Literary Time Out: Book Review: The Valet's Secret by Josi S. Kilpack

Book Description:

A passionate kiss from a handsome valet becomes a Regency Cinderella story when he is revealed to be an earl.

York, England, 1819.

As a once happily married woman, Rebecca Parker lived a charmed life, but now widowed and working for a living, she feels alone and lives a mundane existence. That is until the day a valet speeding by on a horse nearly runs her off the road. Mr. Malcolm Henry is apologetic, gentle, and very handsome. She’s instantly drawn to him, which is why, rather than stopping him from kissing her, she finds herself kissing him back, reigniting a nearly forgotten passion in her. But love at first sight only happens in fairy tales - never to an ordinary woman like her.

Still, she cannot stop thinking about Mr. Henry and the kiss they shared. The more time she spends with the earl’s valet, the more she knows she cannot in good conscience allow Mr. Timoltson to continue to court her, even though a marriage to him would provide her financial security and independence from her overbearing father’s control. The heart wants what it wants, and her heart wants Mr. Henry.

But while working in the kitchens during a fancy dinner party, she sees something strange: The valet - the valet she kissed - is sitting at the right hand of the baroness. She realizes that Mr. Henry is not the earl’s valet; he is the earl - Kenneth Winterton.

Heartbroken, angry, and betrayed, Rebecca isn’t sure she can trust Lord Winterton, much less accept his apology. But when Lord Winterton proves he is as kind and gentle as “Mr. Henry” was, she finds herself willing to give him a second chance. But will he still take a chance on her, when choosing a commoner means he might lose his inheritance?

Trust, love, loneliness, and passion collide in this story about a man who will risk it all to fight for the woman he loves and a woman who no longer believes in fairy tales - until she finds herself living in one.

Rorie's Review:

I very rarely read books where the main characters are around my age - most of the Regency books I read revolve around people who are in their early 20's - so I kept getting surprised when I'd read something in this story about Rebecca and Kenneth having grown children and other "old people" things. (I can call them old, since I'm in that boat too, right?) Anyway, not gonna lie, it was a little weird. Not a bad weird, just different from what I'm used to.

Other than the age thing (and the kissing a complete stranger. THAT was weird.) I really enjoyed this story. My attention span seems to be shorter and shorter these days, so it's not that often where I find a book I'm happy to read for hours on end. This was one of them. The characters were engaging, and I was rooting for both of them, although I wasn't sure how it was going to work out in the end. Having read so many of these types of romance books, I love to be happily surprised every now and then.

My keeper bookshelf is getting a little tight, but I'm very happy to squeeze this one in there. (And perhaps find room in my house for another bookshelf?)

Andrea's Review:

The Valet's Secret is quite a bit different than the Regency Romance novels I usually read. It was nice that it was more than just a fluffy read of first love. A big difference with this novel is due to the characters being in what I'd call their second stage of life (40s, previously married, grown, or mostly grown children), and I found that to be pretty sweet. Their attraction seemed to be more than just physical-which is also a nice change from most romance novels.

I don't personally know the author, but do follow her on social media and thought at least some aspects of the story sounded similar to what she's shared about her personal life. Maybe that's just a coincidence, but the storyline was well-written and made for an enjoyable read.

About the Author:

JOSI S. KILPACK is the author of several novels and one cookbook and a participant in several coauthored projects and anthologies. She is a four-time Whitney Award winner—including Lord Fenton’s Folly (2015) for Best Romance and Best Novel of the Year—and a Utah Best in State winner for fiction. She is the mother of four children and lives in northern Utah.