Sarah E. Ladd: The Cloverton Charade

 By Kelly Bridgewater

A long-held family feud reignites when two rival antiquities brokers arrive at the same house party in Regency England.

Olivia Brannon knows her goals are unconventional. As a young woman in Regency England, her best bet--according to society--is to marry well and secure a steady future for herself. But Olivia has never been interested in convention. She'd prefer to follow in her deceased father's footsteps and journey to foreign lands in search of rare and valuable antiquities.

Eager to make a name for herself in the antiquities world, Olivia jumps at an invitation to join a wealthy widow at the famed Cloverton Hall to evaluate her private antiquities collection. Secrecy of the task is vital, and in order to conceal her efforts Olivia must pretend to be a house party guest to avoid suspicion and to explain her presence.

Lucas Avery, whose father was a rival of Olivia's father, has also arrived at the Cloverton Hall house party, hired by the new master of Cloverton Hall--the widow's nephew--to appraise the renowned Cloverton Hall collection. When Lucas discovers Olivia masquerading as a party guest while covertly conducting her own assessment, he's keen to renew the family rivalry. But as their paths frequently cross, he's unprepared for the effect the refreshingly honest--and beautiful--Olivia has on him.

Yet all is not as it seems. Both Olivia and Lucas are shocked by the astonishing discovery of counterfeit pieces, and when the unexpected occurs, everyone is a suspect . . . and Olivia and Lucas both must choose whom they will trust.

 

 

My Thoughts:

The Cloverton Charade by Sarah E. Ladd is a simple Regency novel that fans of this time period will enjoy spending time with. Ladd does a wonderful job of describing Cloverton and all the attendees to the parties that place at this Regency estate. She really invites readers into the setting and allows the readers to wonder and dance away the evening. As for the plot, the synopsis promised more. Reading this first sentence in the synopsis, “A long-held family feud reignites when two rival antiquities brokers arrive at the same house party in Regency England,” I was expecting a more of a rivalry that would break out and cause some issues to the plot, but it really does not affect the story that much. The antiques really do not come until investigation until about sixty percent into the novel. I wanted more of a mystery. As for the heroine and hero, they have a past since it is their families that are part of the rivalry that happened ten years ago. Their romance was quick, and they did not show any emotions toward each other for majority of the book. Overall, The Cloverton Charade by Sarah E. Ladd left me feeling like it was a blah- okay book. Not too great; Not too bad. Just there.

I received a complimentary copy of The Cloverton Charade by Sarah E. Ladd from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:  3 out of 5 stars

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