The final installment of The Smythe-Smith Quartet from
bestselling author Julia Quinn.

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. And 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.

This final installment of Julia Quinn’s delightful
Smythe-Smith quartet is witty, romantic and utterly addictive – guaranteed to
make you smile, while tugging on your heartstrings.

When I first received ‘The Secrets of Sir Richard
Kenworthy’ I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this book. The cover is nice
and fits the genre. But since I hadn’t heard of this author before I just didn’t
really know how I would feel about the book. Since I read some Historical Romance
novels in these last view months I was really interested in trying this book. So
when it was time to grab it from my shelve, I was really excited.

In ‘The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy’, we meet Sir Richard
Kenworthy. Richard is looking for a bride, and fast. When Richard visits London
he goes to the infamous musicale from the Smythe-Smith family. When Richard is
almost ready to give his search up, he sees Iris behind her cello and he immediately
finds himself interested in the quiet girl. Richard is sure of it, Iris has to
become his bride. But Iris isn’t a shallow and husband-looking-girl. Iris is
smart and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. So when Richard starts courting Iris,
she knows he is hiding something from her. But what? And even though she knows
Richard isn’t telling everything, she still finds herself charmed by him and
soon she finds herself in a very difficult position.  

I must say I was really surprised about this book. From
the very beginning I felt myself being swept away in another era filled with ball
gowns, charming man and beautiful landscapes. I read a view reviews before
starting this book, and not all where very positive. Many people didn’t like
the way this book goes. I for one must say that I loved the twist in this book.
This book has something very original about it. And although it also consists
of romance and chivalrous men, I definitely also liked the originality.

The characters in this book where very enjoyable. I loved
Iris, the way she loved reading and books and her intelligence and the way she
observed everyone and everything around her. And I really loved Richard. He has
a very big secret and it takes a long time before you really learn what this
secret is. But Richard was charming and kind and I loved the way he slowly
became to love Iris.

‘The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy’ is the fourth book
in the Smythe- Smith quartet, but although I haven’t read the previous books in
this series, I never felt like I missed something.

This book was very enjoyable and I really couldn’t stop
reading. This books makes you want to keep reading and reading and before I
knew it I had read way to long and hadn’t got much sleep. But being tired was
definitely worth it for me!

Julia Quinn started writing her first book one month
after finishing college and has been tapping away at her keyboard ever since.
She is a graduate of Harvard and Radcliffe colleges and lives with her family
in Colorado.

Julia Quinn loves to dispel the myth that smart women
don’t read (or write) romance, and in 2001 she did so in grand style, competing
on the game show The Weakest Link and walking away with the $79,000 jackpot.
She displayed a decided lack of knowledge about baseball, country music, and
plush toys, but she is proud to say that she aced all things British and
literary, answered all of her history and geography questions correctly, and
knew that there was a Da Vinci long before there was a code.

In 2010, Ms Quinn won her third RITA Award in four years and was the thirteenth
author to be inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. Her
books have been translated into twenty-eight languages, and she has been
profiled in USA Today and TIME Magazine. Her twenty-third novel, The Sum of All
Kisses, was released in late 2013.

For more information about Julia Quinn and her books
please visit her website, Facebook and Goodreads. 

Many thanks to Clara Diaz and Little, Brown Book Group for giving me the opportunity to read this amazing book.