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A Heart Worth Stealing (Proper Romance) - A Regency Romance Book - Partners in Crime Romance Trope Kindle Edition

by Joanna Barker (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 473 ratings
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"Unique characters and a fast-paced mystery add flavor to this sweet romance.” —Publishers Weekly

"An excellent choice for readers who love both traditional Regencies and detective mysteries.” —Library Journal

Little Sowerby, England, 1802

Miss Genevieve Wilde—a magistrate’s daughter and independent heiress—is determined to meet life’s challenges all on her own, just as her late father had taught her. So when her father’s pocket watch is stolen, she will do anything to get it back, especially when the local authorities prove incompetent.

Upon reading an advertisement in the paper, she takes a chance and contacts a thief-taker to find the watch. It’s a choice Ginny regrets when former Bow Street officer Jack Travers arrives on her doorstep. He is frustratingly flirtatious, irritatingly handsome, and entirely unpredictable, and Ginny wonders if she’ll be able to resist such a man.

But after Ginny discovers that the missing watch is just a small part of a larger, more frightening plot against her, she needs Jack’s help more than ever. To protect her home and her reputation, the two enter into a risky charade—pretending Jack is her cousin so he can begin his investigation, starting with the household staff. As they work together to unravel the mystery, Ginny finds herself falling fast for her charismatic thief-taker, leaving her heart in just as much danger as her life.

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  1. Print length
    328 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Shadow Mountain
  5. Publication date
    May 2, 2023
  6. File size
    946 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Opposites attract in this adorable Regency romance. When the authorities refuse to believe Miss Genevieve “Ginny” Wilde’s claims that the watch bequeathed to her by her late father, a magistrate, was stolen, not misplaced, Ginny hires thief-taker Jack Travers to investigate. To preserve Ginny’s reputation, they’re forced to pretend to be cousins while he’s residing at her estate―but their lingering stares and obvious attraction threaten the ruse. Jack proves easy to crush on: he’s witty, sweet, and thoughtful, with just a touch of a bad boy persona. Unique characters and a fast-paced mystery add flavor to this sweet romance.” ―Publishers Weekly

“Barker does an admirable job conveying Jack and Ginny’s passionate chemistry without revealing too much, while the side cast, including a disapproving butler, an unconventional set of friends, and a rival suitor for Ginny’s affections, are all thoroughly enjoyable. An excellent choice for readers who love both traditional Regencies and detective mysteries.” --―Library Journal

--This text refers to the paperback edition.

About the Author

Joanna Barker firmly believes that romance makes everything better, which is why she has fallen in love with writing Regency romances. When she’s not typing away on her next book, she’s listening to podcasts, eating her secret stash of chocolate, or adding things to her Amazon cart. Joanna’s books have received praise from Publishers Weekly, the Historical Novel Society, Readers’ Favorite, and more. She thinks being an author is the second-best job in the world—right after being a mom. She is just a little crazy about her husband and three wild-but-loveable kids. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C29ZGBTB
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Shadow Mountain (May 2, 2023)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 2, 2023
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 946 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 328 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 473 ratings

About the author

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Joanna Barker

Joanna Barker

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Joanna Barker firmly believes that romance makes everything better, which is why she has fallen in love with writing Regency romances. When she’s not typing away on her next book, you’ll find her listening to podcasts, eating her secret stash of chocolate, or adding things to her Amazon cart. She thinks being an author is the second-best job in the world—right after being a mom. She is just a little crazy about her husband and three wild-but-lovable kids.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
473 global ratings
Perfect blend of mystery and intrigue, romance and banter
5 Stars
Perfect blend of mystery and intrigue, romance and banter
I love Joanna’s work and this - her first Proper Romance - is just what you want in a PR book! The swoon! There’s lots of it. There’s mystery and action! A rakish scoundrel who is too handsome for his own good and a heroine out to prove herself.⏱️It all starts with a watch gone missing and Genevieve goes to the local magistrate and gets laughed at. So she does the next best thing and hires a thief taker. I found this whole thread fascinating and I haven’t read anything explaining what a fence is. So I loved that!⏱️I came for the “he’s basically Flynn Rider” and stayed for the enemies to lovers, the banter and annoyance and the love story. I honestly didn’t know how it would end, I had an inkling of the bad guy but this went above and beyond my expectations. I couldn’t stop reading and had to know how it would end.⏱️This fantastic book comes out until May 2023 but it will be worth the wait! And the cover is gorgeous so just look at that until then 😉😁⏱️Thank you to the publisher Shadow Mountain and Net Galley for the advanced copy. These are my own thoughts and opinions.
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Top reviews from the United States

Morgan
5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating!
Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2024
Verified Purchase
I’ve seen so many reviews of A Heart Worth Stealing that I finally bought the book without even reading the description. I’m normally not so reckless, but I trust ya’ll and you didn’t steer me wrong!

If you love regency, romance, and mystery genres you will love this one! It’s a cozy mystery but filled with great twists and turns. This was my first Joanna Barker book and it won’t be my last!

Summary: Genevieve Wilde is now running her family estate after her father died. One morning she finds his pocket watch, a treasured heirloom, missing. When the local magistrate doesn’t take her seriously she employs a thief taker (hired detective), Jack Travers. Together they begin to unravel the mystery behind the missing watch and several other mishaps. Though classes apart, their love transcends and their ending is so sweet.

I highly recommend this book. It lived up to every hype, and you’ll love Jack and Genevieve’s love story💓
One person found this helpful
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Natalia
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful! Highly recommended
Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2024
Verified Purchase
Joanna Barker's stories are always enchanting. This is the third book I read from the author, and I'm never disappointed, I'll definitely keep reading her work. Thanks to the author for bringing me hours of joy with her characters and stories.
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Happy Reader
4.0 out of 5 stars Good Regency with a touch of mystery
Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2024
Verified Purchase
I really enjoy Regency stories. They are definitely one of my biggest book-vices. This is the story of Genevieve, the daughter of the recently passed magistrate and a governess. Because her father has married someone beneath him, she has spent her life trying to fit in. This story kicks off with mystery surrounding a missing watch. Genevieve hires Jack Travers to help her find her watch and that kicks of the romance and mystery.

This felt like a longer read for me, but I still enjoyed it. I thought the characters were well-written and had some nice emotional depth to them. I liked that they talk about their problems and communicate even though there are a few misunderstandings along the way.

I liked the ending quote. "Esse quam videri. To be, rather than to seem. To all the world, I seemed happy. And the world was perfectly right." I thought that was a pretty sweet ending.

Content: Kissing only. Triggers with bad family relationships, neglect, and loss of a father
Language: No language
Religious: Prayer and church are mentioned in some areas as that befits the time period. This is not a religious read. I did love the theme of hope tied throughout the story.

Happy reading!!
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@marciesbookshelf
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect regency romance mystery
Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2023
Verified Purchase
“I needed you and you came.”
“Never doubt that,” he said, barely audible. “Never doubt that I will come for you.”

@authorjoannabarker does it again! Another perfect regency with the delicious twist of a mystery.

Ginny is a successful and determined woman who is running her estate perfectly well on her own until the mysterious theft of her most precious heirloom — her father’s pocket watch. After not feeling heard by local authorities, she hires a thief-taker.

Jack arrives and Ginny is shocked to find a disastrously handsome and flirtatious man at her service. I have soo many of his one-liners marked in my book. Their banter is top notch!

Ginny and Jack are forced closer physically and emotionally as threats to her estate become more sinister than the original pocket watch theft.

The mystery portion of this book is exciting and page turning. Just when I thought I might have it figured out, there was a twist I absolutely wasn’t expecting! Add romance on top of this and you have your next five star read!

Read for :
Social class difference
Slow burn
He protects her
Stargazing
The best kissing scenes
The oak tree 🫠
Page turning mystery

I feel like the popular quote about this scene has been commonly used enough that we can talk about this. She kisses him first!!! Where has this been all my life in regency romances? Best. Thing. Ever! Also, where can I find a giant oak tree? Will my husband ask too many questions if I drag him into a tree to make out?? So many questions..

“It was as if our souls had been yearning for one another, and we hadn’t known it until this moment. But now it was clear as a mountain lake. He was made for me, and I for him.”

Many thanks to @netgalley for the ARC of this lovely book! Opinions are always my own.

Content: Clean. Kissing/minimally detailed make out. The trigger warnings contain minor spoilers for the mystery so read on only if needed. ❤️

TW: Theft, harassment, kidnapping, and house fire.
3 people found this helpful
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Leslie
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect blend of mystery and intrigue, romance and banter
Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2023
Verified Purchase
I love Joanna’s work and this - her first Proper Romance - is just what you want in a PR book! The swoon! There’s lots of it. There’s mystery and action! A rakish scoundrel who is too handsome for his own good and a heroine out to prove herself.
⏱️
It all starts with a watch gone missing and Genevieve goes to the local magistrate and gets laughed at. So she does the next best thing and hires a thief taker. I found this whole thread fascinating and I haven’t read anything explaining what a fence is. So I loved that!
⏱️
I came for the “he’s basically Flynn Rider” and stayed for the enemies to lovers, the banter and annoyance and the love story. I honestly didn’t know how it would end, I had an inkling of the bad guy but this went above and beyond my expectations. I couldn’t stop reading and had to know how it would end.
⏱️
This fantastic book comes out until May 2023 but it will be worth the wait! And the cover is gorgeous so just look at that until then 😉😁
⏱️
Thank you to the publisher Shadow Mountain and Net Galley for the advanced copy. These are my own thoughts and opinions.
Customer image
Leslie
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect blend of mystery and intrigue, romance and banter
Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2023
I love Joanna’s work and this - her first Proper Romance - is just what you want in a PR book! The swoon! There’s lots of it. There’s mystery and action! A rakish scoundrel who is too handsome for his own good and a heroine out to prove herself.
⏱️
It all starts with a watch gone missing and Genevieve goes to the local magistrate and gets laughed at. So she does the next best thing and hires a thief taker. I found this whole thread fascinating and I haven’t read anything explaining what a fence is. So I loved that!
⏱️
I came for the “he’s basically Flynn Rider” and stayed for the enemies to lovers, the banter and annoyance and the love story. I honestly didn’t know how it would end, I had an inkling of the bad guy but this went above and beyond my expectations. I couldn’t stop reading and had to know how it would end.
⏱️
This fantastic book comes out until May 2023 but it will be worth the wait! And the cover is gorgeous so just look at that until then 😉😁
⏱️
Thank you to the publisher Shadow Mountain and Net Galley for the advanced copy. These are my own thoughts and opinions.
Images in this review
Customer image
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One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Dr Dragonlady
5.0 out of 5 stars Superb
Reviewed in Australia on May 28, 2023
Verified Purchase
Kept me up till all hours. A twisty plot, well drawn characters, a great blending of suspense and romance. A heroine who finds her strength and a charming, clever hero. Beautifully written, witty, smart dialogue, emotional depth, a HEA—what’s not to love?
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