Customer Reviews

Two Little Lies

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

One little lie becomes two, then three, four and so on, until a person doesn't quite remeber how or why they got into the sticky situations they find themselves in. Just about everyone has possibly told a little lie, something they said rashly, thinking to protect themselves or someone else perhaps. But what happens when what goes around, comes around? "Two little Lies" by Liz Carlyle brings into focus the effect of many little lies on a couple that is destined to be together, despite their best efforts to stay apart.

At the age of twenty-two, Viviana Alessandri is the most celebrated opera singer in England, possibly even the world. Living in London, at the behest of her equally talented father, with a friend of the family, she meets young Quinten Hewitt, heir to the earldom of Wynwood. Despite her best efforts to avoid becoming a kept woman, she finds herself involved in just that situation with the rash, impetuous and strong-willed younger man. Unable to resist his beautiful and passionate facade, they have the kind of secretive, torrid affair that leaves a mark forever upon them both. When Viviana comes up pregnant, she takes a stand with her young man, asking for the one thing from him that he cannot, and will not, give her. This is where two hurtful lies begin what is almost a small lifetime of hurt, regret and anger, for both Quin and Viviana. Torn between her love and her desire to give her future some semblance of normalcy, she returns home to her father and another man who has always wanted her. But the life she had no choice but to accept turns out to be no life at all, for her husband was a cruel and brutal man. Nine years later, Viviana returns to England with her father to visit and help create a new opera, and of course cannot avoid a confrontation with Quin. Both try their best not to revive old hurts, but they are helpless to avoid it. The passion is still there, and even if they don't want to admit it, the love is too.

This book floored me. I've enjoyed some of Carlyle's books before, but never on this emotional a level. I've wept when reading books before, but for gosh sakes! I all out bawled my eyes out during some parts of "Two Little Lies". Many readers enjoy characters that are believable, that they can relate to. Both Quin and Viviana are so multidimensional, so vivid, that readers will instantly recognize them as people that could exist with the same passions and emotions in today's day and age. Is the story a little formulaic? Possibly so, but Carlyle writes this story with so much verve and emotional honesty that it stands alone in an ocean of formula stories. The imagery throughout was absolutely spectacular too, as Carlyle minces no words, takes no shortcuts in delivering to her readers one of the best books written in recent months. I've never read a book before so late into the night, and by the time I was through I only had four hours in which to get any sleep. This book had me that much in its thrall. I cannot express in enough words, the right ones even, what a wonderful, breathtaking romantic novel this was. I am most assuredly a brand new all out fan of Liz Carlyle's books now and I cannot wait to read Merrick's story (entitled "Three Little Secrets"), the next in the series, as well as backtrack to the first book, "One Little Sin". If you like your historicals to be gut-punching and emotionally packed, then "Two Little Lies" is for you. One of the all-time best historical romances I have ever read.

And I don't say that lightly. I've known other authors that I liked that had books tank and I either say so or remain silent. Liz Carlyle is rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors right up there with Jo Goodman and Mary Balogh.

This is a second book in the trilogy after One Little Sin. One of the reasons I love Ms. Carlyle is that she gives me what I love in romance books, interesting heroes, strong and capable heroines and the happily ever after (with some passionate lovemaking thrown in), but with plots that are unusual and a certain realism that just makes it all believable.

In this book Quin, the Earl of Wynwood and Viviana Alessandri, a singer with a remarkable voice, met and fell in love when they were both too young and inexperienced to know what they were doing. The title of the book is most appropriate, because two little lies makes sure that both of them are unhappy until they meet again 9 years later. How they find each other and what happens next is where the story really begins.

I thought the characters were superbly written. I loved that Quin was so obsessed with Vivie and vice versa. The things keeping them apart didn't seem so much like plot devices but more like life that had conspired against them. And if they made mistakes, well, at least they owned up to them. I felt the passion raging between the two as well as the fear and uncertainty. And I like how Ms. Carlyle often manages to slip in some social commentary or heavier themes than you usually find in a romance book but doesn't beat you over the head with it. This was an extremely satifying book for me and I can't wait to read the last book in the trilogy.

Viviana Alessandri came to London in order to find success as an opera singer. She found that and more in the arms of Quin Hewitt, the future Earl of Wynwood. These two passionate people love as fiercely as they fight and live. Both young and inexperienced these two have more pride then sense, and one thing leads to another, they part never having shared what they both felt for the other. The love they shared would remain a secret...

Almost ten years later these two come face to face yet again. Old hurts, past betrayals, and two lies stand in the way of their future. Viviana has returned to England in order to help her father with an opera. She has no idea Quin is getting ready to announce his engagement to a proper English miss. When Quin sets eyes again on Viviana the past comes rushing back and what seemed easy and a good idea becomes even more overwhelming and negative. All of the passion he felt both love and anger seems to swamp him and he has no idea how to react. He's saved from the parson's mousetrap when Esmee cries off, only to have to face the love of his life time and again. Will these two finally face and admit they've loved each other from the start, and admit to the lies they've been telling each other, or will pride get in the way and prevent them from finding a love of a lifetime?

This was an incredibly emotional read! Ms. Carlyle has penned two very strong protagonists who are their own worst enemies. Still she manages to create a very moving and believable romance that will thrill her readers. This book is the second in her latest series and I greatly anticipate the final title yet to come.

I've read all three of the Sins, Lies and Secrets Trilogy. Since I read them all out of order, I can tell you they are still good stand-alone but much better to read in order since they over-lap. Also the characters are recurring and it is nice to revisit them all later! The second book mentions "the gypsy's curse," but it is not the overwhelming premise.

Quin, Lord Wynwood, has lived a very scandalous life. He is a notorious skirt chaser and has had numerous mistresses. The first, almost nine years before ... was the love of his life. But too young and green to realize she loved him as he loved her, he let her slip away. Viviana, his first love, went back home to Italy to continue her life as a great opera singer. She married out of duty, now widowed, and is a mother to three children. Neither she, nor Quin have found love again. Here she is, back in England and visiting his uncle on the eve of Quin's betrothal. But his desire for her burns hot in his blood and soon Quin creates a scandal, the betrothal is off and they begin an affair (just one more time to make good memories!). Why does she remain so aloof? Will the lies continue?

I enjoyed this story, though the first of the trilogy was my favorite. The overwhelming emotion was wonderful. I liked that Viviana was a passionate self sufficient woman. The story was a little unrealistic in some ways, but this is fiction! The secondary characters were wonderful. I liked Quin's rather intrusive mother! I also was fond of his sister and glad she got a romance too! Definately worth reading.

The the hardest part of "Two Little Lies," and where Carlyle very nearly succeeds, is in preventing the heroine, Viviana, from telling the hero, Quinten, the truth. Because once the cat's out of the bag, there's nothing to keep the two apart.

I think that romances predicated on misunderstandings are always bound to fail at least a little. When the characters spend so much time together, and love one another so deeply, when even one of them is willing to take the risk and say what (he, in this case) feels, it's hard to understand why a mature, likable, and very strong woman would refuse to do the same.

I can see how this book would be easy to love or hate. It's true that Viviana and Quinten fight a *lot* - it's true that they become their own worst enemies - it's true that Viviana compounds her two little lies with dozens more.

But I think that Carlyle is such a gifted writer that on the level of character development, she does a beautiful job. It's easy to see how at twenty-one, Quin would have had all sorts of thoughtless, arrogant ideas that he'd never really thought through; assuming that an opera singer who sleeps with him is not the sort of girl one marries is the sort of hare-brained thing that would go through a spoiled boy's mind. And it's easy to see how years of regret and unhappiness would teach him a lesson or two.

He's portrayed, pretty consistently, as the kind of person who speaks first and thinks later - he does this throughout the book, first blowing up and saying something generally nasty, and then going back to brood and think, finally coming around to the right decision and sticking to it.

Viviana's fatal flaw is pride. And for most of the book, she's in a position where she doesn't feel enough trust to abandon her pride; as long as she can't do that, she's just putting on an act around Quin. And considering all the humiliation she's lived through in her life, it's easy to understand why she clings to that pride, desperately.

So while Viviana just keeps lying and lying, the two of them also have the chance to get to know one another on a whole new level - not as hormonally crazed teenagers but as adults. Through all the spats and all the tension there is a process of discovery that both Viviana and Quin are eager to engage in; and ultimately each has a lot of compassion, a lot of love, for the other.

This isn't my favorite Liz Carlyle, but I do think that she's done an amazing job with a pretty difficult plotline..

I thoroughly enjoyed this second in the new series by this author, even more than the first (One Little Sin). It was reminiscent of her earlier books that had extensive drama and more intricate plots. It was impossible not to empathize with both of the main characters, and I read it nonstop over the holidays. There was not as much humor as in some of her other books, but the drama and emotion more than made up for its absence.

I stayed up until 3 in the morning with tissues in hand, unable to sleep until all was settled in Carlyle land. I am a huge Liz Carlyle fan and books like this are the reason why. This is the story of the Earl of Wynwood (Quin) and Italian opera singer Viviana Alessandri and their life-altering but badly ended love affair, which is revisited ten years later. Viviana returns to England from Italy as a widow with three children and a lot of hidden baggage. Quin, after ten years of a dissolute life, has recently become engaged to a woman whom he likes but does not love for the sake of begetting an heir.

How Quin and Viviana's story progresses and is resolved is compelling and passionate and extremely moving, with the high calibre of writing which one always gets from this author. Her dialogue is genuine and her storytelling engrossing. One immediately feels invested in the outcome, not only for Quin and Viviana, but for the wonderful cast of supporting characters as well. This book is a definite keeper for me and I will be recommending it to my friends.

Although I don't consider myself a "Romance Reader" (as I would label my mom), this is terrific book, one of the best of its genre I've read. I confess I stayed up until 2:00 am on a worknight to finish it.

Almost ten years ago, Quin Hewitt and Viviana Alessandri were lovers. They were young and stupid and let pride and jealousy rip them apart. Vivie went home to Italy to make a prosperous marriage and Quin sunk into a life of debauchery. Now, a widowed Vivie is back in Quin's life. Since she is visiting his uncle with her family, her presence should be peripheral, but Quin is completely gobsmacked. He allows his resentment and passion for Vivie take him over, which results in the defection of his perfect fiancee and the wrath of his overbearing mother. For her part, Vivie dreads being near Quin, and definitely does not want Quin poking around her children, since her oldest daughter, Cerelia, bears a marked resemblance to the Hewitt family.

Quin and Vivie have to be Carlyle's most passionate lovers to date. Their arguments invite scandal, and their lovemaking (albeit rare) all but singes the pages. Ms. Carlyle has dealt with darker topics before, of course (see BEAUTY LIKE THE NIGHT and THE DEVIL YOU KNOW), but TWO LITTLE LIES is darker and more angst-ridden than her more recent books. However, she pulls it off with her trademark elan. Reuniting lovers is one of my favorite themes, though usually I want to smack the lovers for being idiots, since most splits seem to be based on the dreaded Big Misunderstanding. Quin and Vivie, however, part under mutual misconceptions, and given their situation as youths, these misconceptions are justifiable and understandable.

Carlyle's masterful hand also shows us how their earlier relationship might never have worked, had they stayed together. Even present-day Quin has a lot of growing up to do, and once he does (in a beautifully written epiphany), then and only then can the emotionally scarred Vivie really open up and trust him. The reunited lovers have regrets, of course, but their maturity guarantees their happily ever-after.

Carlyle's portrayal of Vivie's children was also done well. Though the focus, naturally, is on Cerelia, she breathes life into the younger children as well. As for Cerelia, I really just want to hug her, she's so endearing. And anyone who knows me knows I do not say such a thing lightly about children in my romances, so that's more points in Carlyle's favor!

There is also a secondary romance going on in the background, which is a sweet read, but thankfully only serves to teach Quin and Vivie a lesson, and does not take over the story itself. I'm at a point in my reading where I prefer my secondary characters to stay secondary, so this was most welcome.

Though TWO LITTLE LIES ties into Carlyle's previous title, ONE LITTLE SIN, the book stands fairly well on its own. Those of you who are fussy about reading books in order, like me, should read ONE LITTLE SIN first, but it's not strictly necessary. I have to confess I missed the recurring character of Kemble in these two most recent books, but Ms. Carlyle still has a deft and delightful touch with a love story.

`Two Little Lies' by Liz Carlyle is a historian romance based around The Earl of Wynwood (Quin) and his past mistress Vivian Alessandri. They were lovers in their early twenties and produced a child. This book starts again 8 years later where the book One Little Sin ends. You don't have to read One Little Sin because she repeats the story from Quin and Vivian perspective. Vivian and Quin still have many connections after 8 years but still refuse to be honest with each other which lead to heartache. This book was brilliant and I could not put it down. The order of the series is One Little Sin, Two little Lies and Three little Secrets (due out March 21, 2006).