Leanna

I recently read an ARC of Secrets and Sacrifices by Cath Lauria. My husband and I have been playing a Call of Cthulhu tabletop campaign for going on 3 years with a group of friends and it has totally sucked my into the mythos that Lovecraft created.
 If you know me you know I LOVE a good romance so when I found out about Secrets and Sacrifices I had to read it! As I read, I ended up jokingly calling this book “Pride and Prejudice and Cthulhu” because the LI gave me MAJOR Mr. Darcy vibes. I think I preferred the romance aspect of this story more than the mythos related mystery that drove the plot. The progress felt a little too fast and too slow at the same time. Cassandra's whole plan was immediately ruined in the first couple chapters by the arrival of Thomas but she was quickly able to pivot and come up with a new plan.
The mystery aspects felt a little too easy and predictable, but it was fun to read nonetheless. I felt there were a few missed opportunities as far as the consequences of a well known figure also being a devout cultist, but without spoiling anything, there was a character death near the end that genuinely made me gasp with surprise. Honestly I felt maybe the author was too focused on giving the reader a HEA but as someone who has played Call of Cthulhu and other games in the Arkham family as much as I have, it felt a little unrealistic but it was still a fun read.
Cassandra and Thomas's romance kept my giggling and swooning through the whole story. “Regency couple solves a mystery and falls in love” might be one of my new favorite genres! 
Overall, I give Secrets and Sacrifices a 3.5/5 and recommend it for those who like regency mysteries as well as those who are fans of Lovecraft stories!