This book was extremely cute but had some nice depth to it too and I wasn't quite sure for a bit where I wanted it to go. The ending was especially heartwarming and adorable and this was such a fun family to read about. I sincerely hope this becomes a series because it is my favourite type of historical romance and makes me want to live in that society (in some ways).

It has been a long time since I genuinely did not know who the girl would end up with in the end. In Secrets and Suitors you will be left guessing until the very end. Joanna Barker doesn't just turn out books to make money. You can feel the tension in her stories and her attention to detail. Her ability to close out a chapter and create a genuine page turned is a real talent and so compelling. I highlighted so many of my favorite moments and they are often there at the end.

I related so much to Nora as a character. I think it was such an interesting point of view to show her timidness and tendency to not engage in the social circles she was forced into. James comes to her rescue time and time again, yet there are other suitors willing to show open love with her and meeting her needs in ways that he can't. Mr Weston grew on me slowly and their relationship has so much potential.

What I also appreciated was the growth and dimension Barker gave to Nora's father. I feel I come to understand his character more and more throughout the book and his love story with his wife and family at the end is just as riveting as Nora's journey. This is one of those books you can go back to time and again and appreciate the push and pull that Barker weaves into her stories. I highly recommend it!

Unrequited love, the girl next door, marry for love or status. Each of these themes are present in this sweet romance by Barker. James was a great love interest, but Nora has lost all hope of there ever being more than friendship between them. Enter two rival suitors and there was a host of directions this story could go.

*I received a free ARC via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Beautiful

Typical me, I’m behind on my reviewing again! Yet this one sticks in the mind plenty enough for me to still be able to give my thoughts and opinions on it.

I will start by saying that I usually avoid Regency romances as, quite like contemporary billionaire romances, they can be unrelatable, reading more like a fantasy world. The description and the cover sucked me in on this one and, I am relieved to say, that the writing made the story relatable. The characters felt real, fragile yet headstrong, each with their own unique characteristics.

It is hard to understand from a modern perspective a time period where men, particularly the heads of the family, very much had a final say in anything that women did. Despite having read so much, I’d hate to live without my modern freedoms. Yet here we have a young lady who is willing to test her father’s resolve so she can marry the man she loves, rather than the one that may give her the greatest comforts.

We have a great main character, accompanied by a slew of side characters who make the story even more colourful. I especially like the Countess – quiet and calculating, with a great sense of duty, but with an even greater sense of humour.

All in all, I have to say that I’m very glad that I picked this up!

Final rating: ★★★★★ – Loved it/couldn't put it down

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started Secrets and Suitors, but I ended up loving it! Nora is a quiet wallflower, who has secretly been in love with her best friend James for years. However, after an awkward almost-kiss that fizzled, she is convinced he doesn't share her feelings. To add to her problems, her emotionally distant father is convinced that she must enter an arranged marriage with a man she is sure she will never love. The romantic tension between Nora and James was SO GOOD, so once I got into the book, I didn't want to put it down until I finished. If you are a fan of Regency romance and/or Jane Austen, I think you will enjoy this book.

This is probably my favorite book from this author so far . . .
Regency era, clean romance and fantastic characters. Loved it!
So many emotions flowing throughout the whole story. I was engaged from the beginning to the end!
Nora is shy, but stronger than she realizes. She loves deeply - and wants to be loved deeply, but wonders if she will have to give up that desire,
She has had romantic feelings for James her childhood friend for years - thinking that he only wants to be friends.
She tries to put aside her feelings and focus on finding a husband who will either love her, or if not, then one that will provide a happy life - without love.
Her naïvety puts her in more than one perilous situation!

James is a wonderful character!! I love his strength, loyalty, compassion and witty humor!
Nora and James share an uncommon friendship and their time together is emotional - to say the least.
I also love several of the supporting characters. Well rounded in every way!
This book is aptly named, because not only is there more than one suitor, there are so many secrets!
Twists and turns I totally didn't see coming! Everyone is hiding either something in their heart - or their character. And when the secrets are revealed - they either bring healing - or clarification - or both.
This book was so well written!
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. My opinions expressed here are all my own.
I highly recommend this book! It was well worth my time to read!

I’m always down for a good Regency romance–I love the feel-goodishness of them. There’s something about the propriety of the time that somehow makes the leading men that much more swoon-worthy too. With that being said, it’s still important to have a feisty heroine and I mostly felt like Nora was a wet blanket. I hoped that she would develop and mature as the book went on, but I was to be disappointed. Honestly, I think Susanna would have been a MUCH more interesting protagonist. I just thought Nora was too down on herself! She can’t be charming and desirable while simultaneously being COMPLETELY oblivious to any of her good qualities. Nora also had an unbearable amount of angsty internal dialogue. If I had a dollar for every time she thought something like, “We are only friends” or “I must control my heart” or “He doesn’t feel the same” I would have much money. In the end, I didn’t think this book was SO bad, but it wasn’t great either. Just okay. 3/5

I enjoyed this sweet romance and read it to see how the author would spin this familiar friends to lovers storyline. At times it seemed a little repetative (Nora constantly bemoaning how she loves James, but he doesn't lover her) and so many of the issues would have been resolved if the two simply had an open conversation. If you are looking for a light read, this is a good book. If you're looking for something with more depth, you may want to skip it.

Sometimes you read a book that you know will stay with you long after you finish the last page of the story. This is one of those books. I have read several books from Joanna Barker and this is a new favorite. I truly enjoyed this story and is one that I will read again. I enjoyed the character growth and development that took place not only in the main characters but in the supporting characters and family as well. I think many of the challenges that Nora faced are felt by many of us today and are very relatable. There are things that we see only on the surface sometimes and it takes energy, trust and time to see below what is really going on. I think a lot of that took place in this story. We all assume things that don't turn out to be true. Forgiveness is a hard thing but an important lesson in life and can lead to great happiness if we let it. Nora was very selfless and truly tried to be happy with her situation and and I'm glad she didn't have to sacrifice in the end to get her own happily ever after. I would definitely recommend this book.

2.5 stars

***ARC received in exchange of an honest opinion***

Secrets & Suitors had everything to be the kind of book I would love, since I love historical romances, but unfortunately I didn't love it. Quite the opposite.

The story was confusing, the plotline was a mix of a lot of different plots I've seen before and the writing was very basic.

There wasn't much angst and teh stoey felt lost at some point and I'm afraid after it flatlined it never picked up its pace again.

I couldn't relate to any of the the characters and I didn't feel any connection between the,, either love connections or friendship ones. Things just happened out of the blue and I neede more of a backstoey on them.

Unfortunately this was a disappointment for me.

I found this read to be quick and easy, it was enjoyable but I did not feel drawn to or engrossed by the characters. It was well written and an interesting story, but it was too boxed up and tied w/a bow for my tastes... the ending quickly resolved in such a happy ending I felt it was too easy of an ending. I would read more by this writer because it was enjoyable, just not my cup of tea this time around.

I adored this book and absolutely fell in love with the story. This sweet and clean Regency romance will have you aching for what the protagonist Nora experiences, and cheering her on as she grows and learns the confidence she needs to make her own happily-ever-after.

The title, “Secrets and Suitors” is such a good description for this book. There were so many secrets throughout, both with suitors and with those closest to Nora, and ones Nora had to keep herself. I really came to love and admire her as a protagonist. She is often thought of as shy and quiet, but to read from her first-person perspective, we get to see how kind, brave, and selfless she really is.

James was another favorite character. He definitely made for a fantastic swoony hero! His kindness and compassion added a great depth to his charming and easy-going personality.

I also really loved the family interactions throughout the book. There is so much more to this story than I ever thought before reading it. To see Nora’s family life and some of the realities of the time period and how it affected them all was fascinating. To see broken hearts mend had me tearing up at times.

In all, I cannot say enough good things about this book! I truly enjoyed myself and can’t wait to see what this author writes next!

Shy and reserved Nora has given up on finding a love match. Her best friend James has gone off, and Nora's father is pushing for her to accept marriage to a man of wealth and status. Can one final season in London bring Nora the happiness she seeks, or will the secrets of the past bring her only heartache?

I very much appreciated that Nora was not a young debutante. At 21, she has had several seasons and she's had time to grow as a person. But, she hardly knows herself and what her heart needs from her future husband.

On the one hand, we have the childhood friend she is fond of but who has never offered more than friendship. On the other hand, we have a titled and handsome man who has been showing a decided preference for her company. In the middle, we have the choice of Nora's father, the reserved Mr. Weston, who Nora can hardly stand to be in company with.

Nora's journey to her happy ever after is sweet. The secrets in her family were sad and did not excuse the behavior of her father but does explain it.

For readers looking for a sweet Regency tale, they won't go wrong with this one.

I loved reading the growth that took place within Nora and her family as the book unfolded. I also loved all the different secrets that came out. Some were guessable but others were a surprise. The relationships were complicated in Nora's family dynamic. It was fun to see them slowly change. I really enjoyed this book, not only for the clean romance but for the complexity of the relationships. I would definitely recommend.

I really enjoyed this novel! It was clean, had an interesting plot and lots of historical elements. I am always a fan of novels written during this time frame and this was no exception! Highly recommend for a light, enjoyable read.

This is a well written book that holds your attention. It is a good clean Regency romance that will keep you turning the pages to see what happens next. Thank you Covenant Communications via NetGalley for the copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I felt so many different emotions while reading this book. The greatest of which was joy. I was completely immersed in this story and really found myself enjoying every moment of it. There were plenty of emotions that tugged on my heartstrings. Especially emotions that had me feeling resigned and sorrowful for Nora, our heroine.

Then there were emotions that had me wanting to tell her to wake up and shake off her doldrums and see what was right in front of her eyes.

Then I had emotions of anger towards other characters in this story. How could they do that???!?!?!?!?!

Then I would find myself circling back to the emotions of joy and happiness and love and swooning.

All my frustration and wanting to tell characters to straighten up worked perfectly...they quickly learned and changed.

I have loved all the books that I've read by this author and this book was no exception. It might possibly even been my favorite of hers. If you haven't read anything by her, you're in for a real treat. If you have, read her other books but not this one, you're really in for a treat.

Find yourself immersed into the ups and downs of Nora's world. Her family, her friends, her suitors, her impressions, her mistakes, her joys and her sorrows. So much goodness packed into this sweet read. Especially the love story. Oh my! Definitely one I loved!

Content: Clean. A moment of peril but nothing graphic.

I received a copy from the publisher, Covenant Communications, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


I kind of love Nora. She was so quiet and shy but sooo relatable. She reminded me a lot of myself. I am absolutely the worst at social situations, so I really felt connected to her. I love the way Nora finds her way through her insecurities and timidness.


I loved that this was written in the first person point of view. It made me feel like I was right there with Nora helping her make the decisions that ultimately lead her to find her voice. The book itself is very character driven and doesn’t rely heavily on plot, but it was very good nonetheless.


I felt like Nora wasn’t the only character who grew during the time in this novel. Every character seemed to grow from their first introduction. It was very refreshing. The author has a very detailed way of writing to make you really feel the characters emotions.


I feel like I really got to know Nora during my time with her within the pages of this book. I do hope we get to see more from Nora and what her future holds. Thank you so much to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for allowing me to review this title.

A very interesting historical story, with some surprising twists. The story is well written and for a smooth read.

In the tale, Secrets & Suitors by Joanna Barker,you will watch the incredibly shy Nora Hamilton try to handle the busy world of London, following two seasons that brought no potential match for her!

Her heart is still with James, her neighbor from back home; however, her father does not think James is ranked high enough in society or will bring in enough money!

Watch see what Nora will do to try to change her father's mind!