I quite enjoyed this title, finding it hit a good note of angst, romance, and humour at timex in a historical setting. The "hero" James is quite cheeky! Beyond the typical regency-era drama, the heroine was likeable and the supporting characters well developed. It touches on issues beyond lighthearted fluff, exploring family relationships, societal expectations, and the need to at times test the bounds in order to do what's right. A recommended read!

Twenty one year old Nora is in a quandary. She is attracted to James, her father is pushing her towards Mr. Weston who is ultra rich, respectable and what he hopes for and there is Lord Worthington who has shown interest in the quiet, reserved Nora which is very unlike him. James has never actually spoken of his feelings, Mr. Weston is wooden and Lord Worthington makes it obvious he likes her. What is a girl to do.

Add this to a Season in London, her sister Susanna also making her debut despite the elder sister not being married and in her third season, a very distant and reserved set of parents who seem to want to keep their children at a distant length from them and you have the making of a very good story of not just love and romance, but how a family can distance itself from each other through sheer stubborness and at the same time get together with all the warmth imaginable when a crisis strikes.

The book was an interesting read of these times and morals (thank the Lord I live now!).

I’ve come to enjoy this author and her regency stories. They are always sweet and compelling without too much drama going on.
Nora is kind but a bit shy and reserved. Really, I found her to be more of an introvert. Not exactly shy but prefers to be with her close friends and family. She speaks her mind and is funny when she’s in a comfortable surrounding.
James, her neighbor and lifetime best friend, is lighthearted and friendly and brings out the best in Nora, however, despite Nora being in love with him, she believes he does not see her as anything more than a friend.
Nora is going into her 3rd season and her father insists at the end of it, that she wed a baron who is wealthy but very serious.
That is the basic gist of the story but there are many more characters, lots of secrets to uncover, and several suitors for Nora to sort through.
All in all, it was a perfectly entertaining regency book.

I rarely grant five-star ratings, but this story moved me in profound and unexpected ways. The heroine was extremely relatable to me as an introvert, in particular. This was an in-depth examination of love in all of its many forms: between siblings, friends, parents and children, and of course, romance. I was startled on more than one occasion to find myself in tears; the story had me truly captivated. I appreciated the lesson that open and honest communication is so crucial to avoid heartache in all kinds of relationships, but it's simultaneously challenging, and even crippling with seemingly impossible barriers at times. There were unpredictable twists and a well-deserved ending that made me sigh from all that the characters had endured on their journey to that moment.

This was a delightful read. Nora is starting her third and final season and her unpleasant and distant father is pressuring her to marry Mr. Weston. He seems okay but Nora can’t bear the thought of marrying without love so she stalls her father and Mr.Weston.

Her family joins her in London and suitors line up. I didn’t know which way it would go and some I wished it wasn’t so. Secrets revealed for good and bad, and some things should be kept tight lipped. I hope there’s more and Lady Harriet gets her HEA.

The ending 👌🏼 Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this new release! I love Joanna Barker’s books!

This is the first book I have read by this author and I am rating it 4. First person narration is not my favorite (except for Jane Eyre) but I think the author did a good job of demonstrating the difficulties faced by a young woman in this society, one who is hoping for a love match but constrained by her father's expectations. It seemed strange that Nora, the h, never caught on to what James was feeling for her since she described his expressions and actions so thoroughly. Her family and the reader caught on right away, but perhaps because Nora had such low self-esteem she was slow to realize it. As another reviewer mentioned, the book seemed long to me, but maybe that was my impatience for Nora and James to find their HEA. Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for a chance to read this book.

Entertaining story of a young woman's third season in London. Her father wants her to marry one man. She wants to maintain her lifelong friendship with James, but will it grow into something more?

This was an absolute DELIGHT to read! One of the things I love about romance is there are always happy endings, and while I knew this book wouldn't be any different, I didn't know WHO Nora would end up with! Mr. Weston - her father's choice and who he is thrusting upon her!? James - her childhood best friend who just got back after disappearing to Jamaica for 6 months!? or Lord Worthington - the highest ranking and the one who may offer her a solution to all her troubles?
I just simply devoured this because I had to know who Nora ended up with and I have to admit, the story did not disappoint! There was wit, there was adventure, there was teasing, there was the perfect amount of romance! Needless to say, Joanna Barker is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors!

Thank you NetGalley and Covenant Communications for the eARC!

What a wonderful book! I could kind of relate to Nora, as I am quiet and timid, especially in social settings. But if I am passionate about something I can usually stand my ground! This made Nora a strong but not overbearing women! I loved the twists and turns in this book! The characters were well thought out. It flowed really well and kept moving along at a good pace. Which means I stayed up too many late nights reading! But so worth it! I highly recommend this book. It is a clean regency romance. I have read all of Joanna Barkers books and loved them all!

A well written and engaging Regency romance

21 year old Nora Hamilton is under pressure by her father to find a husband during the season in London. But Nora wants to marry for love, not status and money. Furthermore, she already loves James, a childhood friend whose feelings towards her appear to be purely brotherly.
But time is running out. Nora’s sister can’t go out into society until her older sister is married.

Should she marry for money and position or defy her father, fight the conventions and marry for love?

Thanks to the author, Covenant Communications and the NetGalley for my copy.

This story felt like a retelling of Mansfield park. The characters Nora and James had grown up as best friends. Just as Nora realized her emotions towards James left. Nora continually spoke of her need to move on and find a suitable husband while constantly saying she can't compare every man to James. It was a fine story that can be enjoyed over a weekend. It wasn't thrilling or different but most readers would find it enjoyable.

Nora loves James, but he clearly doesn't return the sentiment, since he disappeared overseas for six months without saying goodbye after she tried to kiss him. In her third season, she clearly needs to marry soon, so that her sister Susanna can have her chance - and the only man who seems ready to propose is Mr Weston. Mr Weston, dull as ditchwater, boring as boring can be, but safe. When James returns just in time to prevent Mr Weston from proposing, Nora is forced into a situation where her father insists on her marrying Mr Weston - and she agrees to become engaged to him at the end of the season as long as Susanna can come out, her young brother Ralph can accompany them to London, and James can stay her friend. But things are far from straightforward, with everyone seemingly harbouring secrets, a new suitor vying for Nora's attention, and James always in the background...

I think I've read all of the author's books to date, and have never been disappointed yet. This was another good story with interesting, well-drawn characters, convoluted situations, enjoyable dialogue, and an expert gradual unfolding of the plot. At times there seemed no obvious way out, but things were (of course) settled highly satisfactorily - though one character deserved something more drastic to happen... All in all, a clean and well written Regency romance - highly recommended.

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

This book is hands down one of the best clean regency romances I have read and I have read a lot!
This book is so captivating I read it in 2 days lol!! I loved the heroine and hero so much, there was so much depth and love. The secrets kept you reading to find out everything. I will gladly recommend this book. Loved it so much!! I hope Joanna Barker is currently working on another awesome story 🥰

“Secrets & Suitors” by Joanna Barker
Yes this story is loaded with “Secrets and Suitors”. I requested and received an ARC from the publisher. My opinion of this story is as follows. I mostly liked this sweet clean romance story. My problem with the story was that it seemed long. Maybe it was just me being impatient, which happens sometimes. Happy Reading ! !

This was a charm8ng recency romance. The story and characters were well written and I found it a nice, gentle read. I really enjoyed reading it.

Well, I read through this one in record time given my busy schedule. It was just a delight to read! I liked the characters, I liked the plot line (okay - maybe it's been done before, but the long time best friends become more than friends story is a favorite), and I loved the happy ending. A lighthearted, delightful read!

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for my review. The opinions expressed are my own.**

I love Joanna Barker’s books, and this is another sweet and lovely story. But it was almost too simple. The stakes were high, but never enough to be dire, and I wish there had been more character development among any of the males. I felt we didn’t know nearly enough about any of them, including the hero. It’s hard to feel sympathy for a character if we don’t understand why they do what they do. That said, I enjoyed it and it certainly won’t keep me from reading the next Joanna Barker book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This book is highly addictive and you may lose sleep because of it. Trust me. I was a little worried whether the main character would be overly whiny about her unrequited love as I have read in other books of the genre. But alas, no! We have a quite believable 19th century lady, who is shy and loves her family more than anything. She is levelheaded and strong, despite her believing she is not.
The main characters are well fleshed out and mostly likeable. Even with some of the less likeable you can’t help seeing the humanity and charm within them.
Overall this book is a well written, enjoyable regency that will keep you glued to the book. It is the first book I’ve read of this author, and I will certainly be seeking to read her other works.

A clean Regency romance with a rather uninteresting heroine but I enjoyed it all the same.

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Didn't realize when I requested this that it was published by Covenant, a Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS) publisher. There isn't any overt proselytizing, but the story definitely focuses on inculcating a respect for the value of family, and reinstating the father as the proper head of same.

Barker uses first person to tell her Regency-set story of shy, quiet Nora, the eldest daughter in a family with rather unloving, distant parents. Nora loves her childhood best friend James, but after an almost-kiss in the garden from which James pulls away, James leaves for his family's Jamaica planation for months, leaving Nora to think that he doesn't feel about her the same way she feels about him (neither Nora nor the author seems to give any thought to the historical fact that an Englishman who owned a Jamaican sugar planation used slave labor to run said plantation...)

Nora's parents want her to marry Mr. Weston, who is in line to inherit a title. Since Mr. Weston is jus as reserved as is Nora, Nora doesn't feel much of a connection to him. But she agrees to accept his proposal by the end of the London Season—if her father will agree to also bring her younger siblings to town with them, and to allow her to continue her friendship with a suddenly returned-from-Jamaica James. As Nora continues to read all of her interactions with James as his caring for her like a brother, rather than a lover (which any intelligent reader knows is a MISreading), she decides to try to woo a third man, one who has been paying her unusual attention during the opening balls of the season, and towards whom she feels a moderate sense of attraction. It's the story of the three bears as suitors—one is too stuffy, one is too rakish, and one is just right (bet you can guess which one is which). The subplot about why Nora's parents are so standoffish with their children is more unusual, but, as noted above, reinstalls the (now loving and attentive) father as the proper head of the household.

Despite its predictability (and its overlooking of slavery as the basis for James' prosperity), the story is well-written, well-paced, and contains many likable characters. Not my cup of tea, but I can see it appealing to many a reader looking for a Regency-set historical without any overt sex.