REVIEW
I enjoyed this one! It held my attention consistently from start to finish, and I absolutely loved that the main characters were in the business of antiques! That was so interesting to me, and I appreciate the research that the author must have put into it. There were plenty of details to make it feel believable and real. There were a couple of fairly minor things I didn't love, but I could see myself reading more books by Sarah Ladd and audiobooks narrated by Jude Mason.

CONTENT
😘🙊🍷🤕All mild or N/A

BOTTOM LINE
Even if you haven't read the other books in the series (I haven't), this one was an enjoyable read on its own!

FULL REVIEW AND CONTENT GUIDE on blog (link in bio)

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the audiobook ARC!

What a delight of a book! If you're itching for a rivals-to-lovers Regency romance with a dash of antiquities shenanigans thrown in, look no further. Also perfect as a palate cleaner in between books dealing with heavier topics.

A distinguished, captivating, and a transportive read. Written in third person, we follow our two main characters, Olivia Brannon and Lucas Avery, as they both leave London to attend a series of fancy balls and events with wealthy socialites at Cloverton Hall. However, Olivia is there as a special guest of the mistress of Cloverton Hall to provide her expert opinion on an extensive antiquity collection. Olivia and Lucas's families have been rivals for as long as Olivia remembers, since both families dominate the antiquities trading industry, and she is shocked to find that Lucas is also at Cloverton Hall. The feeling is mutual, because Lucas is called to Cloverton Hall on a similar mission and was not expecting to run into his family rival. Olivia and Lucas must decide if they can put aside their competitive backgrounds, see the good in one another, and potentially—work together.

Set in England during the regency era, Sarah E. Ladd's writing captures the essence of English polite society at the height of manners and propriety. Ladd's writing effortlessly transported me back in time. The balls, events, and social gatherings the characters go through were delightful to read about. I listened to the audiobook version which is narrated by Jude Mason. Mason performed the various characters well, and I appreciate her English accent which added to the overall story immersion. There is a general theme of mystery (between characters and also circumstances) in this book as well which I enjoyed. The dialogue is thoughtful, and my only critique would be for some more inner monologue to add to the overall plot.

This book is for those who enjoy a clean regency romance or a historical mystery.

My sincere thanks to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley for an audiobook copy of The Cloverton Charade in exchange for my honest review.

“A blend of suspense and romance. An excellent Regency-era story set at a house party in an estate in York Shire. I was captivated by the steady pace of the story, keeping me guessing until the very end. And yes, there is a delightful touch of romance. I'm grateful for the complimentary copy, and I assure you that all opinions expressed are my honest review."

A great plot that kept me interested. There were some twists and turns that kept me in the story. I love reading regency novels and this one fit the bill. A little bit of mystery, sabotage and romance. Perfect!

Olivia Brannon, trained by her father to be an expert in antiquities, is hired to secretly evaluate a private collection at Cloverton Hall, seeing it as her chance to prove herself in a male-dominated field. Meanwhile, Lucas Avery, evaluating the main collection at Cloverton hall, attends the same house party. When they discover counterfeits within the collection, the two rivals reluctantly team up to uncover the truth, all while grappling with a growing attraction and the risk to both their careers and hearts.

This is an author that never disappoints. The characters are always interesting and the plots keep me reading. This was no exception. While not quite an enemies-to-lovers story, I very much enjoyed the tension between Olivia and Lucas. Their fathers, once business partners, quarrelled, and all friendship ended between the families.

It was nice to follow a character who was not used to the grandeur of an upper class party. Olivia’s awe was believable, but her confidence in her own talent as an antiquities expert. The attraction between her and Lucas was sweet, and I liked how they bonded over their work.

Overall, this was a sweet book. I listened to the audio version and the narrator did a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life. Readers who enjoy clean Regency romance will enjoy this one.

Title: The Cloverton Charade
Author: Sarah E. Ladd
Narrated by: Jude Mason
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Length: Approximately 9
Source: Thank you @sarahladdauthor @thomasnelson @austenprose for the physical review copy and @netgalley for the audiobook review copy.

Do you collect antiques? I love antiques.

Olivia Brannon works at her late father’s shop and evaluates rare antiquities. Her uncle currently runs the shop, but she dreams of someday being able to travel the world in search of antiquities herself. One day, she is invited by Mrs. Milton, a wealthy widow and former client of her father’s, to attend a house party at Cloverton Hall. Mrs. Milton’s nephew, Mr. Wainbridge, has inherited Cloverton Hall and all the antiquities that her husband has collected, but Mrs. Milton hopes to be able to sell her own antiquities. Mr. Wainbridge, meanwhile, has invited his own antique dealer, Lucas Avery, to the house party to evaluate Mr. Milton’s antiquities. He wants to sell them to try to make the estate solvent. When Lucas and Olivia discover that some of the antiquities are fake, they are thrust into a mystery. Will they be able to discover who is replacing the antiquities with fakes and will they also find romance along the way?

My thoughts on this novel:

• I really enjoyed the audiobook. The narrator, Jude Mason, was excellent. Mason was pleasant to listen to and had good voices for everyone.
• I really enjoyed this unique Regency story. I don’t think I have read a Regency novel before that involved the collecting of antiquities. It was so interesting. I know that collecting antiques was very popular during this time period, so it was great to learn more about it and have it as a plot device in this novel.
• The mystery was intriguing as well with a great conclusion.
• I loved the romance between Olivia and Lucas. It was a Romeo and Juliet type story with them being from rival antique companies.
• I love Regency house parties and it was fun to read about this one. I enjoyed that both Olivia and Lucas could move around in the world of high society, but being in business, they were not truly part of it.
• The plight of Mrs. Milton and of Olivia herself, made me ponder again the limited choices that women had during the Regency time period. Mrs. Milton could not inherit her husband’s estate where she had spent her lifetime, while Olivia could not inherit her father’s business, even though she was more qualified in antiquities than her uncle.
• I read this one quickly as I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.
• This was a clean read.

Favorite Quote: “For what it’s worth, you say you don’t belong here. But I believe you are the rival of any woman in the room. And I daresay you are infinitely more interesting. There is something about a woman who can think for herself that is quite intriguing.”

Overall, The Cloverton Charade was an engaging Regency romance novel with a wonderful romance and great mystery involving antiquities. I highly recommend this novel.

The Cloverton Charade is a captivating rivals to lovers historical romance full of intrigue, antiquities, and a mystery that will keep you guessing until the end.

I loved watching the relationship between Olivia and Lucas evolve from old family rivals to trusted friends to more. The pacing of their developing relationship was well executed, slowly ratcheting up the tension between the two. The way that Lucas valued Olivia's expertise was so refreshing. The respect they showed to each other, even in the beginning, reflected well on their characters.

The audiobook narrator had a lot of different important characters to contend with and she did an admirable job of giving each a unique voice. The emotion and tension in the story shone through in her performance.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Christian Publishing for the ALC, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Cloverton Charade: The Houses of Yorkshire #3
Sarah E. Ladd
Alicia Brannon learned from the best, her father, an expert antiquities broker; Alicia has surpassed her father’s abilities. However, as a woman her opportunities are narrow. The former mistress of Cloverton Hall requests assistance from Alicia; she wants her to assess, an unknown private collection. There is one drawback, the evaluation must be done secretly. The new master of Cloverton Hall must not know anything about their deal or the collection. This could be Alicia’s only possibility to demonstrate her expertise. The house party at Cloverton Hall is the perfect opportunity to execute the appraisal discreetly.
The new master of Cloverton Hall plans to sell his late uncle’s remarkable collection. Lucas Avery represents his family’s antiquities business; he is steadfast to be the agent who supervises the sale. Lucas is invited to the house party by the new master of Cloverton Hall, while there he will have complete access to the entire collection. Naturally, Lucas is delighted at the prospect.
Both Alicia and Lucas arrive at the house party pretending to be guests; they are immediately skeptical. The two join forces after they both determine there are several fake pieces in the collection. During the house party one of the most celebrated pieces is damaged. The closer Alicia and Lucas work together the more sparks fly.
I enjoyed watching Alicia and Lucas as their romance began to develop.
Thank you NetGalley for the review copy.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for the audiobook arc of "The Cloverton Charade" by Sarah E. Ladd.

I very much enjoyed the premise of the story and the aspect of the FMC wanting to pursue a career. The mystery aspect of the story was also very intriguing and kept me on my toes. I was hoping for a bit more romance, as the two MCs were more acting as good friends than lovers for the majority of the book and there wasn't that much tension.

The narration was done very well. I enjoyed the intention and the different voices for the various characters.

I really enjoyed the pretense and the idea behind this story . Unfortunately there was not enough romance in this story to be really called a romance. The mystery and intrigue was great and I had no idea who the culprit was till the very end, but still, more romance was needed. The narrator was great and did a great job with fabulous voice differentiation between the characters. Not a bad book at all, I just like more romance.

Big thanks to Netgalley, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Thomas Nelson Fiction and Sarah E Ladd for an early release copy of this audiobook. This is my honest review

This a good enemies to a friends to lovers story, with a background of art and forgery.

Alicia and Lucas were childhood friends who had drifted apart due to their father's disagreements. Both of them end up at Cloverton to assess antiques requested by two opposing relatives, an aunt and her nephew.

They uncover a forgery scheme that has been taking place for many years. As they combine their minds and expertise together, the plot thickens, and the scrumptious theives are exposed. In the meantime, Alicia and Lucas's bonds strengthen for a hea.

The narration was very well done. Enough inflections and variations to keep it entertaining.

#netgalley #TheClovertonCharade

The Cloverton Charade
Sarah E. Ladd

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars

If you love a good historical regency romance with mystery and intrigued waved throughout, you’ll definitely want to give this one a try.

Olivia and Lucas were the perfect team, they worked so well together to solve the mystery of the counterfeit art. They were quite literally the perfect, enemies to friends to lovers trope.

I really enjoyed the story behind all the art and Olivia and Lucas’s families. From the House Party, to Mrs Milton, art, scandals and the mystery it was a wonderfully rounded out book.

The audiobook was well read. I enjoyed the narrator, she totally nailed it with all the different voices. She truly managed to bring each character to life.

The great thing about out Sarah Ladd is she can always write a book that will intrigue and entertain. This is a great rivals to friends to more story with a mystery thrown in to keep you turning pages.

I loved the premise of to an antiquities experts being hired by two different parties to assess and broker their collections. They both were at the same house party posing as guests so they didn’t arouse any suspicions. It was fun to see the reactions of both Olivia and Lucas as they recognize each other at the party, each wondering how and why the other is there.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was amazing. Such talent with all the different voices!

It really enjoyed the evolution of their relationship and the unraveling of the mystery. If you’re looking for a good historical romance and mystery this book is for you.

Sarah E. Ladd has mastered the art of Regency-mysteries, and The Cloverton Charade is another shining example of her talent! 🙇‍♀️

What stood out most to me was the character of Olivia. In an era where women’s talents were often overlooked, Olivia’s gift is not only recognized but actively encouraged by Lucas. 🥹

He could have easily undermined her due to his own insecurities, but instead, he supports her in a way that is both beautiful and admirable. His confidence in her abilities makes him super hot! 🔥😂

This story is a celebration of empowerment, love, and, most importantly for me, the courage to pursue one’s true calling. As I am currently navigating my own journey of self-discovery, trying to figure out my path, this story struck a particularly poignant chord. It came at just the right time in my life. 🫶

I had the pleasure of both reading and listening to this book, switching between formats depending on where I was. Thanks to NetGalley, I received both a physical copy and an audiobook. A big thank you to Sarah for this wonderful experience!

What a gem! This book was a delight to listen to on audiobook. The narrator did a wonderful job. As for the story itself....BRAVO! I am never disappointed in Ladd's writing, but this one kept me on my toes nearly til the end and I love that I didn't guess the ending before it came. The characters came alive for me and I found myself cheering, booing, and offended as if I was in the story myself. Highly recommend!

I listened to The Cloverton Charade by Sarah E. Ladd and it was narrated by Jude Mason. I gave it a high 4⭐️. The narration was delightful and I highly recommend listening to it. It was a clean romance that had all the charm of a good historical regency. It felt more like a mystery than it did a romance to me and I found the house party the highlight of the novel. Sarah E. Ladd wrote an intriguing well planned out novel with a HEA.
Thanks Hug Harper Collins Christian Publishing via NetGalley.

This was an interesting take on a ‘kind of’ historical fiction book interlaced with a fine art collection. Not sure if the year was mentioned, but I’m guessing late 1800’s.

Cloverton Hall was a beautiful place in its heyday! But the master of the house has died and left the estate to his nephew…with the express instructions that his wife may live there as long as she lives.

His nephew has absolutely NO INTEREST in all the fine art collectibles that his uncle amassed over the years, but believes that they will be worth a fortune! So, he plans to sell them all off.

At the same time, a large amount of people are arriving for a house party where there will be many young men and women of affluence in attendance. And, the wife is returning to act as a chaperone for said party. With her she brings a guest of honor! Everyone wants to know more about this woman, Olivia Brannon, and why she is so close to the Mrs. What they don’t know is that Ms. Brannon is the daughter of the antiquities expert who provided many of the artifacts in the estate…and her father taught her everything he knows. In the meantime, the wife has her OWN private collection of antiques that she wants to have appraised…but, discreetly!

The nephew has also brought an antiques expert to the party…but asked that he just appear as a regular guest, so that his ideas of selling remain secret. So, Lucas Avery is joining all the other young guests at the party, and staying in the home.

When he lays eyes on Olivia though, his mouth drops…because many years ago, their fathers were business partners!

🛑🛑. Ok…so full stop here!! 🛑🛑
Just setting up the premise of the story before we get into the meat and potatoes of it! And, wow! There were a lot of moving parts here!

Thanks so much to #NetGalley, #HarperCollinsChristianPublishing and #ThomasNelsonPublishing for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

#TheClovertonCharade by #SarahELadd and narrated nicely by #JudeMason.

Release date is today, 9/3/24, so look for it on shelves now!

And, just an FYI…As I came here to write my review, I see that this is part of a series. No worries though, as I did NOT know that and the flow of the story was just fine!

Feel free to like, follow and friend me on: Goodreads,
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Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, and click ‘LIKE’ below!! 📚⭐️

My thanks for the audio ARC goes to NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing | Thomas Nelson Fiction. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Regency Romance, Sweet Romance, Proper Romance
Spice Level: Kissing
Readability: Very accessible

THE CLOVERTON CHARADE is the first book in this series that I've read, and it was completely understandable. What a delightful book! The narrator is Jude Mason, and I enjoyed the variety of voices used.

Because I love antiques, this story was perfect for me. I haven't seen another book quite like it, and I now want to read more of this Yorkshire series.

The interplay between the love interest is so much fun. Definitely an enemies (rivals) to lovers. I liked both of them immensely and was rooting for them the entire time.

Are there twists and surprises?
YES, you can bet your Chinese porcelain there are! I was surprised with who did what, but never fear, you'll know everything by the end. There are elements of a thriller and mystery in this story.

I highly recommend this book for all historical and romance readers. If you have a particular interest in thievery and antiques, this book will put a polish on your bronze pot.

Happy reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishing/Thomas Nelson Fiction along with Sarah E. Ladd for providing me the opportunity to listen and review an early copy of this novel (audiobook narrated by Jude Mason). All of the thoughts and the opinions expressed are my own.

Olivia Brannon was an expert in antiquities, but as a woman in Regency England, her options were limited. She was excited to get the opportunity to appraise the collection of a long time collector who had been a client of her fathers. Lucas Avery was the son of a rival of Olivia’s family. He was called in to appraise a collection of antiquities in Cloverton as well. In the process,he discovered that there were counterfeits in the collection. He lets Olivia know what is going on and they begin to work together to try to figure out what was going on.

I found this book to be a great, clean Regency romance. I am currently really enjoying reading books set in this time period and I found this story to be great. It was clean, but not cheesy. The mystery aspect was wonderful and the romance was just enough. The narrator did a great job. The audiobook kept my attention.

I would recommend this book to those looking for a fun and clean Regency romance. It was not overly faith filled but definitely reflected Christian values.