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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
No
2.5-3 stars
Sadly, this ended up being my least favorite of the series. The book started off pretty slow and I only continued because I’m such a fan of Lorret’s work. I ended up falling for Thea and Jasper, but that made it worse when things went off the rails towards the end. The third act drama was frustrating and the ending was rushed and abrupt. Everything is told to the reader in an info dump right at the end. I think the author was trying to close all the plot points, but instead it left me feeling unsatisfied and with more questions than answers. Where was the reckoning with the villain where he gets his comeuppance? Where was the groveling? I wanted to love this one, but it just didn’t hit the spot.
Sadly, this ended up being my least favorite of the series. The book started off pretty slow and I only continued because I’m such a fan of Lorret’s work. I ended up falling for Thea and Jasper, but that made it worse when things went off the rails towards the end. The third act drama was frustrating and the ending was rushed and abrupt. Everything is told to the reader in an info dump right at the end. I think the author was trying to close all the plot points, but instead it left me feeling unsatisfied and with more questions than answers. Where was the reckoning with the villain where he gets his comeuppance? Where was the groveling? I wanted to love this one, but it just didn’t hit the spot.
Content Warnings
CW: death of parents (past), financial insecurity, gaslighting from previous suitor, emotional and physical abuse, grief, assault and attempted sexual assault
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
This Much Is True by Vivienne Lorret is a first person dual-POV Regency romance. Aspiring playwright Thea is on her third season and looking to regain her confidence, so she invents a highwayman to capture the ton’s attention. Unfortunately for her, Jasper is a highwayman and a viscount who needs her to stop creating tall tales in order for his own plans to escape from under his uncle’s thumb to succeed.
One of the things I really liked was how much Thea loves the world of theater and how being creative is a huge part of herself and her family. Her confidence was destroyed by Kemmell, a playwright who said her work wasn’t worth anything as a way to keep her down and a large part of Thea’s story is her getting over her feelings for him and removing the power he still has over her. I loved watching her slowly pull further and further away from him as she moved closer to Jasper.
Jasper’s storyline is darker than Thea’s as his uncle has been harming young women for yeast and hiding it with his power and influence. While both Jasper and Thea are held back by men with more influence than them, Jasper’s uncle is, by far, more dangerous. One of the main reasons Jasper allows the ton to think he’s unintelligent and can’t think for himself is because it serves his uncle’s purposes and keeps his uncle away from Jasper’s aunt and cousins. At least, that’s what Jasper hopes.
There’s a subtle Beauty and the Beast quality to Jasper and Thea’s romance, with Thea valued highly for her looks while the women of the ton are afraid of Jasper for his size and what they have been told about him from his uncle. Thea is the one who pushes for their relationship to really start with Jasper being a bit harder to convince that he deserves a happily ever after at all. He’s a man with a good heart and even better intentions no matter what life throws at him and Thea is a woman with ambitions outside the expectations for women of her time. It’s a very fun play on the classic set-up.
Content warning for mentions of sexual assault
I would recommend this to fans of Regency romance with Beauty and the Beast elements and readers looking for a historical romance where the female lead is a creative
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Another solid addition to The Liar's Club series! Vivienne Lorret is very good at writing an engaging ton-centric romance, and she always brings her trademark humor, but I was still surprised by how dark this This Much Is True was compared to the rest of this series thus far, just because of the extent of the villain's abuses, even if it is (mostly) off-page.
The other thing you can always count on Vivienne Lorret to deliver is a certain kind of heroine— quirky without being irritating, and containing a lot more depth than than you expect. Althea comes off as a bit of a ditzy theater geek, ready to go wherever her muse takes her, but she has some very real confidence issues after a suitor wrecked havoc on her self-esteem the prior year. Still, she's coming out of her rut and ready to tackle her third season except she's held up by a hot highwayman, which both bolsters and fucks with her reputation, plus she's weirdly into the shy, bumbling Jasper Trueblood, Viscount St. James...
....who isn't shy or bumbling at all, as you can guess if you read the blurb. But for all that he metes out vigilante justice and is determined to bring is evil uncle down, he's ultimately a softhearted guy... a nice guy without being a Nice Guy. Even his (immediate!) obsession with Thea feels gentle, if that makes sense, and it's exactly what Thea needs, as someone who grew up with the example of openly-affectionate parents, but only ever had romantic disappointment herself. Plotwise, it doesn't take Thea very long to figure out Jasper's secret identity, so much of it is focused taking down the evil uncle while Jasper is unable to make Thea any promises out of fear for her safety, but can't stop himself from wanting her either..
The sex:
Despite getting some of the more comprehensive sex ed I've read in a historical (with puppets!) Althea did not.... quite comprehend what it was all about until she meets Jasper. Like, Jasper is pretty much her sexual awakening. The sex itself takes a little longer to get to (there's more than one self-cock-blocking scene because Jasper feels like he has too much baggage to bang her lol), but standout moment for me is the oral-vaguely thrusting in-BACK TO ORAL-back to sticking it in sequence because Jasper is a big big man and Althea isn't complaining about being eaten out twice over.
Overall:
As far as traditionally published historicals go, Vivienne Lorret's works remind me the most of books from ten... twenty years ago— there's a certain amount of slapstick humor and general comedy, it's still fairly light even when shit gets dark— but the actual romance and sex positivity feel very 2020s. If that's your jam, you'll enjoy The Much is True.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the advanced copy.
Rating: 4/5
Heat Level: 3.25/5
Pub Date: July 1st
The other thing you can always count on Vivienne Lorret to deliver is a certain kind of heroine— quirky without being irritating, and containing a lot more depth than than you expect. Althea comes off as a bit of a ditzy theater geek, ready to go wherever her muse takes her, but she has some very real confidence issues after a suitor wrecked havoc on her self-esteem the prior year. Still, she's coming out of her rut and ready to tackle her third season except she's held up by a hot highwayman, which both bolsters and fucks with her reputation, plus she's weirdly into the shy, bumbling Jasper Trueblood, Viscount St. James...
....who isn't shy or bumbling at all, as you can guess if you read the blurb. But for all that he metes out vigilante justice and is determined to bring is evil uncle down, he's ultimately a softhearted guy... a nice guy without being a Nice Guy. Even his (immediate!) obsession with Thea feels gentle, if that makes sense, and it's exactly what Thea needs, as someone who grew up with the example of openly-affectionate parents, but only ever had romantic disappointment herself. Plotwise, it doesn't take Thea very long to figure out Jasper's secret identity, so much of it is focused taking down the evil uncle while Jasper is unable to make Thea any promises out of fear for her safety, but can't stop himself from wanting her either..
The sex:
Despite getting some of the more comprehensive sex ed I've read in a historical (with puppets!) Althea did not.... quite comprehend what it was all about until she meets Jasper. Like, Jasper is pretty much her sexual awakening. The sex itself takes a little longer to get to (there's more than one self-cock-blocking scene because Jasper feels like he has too much baggage to bang her lol), but standout moment for me is the oral-vaguely thrusting in-BACK TO ORAL-back to sticking it in sequence because Jasper is a big big man and Althea isn't complaining about being eaten out twice over.
Overall:
As far as traditionally published historicals go, Vivienne Lorret's works remind me the most of books from ten... twenty years ago— there's a certain amount of slapstick humor and general comedy, it's still fairly light even when shit gets dark— but the actual romance and sex positivity feel very 2020s. If that's your jam, you'll enjoy The Much is True.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the advanced copy.
Rating: 4/5
Heat Level: 3.25/5
Pub Date: July 1st
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
This was actually so good and quite fun!
Althea is in her third season (gasp!!!!) and trying to find herself after falling for the WORST man. She also writes plays! St. James is a viscount but his uncle has everyone thinking he’s mentally incompetent. He has also taken in an orphaned boy and a wolf dog and takes care of his aunt and cousins.
A series of events leads Althea to 1. Start telling this story about a highwayman that maybe hits too close to home for St. James and 2. Realizes that St. James is actually her playwriting muse. The more time they spend together, the harder they fall. But he is convinced they can’t be together without 1. Her becoming a social pariah 2. His evil uncle stepping in to make sure it doesn’t happen and 3 the ton accepting him.
There is DRAMA. There is INTRIGUE. I loved the ROMANCE. They were actually so uplifting to each other and both such great people to everyone around them. You honestly can’t help but root for them from the moment they meet.
Althea is in her third season (gasp!!!!) and trying to find herself after falling for the WORST man. She also writes plays! St. James is a viscount but his uncle has everyone thinking he’s mentally incompetent. He has also taken in an orphaned boy and a wolf dog and takes care of his aunt and cousins.
A series of events leads Althea to 1. Start telling this story about a highwayman that maybe hits too close to home for St. James and 2. Realizes that St. James is actually her playwriting muse. The more time they spend together, the harder they fall. But he is convinced they can’t be together without 1. Her becoming a social pariah 2. His evil uncle stepping in to make sure it doesn’t happen and 3 the ton accepting him.
There is DRAMA. There is INTRIGUE. I loved the ROMANCE. They were actually so uplifting to each other and both such great people to everyone around them. You honestly can’t help but root for them from the moment they meet.
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have to say this book started off a bit much for me, a lot of inner dialogue had me reading slower than I usually do. As soon as we hit the 50 page mark I felt more excited, the chemistry between the two characters is what I love seeing in romance. They clearly are two very different people who are going through complications in their lives. But their commonality is their disinterest in snobbery which is a big part of their society’s class. You wouldn’t think it from how it started but the small bits of humor that come out from the characters had me laughing out loud like a crazy person. Giving no inclination to their small bits of dry humor thrown in it completely catches me off guard. The two characters have these small moments of intimacy that were perfectly placed and described nothing too dramatic for the book. Giving them a good amount of passion between them. Having them both come to terms for their feelings for each other and recognizing their faults. I found very endearing that it was mentioned and their need to work through some of their problems. I had a great time reading the book and the characters a perfect escape.
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager publishing I received a ARC for an honest review !
Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager publishing I received a ARC for an honest review !
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Heat Index: 6/10
—theater kid energy
—secret highwayman
—supposed dumbass, secret badass
The Basics:
Jasper Trueblood, Viscount St. James, is a highwayman on the low—and so far, his "total buffoon" facade has been working to keep the ton off his scent. Except Althea "Thea" Hartley, aspiring playwright, started writing tales of a highwayman that are a little too close to reality... A problem that intensifies when, one night, Thea and the highwayman run into each other. And she wants his mask off.
The Review:
Vivienne Lorret has a certain lighthearted sparkliness to her writing that always lifts the mood. While she doesn't shy away from emotional weight, her Hartley sisters series has been even more so on the brighter side than the previous books of hers I've read. These are theater kids, and Thea is perhaps the most of all of them, in all their geekery. They come from a loving family, their parents' adore each other—it's all rather sweet.
But Thea isn't without her damage, and a lot of this novel's pathos come from her past trauma from a relationship with a man who put her down and demolished her confidence. Which is why it's so lovely to see her with a man who, despite his best efforts, adores her Jasper does. He really doesn't want to like this girl, y'all. She's causing him so many problems. Nonetheless, their chemistry sparks immediately, and boy is he enraptured.
Jasper... does not come from a good family. In fact, he has an evil uncle along the lines of an old school romance villain (which is where the other degree of weight enters the story—there are some harrowing elements), hence the highwayman thing. He's not a bad highwayman; he just steals enough to build up some degree of protection for his loved ones. Which.... I get, but I won't lie, I could've used a bit more of the bad boy here. Lorret holds back a bit on the edginess inherent to highwaymen. It's not that there isn't adventure! I just could've used a little more threat from Jasper, even if he is ultimately a good guy.
But here's the thing: Ultimately, we're here for a bit of a romp with some soft feelings, and that's what you're going to get. There's a tenderness to the way Jasper and Thea interact. He's smitten by her tendency toward melodrama, and his smitten kitten-ness helps rebuild her confidence. Which isn't to say she's saved by a boy, or whatever. If you're looking for a hero who falls hard, you'll get that here (and honestly, it's kind of a Lorret hallmark).
I did notice that this one has a lot of internal dialogue, especially in the beginning. I could've used more interaction earlier between Thea and Jasper. The saving grace there is that Lorret can really put a pretty sentence together. Her writing is always strong. I just prefer a bit more kick, a bit faster.
One note—a running joke in this series is the sisters' mother giving them The Talk through a puppet show starring Lord Flaccid, Lady Content, and Lord Turgid. When I tell you. That this is one of the best running jokes. In a romance series. EVER. I mean it. I shall miss the quivering Lady Content (this novel had a particularly fabulous note about why Thea thought Lady Content was drawn to Lord Turgid... oh baby, you were so off-base, but I get it).
The Sex:
While the scenes in this novel aren't a lot more adventurous than what you'll find in many tradpub historical romances, the hits are there. And like I said... Lorret can write. That extends to the intimacy she imbues into sex scenes. It makes everything that much hotter.
The Conclusion:
I feel like many historical romances recently published lean a bit too hard into lightheartedness. What I enjoyed here is that there is that lightness, but it's not without emotionality—and a lot of that is down to the writing quality. I know Lorret has discussed venturing into contemporary romance next. But I really hope we see her in historicals again.
Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
—theater kid energy
—secret highwayman
—supposed dumbass, secret badass
The Basics:
Jasper Trueblood, Viscount St. James, is a highwayman on the low—and so far, his "total buffoon" facade has been working to keep the ton off his scent. Except Althea "Thea" Hartley, aspiring playwright, started writing tales of a highwayman that are a little too close to reality... A problem that intensifies when, one night, Thea and the highwayman run into each other. And she wants his mask off.
The Review:
Vivienne Lorret has a certain lighthearted sparkliness to her writing that always lifts the mood. While she doesn't shy away from emotional weight, her Hartley sisters series has been even more so on the brighter side than the previous books of hers I've read. These are theater kids, and Thea is perhaps the most of all of them, in all their geekery. They come from a loving family, their parents' adore each other—it's all rather sweet.
But Thea isn't without her damage, and a lot of this novel's pathos come from her past trauma from a relationship with a man who put her down and demolished her confidence. Which is why it's so lovely to see her with a man who, despite his best efforts, adores her Jasper does. He really doesn't want to like this girl, y'all. She's causing him so many problems. Nonetheless, their chemistry sparks immediately, and boy is he enraptured.
Jasper... does not come from a good family. In fact, he has an evil uncle along the lines of an old school romance villain (which is where the other degree of weight enters the story—there are some harrowing elements), hence the highwayman thing. He's not a bad highwayman; he just steals enough to build up some degree of protection for his loved ones. Which.... I get, but I won't lie, I could've used a bit more of the bad boy here. Lorret holds back a bit on the edginess inherent to highwaymen. It's not that there isn't adventure! I just could've used a little more threat from Jasper, even if he is ultimately a good guy.
But here's the thing: Ultimately, we're here for a bit of a romp with some soft feelings, and that's what you're going to get. There's a tenderness to the way Jasper and Thea interact. He's smitten by her tendency toward melodrama, and his smitten kitten-ness helps rebuild her confidence. Which isn't to say she's saved by a boy, or whatever. If you're looking for a hero who falls hard, you'll get that here (and honestly, it's kind of a Lorret hallmark).
I did notice that this one has a lot of internal dialogue, especially in the beginning. I could've used more interaction earlier between Thea and Jasper. The saving grace there is that Lorret can really put a pretty sentence together. Her writing is always strong. I just prefer a bit more kick, a bit faster.
One note—a running joke in this series is the sisters' mother giving them The Talk through a puppet show starring Lord Flaccid, Lady Content, and Lord Turgid. When I tell you. That this is one of the best running jokes. In a romance series. EVER. I mean it. I shall miss the quivering Lady Content (this novel had a particularly fabulous note about why Thea thought Lady Content was drawn to Lord Turgid... oh baby, you were so off-base, but I get it).
The Sex:
While the scenes in this novel aren't a lot more adventurous than what you'll find in many tradpub historical romances, the hits are there. And like I said... Lorret can write. That extends to the intimacy she imbues into sex scenes. It makes everything that much hotter.
The Conclusion:
I feel like many historical romances recently published lean a bit too hard into lightheartedness. What I enjoyed here is that there is that lightness, but it's not without emotionality—and a lot of that is down to the writing quality. I know Lorret has discussed venturing into contemporary romance next. But I really hope we see her in historicals again.
Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC copy! This story did not disappoint and I might just have to check out some of the authors other works.
We see our girl (Althea Hartley) work to prove herself as a playwright even though the odds are against her and she’s also trying to help the Highway man (St. James) unveil himself to be his fullest potential. Throughout the book, we see their chemistry blossom all for it to come to a satisfactory conclusion.
We see our girl (Althea Hartley) work to prove herself as a playwright even though the odds are against her and she’s also trying to help the Highway man (St. James) unveil himself to be his fullest potential. Throughout the book, we see their chemistry blossom all for it to come to a satisfactory conclusion.