So True A Love by Joanna Barker was a delightful surprise - I didn't expect a Proper Romance to be filled with intrigue and page-turning action. This is a must-read for fans of the PBS Masterpiece series Miss Scarlet and the Duke.
Set in 1803 London, Verity Travers is a young woman ahead of her time. Rather than seeking a husband, her goals are personal autonomy and financial independence, and she's worked as a private investigator to accomplish them. The victim of a robbery after an evening at the theatre, she finds herself at Bow Street where she meets Nathaniel Denning, a handsome new officer. They have an instant connection, and when they work together to solve a mystery regarding Verity's best friend, the attraction grows quickly and deeply.
The writing is well crafted and the pacing is strong; lots of action is packed into this 250-page story. At times in Verity's storyline, I felt I was reading book 2 in a series without the benefit of book1, but ultimately the full backstory is shared. I now realize A Heart Worth Stealing, the author's first novel with a suspenseful plot, is a companion to So True A Love, so I definitely want to read it.
Thank you to Shadow Mountain Publishing for the complimentary copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.
Set in 1803 London, Verity Travers is a young woman ahead of her time. Rather than seeking a husband, her goals are personal autonomy and financial independence, and she's worked as a private investigator to accomplish them. The victim of a robbery after an evening at the theatre, she finds herself at Bow Street where she meets Nathaniel Denning, a handsome new officer. They have an instant connection, and when they work together to solve a mystery regarding Verity's best friend, the attraction grows quickly and deeply.
The writing is well crafted and the pacing is strong; lots of action is packed into this 250-page story. At times in Verity's storyline, I felt I was reading book 2 in a series without the benefit of book1, but ultimately the full backstory is shared. I now realize A Heart Worth Stealing, the author's first novel with a suspenseful plot, is a companion to So True A Love, so I definitely want to read it.
Thank you to Shadow Mountain Publishing for the complimentary copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.
