Sarah E. Ladd brings a mystery and a romance in her third book of her The House of Yorkshire series.

Olivia Brannon grew up working at her father's side in his antiquities shop. Following his death, her uncle becomes the guardian for both her and her younger sister, and the owner of the shop. His lack of expertise shows in both the pieces he chooses to buy and the prices he charges. Besides that, he wants Olivia to work on finding a husband, not in the shop, even though her expert eye has proven invaluable more than once. When she is offered the opportunity - outside of her uncle's watchful eye - to appraise a valuable collection, she jumps at the chance. Her only misgiving is that her employer asks her to keep her identity as an appraiser under wraps. Instead, she is to attend a house party with her employer, keeping the other attendees in the dark about her real reasons for being there. Meeting Lucas Avery, another antiquities dealer, at the same party leads her to suspect she has competition.

Lucas has been asked by his friend to appraise a valuable chinoiserie collection that he inherited upon his uncle's death. He needs to do it in secret because his uncle's wife is against anything being sold. As he begins inspecting the items, he discovers that many are in fact forgeries, and not worth what his friend is expecting. Asking for Olivia's opinion seems like the thing to do, but can they really set aside the rivalry of their fathers to find those responsible for the apparent thefts?

I like stories that teach me something, and in this one I learned about the business of purchasing priceless antiques. Record-keeping had to be meticulous, and the best dealers could tell by weight, or by the translucence of the material whether something was authentic. I also enjoyed the peek into the upper-crust of England. Women at that time were expected to marry, and those without means had few options available.

Readers who enjoy Regency era romance with a side of mystery will enjoy The Cloverton Charade. I believe this is the first Sarah Ladd book I've read, and I enjoyed listening to the audio version.

In this fun take on the Regency romance novel, Sarah Ladd brings readers into an antiquities rivalry (and perhaps a scandal of counterfeit pieces) during a house party in the country in Regency England. Following Olivia Brannon, an unconventional woman disinterested in marriage and more interested in traveling the world in search of rare and valuable antiquities, readers join her at Cloverton Hall to covertly evaluate a wealthy widow’s collection in disguise as a party guest when her father’s rival’s son, Lucas Avery, is at Cloverton Hall to do the same thing for the widow’s nephew, the new master of the house. As the rivalry turns into an investigation and begrudging collaboration, readers discover the world of antique forgeries and scandal in Regency England through the eyes of Olivia and Lucas. With brilliant characters and two fascinating and complementary perspectives shifting over the course of the novel, fans will love the third book in the Houses of Yorkshire series (though it can be read as a standalone novel) if they enjoy unconventional Regency novels. Olivia and Lucas’s relationship is well-written and fun to follow as the characters grow over the course of the novel, and readers will enjoy every moment and plot twist at the Cloverton Hall house party.

A fun story full of twists and turns and mystery. It has sprinkles of romance throughout and is such a sweet read. I really enjoyed it!

Another wonderful story by Sarah Ladd! I enjoyed the characters and enjoyed their knowledge of antiques (which I am not familiar in any way) and the way that it was a natural part of the story. I didn't guess the entire twist, but I did figure out part of it. The house party went on a little to long for me, but it didn't make me like the story less. Highly recommend!

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

Lovely addition to Sarah Ladd's The Houses of Yorkshire series. Each book in the series can be read as a standalone.

Readers will love this story of two antiquities dealers who have a hidden agenda at a house party in Yorkshire. I have long been entranced by stories of house parties. Not only does it include a houseful of guests that are thrown together for an extended period of time, they usually have some sort of drama unfolding. Maybe a murder or in this case.....an art thief or two.

This is a sweet rivals to more story in which Alice and Lucas's families partnership fell apart upon a misunderstanding between their fathers. Now both Alice and Lucas are trying to preserve their deceased parents legacy, each invited to the house party by a different family member to value the private collection. After discovering a fake antique, they join forces, determined to determine who is behind the forgery. While the romance was predictable, there were a couple of plot twists to keep me intrigued. A fun whodunit.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher through Netgalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Approached by Cloverton's former mistress to evaluate a private collection, Alicia Brannon finds herself out of her depth at a weeks long house party when she catches the eye of Lucas Avery a antiquities purveyor, and together they must unravel the strange goings on at Cloverton.

A little confusing in the beginning with all the social and family connections to straighten out, but it quickly pulled me in with the intriguing plot and likable main characters. I especially appreciated the middle working class main characters in a regency setting, which is isn't super common in the genre. Likeable protagonists, and an engaging plot, with plenty going on.

Overall, an enjoyable read, with great characters, making for a good clean romance.

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

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.