From USA Today Bestselling author Darcy Burke, your next Regency obsession: The Pretenders! Set in Burke’s popular world of The Untouchables, indulge in the saga of a trio of siblings who excel at being something they’re not. Can a dauntless Bow Street Runner, a devastated viscount, and a disillusioned Society miss unravel their secrets?Book One: A Secret SurrenderA survivor of the mean streets … mean streets of London’s East End, Selina Blackwell has learned to be a chameleon, and in her current iteration as a fortune-teller, she’s able to provide a Season for her sister. Only, Madame Sybila can’t be a chaperone, so Selina takes on another identity as the proper Lady Gresham. But when a Bow Street Runner takes too much of an interest in her business, it seems the crimes of her past will finally come to light.
Determined to prove that Madame Sybila is a fraud bent on fleecing London’s elite, Harry Sheffield enlists the help of the alluring Lady Gresham in exchange for introducing her to Society’s best. With his busy career and aspirations for the future, Harry has no time for marriage, but an affair is just right—until he discovers the lady’s disarming secret. Whatever his feelings for her, he can’t ignore who she is and who she’s been. And when she holds the key to the one case he couldn’t solve, he must choose justice or love.
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This is a very complex and complicated story. The story weaves a tale of sadness, love, sacrifice, separation, survival and consequences extremely well. A woman, Selina, is a survivor. She lies, manipulates and deceives to make ends meet. She is a woman who trusts no one. She has been hurt too many times before and will never let a man take her power away from her again. Although Selina plays a fraud, she is loyal to those she loves and does care for those who live in hardship like she and her older brother Rafe did. She is compassionate but has never really known what it was to be loved until she met Harry, a bow street runner. Harry is one of the best investigators. His investigations into some of the scams Selina had were too close for comfort for her. He was also looking for her brother at the time known as the Vicar. But Rafe was in the process of going legitimate and did not need Harry snooping around. From the moment Selina and Harry met there was instant attraction which grew. The author, Darcy Burke, was able to tell this complicated story with delicacy and that made the twists and turns in the tale that much more surprising and astounding. The reveal at the end was sad and happy. I don’t think there was one who was not affected by what happened. An excellent read. If you want high tension and suspense. You got it. I highly recommend this book.
I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A Secret Surrender is the first book in the new series The Pretenders. In the beginning, the book was hard for me to stay focused on but eventually, the pace picked up and caught my attention. The characters were developed, and the story had a great plot. Selina Blackwell was a survivor and she had learned to adapt and disguise herself in order to survive during her rough life. In order to give her younger sister a Season she has taken on the role of Madame Sybila, a fortune teller, but a fortune-teller can’t chaperone her sister to events, so she has also taken on the role of Lady Gresham. Her life becomes more complicated when Harry Sheffield, a Bow Street Runner, becomes interested in her. Harry is determined to discover the secrets of Madame Sybila and protect his mother. Will secrets come between Selina and Harry?
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
I simply can’t get enough of Darcy Burke’s books. Each of them is unique. Each one has wonderful characters but A Secret Surrender was brilliant. The villain in this story was a woman. Either known as Madame Sybila the fortune-teller or Lady Gresham the widow of deceased husband Sir Barnabus Gresham. Or simply Selina. Which one of them was real though?
Harry Sheffield the Runner of Bow Street has been looking into the fortune-teller his mother happend to take liking of. He was convinced that Madame Sybile has been swindling the rich of their money from the very beginning and donating their money to a charity, but was it real or was she draining her clients dry?
Maybe not all seems as one would think!
A four year old case with little to no hints or evidence causes these characters to join forces together. Could they possibly discover answers or evidence that leads to the real perpetrator?
These two are so very different but yet pulled to each other, maybe inappropriate by society standards but attracted no less.
In this book not everything is as it seems to be, the whole story is full of twists. Can secrets be uncovered and wrongs righted?
A Secret Surrender
The Untouchables: The Pretenders
book 1
by Darcy Burke
WOW! I Loved this new series, Darcy Burke really knows how to pull you in to the lives of her characters!
The story flows well with excellent character development. The feelings reflected by her characters are real and hook you into feeling just as they do. The romance and tension is well done love love Harry Sheffield and Selina. Blackwell and all her personas. Plenty of secrets deception lots of intrigue . Look forward to the next instalment in this series.
Harry Sheffield is the second son of the Earl of Aylesbury. He was also a Bow Street Runner. He has three sisters and of course, his older brother (Viscount Northwood). They were all married and had children. His brother was single. He had invited Lady Gresham and her sister, Miss Beatrix Whitford.
Lady Gresham has many ladies personas that she uses to make her living and provide for Beatrix. Madame Sybilia is a fortune teller, while Lady Gresham is a lady and she is Selina Blackwell. At a very young age, she and her brother had lost their parents. She was accosted in a tavern while serving customers. Her brother sent her to a seminary school to protect her. This is where she met Beatrix, who was being picked on by the other girls. She took care of her and they loved each other like true sisters.
It was a lovely story. His family was large, they loved each other, and sometimes there was a bit of chaos but it was with love. The tale is how they met, she and Harry. What kind of work he does and the kind of things he looks into. While she tries to keep them fed and try to quiet Beatrix’s cleptomania. She and Harry tease each other throughout the book and it is so sweet. I loved it for all its wonderful Qualities and the fun they had together. Not all was fun. They had some scary moments but managed to persevere. I can’t wait for the next one to come out.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.
A Secret Surrender
Another fabulous gem from Darcy. The characters that she comes up with are absolutely Intriguing and captivating.
When you have to deceive, lie and steal to survive after a while it will catch up to you. Trying to protect her alter identity a secret and trying to find out who killed her brother Selina gets too close to Harry Sheffield a bow street runner.
Harry Sheffield has his hands full trying to help his father find out if a fortune teller that is mother is seeing is a fraud and reopening and investigation into a four year old fire that killed orphans. He in lists the help of Salina.
As Selina gets closer to Harry and their feeling start to grow she begins to question life choices. As the truth is revealed will it destroy their relationship?
I received this ARC as an exchange for a fair and honest review
It never surprises me when I fall in love with a Darcy Burke novel … she never disappoints! Selina and Harry come from both sides of the law. Selena’s life has been a struggle and she’s always done whatever it took to survive. As part of the aristocracy, Harry’s life was the polar opposite and in choosing to work in law enforcement, he is an anomaly of his class. Selina weaves extravagant lies to evade and survive but it isn’t long before there’s a very strong mutual attraction that leads to an obsession between her and Harry. This story shows how their attraction grows into love and how painfully devastating it is for both of them when Selina is finally honest with Harry. Both of these characters are complex and believable and readers care and worry about will happen when the truth comes to light. The large cast of secondary characters, many of whom are familiar to Darcy Burke devotees, help move the story along with wit and humor. The angst, heat and love between Harry and Selina is powerful and leads them to their HEA. I loved this book and HIGHLY recommend.
I received an ARC of this book from the author and am voluntarily providing my honest review.
I haven’t read a historical novel as full of adventure as this for a long time.
Selina Blackwell is a survivor and does everything for it.
Orphaned, she ends up losing contact with her only family, her brother, so she doesn’t think twice about helping another girl, Beatrix. Bea is the daughter of the Duke of Ramsgate, and if Selina’s plan goes well, the Duke will recognize his daughter and be able to help them financially.
But in order for Selina to walk among Ton’s people and put her plan into practice, she needs to disguise herself… again.
In fact, Selina is Madame Sybila, a well-known fortune-teller whose one of her clients is Harry Sheffield’s mother, a Bow Street Runner and younger son of the Earl of Aylesbury.
Because she is being watched by Harry, Selina cannot appear in the city as Sybila, but since she is a chameleon, she disguises herself as Lady Gresham, and, at first, she stays close to Harry without him knowing who she really is.
However, soon the disguise is discovered, and now, with both of them emotionally involved, they come together to discover the culprit of a big fire, and, who knows, lead Selina/Sybila /Gresham to discover the whereabouts of her brother.
Hold your breath because the adventure is just beginning in this new Burke series in The Pretenders.
5 stars
A powerful story of love and redemption with a wounded but determined heroine and swoony hero. Selina will do whatever it takes to protect those she cares about and survive, until she makes the dreadful mistake of falling in love with the Bow Street Runner who could expose her secrets… A wonderful regency with a touch of suspense by an author who is a master of the genre!
A new series from Darcy Burke; yessssssss!
Set in the world of The Untouchables, The Pretenders follow a trio of siblings (well, two siblings and a pseudo-sibling) who aren’t exactly on the right side of the law at all times. One might even say they’re pretending to be something they’re not, quite often. Hence, the title of the series 😉 And I am here for it!
I really enjoyed Harry and Selina’s story, even though I spent about 2/3 of it urging her to just tell him the truth already. I honestly didn’t blame her for not having done so, really–he is quite the stickler for truth and justice after all, essentially the Captain America of the Untouchables universe (minus the shield and switch the phrase to “Regency England’s @ss”) but I still wanted her to ‘fess all to him. I knew he’d forgive her…eventually. I felt major amounts of sympathetic guilt in the meantime, though, and it was killing me!
I liked the dash of suspense here–it added an extra layer to the plot, and I honestly didn’t guess who the villain was until the big reveal. I also loved the role families played here, both Selina’s and Harry’s. I always enjoy sibling-based series, so I’m really looking forward to the next two books (write fast, Ms Burke! ;)) and OMG, Harry’s family was a hoot. Dare I hope that his older (twin) brother will get a book as well? Fingers crossed!
Rating: 4 stars / A-
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Enjoyable read with many secrets, twists, and turns. I received an arc of this book.
I love a redemption story! (They’re almost as good as second chances, in my opinion.) I really liked the twist that in this book, it’s the heroine in need of redeeming. It gives the story a bit of a Cinderella feel. Selina is fiercely independent and while I liked that about her, I wasn’t as fond of all the lies she needed to tell Harry in order to keep all her secrets safe. Harry is pretty much everything good book boyfriends are made of. He’s noble, honorable, caring, and devoted to his family – who, let’s be honest, are quite the handful. There’s a lot going on in this book. I think it’s just the usual first-in-a-series syndrome where the groundwork for the following books needs to be laid. I didn’t have any troubles following all the different plot points, but I did find the pace a little frenetic at times. I loved getting a peak at the Spitfire society from a different angle and I’m looking forward to seeing what the author has in store for Selina’s siblings.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book through NetGalley.
When is a fortune teller, not a fortune teller? When she is a Lady Gresham of course! Selina had several “personas” that she portrayed as needed. As Lady Gresham she was determined to launch her “sister” into society.
Bow street runner Harry Sheffield was trying to prove Madame Sybil a fraud. It seemed his mother had spent a lot of money with her and his father was concerned. But instead he runs into Lady Gresham. Fortuitous you say? Oh yes.. Then it begins!
There is a lot going on in this story and it kept me riveted to the pages to see what would happen. Harry has been after a criminal for four years, the Vicar and Selina wanted to find the same person and kill him for the murder of her brother. But all is not as it seems.
Must I say there is a definite spark between these two? A little combustible but what happens when he finds out who Lady Gresham truly is?
Loved this story and cannot wait for more.. Oh and don’t you love the cover? Yes.. sigh…
Harry Sheffield is the younger son of an earl, a former barrister turned Bow Street Runner. He is very good at his job. He is currently investigating a fortune teller who he believes is fleecing his mother and some of her friends.
Selina Blackwell, aka Madame Sybilia, aka Lady Gresham, has lived through a horrible childhood on the streets of London. Lucky enough, thanks to her brother, to attend school, she becomes a governess. What should have been a better life becomes another nightmare. Now she is Madame Sybilia, a fortune teller who is making her way by fleecing wealthy ladies. She is also Lady Gresham, a widow bringing her sister out in Society.
Harry is having no luck talking to Madame Sybilia, but he meets Lady Gresham on one of his visits. They get along well and even agree to work together to find who started a fire four years ago where they each lost someone they cared about. The chemistry between this two is great. The problem? Selina’s fear and guilt. What will happen when he discovers who she really is? Is there any way they can move beyond her deception and her past?
The first story in The Pretenders series is an action-packed, page-turning romantic ride. The characters deal with lies, betrayal, guilt, and pain. There are several surprises, including one real shocker. Harry and Selina are kind, good hearted people. There are definitely some problems, but with Harry’s large family, friends, and even the Spitfire Society to support them, they have a great chance at happily ever after. This is a good one! I recommend it.
I received an ARC of this book from the author and publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.
I’ve ready many of Darcy Burke’s books and while the writing here is her usual good quality, I missed the witty bantering between characters I’ve come to adore in her stories. This story and its telling just did not grab me from start to finish and I stalled in my reading at about the 2nd quarter. Therefore I’ll rate it ok.
There’s a bit of mystery regarding a fire a few years earlier which is of interest to both Harry and Selina. It’s solution is not too obvious.
I read an advance copy; the thoughts expressed are my own.
‘A survivor of the mean streets of London’s East End, Selina Blackwell has learned to be a chameleon, and in her current iteration as a fortune-teller, she’s able to provide a Season for her sister. Only, Madame Sybila can’t be a chaperone, so Selina takes on another identity as the proper Lady Gresham. But when a Bow Street Runner takes too much of an interest in her business, it seems the crimes of her past will finally come to light.
Determined to prove that Madame Sybila is a fraud bent on fleecing London’s elite, Harry Sheffield enlists the help of the alluring Lady Gresham in exchange for introducing her to Society’s best. With his busy career and aspirations for the future, Harry has no time for marriage, but an affair is just right—until he discovers the lady’s disarming secret. Whatever his feelings for her, he can’t ignore who she is and who she’s been. And when she holds the key to the one case he couldn’t solve, he must choose justice or love.’
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3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.
A Secret Surrender is the first book in Darcy Burke’s new The Pretenders triology and is a historical romance. It is not a clean romance.
I found the plot to be intruiging. It was a bit strange to see an earl’s son working as a Bow Street runner, but I liked the unique twist it lent to the story. Going into this book, I thought that I wasn’t really going to like Selina, but she was a lovely bend of compassionate and flawed and I found that I quite liked her character and was invested on her circumstances improving over the course of the book.
I like the idea of Selina starting over and getting a chance at happiness, but I found her transition to be a bit abrupt. I had thought she would have held more information back and only reveal what she absolutely had to, mixing truth with fiction. Given this, I didn’t blame Harry for being hesitant to believe in her sudden honesty. I did wish that things hadn’t been resoved so quickly between them. She had deceived him in more ways than one and so I had expected more friction before things were resolved. But that also could have just been me, things didn’t necessarily feel rushed.
Overall I enjoyed A Secret Surrender and found it to be a good start to a new series. I’m looking forward to reading more from the series to learn more about the other characters. If you enjoy historical romance and any of Darcy Burke’s previous series, then I believe that you will enjoy A Secret Surrender.
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I received an eARC of A Secret Surrender from the author, Darcy Burke. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Selina Blackwell has learned to be a chameleon, she’s changed her name and her life from living on the streets of London many years ago, a girl’s school, to a governess and now to a fortune teller Madame Sybil and Lady Selina Gresham to launch her sister into London’s high society. Harry Shefffield a Bow Street Runner set put to prove Madame Sybil is a fraud and taking advantage of his mother the Countess of Aylesbury. Selina realizes Harry is also investigating a murder case involving the “Vicar” a man she very much to find him, he’s the man responsible for the death of her brother. They make a bargain, but can Selina keep all her secrets from the man she’s falling in love with? Will Harry forgive her deception and lies? I loved this story of a young girl growing up in the east end of London who recreates herself into the self-assure chameleon who falls in love with the one man who could destroy her whole life and everything she loves. I have voluntarily read and reviewed the excellent book.
I love me a complicated character.
And Selina is definitely a complicated lady. She’s smart, a chameleon (she’s also Lady Gresham in a dual role), she’s clever and deceptive because she’s had to be, living by her wits to survive and thrive.
Harry is much more straightforward. He’s the perfect foil for Selina.
How often do we get a dual role in our female leads?
Recommend..
Harry Sheffield and Selina Blackwell are pretending to be something they were not born to be. Although Harry is the son of an earl, he has been a barrister and now works as a Bow Street runner. Selina was born poor in one of the worst parts of London. She and her brother kept alive by stealing. To save her, her brother sends her away to school where she befriended Beatrix. Eventually, they come back to London, posing as Lady Gresham and her sister. Selena also poses as Madame Sybila, a fortune teller whose clients include Harry’s mother. His father has asked Harry to investigate the fortune teller for potential fraud. This throws Harry and Salina together in both of her roles. Can she keep her two personas separate? And keep Harry from finding out the truth? Will her past finally catch up to her present? Discovering the true Selina is a tale worth reading. Darcy Burke creates the most interesting characters who are never quite what the reader expects. Although this is the first book in this new Pretenders series, we do meet characters from previous books in other series, always a treat. This is a wonderful read that maintains the readers attention from end to end. I received this eBook from the publisher for an honest review.
A great beginning to this series. We have the first of the siblings, Selina, fortune teller and swindler who is trying to hide from a Bow Street runner, Harry. She really wants to turn a new leaf but she needs to earn money for her sister Beatrix’s season. She doesn’t expect to fall in love with Harry and for her dead brother to show up very much alive. When she is found out and confesses to Harry she is sure it is over. But she puts her life in danger to prove she is going to turn into a better person. She can only hope he will come around. I received a complimentary copy and I am voluntarily reviewing.