwilling to do anything to help her, she turns to Private Investigator Elliot Baker. Luckily, someone is on her side, but the more she and Elliot get into the investigation, the more Charlotte finds herself unable to deny the intense chemistry that is between them. Will Elliot be able to win Charlotte over, or will what Charlotte is hiding from him come back to bite her and cost them their shot at happy ever after?

This is the second book I've read by Ms. Hutton and I've got to say that I really enjoyed this book from start to finish due to the obstacles these two face on their journey to happy ever after; whether the hero can accept the heroine's secret that reminds him of something that happened in his past; and whether the heroine will be able to give the hero a chance, especially since she's decided she'll never marry again. Will she change her mind? However, it was from the moment the hero and heroine come face-to-face for the first time that had me reading this book quickly, determined to discover whether the hero would take her case because it's palpable Charlotte is hiding something.

As for the dialogue, it was a delightful mixture of intense moments due to main characters back stories and the danger the hero and heroine face from Charlotte's stalker and playful banter that had me loving how the hero helps the heroine to deal with everything while doing his best to discover the identity of her stalker. Will the hero be able to keep the heroine safe? Will he discover the identity of the heroine's stalker before it's too late? Moreover, the heroine is very independent, resilient and I liked how she challenged the hero whenever he tried to dictate what she should and shouldn't do. No way was she going to follow anyone's orders without a very good reason. Yet, what I liked most of all is the bond she shares with the secondary characters in her house staff. They're very loyal to her, which is proven by their reaction to the hero at the critical moment in this story. Will they be able to forgive him and hopefully help him make things right with the heroine?

While the hero, he's been through tough times due to things that happened in his past and I liked how he's continued to use his skills as an investigator to help people. He's good at what he does and I liked how determined he was to help find the heroine's stalker, especially when in the beginning he was a tad reluctant to take her case. Yet, what I liked most of all about the hero was his determination to win the heroine over, especially since she's the first woman that he's been fascinated by in a while. Will the hero's charm be enough to win Charlotte over?

Overall, Ms. Hutton has delivered a fantastic read in this book where the chemistry between this pair was heady and convincing; the romance was delightful, as the hero is determined to show the heroine how good things can be between them; and the ending had me worried for the main characters, especially with the danger they face and the moment where their relationship goes awry. Yet, in saying that, I liked how determined the hero was to make things right between him and the heroine, which isn't easy after what he does. However, it was the epilogue that wrapped this story up nicely because of the surprise the heroine has for the hero that calls for a double celebration. I would recommend The Pursuit of Mrs. Pennyworth by Callie Hutton, if you enjoy Historical Romance that keeps a reader guessing as to who the stalker is or if you enjoy books by authors Jess Michaels, Suzanne Enoch, Christi Caldwell and Mary Balogh.

Received in exchange for honest review.

this was fun. We have two people in charlotte and Elliott trying to forget their pasts and move on. For Charlotte she is enjoying freedom and not feeling like she has to account herself to someone. She is also hoping her past has been left behind. She is generous with her time and sweet as well. Very prim and proper. When she comes out of mourning she starts to go to small social gatherings and suddenly she has someone leaving strange items at her door. Some disturb her to where she seeks help. And this is where Elliott comes in.

Elliott was a police officer at one time for Scotland Yard but left due to a misunderstanding he felt responsible for. A misunderstanding that has him wary of believing the stories of women. So when Charlotte comes to him for help he is wary at first. Over time you see that he comes to respect and see the strong person Charlotte is. He sees that she is more than just what society dictates. She has a mind of her own and is kind. they both are just jaded from the past. He opens up more to her than she does with him as they get closer. The danger surrounding Charlotte increases and so does their attraction.

I love how they are with one another. Elliott is kind and fun but also keeps a distance at first. As does Charlotte. As he gets to know the true Charlotte, he lets her in and falls in love. I love how she changes his mind on marriage and woman in general. He knows she is holding something back but isn’t sure what it is. when it comes out he feels betrayed and understandably so. He is reeled by the news and doesn’t act the way he should. when he finally realizes his stupidity, it takes alot to get charlotte to see his love again and trust.

The suspense of the stalker in the story was really fascinating as you fall into the roll of detective with Elliott in trying to figure out who is doing this to Charlotte and why. The culprit is not one you would suspect and added a great twist to this fun and witty romance.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The main characters, Charlotte and Elliot were very likeable, even if Elliot held some hard fast principles. They meet when Charlotte had a problem that she needs solving and asked Elliot in his role of an investigator to assist her. There was an attraction between Charlotte and Elliot but he isn’t sure he wants a wife and she is undecided about loses the freedom that she has now. The mystery held my interest until the end and I kept changing my mind on who was the perpetrator . There is also the added complication of a secret that Charlotte holds. I hope the author writes more books in this genre. I was given a copy via Netgalley and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A fine Victorian mystery and romance novel.

Elliott is an upstanding private investigator who views the world as black and white. Charlotte required his assistance.

A ghastly stalker, a growing mutual attraction, a secret that Charlotte keeps close to her heart, and Elliot's distrust of women in general, make this a quite interesting narrative.

The story unfolds slowly to begin with but when it has picked up its pace it then became intriguing. Charlotte and Elliot are interesting characters embroiled in a puzzling and horrid drama. Their HEA is much-deserved.

This is my honest and impartial review of the advanced reader's copy I voluntarily read.

Miss Charlotte Reading worked for Lord Barton, but he wanted her as his mistress and would not take no for an answer. So he accused her of stealing some jewels and swore out a warrant. She flees to London. She marries Mr. Pennyworth, the fool goes off and gets himself killed. Elliot Baker was an Inspector for Scotland Yard but had resigned his post. He now did investigations for people and he is a solicitor. She went to him to hire his services because someone was leaving things on her doorstep, flowers, dead animals and expensive jewelry.
Exceptional story of deceit, betrayal, lies and love. It has a different twist on it. I loved reading about the dilemma she had to face. It was very intriguing and exciting. The author did a marvelous job of keeping all the parts together and have them make sense. The characters were so life like and so full of life, it keeps the tale going. She wrote a well rounded, even paced and smooth moving tale. It kept my attention until the end of the book.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Deranged Love 3.5*
An interesting story set in the time of the Jack the Ripper murders which means that the Authorities have no time to spend on the increasingly bizarre & twisted offerings being left on Charlotte’s doorstep by an unknown admirer. Charlotte engages Elliot to investigate and they are thrown into each other’s company and a romance ensues. The book kept my attention though I was not keen on the gruesome elements! I did feel it was rather overlong and the American terms were rather jarring to an English reader. If I read a book set in the USA in whatever time period I expect them to use American terms. If I read a book set in the UK I expect the characters to speak using British terms if they are British.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

The Pursuit of Mrs. Pennyworth is a mystery worth reading. Charlotte is being left some disgusting items on her porch. Scotland Yard is just not interested in helping her as they have their hands full with Jack the Ripper. They direct her to Elliot Baker, a former SY investigator.

Both have secrets in their background. Charlotte having been accused by a former employer’s son of stealing jewelry. Elliot having a former lover who was a jewel thief. He knows she is hiding something and she believe she cannot tell him of the accusation. Elliot decides to take her case anyway. As Elliot begins to spend more time with Charlotte as part of the investigation, they become closer. The items left of the porch begin to get worse due to the jealousy of the mystery person.

This book is not fast paced but is allowed to develop at a good rate to make the mystery and the romance believable. You will appreciate the life Charlotte has built for herself following the death of her husband. And, Elliot is a kind, caring man in his care for Charlotte and her situation. All through the book Charlotte is concerned about sharing her past with Elliot. The only issue that does not fit with her gentle nature is the situation of the orphan being poisoned and not wanting to let the authorities know about it. Truly, Charlotte’s reaction is probably typical of someone in that situation, but not what you want to see in your heroine. Other than that, this is a really good weekend read.

Charlotte Pennyworth has sought out the assistance of Elliot Baker, a private investigator, retired from Scotland Yard. Since her husband’s death, she has been receiving gifts left on her doorstep and their nature has become quite distressing. Upon receiving the last item, smeared with blood, Charlotte fears for her life and after being turned away by the police, finds herself, working with Elliott to help uncover her stalker. Elliot, having been forced out of Scotland Yard, because of an affair, finds himself distrustful of Charlotte, whilst fighting his attraction for her. He also believes that Charlotte, is hiding some vital piece of information.
This was an enjoyable story with many twists to the plot. The characters developed as the story progressed with parts of their life, gradually being revealed.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Pursuit of Mrs. Pennyworth by Callie Hutton is the story of Charlotte Pennyworth and Elliot Baker.
Charlotte has a mystery on her hand in the way of a stalker who keeps leaving her things but when she goes to the police that are busy with their on serial murder mystery. Charlotte turns to Elliot to help her find out who is stalking her. Elliot and Charlotte have a instant attraction which doesn't help the stalker with his feelings turning things darker.
This was a really great romance with a mystery story line...loved it!

Recently widowed, Charlotte Pennyworth loves her independence and having to rely on a man is difficult for her. Elliot is a man who doesn't trust women and reluctantly takes on Charlotte's case. Neither of them are looking for romance and Elliot knows that Charlotte is hiding something from him. Once Elliot and Charlotte get past their trust issues love is in the air.

A good book, but a little dark in places. If you love a good mystery this is the book for you..

DNF @25%

I was never fully invested in this one. The writing seemed fine, but the romance was not starting in a convincing way. The suspense was OK. This just may not be the sort of story for me, because it’s possible I could understand the character’s motivation with further background revelations. BUT I cannot forgive the heroine who didn’t want to go to the police when a child was poisoned (resulting in sickness, not death) and her first instinct was “no, they might start asking questions about my background.” Which, btw, as far as the reader knows is that her former employer may have reported that she stole a bracelet that she didn’t steal. NOPE. I’m done.

*I received an ARC of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Recently widowed, Charlotte Pennyworth is relishing her independence and it rankles to have to rely on a man to help her with an increasingly sinister stalker. Solicitor & former detective turned private investigator, Elliot Baker, is reluctant to take on Charlotte's case but despite himself and his history with another woman, Annabelle he is drawn to the bright, attractive widow. Sparks smoulder between them but neither is looking to form an attachment. Elliot thinks Charlotte is hiding something. Charlotte has no desire to marry again.
I’ve enjoyed the authors other books & this is also a very good read. The characters are very well fleshed & the pace of the book is very good, in fact so good that I read until the early hours to finish it. There are a number of suspects, also quite a few clues. Elliot & Charlotte both have to face their pasts before they can fully move forward. I love a romance & also a mystery & this book delivers on both, I certainly look forward to more mysteries from the author

My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Interesting little novel, a Victorian romance/mystery with a bit of sexy passion. The h is a lady’s companion, accused of theft by the son of her employer, in order to force her to be his mistress. She escapes and restarts her life in London, eventually marrying and then being widowed. She seeks the help of an investigator when she begins receiving threatening gifts on her doorstep. He’s a former Scotland Yard officer, sometimes bitter towards women, and begins escorting her to society events in the course of the investigation. They are mutually attracted, and a romance evolves during the investigation. The story lagged some in the middle but has a good ending.