The characters have a lot of depth. I liked Rob's introspection and reading his thoughts about himself. I enjoyed the antics of George as he adds humor to the story. Caro is a tragic heroine. This book is the first I've read in the series so it was easy to get lost with all of the family members which made it a little harder to understand who was speaking. A nice story with a happy ending.

It’s part of series there is 6 books in total and this one is 3rd one

A past scandal and a broken heart have left Lady Caroline Kilbride hiding away from the world, in the safety of her brother’s home. But when a devilishly handsome newcomer arrives for the summer, she finds herself surprisingly drawn to him.

Rob Marlow, a man determined to carve his own path in life, never expected to be intrigued by his brother-in-law’s dependent sister. Yet in Caro he sees courage, intelligence and a spark of the woman she once was.

Friendship blossoms into something more passionate, but when the truth of Caro’s painful history resurfaces, will she retreat into the shadows or fight for her happy ever after?

Caroline Kilbride is the talk of the ton. Shw divorced her abusive husband and is now hiding in her brother Drew's home. She obviously suffers from PTSD and has left over trauma from her physically abusive ex-husband. Here, she meets Robert Marlow, her brother's in law. Rob does everything in his power to show Caro kindness and wants to be her friend. As the friendship grows, so does their love for each other.
Caro and Rob are such sweet and adorable couple who, through healing, are able to open themselves to love. Sure, there are those who have stronf opinions about them two being together, there is even a duel involved. But, according to Caroline and Robert, love does conquer all.
Thank you, Netgalley and Boldwood Books, for this ARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

This book was not for me. I feel that Rob was disrespectful and didn't have enough compassion for Cora who was struggling with anxiety and PTSD. He was forceful and the entire story made me feel icky. Man saves woman trope without any of the heart and compassion that makes those stories loveable. I would not recommend.

I read this one without reading the other books in the series, but it didn't cause many problems. An easy regency read. Nothing too groundbreaking but fun nonetheless.
Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC.

3.5/5 This was my first book by this author. Very nice easy read. I enjoyed the characters and have always enjoyed a Regency era type book. Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

Robert "Robbie" Marlow is an untitled younger son who wants to be a politician. He falls in love with Caroline Kilbride, an older divorcee who is his brother-in-law's sister. They have a rocky road to love, due in part to Caro's experiences with her ex-husband which have left her shaky and afraid. This was a sweet slow-ish burn romance but ultimately I don't think I was the right audience for this book. This Regency romance is part of a series but I had not read the previous books. I didn't feel lost although there are quite a few characters to keep track of. That said, I didn't fully connect with the story and I probably would have felt more invested if I'd read the previous books. The pacing was uneven and there were parts of the plot that felt overly simplistic. There's quite a bit of "damsel in distress who needs a man to fix her" vibe that I didn't enjoy. Robbie felt immature and gently over-bearing at times, especially in his initial push to try to befriend Caro. They were sweet together, though, and their relationship was ultimately satisfying. Caro's history was explained fairly early on, which was helpful since it avoided drawing out the tension that was already there from her current issues. And it was kind of refreshing that the MMC isn't rich or titled and is on the younger side. It was also a change of pace to have the age gap going the other way since Caro is older than Robbie. Please note that there is a LOT of sensitive and potentially triggering content so please pay attention to content warnings. While this wasn't the book for me, I think that readers who have read the previous books in the series will like it, as well as readers who enjoy melodramatic age-gap Regency romances. Publishes June 30, 2025. This review was based on a complimentary copy of the book, all opinions are my own.

This book had all the ingredients for a compelling historical romance (second chances, emotional healing, and a slow-burn love story) but unfortunately, the execution fell flat for me. There were some sweet moments between the main characters, and I appreciated the attempt at depth and redemption.

However, the pacing felt disjointed, with major emotional and plot developments happening too quickly or without enough buildup. The structure was choppy, characters’ motivations felt inconsistent, and many key moments lacked the impact they should’ve had. Instead of a cohesive story, it often read like a series of disconnected scenes. Overall, it struggled to hold my attention, and by the end, I felt more frustrated than satisfied.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This is a very sweet Regency era novel. It tells the story of Caroline who seems to have been unlucky her whole life. One day she is fed up with her abusive husband that her brother develops a plan and puts her in a safe house. Later she moves in with her brother and his wife. Eventually her husband divorces her. From there she vows to live a life of solitude until a kind and handsome stranger arrives. Will she allow herself to love again.
I received an arc copy from Netgalley and all opinions are of my own.

The Secret Love of a Gentleman opens slowly with a shy Caroline, whose timidity that frustrated me in start. But her abusive past later evokes empathy, enriching her arc. Rob’s staunch independence feels misplaced in Regency society, making him somewhat one-dimensional despite his work ethic. His tender devotion to Caroline weaves a charming romance, redeeming the uneven narrative and bumpy start.
I received ARC from NetGalley and Boldwood Books, all opinions are my own.

i appreciate coming to this book with alot of themes that are still horrifically and sadly relevant to today's world. and how what happens ripples through the life of someone a victim to it. but also i know in the regency era a lot of the abuse or attitudes to woman going through it would definitely have been different. but it makes me said that its not different enough.
i also love how Caroline and how she feels about herself echo so much of what we can,or others can relate to if they have faced similar things. the loss of self. the complete wiping out of confidence. and somehow some very hard and complex feelings towards someone that hurt you in the worst ways. and again that would have been made far more complex in the era.
i also loved how meeting someone who cared, who was good, who showed her how to trust, was a supporting block in an ability to heal. and Rob tried to instil that in Caroline. although at certain times i did want to ask him to just halt a bit please dont push her! you can see how invested i was in Caroline. she immediately had my heart.
i love how we meet the strength of the Marlow family in this book too. they really are a great gang to follow. and if you haven't read the series id suggest doing so. they are a series you want to feel involved in and i cant wait to see who or what will come next.

A lovely regency style romance covering many topics that are still current today. A nice read with good characters and of course a happy ever after.

There was an unusual entry to this regency romance where the female lead was recovering from the brutal effects of an abusive marriage and divorce. There was als9 an unusual love match between a 27 year old divorcee and a 21 year old young buck. Once that storyline was established, the conclusion was obvious. Despite being an unusual couple, they would end up together. The really good part of the book was where the couple brought healing and wholeness to each other through their relationship. Always a positive thing. Of course we disapprove strongly of abuse today and quite rightly, so it is good that a book focuses on this feature as I understand that women in particular often had to endure what would be construed as abuse now and accept it with equanimity. In this sense it is great that society has changed its attitudes. I gave this 4 stars for being brave enough to broach such a sensitive subject.

After reading The Secret Love of a Gentleman, you will feel like one of the Marlow family, especially if you have read the previous books in the series. I love this family more and more with each passing book. Free ARC from NetGalley for honest review .

Romantic tale of love set in bygone times. Beautifully written. As a reader you are left wanting another episode. Lovely!

This was a sweet regency style book of a woman who escaped an abusive relationship to then eventually find love again. For me personally I feel like a third of the book could have been edited or cut down. I’m all about a slow burn and building a kind/sweet relationship but I feel like this was almost to slow if that makes sense. Regardless I enjoyed the characters and the second chance love that the FMC got to experience.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I posted a story on Instagram and featured the story under ARC Reviews as well. Also posted a review to goodreads.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

There was a lot of emotion in this story of a woman who fled her abusive husband and was later divorced. She now has crippling social anxiety and feelings of failure as she lives with her brother and his family. But her sister-in-law’s kind, younger brother spends the summer with them and helps bring her out of her shell. He’s younger than she is and is determined to make it on his own instead of getting help from his brother, a duke. He wants to enter politics, but not be given one of his relative’s pocket boroughs.

What was so nice about the story was how kindly he acted to help the heroine emerge from her severe social anxiety. Mostly, he gained her confidence by just playing together with his toddler nephew or riding horses together.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

I enjoyed the main characters in this one. I enjoyed following their transformations immensely. I plan to check out other books in this series.

This is the first book I have read by Jane Lark and it won’t be my last! A Regency romance to be enjoyed by all.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.