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A respectable family.

A few rumors.

A disguise.

An attempt to make things right.

Meet Juliet, the remaining member of the respectable Sinclair family that is tied up in some rumors. To check the rumors, she visits the Burnhams but gets mistaken for someone who wants the position of Lady’s maid. She eventually ends up taking the position in hopes to get closer to Mrs. Burnham and help the young and innocent Eugenia Burnham in her first London Season. While Juliet comes with good intentions and hopes to get things right, there’s a grave threat lingering around in the house. Will she be able to correct everything? Or will it be too late?

Read between the covers of “Regency Rumors�, the story of the young Sinclair, living the life she doesn’t belong to.

234 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 25, 2019

391 people are currently reading
329 people want to read

About the author

Bethany Swafford

19Ìýbooks88Ìýfollowers
For as long as she can remember, Bethany Swafford has loved reading books. That love of words extended to writing as she grew older, and when it became more difficult to find a ‘clean� book, she determined to write her own. Among her favorite authors is Jane Austen, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Georgette Heyer.

When she doesn’t have pen to paper (or fingertips to laptop keyboard), she can generally be found with a book in hand. In her spare time, Bethany reviews books for a book site called More Than A Review.

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5 stars
192 (36%)
4 stars
182 (34%)
3 stars
126 (23%)
2 stars
26 (4%)
1 star
7 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
Profile Image for Mary.
2,753 reviews23 followers
July 4, 2019
This is a gripping, suspenseful story. Juliet is a determined, bold, impulsive and daring young woman who has decided to investigate the rumors that destroyed her family name. Pretending to be a lady's maid as a way to get into the home her father last visited before he died. She believes that the answer she needs can be found there. The story builds the suspense up as it goes, coming to a twist at the end that you don't expect.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. This is my honest and voluntary opinion of it.
Profile Image for Annette.
264 reviews1 follower
October 13, 2023
Regency Rumor is the first book in the "Sinclair Society Series."If this first book indicates what's to come, I will not read the others.

Juliet Sinclair's parents and brother are murdered. The town knows that the family is not traitors, but there are plenty of rumors. To debunk the rumor, Julie takes on the position of a lady's maid in her parents' friends' household. There you have it, the summary of the story. The novel's end does not bring the reader closer to revelations.
Profile Image for Diane Estrella.
340 reviews108 followers
August 9, 2022
4.5 stars.

This book started out slightly off for me. (not sure why) I picked it up for free on Kindle but almost gave up on it. I'm so glad I hung in there. It really picked up steam and had a lot of different interesting items that were added as it went. This book was definitely more mystery and getting to know our heroine who seems to be quite an accomplished actress to pull off what she did. I'm excited about the next book in the series.
Profile Image for Susan.
6,880 reviews65 followers
December 7, 2022
Julie Sinclair needs to know the truth about her brother’s death five years ago, and the truth about the new rumours concerning her family. To thus end she goes to work as a lady’s maid in the Burnham household. A friend of her deceased father.
An enjoyable Regency mystery

[Its pavement not sidewalk]
Profile Image for Jamie Bee.
AuthorÌý1 book113 followers
June 26, 2019
In this Regency suspense, the reader can figure out pretty quickly that there is something strange going on both at the Burnham household and with the heroine’s family. But the author doesn't give away too many details too fast. We know that something has happened to the Sinclair family’s reputation, but we don't know what precisely nor do we know what greater problem this has caused. Juliet, the heroine, is first mistaken for someone applying for a job as a lady's maid in the Burnham household, but then she decides to take the job--rather foolishly--in order to help both sate her curiosity and see if she can do damage control for her family. She gets involved in a world that's far different than her imaginings.

The author did a good job building the suspense and just the oddness factor of the Burnham household, where Juliet worked in disguise. I will admit I felt a little frustrated at times not knowing more of the greater picture, but it was so intriguing that I kept going. I quite enjoyed this little romp into Regency suspense and rumors.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

Read my other reviews at .
4,720 reviews38 followers
June 26, 2019
Never judge a book by its cover.
Judged solely on her appearance our young woman takes the opportunity that is offered her. This historical start is so different that it had the feel of something new and fresh. What I did not expect was how really different this story would be. Juliet puts herself in a difficult place. You will also find that the ending will be unexpected. I cannot wait for the next book! Highly recommend! I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
261 reviews2 followers
July 21, 2019
Great beginning for this new series and regency mystery.

Bethany Swafford writes amazing and beautiful books that are both well written and cleverly scripted with a great cast of characters. In this new series, The Sinclair Society, book1 "Regency Rumors", we are introduced to Juliet Sinclair as she endeavors to unearth the truth surrounding the lives and deaths of her family members.
Profile Image for Heather W.
4,053 reviews31 followers
June 27, 2019
She doesn't belong there.

An unusual and engaging suspense story with a great plot. Juliet takes a position as a lady's maid in the Burnham house to try to get to the bottom of the rumours surrounding the family. This is a very suspenseful story and I am looking forward to the next in the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Barbara.
18.6k reviews8 followers
June 27, 2019
Book one in The Sinclair Society Series a well written story that ends with Juliet continuing her search for her brothers killer. This book had me turning pages and I know I want to read the next book. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
3 reviews
January 2, 2023
Regency Rumors is an engaging mystery. Juliet Sinclair is the lone survivor of her family which was accused of being traitors. She must disprove the rumor in order to clear the names of her father and older brother and in order to secure her future. But what if the rumor is true? Already one suitor has deserted her. Although the setting for this mystery is near London in the early 19th Century, the story is told in easy-to-understand modern language (no two-page sentences full of commas and semicolons). I see this series as good for someone who wants to read about ladies in long dresses who ride in carriages without having to decipher archaic vocabulary and muddle through sentence structures used by persons actually living back then. The action in Regency Rumors is well paced and there are adequate surprises in the story to keep the reader engaged. The end of the book is not the end of the story. If you want all of the answers, you have to read all three books. If you love books with sequels, this series is for you. There was one innuendo between married minor characters near the end of the book, but this book is free from graphically intimate scenes. The language is clean. I greatly appreciated not being dragged into the gutter. I was provided a complimentary version of the book to review. I give this book 4 stars. I reserved a star because of the innuendo and some editorial mishaps. I am looking forward to the next book.
3,742 reviews19 followers
April 25, 2025
Julie Sinclair lost her brother and parents about five years ago. Recently, suspicious rumors have surfaced that the Sinclairs were traitors, selling British secrets to the French and Napoleon. Julie lives with her great-aunt Beth but is disconcerted about the newspaper rumors. She decides to speak to Mr. Burnham, the person her father was going to visit when he died. However, when she arrives, Julie is hired as a lady's maid to Mrs. Burnham and her daughter.

The author intelligently comments several times on the unsuitability of a lady working in service at another family's home. This is essentially the problem with this story. If Julie were caught by society doing such a thing, even for the most valid of reasons, she would be ostracized, and no gentleman would marry her. However, Julie does it anyway.

This mystery plot line moves slowly. Of course, Julie must become part of the household before she can do any sleuthing. However, I found the story unlikely and unrealistic. Overall score = G+.

The Sinclair Society Series
** 1. Regency Rumors (2022)
2. The Debutante (2023)
186 reviews1 follower
February 21, 2024
an unlikely scenerio🤔

given that the premise of this tale is as unlikely as Alice becoming Allen, it should suffice to say that if you read it, you'll just have to buy it, else there would have to be another and even more unlikely misadventure, whatever that may be. so I had an attitude problem as I scrolled ever downward, squinting very time the big breaks panned out in the heroine's favor. it is nevertheless less well idea-ed once accepted as a manuscript worth typing. three stars is there only for turning a historical novel into a fairy tale. Alice, move over..!
9 reviews
March 9, 2024
I didn’t think the book was anything special while I was reading it (it passed the time and was entertaining, but the character did some very enraging things like not fully reading letters she received and the whole initiating scene where she “couldn’t clear up the misunderstanding� was a ham fisted use of a very hated trope) but i was engaged enough at the end to continue the series. I was not thrilled by the last book ending set up for a next book, but there is no indication it will continue and this series doesn’t even appear on the author’s barebones website.
1,151 reviews2 followers
May 19, 2022
Sweet and clean Regency mystery with a lovely cover maintains one's attention though out. Juliet inadvertently takes a job as a ladies' maid in a household that may provide the details to the demise of her brother and parents. Stayed up to three am to read it just to discover it is a cliffhanger which doesn't suit many readers. If you're up to paying for the next book to continue with the mystery, this novel may be for you....
Profile Image for Annette Summerfield.
672 reviews16 followers
January 6, 2024
Just a warning, the story does not end. It is to be continued.
Juliet's adventures kept me interested. I feel sorry for those she had to leave. I'm sure they will miss her.
This was a free book. I'm going to find the reviews for the next book and see what I can find out, then move on. Even though some of the free books have following books that need to bought, I still enjoy the free ones. I have many more free books to pick from next.
648 reviews5 followers
May 25, 2024
Very different type of Regency. I can see Juliet wanting to figure out what happened to her parents and brother, but I have a hard time believing she would become a lady's maid in order to find out, or that her aunt would allow it.
The story was well-written, there was suspense, danger, but I just had a whole problem with a lady becoming a maid. The fact it was so well written is why I gave it four stars instead of less.
2,159 reviews3 followers
February 9, 2024
warning� absolutely the worse cliffhanger yet

Total cliffhanger all the way around and left even more questions than before. I do not read cliffhangers with absolutely no ending to at least the romance. I am writing this to warn anyone who feel as I do. There should be some indication in the description to warn people like me. They would avoid a one star rating that way
Profile Image for BriaKnits & Reads.
446 reviews2 followers
July 2, 2024
If you like historical mystery fiction with a dash of romance, you will like this read. It was delightfully entertaining although with a little bit of unrealistic situations that had me scratching my head in confusion, it was a good story.

I liked it enough to want to read the second book in this series.
Profile Image for One Sentence Audio Critic.
926 reviews18 followers
August 8, 2022
This is a great little 2019 Regency romance mystery. But audiobook addicts BEWARE ! This is book 1 of 5 in a series and the only one available in audiobook format. Some in series do not have ebook availability. Good narration.
Profile Image for Bonnie Klein.
345 reviews
October 17, 2022
I’m disappointed that this is basically a cliffhanger, plus I assumed it was also a romance. However it was a good story and I liked the main character as well as some of the secondary ones. There was definitely some tension which kept me guessing and turning pages.
297 reviews
April 29, 2023
A New Kind of Heroin

Very interesting story plot with ladies of higher rack in the society of little to no useful skills but to marry well. Miss Sinclair disguises herself as a ladies maid to investigate why her late family's name were called traitors to the crown.
Profile Image for J.C. Holmberg.
AuthorÌý1 book6 followers
February 18, 2024
Good

The book eventually grew interesting, but I almost stopped reading several
times before the author finally explained what the protagonist's goal was 14 per cent of the way into the book.
87 reviews1 follower
March 12, 2024
REGENCY RUMORS (Sinclair Series BOOK 1)

I gave this a 5 star rating simply because it was a good story. Also because it wasn't drowning in typos and misplaced verb tenses which is my greatest pet peeve, I am pleased to recommend this book,
18 reviews1 follower
Read
June 8, 2022
Not worth the time. All "rumors" and gossip with no real substance.
195 reviews2 followers
April 14, 2023
intriguing

This story kept my interest throughout. Good writing with a few errors but not many. Looking forward to reading the next installment in Juliet’s story.
176 reviews1 follower
April 24, 2023
Recency Rumors

I read the whole book, although it was not particularly well written. Obviously not an experienced author. Hopefully, the second book in the series will be better.
34 reviews
September 17, 2023
Once again duped into reading a cliff hanger! A great read otherwise, but even so I’m disappointed.
263 reviews3 followers
October 24, 2023
Simply superb

I love period dramas, I love murder mysteries. This book has it all, I very much enjoyed it. A very hard to put down book. It's a great read.
480 reviews13 followers
February 11, 2024
I enjoyed this story of Juliet trying to clear her family’s name.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews

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