The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy (Smythe-Smith Quartet Book 4)

Much more scandal than usual. Less steamy, but still some. I rather enjoyed reading this novel, I recommend this book.

Sir Richard Kenworthy needs to find a wife, and he needs to do it in less than a month. Though he hopes to find someone he can have a decent life with, Richard knows he can’t be too picky. Then he spots Iris Smythe-Smith trying to hide behind her cello at her family’s musicale and he knows he’s found the perfect woman to suit his plans. Now if only he can get her to marry him quickly without asking too many questions…Iris Smythe-Smith is no fool. She knows Richard is hiding something, but for once she has met a man who not only sees her, he seems to actually like and understand her. Still, after a lifetime of being overlooked she doesn’t quite trust his motives. Then Richard forces them into a compromising position, and Iris has no choice but to marry him. Though she doesn’t understand his actions, Iris truly believes she has a chance at happiness with her new husband. Then Richard’s true reason for needing a wife comes to light, threatening to break their fragile bond forever…Julia Quinn knows how to pen stories that are fun, charming, and impossible to put down. The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy isn’t quite Ms. Quinn’s usual fare, but thanks to the author’s talent, the pages of the story do fly by.Iris Smythe-Smith is a gem. She’s a smart, quiet woman with a quick wit who generally blends into the background. You want to see her shine and get the attention such a compelling heroine should get. Simply put, Iris is easy to love. She’s no saint, but that only makes her an even better heroine and it’s impossible not to root for her to get the love she deserves. When Richard first courts her, even though you know it’s because he’s using her, the two of them are so delightful together it’s easy to be swept away by their banter.However, some of the shine soon wears off of The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy, and that’s due to the hero. All the internal flagellation in the world doesn’t make up for the fact that he locks in on Iris from the start in order to use her. The ends may justify the means in his mind, but it won’t in anyone else’s. His secret – the reason for him marrying Iris – seems pretty obvious from the start, and if this plotline hadn’t dragged on for so long, I might have liked Richard a lot more. Ms. Quinn does a good job of showing that he isn’t a bad man, but that doesn’t make him a great hero. And Iris really deserved a great hero. I’m afraid I can’t say more about Richard without spoiling the story, so suffice it to say it would have been nice had there been a bit more to him that I could have latched on to so that his negative qualities (lying and manipulation) weren’t so stark.It’s a testament to Ms. Quinn’s skill as a writer that even though I had issues with Richard I was entertained by The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy. Ms. Quinn makes even the most serious of her books feel light on their feet and I devoured this story in one day. Even though this is the final book in the Smythe-Smith quartet, I do hope that Ms. Quinn returns to the supporting characters one day, because after the all-too-brief appearances of the comical Winston Bevelstoke and the unicorn-obsessed Frances Pleinsworth, I am desperately hoping these two get books of their own.This book was reviewed by Shayna for Joyfully Reviewed (JR), and was provided by the publisher/author at no cost to JR for the purpose of being reviewed.

"He had chosen her for his wife for the most reprehensible of reasons."THE STORY: Sir Richard Kenworthy has come to London to find a bride -- the problem is that he has less than a month to accomplish the deed. He attends the infamous Smythe-Smith musicale believing that it might be fertile grounds to find a wife. Richard spies a woman he wouldn't have looked twice at before -- Iris Smythe-Smith. Iris is intelligent and knows that she is not the kind of woman that men lose their heads over. When Richard begins to seriously court her, Iris cannot help but suspect that Richard's devotion is too good to be true. Iris is right.OPINION: I absolutely loved this book. The format is different than most romance books and some will complain about the lies that Richard tells, but I completely fell victim to the way the book keeps Richard's secrets for so long such that the pain that Richard's deception brings feels real.Iris is such an intelligent, compassionate character. She thinks herself plain, begins to believe that she might be beautiful if Richard sees her as such and then is completely destroyed when she learns of his deception. Quinn always has such great characters and Iris is much more than she appears. By the time the novel is done, the reader has been privileged to see the formidable woman that she is becoming. I especially like the emphasis on the sister relationship in the book and how Iris's own relationships with her sisters gives her the insight in how to deal with Richard's sisters in a forthright manner.Richard is tormented throughout the book. He must marry and knows that he will likely have to compromise a woman to do so in the timeframe he needs to accomplish the deed. His actions are dishonorable and will likely be controversial with readers some of whom will be unable to forgive him for his actions. He is justifiably tormented in this book by what he decides to do and ultimately, he is not a perfect man but one who can be forgiven by Iris.The relationship between Richard and Iris is woven together slowly. This is not a book of love at first sight but rather one where the attraction, caring and love is allowed to develop throughout the time that the characters know one another. By the end of the book, the relationship is solid and satisfying.I do have one small complaint and that is that I wanted more time with these characters in the resolution phase of the book. Once the plot has been resolved, I wished that there could be more time for the happy ending. To me, it ends up feeling a little rushed and I missed the chance for these characters to really be happy together.Despite this, this is one of those books that I wanted to immediately return to portions of to enjoy the language and the beautiful and sometimes painful experiences that Iris and Richard encounter.WORTH MENTIONING: The secrets that Richard is keeping are not revealed for more than half the book. The book is so much better if the reader allows the secrets to be revealed rather than peeking at the end!FINAL DECISION: This is a beautifully written book. The secret is well hidden and once it is revealed, it is also clearly hinted at so that a reader doesn't feel cheated. The secret is significant and devastating to Iris which gives the story depth. I loved almost everything about this book. My one small complaint is that I wish that the resolution was longer. It felt a bit rushed and I didn't get enough time with Iris and Richard having finally resolving their relationship.CONNECTED BOOKS: THE SECRETS OF SIR RICHARD KENWORTHY is the fourth book of the Smythe-Smith Quartet. This book can be read completely independent of the others in the series although there are brief mentions of events and people in the other books.STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

My late wife’s maiden mane was Smith. Both my daughter’s played violin and piano so I enjoyed every Smythe-Smith musicale. Quite a good summer time yarn this Secrets of Sir Richard book. I do wish Julia Quinn could enjoy an English season outside of London and appreciate the civilisation of Northern England, my eldest daughter resides in Yorkshire!!! But I will keep reading JQ’s books as overall they are a good read BUT might be even better….

I have read a lot of reviews here, on Amazon.com and Goodreads because I felt so torn about this book. I will always read Julia Quinn, and so I preordered this book and then waited to enjoy reading it after I had ploughed through a few other books. I was disappointed, but not to the extent that I stopped reading! I really thought this was going to be a type of Gothic romance but unfortunately it meandered and my overall feeling was that it felt rushed. Julia Quinn handled a hero's determination not to allow his his wife to get pregnant in the first Bridgerton story, 'The Duke and I', which was handled, I thought, in a much more grown-up and believable way. In 'Secrets' the hero has his reasons for not allowing his wife to get pregnant but handles it like a randy adolescent! The arrival of the sisters almost had me convinced that my first [tasteless!] guess was correct but then we endured some entirely unbelievable interraction between the hero, his two sisters and the heroine.How an author chooses to present her characters is entirely her business, but I can moan about the storyline! Sir Richard was so determined to avoid any whiff of scandal for his family but takes his bride to his home and estate - and not one neighbour called to meet the new Lady Kenworthy? Very, very unlikely in that period of time and would have made the story tighter, while they needed to hide the 'evidence'. Despite Richard's obvious self-flaggelation about his ealier actions towards his sisters when he inherited his title, I never got any feeling of what the family was like - and given all the old retainers, I would have thought Iris would have discovered something more pertinent about her husband and his family. I suppose there simply wasn't a big enough cast of relevant characters for me, particularly since this is part of the Smythe-Smith saga, where relationships on a grander scale are so prevalent.Julia Quinn is always worth reading, but as with many historical romance authors' more recent offerings, I am finding stories rushed, characters not fleshed out enough, and the endings trite. However, I can't say that of Iris' character, because I was rooting for her from the beginning and admired how the author brought her out of herself to effectively direct the outcome of the plot. I don't know if too much pressure is being brought from publishers, but I think I'll start rereading some of the really excellent series, such as the Bridgertons and wait until some better new stories come along!

Sir Richard Kenworthy is in desperate need of a wife; indeed he has but two weeks to find one, surely an impossible feat. Enter Iris Smythe-Smith and suddenly it seems fate may just be on his side; she ticks every box on his list and as such he wastes no time in courting her. Iris has always considered herself something of a wallflower, not that she minds, indeed she's always been entertained and happy enough observing those in the limelight; as such when Sir Richard Kenworthy won't stop staring at her at one of the infamous Smythe-Smith musicales she can but wonder why. Furthermore, when he starts wooing her fervently, she can but be suspicious as to his having an ulterior motive; still that doesn't stop her from rather liking him. However, when his proposal of marriage turns into a compromising situation and she finds herself with no choice but to marry him, she is certain he must be hiding something from her; the question is what and how will it affect the fact that she has fallen in love with him?This is the fourth and final installment in the Smythe-Smith quartet, though you don't necessarily have to have read the previous books in order to follow the story. For those that have, however, there are plenty of returning characters; with special mention to the Pleinsworth family, who provide an evening of the greatest entertainment!This is actually my favourite Julia Quinn novel for some time; the story filled with her trademark humour, warm and witty characters, a dash of intrigue and lots of romance. I loved both Iris and Richard, and the relationship that slowly developed between them. Iris, I think is one of Quinn's most sensible heroines, not one for histrionics, even when she might well be entitled to such; and I found her utterly delightful with her quiet charm and sly observations. Furthermore accustomed as she is to being over-looked, it was lovely to watch her confidence grow under Richard's admiration; though at the same time I felt for her acutely when she simply didn't know what to make of his hot and cold behaviour.Richard himself, could have been quite easy to dislike, with his rather unorthodox reasons for marriage and in a way entrapment of Iris into such; hence it is a credit to Quinn's characterization of him that I couldn't help but love him despite of everything, much like Iris herself. For the reader it is plain to see that whatever his motivations in initially choosing Iris, he does genuinely fall in love with her; and that he does despise himself for what he is having to do.Quinn does not reveal Richard's secret till the final quarter of the book, rather teasing at it throughout; though I have to say that I did guess what might be going on relatively early in the story. Personally I liked the pacing of the story, as it allowed most of the emphasis to be on Richard and Iris' blossoming relationship; the reveal of the secret well timed to add some drama, and to watch Iris' reaction, with just enough time to reach a resolution too. Had Quinn played her card earlier, I think it might have detracted from the main relationship; and I personally felt that Richard's sisters were better tolerated in a small dose, and could have got very annoying had they been introduced earlier. The secret itself I thought was an interesting dilemma; and I could appreciate why Richard felt compelled to act as he did, though perhaps he should have ensured that he had gleaned all the facts straight before doing so.All in all a charming, witty and romantic read, which had me flying through the pages and totally absorbed in Quinn's regency world. A perfect guilty pleasure for a rainy day.

I cannot believe how long it's been since I've thoroughly enjoyed a historical romance! I can't even remember the last time I read one. I have surely surpassed these romances, although I sometimes reminisce about the wonderful times I spent reading them - Julia Quinn, Lisa Kleypas, Julie Garwood being just a few of my favorite authors - but I just can't seem to be able to immerse myself in the storyline or the characters anymore. The Smythe-Smith series has not been one of my favorites by Julia Quinn, nothing beats the Bridgertons in my opinion, however this installment is certainly my favorite of the series. I loved the interactions between Iris and Sir Richard, despite the fact that we know from the get go that he has this big secret he's hiding and we know exactly what he's up to when he begins courting Iris.Iris, used to being ignored and invisible, is taken aback by the sudden interest and attention this gentleman is giving her. Iris is no fool, she understands that there's something he's not telling her, but she also enjoys his company and appreciates his wit and charm. Richard also finds himself pleasantly surprised by this wonderfully charming lady. He is smitten by her quick responses and sense of humor, and finds he is enjoying her company way more than expected.However, this does not change the fact that he needs to be married before the month is over, and so finds himself in conflict with himself about how to go about doing it. His plan is to compromise Iris, in order to push things forward, however having got to know her, he can't bring himself to do that. He attempts proposing like a gentleman, but Iris asks for more time to get to know him and think about it - something he does not have - so back to Plan A.Hence, Iris finds herself being escorted across the country to his home to start a new life and meet his family - comprising of two sisters and an aunt. Richard is wary the whole time they are together, and Iris is starting to get more suspicious but also hurt. She thinks he is not attracted to her, and is torn by the feelings she has for him.Upon reaching his home, his sisters are nowhere to be found - they have decided to give them some alone time, a "honeymoon", while they stayed at their aunt's for a couple of weeks. In this time, Richard decides he will make Iris fall in love with him, so when she knows his terrible secret, it wouldn't be as bad.Or would it?I was honestly shocked by the secret. I kind of saw it coming, but I didn't quite understand what he had in mind to do. When he explained it to Iris, I wanted to slap him. I could not believe he was serious. It also seemed a little...out there. I expected something much worse, but was sort of put down when it turned out to be what it was, and his solution for it is simply bizarre.That being said, I loved Iris and Richard together. I loved what they had, their interactions, their chemistry, their conversations. It's been a while since I've felt this way about two characters in a romance. It may not be Quinn's best, it may not even be in her top 10, but I guess I was simply in the right mood to read this book. And sometimes, that's all you need to really enjoy reading a book.

I never thought I would write a bad review for this author, however, I’ve just reached chapter 14 of the Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy and am thoroughly cross and fed up with this book.It started with such promise, I was enjoying reading it until the secret Richard was keeping was obviously going to be kept; to keep the reader in suspense I suppose. However, it didn’t work that way for me because he kept on and on and on about it but we never learned what it was about.Had Ms Quinn let us in on his secret I could have kept reading, sympathised with him and also understood Iris’s confusion. However, she chose instead to leave both her heroine and her readers confused. I suppose she thought it would keep up the excitement and suspense for the reader – no – it was just irritating to treat the readers like children who she perhaps felt couldn’t manage to enjoy the book knowing the hero’s dilemma and watching him trying to keep his wife in ignorance without losing her.The way it read, he would have lost her.I have enjoyed Ms Quinn’s Bridgerton series and several of her other books and after a period of trying to find a new author decided to fall back on what I knew (I couldn’t find any other authors I liked) and bought this book.What a disappointment.I liked Richard but skipped to the last chapter (I tried a bit here and there in between to see what the secret was so I could understand him better and see if it was worth persevering with but couldn’t find it) and eventually got the drift of what it was in the last half of the last chapter.If you want suspense, buy a thriller, this was just annoying. It could have been better and I believe Ms Quinn could have made a much better job of writing this story.Not a page turner in its current form.