This Much Is True

A Novel

By: Vivienne Lorret

Narrated by: Faye Adele

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.

©2024 Vivienne Lorret (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers

Nice ending to a trilogy

Overall I liked the story. However, the narrator, who had narrated the entire series, on several occasions mispronounced the middle sister’s name. This was incongruent from the previous two books, not to mention within this one.

Best Vivienne Lorret Novel, by far!

When I read reviews, I was uncertain if this would be as good as the other two in the series. In my opinion, it far exceeded them. Yes, the premise and story are intriguing, enjoyable, and exciting, and the characters are heartwarming, lovable, and well written. But that is not what resonates most… Lorret captures an emotion that every one of us feels at one point or another in our lives. Those moments in life that make you feel alone and unworthy. There are people that thrive on keeping you isolated in that mindset - the kind of abuse that we easily hide away due to fear or shame, guilt or worry, or simply because secretly, we may have come to believe those falsehoods as true.

The reason I love this novel most is that both characters have this level of depth to their backstories and inspire a strong feeling of kindred spirits - with each other, and those of us reading that see echos of own stories in theirs. Each one has someone like that in their past - someone that preys on their bright light, casting doubt on their good qualities, and twisting them into perceived weaknesses in an attempt to control and win a game of their own making.

The heroine and hero inspire as they prove E. Rosevelt’s words true: no one can make you feel inferior without your consent. The most challenging part is saying no. Loved this book and the message within that.