Keeping the Countess

by Lille Moore

A man obsessed with justice. A lady with a dangerous secret.

Reverend Jonah Sinclair survived the deadly streets of London due to divine intervention and two well-trained fists. Determined to bring his father's killer to justice, he’ll risk his vocation—and his life—for answers. When the notorious Earl of Rochford offers him a position as tutor to his young ward, Jonah accepts, believing the mysterious Ravenglass Hall could lead him to the murderer. But instead, he finds himself drawn to the earl’s abandoned countess, a woman whose fierce strength stirs a forbidden temptation.

Faith Trenton, Countess of Rochford, is struggling to defend her crumbling estate from an embezzling steward. To keep her enemies at bay, she disguises herself as a man, until Jonah's arrival threatens to expose her perilous secrets. Despite their irresistible chemistry, she must push him away to keep her home and her family safe.

But when a succession of attacks threatens everything Faith has fought to protect, she’s forced to place her trust in Jonah, and pray he won’t unravel the truth, or her heart.

Helping Faith could sabotage Jonah’s mission. Loving her might cost him everything.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Mystery, Historical Fiction

331 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 24, 2025

About the author

Lille Moore writes romance with a twist on time-honored tropes and tales. Her first career in public diplomacy and strategic communications took her across five continents and six of the Seven Seas and spurred a lifelong love affair with uncovering new worlds through storytelling. Lille lives with her spouse in Texas

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Reviews

[Renee Delcourt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oooookay, buckle up and hold on tight because I have thoughts.

This book for me comes out at 2.5 using CAWPILE. This book was provided by the author for a fair and honest review.

I first want to say that this book in theory sounds really good to me. I think there are incredibly strong points and there are significant weaknesses. I am going to break them down, but before I do, I think it's important to know this book leans heavily into cheating. I think it's framed as oh it's okay because of circumstances that happen to Faith, but if your like me and really don't care for infidelity in your stories, maybe skip this one.

Let's start with the weaknesses:

This was marketed to readers of Sarah MacLean and Elizabeth Hoyt and I would argue that it not at all. If I was marketing this I'm not quite sure I'd want to use other authors due to the fat this is far more a mystery than a romance.

The book does far more telling than showing when it comes to people's intentions. There is so many things that happen off page, it left me confused as to why we went from the MC's first meeting to randomly weeks down the line. This happens a lot through our the whole book without explanation or sometimes even page breaks to help show this isn't all one consecutive time.

There were a few times were the author wanted to use a plot device to connect through the story (smell of oranges) but the way it's used is not well thought out. The first time it's used was after Faith (the fmc) had been riding a horse in the rain and had fallen into mud. I can definitively say this is extremely unlikely anyone would smell anything except wet fur.

I wish we actually saw the relationship build but there's this weird tension that doesn't quite make sense since both Faith and Jonah are very skeptical of one another until about 20% in where there is this break through moment. After this I assumed we'd see that relationship really build but that never really happens. There are lots of broken moments that allude to their feelings but you don't see it happen. Not really. You are just told how they feel and I just don't buy it. Very little of the romance is built on page. The small moments with Adam or the parish. Not there. All you get is a bunch of fires and a few scenes of bad people hurting either of the MCs'. These bad things are what the author leans on to show they support each other but honestly it feels surface level(?). I hope that makes sense.


So for the good, I want to say after the 40% mark I think the book greatly improved. There was a better flow. There was far more continuity. And I think the characters felt more whole. I also had a better idea as to why Jonah was insisting staying and investigating his father's death (I still am I little iffy as to the reason he was adamant the Duke was possibly involved in the matter). I also got a better understanding as to Mrs. Lawless and Faith's relationship dynamic, I kind of wish that was better seen towards the beginning because their relationship could have been really beautiful on page. You see glimpses, but it's really not a lot.


Overall I had for more concerns with the book wether it was continuity, logic, pacing, or development. I enjoyed the concept of the story but I think it felt rushed and I missed out on the real relationship building. There are plenty of readers who could read this for a good time if they like mysteries, provided they aren't bothered by some of these things like I was. I also think that if the beginning was improved by editing it would easily bump to a 3.5 for me.

[Keri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well done!! Unique situation for sure. The troupe that originally made me buy the book was discovered in the first 10 pages of the book and I thought well gosh that ruined that! Boy I couldn’t have been more wrong about that and happy as well! I am looking forward to whatever hijinks Lille Moore and her characters gets up to next!!

[Sana M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic romance story!!! Gave me a mix of bridgerton and sherlock holmes’ vibe. I fell in love with the FMC and MMC, who were both unique holding traditions and burning with love that would be considered forbidden. The yearning! Love love love the book.

[iris [updating reviews] · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

For a debut novel, this was alright. I did not know it was a mystery romance beforehand [I didn't read the tags—my mistake] so I was pleasantly surprised to find secrets being uncovered, crimes being investigated and justice being sought after instead of a Victorian-era forbidden romance. That being said, I'm not complaining. The mystery aspect was much better than what I had expected when I requested the book.

However, there was a lot I found lacking in the book and some of it had less to do with the story and more with the writing style. Some chapters were so confusing because the writing was all over the place. Hours, days or even weeks would pass by and there would be no indication [and this would happen within the chapter]. The plot was broken at times and so much would be happening at once and it just wouldn't make sense. I couldn't tell the difference between Geoffrey Trenton, Troy Doland, Earl of Rochford, and Lady Rochford until like halfway through the book.

Also, as much as I liked the mystery, I felt that it overpowered the romance quite a bit. More time could've been given to the romance because with the underwhelming portrayal of it, the relationship between the leads progressed too quickly. This would've worked so well as a slow burn mystery romance.

To conclude, it was pretty alright for a debut novel but definitely could've been better.

Thank you to BookSirens for the ARC.

[Courtney Pityer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This interesting arc tells the story of two peaceful souls who prefer to seek justice in their own way despite the fact everyone says they will fail. I for one thought this story was very intriguing because these two characters weren't afraid to get their hands dirty and they knew what they wanted with each passing situation. I have a feeling other readers will be impressed with this novel.
It follows the story of Reverend Jonah Sinclair who is tryibg to avenge the death of his father. He eventually gets a position in the household of a lord for a tutor for his young son. Jonah believes that this opportunity will lead him to the answers that he seeks.
However the lady of the house Faith has problems of her own. She has disguised herself as a man since her husband is nowhere to be found and she knows that someone in her household is trying to betray her. She finds herself drawn to Jonah but knows because of his position they can never be together. Overall this mysterious story is very exciting.
I received an arc copy from Netgalley and all opinions are of my own.

[Kelli Matthews | SighingOurPleasure · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moody, mysterious, and filled with potential, Keeping the Countess is a gothic-tinged historical romance with strong intrigue vibes and a side of “naughty priest” temptation (yes, please). Reverend Jonah is an endearing hero and his bond with young Adam is one of the book’s emotional bright spots. The crumbling estate, secret identities, and murder mystery setup all add to the atmospheric vibes.

That said, the plot often feels overstuffed, and key relationships—especially the central romance—don’t get the breathing room they need. Some story threads fray at the edges, leaving you with that “wait, did I miss something?” feeling.

Lille Moore clearly has stories to tell, and I’m curious to see how her next one unfolds with a tighter narrative focus.

If you like your historicals with danger, disguises, and divine complications, this one's worth a look.

[Alby · Rating 3 out of 5]

A historical romance with a mystery/thriller plot? Sign me up. I was all for reading this book, abd the first chapter draws you right in and gets you excited for all the possibilities and potential. Unfortunately the story itself didnt live up to that potential. It was written in a way that was disjointed and hard to follow, leaving me a little more confused than anything.

The whole romance between Johnah and Faith was wierd. It's hard to root for a couple when one of them is clearly married, despite how much of a dirtbag her husband is. But even without the cheating element thier love story wasnt expressed well. It felt like all the moments they fell in love were written off page in the authors head and we're left going wait what did I miss? How do we go from just meeting to stolen kisses? It was just very wierd. Not to mention not very accurate for the time period. Like why are they making out anf doing stuff in broad daylight next to thier carriage? They later refer to it as happening inside the carriage but during the scene it was definitely outside of it.

The mystery itself was hard to follow and a bit confusing how it all played out. It was hard to keep track of George his brother, Donald. Who they were and what thier importance is, abd hoe they were able to get away with everything. The ending felt rushed and a little confusing as well. Why would an entire town come to her aid when shes spent a century ignoring them? Why would women she met once stand by her during her ruination in a time when friends abandoned you at the wiff of scandal? Why did it say the doctor was sent abroad only to be arrested then in the same chapter apparently not arrested anymore? Like what happened off page that we aren't told?

Speaking about telling, the majority of this novel is all telling and not showing.

What I did like about this though was Adam and Johnahs relationship. Adam was portrayed so well as an inquisitive little child and how Johnah interacted with him was just so precious. Though I do wish there was a little more spotlight yo his disability. It was an important factor to him not being claimed by the Earl and why Faith worries about him going to school but its mentioned once and never again.

I also wish there was more of Lawless and Faiths relationship. We dont find out hoe meaningful it is till the end and it would have been nice to learn that earlier on and to see how and why they are the way they are with each other. Instead its more of a passing thought in the end to wrap everything up.

All in all it was an okay read, but nothing I'd care to read again.

I received this Free Arc copy from Netgally in exchange for an honest review.

[Devon · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Keeping the Countess, Jonah Sinclair is seeking to find the people responsible for the death of his father, and under the guise of tutoring a young lad, worms his way onto the estate of Countess Rochford. But Rochford—Faith—has a number of secrets up her sleeve, and she is fearful of anyone coming near the estate, or near her, for that matter. Inevitably, sparks fly between the two of them, even though romance could ruin them both.

The bad first:

It’s very difficult to get a sense of time passage. There would be a random mention of weeks passing, or two months have elapsed, but it felt as though it had been a day or so in the text.

The romance was very quick. They seemingly were into each other at once, which—fine—lust is a separate beast than love, but they very quickly decided they loved one another as well. It felt like the closeness that inspired such feelings happened off page when I should have been able to follow along with them and get into the yearning that makes a romance book so delicious. I think this goes hand in hand with the odd way time passes in the book, because THEORETICALLY knowing each other for months can spark feelings of love, but, again, it doesn’t feel that long.

The good:

I love how Adam is written in the book. Some people write kids a little bit too adult, or too babyish for their age, but he’s perfect, asking lots of questions and being inadvertently rude in that way children are, where they press out of curiosity without realising they might hurt someone’s feelings. Jonah’s interactions with Adam, where he doesn’t patronise him and helps him work through his worries, are especially sweet.

The sex scenes in this book are well-written. They’re vivid and erotic with plenty of spice. There’s a tenderness, too; Jonah wants to be gentle and attentive and even vocalises such intentions. His focus is always on Faith’s well-being, even if injured or frightened, and of course that charms me when I’m reading romance novels.

The twist 75% in was quite exciting; I hadn’t seen it coming. The overarching mystery itself I guessed fairly early on, but that’s only because I’m familiar with the book the author lists as inspiration in the author’s note (no spoilers from me, though!). The ending was also very sweet; I’ll admit I got a bit teary over it because it made me happy for them; I’m a sucker for found family and this fits the ticket.

I would give it 3.5. Since I can’t and am forced to go either up or down, I choose up instead and allow 4.

I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Floral Fictions · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of this story from the author via Voracious Readers. Huge thank you to the Author and to Voracious readers!

This story made a strong first impression. The opening chapters were intriguing and exciting, completely drawing me into a mysterious world I was eager to explore. I’ve never read anything quite like this before. Being a period piece with elements of mystery, thriller, and romance, it was all new to me and incredibly exciting!

Our FMC, Faith, is portrayed from the very beginning as a strong, independent woman—and I absolutely LOVE that in a story! She knows who she is, what she needs to do to get by, and doesn’t let others push her around. I was here for it! Faith demonstrated her strength on many occasions, from taking charge of the estate to stepping up and putting out a fire before it could destroy her property. Strong and independent to a T!

One aspect I struggled with was the relationship between Faith and Jonah. I understood they were meant to bring the romance element to the story, but it felt a little out of place and progressed far too quickly from just a few small interactions. I would have appreciated more moments that built heat and tension, something to show the chemistry growing rather than jumping straight to stolen kisses without much buildup. It left me thinking, 'Wait, I didn’t even know they liked each other?!' This sense of sudden progression extended to the plot as well. At times, the story felt like it "jumped," and it left me feeling a bit lost, as though I had missed something important.

Another challenge was the language. I’m so grateful I read this on my Kindle with the dictionary function, because I frequently had to stop and look up words to understand the context. A couple of examples were circuitous and eschewed. This could absolutely be a “me” problem, but it happened often enough that it distracted me from the story.

All that being said, this book unfortunately wasn’t quite for me. I think it mostly comes down to my difficulty with some of the language and phrasing, which pulled me out of the narrative too often. I give this story 2.5 out of 5 stars.

[Lb · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book focuses mainly on the mystery surrounding Faith, the disappearance of her husband and the secrets she is hiding. As far as "romance" goes there really didn't seem like much of one going on, I think maybe a lot of stuff takes place off the pages and there are confusing time jumps I had to re-read some sections to see if I missed something because they had very few encounters and next thing you know they are falling for each other and have some intimate interactions from what was there it was more of an insta lust/love situation. It was noted multiple times that they love the smell of oranges & lemons.

I'd say that the book started to flow better after the half way mark but there were a few confusing things that maybe were not fully explained and I would have liked to see more of the lead couples relationship built on the page, I also get that the ladies husband was a bad guy and there were "some things" going on with it but she was still married to him while she was starting to build this relationship with the reverend.

When the countess finds herself in a terrible situation will Jonah be able to help her in time? Will they ever be able to be together or is their romance going to forever be hidden? Will Jonah be able to bring the people responsible for his father's death to justice?

Lots of drama, secrets and ulterior motives leaving you to wonder if our couple will reach their goals or if the villains will win in the end. Not overly spicy for those who like a lower spice read, and has a good mystery component for our historical mystery lovers.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

wrote more on my blog: https://elbyslibrary.blogspot.com/202...

*ARC read 2025 *Book Sirens *historical romance *mystery romance
*FMC is married *slow burn *strong FMC *some spice *forbidden romance

[Jayne Butcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is quite the story! The Earl of Rochford had been absent for seven years. It was assumed that he went to Madeira regarding business. In the meantime his steward Toby Doland who was left in charge, was embezzling and gambling away the estate’s assets. The tenants were being neglected, the property was falling to ruin, and Faith, Lady Rochford, and her housekeeper Mrs. Lawless were selling valuables just to pay the bills. Meanwhile the ladies were desperately trying to get Adam Fitzcharles, the one-armed ten year old nephew and ward of the Earl, into school before Doland found a way to access the education trust set up for him. In that vien, Lawless sent a missive to Bishop Alcott requesting a tutor to bring Adam’s education up to speed. Enter Reverand Jonah Sinclair. Jonah’s father died when he was young and he had been trying for years to bring the people responsible for his death to justice. His investigation led to Lord Rochford, so he volunteered to tutor Adam. What follows is the story of what happened at Ravenglass Hall between, Faith, Lawless, Doland, Jonah and Adam. You will find horse races, debt collectors, torrential downpours, flooding rivers, disgruntled tenants, and dangerous secrets. Desire will lead to steamy encounters and heartache before near death experiences and legal resolutions pave the way for a happy ending. This story has intense moments, a dark undercurrent, and lots of twists and turns. It will grab your attention, ignite your ire, play with your emotions and keep you guessing right up until the very end. Very well done!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Bookish McQueen · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ 𝔸ℝℂ ℝ𝔼𝕍𝕀𝔼𝕎✨

𝕂𝕖𝕖𝕡𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℂ𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕤𝕤
𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙏𝙮𝙥𝙚: Standalone series
𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚: regency romance
𝙋𝙊𝙑: Dual – Him/Her
𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: 3.5 ⭐️
𝙋𝙪𝙗 𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚: June 24, 2025

𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙚: 3🌶️ kissing, physical tension and attraction, and three brief open door s€x scenes

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨
❥ Dislike to Love
❥ Forced Proximity
❥ Hidden Agendas
❥ Morally Gray (cheating)
❥ Forbidden Romance
❥ Redemption Arc
❥ Protective MMC/MFC
❥ Regency Romance

𝙊𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 & 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
Going into this book, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about the main male character being a clergyman—but the author completely won me over. He’s written as a total badass with a fiercely protective streak and a rough past that makes you root for him. I loved how the story encourages readers not to let their past define them, no matter how dark it may be.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙:
❥ The relationship between Jonah and Adam was hands-down my favorite part. Their connection was so wholesome and genuinely inspiring.

❥ The vivid descriptions brought the story to life. I especially adored the scenes in the orangery and the details of her making her orange-infused body oil—so unique and atmospheric.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
❥ I wasn’t a fan of the cheating/taboo trope. While the relationship between her and her husband was definitely complicated the main male character believed him to be alive and still had an inappropriate relationship with her.

❥ At times, I found the dialogue and character transitions a bit confusing—it wasn’t always clear who was speaking or being referenced, which made the reading experience feel choppy in places.

[tinny · Rating 2 out of 5]

lol happened upon a wild phenomenon where I kinda enjoyed reading this but also ultimately always knew it was going to be fighting between a 2 and a 2.5 (and I’m still not sure what the answer is ngl) and got about 95% in and just couldnt bring myself to read those last two chapters bc I didn’t really care anymore and kinda confirmed there was in fact nothing to what I had been hoping mightve been a more compelling story?

I really just felt like despite really enjoying the *bones* of the story, something about the writing forever kept me longing for just a little bit More of everything (description, character depth, mystery even at parts bc I kinda lowkey wish something else entirely happened to the Earl) but it was ultimately just enough to constitute an easy read, and I do agree with some reviews I saw that it improved a bit towards the middle but yeah unfortunately not a solid landing

Also almost gave extra pts for Adam and Lawless bc I wish we spent more time with both of them, especially Adam when Jonah was being “the father that stepped up”

like I can’t not mention that there was no real distinction between the chronology of the story so not only did we not see much of Jonah and Adam alone but I genuinely didn’t even realize weeks had passed at certain points (??)

That being said, it wasn’t bad at all for a debut, just very “debut-like” i’m afraid

thank you so much to netgalley and wildflower press for this arc to review!

[Teresa Auch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was enthralled with Keeping the Countess, a wonderful piece of historical fiction by Lille Moore. Ms. Moore draws the reader into her story with a plot of twists and turns and very compelling characters.

The heroine of the book is Faith Trenton, the Countess of Rochford who is, seemingly, alone in trying to unravel her husband’s misdeeds and save the family’s estate, Ravenglass Hall. Unbeknownst to the Countess, Reverend Jonah Sinclair appears to serve as a tutor retained by her elusive husband, the Earl of Rochford, for his ward, Adam. Both Faith and Jonah have secrets and ulterior motives which appear to be at odds with each other, complicated by their attraction to one another. The Countess and the Reverend battle individual adversity and societal expectations but together they learn to trust one another and work together to overcome their overlapping interests.

I thought this novel was sophisticated and masterful storytelling at its best and admit that I was hooked after the first chapter. In her novel, Lille Moore examines the various segments of English society, from the lowest ranks to the those of the upper crust. She delves into the inequalities suffered by women of the time. I was particularly interested in the concept of coverture, an antiquated legal edict which essentially meant that a married woman's property passed into the husband's control and ownership upon marriage.

[Verity S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes: forced proximity, insta-love, forbidden love


I got a free digital copy of this book from BookSiren and these are my honest opinions of the book.


A person is called to tutor a boy. The lady of the house has a missing husband. There is a crooked solicitor of the estate. Forgery. Attempted murder. Scandal. Secrets. All the things. And there is a love story.


Things I did like: The spicy scenes were pretty great. This writer used new and inventive words to describe the scenes and I enjoyed it. I found myself chuckling at Jonah's humor throughout the book, because the man is witty and cynical. Their romance reminded me of what princess fairytales ought to be. I liked the villainy and dastardly deeds that happened. I liked the dual POV, as well. The plot twist was good and I liked it.


What I didn't like: The pacing was weird about this book. Time seemed to pass without mention, and things happened in the in-between that moved the story along, but we're scarcely touched on. At times, also, there was mention of time passing which was not confusing. As readers, we were told rather than shown elements of the book that should have not been kept secret. Also, the book could have used a more thorough read through edit due to missing words and grammatical errors.


All in all, I am not mad at this book. It might even be a shelf trophy.

[SH · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reverend Jonah Sinclair is determined to bring his father's killer to justice, and he will do it even if he has to risk everything he values in the process. When the notorious Earl of Rochford offers him a position as tutor to his young ward, Jonah accepts, believing the mysterious Ravenglass Hall could lead him to the murderer. Yet he soon finds himself drawn to the earl’s abandoned countess, Faith Trenton, Countess of Rochford. Faith is struggling to defend her crumbling estate from an embezzling steward. She ends up disguising herself as a man until Jonah's arrival threatens to expose her perilous secrets. Despite their irresistible chemistry, she must push him away to keep her home and her family safe. Yet after several attacks, Faith finds herself placing her trust in Jonah.
An interesting story, which at times tended to be a bit disjointed. I did enjoy both characters, who I felt held my attention through the chapters, once I was one-third into the book. I would have liked to have believed more in the romance between the two characters, but I felt that the connection between them was lacking.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

[Angelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faith Trenton, Countess of Rochford is in the most desperate straits possible. Her husband has disappeared leaving in charge his estate manager who is bleeding the estate dry. Faith is doing everything she can to not only take care of the young boy in her charge but keep the house running. Faith is living in fear, fear of the estate manager, fear of poverty and fear of someone finding out the secrets of the Rochford house.

Jonah Sinclair is a minister with a mission. He’s looking for the man responsible for his father’s death, and all roads lead to Rochford. When his bishop sends him to Rochford to tutor Faith’s young ward, he sees it as the perfect opportunity to find evidence to clear his father’s name and get vengeance on the man responsible for his death.

This book is absolutely amazing! Seeing Faith and Jonah’s relationship develop is both beautiful and heartbreaking. The mystery itself sucks you in from page one and doesn’t let you go till the last page. This is the first book in a series, and I can’t wait to read the next one. Lille Moore is a fantastic writer. She’s definitely on my favorite authors list.

I received an advanced review copy of this book and am enthusiastically and voluntarily leaving this 5-star review.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars

Keeping the Countess is a book right up my alley. A bit of mystery, and regency romance! We have Jonah, a pastor who is trying to find out what happened to his father, and Faith (a bit on the nose eh?) a woman with many secrets of her own. Unfortunately for me, while the mystery didn’t fall apart, it fell a bit flat. Similarly, I was not convinced by the romance between the characters. Obviously the fact that Jonah is a man of God creates a layer of illicit longing, but since we, the reader, have a fairly good idea of how romances work, the tension is not persuasive. They don’t seem to have much of a sexual chemistry, nor does the book spend enough time creating tender moments between them. I also felt that the pacing was weird, with some moments breezing confusingly fast and some moments where the book meandered, without any sense of timing. Altogether it was a fine read that with some editing could be improved. I would still be interested in reading the subsequent books of the series! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an entertaining blend of historical romance, light mystery, and just the right touch of gothic vibes. Faith, a clever countess in disguise, is trying to take back control of her estate, while Jonah, the brooding, conflicted reverend, gets pulled into her secret plans. The tension between them is real, with trust issues and slow-burn chemistry that had me hooked.

The setting totally delivers on the old estate vibes—think secrets, disguises, and a touch of danger. It almost feels like a cozy mystery at times, but the romance brings the heat. Faith is sharp and stubborn in all the right ways, and Jonah pulls off the broody, emotionally complex thing without overdoing it.
Some parts of the plot felt a bit packed, but overall it was a super engaging read with enough emotional payoff to keep me hooked.

Tropes:
🎭 Disguise/Hidden Agendas
🕯️ Gothic mystery
📖 Forbidden Romance
🔥 Slow burn
💌 Regency Romance

Thank you to Forever Wildflower Press and NetGalley for the copy. All thoughts are my own!

[Mariahmmm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Synopsis: Summoned to the Earl of Trenton's estate to educate his nephew, Reverend Jonah Sinclair's real mission is to discover more about the Earl's hand in Jonah's father's death. There he meets Faith, the Countess of Rochford, who's drowning in debt and is desperate to keep the secret behind her husband's disappearance from the church who stand to inherit upon his passing. Will the spark of feelings between them threaten their explosive secrets?

Review: I really enjoyed this twist on a literary classic. The hot romance, devilish characters, and constant action was fun to follow along, and I liked that we saw things from both main character's POV to really understand their emotions and motivations. However, the time jumps were jarring and I wish we'd seen more of the actual tutoring between Jonah and Adam, and perhaps Jonah and Faith living side by side then too.

With thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

The two characters have a messy meet cute in the first chapter, and then find that they'll be forced to spend more time together. 

Faith's husband is missing, deep in debt from gambling and other illegal activities, and her estate's steward is stealing money from them regularly. Meanwhile, Jonah, a reverend sent to tutor a child under Faith's care, is also pursuing his own secrets, hoping to find his father's killer. 
The estate is crumbling, debt collectors are arriving, and with few options, Faith is forced to lean on her new guest for assistance, when it's the last thing she wants to do. Despite being on site for a specific reason, Jonah finds himself drawn toward the lady of the home. 

I enjoyed the back and forth between the characters, the actions that show the trust building between the two characters, and the romance.

[ElinorsBookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keeping the Countess by Lille Moore

Ravenglass Hall is home to Countess Faith Trenton, her young nephew, and many secrets. Reverend Jonah Sinclair is determined to unearth at least some of those secrets while acting tutor to the nephew. Faith and Jonah do not get along when the story starts out.

I enjoyed this book. There is a bit of a gothic vibe. The main characters are great. And while I have nothing against kids, I typically find them a bit annoying in print, but this was NOT the case with the nephew. He was adorable.

The mystery storyline was good. My only hesitation is seeing the book described as a “mystery” I was expecting a bit more investigating by the main characters. Instead, I felt things just kind of unfolded on their own.

Overall, a great read!

I received an advanced copy from BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving this review.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks for the opportunity to do an ARC read of this book!

Keeping the Countess tells the story of Faith, wife of an earl who has disappeared and left the responsibility of the house, lands, tenants to an irresponsible steward. Faith needs to do whatever it takes to keep the house, including pretending to be a man to get jobs done.

Jonah has been sent to tutor Adam, a ward of the house, but Faith fears his presence will disrupt her efforts to preserve the house. Jonah has his own private agenda, hopefully solving his father's murder which seems to have connections to the area.

When attacks happen on the grounds, Jonah sees Faith's strength and determination. He needs to stay, not just to solve his mystery but to help the Countess who is stealing his heart. But there's something she's not telling him....

What I loved:
-Victorian England setting
-FMC that pushed gender and conventional society boundaries
-Slow burn where he falls first
-Mysteries of both main characters

What could be improved:
-The opening set-up felt rushed for maybe the first 30 pages or so. I would have loved to more gradually learn the nuances and complexities of the situations and side characters without feeling lost until further into the story.
-I wanted more slow burn throughout the book--glances, lingering touches, thoughts, etc. I didn't feel the romantic chemistry and tension building as much as I would have liked earlier in the book.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it. A few more descriptive intimate scenes make it about a 1.5 spice rating.

[Mystica · Rating 3 out of 5]

After a series of murder and mystery, this was the reading required.

A new vicar with secrets and revenge on his mind. The young Countess being embezzled by her steward. Holding on just to get Adam her young stepbrother into university, she is prepared to sacrifice anything.
Falling in love with the Reverend was not on the cards. For the Reverend his feelings of wanting to protect the young mistress of the Castle was surprising and messed up his real plans for his future.

A mix of a love story and shades of a mystery which needed to be solved, aided by young people, greedy, grasping employees and a society which would not give any woman a place of authority or power, this was a light but cautionary story.

[Lois Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Victorian era mystery novel takes place in the countryside where Faith is just trying to survive long enough to enroll her nephew in school. When her housekeeper goes behind her back and requests a tutor she fears her world will fall apart around her. Jonah is a vicar who is out for revenge for his father’s death. When an opportunity to finally get some answers he rushes for the chance. All is not as it seems in this book and i loved it! gave me that pride and prejudice fix i need every so often. I can’t wait to see what happens next and i hope we get to see a glimpse of these characters in the future. Faith is strong but unwilling to admit when she needs help and Jonah was quick to judge. This book definitely sets up for a great series!

[Camille · Rating 5 out of 5]

A love story with a mystery included. An engrossing historical story with all sorts of twists & turns. Jonah is a pastor sent to tutor the Earl of Rochford's nephew. Jonah has an ulterior motive for taking the position & Lady Rochford has an ulterior motive for getting rid of him. Jonah's goes back to his father's downfall & murder while hers goes back 7 years to the disappearance of her husband. The attraction is immediate, but with each of them hiding their deepest secrets while fighting the electricity in the air, how will they figure it all out?
I received a copy of this book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars rounded up to 4

This book was a really interesting and captivating mystery. I imagine I would have enjoyed this book greatly if I wasn't incredibly confused for at least half of the book. It was really difficult for me to figure out who each character was, and I kept thinking a character was someone they weren't. However, that could fully be my own fault!

I really enjoyed the mystery of this book and enjoyed the plot! I also really loved Faith as a strong, independent woman who held her own.

Thank you to Wildflower Press for the early review copy!

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so this one surprised me in a really good way. It’s a historical romance with a mystery twist, and while it starts off a little slow, it totally finds its stride once the story picks up.

With Faith and Jonah the chemistry between them builds slowly, and I appreciated that. It’s not all instant love; they’re skeptical of each other at first, which honestly made it feel more real. And even though there are heavy stakes and danger circling them, there’s still tenderness underneath all the grit.

It was a nice book to read.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a bit of an unusual story. Jonah is a vicar on a mission of revenge. Faith is a countess with a number of secrets. As Jonah, is brought in to tutor Faith's son, both the revenge and the secrets begin to unravel. The first book of this series and the first time, I've read this author. Both are very good. The story moves along well and has enough intregue to keep the reader fully engaged.

[Lyn D Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This first book in the Damsels in Disguise series was an amazing and compelling gilded age historical romance. It was a unique and interesting blend of romance, mystery, forbidden love, intrigue, secrets, and loss that was very engaging. I enjoyed how a strong chemistry led to a beautiful ending despite all the ups and downs, nefarious issues, emotional issues, and plot twists. I highly recommend reading!