Mira Marleigh, society gossip columnist writing under the name of Aurelius and companion to her wealthy friend, Ursula, receives a letter addressed to Aurelius. It's from Lady Underwood asking for his help is proving that her brother-in-law did not murder her husband. Mira and Ursula go to Devonshire as an assistant to Aurelius because she feels guilty that her circular mentioned the argument between the brothers just before Lord Underwood was murdered. Mira is soon caught up in trying to exonerate the accused man who fled and is now a smuggler. It takes not only herself but all of her friends to help find the real culprit.
A historical romantic mystery that is in the Marleigh sisters series, with an interesting locale, a murder to solve and some steamy romance along the way.
Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the opportunity to read this e-galley of "An Unladylike Secret'.

Thank you to Netgalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for this complimentary eaRC of An Unladylike Secret.

I have completely enjoyed the first 2 books in the series book1, which is my favorite.

This is book3 in the marleigh sisters and has a murder mystery plot in it other than the larger plot of the sisters' history in the previous books. Love the diversity elements in all the books.

The book started out great with the gossip plot and the way Meera tries to find who killed the aristocrat in the small seaside town and how she meets Finn.

However, this was a lot slower than the other books, and the romance didn't land as well for me.

I am hoping the series continues with the other sisters.

Thank you to Book Club Girl, Netgalley, and Avon and Harper Voyager for this complimentary ARC e-copy of An Unladylike Secret by Amita Murray.

It was completely my own mistake that I requested an ARC for a book in a series that I haven’t read. However, I decided to start reading it anyway.

This was a DNF for me, most likely for the exact reason I stated above. Because I had not read the other books in this series and had essentially no context for the characters, setting, or story, I just couldn’t get properly into this. It’s completely my fault—the writing is good, the characters are well-formed, and the plot is centured around a regency mystery-romance.

To those that have read the Marleigh sisters novels and enjoyed them: read this final installment. You are sure to enjoy it.

☆ ☆ ☆ - DNF

I enjoyed the first two books in this series, so was interested in this new installment. This book had a great sense of mystery, which I really enjoyed. It also continues the overarching story of the Marleigh sisters. There were some fun side characters as well. However, overall it didn't appeal to me as much as the past two books in the series. I think it boiled down to some of the plot points being things I don't typically enjoy in books. Mira wasn't my kind of character, and I couldn't follow the quick development of her relationship with Finn. Again, this is just because of my own preference. Otherwise, it's a great story full of mystery and action.

Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, and Netgalley for the ARC.

I was initially drawn into An Unladylike Secret by the charming teasing banter that kicked off around chapter 3—it brought a lightness to the story that had me smiling as I read. There’s something delightful about a historical fiction sprinkled with a little murder mystery, and for a while, this book really delivered on that front.

Interestingly, I had no idea this was part of a series, but it absolutely works as a standalone. I never felt lost or confused, which is a major plus for anyone just jumping in.

However, my enthusiasm started to wane around the 66% mark. The pacing slowed significantly, and it felt like we were doing more sitting around and waiting than actually progressing. The FMC, who already leaned toward the overly emotional side (lots of tears), became even more dramatic once the pregnancy was introduced. Her emotional instability, frequent outbursts, and strong victim mentality made her increasingly hard to connect with—and honestly, a bit frustrating. I went from smiling to frowning as I turned the pages.

As for the mystery? It took a disappointing turn. What started with the intrigue of a dead body shifted into a storyline about illegitimate babies, which just didn’t have the same pull. The contents of the diary, which should have been compelling, fell flat. And the sudden inclusion of a childhood abuse subplot felt random and jarringly out of place, especially when it wasn’t given the depth or sensitivity it deserved.

Overall, the book had a strong start with engaging banter and a promising setup, but ultimately didn’t stick the landing. Still, fans of the genre might enjoy the early chapters and atmosphere—it just may not be the gripping historical mystery you’re hoping for all the way through.

Enjoyed this ARC very much. First time reading this author and I really enjoyed this story. The mystery was intriguing and the romance was sweet. There was a lot of repetition at times which slowed the story down but didn’t detract too much that I didn’t want to keep reading. Thank you NetGalley for this free copy for me to enjoy.

Such a lovely story. didn't know it was part of a series but I feel like it was okay to read alone. storyline was great. Character development was believable. I felt like I was right in the story with them!

I enjoyed this book. I had read unladylike rules of attraction and didn’t initially realize it was part of the same series. When the triplets were mentioned I made the connection. It was a pleasant surprise. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of historical fiction with an happy and’s my and a strong female lead. I will be on the look out for the next installment, I’m definitely invested now!

I received an ebook reader copy of this book and was underwhelmed. When I got to the end I realized that this was the 3rd book of series and that explained a lot.

This book fell into that trap that series books have, in that, the writer being unsure if someone has read the previous books in the series or not has to reiterate a lot of information, and at the same time shortcuts a lot of information because it is assumed that the audience is familiar with some of the details. But as someone who started with book 3, I was annoyed. We are told that the sisters are nearby but don't speak. We get bits and pieces about some childhood trauma but never get the whole scoop. It feels irrational that Mira is still so unforgiving of herself for a choice she made as a five year old child and that she chooses to alienate what little family she has over it. She is an otherwise, progressive, modern for the times, woman, so this one thing feels overblown. But we don't learn how her sisters are dealing with the issue because presumably those details were covered in books 1+2.

It was also a strange splicing of societal conventions that Finnegan who was mixed British and St Kitts was passed off convincingly as a servant/valet, while Mira and her sisters who are mixed British and Indian were accepted socialites one of whom is a member of the Royal Court.

Mira's relationship with Finnegan was annoying, not because she so readily fell into bed with him, but that a bunch of wildly progressive (for their time) people never once even discuss the possibility of her getting pregnant. She isn't a delicate maiden who has no idea where babies come from, and as a society gossip columnist she must have heard of previous scandals on that front and Finegan with a brother who frequented brothels with such regularity would have also in turn heard not only of women ending up with unwanted children, but of tricks that the women in brothels employ to prevent such things from happening. And yet they just repeatedly fall into bed together as if they were in The Blue Lagoon and had no idea what would happen.

I understand that after so ridiculously alienating the sisters, the author needed something big to get them back into her life, but a baby was a cringe choice. It could have easily just been Kenneth who was friends with all of the sisters, putting his foot down and tricking them into reuniting. The murder charge hanging over their heads was enough to temporarily keep the lovers apart.

And just who is Mira that she gets invited to enough events that she can write a column? She's the mixed race, bastard daughter of a man that died, leaving her with .....? She's admittedly older, and unmarried, so who is inviting her anywhere and why? Her friendship with Ursula isn't enough to explain this. Or if it is, I wish the author went into that part of the rules of society. And again, because this is a series, maybe she touched on this in book 1 and didn't feel the need to do so again in book 3, but that leaves me rolling my eyes a lot as I read this book.

And sooooo many references to the missing triplet sisters, including private eyes hired to find them, and how they are the core reason for the elder sisters not having a relationship and then no pay off on that storyline. But of course not, this is a series, and it'll take 3 more books to meet each triplet individually before they find each other and then find the first 3 sisters....ugh...

I try not to request reader copies of books in a series because of the need to read the entire series in order to truly have a satisfying story.

An Unladylike Secret presents a clever and engaging historical mystery with a touch of romance. Mira Marleigh’s double life as a society gossip writer and her journey to uncover the truth about Stephen Underwood’s murder promise a compelling mix of intrigue and self-discovery. Her transformation from a reserved and unnoticed companion to someone grappling with her identity and passions adds emotional depth to the story.
The Devonshire setting and the enigmatic mystery man introduce layers of charm and unpredictability, while the mystery itself keeps the stakes high. This book seems to deliver a delightful blend of wit, suspense, and romance that lingers with you.

Many books in the historical mystery-romance genre seem to have a feminist perspective, but not so many also address issues of race and colonialism. This book veers away from many of the more formulaic conventions on the genre. Sex does not immediately lead to engagement and marriage! The characters are amusing and well-drawn., the dialogue good. The resolution of the mystery is perhaps a little lacking in suspense, but this is still a very enjoyable book. It would be great if it were the beginning of a new series.