The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy

De: Julia Quinn

Narrado por: Rosalyn Landor

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.

©2015 Julie Cotler Pottinger (P)2015 HarperCollins Publishers

Sometimes HEA is at the end of a rough road

Setting : London 1825
Genre: Romance
Poor Iris. Of all the Smythe-Smith group, she had the roughest time getting to her happily ever after. First of all, she would forever associate meeting Sir Richard with the cacophony otherwise known as the annual Smythe-Smith musicale. He is in attendance for the express purpose of getting an introduction to her. He is in need of a wife in very short order, and he has heard that she is in desperate circumstances, as she is getting close to being on the shelf. She will accept his proposal of marriage with alacrity. Won't she? We're talking about the plainest of the quartet, and the one with the abrasive personality. Plus, there's not much of a dowry. But we're also talking about the girl with the ascerbic wit, who prefers to stand in the corner watching, observing the failures and successes of others. Hard to fool this lady. So after a week long courtship, when he asks for her hand and she asks for time, he compromises her. After the marriage, he takes her to his far-away estate and proceeds to confuse and hurt her, though he is kind and solicitous. Sir Richard has a secret he can't share with Iris just yet, because for a little while he want her think we'll of him. And he is sure that the revelation will make her hate him. There are points in the plot that bothered me, but since the lack of communication was central, I just had to get over that "why doesn't she" or "can't he" outlook. It never got to where the plot point made me think either character was TSTL.
The characters in this story are well rounded. Although both are likeable, they also have flaws. I will admit to never liking Iris through the other books in the quartet. That abrasive, acerbic personality was just not lovable. Quinn had a rough row to hoe to make this lady an appropriate heroine as far as I was concerned. Of course, the curiosity of how she would do this pushed me to want to listen. It turned out to be a nice story worth the time I spent with it.
Rosalyn Landor is one of my favorite narrators for this genre, though she does make me think of Lisa Kleypas. I had to remind myself a few times that I was listening to Julia Quinn. I guess it's because it seems that she has narrated every LK historical romance I have. Regardless of that, I enjoyed her performance of this book.
Overall, this is very worth the credit, with no qualifiers.

liked this one but....

this book was a bit slow getting started. once you got started it was great. most of Julia Quinn books you can't put down from the first page. over all- happy with the book, just a slow start.

Not what I expected

The reviews I’ve seen on this book did not inspire me to read it, however, I wanted to complete the series. I found this to be very funny. It’s a really good story and coming from a similar culture I understand why he did what he did. I have so much respect for Iris. She is a strong woman.

So Sad…..

The quartet is over. My second time thru and I enjoyed it so much. I’ve been listening to a lot of this era the last few years but keep coming back to Ms. Quinn’s books. Have to say that that Ms. Landor’s narration is especially fine as well. Thank you for an enjoyable week!

Loved it!

I love being able to follow these characters through the series. I couldn’t stop listening until I found out the secret! And of course the rest of the story didn’t disappoint!

Happy ending romance.

love the story twisted and turned. Readers The best narrator helps readers visualize and feels like being a part of the story.

Love love this book

Wonderful read,I could listen to this book over and over again! Love love the narrator, Rosalyn Landor! Julia please continue to have her narrate your books!!

Another Julia Quinn masterpiece!

Absolutely loved the mystery in this one! Kept you guessing throughout the adorable, history rich novel! Roslyn Landor, your are also the most talented narrator I have yet to discover!

Iris and the readers deserve more.

I like Iris a lot, and I am a fan of flawed protagonists. I know we've seen plenty of flawed men and women in Quinn's novels, and of the dozen or so books I've read, there are only two I can think of that I found completely unlikable, and one of them is Richard.

I think part of the problem is that I as the reader felt duped. Iris had time to come to terms with what happened and remember why she loved him. I had 2 or 3 hours to do the same, and it wasn't enough time.

Maybe if I read the book a second time in order to have more context for what's happening, I would feel differently. However, with so many other wonderful male leads in Quinn's romantic universe, I'd much prefer to reread a different book or try a new one.

The narrator was lovely, as always, though.

In another universe where I didn't care about feeling closure for the happily ever after, I would say this is a well written book filled with drama, a flawed male protagonist, a likeable but also flawed female protagonist, and interesting side characters. As someone wanting a swoonworthy HEA, which is what I think most Quinn fans are after, this just did not do it for me.

(More context on why I am unhappy with Richard's portrayal below. I didn't reveal the big secret, but I definitely consider the rest of this review to be one filled with spoilers.)

CAUTION: SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

We spent the "honeymoon" feeling awful for sweet Iris as she agonized over why her husband didn't seem interested in her. When they finally did get physical, we hear Richard's inward turmoil about not being able to satisfy himself because "it wouldn't be right." The whole time we are hearing this dialogue, I am convinced that he doesn't want to push her beyond her limits before he tells her the truth about whatever this mysterious secret involving his sisters is.

So, I was anxiously awaiting the secret, thinking Iris would be mad for a little bit, but that she ultimately would be happy with her decision. I was imagining that he needed to get married soon so he'd be able to pay a dowry for one or both of his sisters or that one of them got into a terrible accident and would need life long care which included a mother figure.

When the real secret is finally revealed, and I learned all those "wouldn't be right" sentences that he thought over and over and over did not have to do with respect for Iris's bodily autonomy and was instead a requirement to ensure his plan for his sister's actual secret remained a secret from everyone in the vicinity forever... Wow. I lost all the respect I had for him.

I get needing to take care of his sister and not realizing there was a better plan. I get that he's afraid to tell Iris the truth because he doesn't want her to hate him. I really do.

However, when I have spent the entire book thinking he was attempting to care properly for his wife (other than the big secret) and then find out that although he did love her, ultimately most of his actions that I thought were for Iris were still for his sister, I was absolutely appalled. It had me questioning his motives for basically all of his actions at that point.

I think Richard's likeability would be dramatically improved if the reader knew much earlier on what his sister's secret was. I don't necessarily think Iris would need to know sooner (although she obviously deserves to!). A book without conflict isn't very interesting, after all. However, I think if the readers were let in on the secret earlier so we could get more of Richard's thought processes, his other actions that were "for" Iris would probably feel a lot more reliable, and it would be easier to understand process hus betrayal and make the 2 or 3 hours of the book after Iris founds out ones where we can root for them as a couple. Instead, I was with Iris questioning every single interaction of their marriage, and I am pretty sure that a re-read is the only way I will get those answers. But to be honest, I didn't enjoy Richard's personality enough to desire a re-read. So, barring a worse malr protagonist in a book I have not yet read, Richard will just forever remain my least favorite protagonist in the Quinn universe.

My favorite Smythe-Smith!

I really loved this book and I’m sad it’s the end of the series. This was a great series. I loved how out with it Iris could be and catch Richard off his guard. My only question for the whole book was… did the aunt know the secret too? And what was her opinion of Richard’s plan? I was on the edge of my seat the whole time waiting for it to spill out.