Secret of the Sonnets

Hastings (The Duchess Contract) returns with a pleasant, wholesome romance set in 1812 England. Twenty-six-year-old Miranda Hatch has no interest in marriage and instead dreams of achieving renown as the scholar who discovered Shakespeare’s missing manuscripts. Her hunt for the documents leads her to write to Lord Robert Hamilton, a descendant of one of the owners of the Globe Theatre. Lord Hamilton prefers horses to books, but he is buried in inherited debt and agrees to help with the hunt in hopes that he’ll be able to profit from the manuscripts. The pair have instant chemistry, but Lord Hamilton fights his feelings for Miranda because he needs to marry someone of a higher station than hers to pay off his debts and support his family. Then the search takes a dangerous turn after another scholar also after the manuscripts proves that he is willing to do anything to stop Miranda and Lord Hamilton from finding them first. Miranda makes for a strong, independent-minded protagonist, and Shakespeare fans will enjoy the many references to his work and life, including Miranda’s frequent quotations and a surprising revelation about Shakespeare’s wife. This will keep readers turning pages. (Jan.)