While I usually like fast-paced books, My Lady's Secrets starts so frantically, throwing out characters without much context that it's more confusing than entertaining. I looked up if this was the second in a series, as this is how the writing felt - a quick reminder of what had been written before, not an introduction to the world. I wasn't that taken by the main male character, and so the main romance never interested me. Pacing was a real problem - some parts were speedy to the point it was emotionless and other parts really dragged.

I really enjoyed this book, the chemistry between them and the story was really interesting.
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for my book

So, I am not sure what I was expecting with this book but it wasn’t this, and I say that with honest delight. This is vastly entertaining and although there is romance, fizzling and sizzling away between Cressida and Lord Greville, the actual historical backdrop really gives the book its substance. While I am a little uncertain about the Irish connections (the hazard of being Irish while reading historical fiction), the characters are excellent and the plot really stands up. The appearance of Lord Byron is wonderful and it’s rather fun to see him fit into this story.

It really is the detail that makes this book. I am no stranger to Regency romances and this is not that; it’s rather more plot than romance. Cressida is an intriguing main characters as she is not always likeable but she is someone I found myself rooting for whole-heartedly.

I would definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction, particularly during the Regency era, and who want a setting that isn’t London, and the Ton, and that isn’t the actual battlefields of Europe, but is equally compelling.

This summer I craved relaxation more than ever. I went back home to visit my family and what started as a nice and tranquil vacation took a stressful turn when some wildfires threatened our family house. Thankfully, it was a very scary experience but one that ended well for us. All of this to say that after this experience I was really in need of some escapism.

Enter My Lady’s Secrets by Katy Moran—a historical romance set in the early 1800s, perfect for my frazzled nerves. Thanks to headofzeus, ariafiction and NetGalley, I had a copy waiting on my kobo , and it was exactly what I needed!

The novel revolves around the life of Cressida, a disgraced aristocrat turned spy who’s forced back into a world she’d hoped to leave behind. When her estranged husband, Greville, arrests her in Spain under suspicion of treason, she faces a difficult choice: to regain her freedom, she must betray her friend, Lord Byron-yes you heard that right THE Lord Byron.

What follows is a whirlwind of intrigue, deception, and chemistry as Cressida and Greville’s tangled past collides with the political drama of the era. We witness Cressida navigate the glittering yet treacherous halls of aristocratic society, cross paths with a fictionalised Lord Byron and politicians of the time and confront her father, an Irish revolutionary. Every page is filled with drama, historical intrigue, and just the right amount of spice.

“My Lady’s Secrets” was a light hearted, fun read with many historical references from a time I was not too familiar with, that kept me turning the pages. A perfect dose of romance and adventure for anyone in need of a delightful escape!

Cressida and Grenville have long since been estranged as their 3 year marriage was scorned with scandal and betrayal
Amidst the backdrop of war and espionage, second chance romance blossoms
It’s a bit of a slow burn and it takes a few chapters to find out why the two main characters are thrown into an opportunity to re-kindle their relationship
There were lots of characters and their stories and plot lines weren’t always easy to follow - a bit like fitting the puzzle pieces to see the drama unfold
It’s a well researched historical novel and loved the enemies to lovers vibe
Thanks @katyjamoran @ariafiction & @netgalley for the well researched historical novel

There was a lot going on in My Lady's Secrets. The reader is thrust right into the action. There were many characters to keep straight and it was at times confusing that I lost interest.

Very different to the average Regency romance, but non the less entertaining and enjoyable. The plot twists and turns and keeps the reader engaged throughout with well-written characters and lots of intrigue as the story goes on. I will definitely be looking out for future works from this author.

This book is absolutely not for me. The inclusion of real like Lord Byron just turned me off. I don't think this book is bad, it just didn't bring me joy.

An immersive world filled with compelling characters, intrigue and secrets, which blends historical figures with fictional scenarios while following a resourceful, independent protagonist who pushes back against strict social codes.

Cressida and Greville's tempestuous marriage is marred by betrayal and scandal, which results in Cressida fleeing abroad to avoid the Ton's censure. Clever and driven, she makes a new life but ends up in a war zone involved in espionage. Cressida's adventures mature and make her resilient, and Greville discovers a powerful opponent when they meet again. Both are manipulated into a new mission that promises forced proximity, reuniting with family, old adversaries and danger.

It takes a while to become familiar with the characters and their backstories, but it is worth it. The story is full of mystery, passion, and political intrigue and is a fascinating read. I like the complex characters, family dynamics, intense suspense that culminates in breathtaking action, and passionate romance.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Honestly, I’m not really sure how to categorize this book. I want to call it a regency era spy romance with a dash of mystery but… it doesn’t quite fit. One of the main characters has passed along secret information, but that was more for personal security than anything else. The relationship between the main characters felt like it was missing something. A murder takes place about three-quarters into the book and the killer’s reveal was utterly anticlimactic.

There were some things I enjoyed about the book. Cressida was a very compelling character with a complicated past. It was fun to see a fictionalized version of Lord Byron stirring up trouble throughout the story. The incorporation of real events into a fictional story was intriguing.

Ultimately, this is a quick read that dips into Regency Era society, the Napoleonic wars, and the life of Lord Byron.

There's a lot to love in this story as it's also a realistic depiction of the double standard for men and women in Regency Ton. The setting is unusual and there's a mix of historical and fiction characters.
My note is that the pace was a bit uneven and it made harder to keep the attention on the story
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This is the best historical thriller that I have read in many years. As a first in a series it is so well researched and believable I was swept up in the story every time I picked it up and couldn't put it down until the final paragraph.

When rebellious aristocrat Cressida and Lord Greville parted ways, they swore never to meet again. Their short marriage had already descended into bitter estrangement, destroyed by scandal and betrayal.

Years later, Greville is a soldier in the Peninsular War and Cressida is following the drum as another man's lover. Scorned by society, she has learned to survive as a spy – until the day she is caught behind enemy lines, by none other than Greville himself.

Threatened with paying the ultimate price, Cressida is offered a deal: she must entrap and betray the most famous man in England. And Greville, unforgiving, angry and still shockingly attractive, must ensure she complies.

Catapulted to the heights of fame, Lord Byron is just as chaotic, charming and ruthless as he was when he, Greville and Cressida were teenagers. As the three old friends gather for a summer house party in the Scottish Highlands, Cressida is forced to confront her past and ask herself a terrifying question: is it too late for she and Greville to fight for one another at last?
The characterisation and the ease in which the reader is swept up in this regency story with true life characters added to authenticate the fiction was superb. I look forward to reading many more stories from this supremely talented author. Strongly recommended.

This historical fiction novel follows our main character Cressida as she navigates being back in England after following the army in Portugal and Spain.

I found that I really liked Cressida and Greville because of their banter but also because Cressida was an independent woman, with snark and sarcasm which was lovely to read.

I did find though that there were too many other characters that I couldn't keep up, they also seemed to have multiple names and would be referred to as two different names mere pages apart.

Clearly this book is exceptionally researched and I did learn a lot about scandals surrounding Lord Byron and the Prime Minister at the time. But for me, there was a huge pacing issue at the start, it really took until I was 50% in to start moving and even after finishing there are still some questions I have unanswered.

Cressida and Lord Grenville, after a short lived, tumultuous marriage had parted ways. Cressida never thought she would need his help at all, because her life had taken a turn which for her family and friends was a downward spiral. Literally following a rag tag army she has now surfaced in London, and wants to enter polite society where the regulations are so strict, that you literally blackmail someone to do the honors because otherwise no one will!

Cressida has to entrap a man, needs Grenville s help and Lord Byron, always the wild card also enters the fray. At a house party in Scotland the three meet to find out a way to achieve their widely differing goals.

Very different from other Regency based novels, I found this a fascinating book. The morals, hypocrisy at every level, the way aristocracy controlled life on many levels was vividly portrayed. I liked the historical detail too.

My Lady's Secrets-a standalone

By Katy Moran-a new to me author

Publication 7-4-24, Read 7-7-24

Format: e-book 352 pgs.

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley and Aria & Aries/Aria for this ARC 🩷! I voluntarily give an honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

🌍Setting: Regency England

Genre: Historical Fic/Mystery

Tropes: 2nd chance romance, marriage, cheating, feminist fic, dual POVs

Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐

Summary: Cressida is estranged from her husband Lord Greville, and is deemed a social pariah in the ton . After spending years as a spy during the Peninsular War in Spain, she returns to England to reconcile with her husband and rebuild her reputation.

🤔My Thoughts: It's set at the start of the War of 1812 which gives a historical context that moves the plot. Through Cressida we see the hypocrisy in Regency society regarding the double standards applied to men and women. Everyone judged Cressida for her choices while men cheat and take lovers without anyone saying a thing.

My issue with the book was with the slow build and confusing background through the first half of the book. It was hard to push through with all the different characters being introduced. I liked the friendship between Cressida, Lord Greville, and Lord Byron, but a lot of the history went over my head. The book give a new viewpoint on the era, and blended romance with political intrigue and societal expectations. There isn't a clear HEA, but the hope of one.

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me. I went into it expecting a historical romance, and found myself confused about why the married couple was never on page together even if they are estranged. I wanted to like main POV character Cressida because she was complicated, but ended up feeling nothing for her. Plot lines felt unresolved and the chapters felt like fragmented scenes. Plus, I tend to really despise most of the time Lord Byron shows up on page, especially in a positive light like he does here. Ultimately, to a reader who spends a significant amount of time reading books set in the 19th century, My Lady's Secrets felt underdeveloped.

I held on to skim to see if this was actually a romance, and while there is an HEA, I still don't think the book has enough character development for a historical romance. It reads like historical fiction with a romantic arc. Perhaps a reader approaching it from this different angle, and knowing the messiness of the characters may find more from this one.

Thank you to Aria for an eARC for review. My Lady's Secrets is out now.

My Lady's Secret's by Katy Moran was a book I happened to come across and was intrigued by based on the summary. I'll admit, I read some early reviews so I knew going in there were some mixed feelings but I think that helped me because while there were some points early on that I was tempted to stop, I decided I was going to keep going based on those reviews.

This was an interesting story. It doesn't follow your typical historical romance formula at all. Cressida is the fmc and we find out quickly that after having been scorned by society due to an indiscretion in her marriage (and being found out), she decided to abandon her marriage and follow the drum as another man's lover. I'll talk about all of that in a moment but that's a lot to unpack and that is essentially only part of the story. The story actually picks up with Cressida fleeing because she was caught behind enemy lines by none other than her estranged husband. When she mistakenly trusts her father to hide/protect her, she has to make a deal to save herself. Unfortunately, that means she will need to work with her husband.

Lord Greville is Cressida's estranged husband. Having saved Cressida from death, he's now tasked with making sure she complies with the deal she made. It also opens the door for him to come to terms with his feelings for her and figure out what he (and she) want. They clearly were not ready for marriage and while they didn't act the way that they should have, those around them also didn't help the situation.

I'll admit, there were quite a few characters in this book. Lord Byron is a good friend to Cressida and Greville and he plays a significant role in this book. We also have Greville's family along with Cressida's father and cousin. It's a lot of people to keep straight but they all have a role to play.

Overall, I enjoyed this one. There was plenty of action and the characters showed plenty of growth throughout. While it was slow to start, it did pick up and I quickly got into the core of the story. I'll be interested to see what is next by this author and may look up some other backlist books as well.

This story started off with a bang! Straight into chaotic action!

Personally, this book wasn't for me. However, I liked the authors writing style and the characters she created. I will be looking at reading some of her other books.

Gosh! I didn’t know what to make of this book at first. The action started immediately and I had to look back to see if I’d missed a chapter. It was a little confusing at first but as more of the background story was told, so it became clearer. There was so much going on, not only politically but also various plots and schemes and so many secrets. It was only really when I finished the book that I was able to see the overall picture. The main characters of Granville and Cressida were too immature when they first married to be able to cope with married life. When they meet again, they have both had traumatic experiences, the attraction is still there but will they be able to move forward together. One thing I wasn’t keen on was Cressida’s tendency to run away rather than facing up to things. I did find this a different read but the more I read, the more I enjoyed it. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.