THIS MUCH IS TRUE

A lady playwright finds inspiration on the marriage market.

Miss Althea Hartley is in her third Season, but she’s not really looking for a man to marry this year—she’s far too preoccupied trying to find her muse. In her previous Season, the fellow playwright she thought she might marry not only broke her heart, but destroyed her confidence in her writing ability as well. Even though she’s looking for inspiration everywhere, she’s still surprised when her muse seems to take the form of Jasper Trueblood, Viscount St. James, a silent giant of a man. Jasper has his reasons for preferring to be seen rather than heard; to avoid the wrath of his cruel uncle, who controls his life, he pretends to be “an addlepated clod” in public, and knows how to disappear when needed. But Althea sees him for who he is, and, after she realizes he inspires her to write, wants to see more of him. As her creativity returns, she starts telling tales of a dashing highwayman, though she almost thinks twice about that after a real highwayman stops the carriage she’s riding in. But after she realizes that Jasper is in fact the highwayman—and for very good reasons, at that—the two of them are pulled closer, even though it appears that they’re star-crossed lovers who can’t have more than a few stolen nights together. The third volume in Lorret’s Liars’ Club series ushers another Hartley sister forward to take her turn in the spotlight, and fans of the theatrical clan will be happy to see them reappear throughout the story. And indeed, melodrama abounds, as do several heated encounters between Althea and Jasper. Lorret’s funny and clever writing shines throughout, with a particular highlight being the unique puppet-centered sex education provided for Althea by her mother. Unfortunately, the plot is fairly repetitive before an abrupt shift to an overly eventful conclusion, but Lorret’s fans will easily overlook that, thanks to Althea and Jasper’s intense chemistry and clear affection for each other.

A solid Regency featuring a highwayman and the woman who steals his heart.