The Valet's Secret ~ Review

The Valet's Secret

By Josi S. Kilpack

Rebecca Parker never expected to be almost run off the road by a horse. But Mr. Malcolm Henry is not only apologetic but concerned about her welfare. And there is something about him that draws her to him, and this seemingly chance meeting leads Rebecca to make decisions that effect her future.  

Kenneth Winterton never wanted to be the heir to the earldom, but his cousin's unfortunate death forced him into a life his is ill prepared for. Worse his uncle is pressing him to make an advantageous match and soon. Kenneth already has two son's from his first marriage and the earldom is secure for the foreseeable future. And the ladies that are paraded before him though well suited for the roll don't inspire him to seek their hand in marriage. Only one lady has caused him to pause and she isn't a lady of rank, worse she works as a maid and would never meet his uncle's expectations. But with her he can be himself, well, mostly himself - Rebecca knows him as Mr. Malcolm Henry, valet to Lord Winterton. Ah, what a tangled web Kenneth finds himself.

To say Rebecca is more than a little hurt when the truth comes out would be a disservice to her feelings. And when the truth comes out it could not have been at a more inconvenient moment - during the serving of dinner.  

The Valet's Secret is a delightful read that looks beyond rank and status when feelings develop between a Lord and a maid. But society may have something to say when the truth comes out. But sometimes the person the world deems least likely to be the perfect match is exactly who is needed to ensure the best future possible. 

This is a twist on Cinderella - a daughter serving in the home of her father, an advantageous marriage deemed necessary, and a benefactress who could easily be a kindly godmother. The Valet's Secret is a Regency era, clean romance that is a second-chance story. 

I love this quote "There will be objections, there will be frustrations and expectations and a great deal to learn, but when two people choose to love one another and work side by side, they can build something remarkable and, in their way, they change the world. I have lived that reality. I know the possibility can be true if you can believe it for yourself.”

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

A passionate kiss from a handsome valet becomes a 

Regency Cinderella story when he is revealed 

to be the heir to the earldom.

York, England, 1819

As a once happily married woman, Rebecca Parker had a good life, but now widowed, working for a living, and her only child grown, she feels invisible, tired, and lonely. That is until the day a valet speeding by on a horse nearly runs her off the road. Mr. Malcolm Henry is apologetic, gentle, and handsome. She’s instantly drawn to him, which is why, rather than stopping him from kissing her, she kisses him back, reigniting a nearly forgotten passion. But love at first sight only happens in fairy tales—never to an ordinary woman like her.

She sees Mr. Henry again and feels the possibilities growing until, while working in the kitchens during a dinner party, she sees the valet she kissed sitting at the right hand of the baroness. Mr. Henry is not the earl’s valet; he is the heir to the earldom—Kenneth Winterton.

Heartbroken, angry, and betrayed, Rebecca does not trust Lord Winterton and refuses to accept his apology. But when Lord Winterton proves he is as kind and gentle as “Mr. Henry” was, she finds herself willing to give him a second chance. But will he take a chance on her? He needs a wife to help him in his place in society, and nothing about Rebecca's life does that . . . except how he feels when she is with him.

Trust, love, loneliness, and passion collide in this story about a man who will risk it all to fight for the woman he loves and a woman who does not believe in fairy tales—until she finds herself living in one.