Juliana Gray's debut A LADY NEVER LIES

Trish B · Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 1119 Location: Mid-Atlantic, USA

Has anyone else read this debut and first in her new series?

Affairs by Moonlight: Three English ladies on a holiday escape. Three dashing bachelors competing in a wager to remain chaste. Three scandalous affairs in an enchanted castle. One wildly romantic new series from a brand-new voice in historical fiction...

I am almost done reading A Lady Never Lies and I am really enjoying it. It's set in 1890 Tuscany and each book will tell the story of the building romances of the three couples who are leasing an Italian castle for one year. The book is well written, it's witty with great dialogue and the love scenes are very sensual. It's on a level with Sherry Thomas or Meredith Duran, but with a lighter tone - not so angsty.

In ALNL the hero is a self-made man, a scientist and inventor. He's no lothario and I found that refreshing (though he's no nerd either). He's in Italy putting the final touches on his horseless carriage which he will enter into a race in Rome later in the year. The heroine is a widowed marchioness spending a year abroad for reasons of her own. They are a lovely couple and I enjoyed watching them fall for each other.

The two subsequent books will be about their two friends/relatives who have also embarked on this year in Italy for various other reasons and I look forward to reading their stories (tidbits of which we see in ALNL) when they come out. Along with Cecilia Grant, Juliana Gray is one of the most promising new authors I've come across this year!
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LeeB. · Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 1226 Location: Seattle, WA

I did read it and liked it a lot. Definitely enjoyed the setting in Italy.
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Danielle D · Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 494 Location: Wheaton, IL

Thanks for letting me know about this book -- I have to put it on my To Buy List.
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Eggletina · Joined: 06 Jul 2010 Posts: 348

Looks interesting. I haven't read it, but the setting and multiple couples reminds me of Enchanted April. Wonder if that book inspired the author or whether that's pure coincidence?

Trish B · Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 1119 Location: Mid-Atlantic, USA

NoirFemme · Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 1402 Location: America

I found this utterly charming, sophisticated, and sensual. Definitely one of the best historical romances I've read in years. After reading ALNL, I wanted books 2 and 3 immediately, but now I'm glad the books are spaced out because sometimes, a very strong writing voice can overwhelm the story if I glom on the author.

kari · Joined: 17 Jul 2011 Posts: 30

This is on my tbr pile but I haven't gotten there yet! Hopefully in the next week.

If you loved this book you should pick up Overseas by Beatriz Williams - the author's actual debut. According to a friend who knows her, when she was offered the contract for Overseas it included writing a romance trilogy, though Overseas was published as historical fiction and got a very nice review grade of B on this site. I believe that others who have read Overseas would argue that it's also a romance. For mysterious reasons known only to publishers, the "real" romances had to be published under an alias with a more romance-friendly author's name. (Or maybe this was the author's idea - not too sure about that point!) Apparently the author is very interested in the 20th century, particularly the period between the two World Wars.

Beatriz Williams' next historical novel will be about the Great New England Hurricane of 1938 - and I suspect it will also feature a romance.