Aside from some real cringe moments, I largely enjoyed The Cloverton Charade. The mix of historical fiction and antiquarian mystery felt novel and certainly was a hit with me. While I knew where the romance was going, it took me a while to figure out the mystery. This is an entertaining page-turned and I would happy recommend it to anyone who wants to be immersed in the era.

Olivia and Lucas attend a house party. They are both there for secret reasons. But they know each other so they know they are there basically for the same reason, to check out the vase and other antiquities. I loved watching Olivia and Lucas come together. They worked together and then found romance together. I loved the mystery element of why there were so many counterfeits and the little bit of danger thrown in. I also enjoyed some of the other party guests that made this story a little more light hearted and fun. Overall, a good story and I recommend!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

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

Olivia Brannon craves respect from other antiquities dealers. However, a woman living in London during the Regency period will probably never get what she wants. Because her mother died during a voyage to search for antiquities, her father narrowed Oliva and her sister’s world out of fear for his daughters. Yet because he had no son, Oliva’s father taught her everything he knew about identifying, buying, selling, and assessing treasures from around the world.

Olivia can’t wait to escape the confines of her bachelor uncle’s guardianship and put her skills to the test when a wealthy widow invites Olivia to Cloverton Hall, her late husband’s country estate, to evaluate her private antiquities collection. Her new patron wants Olivia to work in absolute secrecy, and she provides Olivia with the clothing and accessories to pose as a young friend invited to a house party.

Olivia agrees to the charade, but when she arrives at Cloverton Hall, the first person she sees is the son of her father’s former business partner, Lucas Avery. Will he recognize her and blow her cover? And worse, why has he been invited to the house party? As a well-known antiquities dealer, has Lucas come to evaluate the same collection?

As the house party unfolds, Olivia finds it more challenging to remain undercover and rein in her attraction for Lucas. How can a relationship full of secrets have any hope of blossoming? However, as Lucas involves Olivia in a mystery he uncovers, she soon decides he is worthy of her trust. If they work together, they’ll help solve one of the biggest antiquities scams on English soil.

What I Loved About this Book

Ladd weaves a story about an often-overlooked element of Regency-era society: the educated middle-class merchant. This group resides one step above the artisans but below the notice of most aristocrats. While the gentry class has more relationship strictures for men and women, the merchant class worries less about transactional marriages. This allows Olivia to consider what she wants in a life partner.

Women who seek a true partnership with their significant other will appreciate Olivia’s forward-thinking views of marriage.

This lovely Regency romance story features heroine Olivia Bannon and hero Lucas Avery whose families have a longs-tanding rivalry prompted by their involvement as dealers of antiquities. They find themselves embroiled in a mystery at Covington Hall in Yorkshire which leads not only to danger but also to sweet romance. A well-paced, intriguing plot and engaging cast of characters kept me reading with anticipation. Vivid detail descriptions enhance the story, ignite the imagination, and immerse you in the setting and action. Ms. Ladd handles the subject of grief with thoughtfulness and encouragement. I enjoyed this touching, entertaining story, and recommend it especially for fans of Regency romance. NOTE: Although this is the third book in the Houses of Yorkshire series, it can easily be read as a standalone.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley with no obligation to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Cloverton Charade is about two antiquity brokers who are attending a house party to separately assess the collection of antiquities for the owner of Cloverton. Alicia (Olivia in the ARC) is to covertly assess the private collection of the widow of the previous owner of Cloverton. Lucas is there to assess the collection of the impressive collection for the current owner of Cloverton's deceased uncle.
I really wanted to love this, as I have enjoyed previous books by the same author, but I didn't. I liked it, a little. I found the first half really slow, and to be honest, would probably have put it down if I hadn't received a complimentary copy. I was pleased I persevered as the second half moved at a much better pace. I really enjoyed the antique storyline of the novel, and found the main characters to be likeable. I found it hard to keep track of all the house party guests. For a publisher that's known to be Christian, I was surprised at the lack of Christian content within the story. I felt the romance side of the story rushed, as most of it happened in the last few chapters. The mystery side was good, and had a twist I didn't see coming.
This wasn't a bad read, it was an ok read. I felt it was lacking compared to the author's previous works. Other regency authors I have enjoyed are Julie Klassen, Abigail Wilson or Erica Vetsch, particularly the Serendipity & Secrets series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is book 3 in The Houses of Yorkshire series. It's a clean historical romance with mystery. I really loved the first two books in this series but had a harder time getting into this one. Alicia and Lucas are old family enemies but come together when they realize things are amiss at the house party they are both attending. Even though this wasn't my favorite, it won't stop me from reading future books by Sarah.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 3 September 2024

Sarah Ladd is at the top of the Regency Romance set and she's done it again with The Cloverton Charade. This is book three in this series but it can be read as a stand-alone. I know this because that is what I wound up doing! (Of course I think it would be better if you read all three . . . I just didn't do that.)

The Avery and Brannon families used to be in business together but now they are bitter rivals. Imagine the shock when Lucas Avery and Olivia Brannon wind up at the same country estate to evaluate antiques under the pretense of being an invited guests. The two mutually agree to keep their real vocations a secret from the other guests but in Regency England secrets only stay secret for so long.

As a reader it was a delight to experience the opulence of the estates, parties, dresses, dining and other activities. The story was made even better when a mystery started to unfold. It was even better when it took turns and involved unsuspecting events and characters.

Olivia and Lucas are intriguing and complex due to their background baggage yet they are very likeable. The pacing of their story moves along just right. I didn't feel like it bogged down in the middle and the ending was not only interesting but it felt complete.

I will probably take a look at the first two books in this series and give them a read if I haven't spoiled things by reading out of order. Either way I heartily recommend this book to all the Regency fans out there.

I loved Olivia and Lucas. I enjoyed that they had a history together they were able to build on. This was a very interesting twist on the usual Regency house party, and I enjoyed it. It was awkward at moments, but I enjoyed the relationship they developed. The mystery and intrigue was good and pulled you in.

I was bored while reading this and did not finish it. I thought the MMC was insipid. I would try something else by this author

What an entertaining, original, and well written love story. Antiquity dealers who've known each other all of their lives bump into one another after a fluke of being individually hired by family members who are trying to outsmart the other to have them appraise rare antiquities collections. From the beginning, the charade began, and their past relationship wasn't disclosed. There was much emotional drama, intrigue, theft, smuggling, and many other plot twits and turns that kept me entertained. I enjoyed how all this led to a romance and a happy life. I highly recommend reading!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book a lot. Reading it was a great experience.

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

 

Hook: Two antique brookers, two collections, a house party, and a mystery.

Overview: 

Language/Profanity: One use of 'Egad'

Faith: None

Romance/Sex: One kiss on the lips before marriage and a few kisses after, a kiss on the hand, a few kisses on the cheek. A slow growing romance. 
A mention of a lady being taken advantage of and a baby coming because of it. 
Also at the party, everyone is looking for a husband or wife...lots of flirting involved but nothing else.

Action/Adventure: There is no danger... not really, but there is a bit of action towards the end of the book.

Other: Nothing

Synopsis: When Olivia is asked to evaluate Mrs. Milton's antique collection and to hide what she is doing by going to a house party that Mrs. Milton's nephew is hosting, she never thinks that she will come across an old friend turned rival. Nor that she will find mystery and romance during that time.
    When Lucas agrees to go to the house party in order to evaluate an antique collection of Mr. Wainbridge, he is surprised to see Olivia, the daughter of his father’s old business partner. 
    Together they need to figure out the mystery and stop the disaster about to ruin Mr. Wainbridge.

Even though it was slightly hard for me to get into and to stay in, this was such a good book! I know nothing about antiques or that time period, but it was still very interesting. I really liked the bits about the party and seeing how the rich people of that time acted. Another thing I liked was how the romance seemed to be slow; it wasn't love at first sight.
    There was one place where there was a sentence that was wrong; it was starting to say something but it never did. Other than that, I don't think there were any inconsistencies or anything like that. 
   The story itself did not drag... I just had a hard time staying in it. It was very interesting, and you get a chance to find the bad guy(s).
   We see two POVs: Olivia and Lucas'. 
    I liked the characters; they each had quirks and personalities. And the way the author wrote this makes me think that there may be more about some of the characters... hopefully. There was one character, Mr. Romano, who I thought was slimy and oily, but I was actually presently surprised. 

Favourites/Thoughts 
My favourite part... I'm not entirely sure there was a part that I liked more than the other, other than when Mrs. Milton is saying how she forgives her husband.
    My favourite quote:

“W-we are in a similar business,”Olivia stammered. A knowing grin curved Isabella’s lips, and she tilted her head to the side. “Many people are in a similar business, but may I point something out? They do not look at each other the way Mr. Avery looks at you.”

     I enjoyed this clean romance that also has a safe mystery. I hope to read other things from this author sometime. A four point five-star read that is perfect for older young adults and older who like a mystery, a story set in the eighteen hundreds, and romance.

It's always fun to read a book from a new-to-me author and discover I really like their style. This one is that story. Lucas and Olivia form an unlikely alliance (since their father's were rivals) as they work to discover the mystery surrounding counterfeit antiquities at Cloverton Manor. Highly recommended. Now I'm off to see what other books she wrote!

This book was provided to be by the publisher, but all the opinions expressed here are my own.

The Cloverton Charade by Sarah E. Ladd is a historical romance that touched my heart in all the right places and swept me away into the beauty of Regency England. The story and the writing flowed beautifully with mistaken identities, mystery, reclaimed friendship, and, of course, romance. I was hooked from the first chapter.

The story focuses on Olivia Brannon, a young lady with unusual expertise in antiquities. When Mrs. Milton asks her to attend a house party with her so she can catalog the older lady’s collection, Olivia jumps at the chance to prove her worth and see more of the world. As Olivia attends the house party and pretends to be someone she is not, she learns more about the world, but more importantly, more about herself. She also sees Lucas Avery, a man she had not seen since childhood at the party, a man who has the same expertise in antiquities as Olivia. As Olivia comes to know herself better, she also comes to know Lucas better.

I loved how Olivia and Lucas’s relationship developed and grew. It was so sweet and so swoony. Sarah knows how to create swoon and tension with simple glances, words, and small touched. It was so well done. Olivia was a fabulous FMC. I loved how her strength and independence showed up in the confines of her time. I also loved how Lucas saw Olivia. He was really her perfect match.

This book was like a hug in book form. I enjoyed every minute of reading The Cloverton Charade. It had all the thing I loved in a Regency romance with a swoony MMC and relatable and strong FMC and a beautiful love story.

Set in Regency England the story of the two antiquities brokers and how the best friends fell apart forms the beginning of the story. Olivia and her sister are left with nothing as their father bequeathed the business to his brother, who through mismanagement has run it to the ground. Lucas has inherited his father’s business also in a precarious financial position.

The approach to Olivia to assess and catalogue Mrs. Milton’s collection is a rare chance to get a footing in the business, and establish herself despite her uncles antipathy and obvious disapproval. Lucas is approached by the nephew of the late Mr Milton to value and dispose of his inheritance. Mrs Milton and the heir do not see eye to eye on how to manage a burdensome estate and both Olivia and Lucas have to keep the purpose of their visit to Cloverton under wraps. A full scale week of entertaining has been arranged which provides the cover necessary for both Olivia and Lucas.

Covering regency England at its best and worst in a descriptive form, we are taken through the jobs undertaken by Olivia and Lucas under the eyes of their bosses, who cannot stand each other. Both have to be diplomatic, especially when Lucas discovers that a lot of chinoiserie is fake and that a scam is going on right under their eyes.

Discovering who was responsible was a difficult job, in the process Olivia loses her job but the romantic angle was just right and the story ends well.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I have read most of Sarah E. Ladd's books and have enjoyed them all. "The Cloverton Charade" was no exception. It had a wonderful blend of mystery, romance and enjoyable characters that felt real and complex and not just cardboard cutouts. The only this was that by the time our two main characters begin their romance it felt like they jumped to being in love a little too quickly. I still enjoyed the book and appreciate that it is a clean romance while still giving plenty of sweet moments. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher.

As far as Regency romance books I have read, this has been the most unique so far. A woman in the business of antiques at a house party, mixed in with some romance and a mystery. It was good, however I did start to get bored in the middle. I pushed through and was pleased with the ending. No angst, no lame misunderstandings, no smut. I would recommend!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Olivia Brannon is more interested in being known for dealing in antiquities than in marrying well! I enjoyed this story as Olivia is invited to Cloverton Hall to secretly evaluate a private collection of antiquities. Several unexpected things happen. Lucas Avery, the son of her late father's rival is also at the Hall and evaluating other pieces for the new heir. These experts determine some pieces are not as they appear. You will like how Lucas and Olivia find more to draw them to each other than the antiques. I recommend The Cloverton Charade to others. i received a complimentary e-book through NetGalley. This is my honest opinion,

🌿THE CLOVERTON CHARADE🌿

Thank you to @austenprose and @thomasnelson for my #giftedcopy. All thoughts are my own.

The Cloverton Charade is a story about a mysterious estate, filled with antiquities, rare finds, and intrigue. Miss Olivia Brannon gets the chance of a lifetime to play a honored guest at the house while studying the household rarities- undercover of sorts. Unfortunately, during this charade, Olivia runs into Lucas Avery, an old childhood friend whose family happens to own her rival's antiquities business.

What an intriguing, unique story! I loved all the historical details! So fun to read a story between the working class and higher society. I thought the antique business was such an interesting historical element, I couldn't stop reading. @sarahladdauthor is great with her history!

Lucas and Olivia's love story was sweet and romantic. A little rivals and childhood friends to lovers. The sweet spot!

The Cloverton Charade was released last week. Historical fiction lovers, check this one out!

#theclovertoncharade
#sarahladd #historicalfiction #antiques
#england #tourpost #booktour #austenprose #thomasnelson #arc #histfic

This story was such a great mix of regency, gentle romance, dash of mystery, the realities of grief, and recognition of women in male dominant professions.
I love Olivia’s determination to keep her head up even when her heart doubts that confidence, but still never in an abrasive manner. I love the risks Lucas takes to trust Olivia and support her opportunities. I also appreciate how each Olivia and Lucas seek to understand the heart of those around them instead of of making knee jerk reactions to others’ foolish behavior. I could identify so much with Olivia’s inner world!

My favorite scenes included the library, the veranda, and the epilogue. 😍

Themes that make this book beautiful: safety, autonomy, respect, and support.