Publication: 10th April 2025 – HarperCollins
He’s a rogue. She’s a liar. Together, they’re scandalous…
Mira Marleigh hides behind a pen name to write scandalous stories about the lords and ladies of society at the court of Queen Charlotte. Her world is turned upside down when an outrageous circular she writes sends Regency buck, Finnegan Underwood, on the run for murder.
As Mira heads to the Devon coast in search of the real culprit, she finds herself caught in a den of ruffians and scoundrels, not least Finnegan himself. Now turned smuggler, he is proving to be one lawbreaker who is very hard to resist.
Can Mira keep her head, and her heart, in her quest for the truth…?
I have been reading and enjoying the Marleigh Sisters series since the first book and each time a new story comes out it becomes my new favourite. I love the writing style and there is the right mix of romance and mystery, and, in An Unladylike Secret, we have murder, scandal, smuggling, and adventure.
The protagonist of the novel is the third younger of the Marleigh Sisters. Daughters of an English lord and his Indian mistress, the three sisters were brought to England after the death of their parents and raised (and mistreated) by their father’s wife and their son. The three sisters became estranged and started leading an independent life and now Mira is the true writer behind Aurelius, the famous journalist who reveals all the aristocracy scandals. Her latest circular about the disagreement she overheard between the two Underwood brothers led everyone to believe that Finnegan Underwood had murdered his brother a few days later and he is now on the run. Feeling responsible and not sure of Finnegan’s guilt, Mira heads to Devonshire to investigate. She certainly doesn’t expect to find herself involved with smugglers or adrift on a boat in the middle of the night with a handsome and charming suspect. Used to be alone and independent, Mira is surprised to find herself surrounded by friends ready to help her and a man who becomes harder and harder to resist.
I must admit that I couldn’t put it down. I loved the characters, the mystery, the romance between Mira and Finnegan, and also the setting of the coast of Devon. Mira, like her sisters, is still haunted by her past and her upbringing and Finnegan, too, has his own demons to face. Their characters develop quite well and the story flows easily, keeping me glued to the pages. I am looking forward to the next book in the series!
A huge thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for a proof of this fantastic novel, in exchange for my honest review.
Amita is a writer, based in London. She first discovered her love for Georgette Heyer’s sparkling banter and runaway horses when she found one of Heyer’s romantic adventures in a second-hand bookstall as a teenager. There was no looking back – as in, it took another few decades to realise that Heyer was more than just a delicious obsession. Amita’s first Regency, Unladylike Lessons in Love, comes out in 2023 and takes readers on a ride through a diverse 19th century London landscape like you’ve never seen it before. Amita’s Arya Winters series of mysteries is published with Agora. The first came out in 2021. Get in touch @AmitaMurray and amitamurray.Wordpress.com
Book After Book 
I’ve enjoyed this series too. Haven’t read this one yet though!
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