A fresh new story that had me guessing the entire book! I ruled out who I thought it was after being skeptical nearly the entire book. I couldn't believe I was duped. Such great writing and I love the connection and tension between Ginny & Jack. The only thing that felt very unresolved: What was in the second book of Gulliver's Travels????? Was there a letter for Catherine?? I can't imagine their dad not leaving one. That would have been such a sweet moment. After making such a point to mention going back to see that book, I couldn't believe this wasn't revisited. Other than that I completely loved the book and will be reading again!

I’ll admit I was drawn in by the gorgeous cover of this book, but the inside blew the beautiful cover away! I’m pretty new to proper/regency romance and I tend to get bogged down in the stilted language of it all - but not at all with this one! It was so easy to read & I found myself staying up later to just figure out what would happen next. If you enjoy the sweetest romance with a bit of mystery - pick this one up! And if you’re new to this genre, I’d suggest you try it as well, because it was absolutely delightful! Can not wait to read more from Joanna Barker!

Super adorable. I specifically liked the end and how it all turned out. There was enough mystery to keep you invested while Jack was consistently being his delightful/flirty self.

This was a fun book to read full with emotion, romance, sweet side characters, and a gripping story. Ginny’s relationship with her father was entirely relatable and realistic.

The kissing scenes were 😍!!! Jack and Ginny made sense as a couple and it was sweet to see their relationship grow. The way they were drawn together even though Ginny tried her best to keep her distance, it was all just adorable!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Absolutely delightful. I adore Jack and Ginny and this whole story. Ginny is spunky and stubborn and brilliant while Jack is a clever tease with messy curls and a unique background. Watching them work together was a joy and the romantic tension between them is delicious! I also really appreciated Ginny's journey with grief and how it plays into this story. Joanna's best yet!!

Thank you to Shadow Mountain for my complimentary copy of this book. All opinions here are my own.

I loved this book so much! Loved the exciting mystery plotline, the characters, the banter, the swoony romance, the twist. And the cover! I thought Jack and Ginny’s relationship was done well. How it started as a boss/worker relationship, with some mistrust thrown in there, since Jack is a thief-taker. But Ginny takes a chance on him. And then seeing it evolve into a friendship of sorts, and then into something more that starts to sizzle. I thought the mystery plot was nicely done, and was different for a regency romance, so it really piqued my interest. And the twist at the end…wasn’t expecting that.

Definitely recommend this to anyone who loves regency romances.

Thank you to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for an e-arc to review!

When an ARC by Joanna Barker pops up, I am 100% there. And this one did not disappoint!

Genevieve Wilde is alone. Her father has died, leaving her the estate, but she must work hard to convince those around her that she is capable of stepping into the shoes of her father. But then his pocket watch disappears. And other strange occurrences begin to happen that leave her without an anchor or any idea how to solve it. She does not trust the local authorities, so decides to hire a Bow Street officer. But she never expects to find a flirtatious man to show up at her door. Ginny decides to hesitantly trust him, and in the process learns more about herself, her goals and the secrets that have been hidden.

Loved this one. The characters are fabulous and the romance is fabulous. It's clean and so sweet. Wish the story wouldn't end, it was so great. Would definitely recommend! As stated in a past review, I don't normally give 5 stars for a romance, but this was such a pleasure, I'll give it anyway.

Thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited when Joanna Barker announced this book, and the breathtaking cover just made me more excited. The best part? The contents of the book were also incredible.

"A Heart Worth Stealing" is the story of Ginny, a young woman who has recently inherited her father's estate, trying to find her stolen pocket watch. Tired of the magistrate and every other man in town telling her she misplaced it, she resorts to something unthinkable—hiring a thief taker. Though Jack prefers the term special investigator.

However, once Jack starts investigating, it becomes clear there's a lot more going on at Ginny's estate than just a missing watch. And there might just be more going on between Ginny and Jack as well....

As someone who pretty much only reads romance novels, I really enjoyed that this book bridged genres. While I did really love the romance, I really liked the mystery/detective side of the story. Not only was I dying to know who was sabotaging and harassing Ginny, but the mystery changed the plot and made it unique. With swoon-worthy romance to top it off, this book was everything I wanted and more.

A Heart Worth Stealing is a beautiful story about trusting and love. I really enjoyed Genevieve and Jack's banter. I enjoyed how they worked together and complimented each other well. The little twists added to the mystery. A great read that I recommend to all.

A Heart Worth Stealing is packed with romance, mystery, and witty dialogue between the two main characters, Genevieve “Ginny” Wilde, and Jack Travers. Their chemistry is just irresistible. Ginny was the daughter of a magistrate that recently passed, leaving her his estate along with a treasured pocket watch. The pocket watch mysteriously disappears after a dinner party. Ginny consults the new local magistrate, Mr. Northcott; however, he dismisses her claims. As a result, Ginny decides to take matters in her own hands and hires a thief-taker to find the cherished watch. Jack Travers, the thief-taker, is flirtatious, charming, confident, and spontaneous; leaving Ginny to wonder what has she done in hiring such a man. As time passes though; she finds that Jack is much more complex and a trusted friend. What originally seemed like minor incidents at the estate, could they all related? I loved this book and the characters. I found it fun and entertaining.

My thanks to the author and Shadow Mountain Publishing for an early copy of this book. The opinions here are entirely my own.

#AHeartWorthStealing #NetGalley


This has been one of the best books I have had the pleasure to read in a year. I cannot give enough endorsements, but this book is filled with so many emotions, so much thought into each character, plot, etc. It would be a shame not to read it. It will pull on your heart strings and you will love it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ms Barker for an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

“I had the feeling that not kissing Jack Travers would turn out to be the greatest challenge of my life.”

‘A Heart Worth Stealing’ by Joanna Barker is a regency romance that took me on a wild ride! There is a mystery to be solved, danger, suspense, action, romance, heart melting kisses, incredible witty banter and a very high level of swoon!

The romance in this book is phenomenal! Jack Travers and Ginny Wilde are so cute and the falling in love is butterfly inducing! Jack is a dream! He’s always smiling, he’s a flirtatious tease, he’s intelligent, charismatic and the list could go on and on. Ginny is feisty, bold, brave, intelligent and strong willed. They complement each other so well and I loved every moment of them together!

Their story is also filled with many obstacles to overcome. I couldn’t see a clear path to their happily ever after, and I had to keep reading to see how it would work out! I also loved getting bits and pieces of their past as I read. It gave me a better view of their characters and I loved getting to know them!

The romance and the mystery pulled me into this story! This book is emotional, intense at times with twists and turns that kept me guessing and kept me on the edge of my seat!

I loved:
🌳Jack Travers!!!! He is dreamy with a capital dream!! You are going to love him!
🌳I enjoyed the loathing to more, forced proximity, some grumpy sunshine with a little bit of forbidden love sprinkled in.
🌳Memorable moments included the best oak tree in the world, a vase, a dance, and the meet cute!
🌳The heart melting romance was my favorite part. The chemistry! The banter! The kisses that made me weak in the knees!

I would describe this book as a regency mystery romance. So, if you enjoy regency romance with a mystery story line, beautiful writing and a love story that’ll steal your heart then I think you’ll love this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and Shadow Mountain for the arc copy. All opinions are my own.

Content:violence,kidnapping, dangerous situations,threats

Are you ready for a great whodunnit story, with lots of great banter that will have you laughing and cheering these characters on, as well as some sweet romance? If you said yes, then you're going to adore this book!!!

Genevieve Wilde is doing her best to keep everything afloat at her father's estate that she inherited. Unfortunately weird things keep happening. Her father's watch ends up missing and she can't handle the thought of it being gone. It is one of her greatest treasures and reminders of him. Enter on Jack Travers, a former bow street runner. And Ginny and Jack are not seeing eye to eye. Did I mention Ginny grew up with her father as the local magistrate? And she pretty much knows all of the tricks in the book as far as investigative work goes? Yeah, you can probably see where this is leading our former bow street runner and our heroine sleuth's relationship...lots of disagreements and banter on who is right and how it happened. But the real magic happens when they start to trust each other and help each other. I loved it!!!

And I have to completely agree with several other reviewers who stated that they wish we could have seen Jack's POV and know what he was thinking. Oh that would have been so much fun, especially in regards to his thoughts and feelings of Ginny (from the beginning throughout the book). Yep, it would be fun! Maybe the author will write some bonus scenes or something for us readers to enjoy from his perspective.

I loved the sweet romance, made all the more sweet from the unconventional beginning of their relationship to friendship to more. Anything by this author is wonderful! My teenagers and I have read all of her books (well, I have one more to read and that's happening soon) and have loved them all! Joanna Barker has a household of fan's at my house! Can't wait to see what's next from her (of course as I'm posting this review, this book hasn't been published yet so it could be a little while). We'll be happily awaiting any news of it!

Content: Clean. Some moments of mild peril. Some kisses but nothing further. I'd let my teenagers read this.

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

Happy Reading!!!

I love Joanna Barker books, so I was really excited about this one.

I love a book with a mystery to figure out and it was such a fun twist to a proper romance book.

When Ginny is on her own to find the thief of the watch her father left to her, she enlists the help of a professional. When the local magistrate doesn’t take her seriously, she hires Jack to help her.

The banter and chemistry between Ginny and Jack was so fun as they work together to find and decipher clues. They end up finding more than they anticipated in the mystery and in each other.

I loved this book and it became not a question of whether or not I could put the book down, but rather, was I reading for more of that great chemistry or to solve the mystery? Another great novel by Joanna Barker.

A classic regency romance, featuring Genevieve, who's dealing with too many issues too handle (though she thinks she can) and Jack - who arrives to solve one problem but ends up solving them all.
What I really loved about this book is that is has the perfect proportions of angst, mystery, humor, adventure, and romance!! The banter between Ginny and Jack is so fun to read - sometimes sweet, sometimes hilarious - and rarely tedious.
One of my favorite parts of the story (and one I wish we could have seen more about) was the relationship between Ginny and Catherine.
Overall, a very well- written book with one of the best types of heroes - the competent ones!
And extra marks for the amazing cover!
Thanks to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for this eARC!

What’s not to love with Joanna Barkers “A heart worth stealing”?? I loved the character building and deepening relationships throughout the book. The way she writes out a seemingly complicated mystery has perfect twists and turns and the answer unfolds into a perfectly simple explanation at the end. I always love reading her books and never get bored.

Thank you Shadow Mountain for the copy of this MOST anticipated release!

Here’s what I loved about this book:
• the mystery was addictive
• a reverse grump x sunshine
• emotional and heartwarming
• some steamy kisses, but no spice!

I adore Jack and Ginny as characters. Jack is so fun, determined, and ever so swoony. Ginny was strong, independent, and I loved seeing her open up and fall in love with Jack.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★/5
Steam: kisses
TW: death of a parent, mild violence, vandalism, stealing

5 stars

Great story. It's a clean story and I would have liked a bit more passion but the writing is very good,

Our heroine Ginny, having lost her magistrate father is devastated to have lost his watch. She knows he was trying to solve some criminality but realises his actual death was natural. She asks the new magistrate but he isn't very forthcoming so she hires an ex bow street runner, Jack. It soon becomes apparent that there's darker deeds afoot. Ginny's step sister Catherine is not very nice to her. It wasn't difficult to spot the main baddy and with Ginny searching her journals for old cases of her fathers we are told of an acommplice. Jack is the illegitamate son of an Earl and we meet his theatrical Mother and his sister. I wonder if it's part of a series. I'll definietly look out for more from this author.

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

4.5 stars

What a fun journey this book was! I loved the romance, the mystery and suspense. All of it was so much fun to read and captivating from early on. I read 70% of this book in one sitting and stayed up way past my bedtime. Worth it!

This story is about Ginny, who’s in charge of her family’s estate as the last remaining unmarried resident. We find out in chapter one that she has lost something and suspects it has been stolen. Since this item has great personal significance for her, she does whatever she can to have it returned to her - including hiring an investigator who she hopes will take her request more seriously than the local magistrate. What unfolds is a journey with twists and turns that keep the reader enthralled with every page turn.

Read this if you love:
💜 strong, independent leading lady
💜 a protective hero
💜 forced proximity
💜 swoony regency romance

This was so sweet and so good from start to finish. I love Joanna’s writing and this book further solidifies the fact that I absolutely have to read everything she writes. I’ve already read her entire backlist and can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. The only slight thing I wish was different about this book is the single POV. I kept waiting for the book to switch from Ginny to Jack’s point of view but alas, it was not meant to be. Nevertheless this story was fantastic and I will be singing its praises for a while. Can we talk about how cute these two are together? Seriously, I love how he jokes with her and makes her smile and how she steadies him and balances him out. He never tried to hold her back or restrict her independence which is so fun to read, and especially awesome to find in a historical setting.

What else can I say? If this story sounds at all appealing to you, definitely find yourself a copy.

Many thanks to Shadow Mountain and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this story. All thoughts are my own.

Good romance and Jack was swoony. Thanks to Shadow Mountain and NetGalley for my arc copy, all opinions are my own.

What I enjoyed with this story was its easy flow. Their was easy conversation and natural friendship between the heroine and hero. I loved their interactions. The mystery and twist near the end was kept interesting. The romance swoony. If you enjoy a good kiss scene while keeping the bedroom door closed this will be a win for you. This author has been an auto read for me an will continue to be. The heroine was strong and sharp. The hero was witty, fun and a good compliment to the h. This is fiction and I'm curious how the two would've made a match in reality with their differing backgrounds. I'm always curious in the authors inspiration for stories.