Cover Image: Lord of Secrets

Lord of Secrets

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Member Reviews

I've been waiting for Heath's story since the beginning of the series. The more I got to know him through the other books the more I liked him. In my opinion, he needed not just anyone but someone special. Someone made just for him. I liked Heath so much that I was worried I wouldn't like the lady picked for him by the author. No worries, though. Erica Ridley never disappoints. She created the perfect match for Heath!

Right off the bat, I liked Nora. She was so genuine and real. I loved the interaction between her and Heath during their first meeting. There was such chemistry between the two that I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. I liked the progression of their relationship from strangers to acquaintances to friends.

I enjoyed the other characters in the book as well. Lady Roundtree, Nora's cousin, is a delight and I would love to read more about her. She is quite the character. However, and no offense to the human characters in the book, my favorite character has to be Captain Pugboat. This puppy had me in stitches with his antics. I just couldn't get enough of him!!!!

As always the author's writing style is fantastic and she whisked me away to another world with characters I enjoyed, a story that was perfect, and descriptions that made me feel as if I were there. While this is book five in the series there is no need to read the others before reading this one. It totally stands on its own. However, I do recommend reading the previous books because they are just as wonderful as this one.

If you love historical romance you MUST add this to your tbr list. It is a wonderful story that makes you feel good while reading it. It's also a book that you will probably want to read again and again.

I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions are mine.
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The story is well written and an enjoyable read.  Nora, a paid companion, and Heath, a future baron, come together and a connection is formed.  Heath feels obligated to marry to uphold the title he will someday inherit but feels conflicted for the feelings he has for Nora.  As they work thru all the difficulties that arise, they fo have a HEA.  There is a lot more to the book and I would recommend it for a good read.  I received a copy of this book thru Netgalley.
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It is always my pleasure to be given an ARC to read and review.  It is also my pleasure to be able to respond to my commitment to give a fair and honest review with a positive review.  I make no bones about the fact that Erica Ridley is one of my go to authors.  There is a very good reason for that.  This is another of her "lords" series and they follow from one to the other without losing any of her great characters and stories.  They will keep you engaged.
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I have always loved Erica's work ... she writes, sweet , simple, sizzling Regency Romance ... " Lord Of Secrets " is the 5th book in Rogues to Riches series & can be read as a standalone, i ve read the previous 4 books in this series & am happy to say was not disappointed...

This books presents us with Heath Grenville & Miss Eleanora Winfield's story ...Nora Winfieldia a farmer’s granddaughter, serving as a temporary paid companion to Lady Roundtree & Heath Grenville is heir to a Baronetcy, and the keeper of secrets of the ton & is a renowned problem solver hence his name is tagged as " LOrd of Secrets "...

when an anonymous caricaturist targets his sister and makes her a laughing stock, he vows to find the man and ruin him.Unknown to Heath, Nora is the caricaturist that he despises and is determined to ruin. Nora needs the money to keep food on the table & save the family farm.

Though Nora and Heath come from very different social spheres, there circumstances differ vastly they get attracted to each other ...A delicious romance from beginning to end..Erica Ridley’s ability to make a story captivating , interesting is a outstanding talent ... 

The story,script is well developed , writing is simple , characters well placed , wonderful presentation...liked the book ...
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This was my favorite book of the series to date.  I personally would like a bit more romance/graphically romantic scenes between the hero/heroine, but the novel was still enjoyable.  Ms. Ridley's female protagonists are always original.
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Lord of Secrets (Rogues to Riches, #5) by Erica Ridley is one of my favorite historical romance reads this year. It's sweet and romantic with a unique plot. I love how the author incorporates other characters from this series which coincides with the timeline. This book can be read as a stand alone which is perfect if you're looking for a great summer read to make your heart smile. As the "Keeper of Secrets," Heath Grenville is as honorable as they come and wants only to do the right thing by everybody. Nora Winfield knows her shortcomings and exhibits great character growth as she struggles unapologetically to stay true to her family and her self-worth. If you like the Dukes of War Series by this author, you will enjoy this series too.
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This latest addition to the Rogues to Riches series was so full of angst I honestly couldn't see potential for a positive end, but Erica Ridley proved me wrong.  Eventually family and love overcame hand-wringing and doubts.  I really am looking forward to the next in the series.
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~~Reviewed by AnnMarie~~

Lord of Secrets is the fifth book in the Rogues to Riches series by Erica Ridley. Although it can be read as a standalone story, my enjoyment of it was much enhanced from having read the other books in the series.

Miss Eleanora Winfield is a poor relation in London as a paid companion for her cousin, Lady Roundtree, who is recovering from an injured leg. Her ailing grandparents and her brother are left to struggle on the farm in the country. Nora hopes her wages will help to restore the farm and it’s profits to a point where they can afford to hire help and give her grandparents the much-deserved rest that they need. As a paid companion, Nora attends all the social events with her cousin. At one such event, she meets Heath Grenville.

Heath Grenville, heir to a baronetcy is renown for being a problem solver. If you are under the threat of scandal Heath is the man to ask for help. He will know your secrets, but he will never tell them, hence him being the Lord of Secrets. His family mean the world to him, and when an anonymous caricaturist targets his sister and makes her a laughing stock, he vows to find the man and ruin him.

When Heath and Nora meet there is an immediate attraction between them. Nora knows that he shouldn’t be paying her any attention, and has to admit to him that she is a paid companion, not an equal. That means, of course, that they shouldn’t mix, and definitely shouldn’t dance which is what he had asked her to do when they first meet.

These two are so obviously perfect for each other but there is more than just class distinctions to come between them. Unknown to Heath, Nora is the caricaturist that he despises and is determined to ruin. He can’t see that the cartoons don’t tell any secrets, that they are old news, not new gossip. He doesn’t know that her family’s lives depend on the money she makes from the cartoons. Can there be the slightest possibility of a relationship developing between them, or are the odds stacked against them?

This story captivated me from the very first pages. I loved watching a possible romance bud between Heath and Nora but couldn’t read quickly enough to see what would happen when Nora’s secret was discovered by him. I really enjoyed their non-courtship courtship!! I love the characters in this book and indeed the whole series. There is even an adorable pug puppy in a pivotal position in this story that you couldn’t help but want to reach into the pages to give a cuddle. Even the villains are perfect in as much as that you can’t help but despise them. This book definitely has the perfect mix of light and shade, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
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I really enjoyed this book by Erica Ridley.  Heath was set to inherit a Baronetcy and Nora was a distant cousin of Lady Roundtree.  Nora's family was struggling on a sheep farm and the offer from Lady Roundtree for Nora to become her companion while she was recovering from a broken foot was an opportunity that Nora could not refuse.  The money would help her family which was her elderly and sick grandparents and her younger brother.  As a companion she was often seen as a servant and therefore able to see and hear much gossip without anyone taking note that she was even in the room.  The story of how Heath and Nora come together is sweet and not without pitfalls.  I loved all the characters in this book.  His sisters, even the gossips of the Ton when Nora had to interface with them was fun.  I liked the way Erica worked out the problems of Nora's unacceptable background and how Nora found her voice when needed.  And Captain Pugboat is a hoot.
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I was so glad to be asked to read and review Erica's book! I have most of her's. Nora Winfield is a companion for Lady Roundtree. She has broken a leg and needs help. This story is about the TON and titles. Heath runs into Lady Roundtree and Nora. He is trying to go from his Mother and his father doesn't' come out of his study. Heath  sees Nora too! Nora has a way to draw and send to the Press. This will have a problem later on. Nora is given a Pug puppy for her to teach for Lady Roundtree. That is a way to see Heath. Heath does not like the works on the papers. There is a very meandering at the end. I had to walk away to get a lot of tissues! I would recommend this book! There are two thoughts here! I can't wait for the next book! You won't regret from reading this book!
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I received a copy from NetGalley; this is my honest review. #RoguesToRiches #NetGalley
-I absolutely loved the energy between Heath and Eleanora; how they came to care for each other, the friendship and how they overcame the hurt and anger. No drama and that was perfect.
-I also loved how Lady Roundtree treated Nora, first as Winfield, then Miss Windfield, then as her cousin. The pug became the companion - that was funny in itself.
-I think all the nicknames fit so well the personality or the character of that person. In this case, Lord of Secrets could also be Lady of secrets because Nora has some too!
-It was sweet, it was so well detailed, and it was a fun read.
-The lovemaking was a bit too fast for my taste (after their second kiss) but that's just my personal opinion.
-I've read all previous books in the series so I knew what was coming and I was still confused by the timeline. At the beginning the sisters have no beau but at the end one is married and the other one has an intended. Shouldn't there be a note or something about at least the wedding?
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I fell in love with Heath and Nora while reading this book. It’s an amazing story.  I would have to say it is one of my favorites in this series.
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This is the fifth book in the series about the Grenville siblings (and friends). The three sisters of the family are unconventional at best, and their brother Heath, in efforts to keep the family name respectable, has somehow managed to become the premier secret-keeper and investigator for Ton insider gossip.

When a new caricaturist with access to the highest of inner circles sets the upper class aflutter, Heath is determined to unmask the owner of the wickedly cruel pen. It’s inconceivable that Nora, quiet companion to Lady Roundtree, could be the artist. She’s too kind to poke fun… isn’t she?

Of course, what Heath doesn’t know is that Nora needs the money. Five pounds per caricature is far too much to pass up for a girl whose brother and grandparents are struggling to keep food on the table at the family farm. Except, when she realizes she’s falling in love with Heath, sworn to hunt down and unmask her own secret identity, massive inner conflicts overwhelm her.

I’m sure you can guess that Heath manages to find out the truth and there’s a huge confrontation. Which was absolutely my favourite part of the book, because Nora is not even remotely the kind of girl who is going to take reproach lying down. She gets right back up in Heath’s face and turns the argument back on him; why is he so angry about the caricatures? How dare the poor see how their betters behave, and laugh at them? It was the most wonderful piece of social commentary as Nora made Heath take a good hard look at himself, and discover he’s no better than some of the most idle and useless aristocrats he professes distaste for.

As part of a series, this does have an interwoven timeline with some of the others, but it can be read reasonably comfortably as a standalone. I’m giving it five stars, for two lead characters I liked immensely and one of the best set-down scenes I’ve read in a Regency-era romance since Jane Austen’s legendary Hunsford proposal.
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I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and the publishers for a honest review.
I read this book in one sitting as I am a fan of Erica Ridley and have read newly all the books in Rogues to Riches series.. A I was totally delighted in Eleanora and Heath story. Heath was an great 'Fixer" and a very smart man and Eleanora was just a perfect leading lady who was trying to do the best for her family. The interaction between the pair was just great and made me smile. I will be looking forward to the next book in this great and very interesting series. I  recommend this book with 5 stars.
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Heath Grenville is a man who is heir to a Barony. Until he inherits the title, he spends time trying to help the ton by stopping gossip and keeping their secrets. When someone starts drawing unflattering caricatures of the upper class and they are being printed, he must uncover the name of this scoundrel. After promising his mother that he would be married this year, he meets a very interesting woman. He finds out she is a paid companion and of course he cannot marry her, but he is very drawn to her. Nora is a country girl and a talented artist .  She wishes for just one dance with this man who holds so many secrets . Can they overcome the difference in upbringing and will he ever uncover the one sending these drawings to the paper.  I loved this book because it wasn't about only marrying into the same set but loving  someone who you believe is beneath  you.  One more great book in the Rogues to Riches series.  I received this book from Net Galley for an honest review and no compensation otherwise.
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This book is part of a series. Heath Grenville is the fixer for all of his friends who are in need. He meets Nora Winfield who is from the country and a temporary companion to Lady Roundtree, her cousin. Nora loves to draw but some how her drawings have become the talk of the Ton. Heath is falling in love but can they be together when she is below his class. He does not worry for himself but for his family. Can a Lord find true love at a time when the nobility does not marry for love? Read this interesting story to find out.
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I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley - thank you! All opinions are my own.

Lord of Secrets is part of the Rogues to Riches series - which I haven't read, in my opinion it can be read as a stand-alone. Our hero and heroine meet at a ball, but not as equals in the eyes of the society: Heath Grenville is a guest at said ball, Nora Winfield a paid companion to a lady. The whole "beneath his/her station" is a theme I quite enjoy in HR, so I immediately got intrigued. Nora is a farmer's daughter (and a distant cousin to the lady she is serving as a companion) - but she also is quite a talented artist of infamous caricatures. Heath is supposed to find and uncover the artist behind these caricatures, not knowing that he already met and found her enchanting....I really enjoyed this plot, both hero and heroine are endearing and very likeable.
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This is a riveting, romantic and amusing story. Heath is kind, generous, sweet and disciplined. Nora is sweet, determined, artistic and snarky. They met when she literally bumps into him, and as soon as her eyes met his, she was a goner. He is fascinated by her, even when he finds out that she's just a companion, not someone he can marry, yet he can't stop thinking about her. Gradually they become friends and learn that they have a lot in common. Heath knows that he can't marry her, there is enough drama involving the people in his family and he won't add to it. Heath is everything that Nora wants in a husband, but she knows that she's not the kind of woman he needs to marry, and she has a secret. The suspense in the storyline, the warmth of the characters and the love they share makes this a must read book.  I loved it and couldn't put it down.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntary opinion of it.
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I really enjoyed this book. Very engaging characters. Very good pace. Very good writing. I'm not surprised because Erica Ridley is a Gem in this genre.
Copy provided in return for an honest review that's my own.
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This is a true HEA story, about an heir to a Barony and she is a common country farm girl, but when love comes to town nothing will stop it. I would have liked to see a little more interaction between the two main characters but once the story progressed it had me turning the page and finding it hard to put down. I also loved the secondary characters in the book whom we have meet before. I find it hard not to enjoy Ms Ridleys books and very much look forward to the next as I am sure there will be some sparks flying.  This can be read as a standalone book and has a small sex scene which this reviewer skipped as usual and it in now way impacted my enjoyment of the book.  Once you have read one of Ms Ridleys books I am sure you will be back for more. I received this as an ARC and did this review because I enjoy reading her books although this wasn’t my favourite, don’t let it stop you from trying this and others.
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