This Much Is True

The Liar's Club #3

by Vivienne Lorret

USA Today bestselling author Vivienne Lorret returns with the third book in her Liars’ Club series with a sexy and hilarious romance about a thrill-seeking debutante and a highwayman who is more than he seems on the surface…

Althea Hartley has lost her spark. As the youngest daughter of an eccentric family, playwrighting is in her blood. But two failed Seasons have left her disenchanted. In desperate need of inspiration, she takes matters into her own hands by creating a tale of a dashing highwayman. What could possibly go wrong?

But her stories prove to be a little too true for the actual highwayman living beneath the tons’ nose.

Jasper Trueblood, Viscount St. James, needs to put an end to the bewitching Miss Hartley’s incriminating tales. Society can never suspect that he isn’t the clumsy oaf he pretends to be. Or that, under the cover of darkness, he greets scoundrels and lightens their purses. Not too much. Just enough to keep those closest to him safe from his menacing uncle.

Then sparks fly when this unlikely pair meets one perfect night. And while she is eager to unmask him, he is determined to stay hidden. But there’s no denying the chemistry that neither of them are able to resist…

The only thing for certain is that Thea needs to guard her heart before the highwayman steals it.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Regency, Fiction

380 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2025

About the author

USA Today bestselling author VIVIENNE LORRET writes fun and steamy Regency historical romances. She lives in the Midwest where she coaxes words out of giant mugs of tea and attempts to jot them down before they can escape. For her entire catalog of books, including the Liars’ Club, her latest series from Avon, please visit www.vivlorret.net

Reviews

[Becky (romantic_pursuing_feels) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: Some of my goodreads shelves can be spoilers

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞 (the paper flowers were really romantic to me)
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes
Perspective: third person perspective from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? slow to medium
When mains are first on page together: It takes a touch – about 11% in
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever
Epilogue: No
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy through NetGalley in e-book form
Why I chose this book: I love Lorret’s writing and want to read all her books! She has a lot of my fave romances
Mains: This is a M/F romance between a cishet hero and heroine
(Descriptions found at end of my review)

Should I read in order?
Ideally yes, because the family is adorable and you get a feel for the whole family structure and their love for drama – there are some sections with mentions of previous events from prior books as well as page time with the other couples. BUT overall this romance does stand alone and I don’t think you will lose anything from their story necessarily to pick it up alone.

Basic plot:
Jasper and Althea keep meeting in clumsy encounters, but Althea quickly sees there’s more than meets the eye after a night with a highwayman.

Give this a try if you want:
- Regency?
- author/playwright heroine
- viscount hero
- highwayman
- pets – hero has a dog
- hero makes paper flowers
- he’s her muse
- size difference – this hero is huge
- secret identity
- heroine’s mother performs a play about Lord Turgid and Lady Content using puppets for sex education 😆
- celibate hero
- medium steam – 3ish scenes with a slower burn

Ages:
- hero is 24, didn’t catch heroine but would guess similar, or a bit younger

First line:
Althea Hartley didn’t need a miracle.

My thoughts:
So, I did like this one. But I just felt like it wasn’t as good as the other two in the series, or the many other of Lorret’s that I have adored.

It’s still funny, sweet, romantic, and heart pulling and I definitely recommend – but for me personally I felt like a lot of their interactions felt like the same thing the first 3-4 meetings and this made their relationship feel more stagnant and repetitive to me. I loved this more unique hero – he steps back a bit from the heroine, definitely letting her take the lead in many situations. But I found I wanted him more motivated and not always running away from her.

I also wasn’t super sold on the ending. I wish it had been just a touch different in a few ways.

Still I will always give Lorret a chance and this one was still a run read! It’s just not my favorite of the series.

Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 11
Average rating from me: 4.36 stars
Favorite book: maaaaybe Ten Kisses to Scandal? She has no many good ones.

Quotes any typos are my own! I am bad with typos, I apologize


“I must say, your misfortune is my great fortune,” Chedworth said for the third time that evening...to her breasts.
Her breast offered no reply, but secretly wished they were adorned in porcupine quills that could fire at will.
---
As any proper highwayman out, he masked his identity with a strip of a black silk over half his face. The only thing she could see beneath that broadbrimmed hat was the outline of his mouth and the incipient emergence of a night beard beneath the skin along his chiseled jaw. Below that was a dark neckcloth. And he must have been wearing black shirtsleeves as well because she saw no glimpse of white through the open collar of a caped greatcoat.
He said nothing as he held her against his large body. But she could feel the strong thud of his heart as his breath fanned across her cheek, warm and spicy. His strong hands were positioned beneath her arms in the manner that one would catch a child hurled through the air. And she did, indeed, feel small against him. Fragile, too. He seemed to take additional care to shift his hold to her back as if he feared breaking her.
---
Fast as a whip, the highwayman’s arm shot out. Fist closing around the thick branch, he tossed it aside as if it were nothing more than a twig. Then he took Abernathy by the throat and lifted him to his toes.
Yes, even with the villainous viscount thrashing and clawing, the highwayman held her with sureness, keeping her from harm. In the process, his arm had snaked completely around her waist and she was pressed so fully against him that her face ended up an inch away from the crook of his shoulder.
Well, when in Rome...she thought, and gave in to the impulse.
“Are you” – he turned his head, the stubble along his jaw rasping softly against her cheek and she went still, midbreath, like a rabbit caught eating the lettuces – “unharmed?”
She exhaled in relief, glad he didn’t ask if she’d been sniffing him like fresh linens on the clothesline.
---
Beside him, she shifted, arranging the fall of her skirt in a way that brought her arm closer to him. Her sleeve brushed his. He drew in a sharp breath, tasting her delicate floral perfume on his tongue. It made his mouth water.
His hands had been fisted over his thighs as if in self-preservation from the moment he sat down. But now a strange sort of madness bade him to open his palm, to slide his hand a fraction closer to that fall of blue silk. Unable to stop there, he arched one finger the slightest degree and brushed a knuckle against the fabric.
---
Her brow furrowed in perplexity. “How did you know my name?”
The boy was halfway through the door when he tossed over his shoulder, “You’re the only girl he ever talks about.”
---
Jasper knew she was speaking. He recognized the sounds by the way the consonants and vowels connected to form words. The only problem was, he forgot what words were.
Most of the blood in his brain had descended en masse to southern climes. And the small amount that remained in his skull was busy conjuring a vision of painting her entire body with jam then slowly licking it off. Very, very slowly.
“Mmm...this cheese is heavenly. St. James? Are you making paper flowers in your mind?”
---
He searched her gaze. “Then what happens?”
“Then it feels like the whole word just” – her breath hitched when he reached up and his fingertips dragged softly against her cheek, tucking an errant tendril behind her ear – “opens up, and I feel…”
His nose slid along hers and he closed his eyes as if the sensation needed to be savored.
---
Thea forgot that she wasn’t particularly fond of kissing.
As St. James moved his mouth over hers, she forgot about a lot of things, like how to breathe. How to think.
---
A pent-up exhale left him as he turned his head. “Don’t look at me like that.”
“I don’t know what you mean.” She sniffed. “I’m not looking at you in any particular way.”
“Aye, you are. Like I’ve burned your entire village to the ground, kicked your dog and now I’m just going to drive away and leave you to live in a potato sack beneath the bridge.”
---
Thea wasn’t entirely convinced. Truth be told, she’d assumed her mother had been exaggerating the size of Lord Turgid for shock value. Now she wondered if she’d minimized it to spare her daughters from the truth.



Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.

- narcissistic family member that is physically and sexually abusive to characters on page
- heroine is recovering from a toxic relationship where the man was very mentally and emotionally abusive to her
Author content warnings? None listed


Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:

Safe sex: No
How’s the consent? It’s good
Pregnancy/children in story? The risk of pregnancy is there and thoughts of possible pregnancy but no children or pregnancy on page
41% - kisses
58% - kisses
67% - 🔥kisses, fingering for her
73% - 🔥kisses that eventually leads to oral for her, missionary
”So sweet,” he murmured, his eyes drifting closed, and added as if to himself, “all mine.”
81% - implied start of a bj
83% - 🔥kisses, her on top


Extra stuff like what my review breakdown means, where to find me, and book clubs


Full break down on what my ratings above mean here:
Overall: How I felt about it everything considered!
Readability: How ‘readable’ was the book? Did I fly through it? Did I have to tell myself to pick it back up repeatedly? Were any passages confusing? (I will probably score like (1) is literally unreadable due to formatting/typing errors, etc (2) There were lots of errors that made it difficult to read OR It was extremely confusing and I had to reread passages to make sense of it OR I disliked it so much I had to bribe myself to keep reading (3) I didn’t really want to keep reading and would have preferred to abandon the read and start something else OR some minor continuity issues/confusion (4) I liked it fine, maybe a minor error or 2. I was happy to pick it up when I had time. (5) I never wanted to put this down. I thought about it when I wasn’t reading it. I hid in the bathroom from my kids to read. I threw inappropriate food at my children for dinner so I could read instead.)
Feels: Totally subjective to each person but did the book give me any tingles? Any butterflies? Did it rip my heart out (in a good way?)
Emotional depth: How well do I feel I know the characters at the end? How much did I feel their emotions throughout the story?
Sexual tension: Again, subjective, but how strong was the wanting and longing to me between the characters? A book might have strong sexual tension without a single touch.
Romance: Was there romance? Did romantic things happen? This can be actions/words/thoughts of the characters and again is subjective.
Sensuality: This is how the intimate scenes are written. Kisses and sexual scenes – how sensual were they? Were they on the mechanical side? Was there emotional pull tied in? Were the details explicit or flowery? These are subjective but generally (1) too short to get a good judgement (2) not all what I'm looking for - very vague or flowery prose (3) either not explicit enough or not enough emotional pull (too mechanical/physically descriptive without the emotions) (4) what I love in a scene (5) absolute perfection - perfect balance of emotional longing and explicit descriptions
Sex Scene Length: How long the bedroom scenes are (generally (1) is 1-3 sentences (2) is a few paragraphs to a page-ish (3) is about average, a few pages (4) more well developed scenes, quite a few pages with descriptions (5) the majority of the book takes place in the bedroom. This is always hard to tell for me on audio!
Steam Scale: Generally, each flame is a scene. If scenes are super close together I sometimes combine them. If a scene is super short or so vague I don’t know what’s happening, I don’t count it. There’s some levels of grey but generally the number of flames is how many sex scenes there are (I max out at 5 so I’ll put a + after if there’s more than that)


Find me
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Book Clubs
The Ton and the Tartans (Historical Romance)
Upturned Petticoats and Undone Cravats (Historical Romance with Steam Requirements)
A Love Less Ordinary (Science Fiction, Paranormal, Monster, Fantasy)
Modern Manuscripts (Contemporary Romance)
Words for the Wicked (Contemporary Romance with Steam Requirements)
Vintage Romance (Old School Romance – published 2000 and prior)

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Liars Club #3. 4.25 stars. Upon their first meeting there’s an instant “something” between our sweet heroine Thea, and our dapper hero, Jasper - the Viscount St. James, a protector always sacrificing for others.
As their friendship grows so does their connection. Out of all the couples in this series I like this one best. They are a match made in heaven feeling the same aloneness deep in their core, that is before meeting the other.
Jasper is a bigger built man who puts on a falsehood that he’s a bumbling simpleton, and is deemed mentally unfit by his uncle, the Earl (who’s a real piece of work ugh). But actually.. Jasper is none of those things but a highwayman fighting for good as in a literal Robin Hood, who also protects his aunt and cousins from his evil uncle. He’s even rescued an orphan boy and a wounded young wolf, now his pet, and gifted his own handmade paper roses to Thea.. *heart-melting*
As for our heroine Thea, she had been brushed off in the worst way by her now ex, and is still healing those wounds. Something you don’t see often in an HEA is that these two characters reveal they’re not perfect, and that’s what makes them feel so genuine and delightful. I can’t wait to see where Vivienne Lorret takes us next. ❥ Pub. 7/1/25

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Lori Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you haven't read this author, you're missing out on some of the best regency romance available. (I recommend the entire series for The Liars' Club.) Thea and Jasper are perfect together. I've cried a few times, laughed out loud, and I cheered them on.
Jasper is a unique hero in many ways, but he's top of the charts where it matters: heroic, puts the welfare of others above his own needs, super-protective, and of course, sexy.
Thea (Althea) is unique, too, being a talented playwright - but with insecurities. She's big-hearted, accepting of others, and her interactions with the elder woman sponsoring her season are beyond touching. Love, love, love this book. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Stacee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read and enjoyed the previous books in this series, so there was no way I was going to miss this one.

I really liked Thea and Jasper. They're both good people who feel alone and it was nice to read them connect to each other. The interest between them is instant and the chemistry builds throughout their meetings. There are a good amount of characters in this one, but nothing too confusing.

Plot wise, it was okay. There are a lot of moving pieces and at times it did feel like not everything was as fleshed out as it could have been. I wanted a bit more: more with the highwayman, more of Thea standing up for herself, more at the ending.

Overall, it was a great addition to the series and I can't wait for whatever is next.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

[eyes.2c · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dangerous game!

Into her third season, Althea Hartley, from an eccentric creative family is not looking forward to this latest round in London. Last season she had her playwriting hopes shot down by her romantic hope, playwrite and swine, Sir Kellum Archer. Althea has lost her mojo!
Jasper Trueblood, Viscount St. James is playing the long game. He’s his despicable uncle’s heir. His unrepentant uncle punishes anyone involved with Jasper. Society however accepts Silas, the Earl of Redcliffe. They only see his perfect presentation, not his victims, not his venal attude, not those he’s sucked the life from.
Cohesive Control is Redcliffe’s game, his imperious disregard for all is hidden from his acquaintances, including the Prince Regent. Jasper plays the game by presenting himself as a bumbling awkward oaf.
Ahh! But by night Jasper is a highwayman robbing from those like his uncle to give to the needy.
When Jasper holds up the coach Althea finds herself in, Jasper doesn’t realize he’s met his match. Althea however feels the tingling that is a precursor to her mojo bursting forth. She was trying to climb up Jasper at that moment. Hmmm!
The attraction between the two is explosive. Jasper has to carefully negotiate his swinish uncle to obtain his inheritance. Redcliffe will not allow this. So it’s imperative no-one understands the true strength that is Jasper. (Slow down Althea!)
Of course Althea’s brilliant family lends a hand.
Meanwhile Althea’s storytelling does throw some boulders into Jasper’s path.
Fun, passionate, with a truly hateful villain, this tale is just what I wanted.

An Avon & Harper Voyager ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series so much! This family is just great. I’m holding my breath and hoping we will get a Truman book. He’s so sweet and mysterious and he could become my everything with his own book. Just saying.

Althea has gone off to London for a 3rd season but her goal isn’t really to find a husband. Her goal is to get her play writing groove back. She finds her muse in Viscount St. James who is an interesting character. He’s so much more than he seems.

Everyone in society knows who St. James is but they tend to see him has a bumbling oaf because of his cruel uncle. St. James just accepts his uncle cruelty because he has the money and power and St. James is just trying to protect the who people in his life he loves.

One person not quite in his life is Althea who he has loved from afar for a long time. Now she is causing him some problems and he has to get in her way to stop her 😏

[Sabrina]

DNF @ 45%

In Vivienne Lorret’s This Much Is True, the story follows the last of the Hartley sisters, Althea, as she sets out to find a husband during her third season. Of more importance, at least to her, all of her writing inspiration has left her and she is more-so looking forward to finding it again in London vs true love.

When Althea feels a spark of inspiration and starts spinning tall-tales about highwayman encounters, she catches the eye of the oof of society, the Viscount St. James, who seems to bear a striking resemblance to the highwayman of her stories…

While the premise of this story promises to be a rollicking good time, Lorret unfortunately lost me with her need to beat the reader over the head with so many repetitive details. Instead of trusting me to pick up what she was putting down, Lorret wanted to be sure the reader knew: St. James wasn’t an oof he was actually super intelligent and had A BIG SECRET WHAT COULD THAT SECRET BE (it’s revealed by the 25% mark that he is actually a highwayman) and that Althea had been gaslit by her previous romantic entanglement and that is why she lost her inspiration. Okay, but did you know St. James has a big secret? Are you sure? What about Althea’s previous romance - you know that went poorly, right? On and on in every inner-monologue of these two.

Because of this insistence that the reader understand everything but the developing romance, said romance SUFFERS. While I believed that St. James and Althea were developing something for one another, I was absolutely baffled when they share a kiss (after St. James kidnapped her btw so ‘she would be ruined if she ever spoke about their time together’ what even is that logic and how is that romantic???) and are all but ready to die for one another. I mean, take a look at this exchange:

“I can never have you,” he said against the corner of her mouth. (...) And he regretted every moment he’d spent with her.

“I know,” she said on an exhale. “We’re facing insurmountable obstacles, helplessly drawn to each other like star-crossed lovers.”

At this over dramatic declaration, after a kiss I didn’t care about, some very unromantic behavior from St. James (hidden in the spoilers), and more than half the book to go, there wasn't going to be any enjoyment for me with the rest of the story.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[book bruin · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

CW: death of parents (past), financial insecurity, gaslighting from previous suitor, emotional and physical abuse, grief, assault and attempted sexual assault

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

[Lady Bea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll start by saying that I was hooked from the first book I read by Mrs. Lorret and I made a point of reading all of her series at once.
And I confess that I was super anxious to read about Thea and who would be her partner. And it was worth every minute because Jasper & Thea, for me, are the best couple in this series!
Jasper stole my heart right from the first chapter! A true gentleman, noble, willing to make sacrifices to help and protect the one he loves even if he has to pretend to be an idiot to society.
And Thea is a sweetheart! I understand her insecurity because of that narcissistic idiot Kallum, but I loved seeing how she turned things around and became a Hartley again.
Their love for each other was what healed every broken piece.

But I'd like to leave a few observations about points that weren't so positive or that could have been better explored. Here's a little spoiler:

The plot with Jasper's uncle; I didn't think it was explored enough. There was still a lot of plot to develop, but I thought it lacked more details and the ending was kind of rushed. Jasper could have punched him a lot more, in my humble opinion, because I'm thirsty for blood (judge me).
Jasper's first time experience didn't have to be like that either. Poor guy! He didn't deserve to lose his virginity to an old, toothless prostitute. They could have left him a 100% virgin and it would have fit even better in the story, both because Jasper is huge (in every way...) and because his uncle "could" have used it against him.

And another thing that bothers me is that there's no epilogue!!!!!! I live for epilogues or extended epilogues that we access through the newsletter. I feel like an orphan in the VL books.

Other than these observations, the story is great, sweet, sensual in the right measure and I can't wait to read the next Act!

I received an ARC from Netgallery.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed. It was boring. The plot was bland. The characters had very little chemistry. I would read the other two in the series but skip this one.

[Liz Wickman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ending is super rushed. Heroine constantly making the grand gestures, hero rarely reciprocates, not enough grovelling to apologize for his actions

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Avon for a digital ARC of this title.

Thea and Jasper both have both faced abuse—Thea’s a romance the season before that has cut her self-esteem and frozen her creative inspiration, Jasper's a life living under his Uncle’s thumb. In wake of this, both of them face self-esteem issues. Thea and Jasper have to overcome societies’ limitations in order to find their HEA—but they also have to overcome the emotional guards they’ve put in place that make them think they have to face off against their challenges alone. It is about two love interests who can see through the ideas that society-at-large may have to the truth of a person. And it deals with very real stakes in both of their lives.

Thea is a fun and spunky heroine, even if I would have loved a hair more of the playwriting aspect beyond talk of her writing. I especially appreciated the moments of emotional vulnerability from her, like explorations of her feeling like the odd-man-out amidst her loving family, sensing that they don’t truly see her and that constantly relive memories she plays no part in, even if they still love her. And Jasper was a particularly compelling hero as he is not held in high esteem by society. Feeling a little bit Percy Blakeney inspired, yes, the secret identity as a highwayman is interesting, but it doesn’t come as much into play beyond Thea discovering his identity—until it is suddently *very* important. I think there were opportunities to more actively explore both of these aspects of both characters.

However, it is about Thea helping Jasper find the courage to fight for himself in society as hard as he has fought for others in the dark. At the same time, Jasper’s obstacles are very real. For instance, he initially tells Thea he cannot marry her if her reputation is compromised (purposefully this time to help protect his identity) as his uncle controls his entire estate, in essentially a conseravatorship.

“He’d been on the receiving end of his attacks for so long that all he’d known was the necessity to shield and protect. In fact, that was still his first impulse.”

The book explores how narcissists impact the lives of both Thea and Jasper (at one point even being named as such in a way that did have me googling if this was anachronistic). But also the more general havoc that narcissists in power—both in the arts and politics-- can wreak. And the idea that Jasper seeks vigilante justice in the first place because he knows the systems as they stand will continue to protect men like his uncle.

And still, this is balanced by, at times ridiculous (including frequent references to Thea’s mother’s birds and the bees puppet show, that has haunted Thea) humor and heart (Jasper leaving Thea paper flowers, his mother’s favorite). The first half feels like it leans into the humor and hijinks and secret identities a little more in order to really explore the emotional and societal stakes and angst of the second half. I have been known to critique a book, romances especially, when it feels like it avoids real emotional messiness, and, while I do think there were opportunities to dive even deeper in places here, I don’t think this book suffers from that problem, and Thea’s revelations at the end of the book, in particular, were cathartic.

The structure and third-person dual-POV of this was familiar and comforting. I do think there were places the pacing could have been slightly tightened, which may have also made room for some of those more active character explorations previously mentioned. I was a little sad there was no epilogue, but I’ll get over it.

Having missed the first titles in the series, this reads fine on its own, but I will definitely be swinging back.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance readers copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

This was a very anticipated release for me since I absolutely loved the first two books in the series. I was so excited to get an arc of this book. This sadly was not a new favorite but I loved it and highly recommend it!

With this series I really love how we are following the siblings and getting their romances. The couple set ups are some of my favorites of all time and this one really worked for me as well. We are following Althea and Jasper. Jasper being a scarred hero who is a secret highwayman and Althea is the youngest sisters who is aspiring to be a playwriter but has lost her creativity.

I feel like Lorret did an amazing job with both of these characters because they felt so complex and had so much character development. It never once felt overwhelming and made sense for who they are. Jasper is having to endure an abusive uncle and making people underestimate him to protect those he cares for and Althea just got out of an abusive relationship where her past boyfriend(?) always put her down and made her doubt her worth. These two were honestly a really good match and they helped each other learn that they can and deserve love and vulnerability. I also was a fan of all the side characters and appreciated how they added to the story and shows other aspects of the characters.

I did find the book to be really slow paces in the beginning and I wasn't a fan of how the relationship was developing in the first 30% - i.e not at all. I felt like the relationship felt awkward but once we hit the 45% mark that awkwardness started going away. I also was not the biggest fan of how long the conflict was at the end. I do want to say that I think this book fell victim to my reading slump when I started it back in February so my issues with the book may not apply to every readers.

Overall tho, I really enjoyed this book and found it fun! I really want the brothers romance in this series but only time will tell.

[Anamaria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! Huge thanks to the author and publisher for allowing me to read and review the ARC—it’s always such a treat.

I dove into this as soon as I received it and, unfortunately, put off writing my review because of grad school commitments. But looking back, I remember really enjoying it. Both main characters were incredibly engaging, and I appreciated that they were both young and in early 20s. It was refreshing to see this, especially since there tends to be a bigger age gap in many historical romances.

What really stood out to me was how both characters dealt with real-life struggles, especially the challenges of surviving a relationship with a narcissist. The author handled their different approaches to this in a thoughtful and well-developed way. I can’t go into too much detail without spoiling things, but it was an emotional and nuanced exploration.

The book definitely picked up after the first quarter. The initial attraction between the characters felt a bit rushed, which is why I deducted a star. I didn’t really understand why Althea would be drawn to Jasper at the start, aside from the fact that they’re the leads. It would’ve been great to see a bit more development there, but I’m hopeful the author has time to refine this aspect before the final release.

Overall, I’d rank this as the second-best book in the series, just behind the first one. Vivienne Lorette’s writing keeps improving, and I’m already excited to see what’s next—could it be Miss Snow’s story?

Question for the author and publisher:
I’m curious about the title of this book. It feels a bit random, and I’m not sure how it fits with the series or the genre. Was there a specific reason behind it, or is it still being finalized? Just something I’ve been wondering!

[Visionary Druid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Althea Hartley is the youngest child of a thespian-entric family. She dreams of becoming a playwright, but the callous words of another destroy her confidence. When her third season proves lackluster, Althea invents a tale about a highwayman. She never expected her story to be true. And the actual highwayman does not want her repeating the story. Will this mysterious fellow help Althea overcome her writer’s block?

Jasper Trueblood, Viscount St. James, plays the clumsy, dimwitted buffoon amongst his peers. At night, he relieves men like his diabolical uncle of their money and belongings. However, there is one individual who looks beyond his façade. Althea’s concocted story about a highwayman hit too close to the truth. Will Althea’s story blow his cover? Or will she help Jasper expose his uncle’s crimes to the public?

I empathize with Althea. She is an unfortunate victim to the insensitivity of a person envious of her ability. Althea got discouraged a lot; however, that did not stop her from attempting to re-spark her creativity. What I adore the most about Althea is how she never once ridiculed or looked down on Jasper. She even defended him regardless of repercussions. Althea also saw the man hiding behind the charade.

Jasper is such a sweetheart! My heart wept for all the atrocities and injustices that he endured! I like how that never once jaded him. Instead, it prompted Jasper to steal from people of his uncle’s ilk and give it to their victims.

THIS MUCH IS TRUE is the third book in Vivienne Lorret’s historical romance series, THE LIAR’S CLUB. The story can easily standalone. I suggest starting with the first book to better understand the Hartley family, their dynamic and eccentricities. The couples (Verity and Magnus and Honoria and Oscar) from the first two stories appear near the end.

I cannot wait for Truman’s story. Plus, I kind of hope the author plans to write a story for Jasper’s cousins, Tempest and Iris. Hint, hint, I kind of want Tempest to be paired with a certain captain (Summerhayes).

There is only one nitpick that kept the book from receiving a 5 stars. The situation between Althea and Kellum. It did not feel resolved to me. I expected more. I also wanted Jasper to be involved.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 for the majority of the book with the exception of the end. This was so close to being a 4 star.

I loved the premise, loved the characterization of Thea who up until now we’ve only really seen as a one liner tension breaking character. I was completely sold on Jasper and his traumatic story and the plight of his family under his uncle. I loved the maneuvering around the highwayman bit and the plot to make the ton see the uncle’s true colors. I even was down when the third act separation happened and was ready for a good wins over evil triumph with the help of the Duke of Sherbourne.

Then…Lorret did that thing she does where she takes it way too over the top - Thea’s play - while simultaneously making the story tie up its loose ends anticlimactically - Jasper’s charges are dropped. How? Why? Must the end be tanked every book? Gah. Infuriating. We don’t even get to see Jasper react to the fact that she’s with child???

I don’t know man, I really wish Lorret would stop absolutely killing it only to completely have the book fall apart last minute.

[Sven · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely book about two souls beaten down by others. Jasper and Althea just worked together emotionally, intellectually, and with their desire for each other. He's a protector, but she's a tiger, his tiger. Written very well, with humor, steam, and an emotional roller coaster along the way. The ending seemed a little unresolved, with the loose ends being tied hastily.

#netgalley #ThisMuchisTrue

[Hope Vollm · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Nicola “Shortbookthyme” · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven’t read the previous books in the series which I think put me at a disadvantage. I would like to go back and read the first books.
With that said, I enjoyed meeting Althea and Jasper. From their initial meeting onwards, this was a sweet, funny, regency read.
The chemistry between them builds up quite nicely. They both have their own personal struggles they are trying to deal with.
I do wish we were given an epilogue….it left us wondering how Jasper reacts(if you know, you know).

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Althea Hartley suffering from writer’s block, in her third season in London, when a faithful night the carriage she is traveling in is stopped by a highwayman, meets the masked highwayman and is inspired to write again. Jasper Trueblood, heir to his uncle, highwayman Robin Hood, and crushing hard on Althea. In public he is a bubbling mess while in private he is working double time to take down his abusive uncle and making sure to care for anyone close to him is not in his uncle’s warpath.
Althea’s inspiration returns each time she has an encounter with the highwayman, she has been dealing with self doubt and Jasper is the man who reassures her without knowing the cause to her self conflict. Althea and Jasper’s emotional connection was filled with banter and so many swoon worthy moments. In true Hartley Family chaos that ending was fantastic.


Thank you to Avon & Harper Voyager & NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Reading in Brussels · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite a bit disappointed with this one, to be honest. Books 1 and 2 were solid 4-star reads for me, but This Much Is True was less fun.
I am realising that Lorret writes subplots that take a lot of estate, here to the point of taking over the romance. I wish we had had more Thea × Jasper, because I loved their interactions. I think the subplot could have been more concise, and had given more room to the love story between Thea and Jasper.
Also, the kid in this story did not talk like a kid - he spoke like an adult.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

[Krystal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book SO much, yet it fell so flat that I found myself struggling to finish at times. First off, there were some character issues.

Starting with, I wish we had seen more of Jasper AS an actual highway man. I feel like the stakes would have been so much higher if the authorities were actively closing in. Instead, we get one made up story, and then one actual instance that in itself was a little weird (example how did Abernathy later clue in to the fact it was Jasper in the first place)? And speaking of Jasper, I really didn't need to be told that the ton considered him an "oaf" a "simpleton" or a "baboon" every few chapters. I get it. He is putting on the image he needs to in order to stay under his uncle's radar. Although, I never really did understand why he continued to do so once he had was nearing his majority. He could have ended the conservatorship then, but didn't. And his uncle? Was just an over-the-top villain with seemingly no real motivation. All I got from reading scenes with him was he enjoyed being a bully. He didn't need the money. He didn't need the prestige. He just enjoyed bullying everyone he considered beneath him.

Now let's look at Althea. I wanted to like her. A young woman in her third season who lost her sense of self the year prior after someone she looked up to tore apart the play she had written and her self-esteem along with it? What's not to like right? Especially when she figures out that the man she was so enamored with before was nothing but a pompous jerk. And yet, during the three times she comes face to face with him, not once does she display that backbone. Not once does she stand up for herself (not even when she finds out what he did). Instead, she is too busy declaring that she is in love with Jasper, when we haven't really seen a reason for her to have done so. Other than he is her "muse", and well.... he took certain liberties with her that I'm sure you can imagine. Even after he tells her they can have no immediate future she still clings to him, declaring her love.

And that leaves us with the plot. Which, due to the character flaws I stated above, I also had some issues with. Especially the ending. For everything that came before, and despite the way it was obviously intended to be dramatic, it felt very anti-climatic to me. And that's not even mentioning the utterly ridiculous plot point where in there is a play being performed in which Althea's heavily pregnant sister plays a debutante of all things.

Honestly, I think this series just wasn't for me as I do feel as though the author has a solid writing style with some good ideas, although as mentioned above there are some things I would have changed. However, I do believe this novel will appeal to those who are already fans of this series, or this author.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

[Nazmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Much is True is the third book in Vivienne Lorret’s The Liar’s Club series. It can be read as a standalone.
Althea Hartley, a disenchanted playwright and youngest daughter of an eccentric family, finds herself creatively inspired by inventing tales of a daring highwayman. Little does she know, her stories resemble the real-life deeds of Jasper Trueblood, Viscount St. James—a nobleman who secretly moonlights as a thief to protect his loved ones from his sinister uncle. When their worlds collide, sparks fly as Althea seeks to unmask him and Jasper struggles to remain hidden. Chemistry ignites between the unlikely pair, but Althea must protect her heart before it’s stolen by the enigmatic highwayman.
I actually really enjoyed this book. I loved the writing style, the plot in the main flowed well and it was fast paced. Jasper and Thea are two lovely people and I loved seeing them achieve their HEA.
Jasper is a very unusual hero. He hides behind the bumbling and graceless persona placed upon him by his uncle so that he can provide for his family without attracting focus. He is actually highly intelligent, truly honourable and a gentleman. Jasper has had to always plan ahead to be able to survive. He has taken the burden of looking after so many people but what is endearing and a bit tragic is that he lacked confidence in himself. His uncle had him believing that no one would support Jasper over himself. I loved that meeting Althea gave him hope that he could change his circumstances. Also loved that his brain just turned to mush whenever Althea smiled at him!
Althea is a wonderful heroine. She is smart, sweet and independent. I loved her wit and that she never followed people’s perceptions of Jasper. She always stood up for him even before she was involved with him.
Both Jasper and Thea each in their own way had to deal with narcissistic people who eroded their confidence and I liked how meeting each other bolstered their confidence – even though they dealt with things differently. I loved how Jasper from the beginning lifted Thea up and highlighted her worth.
There were just a couple of things that stopped this being a complete 5 star for me. The ending felt a little rushed to me – I’m not sure how Jasper just suddenly turned up in the finale. I felt his uncle’s comeuppance was just explained away in a few sentences. It should have been shown rather than explained – because his uncle was so villainous we really deserved to see his downfall. Also Althea forgave him far too quickly – his actions were understandable but he acted without thought for her or their future.
And the ending was a little abrupt – I would have loved an epilogue.
Overall though I loved this book. It’s peppered with humour both spoken and physical (the way Althea always comes up with comebacks just a little too late when the offending party has left is so relatable and the way she is always opening the wrong carriage doors made me laugh). I loved her family and Jasper’s cousins. I hope that Truman gets his story next. I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in return for my honest opinion.

[triviareads · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Winnifred D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes: MMC with a secret identity and a dark past; MFC wants to be a playwright
Steam level: 2-3
Part of a series, and although it works on its own, previous characters are mentioned and are part of the action, so best if the 1st 2 books are read first.

3.5 stars squeaked up for the premise and a few scenes in the early chapters that made me LOL. The writing is strong and sharp, as always. I like the cat-and-mouse games that ensue when a MC is putting on an act to totally mislead others but the other MC sees through it. And, as usual, this author's sense of humor almost made the book for me--until it became OTT and didn't mesh well with the seriousness of MMC Jasper's dark storyline.

My quibbles in a bit more detail:
--Pacing can be an issue. At times the ideas are repetitive and lead to the plot dragging in the first third (yes, Jasper is seen as less-than by the Ton; yes, MFC Thea is insecure due to a toxic relationship, let's move on, shall we?).
--Plot elements that don't make a lot of sense. POSSIBLE SPOILERS..............For example, if Jasper wants the Ton to continue to see only him as a bumbling fool and he wants Thea to lose interest in him, why does he continue to find ways to ruin her gown in public and embarrass her, but then pursue her at the theater? And if he's actually a crafty fellow, why a silly kidnap plot with no real justification?
--The uncle is a flat character with way too much control over Jasper's behavior.

I get that a lot of this is supposed to be OTT; Thea is theatrical and comes from a theatrical family, but the comical, outlandish elements don't lead to much time for the MC's to relate on a down-to-earth level. For me, the romance is in all in the way characters get to know each other. But beyond giving Thea paper flowers, Jasper didn't convince me that he loved Thea, while Thea seems to fall in love with him quite quickly. I wanted her to be more assertive and for take-control Jasper to really meet his match. I think this must be an issue I have with most of this writer's MMC's in this series; they could be more cinnamon roll-ish or fall first. They always have issues that keep them from being full-fledged nice guys.

The angst kicks up toward the end, with the plot becoming rather head-scratchingly dark and then loopy, and I felt that the author just tried to do too much. An epilogue, at least, was in order, because everything happens super fast.

I did like this book, there's plenty of humor in the set-up and some well-written scenes, but it didn't quite proceed the way I'd hoped.

I read an advanced reader copy of this book and this is my honest, voluntary review. Thanks to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for this opportunity.

[Aamira · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 bumped up

This is the third book in The Liars’ club series. There were a lot of elements that I really enjoyed, and some that I think needed more exploration.

Both Jasper and Thea are extremely likable characters, and I enjoyed their scenes together. I wish there were more of them so that we could see their relationship develop more. Instead the plot is bogged down with scenes of Thea being courted by other men. This book is a bit darker than the previous two and there are topics that I felt could’ve been handled with more depth and consideration.

Both Jasper and Thea are under the thumb of narcissistic, abusive men. Thea had a relationship with a playwright the previous season who emotionally abused her and caused her to lose her self esteem and her confidence in her writing talent. This year she’s determined to build herself back up and unshackle herself from the negative self view this man gave her. I’m glad she confronted him in the end and stood up for herself, but it just felt so rushed.

Jasper is being controlled by his evil uncle, who has control of his estate until Jasper reaches his majority. Spreading rumors amongst the ton that Jasper is a simpleton, Jasper uses this as an opportunity to hide his secret, which is that he is a highwayman who steals from the rich to help those less fortunate. He’s determined to find a way to free himself of his uncle’s grasp and protect his aunt and cousins and he sees this as a way out.

Jasper and Thea meet when he stops a carriage in order to steal from the entitled lord how offers to give Thea and her chaperone a ride home. This is the only time we see Jasper acting as a highwayman. Again, this is another missed opportunity. It would’ve been fun to see more scenes of him as a highwayman, and perhaps Thea getting herself involved in some way. I also felt that she figured out Jasper’s secret identity too quickly. In fact, the whole novel just seemed so rushed.

***SPOILER***

TW: RAPE MMC

Now let’s talk about some of the darker elements. When Jasper is 15 his uncle takes him to a brothel without his consent. He then has sex with a sex worker without his consent and he talks about the shame he feels as he doesn’t have control of his body. To be honest, I’m surprised this isn’t mentioned in the reviews I’ve read. This could’ve been handled more sensitively, but it’s thrown in there so casually. I would’ve loved to see him confide in Thea about this or for us to see how this trauma affected Jasper. Again another missed opportunity that would’ve given the novel and character more depth.

Lastly, I wish there had been an epilogue. The end felt a little unfinished. It was a good story, I just felt there needed to be more polish.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Much is True by Vivienne Lorret, the third book in her Liars' Club series, finds the youngest Hartley daughter, Althea (or Thea), finding love with Jasper Trueblood, the Viscount St. James. It is the first book by this author that I've read/listened to, and I suspect that it won't be my last. I was able to follow the events in this book without having read the previous two in the series. And while the prior two books revolve around Thea's older sisters, Verity and Honoria, they make appearances in this book with their husbands, in addition to her parents and her older brother, Truman, so that it is relatively easy to fill in the background for this story.

The audiobook was narrated by Faye Adele - whose voice I had not previously heard recording an audiobook. At times, her voice characterizations were either too loud, overdramatic or screeching for my tastes. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to listen to over 11 hours of it to get to Thea and Jasper's happy ending. The narration alone (and my dislike of it) resulted in my docking a star from my overall rating.

Additionally, I enjoyed the story up until the 75% mark, when Jasper is rather cruel to Thea and drives her away. Then, because the ending is quite rushed and comes without a satisfactory amount of groveling or apologies on the part of Jasper in winning back Thea, I was left with a decidedly bland feeling at the end of the story. And I am starting to take issue with heroes who have sex with virgin heroines without any forethought or discussion about unplanned pregnancies - and this one results in one. It is one of my least favorite tropes, and while I understand that it was an obvious possible consequence, I prefer not to read about it in my historical romance stories. I've seen/read other romances where the authors have written their characters discussing various measures they might employ to prevent pregnancy or using them despite being in the throes of passion. So I've become quite turned off when pregnancy happens in the plot while the hero has managed to orchestrate a third act break-up. . The resolution of this issue between Thea and Jasper in the story was poorly done, in my opinion, and I hope that Verity and Honoria's stories won't involve unplanned pregnancies too. Otherwise, I'll skip reading them.

Despite my issues with the book, I did think the prose was well-written, and I did enjoy some parts of quite a bit - at least until the ending went to hell in a handbasket.

2.75 stars, rounded up to 3 stars

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the author via NetGalley, and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

[J Bridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

Content Warnings:
-implied intended sexual assault on a minor character, off page and thwarted
-implied intended sexual assault on main character, thwarted
-physical abuse to a child and an adult
-injured animal prior to beginning of book (he's alive and very well and very loved now)
-manipulation and emotional abuse
-prior death of a sibling, parents, and grandparents off page
- (I think that's everything but if i remember more I will update!)

This is exactly the kind of historical romance I love-- lots of plot with the balls and gossip as the backdrop! I love gossip as much as the next person, but I want something to dig into with a story, and this one delivers.

Althea comes from a rather dramatic family, and during her last Season, had her heart broken by a disgusting little rat of a man. Jasper lets the ton believe he's a stuttering simpleton, when he's actually a Robin Hood style highwayman--sort of? Anyway, they meet and Thea sees through him and there's an instant spark. He can't marry her because his uncle had him deemed mentally unfit, an she's determined to marry. But they still keep running into each other-literally. When she makes up a story about a highwayman, and then runs into one, she's thrilled to get her writing spark back, only to learn it's Jasper! We get family drama, theatrics, and some dastardly deeds by Jasper's uncle.

Jasper is my current favorite book boyfriend. He's a big dude, but he's so sweet and gentle with Thea, despite all the misconceptions about him. His bumbling act to the ton was such a good character trait, it made him so interesting. I would've fallen for him instantly, just like Thea. And Thea is such a good, layered character, bearing the wounds of her awful ex-suitor. I think the author wrote these characters so well, and really treated their core wounds with respect and authenticity. Neither of them felt perfect, and that only added to their charm and realness.

I requested this arc without realizing it was the third in a series, but I didn't feel lost, so these seem to be connected stand-alones. I do intend to check out the previous books!

I recommend this for fans of Alexandra Vasti or Erin Langston.

Also, can we talk about this old school cover?? When did publishing move away from these? Why? Nobody consulted me about this! 😂

Thanks to Avon/Harper Voyager for the ARC!

4.5/5 stars

[Julia (Shakespeare and Such)]

DNF @44% - alas, i was so ready to dive in, suspension of disbelief a-blazin', but this book is so weirdly paced and vivienne lorret just puts no trust in her readers and the combination of those two factors is exhausting to me.

things i liked: thea being a playwright is a fun idea and i love any way to incorporate theatre into a story! jasper as a buffoon-by-day, highwayman-by-night is so corny that i was 100% committed to the bit and wanted to see how that was going to get pulled off. i like the idea of whether he's in good boy or bad boy mode he's looking out for thea and her wellbeing (even if that includes kidnapping her and putting her virtue in question?? bold choice but okay). the initial carriage/highwayman scene 10/10 no notes. humor, sexual tension, drama, it ticked all the boxes. love the concept of jasper just also being in possession of this enormous wolf-dog and an orphan, just because.

things i did not like: the actual writing and execution of this book were not doing it for me, sadly. i thought it was so cute and funny the first time thea's inner monologue was described as her "greek chorus" but then by the fifth time i was like oh... that wasn't just a clever line, that was actually something we're going to do in perpetuity. the beginning third of the book is so repetitive (how many times can one man ruin a lady's gown as a means of distraction? GOWNS DON'T GROW ON TREES, JASPER. GOWNS ARE EXPENSIVE.) by the time thea and jasper are revealing their secrets to one another it feels like we've gone from zero to sixty. i understand she has baggage about her stupid ex who told her she was bad at writing but the way EVERY CHAPTER has examples of how he would gaslight her or give a backhanded compliment, etc, i was like OH MY GOD GIVE IT A REST BUDDY. like vivienne lorret didn't believe i would just take her word that this man was a douchebag, she had to constantly be telling us ANOTHER thing he said to thea. i believe you!! i already hate him!!!! can we move on please?

anyways, thank you to netgalley and avon and harpervoyager for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. i had really wanted to like this one and no one is more disappointed to DNF it than i am. i know there will be plenty of folks who happily overlook the factors that annoyed me here.

[Michelle Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Regardless of the other books on my NetGalley TBR list (all of which publish earlier than July 2025) ((this review was written on 10/30/24 and 10/31/24)), I started this and focused and read only this title over two and a half days until I was finished

*Thea is the youngest of the Hartley children, in her third season, a playwright whose muse has abandoned her
*Jasper St James is an utterly utterly wonderful MMC - a veritable perfect Robin Hood who takes care of those he loves
*Tales of Lady Content, Lord Turgid and Lord Flaccid appear
*Nell Hunicutt makes a quick reappearance
*perfect together MC’s

**also, this title SERIOUSLY put the Spandau Ballet song ‘True’ in my head and it wouldn’t leave. For days.
“This much is true
This much is true
I know, I know, I know this much is true
This much is true
This much is true (huh huh)
This much is true
This much is true
I know this much is true
This much is true (huh huh)
This much is true (I know this much is true)
This much is true (huh huh)
This much is true (I know this much is true)
I know, I know, I know this much is true”

And that’s what I had in my head when I thought about this story, when I wasn’t thinking about how much I adored Lady Broadbent, Jasper, and Thea.

Incredibly romantic, I loved this one and Jasper’s paper flowers, and Jasper.

On a scale of swoons - I’d say this is wonderfully swoony. The first full on intimacy scene is a high serving of romance, emotional foreplay, and steam. The first post-coital scene is full of lovely longing, of the star crossed, we-can-never-be-together variety, and it all works.

The longing in this one is excellent, and if I could rate that more than 5 stars, I would (a slow burn, full of longing romance is my preferred and I’m very choosy about what I like, and what I love. This, I loved.

Though it wasn’t completely perfect - I found the ending very abrupt, and some of situations didn’t strike me as fully plausible. I’m still rating this up to five stars, because despite my issues, it was a very enjoyable story, and again, the longing in this is not to be trifled with.

I’ve loved this entire trilogy and though I wish this would have been a series with more titles, I look forward to reading whatever Ms Lorret writes next.



Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the DRC