Title: Penny for Your Secrets
Author: Anna Lee Huber
Series: Verity Kent #3
Better than I expected!
I would like to thank Anna Lee Huber, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
In the past I haven’t liked the Verity Kent series as much as the Lady Darby books, but surprisingly I enjoyed this one more than the previous two.
Admittedly, it had a slow beginning. I understand narratively why Huber began with those scenes, but that doesn’t make them less boring. I also didn’t care for the scenes in which they were out clubbing. I much preferred the intimacy of Verity and Sidney’s home life and the intrigue of Verity’s sleuthing. And honestly, without the mysteries to solve, I have no idea what they would have been doing with their time other than socializing and clubbing—if they had anything else to do, it wasn’t well communicated. Even if that’s a realistic depiction, I would struggle to respect much less relate to them if they had nothing else to do.
The original mystery was concluded, though the overarching one—the far more interesting one—was left up in the air. I was pretty disappointed that Ardmore didn’t get a comeuppance, but it certainly makes me itch to read the next book.
I also liked Sidney more in this book than in the previous ones. I think I’m coming around to Verity’s choice to stick with him rather than give him the “go fuck yourself” I would have given him. I don’t think he came off as self-serving here as he had previously; instead of resisting Verity’s penchant for solving mysteries, he offered to help her. That was a very refreshing and endearing choice for him to make. And their struggle to communicate emotionally—oh, my heart. That was beautiful.
Also, I was very impressed by how Huber brought the setting and time period to life with rich detail. I loved the little things that probably took her hours of research to learn and only seconds for me to read, like the rivalry between the motorcar manufacturers, or the fact that sunglasses were newly fashionable.
I did get confused early on because two characters had very similar names—Armand and Ardmore—but the former was less than tertiary and the issue quickly resolved itself when he was no longer a factor.
Overall, I’m actually as excited for the next Verity Kent as I am for the next Lady Darby.
And okay, part of that is because Verity may or may not be pregnant. Sure, it could be that Huber only mentioned that Ver got seasick for the first time in her life to emphasize how rough the seas were, but usually in novels and movies when a woman starts throwing up unexpectedly, nine times out of ten she’s pregnant. And there was that whole thing about Sidney and the children of his fallen comrades. He needs a child to ground him and give him some purpose. And even if it was just seasickness, it’s only a matter of time before Verity’s pregnant. She’s already miscarried once and she and Sidney have been going at it like bunnies.
