Do you like finding new authors to read? I sure do! It’s like icing on the cake when they have a nice size backlist of books to read as well lol. Then you know you won’t be without a book for long. Darcie Wilde is a new to me author and I’m glad I got the chance to read this book. I’ll be looking for more of hers to read!
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About the Book

Author Darcie Wilde
Series: The Heart of Cheyenne #4
Published by Kensington Publishing Corp
on December 24, 2024
Genres: Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Cozy / General, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Historical, Fiction / Romance / Historical / Regency
Pages: 448
Amazon | GoodreadsJane Austen meets Fleabag in Regency London, as a resourceful young woman with a talent for helping ladies of the ton with their most delicate and pressing predicaments finds herself facing a task of royal proportions. Literally.
King George IV is petitioning Parliament for a divorce from his queen on the grounds of her adultery. But rumor has it that the king secretly married Maria Fitzherbert—long before he married the queen. Now Mrs. Fitzherbert has been robbed—and she’s frantically calling on Rosalind for help.
Because what those thieves took is proof that she and King George did really marry. That single piece of paper could destroy Mrs. Fitzherbert and her family—or it could prove the king guilty of bigamy.
Rosalind races to investigate. With her is ex-Bow Street officer, Adam Harkness, with whom Rosalind shares a complex and rapidly intensifying bond. But a case of theft soon turns to murder . . .
Josiah Poole, a disreputable attorney specializing in helping debtors—and who was seen entering Mrs. Fitzherbert’s house—is found brutally murdered. Mrs. Fitzherbert has debts. Could she have staged the theft, and employed Mr. Poole to sell the marriage certificate? Or is the truth even more complicated? Mrs. Fitzherbert’s daughters have secrets of their own. And Poole himself had no shortage of enemies.
With suspicious coincidences mounting, and more danger encroaching, Rosalind and Adam must move quickly to unravel a history-making mystery that might just lead them straight to the palace itself . . .
My Perspective
I was easily transported back in time thanks to Wilde’s attention to detail in The Matter of the Secret Bride. Every word was carefully placed on the pages to bring this history alive. I’m a sucker for author’s notes at the end of a book, and Wilde’s were fantastic. I loved seeing what was real and what she embellished a little. It honestly had me wanting more of these characters to see what happened after (thank you Google for answering!).
I enjoyed Wilde’s writing style. She has a lot of words in her story, but like I alluded to already, they all serve a purpose. I never felt like it was info dumping, it was simply part of the story. I thought the pacing of the story was great, and the mystery was so fun! Rosalind was a character I could see myself friends with, and I enjoyed seeing her journey throughout this book. Though I never felt lost having not read any other books in the series, I will say that I think I may have appreciated her journey even more if I had read them (good reason to read them now!). And the ending? Well you’ll have to read for yourself, but I thought it was perfect.
Austen fans, historical mystery fans and romance fans alike will enjoy the latest from author Darcie Wilde. I do believe it could be read as a stand alone, but why not just start with book one and go from there. I have a feeling it’ll be well worth your time.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Darcie Wilde is the award-winning author of stylishly adventurous historical mysteries and romances, including the Rosalind Thorne Mysteries, a Regency-set series inspired by the novels of Jane Austen, as well as the Regency Makeover Trilogy. She has also written, under the name Sarah Zettel, Locus and Philip K. Dick Award-winning novels, including Fool’s War, a New York Times Notable Books of the Year selection. She lives in Michigan and can be found online at DarcieWildeRomance.com.
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Great review! Sounds like a good story. 🙂
It was!!!