THE TROUBLE WITH INVENTING A VISCOUNT, the second installment of Vivienne Lorrret’s Liars Club series, features Oscar Flint, a first-rate gambler who loses big to the heroine, Honoria Hartley. Seeking retribution (and his money back), Oscar pretends to be the long-lost Viscount Vandemere. Luckily for him, Honoria and the Viscount have had a betrothal agreement since birth, giving him an excuse to stay close to her.
I will confess, I love historical romances that do not feature a lord but instead have an everyman hero. It’s occasionally nice to get away from dukes and viscounts, and I often feel like the stakes are higher for these heroes since they don’t have a title to fall back on. And I really liked Oscar, especially in moments when he fears for Honoria’s safety because his true feelings really came out then. I liked Honoria for the most part but did not understand her desire to be away from her family since (from what I remember) she fit in pretty well with them, unlike her sister. I love that she got the upper hand on Oscar at the beginning. What I did not love or really buy was her chemistry with Oscar.
This title is more character-driven than plot-driven, but the characters are dynamic enough to pull this off. I enjoyed their journey as they became the people they were meant to be. The side characters are mostly fun and bring fun to the table, especially with their warfare against Oscar.
I enjoyed THE TROUBLE WITH INVENTING A VISCOUNT and look forward to reading the next!
USA Today bestselling author Vivienne Lorret returns with the second book in her Liars’ Club series with a sparkling romance about the spirited middle sister, a dashing rogue, and a very real engagement…except he’s not the viscount he’s pretending to be.
Honoria Hartley enjoys flirting far too much to consider marrying. And besides, she’s been betrothed since birth to the long-lost Viscount Vandemere. But no one has actually ever met the viscount and, without an heir, the title will soon become extinct. So she’s willing to do anything to keep her viscount alive, even if she has to invent him herself.
Oscar Flint is a first-rate gambler. Estranged from his father’s side of the family his entire life, he grew up beneath the tutelage of a legendary con artist. There isn’t anyone who could pull the wool over his eyes. Not until he crosses paths with Honoria. Losing to her puts him in a bind… Until he remembers her story about a lost heir to a viscountcy. An heir that no one has ever met. Not yet, anyway.
When Oscar arrives on Honoria’s doorstep, claiming to be Vandemere, she is thrown for a loop. This rogue is not her viscount. The only problem is, he’s quite convincing, and when he kisses her, the line between the lie and the truth becomes hazy in all the steam they create. Honoria refuses to gamble with her heart. But Oscar has never played by the rules and he’s determined to win, no matter the cost.