True Pretenses

Lively St. Lemeston #2

by Rose Lerner

Something borrowed...

Through wit and sheer force of will, Ash Cohen raised himself and his younger brother Rafe out of the London slums and made them (in his unbiased opinion) the best confidence men in England. Ash is heartbroken when Rafe decides he wants an honest life, but he vows to give his beloved brother what he wants.

When Ash hears of a small-town heiress scrambling to get her hands on the dowry held in trust for when she marries, he plans one last desperate scheme—con her and his brother into falling in love. After all, Rafe deserves the best, and Ash can see at once that captivating, lonely Lydia Reeve is the best.

Lydia doesn’t know why she instinctively trusts the mild-mannered stranger who charms his way through her front door and into her life. She just knows she’s disappointed when he tries to set her up with his brother. When a terrible family secret comes to light and Rafe disappears, Lydia takes a big risk—she asks Ash to marry her instead. Did Ash choose the perfect wife for his brother…or for himself?

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Marriage Of Convenience, Regency

385 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 13, 2015

About the author

I discovered historical romance when I was twelve, and took my first stab at writing one a few years later. My prose has improved since then, but my fascination with all things Regency hasn’t changed. When I'm not writing and researching my own stories, or helping other authors write and research theirs over at Rose Does The Research, you can find me reading, watching, cooking, doodling, rambling, and daydreaming in Philadelphia.

Sign up to be notified when my next book comes out! https://www.roselerner.com/#news

FYI: I use this space for recs of books I wholeheartedly love only. My recs are honest, but I have social relationships with some of the romance authors whose books I rec.

Reviews

[WhiskeyintheJar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why isn't this author more popular?
I'm pretty sure I've said this before but if you like Courtney Milan, then you should read Rose Lerner's books. Milan leans better on the focus of the romance between the main couple and Lerner leans better on overreaching story but they are both top contributors in historical romance, in my humble opinion.

I swear the next time I read a Lerner book, I'm buying an extra copy for a friend so I can call them up every time I come across a line and theme that hits me hard in the feels and I feel like I'll explode if I don't get to discuss all angles of it. I think I've read three books by Lerner now and she seems to touch on classism quite a bit, and does an excellent job of it. I posted some quotes from the book in my reading updates but I had to wrestle myself down from quoting many longer passages. I'm not sure if I just don't have the time to write her books proper reviews or I simply don't have the ability. As with Milan books, they hit me on very personal levels and all I want to talk about are my feelings and my back and forth on the ideas, issues, and themes in the book. Gah, is there a strictly Lerner book club?!

I'm telling you people, if you find yourself complaining about wallpaper historicals, TSTL heroines, over abundance of Dukes, and an overall feeling of sameness in historical romance (specifically in the regency time period) you NEED to be reading Lerner.

*I did think this one had a bit of slow start with the politic focus but things smoothed out around the 20-30% mark. The story and characters are more subtle in their devastation to your feels and if you like the more overt regency romances (feisty heroines romping around and titled heroes broodingly scared of love, hey, I like those too) then this wouldn't be for you. But if you want something fresh and quietly devastating (the whole scene and speech where the hero says he loves the curtains, I found my eyes watering out of nowhere) then read this immediately.

[K.J. Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this. Jewish con man meets Tory heiress, discovering his innate decency and her innate indecency along the way. Lovely historical detail of small town politics, so much more grounded than all the damn dukes. Also, I love the fact that neither MC wants children and there is no sense they're going to change their minds. They just don't want kids, and that's fine.

They have to make compromises, quite grim ones. Ash has to live as a Christian. Lydia can never really be completely honest with friends or brother. Her ancient family line is going to die out. Lerner doesn't shy away from the consequences of that and there's no magic solution that makes it all okay, just as we see the characters from Sweet Disorder are still carrying on living in the world. I find that so much more romantic that an all encompassing HEA because it shows us what love costs, in small terms as well as big.

Very nicely written, lovely involving romance, and Ash absolutely broke my heart. Big recommend.

[Wollstonecrafthomegirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Words fail me. Luckily they have not failed Ms Lerner. She's phenomenally talented.

There's the most amazing description of an orgasm in this book:

"Lydia spent, clinging to him as pleasure shook her out, ripped her apart at the seams, and pieced her back together with all her brightest, best parts facing out." (Loc 3542 of 4799

This is not unlike how the whole book made me feel. Such a tumult of emotions, with incredible tension, tearing me apart, only to find myself all pieced back together at the end, happy and sated. It's also a pretty good representation of Lerner's writing generally. Packed with beautiful imagery, almost poetic. Her books have this dense lyrical feel which hits all my buttons.

Her characterisation of Ash and Lydia is off the charts good. Completely multi-layered for both of them. She just absolutely conveys why they're meant to be and why they'll work together and yet she's subtle about it - seriously, this is no small feat, she has skills.

Must say a word about the sex. My god: the sex. And the chemistry generally. Lydia and Ash fizzled. They were desperate for their first proper night together, and by God by the 72% mark I was just as desperate.

Frankly, this book has absolutely everything I look for in a romance novel. Great scene setting, top characters, beautiful language, blossoming romance, sensuality, hot sex. I could nit pick (the cover for a start, is completely unworthy of the contents therein). I think this book strays a little in terms of historical accuracy and didn't feel as plausible as Sweet Disorder. But none of these things stop it from being a five star read for me because it made me feel sad and happy and tense and hopeful and desolate and the whole gamut of emotions. It's a book that should be read by everyone who loves this genre, end of story.

[Caz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this an A at AAR

Rose Lerner has been an autobuy author for me ever since I read her début novel, In For a Penny. While she sets her stories in the Regency era, she tends to move away from the glittering ballrooms of the ton and puts a different spin on them, whether it be, as in Penny, looking at a young couple trying to make a marriage of convenience work amid the problems they encounter in trying to put a run-down estate back on its feet, or, as in Sweet Disorder, setting a cross-class romance against the backdrop of the machinations and corruptions of small-town politics.

True Pretenses returns to Lively St. Lemeston, where the daughter of Lord Wheatcroft, the leader of the town’s Tories, is trying to work out how she is going to be able to maintain the family’s political influence in the town following her father’s recent death. Lydia Reeve’s younger brother James has shown little to no interest in politics, which worries her no end, as she won’t be able to maintain the family interest without access to family funds. (This was, of course, a period at which not everyone had the vote, and many of those who did expected some sort of financial recompense in return for their support.)

Asher Cohen and his younger brother Rafe are doing a bunk following their latest successful confidence trick when Rafe drops a bombshell. He is no longer content with their indigent, ignoble manner of living and wants to settle down into a more “ordinary” life. Ash is devastated. He has spent the entire twenty-five years of his brother’s life looking after him; caring for a baby when little more than a child himself, doing his best to make sure that Rafe had everything he ever needed or wanted… but as he’s always done, Ash puts himself second and determines to help Rafe to find a way to a better life.

Arrived in Lively St. Lemeston, Ash learns about Lydia – a lovely, marriageable young woman with a sizeable income and a mind of her own and immediately thinks that he’s found the perfect solution to the problem. Rafe will marry her and that will see him comfortably settled for life.

Nobody is more surprised than Ash when he proves to be the proverbial spanner in the works himself, and Miss Reeve shows a marked partiality for him instead of Rafe. Now aged thirty and having been her father’s hostess since she was seventeen, Lydia has been the person to whom everyone goes when anything needs doing, and it’s clear that while she’s been looking after everyone and everything, nobody has really been looking after her. So when, for the first time in her life, someone pays attention to her rather than focusing on what she can do for them and tells her that it’s okay to want things for herself, she finds it both heady and rather bewildering.

Rose Lerner has woven a story of such intricacy and complexity that it’s difficult to say much more about it without including too many spoilers. On the surface, it’s a story in which not much actually happens – or rather, there are no momentous events (until close to the end). But beneath that it’s a story about family and the importance of acceptance and belonging. Lydia and Ash’s relationships with their respective siblings are complicated and messy and real – and they have both spent most of their lives defining themselves in terms of those relationships. James’ and Rafe’s wish to make their own way in life forces both Ash and Lydia to re-evaluate and re-define themselves, and the same is true of the two principals, who also have to take a good look at themselves as the result of their feelings for one another.

In Ash, Ms Lerner has created one of the most complicated, unusual heroes I’ve ever read. He’s incredibly kind, pragmatic and genuinely interested in people and in the life that goes on around him; as he says himself several times, he likes everybody. But then, he’s made a life out of deception, so it’s in his best interest to appear to be all those things, which causes much conflict in the story. While she wants desperately to believe him – and so does the reader – there are times when Lydia can’t help but wonder if Ash’s interest in her and in the community and his desire to help are real, or simply his way of ingratiating himself and getting what he wants from her before he disappears from her life.

The other major factor in the story is that Ash is Jewish, although for most of his life he has passed as a Gentile. While being a Jew at that time in history would probably not have led to physical abuse or even made much difference to his financial situation or his marriage, he would almost certainly have been subjected to a lot of prejudice and bigotry, and Ash, being the sort of man he is, has decided he’d rather not lay himself open to that sort of treatment. As he says late on in the book:

“If I told everyone I was Jewish, it would be the same life, with the same people, except that everything would be more difficult, and I’d have to hear them do and say things that would make it hard to like them.”

At one point in the book, Ash disentangles a pile of embroidery threads, and then later goes on to think about all the tangled threads pulling at his heart. Well, Ms Lerner has taken all her threads and woven them skilfully together to produce a truly extraordinary story, and one quite unlike any historical romance I’ve ever read. She tackles some complicated subjects (politics and religion) takes a good look at the lives of the townsfolk, many of whom are struggling to make ends meet, and also works in a sub-plot concerning a pair of young children in the local workhouse, which has many parallels in Ash’s story – and she does it all without taking the focus away from the central characters and the development of their romance. While there are some darker aspects to the story – Ash and Rafe had a very tough childhood and the prejudice they have encountered is nasty – the overall impression I came away with was one of optimism. These people have to work for what they want, but that makes it all the sweeter when their hard work pays off.

The author’s writing style is direct but considered, her characters are strongly drawn; none of them perfect but all the more real for their imperfections – and her knowledge of the history and attitudes of the period are clearly extensive.

True Pretenses is a wonderful book, and one I’ll definitely be re-reading in the not too distant future.

Also: Rose Lerner wrote a really interesting blog post over at AAR about, among other things, being Jewish in Regency England - it's well worth reading!

[Skye Kilaen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A slow-burn Regency era small-town British romance between Lydia Reeve, a spinster heiress struggling to maintain her recently passed father's legacy of politicking, and Asher Cohen, a Jewish con man who grew up in poverty and passes as Christian to avoid prejudice. (Notable: both MCs do not want children, and this does not change - rare to find in romance!)

It's so detailed and multi-layered, the writing is lush, the main and secondary characters are complex, and Lerner does an amazing job showing how both main characters are hurting - Lydia from the loss of her father, and Ash because the brother he's raised and protected is abandoning him. That pain is what sometimes makes this hard to read, in a good way. It's real, and it's unsolvable. You can't bring someone back from the dead, and you can't keep someone with you who doesn't want to stay. On top of that, Ash has been a con man so long that he struggles to find his authentic self, which complicates his growing attraction to Lydia. What makes it work is that Ash and Lydia both need someone to see them, and to honor their pain and sacrifices, and they're able to give that to each other.

If you're looking for something heartwrenching and real, give this one a try.

[Lyuda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. Lerner’s intelligent thought-provoking writing is a perfect antidote for these who dismiss all romance writing as lightly entertaining feel-good fluff.
This is my second book by the author after Sweet Disorder and, so far, my favorite.

The second installment of Lively St. Lemeston series returns to the early nineteenth century small West Sussex town of Lively St. Lemeston. Despite its provincial setting, you know right away, the story would be quite unordinary based on the characters alone: Jewish con man and the daughter of a baron, pillar of her community.

The book’s blurb has a pretty accurate description of the plot, so I wouldn’t go there. And the plot -original, some may find it a bit slow - is not what won me over. It’s the pairing of imaginative, beautiful writing with awe-inspiring in-depth characterization that elevates the story above many others. I found myself reading it at a slower than usual pace, savoring phrases, re-reading passages, and marveling at the author’s insights into the human mind. Exploration of family, love, loyalty, socioeconomic divisions and experiences is done with startling acumen.
I ended up using “highlight/note” function on my kindle with a frequency that would warrant a future exploration of my own mind....

The main protagonists’ relationship drives this story. There are other happenings that involve secondary characters (many of them from the first book in the series) but they play a minor role to the overall narrative. What started out as a potential swindle and marriage of convenience became something entirely different.

Overall, it was enjoyable, complex, and satisfying read.

Although, I can't help but mention the book’s cover. Its cheesiness doesn’t convey the spirit of the story and doesn’t do it justice.

[Nelly S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.3 stars

“He’d known from the start that he’d be in love with her before their time was up. He’d known it would break his heart to leave her. He hadn’t thought much of it; his heart had been broken before, and mended. But something new occurred to him now. If he played his cards right, maybe he could have this to come back to.”

This is not your typical historical romance. A slow burn, it offers indepth psychological portraits of our main characters, Lydia and Ash, and how they feel about each other as their relationship develops. All of this is done in a lyrical style with a distinct voice. This is not a light and fluffy read, but worth reading if you want to challenge your understanding of a what a historical romance can be.

Ash Cohen: Ash is a Jewish swindler always on the move looking for his next mark. Ash grew up as an orphan in the rookeries of London. Recruited as a child by a street gang, he became a street thief and body snatcher. He's devoted to his brother, Rafe, who is nine years younger. Ash has spent his whole life taking care of Rafe.

Lydia Reeve: Lydia's father, Baron Wheatcroft, is recently deceased. He was the patron of the town's Tory party and a prominent town leader. Lydia’s younger brother, Jamie, is expected to carry on his legacy, but he has no interest in local politics or in being the town’s patron. Lydia cannot stand to see her father's legacy die so she pledges to support his charitable and political causes, but she needs money to do so. Her father left her money in his will, but she needs to marry in order to access it.

As It Happens
Ash’s brother no longer wants to swindle for a living and plans to enlist in the army. Ash wants to prevent Rafe’s departure or at a minimum buy him a commission as an officer. So Ash comes up with a plan to matchmake Rafe with Lydia to secure him a comfortable future. But things don't go according to plan. Although Rafe proposes a marriage of convenience to Lydia, Lydia is already attracted to Ash and proposes to marry Ash instead. Ash reluctantly agrees to her proposal after trying to discourage her by highlighting his swindling past.

Highlights
The writing is beautiful, but it can take a while to get used to Lerner’s distinct style. Be prepared for a lot of internal monologue and philosophical musings.

Love for their brothers, as well as loss unites our main characters. Taking care of their younger brothers (Jamie is also 9 years younger) has been the raison d’etre for both Ash and Lydia. They both love their brothers dearly and have sacrificed a lot for them. But Ash and Lydia face their impending loss--Rafe to the army, while Jamie refuses to take up his duties as baron and wants to move away to the family farm. Moreover, both MCs lost their mothers when they were children.

There are major class differences between Ash and Lydia which affect their world views and how they relate to each other. Ash swindles those who are better off without feeling any remorse because he thinks they have it easy and can afford those losses. Lydia, on the other hand, spends all her spare time on charitable and political work. Her charitable work is fueled by a sense of noblesse oblige. These differing mindsets make for some tense interactions at the beginning of their relationship.

Women's lack of power in charting their lives is evident in Lydia's situation. She cannot access her own money without the permission of a man. Her brother tries to block her marriage to Ash presuming that he knows what is best for her. But I like the fact that she is not shy about exercising her sexual agency. She initiates several of their kisses and love scenes.

The love scenes are a unique mix of carnality and lyricism. There are a couple of full length, moderately steamy love scenes.

Hits
• Beautiful word craft and lyrical prose.
• Wonderful characterization and indepth profiles.
• Great emotional development and connection between the main characters.

Misses
• The pacing was slow and the book dragged in places.
• I wasn't really engaged. This was one of those strange experiences where I could objectively see that the book has many great elements—beautiful writing, great characters, wonderful premise, strong emotional development—but somehow it didn’t work for me.

[X · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rose Lerner… killing it every time for me at this point! The cozy realism of this series so far is unparalleled.

Something that really struck me as I was reading this was how there were a few times when characters made very definite ~resolutions~ while thinking something through - but then what stuck with the characters (and with the reader) were the emotional repercussions of that internal reflection. The resolutions themselves were essentially forgotten.

In other words one of the reasons I think this author’s characters are so strong is because she *layers in* characterization in a way which feels very unusual for fiction (another author that comes to mind is Robin Hobb, although Rose Lerner is doing it in way fewer pages haha), and in a way which is deeply realistic to how human beings actually think and feel and make decisions - ie, through many smaller decisions and indecisions, changing a little bit and a little bit… until suddenly they’re changing everything at once. (See, eg, Ash outside the auction!)

All of this to say, I was rapt reading this. Lerner pretty much upends the tropes you think the book is going to be about within the first third, and from there on out I was reading in a (hopeful!) panic because I really didn’t know what was going to happen.

Also, a perfectly timed ending - this story had it all and still left me with my fun sequel headcanon about how their brothers are clearly going to get together (duh, guys, duh!) and how fun and chill Wrenn and her cook girlfriend’s lives are going to be running Dower House… and I can’t wait to see if/how these two MCs and/or their political/charitable scheming show up in book 3.

Basically, loved it!

[Dina · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting story! Ash, the hero, was an unrepentant Jew swindler, Lydia, the heroine, was a 30-year-old spinster who knew her own mind and wasn't afraid of going after what she wanted, and the secondary characters - especially his brother Rafe and her brother Jamie - had multi-dimensional personalities that added conflict and tension to the story.

If you're looking for out-of-ordinary characters in the historical romance genre, look no further. This is it.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh man oh man. This has to be coherent, right? And make sense and everything? Okay, I'll try.

AHHHHH THIS BOOK WAS SO SO SO GREAT READ IT NOW PLZ AND THANK YOU.

Okay, so now that's out of the way: this book was SO, so great. Read it now. Please.

This is the second book in Rose Lerner's "Lively St. Lemeston" series, and just as great as the first one. A friend of mine kept telling me to read since, like, January, and finally, I listened and I am SO SO glad. This book is on the other side of the political divide of this little town, which brought a real fun dimension to the whole thing, if you've read the first book. You see some of the same characters again, only from a completely different point of view, something that I both LOVE and also get anxious about (EVERYBODY should like my favorites; why are they suddenly not adored by my NEW favorites? *frets*). But this story isn't about Phoebe and Nick - it's about Lydia and Ash Cohen, aka Ash Cahill, aka Many Other Names, for lo, the dude's a swindler.

The story begins with Ash and his brother Rafe creeping out of a house of their latest duped victim, only this time, when Rafe tells Ash he's done with being a con man, he means it. And Ash's carefully constructed world comes tumbling down. His final swindle, then, becomes one that he hides from even his own brother - to save his brother from doing something unspeakable, like enlisting in the army.

Which leads him to Lively St. Lemeston, which leads him to Lydia.

That's the set-up. The rest is a lovely story of what it means to be a brother, a sister, a son, a daughter, a lover, a husband, a wife. All of these aspects that make up a person, and how one negotiates a world that is against him or her from the get go. Lydia has no control over her family fortune because she is a woman. Ash is an East End Jew who's had to swindle all his life to take care of himself and his little brother. One of the things I adored about this book is the study of morals, I guess - is swindling all that terrible? What does it even mean? Why is one swindler worse than another? And so on, and so forth. This book is so rich with questions like this but it never gets bogged down in them - it's just how life is; it goes on. The love story here is just as wonderful as in Sweet Disorder, and all the characters are phenomenal. I want to read every single book Lerner has in store for this setting. (I am desperate for a Jamie book, though. *looks out into the horizon and yearns*) It's just so lovely and warm and fun and witty and hot as well and and and. Just. Everything. I am going to be reading and rereading this a lot, I can already tell.

Now I guess I just have to wait for more. *sits on hands*

[Mandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Sweet Disorder, the first book set in the town of Lively St. Lemeston and steeped in small town politics. I think I like True Pretenses even more. Ash Cohen has survived on the streets and raised his brother from infancy by thieving, bodysnatching and eventually swindling people out of their money. Ash and his brother Rafe have become masters at charming their way into people’s lives, and hurrying away with their money. Ash was born to a whore, and left on his own at an early age. He loves his brother unconditionally and would do anything to keep him fed and safe. Lately however, Rafe is getting tired of scheming and hurting people – he wants out and to join the army. Ash is devastated by Rafe’s decision and asks him for one last favor – to perform one more con, so they have enough money to buy Rafe a commission in the army,. Rafe agrees, and off they go to figure out their next target. She comes in the form of heiress, Lydia Reeve.

Lydia has politics in her blood. With the recent passing of her father, Lydia fully expects her brother Jamie to take over leadership of the Tories in Lively St. Lemeston, but to her dismay, Jamie wants nothing to do with it. He doesn’t like the fact that his family spends so much money buying people’s votes and such. Lydia has been running the household, raising her brother and helping her father since she was young. She can’t imagine her life, or those they support, if her brother does not continue to be their patron.

After hearing gossip of Lydia’s predicament over a meal one night, Ash knows she is their next target. Deciding to set Rafe up to marry Lydia, which would release her funds to her (unreachable to her if not married) and would then allow Rafe enough money to buy a commission – and Lydia and Rafe could have a lovely marriage of convenience, both get what they want, and not have to really deal with one another. But Lydia falls for Ash – and Ash can’t help but want her as well. What Lydia doesn’t know is Ash’s past – he is a jewish thief that has stolen from so many. Can he go forth with this deception?

One thing I love so much about Rose Lerner’s characters is that she makes them perfectly imperfect. These imperfection shine in this book. Ash and Lydia both have this selfish side to them – both willing to do things to get money to fulfill their wants, but they are also extremely unselfish when it comes to their siblings. They both raised a brother from a very young age, and they sacrificed things for their brothers’ happiness. When they agree to this sham of a marriage, they both have to pretend to be madly in love. As time continues, they both start to fall in love yet there is always that insecurity that the other is still scheming and the small touches or kisses may just be for show. I loved their journey – they were genuinely attracted to each other when they meet, but falling in love is something neither expected yet neither could fully trust at first.

She was trying to act besotted, so that was right. Tentatively she let the emotion grow, groping her way along the curve of her instincts. He knew it didn’t mean anything.

She turned his hand over and kissed his palm, then his wrist. Sitting up, she pressed his hand to her heart and met his eyes. “Do you feel that?

The moment trembled in the air between them like a wire strung taut, and even so the corner of his mouth twitched. She doubted he could feel a thing through all her clothes. She tamped down her own smile. He nodded solemnly.

“It’s yours,” she said.

His lips parted. His chest heaved, and there was such hunger on his face – his eyes were bright, as if with tears or fever –

He whopped with laughter, the exhilarated sound smashing the moment into buoyant, giddy shards. “You are a quick study. There, wasn’t that as good as the real thing?”

Ash is shorter and broader and not the handsome romance hero presented in so many other books. While he respects Lydia and is kind to her, he doesn’t always feel sorry for her and her case. She grew up with money, while he did unspeakable things on the street.

“I am a Jew,” he reminded her. “I am a bodysnatcher.” She flinched at the word, and he smiled, so gently it made her shiver. “My mother was a whore, and my father could have been anybody. I’m a swindler and a thief. You can’t seriously mean to marry me.”

But she does. And they do. And it’s fabulous.

I love that the author pairs a swindler and an heiress and allows them to be their true selves. Ash can pretend to be a gentleman for their marriage, but only for so long. Then what happens when the truth comes out? The consequences and Lydia’s unwavering love of Ash is done well.

What starts as a marriage of convenience turns into a sexy love affair. And their declaration of love and gestures of love towards the end made me smile. For those that read Sweet Disorder, Lydia is a Tory where the previous heroine was a whig, so it’s fun to switch sides. The actual politics is a little lighter in this book – we see more of the weight of financial responsiblity of her political party in this book, but otherwise it’s very focused on Ash and the shadows that follow him around from his past.

Very well done story and romance. I highly recommend this book and all of Rose Lerner’s back list.

Rating: B+

[Georgie-who-is-Sarah-Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh joy! oh rapture unforeseen! - full review to follow once I've re-read it to wring the last drops of pure pleasure from it.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update 21 Nov 2020, just reread and can confirm: this book absolutely slaps.

Georgette Heyer, the grande dame of the Regency romance, is one of my favourite authors. She's witty, she can plot like no one's business, and she has a knack for blending her research seamlessly into her work.

She is also racist as balls and her characters are all, with a few painful exceptions, white. In this*, as in so much else, many of today's Regency authors have followed her lead. England in the 19th century wasn't lilywhite, but to read a lot of historical romances you'd think there were more dukes running around than POC. So it is very exciting that there are some new historical romance authors on the scene, authors like Rose Lerner, who are actually including people of colour in their work**.

Lerner's True Pretenses takes as its heroine one Lydia Reeve, a political hostess and an heiress whose money is, oh damn, all tied up until she gets married. This is possibly the most Romance Novel problem it is possible to have and so thus far we are on familiar ground. The hero of the book, however, is Ash Cohen, who is a Jewish confidence man - very rara avis in Romancelandia.

The book works so well in large part, I think, because we come to realise that Lydia and Ash, despite their disparate backgrounds, have a great deal in common in how they approach life. The skills that Ash uses to swindle people out of their money (but never more than they can afford to lose! because romance novel hero) are the same ones that Lydia uses to influence the people of Lively St Lemeston to support her philanthropic projects. They're both mountebanks, they're just selling different things, and as a reader, there is a sense of deep satisfaction in watching each of them realise they've met their match***.

The book also features some queer peripheral characters, which is great both because representation is important, and because Georgette was (surprise!) also homophobic and there is something v pleasing about watching the genre she helped form move beyond her bigotry.

* "this" being the all-white casts of characters, not, I hope, the racist-as-ballsness

** other authors to note: K.J. Charles, who writes beautifully researched m/m Regencies and alt-Victorians, and Courtney Milan, who is sometimes too All Aboard the Whimsy Train for my liking but writes very clever Victorians and contemporaries.

*** just imagine how awkward that sentence would've been without singular they! The mind positively recoils.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series but can be read as a standalone, set in the same universe as the first book but not closely connected with it. This is the most unusual historical romance I've read, even though I haven't read that many.

We have a Jewish hustler hero and a heroine who needs a husband to able to access her inheritance money.

This story shows us the other side of politics - the world of Tories and the politics of the rich and influential. It offers a nice contrast between the heiress Lydia, well established in her world, rooted in her home, with clear sense of who she is on the one hand, on the other, we have Ash, a Jewish man in disguise, drifting around England, with no past and no home.

Their romance was a truly challenging and eye-opening journey for them both, a discovery of what it means to be a brother, a sister, a lover, what the meaning of family is and how to love them, what home is and how to make one for yourself and your loved ones.

Both Lydia and Ash had to change their expectations and plans, give up their presumptions and find their free will and road to personal happiness.Ms Lerner presents the reader with a profound exploration of identity which I found fascinating in the given historical context.

We have the same exquisite writing as the first book, the same attention to detail, the same depth of character development (with even more intensity) and abundance of plot twists.

Overall, this book was both similar to and different from the first one in the series but it was an equal pleasure for me to read.

[Lady Wesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stunningly different from most historical romances out there. Rose Lerner is an outstanding new author to add to my favorites list.

Full review to follow at Romantic Historical Reviews.

[Shira Glassman · Rating 5 out of 5]

True Pretenses by Rose Lerner first got on my radar this summer, as a much-needed anecdote to my anger upon discovering a trope in mainstream romance of Jewish women being paired with Nazi officers. After spending an appropriate amount of time feeling angry over the violence inherent in such a plot, I realized I was angry for a second reason: that trope exists because our men are seen, by outsiders, as nebbishy, as unmasculine, as wimpy, and generally unsexy. This is such utter bullshit, because our men are among some of the most conventionally attractive celebrities (Jason Isaacs, Daniel Radcliffe, Harrison Ford) — William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, for example, were so hot in their youth that adoring women created a whole new genre of fiction just to have a release valve for it.

So, I don’t have much of a history reading cis hetero romance, but this was enough of a reason to start. I wanted to read something that celebrated the sexiness of a Jewish man. Rose Lerner came across my radar, and thanks to my local library I was just able to explore her world.

This book is about Ash Cohen, who grew up on the streets in utter poverty but has managed to keep himself and his kid brother alive by moving around the country conning people, and Lydia Reeve, the principled woman he makes a deal with to try to finally buy his brother the legitimacy and honest life he’s started to crave. Lydia is a terrific character for a modern feminist reader like me–whose romance reading mostly revolves around lesbians–because she believes deeply in supporting those in poverty with charity work, acknowledges her own sex drive and knows how to please herself solo, and makes overtures of her own while reading like a real person instead of a stereotype of a “forward woman.” After her first (non-PiV) sexual encounter with Ash, for example, she feels “as if she’d been given something precious”, which I think is a fantastic counter-narrative to the giving-up language so often used in connection with virginity or virtue.

I also enjoyed how much of the book was from Ash’s perspective, since he is the book’s primary Jewish character. I loved all the details, of the Yiddish proverb at the end of the book, of the handkerchief with his deceased mother’s initial ל embroidered on it, of his alienation from the antisemitic world he moves through in a perpetual closet of false names and hair cut too short to see the poofyness. (I have to admit: there’s a too short? I had my hair boy-short this summer and I still had fantastic volume. I guess we’re all different!)

I appreciated the inclusion of side characters with same-sex love interests (although now I want to read a whole book about the lesbian lady’s maid in love with the second undercook! That is SO my jam. As long as nobody dies or gets raped.) The most important of these, Lydia’s brother Jamie, might be heading off toward a post-book future loose-end-wrap-up that reminds me of the Heyer that Lerner says she’s adored since childhood, Heyer with her talent for making you want the things she’s giving you before you get them.

Ash makes a passionate, embittered, and very necessary defense of the closet–in his case, a Jewish closet, but since I’m queer I found more dimensions of relevance:

“If I told everyone I was Jewish, it would be the same life, with the same people, except that everything would be more difficult, and I’d have to hear them do and say things that would make it hard to like them. Why should I? Do I owe it to them?”

I can’t live like that for personal reasons, but I totally respect that decision. Exactly: do we owe it to them?

Some poetic lines that made me smile:

From what he’d seen, that first flush of bliss lasted about as long as an apple blossom and rarely developed into anything as sweet and nourishing as an apple, but that was all the more reason to savor it.

and, poor Ash who hasn’t been with a woman in years because his Jewish Ween would out him:

He felt like a virgin, a fumbling boy overwhelmed by the very idea that women had bodies.

Lydia has also just lost her father, and I’ve been through enough loss — my father, my grandparents, etc. — to see myself in her grief and have my own reactions validated. The book also recognized the phenomenon of giving into hedonism when wrecked by grief, which is a huge part of how I grieve, so that was validating as well.

Honestly, one of the things I liked most about this book was the honesty between the two lead characters, which sounds weird because one of them is a professional liar and the other is pulling some shenanigans of her own. But they spend most of the book being on the same page instead of the misunderstandings and secrets that bug me in romance (although it’s not a misunderstanding-free title.) They have a certain depth of emotional intimacy and familiarity with each other even before the first PiV scenes, which also felt good because sex isn’t the only thing that creates being on the same page.

The book doesn’t shy away from recognizing the antisemitism of the time, but the microaggressions are scattered sparsely and don’t figure in the main “oh shit” part. Considering Ash is a swindler and fits a couple of stereotypes in other ways, it was kind of neat to see a Jewish writer take those tropes and show that even someone fitting them could be a complex, lovable character full of love and good intentions. And to point out that it’s very easy for someone who always had enough food growing up to accuse a marginalized person of stealing when the marginalized person literally grew up on the streets and had to steal to eat.

Ash isn’t religiously practicing — although his brother is, to some degree — but if you’re looking for something where a Jewish male character is presented as undeniably sexy, I’d say this is a pretty good place to start.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ash Cohen and his brother Rafe are long time swindlers and two con men who have come in that proverbial “fork in the road” and must decide what both want and need to be happy and content in their lives. They either continued with the life they knew well or take a chance in the future without cons. Surviving through cheating was enough for our hero, Ash but his brother has had enough of it and he wanted them to go straight and live honest lives, which was easier said than done.

For Ash, who had raised his brother all on his own since he was eight years old by any means necessary, be it stealing, thieving, body snatching or swindling people, he did it out of love for his brother and it hurt him deeply when Rafe decides to leave him and the only life they have known.

Alone and devastated, Ash comes to a decision that will change his life forever as he gets ready for one last swindle in which, as always, he plans to fulfill his brothers wish of living a life of no lies and pretenses.

Lydia has known politics since she was a child and when she was seventeen, she became her father’s hostess and she loved it. She enjoyed every aspect of political life and was hoping that her brother Jamie would one day be able to take the legacy their father had left them and be the leader Tories in Lively St. Lemeston needed him to be. However, Jamie had no such plans or dreams and hates politics and everything about it which disappoints Lydia greatly but she is hopeful that he may change his mind in time and in the meantime, she decides that the only way to help the Tory supporters is by possibly marrying and getting her hands on her inheritance and here is where our hero enters the scene with his scheme and the “marriage of convenience” trope may or may not take place.

And if you think Rose Lerner weaves an old, tried and true trope of two people coming together in a marriage of convenience for their own or mutual benefit, you have another thing coming. She has so many curve balls coming your way that you’ll be shaking your head and saying, well I didn’t see that one coming!

I was impressed with the first book, ‘Sweet Disorder’ and was looking forward to ‘True Pretenses’ and while I loved the first book, this one had one thing that bothered me. It was the ages of the main characters that I had trouble with. Ash and Lydia were thirty years old and Rafe a few years younger so as the story progressed I just couldn’t “see” them as old as they were, however through their dialogue, inner as well I had no trouble picturing them in their mid twenties and once I adjusted their ages in my mind, I had no problem with the story.

This is the second book in Rose Lerner’s new series Lively St. Lemeston in which she introduces her readers with some interesting politics of the day and families in a town of Lively St. Lemeston. And that’s what I love about Rose Lerner stories. She digs up these unique and flawed characters and by placing them in ordinary, everyday situations of their time, lets her readers experience humanity in its rawest form.

This is a story that touches on so many levels at how a human psyche works and reacts to what life throws in its path and I highly recommend you pick it up and enjoy this unique and heartwarming story.

Melanie for b2b

Complimentary copy provided by the author

[Rachna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much, I don't even know what to say!!!! Three chapters in I actually started highlighting passages of writing that I loved - some phrases here absolutely took my breath away, especially in the context of the story. I loved the way you could find little things about every character and know for sure that those things are there for you to find; I loved that those things were never used to be clever with me, because Lerner never dragged them out and went 'Look! There! See what I did there??' I can't explain it, but MAN. I just felt so...happy.

I trusted everyone in this book, even though all of four of the characters in the forefront struggled with being honest and clear. I loved that every feeling here wasn't discarded or made less important - maybe he did love people before, maybe she was silly for comparing this one thing weighing on her to this thing weighing on him but maybe this was what felt right to her - everything is valid, even when examined or compared. That last thing is my favourite thing of all I think - everyone here's allowed to be upset with each other, but underneath there there's so much of letting love happen, as Ash points out at the end. They make a choice, and they stick to it. I think in books of characters with different backgrounds and personalities, it's very easy to draw comparisons and kind of weigh one against the other? This person is supposed to be more miserable than the other; this person is more justified in feeling angry, etc. That was never the case here.

All that aside, fucking adored these characters. Lydia and Ash wouldn't work on paper, I think, but the way they come alive when they talk and interact, and the way they have to studiously try at some things and then not have to try at all when it comes to other things - fucking wonderful. And watching them fall in love was magic. I can't even talk about it!!!

I'm so happy!

[Keri · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars. Ash was such a tragic figure in the book, at times I had tears in my eyes at the feelings that he didn't know how to deal with. He had always been a protector of his brother Rafe, that when Rafe wanted out of the con-artist and grifter life that they had been living. Ash having been a thief and liar all of his life didn't think he had it in him to be honest. So he has one more big play to make and then he will cut Rafe free. He has found a woman for Rafe to fall in love with and even better she has money. The only problem is, Ash is extremely attracted to her. Since the story is told through both POV we get to see what Ash is feeling and how he is dealing with having real emotions about another person. This was a unique historical and I do hope that we get Rafe's story in the future.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIS BOOK AND ASH COHEN WERE GIFTS

4+ stars!

A Jewish conman falls for his mark (and match), an independent minded ginger heiress, in this wonderfully offbeat story that featured imperfect, multidimensional characters, beautifully complicated sibling relationships and a HEA ending that for once was not tied together with a pretty bow yet ultimately still both romantic and very satisfying. Tears were shed. The feels were overwhelming. At times it almost felt like there were too many good things to find and I know that sounds strange but when you’ve read as many HRs as I have and you find one this special, it catches you off guard in an amazing way. I cannot praise the writing or Rose Lerner enough and I wish this mediocre review could more accurately convey what an amazing read True Pretenses was.

[Cait · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this.....so much.....lmao

also 'the resurrection trade' would be a good name for something

anyway I was truly screeching the entire time and I put off so many responsibilities bc I couldn't put this down. thank u rose lerner

like idk nan I was like 'ugh con artist brothers' but then it reversed all my expectations (and wrote really lovely sibling relationships, too!)! god I loved it! it was realistic (you know what I mean) and fantastic! I'm so happy!!!!

and there were Big Ol Queers, MULTIPLE, and how happy I am. and, again, all that nice consent stuff. god damn. thanks. thanks

[Sam I AMNreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

No easy romances in the universe of Rose Lerner. This one has so much pain and so much sweetness. She really does explore a different group of people than most historical romance authors-and I loved this stories of families we choose, swaps and sacrifices we make for love, and reconciling past with future.

What a lovely story. This is such a great series.

[Jane Stewart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some books just don’t work for me. This was one.

I read half, then began skimming, then I read the end. Early in the book they decide to marry for financial reasons. From then on it was getting to know each other and talking to the locals. I needed more chemistry or more interesting plot. I wasn’t surprised or delighted.

Lydia’s father spent a lot of money supporting the local workhouse and charities, gave loans to anyone who asked, and gave time and money to political causes. He died. Lydia’s brother the heir refuses to spend money like that. So Lydia wants to marry in order to get her dowry. And she wants it in a hurry so she can give money to those asking before they realize she has no funds and they go elsewhere. She didn’t want to be honest and tell people that her brother refused to support them anymore. I’m thinking why keep that a secret? It’s like she cares too much about what people think of her family or brother. That does not interest me. Then I kept wondering how much was her dowry? How long would it last? She’s going to spend it all on charity? How will she be able to support herself and her husband for the rest of her life in the dower house which requires several servants? Maybe that was answered later, but it stayed in my mind too much.

I love the idea of con men. I was interested to see them lie and get away with something. But the main con was not interesting. It was Lydia and Ash acting like they were in love so no one would think they were marrying for money. Ash told Lydia lying works best if you try to believe it rather than act it. This was the main con. Bland. (Note: Technically, there was another con in the beginning of the book with Ash coming to Lydia to match her with his brother. But that didn’t last long and was quickly resolved.)

DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Story length: 298 pages. Swearing language: strong including religious swear words but rarely used. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scene: more than a few. Setting: Probably Regency England. Copyright: 2015. Genre: historical romance.

[Melann · Rating 3 out of 5]

J'ai été un peu déroutée par cette lecture, j'ai du mal à trancher mon avis. Je pense que je n'ai pas accroché au héros, un peu trop désargenté et avec trop d'antécédents malhonnêtes.
Cet avis rejoint celui du 1er tome que je n'ai pas vraiment apprécié. Je passe dorénavant mon tour sur cette série.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of this book, and to say I was happy about it would be an understatement. Anyone who has talked historical romance with me will know that I ADORE Rose Lerner. I fell in love with one of her earlier releases, A Lily Among Thorns, but her latest series has just gone from strength to stength. This is the second book in the Lively St. Lemeston series and some of the characters from the first book (Sweet Disorder) make an appearance, much to my delight.

Things you can normally expect from a Rose Lerner book: thorough research, intricate worldbuilding, heartbreaking scenes involving food, and well-crafted characters that always manage to be unique but relatable.

Things you can expect from this book: all of the above PLUS SWINDLING. MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE. BROTHERS LOVING EACH OTHER FIERCELY. ROMANTIC REFERENCES TO BRAIDED LOAVES. RELIGION. POLITICS. OUR HERO BEING INCREDIBLY IN LOVE AND AN INCREDIBLE DORK.

"Running wasn’t respectable, but Ash walked towards her so fast he had to hold his hat on with one hand."

The romance developed beautifully over time, and the characteristic flashes of humour scattered throughout the book broke up the more melancholy moments. Lerner doesn't shy away from realistic depictions of her character's lives, but it's not all gloomy. It's just honest and optimistic and basically ALL THE THINGS I LOVE.

[willaful · Rating 4 out of 5]

My First Look at Heroes and Heartbreakers, on an honest relationship between a con man and a political hostess. http://www.heroesandheartbreakers.com...

[Tin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclosure: I requested this ARC through Netgalley. Thank you to Rose Lerner and Samhain Publishing for the opportunity. Yes, this is an honest review.

* * *

It's hard to talk about this book without spoiling it, because it is such an intricately-written story. Lerner has taken a number of plot threads and tackled them in her story.
- sibling dynamics
- values, friendship and political drama in a small town
- a marriage of convenience and how love figures into it
- Jews (and Catholics) and the Church of England
- orphans and workhouses

This is a story with a lot of texture and emotion: at the beginning of the story, Lerner shows how deeply invested Ash and Lydia are in their younger siblings and how devastating it is when Rafe and Jamie decide to make their own way in the world. They've long defined themselves by the purpose they served to Rafe and Jamie, and, now that that's gone, Lydia and Ash are both forced to redefine their identities.

He had brought Rafe up to take him for granted, to believe him strong and capable and impervious to the world's blows. He had wanted his brother to feel safe, as he himself never had. Fear, anxiety, illness, sadness -- he'd protected Rafe with fierce care from them all. It seemed bitterly unfair that this was his reward.
- loc 63

Ash's clothes are always a bit rumpled and ill-fitting, as though they were not meant for him to wear. It's a great parallel for his place in society: to avoid discrimination/persecution, Ash has had to hide his Jewish heritage and has pretended to be Church of England for as long as he could remember. He never says it, but, I think this was a turning point for Ash -- if he was going to live his life fooling people into thinking he was something he wasn't, he was going to live his life fooling people period, and he has been quite successful in both enterprises.

The fine thing about the country, unlike London, was that no one knew enough about Jews to know when they were looking at one. Give a false Christian name, and he was safe as houses.
- loc 232

It's hard to describe Lydia Reeve's role in Lively St. Lemeston. Her family has served as the Tory patron of their town for generations, and Lydia, herself, served as her father's political hostess since she was 17. We get to peer into Lydia's mind quite a bit, and she's constantly thinking about everyone -- about the upcoming Gooding Day auction, about the forthcoming winter and new coats for the children at the workhouse, about Parliament and her brother taking his seat, about her correspondences with fellow Tories, and about how she could afford to remain the patron of their party now that her brother has announced that he was not interested in taking over their father's role and responsibility in their town.

Lydia was in danger of becoming a flat character, but I realised that this was part of her tragedy -- she had always been the one who took care of everyone. My impression was she was the go-to girl for anyone who needed anything done, but no one seemed to be taking care of her. It's such a subtle, but quite powerful shift when Ash enters her life. For the first time in Lydia's life, someone was paying very, very close attention to her (Granted, it was, initially, for less-than-honest intentions), and for the first time, Lydia is forced to pay attention to herself and her needs.

"You don't owe these people this. Don't sell yourself so cheaply. You're worth more. I thought you would be happy with my brother."

Tears pricked unexpectedly at her eyes, that he would say that. She blinked them away. "I'm glad you think you know who to set a just price on me," she said dryly. "But I don't consider that I am selling my self at all. I am choosing to do what I must to get what I want. ..."
- loc 1567

Ash and Rafe Cahill are swindlers who have conned their way through England. Ash has never thought to live any other life but the one they have, but, when Rafe announces that he wants out and plans to join the army, Ash is forced to reassess their situation. Ever the hustler, Ash has figured out a way to keep Rafe safe: he'll find Rafe a wife and make certain he settles down into a nice, quiet life. When Ash hears about Lydia Reeve and her circumstances, he knows he's found his mark. Unlike their previous swindles, this one held a bit more significance for Ash, because he was doing it for Rafe -- and it wasn't for a short-term goal this time, but for life. It isn't surprising that Ash gets emotionally involved in his own situation. It's frightening just how easily Ash slips into his role and there was always, always a tug of war between sincere honesty (the redundancy is intended) and dishonesty -- is he saying all this to get what he wants? What does Ash want anyway?

He was full of small kindnesses, and if they were calculated, she didn't think that made them less kind.
- loc 2853

Because they are so deeply personal, religion and politics we are told to avoid them as topics in conversations, but Rose Lerner has decided to tackle both in her novel, True Pretenses. It's a lot of very important things to talk about in a novel, but, instead of the tangled mess of strings that Ash describes in the novel (Chapter 14, loc 2357), Lerner has deftly woven all these elements into a most glorious tapestry.

True Pretenses got me thinking how some other stories seem to put the hero and heroine in a vacuum: letting the world fade into the background, while allowing the main characters to explore and deepen their relationship without much distraction or interruption, so I don't know how Rose Lerner did it. She was able to talk about everything in depth without taking the focus away from her central characters: Lerner even revisits characters from the first book, Sweet Disorder , and we see Phoebe, Jack and Caroline Sparks still contend with bills, the press, and, for Caroline, her strange situation as a Tory married to a Whig. (It's wonderful to see them continue with their lives -- while they are all happy and settled, their stories haven't really ended yet.)

There's also Mary, a young girl from the workhouse and her younger sister, Joanna. Mary's situation mirrors that of Lydia and Ash's. Lerner really has written about the world and was able to put it into a "nutshell" (being 305 pages) -- and, while the world of Lively St. Lemeston isn't all rainbows and sunshine, it also isn't about gloom and misery either. There is an optimistic undertone to the story, but the characters must work, strive, and sacrifice to attain this goal.

This is a romance novel unlike any other romance novel that you've read before: it's a page-turner, not because there's something exciting happening, but because there's something important happening. There's a quiet thoughtfulness to Lerner's writing, but the message she conveys is resoundingly clear: the world of Lively St. Lemeston isn't perfect and the characters aren't paragons, but there's beauty and value in their flaws and imperfections -- and there's a story to every wrinkle, crease, smudge and tear.

One caveat: I've had the benefit of reading Sweet Disorder , and I wonder how True Pretenses would read as a stand-alone.

[Kate Welsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh boy I LOVED this one. Lydia was EXTREMELY relatable and I loved both MCs and their little brothers so much. So much great family stuff in addition to the romance, and also delightful winter/Christmas content!

[Pamela Shropshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book of the series; it's also the second book of Ms. Lerner's that I've read. I enjoy her unique voice; she stands out from the myriad of today's historical romances. She creates real characters, ordinary people, not dukes and princes (not that there's anything wrong with that).

Lydia Reeve is mourning her father, Lord Wheatcroft, who was killed in a riding accident. Lord Wheatcroft was the Tory patron of Lively St. Lemeston; she has been his hostess since she was 17, eleven years ago. She enjoys the charity work, but since her father's death, she no longer has access to the baronetcy money, and her brother, Jamie, has no interest in taking his father's place in either Parliament or their community. Lydia has her dowry, in trust, of course, but she has no desire to marry.

Ash Cahill and his brother, Ralph, are con men. Born in the slums of the East End and Jewish to boot, they would certainly not be considered gentlemen under their birth names. They have been living nomadic lives, running swindles all over England and routinely changing their names. Rafe, though, is tired of the life and tells Ash he wants to live an honest life.

So when Ash arrived in Lively St. Lemeston and a tipsy election agent tells him about Miss Reeve's dilemma, Ash decides that Rafe should charm her into a marriage of convenience. Ash visits her home in the pretext of viewing the picture gallery - he tells her he is a wanderer and loves visiting stately homes he encounters. Lydia immediately likes him; she is also strongly attracted to him, and the attraction is mutual.

Still, Ash wants to proceed with the original plan and he lays it out to Rafe. He points out that Miss Reeve will have her money, minus a small portion for Rafe, and they can create a plausible reason for Rafe to leave after a few months. Rafe isn't crazy about the idea; he boldly tells Lydia the whole truth - well, not the part about them being professional swindlers. Lydia thanks him for his proposal, but says she would really prefer to marry Ash.

This is such an interesting premise and I really enjoyed the execution of the story. Ash is not exactly the typical tortured hero, but he is subject to bouts of melancholy because he worries about Rafe. Lydia isn't quite as interesting as Ash, but she is quite bold in expressing her feelings for Ash - she often makes the first move in kissing and lovemaking.

The ending is interesting, too. There is a HEA, but some of the loose threads are left dangling. There is no epilogue to tie them neatly in a bow. I assume we will revisit Lydia and Ash, at least on the periphery, in later books of the series.

Recommended for any romance reader who wants a historical that's not run of the mill.

[Mónica BQ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

I really, really liked this one, but I didn't adore it.

I made the mistake of starting this while simultaneously starting my re-read of one of my favourite books ever. And consequently, every time I started reading, I felt very much like Jamie did at the beginning of True Pretenses: I don't care, leave me alone.

Once I finally got into the story, I liked it very very much. Ash was fucking adorable. And I loved Lydia to pieces, she's a fantastic heroine and I loved loved both of their practicality.
And the children conversation, that's probably the best part of this book. I mean, all of the stars to it. ALL OF THEM. Basically just being able to say: You want offspring? No? Cool, me neither. And then, DONE. Conversation over.
I also found refreshing the fact that in the midst of actually ending up in love, neither of them lost their heads. Both of them still understood the compromises they would have to make to be together. They both still acknowledged that their marriage came first from convenience. And that right there, is some excellent character consistency.

And still, I found with this book the same niggles I found with the previous ones: the siblings relationships are quite baffling to me. I can't say I know jack shit about the Regency or that I understand a thing about living in it, but both with Phoebe and Nick in book 1, and with Lydia and Ash in this one the relationships with their brothers and sister were... too sacrifice-y and martyr-like for me. Being an older sister myself I feel like I should have identified with them and instead I was left slightly recoiling from every single choice they made in regards to their siblings.

So, I was left feeling very ambivalent about the book. It's more of a 3 star read I think. But the excellent writing and Rose Lerner's tumblr deserve the extra star.