The Valet's Secret

January 17, 2022
With a dozen period romances under her belt, Kilpack (the Mayfield Family series) should have better mastery of her setting than this sloppy outing demonstrates. From lace cuffs to gaslights and polo playing, the purported details of 1819 life appear randomly drawn from 150 years of British culture. The setup is a tricky but appealing trope: an upper-class man pretends to be a commoner and unexpectedly falls in love. Kenneth Winterton is the imposter, the presumptive heir to an earl. Dressed as his own valet to better enjoy a bruising cross-country ride, he encounters Mrs. Rebecca Parker, a brick mason’s widow, and impulsively kisses her. The attraction’s mutual, and Rebecca, who’s back living with her abusive father, hopes “Malcolm” will be her savior. These are dashed when she is called in as extra help at a dinner party and discovers the purported valet sitting among the guests. The tricky bit, of course, is disentangling the lovers from the foundational lie. Unfortunately, their path out is no more plausible than the setting, with the disparity between their social statuses waved away. Even as pure wish fulfillment, there’s not enough here to get readers invested. The impression left is of a paint-by-number schematic haphazardly filled in by a dabbler who’s lost the color guide.

February 1, 2022

Kenneth Winterton never expected to be the heir to his family's earldom, but with his cousin's sudden death, he is headed to Wakefield to begin his tutelage as such with his uncle. He is chafing at the new restrictions this has put on his freedom, and a rebellious horse ride across the countryside has him crashing into a woman who sparks something in him that he never expected to feel again. Rebecca Parker is almost run down by a horse but is caught off guard by its rider when he treats her so gently, and they share an unexpected kiss on the roadside. It was when she learns the rider is not the valet that he said he was that she truly counts herself a fool, even as she continues cherishing every chance encounter they have. VERDICT Hand to readers who love a case of mistaken identity and romances that cross class lines; they'll be sure to enjoy Kenneth and Rebecca's electric encounters. Kilpack's ("A Proper Romance" series) Regency novel is full of heartfelt emotion, along with intriguing drama, and will be a sweet fairy tale for readers who can appreciate what it means to find late-in-life lovee.--Morgan Lockard

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2022
After spending two years fending off women intent on becoming the next Countess of Brenston, Kenneth Bartholomew Winterton, the current heir to the title, has finally found the woman of his romantic dreams: Rebecca Parker. Unfortunately, because Kenneth occasionally swaps identities with his valet in order to go riding around the countryside, Rebecca believes the man who almost ran her off the road is Malcom Henry. Initially, Kenneth doesn't see any harm in pretending to be Malcolm, since it allows him to spend time with Rebecca. However, when Kenneth and Rebecca meet under different circumstances and she discovers his real identity, will he be able to convince her to take another chance with him? Kilpack's (Rakes and Roses, 2020) deft hand at nuanced characterization shines in this sweetly romantic tale of two mature protagonists finding love again. At the same time, the author burnishes her reputation for delivering delightfully different, impeccably crafted twists on the classic traditional Regency romance with an engaging storyline that includes a fascinating glimpse into the art of making silhouette portraits.

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