Romantic and mysterious! A combination that always enthralls the reader and it makes us appreciate the author more! Verity is a variety of a character! (I definitely imagined Emilia Clarke playing her!) 🧁

She's a menagerie of colors that add more depth to the story in each chapter! And then we add The dashing Nathaniel Denning! (Yes I totally imaged Henry Cavill as this character LOL) 🌹

Our female lead used to be a private investigator! After she almost loses her life she has a change in perspective. She believes mainly that returning to her old lifestyle of normality and simplicity will rid her of any need to solve mysteries. However! When she becomes embroiled in a robbery and survives her need for justice intensifies! 🫡

I really wanted to go back in time with them! Put on a regency dress grab a magnify glass and say "Let me join you!" Joanna has a real talent for spinning together a mystery that's so easy to follow along and keeps you guessing! 🌅

Verity and Nathaniel go on a quest to solve a mystery and get justice! They are the perfect combination of feisty characteristics and pure romance! 🎙️

Love it!! 💖

A lovely follow up to A Heart Worth Stealing. I always love a bit of mystery tied in with the romance!

Oh how my heart needed this story! It was practically perfect in every possible way. The sweetness, the mystery, the struggle with opening up to love & trust. Verity is a stubbornly smart sweetheart, and Nathaniel Denning is one fine man. 🥰

*Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

Well-done Ms. Barker!
This was a great sequel, though still a stand-alone, to A Heart Worth Stealing. Lots of romance and swoony kisses and even some danger and mystery. The book has lot of kissing but nothing beyond that. Language is clean and there is no mention of any sort of religion.
The writing has a very polished feel to it and has many clever lines throughout which I enjoyed.
Not my favorite book by Barker, but a very enjoyable read!

"A heart is a fragile thing without trust."

I want a 5-star read, I come to Joanna Barker. It's just science at this point. Her books work for me, and I couldn't be more excited about it.

I've been looking forward to Verity's story since meeting her in "A Heart Worth Stealing", and it did not disappoint! She's so fun to follow, capable and confident and irrepressibly kind. She gets herself into situations that I'd never have the guts to get myself into, and I respect that, lol! And Nathaniel? What a gem he is. It's the whole "I don't need protecting." "I know, but I'm still here for you." dynamic for me, it makes me melt every. time.

So yes, unsurprisingly, I loved this book. The mystery was intriguing, the characters were wonderful, the romance was perfect. 10/10 as always, Ms. Barker.

5 stars from me!

**I receieved a copy of this book from the publisher. A positive review was not required. All opinions are my own.**

I enjoyed this book, it's well written. It is a sweet, closed-door romance. I really hope we get another book about Elizabeth.

So True a Love by Joanna Barker is a charming Regency romance that blends heartwarming love with a touch of mystery. Marianne Edgewood, the intelligent and determined heroine, embarks on a journey of self-discovery while navigating family duty and societal expectations. The slow-burn romance between her and the enigmatic Mr. West is tender, building naturally with emotional depth, making it a captivating read for fans of clean, historical romance.

Barker’s attention to historical detail, combined with well-developed relationships and a hint of intrigue, keeps the story engaging throughout. With its uplifting themes of love, loyalty, and self-discovery, this novel is highly recommended for readers who enjoy wholesome romance with a dash of mystery set against the backdrop of the Regency era.

So True a Love by Joanna Barker is an enchanting historical romance that blends mystery, adventure, and simmering passion. Verity Travers, a privileged lady of high society and former private investigator, is a captivating protagonist. After a close brush with danger forces her to abandon her career, Verity attempts to settle into a more conventional life. However, when she becomes the victim of an armed robbery, her instincts for justice reignite, pulling her back into the thrilling world of investigation. The plot intensifies with the introduction of Nathaniel Denning, a charming Bow Street Runner who quickly becomes both Verity’s professional rival and unexpected love interest.

As the stakes rise, So True a Love seamlessly intertwines a gripping mystery with the undeniable chemistry between its leads. The novel’s pacing balances action and romantic tension, while the historical backdrop adds a rich texture to the narrative. Verity and Nathaniel’s journey toward solving the case—and finding love—culminates in a satisfying and heartwarming conclusion. Fans of historical romance and cozy mysteries alike will find themselves charmed by this delightful tale of crime, passion, and second chances.

What a heartfelt story! I so appreciate Joanna Barker's unique talent for rendering realistic emotional depth, exploring the complicated relationships between parents and children, as well as how varied life experiences and perspectives bring challenges to romantic relationships. Verity and Nathaniel are as complicated as any person you'll ever meet, and it is so enjoyable to witness them work their way to each other, earning each other's trust, respect, and admiration just by being their authentic selves. There's no "I can fix them" energy here, only appreciation and support for each other. Refreshing! This gave me hints of the PBS Masterpiece show Miss Scarlet and the Duke—a tale about a private investigator and a detective—but with an infinitely more satisfying love story. Although I had an inkling who the villain might be, there was plenty of action and even several unexpected twists that kept me turning pages into the wee hours. And the romance was simply swoonworthy. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romantic mystery stories.

Loved this book so much! I loved “A Heart Worth Stealing” and I was excited to get another book by Joanna Barker. I hope this becomes a Bow Street runner series!😍
✍️
Verity is a bit wild and feisty, she has a natural sense about solving mysteries thanks to her brother Jack teaching her clues and leads to follow. But London isn’t ready to trust female heroines. But a new runner takes the chance to work with her. Loved Nathaniel! ❤️
✍️
The mystery plot surprised me a few times of where I thought it was going to go so that was fun. This had great pacing and swoony moments.
✍️
I always know I’ll love a Joanna Barker book and this is no different. This book released last month and is available now. If you haven’t read it - do it now for a clean fun spooky read. 😉
✍️
Thanks to the publisher Shadow Mountain for the arc copy. These are my own thoughts and opinions.

Historical fiction. Mystery. Suspense. Female investigator. Art. Hidden identities. This book has it all.

Any author that can get me to read and enjoy a mystery is a winner. Yes, I skipped to the end to quickly see whodunit, but I when I returned to read it through all the way, there were still plenty of plot points to keep me up reading super late into the night.

Mystery is not my comfort genre by any stretch, and yet Joanna Barker did it. She drew me into the story of Verity Travers (former thief finder/taker), Nathaniel Denning (Bow Street Runner), the Harwood family (upper class friends of Verity) all racing to solve a perplexing a robbery, a possible blackmailer, and a wily informant.

This book continues the story of characters met in a previous book, A Heart Worth Stealing. You can read it alone, but it will make more sense if you read the other first.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from the publishers, but all my opinions and words are my own. As always. I do not always review every book I receive, so know that this was worth the time to both read and review.

Set during the Regency Era, "So True a Love" by Joanna Barker is romantic, mysterious, sweet, adventurous, full of twists and turns, and so much more.

Ms. Barker's storytelling is simply spectacular. She brilliantly brings the past to life, her characters are written in such a clear way, and each and every moment throughout this novel kept me completely immersed in the story. I found myself reading into the early hours of the morning, and simply did not want to put this book down!

Oh my goodness, Verity and Nathaniel! These two truly bring out the best in each other, and they respect and support one another. What starts out as a professional partnership soon begins to change and develop as they start working together more and more to solve the crime. I absolutely loved watching their relationship grow.

Full of moments that will have you on the edge of your seat looking for clues and guessing whodunit, a sweet romance, and so much more, this book truly has so much in it!

I highly recommend this novel to lovers of historical romance, historical mystery, and / or historical fiction!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the e-ARC, and to Shadow Mountain Publishing for the beautiful physical ARC as well! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I loved the premise of this book. A female detective? Yes, please. Verity was such a fun character. She’s had some misfortunes but that doesn’t keep her from trying to help her friend by solving a mystery.

While the mystery kept me engaged, the romance really set this apart. I just love a thoughtful, kind love interest, and Nathaniel was exactly that. Whenever Nathaniel and Verity were together the sparks were flying.

What I loved best about this book was that every chapter contained a scene that moved the plot forward. Joanna is so good at writing scenes that show her characters personalities and make me love them. This story had several scenes that were sweet, tension filled, and memorable.

This was a delightful read with the perfect amount of tension and swoon.

This can be read as a standalone, but do yourself a favor and read the first book, A Heart Worth Stealing.

This book contains no profanity and has some great kissing scenes.

Verity Travers, daughter of a renowned actress, reluctantly returns to the world of crime-solving after being the victim of an armed robbery. While determined to catch the thief, she finds herself repeatedly crossing paths with Nathaniel Denning, a charming Bow Street Runner intent on keeping her out of harm's way. As they realize they are chasing the same cunning criminal, Verity and Nathaniel must navigate their rivalry and growing attraction while trying to bring the culprit to justice.

While technically this can be read as a standalone, it does bring back characters from the first book. I have to admit that I didn’t remember the first book until I went back and looked at the cover. Verity has been sneaking her own investigations from her brother’s thief taker business. Though having given it up after an investigation gone wrong, she promises to help her friend.

This was an interesting read. My biggest complaint is that I thought Nathaniel the more interesting character, and I would have loved to see the story through his eyes instead of it being solely from Verity’s viewpoint. I also found it difficult to suspend belief for some parts, but it was well-written.

I would recommend this to readers who enjoyed the first book.

LOVED! First, I love getting her story. Her brother was book 1, and I didn't think it could get better, but the author did it! It was fantastic. I loved getting lost in this story and the characters. So well done!

Oh goodness I loved this book. So many wonderful lines and the banter between Nathaniel and Verity was witty and memorable.

It would be hard for Nathaniel to replace Jack (from A Heart Worth Stealing) as a favorite MMC of mine, but he does an impressive job of doing so. He is caring, daring, and clever. Verity is a delight. I loved how she was an investigator like her brother Jack and with her sketching abilities, she it made her even more special. She is given a case to help a friend but it takes them both on quite the adventure.

There are so many memorable lines I highlighted. Each one made me love these characters even more. Especially Nathaniel.

I received a paperback ARC from the publisher. All views are my own.

#BookRevew : SO TRUE A LOVE by Joanna Barker

It's been a while since I read A Heart Worth Stealing. Somehow, I don't remember Verity as Jack's sister. Verity is definitely a very brave woman. She can find herself in unusual situations and still emerge unscathed. I was initially unsure about Mr. Denning, but he proved to be a perfect match for Verity's adventurous spirit. The mystery and adventurous escapades somewhat overshadowed the developing romance between Verity and Mr. Denning. Mr. Denning was simply the sweetest man. I love how he wanted to take care of Verity while still respecting her independence. Verity was so independent, perhaps a little too carefree at times, and didn't always think things through. Overall, it was a good read and a rollercoaster ride of revelations.

Rating: 4 ⭐
Pub date: 03 Sep 2024

Thank you Shadow Mountain Publishing and #netgalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

It's been awhile since I read A Heart Worth Stealing, but I enjoyed how Ginny and Jack played a part in this book. It made me want to go back and re-read their story. But Verity and Nathaniel were quite the handful all on their own. I got a kick out of how often Verity managed to find herself right in the middle of all sorts of challenges. And how she was usually not very sorry about it.
Their chemistry just worked, and the author did a wonderful job bringing both major and minor characters to life.

This book is so good! It has mystery and romance, and I loved it! It has some of the same people who are in A Heart Worth Stealing, and it was fun to see them again in this story. You can definitely enjoy this book even if you haven’t read the other one though. Verity is such a character! She is headstrong, independent, smart and fiercely loyal, especially to her friend, Elizabeth. When Verity, Elizabeth, and her parents are mugged one evening, Verity, who once wanted to be a thief-taker, is determined to find the thief, especially once Elizabeth confides that a letter was in her reticule with a secret that she doesn’t want anyone, even Verity, to know.

Verity is looking for a thief who mugged her and her friends at the theater. Nathaniel is a bow street runner who is investigating the crime. Verity has some experience with crime solving in that she learned from her older brother Jack, who used to be a bow street runner himself. This was a sweet, closed door romance. I'm very interested in her friend Elizabeth and hopefully she gets her own book too.
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.