Thank you to NetGalley for giving this ARC, and this doesn’t influence my review. This was good!!! The plot was kind of stupid and exaggerated everything a bit, but the writing style was great (I also guessed who the culprit was). The book had potential, but eh.
Tropes: regency mystery, slow burn, flirty roguish guy, hate to love, whodunnit, witty banter, grump/sunshine, regency romance
First line: “my study had been overrun by men”. Gurl that’s how it be 🫣🙄
Romance!!!! Their witty banter was soo good and mannn he was roguish and hot af. Their witty banter was so good! They reminded me of Usui and Misaki from KWMS. Miss Genevieve would have made it to my top fav FMCS: I loved her easily annoyed personality pessimistic, feisty, feminist personality, she wouldn’t settle for any less than she deserved….But she turned into a simpering swooning fainting-type lady after they kissed, which literally made her whole personality change like sis why??? Romance did get cringy after the first kiss ngl

tl;dr
Endearing regency romance with two energetic leads, a fun plot, and plenty of kisses.

About
Genevieve Wilde has enough problems: Ever since her father passed away, she's been managing his estate herself, all while fending off the "advice" of men who think they know better. But when her father's pocket watch is stolen, she'll do anything to get it back - even hire the troublesome and frustratingly attractive thief taker, Jack Travers.

Thoughts
As a romance, this ticks all the boxes for a fun regency romp. Longing looks, gloveless touches, and oh goodness what WILL the neighbors think? Both Genevieve and Jack have complex back stories, and their growing interest in each other felt very natural. Jack's family is delightful (I can only hope his sister gets some focus in another book?), and I found myself pleasantly surprised by the nuance of Genevieve's relationship with her sister (I do not enjoy romances where every other woman is objectively terrible). Spice level for our couple tops out at some very passionate kisses. As a mystery, the plot is a solid one with clues laid out in intervals and several nice twists. I don't think any hardcore mystery fans are going to be that surprised, but even guessing the outcome, I enjoyed the ride all the same. A great read for fans of regency romance, and also a decent recommendation for someone looking for a strong plot to carry the leads.

Such a sweet story. I loved it. I also loved the ending! You think you had it figured out and then you don't and then....Gosh it was good. I loved how independent but dependent she was. It was a nice balance. I needed a sweet story like this. I always get good romance from Barker. Well written regency romance with not religion. This is a proper romance.

One of the best books from the Proper Romance series!!!!!

After her father's pocket watch gets stolen, Genevieve decides to hire a private investigator to help her find it. The investigator soon discovers there might be more going wrong at Genevieve's estate than just a missing pocket watch. It does not take long for an attraction to form between Genevieve and the investigator.

This book far exceeded whatever expectations I had for it. The romance was SO SWEET!!!! The characters made the story captivating. I stayed up way too late trying to finish this book.

I admired Genevieve's determination to protect what she cared about. I LOVED her strong-willed nature and willingness to fight for what she loved.

Jack was just so SWEET!!!!!!!! His banter with Genevieve was fun and endearing. He was kind, compassionate, and a hard worker. He cared enough about Ginny to be willing to let her go (even if he didn't have to).
I also enjoyed the scenes where I got a glimpse of Jack's methods of investigation. It was fascinating how he was able to use his gift for reading people to help him solve the crime.

Another character I really enjoyed was Genevieve's half-sister, Catherine. The dynamic between the sisters was fascinating. Catherine's motives were totally relatable and made for a great character arc.

I found the plot intriguing, although at times a bit predictable. There were also times where I feel like the suspense should have been raised to keep the mystery alive more throughout the novel.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to any fan of clean romance!!!

I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Joanna Barker has a written a sweet early nineteen century romance in England in her newest release A Heart Worth Stealing. I thought it was a great read and will be looking for more in the future by this author. Five stars.

Joanna Barker has done it again! This was stunning! The plot was well-paced and captivating from start to finish. The characters were well-developed; complex, and intriguing. I highly recommend this beautiful telling of the power of love. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

#aheartworthstealing #joannabarker #netgalley

This was such an amazing book! I loved the storyline and the suspense, and the thrill of the mystery. It's going on my favorites list for sure!

What an amazing photo on that cover! A very fortuitous find for the designer.

This is a story between Ginny Wilde and Jack Travers. Ginny has been leading the management of her estate since her father's death a few months prior, determined to keep going despite being alone. When her father's watch goes missing, and then a string of accidents happen at the estate, she hires Jack, a former Bow Street Runner, to investigate.
In order to be able to stay at Wimborne to protect Ginny, Jack passes of as her cousin and the more time they spend together, the closer they get.

I really liked the main characters and the development of their relationship. They mystery also added to the story and it definitely keeps the narrative moving along.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

A wonderful book with fun twists and turns
Such a fun book with twists you don’t expect or generally see in other books. Genevieve or Ginny lost her father six months ago, leaving her his estate and wealth. Usually that would have men flocking to court her but the circumstances of her birth keep them away. Now she finds herself not only alone but being targeted by someone. There have been problems on the estate and now her father’s watch, not an item of real value except sentimentality, has been stolen. Making it worse, the local authorities, including her one and only suitor, do not take her seriously. Desperate to find her father’s watch, Ginny hires a thief-taker to help but Mr. Travers is not what she expected. He dresses, moves, and acts in ways that speak of the upper class yet he isn’t part of it. He is a mystery as much as the missing watch. As they work together to find the thief, stop the estate damage, and protect Ginny, secrets that both hold, are revealed. When the villain is caught and all secrets are out in the open their feelings about their pasts and futures will need to be examined. A great read that will keep you engaged and anticipating what will happen next. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy. This is my review and all thoughts are my own.