I just adore the way Mary Lancaster writes, and I especially love her earlier work, the Vienna series, and her historical fiction, which are slightly more involved and detailed. I have also enjoyed her Blackhaven Brides series and this unmarrigable series. This series has been connected by the Hart inn, it proprietors the Villins, and their lovely and very intuitive, almost fey daughter Lily. She serves and looks after visitors to the inn, and has had a hand in introducing or facilitating many of the love stories in the first 5 books.

Lord Toringdon, Randolph has lots of secrets and pretends to be a bluff, vague and dull peer, but he is actually on the hunt to uncover spies and traitors, he finally has to confess to himself that his many visits to the Hart are not only about spying, but also so he can see Lily. Unbeknownst to him Lily is very keen on him too, but realises theory can never be because of their differing classes.

He decides to ask LIly to help him get closer to one of his suspects by posing as his Irish cousin, and becoming companion to his sister Millie in London.

As Lily gets to know his family, they come to rely on her more and more, and Lily and Dolph fall in love, when one of Lily’s possessions uncovers that Lily’s background is different than it appears, can they both uncover the plot and get their HEA.

I really loved this one for the quality of the writing as always, the sure touch of lightness but with depth and maturity, the lovely characters who are imperfect and believable, and the charming love story.

Highly recommend this book and the wonderful author.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

4.5 stars

My first experience with reading a book by new-to-me author, Mary Lancaster, left me impressed with the smooth writing, and smiling at the sheer loveliness of the story.

Randolph “Dolph” Merrick, Viscount Torbridge, secretly works for the Crown. For years he’s hidden his true self by adopting the persona of just another frivolous aristocrat with no real substance. Inside, though, he’s a caring and dedicated man. He’s had many occasions to frequent the Hart Inn, where he has lost his own heart to the beautiful innkeeper’s daughter. Torbridge realizes there is no possibility of any future between them, and he’s gentleman enough to not want her ruin. So he treats her with courtesy and friendship, basking in her warmth, because he just can’t stay away.

Lily Villin’s heart beats faster every time Torbridge comes to the inn. She knows that her infatuation is hopeless, as he is so far above her socially. He never treats her as an inferior, and always listens to her. On his current visit, Torbridge overhears Lily mimic a society lady perfectly. Knowing that Lily has a strong intuition about people and situations, he begins to think her assistance could be a huge advantage in his next assignment. When Lily is eager to help, Torbridge faces the daunting task of getting her parents’ permission. By assuring them that Lily will be safely residing with his married sister, Millicent, and that all is above board, they reluctantly agree.

Lily becomes a guest at Millie’s home, pretending to be an impoverished relation. It’s necessary for Lily to have a new wardrobe, and have a crash course in manners, so that she’ll fit in at the house party where she’ll be assisting Torbridge with his assignment. Torbridge has always found Lily beautiful, but in her new finery, she is stunning. Her seamless entry into society makes him wonder – is there any possible way they could manage to have a life together?

I fell in love with THE SECRET HEART and its lead characters. The longing that Lily and Torbridge feel for each other just jumps off the pages at the reader. I felt so bad for Torbridge, for the part he had to play, and how he could never be his true self, except with Lily. There is also a lovely secondary romance, as Millie and her husband are in the midst of a bleak period in their marriage. The assignment itself presents some danger, and I really would have liked to see a harsher punishment for the villain, as I feel he got off very lightly for all his crimes. The respect that Torbridge shows for Lily’s opinions indicates how highly he regards her intelligence, and her compassion when he faces a family crisis shows what a genuinely caring and empathetic person she is. I love how Torbridge came to the realization that he has to find a way to have Lily as his wife, a way that will not allow her to be looked down upon. I greatly enjoyed THE SECRET HEART, and Mary Lancaster’s writing. If you enjoy a book where the romance is the star, and the characters are wonderful, I highly recommend reading this book. I know that I’ll be checking out her future books, as well as her backlist.

(Note: This book is listed as part of the UNMARRIAGEABLE series. While previous characters make appearances here, I had no problem reading this book as a standalone.)

The Secret Heart by Mary Lancaster is book 6 in the Unmarriageable Series. This is the story of Randolf Merrick, Viscount Torbridge and Lily Villin. I haven't yet read the previous books in this series, so for me this was a standalone book. Randolf secretly works for the Crown which leads him to be at the Hart Inn a few times. There Lily works and is the daughter of the Inn's keeper. Randolf finds that he needs Lily's help she agrees to help him because she is secretly in love with him. Know that she can't be anything more because of their different stations in life they both seem to use the chance to be closer. But maybe the rumor of the Hart's Inn being lucky might have some luck for them? Enjoyed their story.

A truly wonderful series that has been so enjoyable comes to an end, but with the best yet.
The Harts Inn has brought many couples together and now it is Lily's turn, who has been part of every story and what a heartwarming story it is!
Lily's parents own the Inn and she has been serving all the people that come to stay. Something magical happens as matches are made and couples come together to be married. We have been left to wonder how this magic happens. Could it be the Inn itself or Lily?
Randolf, Viscount Torbridge has stayed at the Inn many times. He cannot help his attraction to Lily, but their stations are so different. Working for the Crown he is trying to catch a traitor and realizes Lily has a gift that can help him!
As the two are brought together, what will happen? An adventurous journey to find their happy ever after with visits of other's who have been in some of the earlier stories.
Mary Lancaster is one of my go to author's and have loved all of her fabulous stories. Don't miss this one or the entire series if you haven't read them. You will thank me!

‘The Secret Heart’ is the last book in the Unmarriageable series and it is sad to see the end of this series. Lily Villin is considered by Randolph, Lord Torbridge, to be the true heart of the Hart Inn, where Lily lives with her parents, who own the inn. However, despite the notion that love always blossoms at the inn, Lily is in love with Randolph, a fact that he is unaware of, or is he really immune to her charms. Randolph seeks Lily’s help to help him uncover an enemy of the country. Yet despite their differences in social standing, their feelings are hard to hide.
This was such a lovely story and I must admit that when a book catches me in the first few pages as it did with this book, I knew that this was going to be a memorable read. The characters of Lily and Randolph were hard not to fall in love with, but I also enjoyed Randolph’s sister, Millie, who plays an integral role in such a captivating story line. Just when I thought I had this story worked out, this book had an interesting twist. A great read and I so look forward to a new series by this talented author.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I so enjoyed this wonderful and exciting story with quite a few twists and turns that will keep you on your toes!! Mary Lancaster has such a delightful way of writing and you can't help but fall in love with her characters, even her secondary characters!!

Lily may just be the innkeeper's daughter but her personality is so warm and loving and with love matches being made at the inn, she is known as the heart of the Hart inn:) Randolph is a guest who comes often at the inn and Lily has fallen head over heels in love with him but dares not say anything as she's so beneath his station and knows there's no chance for them. When Randolph asks for her help, she doesn't even think twice about it! Thus starts an adventure in London that is filled with danger, secrets and threats. It's a slow burn romance between them but oh, how your heart aches for them, wondering if nothing will come of it. This is where the twists and turns come in:)

I received an ARC of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

We’ve seen Lily Villin is the true heart of the Hart Inn where love always seems to blossom no matter whatever the obstacles. She’s always had a tender for Randolph, Lord Torbridge, is a man of many secrets. When he realizes she’s can mimic ladies of the ton he enlists her help to find a well-born traitor. Torbridge has always felt something for Lily, but he’s known he can’t marry below his station or can he? He takes Lily to his sister’s home and from there the investigation begins. I love these two, their attraction is mutual and Lily knows must give into these feelings or she’ll be ruined, but it gets complicated when they are thrown together every day. I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily reviewed it and the comments are my own.

Romance, spies, wit, and an enigmatic hero all come together to make this a very enjoyable Regency novel. Lily has carried a torch for Lord Torbridge for years, having had an easy and comfortable relationship with him as a guest at her parent's inn. She knows him to be a brave hero and vanquisher of villains, but unlike most people, she finds him difficult to read. Thus, when he asks her to accompany him to London to assist him in going after a traitor, Lily jumps at the opportunity. As Lily becomes part of his family, her gift of being able to understand the needs of people brings healing and some surprises. The plot is interesting, keeping the reader involved with the characters throughout. I loved Randolph and Lily as well as their families and enjoyed the sub-plots interwoven in this story. I felt bereft when I came to the end of this novel and didn't want it to end. I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Randolf has always enjoyed his stays at the Hart Inn, mostly because of Lily. Because of their different stations in life, he has kept his feelings to himself. When Lily shows a gift for mimicry, Randolf decides to ask her to help him with a mission.

Lily has been hiding a secret love for Randolf for years. When he asks her to help him, she says yes if only to be able to spend time with him. She never imagined it would change her life...

What will happen when these two finally admit their feeling for one another?

This is my first book by Lancaster and I will definitely be back for more! I really enjoyed watching Randolph and Lily finding their HEA. I loved how Lily was able to read others and how it allowed her to see beyond what Randolph showed the rest of the world to see the man he truly was.

I really enjoyed reading this story and the tidbits about the other stories in the series have me chomping at the bit to read those too!

Some suspect that Lily Villin is the true heart of the Hart Inn, a lucky house where love always seems to blossom, whatever the obstacles. But Lily has another secret. She is in love with an enigmatic nobleman, and no luck in the world can make such a marriage possible. Randolph, Lord Torbridge, is a man of many secrets, in pursuit of a well-born traitor. But his visits to the Hart have increasingly less to do with his vital work than with the innkeeper's beautiful daughter—until he discovers her gift for mimicry and enrolls her in a dangerous masquerade to unmask the enemy.
This is the final book of this lovely series, I’ve only recently discovered the author & so glad I have as I'm devouring her books, they are so good. A well written page turning read with lovely characters who have plenty of depth, of course both Lily & Randolph have appeared in earlier books & I loved that Lily especially has her own story & I loved every word of it. A fun adventurous sigh worthy read which I highly recommend, just a word of warning don’t start it in the evening if you want to sleep - I made this mistake & finally got to sleep at nearly 4am
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Will them working together be the beginning or the end of their duet ...

This is my second read by Mrs Mary Lancaster, my first having been the first in this series, so fun that this one will be the last book in it.

What a lovely read it was, words flow easily and smoothly. From the very beginning I was entranced by this tale. Such I devoured it in one sitting.
I just adored her main couple but also the side ones, and the secondary romance.

Lily is such a pleasure to learn about, she is easy to live with, she brings happiness in her wake. So much, Randolph was lost from the moment he set eyes upon her.
While Lily is the angel enlightening everyone’s life, Randolph lives in the shadows, impersonating a fleeting peer with few countenance. When he is so much more than what he let everyone see. And while he is good at what he does, Lily is one who slowly comes to read who he hides behind his carefully crafted appearance.
I loved both Lily and Randolph, despite their age difference, they are perfect for one another, as each enhances the other’s mood. And while they are engaged in a dangerous game of exposing a traitor, Randolph does not play all almighty lord, he listens to Lily’s thoughts and instincts. Able to recognize when he is in the wrong. And when it was at the beginning, only a time occasion to spend a bit more time together before they split and each goes to its own path; soon it becomes obvious their burgeoning attraction is more than what they thought. Up to them to see if they can flaunt conventions.

A special mention to Millie, Randolph’s sister, she is such a ray of light, giving the appearance that she is shallow when she is only hiding deep wounds.

5 stars for this moving and full of actions read.
I was granted an advance copy by the publisher Dragonblade Publishing, here is my true and unbiased opinion.