I was hesitant when I picked this book up, not sure how much I would enjoy a book based on Shakespeare's Sonnets. However, the mystery appealed to me, so I gave it a shot. And I am truly glad I did so. I will definitely be adding this author to my list of favorites. The wit and banter of the main character, Miranda, had me laughing. I love her independent spirit and drive. Miranda truly was the modern woman personified. The family dynamic in the Hatch household is so supportive and delightful that it was no wonder that Lord Robert Hamilton felt right at home among them.

Robert's home is far less warm, but I felt the author captured the struggle of a family used to privilege and being reduced in their circumstances after the death of a beloved father, while still trying to be positive was done well. The emotions are truly felt through the writing, which endeared me to Robert and his plight all the more.

I delighted in the friendship that developed between him and Miranda, which pulls towards something more.

But Robert needs money and fast. The real mystery is whether they will find the hidden sonnets that could possibly solve all their problems or if it will be their demise because danger lies in unknown greed. You'll have to read it to find out their ending, but needless to say, this reader was pleased.

I recommend this read for any who likes a mystery with a side of wit!

Lord Robert Hamilton is about to lose his properties to debt he inherits from his father. He needs to marry an heiress or find some other means to save himself and his properties. Miranda Hatch is a Shakespearean scholar. She loves working along side her academic father. Miranda writes Robert asking if he has any family papers with a connection to William Shakespeare. His ancestor was part owner of the globe. This starts them out on a search for documents thats value may save him from losing everything and will be crucial to her research. Of course there is a villain that doesn’t want them to succeed.

This is a very enjoyable romance and treasure hunt. Miranda is smart, and witty. She loves to trade Shakespeare quotes like we quote from popular shows or movies. Her parents are loving and supportive of her non traditional interests. Robert is fun as he deals with a stereotypical spendthrift mother and my other favorite side character is his younger sister.

I like that along the way you learn some facts about Shakespeare and his wife Anne. And it mostly takes place outside of London and includes visits to Shakespeare’s home and grave. (Which I’ve been fortunate enough to visit.) If you’re not a Shakespeare fan you can skip the sonnet quotes at the beginning of each chapter and still enjoy the story. Clean for intimacy and language.

Thank you to NetGalley and Covenant Communications for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Should I have realized this book focused largely on Shakespeare's works? Yes, yes I should have. Would that have made it so I chose not to read the book? Probably not, because the description was still intriguing. But folks, I do NOT like Shakespeare. At all. So I skipped all of the Sonnet quotes at the beginning of each chapter, and didn't even try to decipher what the characters were saying when they quoted them to each other. But I loved the idea. It's like an old-timey version of quoting movies to each other, which I do all the time.
Aside from the Shakespeare references, I enjoyed this story. It was refreshing to have Miranda's family be so wonderful. There aren't a lot of Regency stories that revolve around functional families, so this was nice. Now Robert's family, on the other hand, fit the traditional disfunctional role, but he turned out to be a keeper in spite of it all. And his sister made for a fun secondary character.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and look forward to reading more from this author in the future. Even if more Shakespeare is involved.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Covenant Communications in exchange for my honest opinion.

Genre: Historical Romance
Heat level: Sweet (kisses)

SECRETS OF THE SONNETS is so much fun!

Each chapter opens with a Shakespearean sonnet and gives flavor to the entire novel. During the Regency era, women weren't encouraged to read too much or do much of anything to feed their minds. But what would happen if you were an only child and your father was a scholar?

I think you end up with a blue stocking.

Miranda is comfortable in her life. When her finacé published her research under his name, she felt betrayed and wants nothing to do with him. Since then, she's published a couple of articles and enjoys her parents' company. She lands on an idea to find out more about Shakespeare and writes a letter to a marquess. And that ex-fiancé raises his toad-like head, trying to swim back into her life.

Robert's father died, and now he's in charge of the estate—along with all the debts. His mother is a spendthrift and he's doing everything possible to save their ancestral home. Robert has even sold his favorite pair of horses. His mother is also playing matchmaker—but he doesn't want to marry solely for wealth, which feels so mercenary. Then he receives a letter, suggesting his ancestor may have had a correspondence with Shakespeare. If so, it could translate to a small fortune—one he desperately needs.

When Miranda and Robert meet, sparks fly. She has a saucy mouth and is always laughing. Robert is entranced. They have such different interests—he was never much of a reader, but boy, oh boy, does he like the sound of stories when then fall from her lips.

But there is the haute ton.
Deep disappointment.
Nefarious characters.
Poor decisions.
Lost chances.
Kissing.
More kisses.
A giggling maid.
Unexpected secrets.
A Gretna Green thought or two.
The pen is mighty than the sword!

Whew!

It's an amazing story, where I laughed, smiled, chuckled, and recommend wholeheartedly! The author includes facts in the back matter so you know where she drew her inspiration and where fiction overtook fact.

SECRET OF THE SONNETS is perfect for anyone who loves clean and wholesome romances, historical romances, Shakespeare speculations, and a wild carriage ride.

You don’t have to love Shakespeare to love this book. There were tidbits about him and excerpts from his writing woven into this sweet and mysterious regency romance. I loved Miranda and her bookish and free spirit. Robert was very likable too. They go on an adventure to find a lost manuscript and I loved all the twists and surprises.

I really enjoyed this story! I don’t know much about Shakespeare, but that didn’t affect my enjoyment at all. It was fun watching Miranda and Robert get to know each other and work together after a tense first meeting. Miranda is smart, independent, and fiesty, but fun and loving too. And kind, over-stretched Robert is a gem. Overall, a sweet love story with a good little mystery. I’d love to read more by this author.

Thanks you Netgally and Covenant Communications for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was full of romance, wit, mystery, and action. I enjoyed every minute. The story line flowed and was well paced. I highly recommend giving this sweet romance a read! I also enjoyed learning more about Shakespeare and hearing more of his work.

Lord Robert Hamilton, the Marquess of Marsworth, is a man burdened by debts left by his father and is at risk of losing everything. Miss Miranda Hatch and her father are scholars who are primarily focused on Shakespeare's life and works. They send a letter to Lord Hamilton after a clue points them in his direction. They are looking to find original writing in Shakespeare's hand and would pay handsomely. Is this the way out of debts? And will they be able to solve the secret of the sonnets?

Thank you NetGalley and Covenant Communications for an ARC copy of this book!

#NetGalley #SecretoftheSonnets

Loved reading this book. First time reading a book by this author but I absolutely loved it. 5 star book. Looks like this author has a new reader.
Already told a few people that they need to read this book.
Kept me pulled in. Couldn't put it down at all.

I want to be friends with Miranda Hatch! Her wit is so fun, and I love how just barely irreverent it is and how smart she is and how strong and independent she is as a character, but also vulnerable. I enjoyed the development of her relationship with Robert. I was intrigued to see how they would solve the mystery and also Robert's debt issues left behind by his father's death. I guess I wished for just a bit of a stronger ending than what came as far as that aspect, plus maybe it pushed a bit of the envelope on believability for me for the Regency time period. However, the remainder of the book, their interactions with each other and their families and other characters, the development of their romance, as well as the many, many very well placed and utilized Shakespeare references were so well done. I enjoyed the Shakespeare tie-in (even if I definitely didn't one of the insinuations surrounding the mystery, but I think it has been made by other scholars). As hard as the language of Shakespeare was for me to follow in school, this book definitely made me want to read and re-read some of his plays now as an adult to hopefully better understand the language and also fall in love with the stories (although, like Miranda and Robert, maybe more the comedies than the tragedies! ha ha!). There is an excerpt/preview for the next book by this author at the back of this one, which also appears to have a Shakespeare tie-in, and I am already looking forward to reading that one!!

Content: Clean

Okay, first can I just say how much I LOVE Miranda! She is just an amazing character. I love her wit and sarcasm so much. She is constantly quoting Shakespeare and is quite the scholar. Robert is equally great! He is so sweet and funny and willing to help. Not only is the relationship between Robert and Miranda wonderful and sweet but I love the family relationships! Miranda and her parents, especially Miranda and her father, have such a great relationship. Robert’s relationship with his sister Eugenia is also very good and with his best friend Frederick! Let’s just say all the characters and their relationships are fantastic! The writing is wonderful and I loved learning about Shakespeare both fact and fictional! The search for Shakespeare’s missing sonnets was a fun element! Overall great story! Very clean! Definitely recommend!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

I recently read a review copy of Secrets of the sonnets by Samantha Larsen.

A literally mystery romance set in the Regency Era (I think 1812?) Involving a scholarly search for documents and manuscripts pertaining to William Shakespeare.

I've seen a lot of Shakespeare performed and read three of the plays. I know the plots of lots of the plays and definitely prefer the comedies to the histories and tragedies but I've never read the sonnets but then I don't really read poetry in general but I still really enjoyed this book.

The romance was believable and not rushed. The crime aspects of the novel weren't too far fetched. There were a lot of likeable characters and a few truly awful ones.

This is my second of three stories by the author this month. I recently reviewed an ARC of A Novel disguise, a Georgian Era murder mystery which is published under the name Samantha Larsen.

I also read a novella called The Duchess contract which I found for free on Kobo which is a prequel novella for a new novel The Marquess and the runaway lady which will be published in February

I just recently finished reading this book and it was so good! I loved Miranda so much! She was such a strong character with a ton of wit and sarcasm. I loved her sarcasm! I really liked that Robert was not intimidated by Miranda's intelligence.

I am not a fan of Shakespeare but that didn't hold me back from enjoying this book. There was just enough intrigue and suspense to keep me engaged throughout, while also having a healthy dose of clean romance.

I also loved the other characters in the story; Miranda's parents, Robert's family and best friend. All were very well written and not just side characters thrown in with no point. They all helped drive the story forward.

Overall great read and I would definitely recommend! I look forward to reading more from this author.


*I received an ARC from the author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All views expressed are my own. Thank you to the author and publisher.

Secret of the Sonnets is a lighthearted historical romance centered around Shakespeare's lost manuscripts. Miranda is a scholarly young woman, interested in the works of Shakespeare. When she finds a possible connection between Shakespeare and the family of the local Marquess, she reaches out to discover if the family might have any historical documents related to the Bard. The Marquess, Robert, is looking for any way to save his family from the massive debt accrued by his father prior to his death-- and an undiscovered Shakespeare signature would be worth thousands. They team up to search, and just might find love along the way.
Miranda is a very fun protagonist. It's always a delight to read about smart, successful women, especially in time periods when they were not easily accepted. Her entire family was a joy to read about. Robert made a great love interest, and their budding relationship, from friendship to romance, was lovely. The brief scenes of action were well written and added a nice layer to the story. I loved all the Shakespearean quotes as well. An easy and enjoyable read.

An enjoyable clean regency romance.

“I found what I didn’t even know I was looking for.”

Miranda, scholar and spinster in the making, is happy writing articles, reading books, and staying in her comfortable home in the country with her dear parents. Robert is a Marquess and sportsman drowning in his father's debts, trying to figure out how to care for his family and avoid losing their ancestral home. An unexpected cause brings this unlikely pair together--a search for Shakespeare's original manuscripts. It would bring Miranda the scholarly fame she desires and pay off Robert's debts as well as give them both something they didn't know they needed...love.

I know nothing about Shakespeare, so the quotes and references went over my head. But I love a good regency and am always looking for one that stands out as unique. While not the best regency I've read, I very much enjoyed this book from a new to me author.

What I liked:
Miranda was a refreshing MC. She's an intelligent bluestocking with no desire to marry, but she's not an emotionless man hater. She's immediately attracted to Robert and is touched by his kindness and respect, and they quickly form a friendship.

The dynamics. It wasn't a typical Cinderella story with the poor country girl marries a handsome rich person. Miranda is far below Robert socially but her family is clearly well off which puts her far above him materially (thanks to his family debts). So now HE is the one who feels pressured to marry well to get out of his situation, even if his heart tells him otherwise.

The banter. It was light and sweet and infused some humor into the story and made them a very likable couple.

No tedious misunderstandings. I dislike it when authors drag out misunderstandings between a couple for the entire book for the sake of tension. Especially when one quick conversation could solve it. There's none of that here.

What could've been different:

The epilogue. I'm nitpicking a little here because I was content with the happy ending but I just felt the epilogue was short and could've had a stronger, sigh worthy ending.

The pacing. It wasn't bad but felt very up and down. The first 45% read like a general regency with the couple getting to know each other. Then things spiked quickly with action, then leveled off again. Towards the end when things were coming to an end with the manuscript search the romance felt a bit rushed. I would've liked the romance and treasure hunt aspect to have been a bit more balanced through the story.

Insta-love. I'm just personally not a fan of this trope. Their relationship was sweet and I did want them to be together, but everything happened within a few weeks and therefore their relationship lacked a bit of depth in my opinion.

I would've liked some things to be resolved differently. Some things seemed to be resolved rather quickly, making the intended suspense a bit anticlimactic. And....SPOLIER ALERT...[I'm a little disappointed nothing else happened with Sir Antony after what he did, though I suppose it was realistic.

Bottom line: 3.75 stars rounded up. Even if you're not a Shakespeare fan, I think readers looking for a light regency romance infused with light mystery, a little touch of feminism, and humor will enjoy this one. And if you are Shakespeare fan, this is a must read.

Content: Clean. Sex: none. Profanity: none. Violence: Brief descriptions of peril. A break-in and fist fights with intruders. Someone is badly bruised after. Talk of a duel. People held at gunpoint.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

NOTE TO THE PUBLISHER:
I found a couple typos in the ARC. A few times people were referred to as sitting on a "settle" which I'm assuming is supposed to be settee. And ''father-in-law'' was missing a hyphen in chapter 37

This book is an absolute gem! I am so thrilled I got to read an ARC. I was initially interested because I've enjoyed previous titles by this author; even so, Samantha Hastings blew me away with Secrets of the Sonnets. This book is well written with an engaging cast of characters and a lovely literary plot.

My very favorite part of this book is the dialogue. The dialogue throughout this book is so incredibly witty! This book made me laugh frequently and has so many great lines (Hastings perfectly inserts a regency-era commentary on the 'man cold' -- completely genius). So many of the characters are terribly clever -- Miranda, Robert, Mr. Hatch, Mrs. Hatch, Eugenia -- and each is uniquely delightful to read. The insults are great -- my favorite, "upstart mushroom," makes repeat appearances -- and perfectly suited to the tone of the novel. The dialogue feels very regency-esq to read while also being approachable to current readers. Within all the witty dialogue, the characters also have thoughtful, intelligent discussions. The Hatches and Robert in particular read like the sort of people that would simultaneously bring out the best in you and elevate you to a higher plane. If they were real, I'd want to be friends.

While this book is worth it for the dialogue alone, there are many other excellent aspects. The plot is fantastic as well. I was pulled in right from the beginning and interested in seeing where the path of looking for original Shakespeare documents let the characters. Hastings struck a balance between maintaining historical accuracy and creating an engaging plot well. There were twists and turns within the framework of what is known about Shakespeare. I love that the plot was centered around what was then and is now a huge part of the literacy world.

The hardest part of Secrets of the Sonnets for me personally is that I am really unfamiliar with Shakespeare. Honestly, as this is a commentary on me rather than the book, I truly only have good things to say. (And I'll be working to better acquaint myself with Shakespeare!)

Overall a 5 Star read for me! This is a wonderful book and I'd recommend it to all who enjoy historical romance, particularly of the Regency variety, as well as readers of historical fiction in general. This book belongs to my favorite category of novel -- romance is essential to the plot, but not the entirety of the plot.

Thank you NetGalley and Covenant Communications for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

“As much as I would like to use my gifts in marriage, I have been on the shelf for so long that the neighbours have started referring to me as a library.”

Author Samantha Hastings is to be commended for bringing something refreshing to the regency romance genre; an intelligent, independent female who is focused on discovering Shakespeare’s hidden works. Romance and marriage are not on this character's radar!

What I loved:

✔️Wholesome regency romance set in England
✔️Independent, strong female protagonist who doesn’t conform to 1812 societal standards
✔️References throughout to Shakespeare’s work
✔️Authentically developed and plausible romance
✔️Likeable characters; flawed, sarcastic, sweet, yet unique
✔️Suspense
✔️Light-hearted tone
✔️Gorgeous cover

This is my first introduction to this author and I’ll be eagerly searching out her backlist and watching out for further publications.

I was gifted this copy by Covenant Communications and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I love a good love story where I learn interesting facts at the same time… I didn’t know a lot about Shakespeare before reading this, so the extra tidbits were very fun! As for the love story, they are cute together! His mom was definitely frustrating, but there has to be some conflict, right?

This book was very good. I don't say that lightly, especially considering how much Shakespeare is quoted in it. I am not well versed in Shakespeare nor do I particularly enjoy any of his works, so some of the quotes were beyond me.

With that said, the actual story between Miranda and Robert and the little adventure they go on together was worth the read and any confusion on my end from lack of Shakespeare knowledge.

The dynamic of parents to daughter was splendid. You see that in many books where they gave great relationships, but the amount of parental involvement in a book varys. I quite enjoyed the dynamic and how much both of Miranda's parents were in the story. I also thought seeing the interactions they had with Robert was beautiful. Robert and Miranda were adorable, and Alice, the maid, made for some great moments in their journey.

Great story. 3.5 stars

This was a new author to me. I enjoyed the story, the wit and the banter. The mystery and romance added even more to keep me turning pages.

I really liked the main characters. They each had obstacles to overcome. Whether it was being a woman, class, debt or family. It was fun to see how they did not conform to society’s expectations. They were genuine and refreshing.

If you enjoy a good historical romance with mystery and even some danger thrown in. you will enjoy this book. If you are a Shakespeare lover then you will definitely like this book.
It is a clean read with a little violence sprinkled with wit and humor.

A sweet and entertaining book. I love when a heroine is smart and not a simpering ninny. They banter and rejoinders were fun.