I’m honestly not sure how I feel about An Unladylike Secret. There are plenty of elements that really appealed to me, not least the diversity of the characters with the FMC being of colour, along with multiple other characters, and with LGBT+ rep – though the gay character’s stereotypical obsession with his clothes was perhaps a little disappointing. I also liked the mystery element and the idea that Mira was determined to prove Finn’s innocence and save him from the gallows. The strong female characters, particularly for the time, were excellent, especially showing how women could work and hold their own in society, as well, as showing how women supported each other.

However, the fact that Mira writes a gossip circular felt rather overdone (hello Lady Whistledown!), and I really wasn’t a fan of the accidental pregnancy element of the story. More than anything, I’m deeply confused by the cover of the book, which shows a white man as Finn, when he is clearly described as the bastard son of an African slave woman in the Caribbean and an English slave owner, and as therefore being mixed race. It’s a key component of the book as he stands out as a fugitive, so I really don’t understand this creative design decision, which is very misleading.

Overall, I thought the book was enjoyable, but it didn’t have the pace that kept me desperate to read more.

Thanks to NetGalley & HarperCollins UK for the ARC. This is my honest opinion.

Enjoyable book for a beach read or a time when you cannot delve into heavier material. Light-hearted and well-written

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This read was quick and enjoyable, great for right now when I feel I don’t have much time or brain power for as much reading as I’d like! That’s not to say this is a ‘light’ book - despite comedy and enough romance to make it historical romcom it does touch on heavier themes including racism, estranged families and misogyny. I did feel some of these themes were dealt with in a heavy handed way which felt a bit too 21st century at times, but this didn’t mar my enjoyment of the characters too much. There’s a fairly satisfying though a bit far fetched mystery too, so all in all, an enjoyable read.

Oh dear! What a big mess!! Seriously, reading this gave me hives!!! Firstly, it’s a bit too similar to Bridgerton for my liking but I guess that was advertised and if Julia Quinn read it and didn’t have a problem, then who am I to judge. Secondly, love do you know what synonyms and pronouns are? It’s probably the first rule they teach in elementary school: you should avoid to use the same word in two consecutive sentences! Here, there are pages where whole paragraphs are just a repetition of the same noun!! Okay I understand that in the dialogues it can be seen as quirky or funny and in the fashion of a long back-and-forth but once is okay, twice a bit boring, thrice is quite extreme!!!
In the second chapter there is this sentence “Mira never named anyone in her circulars. But her descriptions were so good that people knew who she was talking about” that comes right after a passage where the names of Finnegan Underwood and Stephen Underwood are mentioned in every other sentence. Was the author scared that her actual descriptions weren’t good enough to make us readers understand? In truth, they aren’t but maybe instead of the constant repetition she should have tries harder to make them work?? Also personally I’m a big fan of rephrasing! Try it more maybe? I think the author should try to take one from Mira and work on avoiding mentioning the names of her characters when it's obvious who she's talking about and maybe use a pronoun...

While this book is actually the third one in a series, it can totally be read as a stand alone because there are so many superfluous parts and dialogues that basically explain everything that is important to understand the story.

Sorry, I tried. But the way it was written made it a big no-no for me!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

This story follows Mira as she tries to unravel the mystery of who killed Finnegan Underwood's brother and prevent Finn from being convicted of the crime.

I enjoyed the friendships in this book, and the development of the relationship between Mira and her sisters. . There were a lot of elements for the story to balance: the mystery, romance and the family history, as well as a lot of character development from Mira. I liked the parts of this that were done well, seeing Mira grow and become a stronger person who can rely on those around her was excellent, for example.

For me personally, the romance felt a little rushed and not as developed as I would've liked. I also felt the ending wasn't paced as well as it could've been, that there was a rush at the end and not much time to savour the romance.

Overall I'd give this 3.5 stars, I had a fun time while reading and the elements that worked for me were excellent. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I mostly enjoyed this. I liked Mira and Finn and despite their romance going from 0 to 100% within a moment of them meeting I found them cute and the story readable. I didn't love the pregnancy element.

★★★★☆ (4/5 stars)

In this charming Regency mystery romance, Mira Marleigh has a secret life as a writer who dishes out juicy gossip in her circulars. One scandalous circular lands Finnegan Underwood in hot water, forcing him to run from murder accusations. To get to the bottom of things and absolve her guilt, Mira heads to the Devon coast, where she runs into Finnegan—now a sly smuggler—and gets caught up in a world of intrigue and unexpected romance.

What I loved
- Heroine of colour and multiple side characters of colour!
- LGBT+ rep!
- A good mix of romantic tension and a real mystery
- Some spicy scenes, but not too many

What to Watch Out For
- The book starts in media res of the situation, not a gentle lead in like you might expect
- Potential trigger warnings for drowning, family estrangement, and pregnancy

This is a perfect read if you're into Bridgerton-style historical romances with a mystery twist, or historical stories with strong, independent female leads.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for providing a review copy of this book at no cost and with no obligation. I reviewed this book voluntarily, and all opinions are my own.