Secrets and Suitors

By: Joanna Barker

Narrated by: Luone Ingram

Reluctantly returning to London for yet another Season, shy Nora Hamilton has nearly given up hope that she will ever find the love match she longs for. After all, the one man she does harbor feelings for - her closest friend, James - has made it perfectly clear he views her as just that: a friend. With James traveling half a world away and Nora’s father pressuring her to marry for wealth and status, Nora is forced to set aside her desire for love and accept the future she has always dreaded. Until James returns unexpectedly and Nora’s feelings once again rush unbearably close to the surface.

Determined to save what is left of their friendship, Nora ignores her own heart and allows herself to be swept up in the London Season, soon finding herself the object of two very different gentlemen’s affections. Though she should be thrilled, both men come with a glaring fault: neither is the one man who holds her heart. But there is much more at stake than heartbreak. When long-kept secrets are laid bare, Nora must face the fears that have plagued her all her life and decide what true love is worth.

©2019 Covenant Communications, Inc. (P)2019 Covenant Communications, Inc.

DELIGHTFUL STORY WITH GREAT NARRATION

A clean romance with wonderful characters. This is really Nora's love story as she must search her heart and aoul if she is to honor her father's demands of her. Filled with heartbreak, fear of losing her family, and shock at learning a family secret, Nora will do most anything to
change her father's mind to avoid the gentleman he insists she marry. As such her schemes to find a suitable solution turns things a bit topsy-turvy.
Delightful story with great narration.

Thoroughly enjoyable!

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the long-standing friendship between Nora and James and, in spite of the various other potential suitors, it was obvious that no one could ever compare to James. He was a delight. I also really enjoyed that Nora found a close friendship in the midst of the story and I wonder if we will hear more of her in future books. The audible narration was also great.

Nora’s character

I enjoyed the details of the story that described Nora’s thoughts, her hopes, dreams, and dedication to family! I also at times didn’t like all the doubts that she held for herself and I’m so glad she became sure of herself in the end!

Great book, could have used a younger narrator

This book was well written and a fun story. Unfortunately, it missed the mark with the narrator. I’m happy, however, the narrator finally used a British accent as there have been quite a few regency books I have passed up in the Covenant catalogue because it was read with an American accent by this same voice actor. Covenant - please get narrators that fit the character’s age and sound! You have lost money from this listener.

My favorite buy this author

This was a clean Regency romance. I always love the friendship becomes romance stories. I would’ve enjoyed this more. Had it been narrated by someone who could truly do a British accent. Glad that it was at least attempted. Regencies should not be red with an American accent for sure. It takes away from the story. This was a very enjoyable and interesting read and will be reading this again. My favorite buy this author

Worth the Listen!

I loved the story, however it took a little while to get used to the narrator. The accent she used sometimes made me wonder if I was listening to a book set in the antebellum south instead of England.

Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

The story was predictable

I love Regency romance. I understand as an African-American person that a lot of that “high society“ was fueled by the enslavement of people who looked like me. Slavery is one thing, the chattel slavery that happened in the Americas was a completely different animal. However, the most brutal slavery was in the islands, particularly Jamaica, where the enslaved people would not live more than 3 to 5 years because of the harsh conditions and the particular brutality in the islands, most did not live long enough to even reproduce themselves. I could not love the hero of this book, knowing that he was an enslaver. I know some books that touch on the subject put out and apology or write it into the book that somehow they were hiring instead of enslaving. There is no such statement in this book. It leads me to believe that the person who wrote it is proud of that heritage. Unapologetically so. I will probably never buy another book from her.

Moved slow

I do like that Joanna Barker's books are clean but not religious, and I have liked many of her other books. Unfortunately, this book moved painfully slow for me and I just could not get used to the mousy female character. Ok, I understand it was different back in the 1800's but this woman was so introverted it was hard to relate to her.

Awful!

This was a terrible story. S
tupid characters, predictable long drawn out plot, and horrible narrator