A Devious Secret: A Regency Romance (Gentlemen of London Book 6)

Mr. Stephen Wycomb returns home out of duty to his family and his men. After the loss of his ship, his men, and his subsequent capture by the enemy, he is full of grief and determined to personally offer his condolences to the families of the last of his men. While his newly wedded sister hopes he will marry and find a reason to live again, Stephen’s recently failed courtship has soured him on romance… until he meets Gemma, the Countess of Hawkinge. Gemma is relieved to receive an invitation to spend the Season with her family in London. Despite her continued grief over the loss of her husband, something about Stephen draws her in. Yet, as Stephen and Gemma become closer, others begin to intervene, leaving them caught in trouble neither of them expects. 

A lovely Regency tale, Stephen and Gemma slide together as friends before becoming romantic partners. Their romance is not the instant ease of soulmates or the intense bickering of old friends. Rather they are skittish of love due to their pasts, but drawn together by mutual understanding. As such, the romance between the pair is sweet and provides the main focus of the story. The antagonists are believable and provide just enough conflict to further Stephen and Gemma’s relationship. Although the plot and characters are not original, the way the main characters address their grief and the support from their families and friends is encouraging, and the story has a way of sweeping the reader along.  Overall, lovers of light regency romance will find this a delightful read!

Sarah E Bradley