Liz Carlyle
Author of The Devil You Know
About the Author
Image credit: www.lizcarlyle.com/
Series
Works by Liz Carlyle
De passie van een vrouw 1 copy
A Deal with the Devil, One Little Sin, The Devil to Pay, Three Little Secrets, Two Little Lies (2000) 1 copy
Verwante zielen 1 copy
Hunting Season / Tea for Two 1 copy
Let's Talk About Sex 1 copy
Lorimer Family 5 Pack: My False Heart/A Woman Scorned/A Woman of Virtue/A Deal With the Devil/Wicked All Day (1999) 1 copy
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Woodhouse, Susan T.
- Other names
- Carlyle, Liz
- Birthdate
- 1958-08-07
- Gender
- female
- Education
- Hampton University, Scripps Howard School of Journalism
- Occupations
- romance novelist
historical novelist - Short biography
- Susan T. Woodhouse was born on August 7, 1958 in Suffolk, Virginia, USA. She attended college at Scripps Howards on a writing scholarship and majored in Journalism. She then had a career in Human Resources in the automotive and chemical industries. It was when she was between jobs that she began writing novels. Her first submission to Pocket Books did not sell, but they were interested in seeing more of her work. In 1998, they bought two of her historical romances, published as Liz Carlyle. She enjoys bringing her readers a little bit of the 19th century to enjoy.
Susan lives in beautiful North Carolina with her husband, Edward, and their three cats, Elliot, Pelham and Mary. She often is visited by her two stepchildren. - Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Suffolk, Virginia, USA
- Places of residence
- North Carolina, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- USA
Members
Reviews
Beauty Like the Night is a beautifully written love story with the added bonus of a mystery. I believe that most, if not all, of Liz Carlyle's books combine these two elements, and she does a wonderful job with both. I really enjoy romances in which the hero and heroine either begin as friends or develop a friendship before marrying. In my opinion, Ms. Carlyle is masterful at writing these friendships and bringing to the story a sense of warmth and deep intimacy that goes far beyond the show more physical realm. She also writes a good mystery. If I spend most of the story trying to solve the mystery and figure out who the villain is, while suspecting characters who end up being innocent, then I know the author did a good job. Such was the case with Beauty Like the Night. The romance was truly romantic, because Cam and Helene had been the best of friends and had experienced the beauty of young love before being cruelly torn apart. They then had a second chance to rekindle both their friendship and their love. The mystery was truly mysterious, because I did suspect other characters besides the real villain. Also, though different scenarios came to mind, I never fully figured out what Ariane had seen that caused her to stop talking until it was revealed in the story. Cam's brother, Bentley's psychological complexities added additional intrigue to the story as I tried to figure out what drives him to do some of the things that he does.
Aside from history, one of my main interests is psychology. I was fascinated to find a historical novel that made use of psychology. Until reading this book, I hadn't even realized that psychological treatments similar to what we use in modern times were even practiced in that era. Ms. Carlyle even made mention of a real historical figure in this fledgling field, Philippe Pinel, along with some factual information on his practice. I was very impressed with her use of such an unusual topic in a historical romance, and the care that she seems to have taken in researching it. Ms. Carlyle has a truly intelligent writing style that is borne out by the fact that I was able to learn something new from reading her work. I have seen a few reviewers who were critical of the psychology element as being anachronistic, but my own research bears out it's accuracy.
The characters in Beauty Like the Night are incredibly well written from the hero and heroine to the secondary characters. Camden Rutledge just made my all-time favorite romantic heroes list. On the outside he may be quiet and serious, but on the inside he has the heart of a poet and burns with passion. He is thoroughly masculine without being arrogant or self-centered. Cam is loyal and faithful even when those around him are not, and he is a hard worker who takes his responsibilities very seriously. His undying devotion to his daughter and his belief that the so-called experts are wrong about her condition only make him more appealing. Even his cat, Boadicea, adores him, and he talks to her often. I think that Ms. Carlyle's use of children and pets always brings great warmth to her characters and stories. Helene was a wonderful heroine, the perfect foil for Cam's reserved nature. As a teenager she was a nearly reckless free-spirit, but even in her more mature adult form she still exhibits that lightheartedness accompanied by a newfound strength of character. I loved that she is strong and worldly enough to so deftly handle men who make unwanted advances, and later showed her spunk and spirit against the villain. She also impressed me as a woman who had made a career for herself in a society where there were few options for women. I really appreciate Ms. Carlyle writing slightly older heroines who have been able to find a niche for themselves outside of marriage or the usual historically limited professions for women.
Some key secondary characters were surprisingly well fleshed out. Among them was Cam's daughter Ariane, who was an incredibly intelligent and brave little girl. The author does a wonderful job of letting the reader inside her thoughts and feelings even when she cannot speak, and keeping her insights and actions on an age-appropriate level. Reader's are given an introduction to Cam's sister, Catherine, who is light, breezy and full of life, while obviously being strong and capable. She also seems to go against the female stereotype of her time, being more comfortable on horseback or handling estate duties than doing interior decorating. In my opinion though, the most intriguing and well written of the secondary characters is Cam's brother, Bentley. Underneath his alternating facades of the seductive charmer and the rebellious, indifferent rakehell is a young man full of fascinating complexities. I was truly impressed that the author was able to write a supporting male character with such depth who didn't overshadow Cam. It is obvious that Bentley's story is far from over, and readers are given a glimpse of the hero he will eventually become.
Liz Carlyle's books contain many interconnected characters, but she considers her stories to be more of a “community of characters” than a series. That said, there are two characters from Beauty Like the Night who continue on to future books. Catherine Rutledge Wodeway becomes the heroine of her own story in No True Gentleman. Likewise, Bentley Rutledge becomes the hero of his own story in The Devil You Know, but prior to that is also seen in A Woman of Virtue and No True Gentleman, both of which will likely add more layers to his already complex character. Beauty Like the Night was a wonderful book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I would highly recommend it, and it has definitely earned a place on my keeper shelf. Ms. Carlyle is a very talented author, and I am looking forward to reading more of her books in the future.
Note: While none of Ms. Carlyle's earlier books seem to be officially considered a series and each seems to stand reasonably well on it's own story-wise, I would caution that reading her later books first may give away spoilers to her earlier books. Such was the case when I skipped one book and was left wishing that I had read it first. My suggestion for readers like myself who don't like any spoilers would be to begin with Ms. Carlyle's first book, My False Heart, and continue reading them in the chronological order in which she wrote them. It is also my opinion that the reading experience would be greatly enhanced by doing this, because Ms. Carlyle's character web is so complex. The entire backlist, in order, can be found on her website. For readers who aren't as particular about spoilers and prefer to read in smaller sets, Ms. Carlyle's books can also be grouped by families. Beauty Like the Night would be the first book in the Rutledge Family group. show less
Aside from history, one of my main interests is psychology. I was fascinated to find a historical novel that made use of psychology. Until reading this book, I hadn't even realized that psychological treatments similar to what we use in modern times were even practiced in that era. Ms. Carlyle even made mention of a real historical figure in this fledgling field, Philippe Pinel, along with some factual information on his practice. I was very impressed with her use of such an unusual topic in a historical romance, and the care that she seems to have taken in researching it. Ms. Carlyle has a truly intelligent writing style that is borne out by the fact that I was able to learn something new from reading her work. I have seen a few reviewers who were critical of the psychology element as being anachronistic, but my own research bears out it's accuracy.
The characters in Beauty Like the Night are incredibly well written from the hero and heroine to the secondary characters. Camden Rutledge just made my all-time favorite romantic heroes list. On the outside he may be quiet and serious, but on the inside he has the heart of a poet and burns with passion. He is thoroughly masculine without being arrogant or self-centered. Cam is loyal and faithful even when those around him are not, and he is a hard worker who takes his responsibilities very seriously. His undying devotion to his daughter and his belief that the so-called experts are wrong about her condition only make him more appealing. Even his cat, Boadicea, adores him, and he talks to her often. I think that Ms. Carlyle's use of children and pets always brings great warmth to her characters and stories. Helene was a wonderful heroine, the perfect foil for Cam's reserved nature. As a teenager she was a nearly reckless free-spirit, but even in her more mature adult form she still exhibits that lightheartedness accompanied by a newfound strength of character. I loved that she is strong and worldly enough to so deftly handle men who make unwanted advances, and later showed her spunk and spirit against the villain. She also impressed me as a woman who had made a career for herself in a society where there were few options for women. I really appreciate Ms. Carlyle writing slightly older heroines who have been able to find a niche for themselves outside of marriage or the usual historically limited professions for women.
Some key secondary characters were surprisingly well fleshed out. Among them was Cam's daughter Ariane, who was an incredibly intelligent and brave little girl. The author does a wonderful job of letting the reader inside her thoughts and feelings even when she cannot speak, and keeping her insights and actions on an age-appropriate level. Reader's are given an introduction to Cam's sister, Catherine, who is light, breezy and full of life, while obviously being strong and capable. She also seems to go against the female stereotype of her time, being more comfortable on horseback or handling estate duties than doing interior decorating. In my opinion though, the most intriguing and well written of the secondary characters is Cam's brother, Bentley. Underneath his alternating facades of the seductive charmer and the rebellious, indifferent rakehell is a young man full of fascinating complexities. I was truly impressed that the author was able to write a supporting male character with such depth who didn't overshadow Cam. It is obvious that Bentley's story is far from over, and readers are given a glimpse of the hero he will eventually become.
Liz Carlyle's books contain many interconnected characters, but she considers her stories to be more of a “community of characters” than a series. That said, there are two characters from Beauty Like the Night who continue on to future books. Catherine Rutledge Wodeway becomes the heroine of her own story in No True Gentleman. Likewise, Bentley Rutledge becomes the hero of his own story in The Devil You Know, but prior to that is also seen in A Woman of Virtue and No True Gentleman, both of which will likely add more layers to his already complex character. Beauty Like the Night was a wonderful book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I would highly recommend it, and it has definitely earned a place on my keeper shelf. Ms. Carlyle is a very talented author, and I am looking forward to reading more of her books in the future.
Note: While none of Ms. Carlyle's earlier books seem to be officially considered a series and each seems to stand reasonably well on it's own story-wise, I would caution that reading her later books first may give away spoilers to her earlier books. Such was the case when I skipped one book and was left wishing that I had read it first. My suggestion for readers like myself who don't like any spoilers would be to begin with Ms. Carlyle's first book, My False Heart, and continue reading them in the chronological order in which she wrote them. It is also my opinion that the reading experience would be greatly enhanced by doing this, because Ms. Carlyle's character web is so complex. The entire backlist, in order, can be found on her website. For readers who aren't as particular about spoilers and prefer to read in smaller sets, Ms. Carlyle's books can also be grouped by families. Beauty Like the Night would be the first book in the Rutledge Family group. show less
I'm not sure why I haven't picked up a Liz Carlyle romance in a while, probably just because I've been too busy with review books and other novels that caught my attention. She has never yet failed to give me a great read, and A Deal with the Devil was no exception. It was a pleasure to see Giles, a character I'd really liked in A Woman of Virtue, finally get his HEA. Even though it had been a long time since I'd read one of Liz Carlyle's books, I managed to almost instantly fall right back show more into step with her complex character web, and really enjoyed visiting with some of the characters from her previous novels.
When the story opens, Giles is obviously still holding a tendre for his former stepmother, Cecilia, a woman who he had pursued in A Woman of Virtue and the heroine of that book. Giles does grudgingly like and respect her husband, David, but he simply never quite got over loosing Cecilia to his father, her first husband. He also holds some strong unpleasant memories associated with his father and the castle that is his family seat. When Aubrey takes over as housekeeper of Cardow and begins plaguing him with letters regarding problems at the castle, Giles tries to dismiss them as nothing but nagging, but they clearly have a deeper effect on him. The reader can almost see him beginning to fall in love with her before he's ever met her. Giles can be a bit blustery when he's upset or annoyed, but he has a very sensitive, caring side too. I really liked that he was an involved politician who truly wanted to make a difference in the lives of his fellow countrymen. Once Giles meets Aubrey, he can scarce stay away from her even though he feels rather guilty for becoming involved with his employee. What I loved and admired most about Giles was the way he always believed in Aubrey and his incredible patience in waiting for her to be ready to tell him the truth. Even when the evidence started stacking up against her and everyone else thought her guilty of murder and even when some of her lies were exposed, he never wavered in his conviction that she was innocent and had good reasons for not telling him the whole story. For me, an immutable trust like that is a very romantic thing. On top of that, he was even willing to marry Aubrey before she had told him everything, just to quell any potential gossip, in spite of what it might have done to his career and social status.
Aubrey was a very strong woman who had been through experiences so horrifying it made her desperate enough to want to work as a mere servant in a dreary old castle for a temperamental codger like Elias. She showed her intelligence by calling upon Elias to fulfill an old debt to her father, asking him to take her on as housekeeper without asking questions and wouldn't take no for an answer. Then she immediately set about remaking the castle into a place where Giles was eventually able to start feeling at home again even after so many years away and so many painful memories. Aubrey wasn't afraid to go toe to toe with Elias and then with Giles too when he arrives. She is a very caring mother to Iain, always protecting him and looking out for his welfare above all. Underneath her stoic facade though, Aubrey holds many deep, dark secrets which make her feel as if the weight of the world is upon her shoulders. When she begins to connect with Giles, Aubrey is like a sponge, soaking up all his passion and affection like a woman starving, and in an emotional way, she was. I became a tad frustrated with her unwillingness to fully trust Giles with her story or to marry him, especially when Giles proved over and over how much he believed in her and trusted her implicitly. I sort of felt like she should be giving back to him in kind, but eventually, I realized that the ordeal she had been through was so terrifying, she didn't feel like she could trust anyone but herself, and she was also trying to protect Giles from the scandal of being involved with someone like her.
Giles and Aubrey have a really beautiful relationship. I loved all of the quiet, little, getting to know you moments they shared, like in the stable during the rainstorm. When they first met, this couple had a pretty contentious relationship which made the sparks fly every time they tried to talk about almost anything, but I completely understood why each of them harbored some ill feelings toward the other. It was also an obvious sign of their underlying attraction. When they finally gave in to that attraction, their first love scene admittedly wasn't quite perfect. There were a couple of bumps in the road, but it was still one of the most beautiful love scenes I've ever read. Liz Carlyle is incredibly talented at writing hot, sexy scenes that really make the pages sizzle.
As I mentioned before, I very much enjoyed revisiting some past characters. Cecilia and David (A Woman of Virtue) were there to support Giles in his time of grief. Lady Isabel Kirton, a secondary character throughout Liz Carlyle's books was mentioned early and then popped in for a cameo during the epilogue. Max (No True Gentleman) came at Giles request and put his sleuthing skills to work investigating Elias' mysterious death. He was accompanied by the scene-stealing George “Kem” Kemble, another long-time secondary character. As always, Kem was hilarious with his fussiness, and the way he can slickly get information out of almost anyone is pure genius. No wonder they want him along on investigations.:-)
A Deal with the Devil pretty much had it all: a wonderful hero and heroine, a fabulous supporting cast, some mystery and intrigue, heart-stopping romance, and a passionate love affair. Everything simply came together to make this another great read from Liz Carlyle's fertile imagination. I can't wait to continue reading her books, so I'll have to try harder to not set her aside for so long next time.
Note: Ms. Carlyle's didn't used to officially consider her books as series, but recently she began grouping them together on her website. A Deal with the Devil is now listed as book #4 in the Lorimer Family & Clan Cameron series. However, I would advise readers that Ms. Carlyle's character web is very complex, with past and future characters popping up throughout all of her books. With this in mind, it is my opinion that the reading experience would be greatly enhanced by beginning with Ms. Carlyle's first book, My False Heart, and continuing to read them in their publication order. The entire backlist, in order, can be found on her website. show less
When the story opens, Giles is obviously still holding a tendre for his former stepmother, Cecilia, a woman who he had pursued in A Woman of Virtue and the heroine of that book. Giles does grudgingly like and respect her husband, David, but he simply never quite got over loosing Cecilia to his father, her first husband. He also holds some strong unpleasant memories associated with his father and the castle that is his family seat. When Aubrey takes over as housekeeper of Cardow and begins plaguing him with letters regarding problems at the castle, Giles tries to dismiss them as nothing but nagging, but they clearly have a deeper effect on him. The reader can almost see him beginning to fall in love with her before he's ever met her. Giles can be a bit blustery when he's upset or annoyed, but he has a very sensitive, caring side too. I really liked that he was an involved politician who truly wanted to make a difference in the lives of his fellow countrymen. Once Giles meets Aubrey, he can scarce stay away from her even though he feels rather guilty for becoming involved with his employee. What I loved and admired most about Giles was the way he always believed in Aubrey and his incredible patience in waiting for her to be ready to tell him the truth. Even when the evidence started stacking up against her and everyone else thought her guilty of murder and even when some of her lies were exposed, he never wavered in his conviction that she was innocent and had good reasons for not telling him the whole story. For me, an immutable trust like that is a very romantic thing. On top of that, he was even willing to marry Aubrey before she had told him everything, just to quell any potential gossip, in spite of what it might have done to his career and social status.
Aubrey was a very strong woman who had been through experiences so horrifying it made her desperate enough to want to work as a mere servant in a dreary old castle for a temperamental codger like Elias. She showed her intelligence by calling upon Elias to fulfill an old debt to her father, asking him to take her on as housekeeper without asking questions and wouldn't take no for an answer. Then she immediately set about remaking the castle into a place where Giles was eventually able to start feeling at home again even after so many years away and so many painful memories. Aubrey wasn't afraid to go toe to toe with Elias and then with Giles too when he arrives. She is a very caring mother to Iain, always protecting him and looking out for his welfare above all. Underneath her stoic facade though, Aubrey holds many deep, dark secrets which make her feel as if the weight of the world is upon her shoulders. When she begins to connect with Giles, Aubrey is like a sponge, soaking up all his passion and affection like a woman starving, and in an emotional way, she was. I became a tad frustrated with her unwillingness to fully trust Giles with her story or to marry him, especially when Giles proved over and over how much he believed in her and trusted her implicitly. I sort of felt like she should be giving back to him in kind, but eventually, I realized that the ordeal she had been through was so terrifying, she didn't feel like she could trust anyone but herself, and she was also trying to protect Giles from the scandal of being involved with someone like her.
Giles and Aubrey have a really beautiful relationship. I loved all of the quiet, little, getting to know you moments they shared, like in the stable during the rainstorm. When they first met, this couple had a pretty contentious relationship which made the sparks fly every time they tried to talk about almost anything, but I completely understood why each of them harbored some ill feelings toward the other. It was also an obvious sign of their underlying attraction. When they finally gave in to that attraction, their first love scene admittedly wasn't quite perfect. There were a couple of bumps in the road, but it was still one of the most beautiful love scenes I've ever read. Liz Carlyle is incredibly talented at writing hot, sexy scenes that really make the pages sizzle.
As I mentioned before, I very much enjoyed revisiting some past characters. Cecilia and David (A Woman of Virtue) were there to support Giles in his time of grief. Lady Isabel Kirton, a secondary character throughout Liz Carlyle's books was mentioned early and then popped in for a cameo during the epilogue. Max (No True Gentleman) came at Giles request and put his sleuthing skills to work investigating Elias' mysterious death. He was accompanied by the scene-stealing George “Kem” Kemble, another long-time secondary character. As always, Kem was hilarious with his fussiness, and the way he can slickly get information out of almost anyone is pure genius. No wonder they want him along on investigations.:-)
A Deal with the Devil pretty much had it all: a wonderful hero and heroine, a fabulous supporting cast, some mystery and intrigue, heart-stopping romance, and a passionate love affair. Everything simply came together to make this another great read from Liz Carlyle's fertile imagination. I can't wait to continue reading her books, so I'll have to try harder to not set her aside for so long next time.
Note: Ms. Carlyle's didn't used to officially consider her books as series, but recently she began grouping them together on her website. A Deal with the Devil is now listed as book #4 in the Lorimer Family & Clan Cameron series. However, I would advise readers that Ms. Carlyle's character web is very complex, with past and future characters popping up throughout all of her books. With this in mind, it is my opinion that the reading experience would be greatly enhanced by beginning with Ms. Carlyle's first book, My False Heart, and continuing to read them in their publication order. The entire backlist, in order, can be found on her website. show less
I don’t know why I keep taking so long between my reading of Liz Carlyle’s novels, because they almost never fail to delight me. Perhaps it’s for the best, though, since the author is now retired and no longer writing. I suppose the upside to my procrastination is that it will draw out my reading pleasure longer. In any case, Two Little Lies was yet another of her books that was a winner for me. In it, we have a famed Italian opera singer and the heir to an earldom who engage in a show more passionate love affair in their early twenties, but their respective youth and naiveté leads to a failure to communicate. Although they’re in love, both of them are quite stubborn about admitting their feelings. They spend more time making love and arguing than really getting to know one another, so when she realizes she’s pregnant, she isn’t sure if she can trust him to do the right thing. Instead, she, perhaps foolishly, decides to return to Venice and accept the marriage proposal of her father’s patron, but it’s anything but an ideal union. Widowed nearly a decade later, she returns to England at the request of the hero’s uncle, who is another patron. When she and the man she’s never stopped loving see each other again, sparks fly, and they discover that their old chemistry still burns bright. But she’s harboring a huge secret and doesn’t know how she’ll tell him without earning his hatred for keeping him from his child for all those years.
Viviana took the world of opera by storm and rapidly rose to stardom at a young age. Many men pursued her, but perhaps none so doggedly as Quinten Hewitt. He eventually wore her down, and for all intents and purposes, she reluctantly became his mistress. However, despite loving him, his impetuousness and youthful folly prevented her from fully trusting him. So she returned home to Italy pregnant with his child and entered into a loveless marriage for the sake of security. Nearly a decade later, she returns to England widowed and with her three children in tow. When Viviana sees Quin again at his engagement party, all the old feelings for him resurface. They’re still every bit as attracted to one another as they were years ago, so when Quin’s fiancée breaks off their betrothal, things quickly heat up between Quin and Viviana. But she still struggles to accept that Quin actually loves her and isn’t sure how to tell him that she bore his child. Viviana is a very stubborn, proud woman, who tends to fight her feelings for Quin. But to her credit, she’s an incredible mother, who loves her children intensely and would do anything for them. I respected and understood Viviana’s choice to leave Quin all those years before, but once they reconnected and realized that their passion still burned bright, it was a little harder to figure out why she was having trouble really letting him into her life. I know she was afraid that he would hate her if he knew the truth about his daughter, but at the same time, I felt it was a bit selfish on her part to deny both Quin and Cerelia the chance to know one another, especially since her former husband had been particularly cruel to Cerelia. In this respect, she frustrated me a bit, which is why I dropped the half star.
In his youth, Quin was brash but lacking in genuine confidence. He was more taken with the idea of possessing a beautiful mistress like Vivie than attending to her emotional needs. However, he was in love with her, so when she suddenly left England, he was devastated. When she returns after years abroad on the night of Quin’s engagement party, he thinks she’s playing games. But after his engagement ends abruptly and unexpectedly, he finds that he isn’t particularly bothered by it, because Vivie still holds a piece of his heart and is the only woman he really wants. The pull between them is just as irresistible as it was when they were young, but his mother’s snobbery becomes a bit of an issue as he begins to consider marriage to Vivie this time around. Then there’s Vivie’s oldest daughter who presents a different kind of pull. In her, Quin recognizes a familiarity but doesn’t know why. In the opening prologue, when he was young, Quin wasn’t necessarily the ideal hero, but he grew and matured a great deal over the years he and Vivie were separated. Aside from trying to take liberties with her on the day after they saw each other again for the first time – something Vivie gave him hell for – Quinn was everything I expect in a romance hero. He’s passionate and loving, and when Vivie tries to close the door on any kind of relationship, he pursues her with determination, not wanting to let her get away again. I also love how sweet he is with all the children, but he connects in an especially deep way with Cerelia. Even though he’d given little thought to becoming a father, he’s clearly cut out for the job, and I love a man who’s good with kids. He was also smart enough to finally figure out why he felt so connected to Cerelia, and although he was angry about it at first, he eventually cooled off and unselfishly did what was right for everyone.
Overall, Two Little Lies was an intensely emotional and deeply moving story that was hard to put down. I’m not usually a big fan of the secret baby trope, but here it worked beautifully for me. Even though Vivie could be a bit frustrating at times, I was still caught up in all the feelings that passed between her and Quin. I was also dying to find out when Quin would learn the truth and how that would all turn out, and I was definitely not disappointed by it at all. I was more than convinced that Vivie and Quin were right for each other and that they loved each other, even though Vivie seemed to be fighting it tooth and nail. I very much enjoyed the supporting characters as well. Quin’s sister gets a secondary romance that in many ways mirrors Vivie’s story, while the children were delightful and rendered very age-appropriately. I really felt deeply for Cerelia. She was a particularly sweet child, but her sibling could be, too. Aside from Vivie’s stubbornness and the fact that she probably never would have told Quin the truth if he hadn’t figured it out for himself, the only downside I found was a surprising number of typographical errors for a book that was released by a major publisher. Otherwise, this was a near-perfect read for me, which has me excited to read more from Liz Carlyle in this series. I’ll just have to try not to wait so long in between books next time. show less
Viviana took the world of opera by storm and rapidly rose to stardom at a young age. Many men pursued her, but perhaps none so doggedly as Quinten Hewitt. He eventually wore her down, and for all intents and purposes, she reluctantly became his mistress. However, despite loving him, his impetuousness and youthful folly prevented her from fully trusting him. So she returned home to Italy pregnant with his child and entered into a loveless marriage for the sake of security. Nearly a decade later, she returns to England widowed and with her three children in tow. When Viviana sees Quin again at his engagement party, all the old feelings for him resurface. They’re still every bit as attracted to one another as they were years ago, so when Quin’s fiancée breaks off their betrothal, things quickly heat up between Quin and Viviana. But she still struggles to accept that Quin actually loves her and isn’t sure how to tell him that she bore his child. Viviana is a very stubborn, proud woman, who tends to fight her feelings for Quin. But to her credit, she’s an incredible mother, who loves her children intensely and would do anything for them. I respected and understood Viviana’s choice to leave Quin all those years before, but once they reconnected and realized that their passion still burned bright, it was a little harder to figure out why she was having trouble really letting him into her life. I know she was afraid that he would hate her if he knew the truth about his daughter, but at the same time, I felt it was a bit selfish on her part to deny both Quin and Cerelia the chance to know one another, especially since her former husband had been particularly cruel to Cerelia. In this respect, she frustrated me a bit, which is why I dropped the half star.
In his youth, Quin was brash but lacking in genuine confidence. He was more taken with the idea of possessing a beautiful mistress like Vivie than attending to her emotional needs. However, he was in love with her, so when she suddenly left England, he was devastated. When she returns after years abroad on the night of Quin’s engagement party, he thinks she’s playing games. But after his engagement ends abruptly and unexpectedly, he finds that he isn’t particularly bothered by it, because Vivie still holds a piece of his heart and is the only woman he really wants. The pull between them is just as irresistible as it was when they were young, but his mother’s snobbery becomes a bit of an issue as he begins to consider marriage to Vivie this time around. Then there’s Vivie’s oldest daughter who presents a different kind of pull. In her, Quin recognizes a familiarity but doesn’t know why. In the opening prologue, when he was young, Quin wasn’t necessarily the ideal hero, but he grew and matured a great deal over the years he and Vivie were separated. Aside from trying to take liberties with her on the day after they saw each other again for the first time – something Vivie gave him hell for – Quinn was everything I expect in a romance hero. He’s passionate and loving, and when Vivie tries to close the door on any kind of relationship, he pursues her with determination, not wanting to let her get away again. I also love how sweet he is with all the children, but he connects in an especially deep way with Cerelia. Even though he’d given little thought to becoming a father, he’s clearly cut out for the job, and I love a man who’s good with kids. He was also smart enough to finally figure out why he felt so connected to Cerelia, and although he was angry about it at first, he eventually cooled off and unselfishly did what was right for everyone.
Overall, Two Little Lies was an intensely emotional and deeply moving story that was hard to put down. I’m not usually a big fan of the secret baby trope, but here it worked beautifully for me. Even though Vivie could be a bit frustrating at times, I was still caught up in all the feelings that passed between her and Quin. I was also dying to find out when Quin would learn the truth and how that would all turn out, and I was definitely not disappointed by it at all. I was more than convinced that Vivie and Quin were right for each other and that they loved each other, even though Vivie seemed to be fighting it tooth and nail. I very much enjoyed the supporting characters as well. Quin’s sister gets a secondary romance that in many ways mirrors Vivie’s story, while the children were delightful and rendered very age-appropriately. I really felt deeply for Cerelia. She was a particularly sweet child, but her sibling could be, too. Aside from Vivie’s stubbornness and the fact that she probably never would have told Quin the truth if he hadn’t figured it out for himself, the only downside I found was a surprising number of typographical errors for a book that was released by a major publisher. Otherwise, this was a near-perfect read for me, which has me excited to read more from Liz Carlyle in this series. I’ll just have to try not to wait so long in between books next time. show less
I have no idea how I keep managing to allow so much time to pass between reading Liz Carlyle's book. Somewhere in the past three years, I squeezed in one of her novellas, but I was shocked to discover that it's been that long since I last read one of her full-length novels. I really need to stop doing that, because thus far, she's never failed to enchant me with her stories and The Devil to Pay was no exception. I absolutely loved this story of a seemingly proper widow who's harboring a very show more high-profile secret identity and the rakish, scandalous Marquess who's finally met his match. From their opening scene together, they set the pages on fire and their romance certainly doesn't disappoint. I also very much enjoyed learning more about long-time secondary character, George Kemble. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was always excited to get back to it each time I had to put it down.
Our heroine, Sidonie, is George's sister, and both of them are the illegitimate children of a duke and his mistress. They also both struggled a lot with their identity growing up. With no father to guide her and her mother sending her away to live with grandparents, who then sent her to a convent school in France, Sidonie harbors some resentment toward her mother. She eventually ran away and married a sea captain, spending most of her marriage to him sailing the globe. When her husband died, she put down roots in England, where she now lives under the guise of a proper widow who teaches young ladies of the merchant class proper deportment so they might snag a titled husband. She has an adventurous spirit, though, and when she witnessed a young woman being mistreated, it reminded her of what her own mother went through as a young woman. With the help of her companion, who was also a close friend of her mother's and an accomplished actress, Sidonie took up the disguise of the Black Angel, under which she imparts justice to those in positions of power – mostly men – who've wronged others, particularly women and children. I absolutely loved Sidonie's avenging angel persona. She's almost like a historical version of a super-hero. She's not always infallible, though, and when she witnesses yet another of the Marquess of Devellyn's mistresses leaving the house across the street in a huff, she mistakenly assumes he's a terrible person to have driven so many women away. What she does to him in retaliation for his perceived slights is LOL funny and completely priceless, but when he moves into the house vacated by his mistress and Sidonie starts to get to know the man on a more personal basis, she can't help feeling guilty for what she did to him. She sees into Devellyn's heart and understands him better than he understands himself, but she wishes she didn't see so much. He tempts her beyond belief, but she believes nothing can ever come of it without revealing her secret identity which she refuses to do. Another thing I found refreshing about Sidonie is that she's a hot-blooded, passionate woman who fully embraces her own sexuality and desires. She's a perfect match for Devellyn in more ways than one.
Aleric Hilliard, the Marquess of Devellyn, is a dissolute rake. He's described in the cover blurb as "the least noble nobleman in ton, who uses and discards women as he pleases." This didn't make him sound very appealing (and I might mention it's not entirely accurate), so I wasn't sure how well I would warm up to him. I shouldn't have worried, because right from the outset, Devellyn is quite amusing. He also shows some vulnerabilities early on that go far beyond his cavalier attitude and give him a lot of depth. First of all, he harbors a fair bit of guilt over his involvement in the accidental death of his brother, which was only compounded by his father shutting him out after that. Secondly, the reality of his situation with the women in his life is that they always leave him, not the other way around, so he wonders if he might be unlovable. In fact, he seems bothered by the fact that he can't keep a woman – even one he's paying – around for more than a few months. Dev also knows that his size is intimidating and he's not the charmer that his best friend, Alasdair, is. After his run-in with the Black Angel, Dev vows revenge against her, but at the same time, he can't stop thinking about how she made him burn with desire. Unfortunately, the same is true of his lovely neighbor, Sidonie, which leaves him wondering what's wrong with him that he so desperately wants two very different women at the same time. Even though he's strongly attracted to Sidonie, he believes he's not good enough for her. Despite being the heir to a dukedom, he's lived the life of a rakehell, courting scandal everywhere he goes, so he feels like he would taint her by association. Dev is a very complex hero, and I enjoyed watching all the different facets of his personality unravel as the story progressed.
As is typical for Liz Carlye's books, she has some common characters that play secondary roles. As always, I loved George. He's been a scene-stealer throughout many of her books, and never fails to entertain me. In this one, we get to see deeper into his background and learn a little more of how he came to be the best purveyor of information on just about anyone in the entire country. George has always been an eclectic character, a man with many different facets. Here we get a glimpse of his dark side, and on the flip side of things, we also see a touch of his personal life and it was nice to see him settled down with a special “friend.” Another character who keeps popping up in Ms. Carlyle's books is Isabel, Lady Kirton. In this one, she's bosom beaus with Dev's mother, and as one of the main forces behind the Nazareth Society, she soon figures out Sidonie's secret identity, when Sidonie brings some of her spoils to the charity home. Isabel also conspires with Dev's mother to get him and Sidonie together. Last but certainly not least, Dev's best friend, the charming, outgoing Alasdair MacLachlan played a significant role. I really liked him, so I'll look forward to seeing what kind of heroine it takes to make him settle down in his book, One Little Sin, which is the next in the series.
Overall, I found The Devil to Pay to be a fun, flirty, emotional, and sexy read. I really liked both Aleric and Sidonie, while their story was something a little different than most historical romances, especially the way they meet. Their love scenes are laden with intense, deep feelings that perfectly express their burgeoning love, while also being very steamy. The secondary characters helped to build the hero and heroine, as well as add flavor to the story. The ending was sweet and wrapped everything up in a neat little bow. So for me, this book was a perfect read that I would highly recommend.
Note: Ms. Carlyle didn't used to officially consider her books as series, but somewhat recently she began grouping them together on her website. The Devil to Pay is now listed as book #1 in the MacLachlan Family & Friends series. However, I would advise readers that Ms. Carlyle's character web is very complex, with past and future characters popping up throughout most of her books. With this in mind, it is my opinion that the reading experience would be greatly enhanced by beginning with her first book, My False Heart, and continuing to read them in their publication order. The entire backlist, in order, can be found on her website. show less
Our heroine, Sidonie, is George's sister, and both of them are the illegitimate children of a duke and his mistress. They also both struggled a lot with their identity growing up. With no father to guide her and her mother sending her away to live with grandparents, who then sent her to a convent school in France, Sidonie harbors some resentment toward her mother. She eventually ran away and married a sea captain, spending most of her marriage to him sailing the globe. When her husband died, she put down roots in England, where she now lives under the guise of a proper widow who teaches young ladies of the merchant class proper deportment so they might snag a titled husband. She has an adventurous spirit, though, and when she witnessed a young woman being mistreated, it reminded her of what her own mother went through as a young woman. With the help of her companion, who was also a close friend of her mother's and an accomplished actress, Sidonie took up the disguise of the Black Angel, under which she imparts justice to those in positions of power – mostly men – who've wronged others, particularly women and children. I absolutely loved Sidonie's avenging angel persona. She's almost like a historical version of a super-hero. She's not always infallible, though, and when she witnesses yet another of the Marquess of Devellyn's mistresses leaving the house across the street in a huff, she mistakenly assumes he's a terrible person to have driven so many women away. What she does to him in retaliation for his perceived slights is LOL funny and completely priceless, but when he moves into the house vacated by his mistress and Sidonie starts to get to know the man on a more personal basis, she can't help feeling guilty for what she did to him. She sees into Devellyn's heart and understands him better than he understands himself, but she wishes she didn't see so much. He tempts her beyond belief, but she believes nothing can ever come of it without revealing her secret identity which she refuses to do. Another thing I found refreshing about Sidonie is that she's a hot-blooded, passionate woman who fully embraces her own sexuality and desires. She's a perfect match for Devellyn in more ways than one.
Aleric Hilliard, the Marquess of Devellyn, is a dissolute rake. He's described in the cover blurb as "the least noble nobleman in ton, who uses and discards women as he pleases." This didn't make him sound very appealing (and I might mention it's not entirely accurate), so I wasn't sure how well I would warm up to him. I shouldn't have worried, because right from the outset, Devellyn is quite amusing. He also shows some vulnerabilities early on that go far beyond his cavalier attitude and give him a lot of depth. First of all, he harbors a fair bit of guilt over his involvement in the accidental death of his brother, which was only compounded by his father shutting him out after that. Secondly, the reality of his situation with the women in his life is that they always leave him, not the other way around, so he wonders if he might be unlovable. In fact, he seems bothered by the fact that he can't keep a woman – even one he's paying – around for more than a few months. Dev also knows that his size is intimidating and he's not the charmer that his best friend, Alasdair, is. After his run-in with the Black Angel, Dev vows revenge against her, but at the same time, he can't stop thinking about how she made him burn with desire. Unfortunately, the same is true of his lovely neighbor, Sidonie, which leaves him wondering what's wrong with him that he so desperately wants two very different women at the same time. Even though he's strongly attracted to Sidonie, he believes he's not good enough for her. Despite being the heir to a dukedom, he's lived the life of a rakehell, courting scandal everywhere he goes, so he feels like he would taint her by association. Dev is a very complex hero, and I enjoyed watching all the different facets of his personality unravel as the story progressed.
As is typical for Liz Carlye's books, she has some common characters that play secondary roles. As always, I loved George. He's been a scene-stealer throughout many of her books, and never fails to entertain me. In this one, we get to see deeper into his background and learn a little more of how he came to be the best purveyor of information on just about anyone in the entire country. George has always been an eclectic character, a man with many different facets. Here we get a glimpse of his dark side, and on the flip side of things, we also see a touch of his personal life and it was nice to see him settled down with a special “friend.” Another character who keeps popping up in Ms. Carlyle's books is Isabel, Lady Kirton. In this one, she's bosom beaus with Dev's mother, and as one of the main forces behind the Nazareth Society, she soon figures out Sidonie's secret identity, when Sidonie brings some of her spoils to the charity home. Isabel also conspires with Dev's mother to get him and Sidonie together. Last but certainly not least, Dev's best friend, the charming, outgoing Alasdair MacLachlan played a significant role. I really liked him, so I'll look forward to seeing what kind of heroine it takes to make him settle down in his book, One Little Sin, which is the next in the series.
Overall, I found The Devil to Pay to be a fun, flirty, emotional, and sexy read. I really liked both Aleric and Sidonie, while their story was something a little different than most historical romances, especially the way they meet. Their love scenes are laden with intense, deep feelings that perfectly express their burgeoning love, while also being very steamy. The secondary characters helped to build the hero and heroine, as well as add flavor to the story. The ending was sweet and wrapped everything up in a neat little bow. So for me, this book was a perfect read that I would highly recommend.
Note: Ms. Carlyle didn't used to officially consider her books as series, but somewhat recently she began grouping them together on her website. The Devil to Pay is now listed as book #1 in the MacLachlan Family & Friends series. However, I would advise readers that Ms. Carlyle's character web is very complex, with past and future characters popping up throughout most of her books. With this in mind, it is my opinion that the reading experience would be greatly enhanced by beginning with her first book, My False Heart, and continuing to read them in their publication order. The entire backlist, in order, can be found on her website. show less
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