Rowena’s review of The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy (Smythe-Smith Quartet #4) by 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. 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.
I was so happy to find out that this was Iris’ book. From the very beginning, she was my favorite Smythe-Smith cousin. In each and every single book before this one, she cracked me up. I knew that Julia Quinn would deliver another fabulous historical romance with this one and I’m happy to say that I was right.
Iris Smythe-Smith has a duty to her family to play her cello in the annual Smythe-Smith musicale each season because she is unwed and she plays each and every season even though she hates it. She hates it because unlike a lot of people in her family, she knows that the musicale every season is terrible. Anyone with working ears can tell you just how terrible they are. But this season is different. It’s different because this season, Sir Richard Kenworthy attends the musicale and notices her.
He pursues her. And after a whirlwind romance, he proposes marriage and Iris is blown away.
She’s not the kind of lady who inspires whirlwind romances but she can’t deny that Sir Richard intrigues her. She also can’t deny that given a little more time, she would have said yes to his marriage proposal. But Sir Richard is in a hurry to get married and we spend a huge chunk of the beginning of the book, wondering why he’s in such a rush to find a bride.
Well, Iris finds out why he needed to get married as quickly as possible and I had an inkling right before it was revealed, what his reasons were and that wasn’t surprising. What was surprising was his plan. His plan for Iris. I was kind of blown away by that. My heart broke for Iris and even though I knew that Richard had fallen in love with Iris over the course of their courtship and marriage, his plan really tripped me up.
I felt Iris’ pain throughout this story and my heart went out to her. I thought Quinn did a great job of telling this story and bringing feelings out of the reader that they weren’t quite expecting. Richard had a lot of making up to Iris to do and by the end of the book, like Iris, I had forgiven him. It helped that I knew just how deep his feelings for Iris were. I enjoyed seeing the two of them fall in love with each other. Even though things happened quickly, the romance between Richard and Iris felt real, and true.
Richard’s sister, the older one is the one that got on my hot damn nerves. I got that she was going through some pretty heavy things but the way that she treated those that loved her and wanted to help her made me want to punch her in the throat. The younger sister came off as a brat at first but I ended up really liking her.
It was a treat to see Iris’ cousin’s and the play had me cracking up as only the Smythe-Smith family could make me. It wasn’t an easy story to get through at some parts but I still really enjoyed the book as a whole and thought that it was a great ending to a fabulous series. I definitely recommend.
Grade: 3.5 out of 5
Reading Order:
This book is available from Avon. You can purchase it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I read the other books in this series & really liked them. Just Like Heaven is one of my comfort reads. I have read it 4 times already. This new one is on my list. Sorry you didn’t love it! I guess I will see….
Hi Sharlene. I’m sure you will enjoy it. I did, there were just some things that got on my nerves but overall, I thought it was another good read by Julia Quinn.
Thanks for the review. This series hasn’t worked for me. I thought concentrating on the Smythe-Smiths would be funny, but the books have been disappointing. I’m hoping this one works better than the others.
I insist… you keep making me nervous about this book! Gah, I think I’m going to feel exactly like you about the sisters based on what you described.
And I agree with Sharlene, Just Like Heaven is such a good comfy read.