Blog Tour Stop : The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy by Julia Quinn

Summary (from Goodreads)
 
Title : The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy (Smythe-Smith Quartet #4)
Author : Julia Quinn
Publication Date : January 27th 2015
Publisher : Avon
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Sir Richard Kenworthy has less than a month to find a bride. He knows he can't be too picky, but when he sees Iris Smythe-Smith hiding behind her cello at her family's infamous musicale, he thinks he might have struck gold. She's the type of girl you don't notice until the second—or third—look, but there's something about her, something simmering under the surface, and he knows she's the one.

Iris Smythe–Smith is used to being underestimated. With her pale hair and quiet, sly wit she tends to blend into the background, and she likes it that way. So when Richard Kenworthy demands an introduction, she is suspicious. He flirts, he charms, he gives every impression of a man falling in love, but she can't quite believe it's all true. When his proposal of marriage turns into a compromising position that forces the issue, she can't help thinking that he's hiding something . . . even as her heart tells her to say yes.

Personal Thoughts 

I'm secretly a huge lover of historical romance. Julia Quinn is an author who has repeatedly been recommended to me. When the opportunity came to read and review The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy, I jumped at it because the book sounded absolutely wonderful and I wanted to finally try out the author's books for myself. With this book, Julia Quinn wrote an adorable and simultaneously, heartbreaking story that I very much cherished.

Iris, the protagonist of this novel, was so endearing. I loved her from the very start and my love for her only amplified throughout the book. She was the kind of girl who thought about herself before anyone else. I loved how calm and sensible she remained throughout the whole book. Many times, my heart would ache for the situation she was in, but Iris was a brave girl who did not break down frequently. Iris' best characteristics definitely has to be her resilience and the intelligence she showed in the face of difficult situations. If it were anyone else in her place, especially considering the era the book is set in, they would be whimpering mess. She was undoubtedly the highlight of The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy! Richard was also a character that I immediately loved, but I'll admit that there were moments when I was ready to smack him on the head to steer him in the right direction. He has a big heart and his intentions were in the right place, but Richard over-thought situations a lot. I liked that Richard wasn't your typical Historical Romance hero, in that he wasn't rakish. He was a sweetheart who had his stupid moments. All in all, while I liked Iris more, I also appreciated Richard's character.

The romance in The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy was heartfelt, slow and beautifully written. Both Richard and Iris were in a difficult place, mostly because of Richard, but it was crystal clear that the two of them had genuine feelings and respect for each other. When the big secret was finally revealed, I was angry at Richard for using Iris as he did, but at the same time, you could tell that he was guilt-ridden over his decision and it was seriously very hard to remain mad at him for too long. I do wish that Iris hadn't forgiven him so easily because I wanted to see Richard grovel for her forgiveness and love again, but part of me also loved it that Iris had such a big heart and understood why he did what he did. It left out the unnecessary angst that Julia Quinn could have stretched and stretched. Her writing was also very lovely and I had a great time reading this book. Soon after I finished, The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy, I picked up some other books by her that I'm looking forward to reading.

The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy was a sweet historical romance that I highly recommend to readers looking for a quick, romantic and heartfelt book!

Rating 

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5

Author Biography

JULIA QUINN started writing her first book one month after finishing college and has been tapping away at her keyboard ever since. The New York Times bestselling author of twenty-four novels for Avon Books, she is a graduate of Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges and is one of only fifteen authors ever to be inducted in the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family.

Author Links:  Website | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway

(A Print Bundle of the Smythe-Smith Quartet, including A NIGHT LIKE THIS, JUST LIKE HEAVEN and THE SUM OF ALL KISSES)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to check out the other tour stops here.

Thank you to Tasty Book Tours for letting me part of this tour and to Edelweiss and Avon Books for the e-ARC of The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy.