An historical romance that encompasses an excellent group of people. It has a crossover of characters and events that will be familiar to readers of other stories by this accomplished author. All's well that ends well and this tale ends well for all concerned parties. The hero is untarnished and the heroine is beautiful and compassionate.

I has rated this book 4 stars.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased opinion.

Lord of Secrets⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️by Erica Ridley

Eleanora Winfield, a distant cousin of Lady Roundtree has been hired as her companion while the Lady convalesces from a broken leg. Nora is a farm girl and new to the ways of London. She has taken the position to earn money for her brother and grandparents. Her relatives are suffering from poverty and need money to retain their farm.

Nora cannot read very little and write even less. So to communicate with her family she sketches caricatures of the people of the ton she encounters. Her brother decides to send her sketches to the newspaper to see if they can be published. Her caricatures become an overnight success.

Heath Grenville the keeper or secrets and problem solver of Londo meets Nora and becomes infatuated with her. Nora too begins to fall for him. Nora desperately needs the money earned from her sketches by must remain anonymous to all. Although their love blooms Heath has no idea of her secret.

Ms Ridley, as only she can, brings humors and romance into this story. Her characters are so artfully crafted you feel they can walk off the pages. I am an admirer of Ms Ridley’s work and she never disappoints.

This was a very enjoyable addition to this series even though it did become a bit disorienting in parts (which I will get to in a moment). I will say that this, as is the same of the other novels in this series can be read as a stand-alone.

Now let me begin with the part that was slightly disorienting - Heath's story runs alongside those of his sisters (books two and three respectively) - meaning there are certain elements that overlap in this one. This is perfect for someone who hasn't read the prior novels before, but for someone who has its a bit like having skipped to the end of a novel. We already know what happens.

Aside from that, I found this story to be a complimentary addition to this series. The characters while flawed, were endearing and their happily ever after well earned despite the trials thrown at them. I found the overall plot to be a bit cliched - after all Cinderella stories are a bit commonplace - however the author's choice to make Nora a skillful caricature artist and the drama surrounding that - gave this story a push into new territory. I would have loved to have seen more of her brother and their grandparents, but I felt even without that the author managed to end this story on a high note. I am looking forward to the next book in this series Lord of Vice (tentatively scheduled for September 2018).

I believe this novel will appeal not only to fans of the series, but those who enjoy well written and engaging historical romance novels.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

I found this author by accident and loved the story, an earlier book in this series, so much that I read the rest of the series.

This is Heath's story. Heath is the only son and heir to the barony. He is the peacekeeper in his family and serves as a confidante to the members of the ton. He is the secret keeper. He is fiercely protective of his sisters and mother.

Nora was brought to town as a paid companion for Lady Roundtree, a distant cousin, after Lady Roundtree breaks her leg. Nora lives with her brother and grandparents on a sheep farm. She is grateful for the position because her family desperately needs the money she is being paid. She is stunned by the opulence of the life of the ton. She has a secret that she guards closely. Because of it, she sends her family caricatures of what she sees as a way to show them what is going on. She is a gifted artist. Her brother winds up selling them to a tabloid, which publishes them as a mockery of the ton. Nora doesn't like it but her family desperately needs the money.

Heath sees Nora at a ball and is taken with her. But when he realizes she is a paid servant he knows there cannot be anything between them. That didn't stop the feelings that the two of them have for one another.

This is a good story. We learn a lot about the characters and their lives. We see that the ones who seem to have it all really don't have as much as those who have very little.

I highly recommend this book. You can read it as a stand alone but you'll miss out on some of the background stories.

I really enjoyed this book. It has a great plot. I love the characters. I already can't wait for the next book. Heath Grenville is the London's elite problem-solver. When he is trying to unmask someone it leads to a lady. Miss Eleanora Winfield is a paid companion. She also goes by Nora’s and does sketches of the infamous penny caricatures rocking high society. I hope everyone enjoys the book as much as I did.

Lord of Secrets is the fifth book in the Rogues to Riches series by Erica Ridley. Although it can be read as a standalone story, my enjoyment of it was much enhanced from having read the other books in the series.

Miss Eleanora Winfield is a poor relation in London as a paid companion for her cousin, Lady Roundtree, who is recovering from an injured leg. Her ailing grandparents and her brother are left to struggle on the farm in the country. Nora hopes her wages will help to restore the farm and it's profits to a point where they can afford to hire help and give her grandparents the much-deserved rest that they need. As a paid companion, Nora attends all the social events with her cousin. At one such event, she meets Heath Grenville.

Heath Grenville, heir to a baronetcy is renown for being a problem solver. If you are under the threat of scandal Heath is the man to ask for help. He will know your secrets, but he will never tell them, hence him being the Lord of Secrets. His family mean the world to him, and when an anonymous caricaturist targets his sister and makes her a laughing stock, he vows to find the man and ruin him.

When Heath and Nora meet there is an immediate attraction between them. Nora knows that he shouldn't be paying her any attention, and has to admit to him that she is a paid companion, not an equal. That means, of course, that they shouldn't mix, and definitely shouldn't dance which is what he had asked her to do when they first meet.

These two are so obviously perfect for each other but there is more than just class distinctions to come between them. Unknown to Heath, Nora is the caricaturist that he despises and is determined to ruin. He can't see that the cartoons don't tell any secrets, that they are old news, not new gossip. He doesn't know that her family's lives depend on the money she makes from the cartoons. Can there be the slightest possibility of a relationship developing between them, or are the odds stacked against them?

This story captivated me from the very first pages. I loved watching a possible romance bud between Heath and Nora but couldn't read quickly enough to see what would happen when Nora's secret was discovered by him. I really enjoyed their non-courtship courtship!! I love the characters in this book and indeed the whole series. There is even an adorable pug puppy in a pivotal position in this story that you couldn't help but want to reach into the pages to give a cuddle. Even the villains are perfect in as much as that you can't help but despise them. This book definitely has the perfect mix of light and shade, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

London - 1817

Miss Eleanora (Nora) Winfield, 26, is the companion to the Baroness Roundtree. It is a temporary post for Nora until the Baroness heals from a leg injury. Nora is also the lady’s cousin but she doesn’t refer to her as such. Nora is a talented artist who anonymously sketches caricatures of people in society showing them in humorous or scandalous situations. Nora uses the money from this to send home to help support her brother and aged grandparents. The money is helping to keep them from starvation. While she feels bad embarrassing or making someone a laughing stock from her caricatures, she knows she has to continue to draw them to send money home. She knows too that if she is ever discovered to be the anonymous artist, it could ruin her.

Heath Grenville, 32, is heir to a Baronetcy. He has many friends and is also known as a scandal fixer. When someone gets in the middle of a scandalous situation, Heath knows how to make it go away. He has three younger sisters whom he loves dearly. Heath’s mother is pushing him to get married, but he has yet to meet a woman he cares to marry. Sadly, Heath’s father is a very busy man and Heath rarely, if ever, gets to have any time with the man.

One evening, Heath sees Nora at a soiree and is very intrigued to know who the beautiful young woman is. Heath is very kind to all women at dances and tries to ensure that he dances with all of the wallflowers as well. When Heath asks Nora to dance, she refuses him telling him that she is a paid companion. They both know it would not be proper for him to dance with her.

As Heath and Nora encounter each other, they are more and more drawn to one another, but they know that it cannot be. As Heath will one day be a Baron, the woman he marries must be higher up on the social ladder than Nora.

When Nora draws a caricature that includes Heath’s sister, the man is livid and hell bent on finding the artist. Nora realizes that she has now pushed this too far. What will be the outcome?

This is a very nice, book with one brief sex scene. I enjoyed the story and how people can be torn about the things that they do. How wrong is something if your loved ones are starving?

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC to read and give my honest opinion.

The blurb is what caught my eye since I read parts of this in the last book of this series. The cover was cute and the author one I have read from before.

Nora is a poor relation and a paid companion. She bolsters her money drawing harmless but funny caricatures of the Beau Monde. To support aging grand parents and a brother she left behind at the farm.

Heath is a paid problem solver of the elite crust. If you have a secret he can keep it. He is quite the dutiful kind, but he longs for something he can't have. He meets Nora and quickly discovers her simple roots. He needs a marriage that won't ruin his standings.

This was a fantastic read. I enjoyed it immensely and could not put it down. The elegant Nora and her fiery spirit that couldn't be crushed. The handsome Heath that longed to be more than the Lord of secrets. The chemistry between the two was pleasant and surprisingly fun. I even enjoyed the pugnacious pug. The world building in this book was incredible and it is in my opinion the author's best work to date that I have read. Five stars of entertainment! Loved it.

What a charming romance! Lord of Secrets is the fifth book in Erica Ridley's Rogues to Riches (6 Book Series), and while the characters and events overlap with other books in the series, it is written so that it can be enjoyed on its own or as your first foray into this series.

I really loved our main characters, Nora and Heath, and it was fun to watch them slowly falling in love and overcoming all of the obstacles to their relationship. I also adored watching the Grenville siblings interact, and I found Lady Roundtree surprisingly sympathetic as well as remarkably amusing as the story progressed.

And I laughed so much reading this! This is possibly the funniest historical romance I've read yet. I definitely recommend this book for fans of Regency Romance.

This is a relatively clean read that should be appropriate for a fairly wide audience. It does contain explicit premarital sex, but there is only one sex scene that is not terribly graphic.

I was provided an ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review. Because I have not seen the final published version, I cannot comment on the final editing and formatting. The ARC I received was neatly formatted and had just a few proofreading errors, which may have been corrected before publication. If not, the errors were sufficiently minor and infrequent enough that I doubt they would interfere with most readers' enjoyment of the book.

Lord of secrets, Heath Grenville, future baronet is the ton's "fixer". There's not a problem he cannot solve until the only female who catches his eye is a paid companion. His mother wants him to find a bride among the debutantes, but the only connection he's felt is with Nora. How can he marry a servant when he must be above reproach to be the keeper of secrets? Nora Winfeld, poor relation to Lady Roundtree, paid lady's companion, and secret caricature artist quickly falls in love with only man who sees her as a person. Growing up on a farm, raised by her grandparents, the companion job is a lifeline for Nora and her brother Carter who are struggling to pay the bills and care for their ailing grandparents. Because she experiences difficulty with reading, Nora always turns to drawing to send her brother news of her town life. When her caricatures show up in print, Nora finds her brother selling them anonymously to raise extra income for the farm. As she falls more in love with Heath and an HEA looks possible, Nora's secrets threaten their future. The story moves quickly and sweetly along, lightened up with tidbits of humor for an entertaining story where love rules the day. Somewhat predictable but nonetheless a must read in this series. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

This is the first book I read in the series. I like that each book includes characters from others in the series and I look forward to continuing the saga. I enjoyed the build up of romance throughout the book. The writing style allows the reader to understand the dilemmas both Heath and Nora have. The ending seemed abrupt. I was expecting more of an explanation on how characters reacted to Nora's secret, especially her cousin Lady Roundtree. Overall a pleasant read.

Elenora Winfield is working as a companion to her cousin, a member of the ton to help finance her grandparents and her brother's attempts to save their sheep farm. Her grandparents age and illness have made things hard for the family but in the money will help.
She has artistic talent and her brother has found a way for it to add to their coffers. Will it cost Elenora her heart?
This is a Regency tale written with bits of mystery, angst, a little humor and some sensual love scenes. It is a engaging enjoyable tale.
I requested an received a NetGalley ARC to peruse and would recommend to anyone who like their regency with a little bit of heat.

The latest problem for Heath Grenville to solve, is who is the author of the caricatures that is exposing the foibles of the ton to the rest of the world. Miss Eleanora Winfield, is the paid companion to her cousin Lady Roundtree, but she has a secret.
Another enjoyable well-written historical romance for this series.

Publisher's Description:

Some secrets should never be unveiled…

Heath Grenville is the problem-solver for London's elite. Unmask the devious cretin skewering the ton with audacious caricatures? With pleasure. His success should keep the powerful happy. But when his work leads him to a young lady outside his class, surely he won’t do anything so scandalous as to fall in love...

By day, Miss Eleanora Winfield is a proper, unremarkable paid companion. By night, Nora’s skillful hands sketch the infamous penny caricatures rocking high society. Nora desperately needs the money…and her anonymity. But how can she keep them both, when she’s fallen for the one man whose livelihood and reputation requires him to expose her?

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this latest book in Erica Ridley's Rogues to Riches series. In my opinion this one ranks right up with the previous book, Lord of Temptation.
I love the re-designed covers for all of this series and find them much more eye catching and attractive. The old cover designs would not have made me want to read this series.
Our hero in this book was made known to us in Lord of Temptation and I am happy to see him receive his own story.
Miss Eleanora Winfield is a proper, unremarkable paid companion who is a remarkable artist. She spends her spare time creating caricatures that she sends to her younger brother. He has, unbeknownst to her been selling them and they have made there way back to London to scandalize and rock high society.

Heath Grenville is the hired problem-solver for London's elite and it is his duty to his employers to unmask the person responsible for these drawings.

When Heath meets Eleanora he mistakes her for a well born lady and decides to set his cap for the beauty. When he finds out she is a paid companion he still has an interest to pursue her company. Never would he think that she is the devious cretin skewering the ton with audacious caricatures.

How will this deliciously convoluted tale end?

I gave this book 4.5 of 5.0 stars for storyline and characterization and a sweet sensual rating of 2.5 of 5.0 flames. This story is a sweet, clean regency title with only a developing love story and no real intimacy.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book through NetGalley via invitation from the publisher.
This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

Regency romance at its best, this lighthearted and witty story gave me something to smile about and to enjoy. The story of the Grenville family has been woven into the rest of the series, so that if the reader is following Rogues to Riches, they are not strangers. In spite of this, the book is a standalone and ends on a happy note. The book is well written and kept me turning the pages. There were also a number of object lessons, giving the one something to think about. I loved Heath's character and have always enjoyed reading about him as he sets about resolving the issues of the day. Nora, on the other hand, is more of a problem than he at first anticipated, especially when she realises that what started out as an enjoyable way to communication with her family, has become a force to be reckoned with. I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Lord of Secrets by Erica Ridley
Rogues to Riches #5

Heath Grenville will one day be a Baron so his image and honor are highly prized and ingrained into him. With such personally held high standards he has equally high expectations for the woman he will marry – a woman unmet but expected to be proposed to within the year. When he meets Miss Eleanor Winfield he is immediately intrigued but…there are reasons that keep him from becoming engaged in pursuit…at least for a while.

This is a love story that deals with the wealth vs poverty, what one is willing to do for family, perceptions and misperceptions and ultimately one of love and the fact that it is not always easy but definitely worth working for. I love this author and enjoyed this book immensely. I am eager to read the next book in the series and wonder, as it will be the last in the series, if there will be more books to deal with Eleanor’s younger brother and Heath’s unwed sister…the one that is not assigned a book yet. At times I found Heath to be a bit unbending and unwilling to see both sides of a situation. I admired Eleanor’s strength and willingness to care for her family even when it might impinge on her own wellbeing. AND I liked the way the two managed to work through their issues to find a HEA together.

Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars

After learning the publication date of Lord of Secrets, I found myself wandering back to Netgalley every day to check whether the arc was available yet. What can I say? #RoguesToRiches grows on you. Since I've read all the parts, I really wanted Heath to have his happily ever after, after taking care of his sisters for so long.

The timeline in Lord of Secrets is however a bit faster than the other books. Because in the start of the book we hear the tale of the Lord of Pleasure, caused by the caricature drawn by Nora. And the total romance of Lord of Night is happening throughout the story of Heath.

So I would recommend that you read those books first, which is no hardship! If you have already met the Grenville family, you probably adore them just as much as I do. Heath, the male heir of the Grenville family is the Go-To-Guy when you have a secret you want kept from the ton. He solves issues and makes sure everyone in his class is looking it's best. Law and order and keeping up appearances are his line of work.

So he knows that he will have to marry soon, to a proper lady from his class. Because he has the family name to uphold. However, no lady has his heart beating a little bit faster. But then he meets Miss Eleanora Winfield. He mistakenly sees her as a lady of his class and can't keep her from his mind.

Miss Eleanora is summoned to London by her cousin, who has broken her leg. She wants her to be her companion for a few weeks, until the cast comes off. In desperate need of money, Nora accepts this job. Her grandparents and her brother need all the money they can get to survive on their farm. Very aware of the difference between her and the ton, she uses her pen to draw caricatures of the upper class as a way to vent her frustration. When her brother sends one of them to a printing house, Nora's caricatures get famous. But nobody suspects the little grey mouse under their noses. The money from the caricatures gives Nora the chance to help her grandparents. But seeing up close how her caricatures can hurt people, makes her doubt herself. And by drawing, she risks of being exposed by the one man, who keeps popping up wherever she goes. The one man, who makes her heart flutter and wish she was part of his class.

How will this romance proceed? Will Heath unmask Nora as the caricaturist? And can Heath withstand the boundaries set by rules and appearances? Or will he create a scandal, just like his sisters?

A wonderful story about differences, appearances and love for one's family. Five out of five stars from me and I am already keeping an eye out for Lord of Vice, to see if Bryony also gets her HEA.

First, thank you to the publisher for pre-approving me to receive this ARC.
This is the fifth book in the Rogues to Riches series but can still be very much read as a stand-alone.

This book is what I enjoy. It is full of passion and love but there was also drama and secrets.
Meet Nora, a sheep maiden who took a position as her wealthy cousin’s paid companion to keep her family farm afloat. Then meet, Heath, a handsome and very wealthy gentleman, in line to inherit a baronetcy.
When they first meet, they both know that any kind of interaction between them will be frowned upon and a relationship would be downright forbidden. However, after a numerous twists and turns, the couple find themselves very much smitten with each other but there are secrets that could keep them apart.

The characters are interesting which I find very delightful because sometimes in historical fiction, the story line and the characters can be quite boring. That is not the case in this novel. The characters are great and they make you feel compassion and dread for them and at least I wished them to have a happily ever after.

When it comes to the plot, it is easy, and interesting to follow. It’s not boring and heavy. I did not feel the need to put book down once and like I said, it felt dreadful in the bits where the characters face hardship and problems.

A delightful and a very happy read. I’m looking forward to reading more books from this series and I warmly recommend it to any fans of historical romance stories.
This book gets the full five stars.

Heath Grenville is the heir to a baronetcy and is part of the London elite. He is known as the problem-solver among the Ton. His mother is pressuring his sisters to find husbands, so Heath tells his mother he is looking for a wife to take pressure off of them.



Miss Eleanora Winfield was raised on a sheep farm by her grandparents and as they age, Nora and her brother have been running the farm. Her cousin is in need of a paid companion and summons Nora to London. At one of the many balls, Nora spills a drink on Heath. Heath is intrigued by the young woman and disappointed to find out that she is a paid companion. He is drawn to Nora and starts finding ways to visit her cousin so he can see Nora.



Nora is intrigued by the handsome heir, but she has a deep secret that she can't even divulge to the Ton's secret keeper. Will it get in the way of their love?



I absolutely loved this book. I liked how as the story progressed, Nora's character developed. She started off meek and shy. By the end of the book, she was confident and in love with Heath. I also liked how her relationship with her cousin grew into a friendship. The caricatures were a brilliant sub-plot. I liked how Nora used a caricature to subtly get back at a dandy who made fun of Lady Roundtree.



I received a complimentary ARC from the author and NetGalley Thank you!

4.5 stars.

Heath Grenville, is heir to the Grenville barony, older brother to Dahlia, Camellia and Bryony and the secret-keeper/problem solver of the ton. He has promised his mother that he will pick a bride this season and marry. His bride will of course have the proper bloodlines, wealth and connections to be a future Baroness and while he secretly has hopes and dreams of a much different life, he accepts that this is the life he was born into and has a duty to the title.


Eleanora "Nora" Winfield is Heath's complete opposite, orphaned and taken in by her ailing grandparents, Nora has worked non-stop for years trying to keep her family fed. When the chance to act as a temporary companion to her distant cousin arises, she takes it. London society has been an eye opening experience for Nora. In London she is invisible and as a paid companion, she is treated pretty much as a servant. Nora has secrets too, first she has problems reading and writing and second she is an artist. For fun she sent some cartoonish drawings home to her family and is horrified to learn that her brother sold them and the publisher wants more - paying more than she is earning as a companion! She doesn't like the idea of doing scandalous cartoons, but how can she deprive her family of the much needed funds?? She reasons that she is not creating gossip and she is never intentionally cruel. She meets Heath at a ball and is immediately smitten - as is he. He is disappointed to learn that she is not of his class and therefore is not baroness material - but he can't seem to stay away.


When Lady Roundtree (Nora's cousin/employer) hires Heath to unmask the mysterious cartoonist - they end up spending more and more time together. After a print of his sister is released, Heath is furious and redoubles his efforts to find the artist. He also decides that Nora is the woman for him despite the difference in their stations and decides to court her.

But when Nora's secrets are revealed, will Heath be able to forgive her for her deception?


I thought this was a great read, not too heavy, but clearly giving insight into the class differences in regency England. I loved Nora, she is a loving, loyal and generous person, Heath was a wonderful friend and brother, but a bit of a snob. The secondary characters are great and his sisters are priceless, the love scenes are warm and well done. I did feel like the ending/conflict resolution was a bit rushed and quickly resolved. I loved that the last chapter was 4 months later and then there was an epilogue as well - BONUS! This book is the fifth book in the series, but it can be read as a stand alone title with no problems. If you have been following the series, you will probably recognize some events as this book's timeline is the same as Lord of Pleasure.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review of an uncorrected eARC provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*