…I have a complicated relationship with The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy. I quite enjoyed the mystery aspect—the way the reader is left just as clueless as Iris about Richard's true motives for marrying her was thrilling. However, my main critique of the plot is that it felt rushed at the end. The entire conflict is resolved in the last two chapters (Chapter 24 and about half of Chapter 25), which left the conclusion feeling abrupt.

Now, let’s talk about the characters. I have to agree with a lot of other reviewers: I hated Richard. If you’re looking for a drinking game, take a sip every time he makes Iris cry, talks down to her, gaslights her, makes her mad, or makes her feel rejected. You’ll be drinking in nearly every chapter. Without giving away spoilers, I’ll just say Richard is easily my least favorite male lead in any Julia Quinn book. Coming off the likes of Marcus, Daniel, and Hugh—three heroes I really liked from the earlier books in this series—Richard felt like a huge letdown.

Iris, on the other hand, was the only saving grace in this book. I already liked her as a side character in the earlier Smythe-Smith novels, so maybe I’m a little biased. But here, I mostly just felt bad for her. She’s smart, kind, and incredibly observant, yet she spends most of the story being mistreated.

One scene that really got under my skin was when her aunt, mother, and father blamed her for being compromised by Richard during the Pleinsworth poetry night. I get that it might be historically accurate for the Regency period, but it didn’t make it any less frustrating to read.

When it comes to the romance, I just didn’t buy the chemistry between Iris and Richard. I could not, for the life of me, figure out what Iris saw in him. He ignored her most of the time, and when he did engage, their conversations often ended poorly. It was essentially a masterclass in horrible communication. At one point, Iris even questions whether Richard might be gay—an observation that only added to their strained dynamic.

Despite all these criticisms, I’ve decided to rate The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy 3 stars. Why? Because, in my opinion, the worst thing a book can do is bore me—and this book was far from boring. It made me feel something: irritation. I disliked Richard so much that it became a real page-turner.

That said, I wouldn’t recommend The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy unless you’re in the specific mood to feel angry (or you’re somehow into heroes who mess with your head). It’s not a book I’d revisit, but it certainly left an impression.