Kate Noble (1) (1978–)

Kate Noble's second installment in her Winner Takes All series has me so excited for the rest of this series. I was a little concerned about having Leticia as the main character, but I'm so glad The Lie and the Lady proved me wrong.

Noble picks up the story of Leticia Herzog, Countess of Churzy, and John Turner, who we met in The Game and the Governess. Leticia is trying to outrun The Lie, which has followed her through England, hampering her efforts to find a suitable match. Having fled to show more Paris in desperation, she meets Sir Barty, a lonely widower from the town of Helmsley. Successful in securing his affections (and the security that brings), she returns with him to his estate, only to find that the man she is trying to avoid is the town miller, John Turner.

I was a little concerned about Leticia as a main character. It's no secret in Game that she is after the Earl of Ashby for his money. Though we get hints that she cares for the "Earl," how can such a materialistic woman become a heroine? Oh how wrong my fears were. Noble writes a complex and complicated character with Leticia, with the reader coming to fully understand her motivations, fears, and desires.

It also doesn't hurt that John Turner is quite the man. Where the first novel suffered somewhat because of Ned being naive, John Turner is an incredible romantic lead. Equally complex and complicated, it's not hard to see why Leticia has a hard time saying goodbye. John knows exactly what he wants and as a reader, well hot damn.

My only complaint is that I have to wait till the fall of 2016 for the next installment. As much as I enjoyed the story of Leticia and John, I was smiling just as much with the hints of what was to come for the 3rd novel in the series. Highly recommend! show less

I got this book for free through the First reads giveaway. Also, I totally adore Kate Noble's books, so it wasn't just yay! free book, it was YAAAAY FREE KATE NOBLE BOOK.

I was a little worried at first because I'm not a big fan of Prince & Pauper story lines, but after about 50 pages and a couple days break, I really got into it.

The basic story line is the main character, an Earl, makes a wager with his secretary/ex-Captain/once and future friend, that he is lucky even without his title. show more In this case the 'luck' refers specifically to 'with the ladies'--he is sure he can charm women even without his title. They swap places on their way to a house party with no one of any import, and he must get certain tokens (material and otherwise) from a lady within the two weeks of the party without her knowing about his title. If he wins, he gets the mill his secretary has been trying to save, if he loses, the secretary gets enough money to save the mill and quit his job/go back to his original career. And more importantly, if he loses, he'll be admitting that his luck is only due to his title. The first couple of chapters are borderline meh--he has culture shock because he's suddenly a servant, not an earl, and he flubs his way around. I'm not sure why I disliked these chapters. I think maybe it felt too easy for him to adapt to his new place? Something annoyed me. But then he shares a dessert with the Governess of the title, and hits on her inappropriately, which she calls him on, and he's super shocked and goes away to lick his wounds.

And then he really thinks about what he'd been doing, and realises he'd been a total jerk--that he'd been interpreting the night based on what he wanted to happen, not on the reality. It was very humanizing, and I think that's when I started liking the book.

I'll ignore the rest of the book since I don't want to spoiler it, but it managed to not require stupid misunderstandings for the most part. He admits to part of the wager to the governess, and so later on when someone is trying to deter her interest in him, she knows why he did what he did, and doesn't go off in a snit about it. And he lets her make her own decisions about her life even though they're not what he wants.

So overall, LOVED it, and totally looking forward to the next one. show less

5 Stars | Some Hot Steam

THE GAME AND THE GOVERNESS fans rejoice! The second installment of Kate Noble’s superb Winner Takes All series, THE LIE AND THE LADY, has arrived, and it is glorious! Our collective longing, high anticipation and excitement for Letitia and John’s momentous HEA has been heartily rewarded with an extraordinary romance so original, ingenious, enchanting, beautiful, spectacularly thrilling and utterly unforgettable that you’ll be shouting its praise from every show more rooftop and street corner! Truly, Letitia and John’s incomparable journey is absolute perfection. Surprising, stirring and spellbinding perfection. The singular kind of perfection that has you bargaining with higher spirits to never let it end. And, when it does, you find yourself clutching the epic wonder tightly to your chest as happy/sad tears run down your broadly smiling cheeks.

I began THE LIE AND THE LADY with weighing uncertainty. How was Kate Noble going to successfully transform flagrantly wealth-and-title-chasing Lady Letitia from THE GAME AND THE GOVERNESS into an admirable, sympathetic and redeeming heroine? Furthermore, I questioned sensible John Turner’s swift and blinding love for a woman so seemingly superficial, scheming and inscrutable as Letitia. However, by the end of chapter one of TL&TL, any lingering doubts with her character were speedily replaced with understanding, appreciation, affection, sympathy, trust and an infallible faith that Letty was indeed worthy, deserving and in dire need of her own overdue happiness—and I simply couldn’t wait for her to have it! Letty is a heroine for the ages—regal, seasoned, smart, strong, pragmatic, industrious, kind and positively resplendent! By the end of the novel, like John, she became my Letty too. I just adored her and sincerely missed her when I had to say goodbye.

John Turner. Leave it to Kate Noble to write a stellar hero so ideal, layered, hardworking, uncompromising, sensitive, sexy, loyal and infinitely lovable that he ruins you for all other men. (Ashby who?) Her fabulous heroes have always left a heated imprint in my naughtiest fantasies but, oh my goodness, John Turner is one of her very best! Sigh… That man is so very delectable!

Not only was I completely captivated by Letty and John’s rocky path to forever, I was equally taken by the amusing town full of remarkable secondary characters whose own motivations—some good, others nefarious—prod and pull the story in unexpected, delightful and endlessly entertaining directions. I especially savored Rhys's bookish and hilariously bumbling presence. His endearingly awkward and sweetly kindred friendship with young Margaret simply melted my heart.

With the release of THE LIE AND THE LADY, Kate Noble has delivered a crowning achievement in romance as well as a career-defining novel, propelling her Winner Takes All series from great to legendary and solidifying her name on countless new readers’ shortlists of auto-buy authors.

Bottom line: Letty and John’s story is a must-read gem that will take center stage on your prized keeper shelf—just as soon as you can bear to part from it. :)

Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review. show less

How happy I am to have discovered Kate Noble! I'm new to the romance genre and was looking for a novel with humor and a strong female lead. Thankfully, The Game and the Governess came along!

Ned Ashby, Earl of Ashby, is a lucky man. So lucky in fact that he is willing to take a bet that he can woo a lady within two weeks, even when he trades places with his secretary John Turner. It's not his money that win women over, but his charm. Yet things don't go as planned, especially when he meets show more the governess Phoebe Baker.

I couldn't put this book down. The Game and the Governess is the print form of all my favorite romantic comedies. Many obstacles stand between the happy ending of Phoebe and Ned, with a lot seemingly self-imposed. At times, these flaws make them unlikable (especially Ned), but I still felt myself dying to know what happens next. In addition to the main plot, Noble adds a lot of interesting side characters who bring added comedy and a few touches of drama. I can't wait to read the next installment in this new series. Highly recommend! show less