ORDER A COPY: My Wicked Little Lies (Sinful Family Secrets)
Publisher: Zebra Historial Romance
Publishing Date: January 31, 2012
Paperback: 374 pages
Rating: 4 stars
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Victoria Alexander, a captivating new romance in which a daring young woman must choose between her past and her future. . .
Evelyn Hadley-Attwater has it all–a genteel Victorian life replete with loving husband, ball gowns and elegant parties. No one, including the man she married, suspects that she was once “Eve,” a spy for England’s most enigmatic intelligence agency. Summoned for one final assignment, the excitement of her former life and memories of her mysterious, flirtatious boss “Sir” prove too tempting. . .
Adrian Hadley-Attwater is a respectable, dignified gentleman. But even the most proper gentlemen have secrets of their own. Secrets from the rest of the world, from their families, from their wives. Secrets that have a price. Now, as a veil of secrecy frays, a tantalizing game of cat and mouse will test the bounds of unfailing love.
Trouble begins for Lady Evelyn Hadley-Attwater when she receives a note from Sir Maxwell Osgood requesting her help. When she left The Department two years ago to marry Lord Hadley-Attwater, she thought her life as a spy was in the past. Now they need her help to locate a missing file containing the names of their agents.
Lord Adrien Hadley-Attwater knows that his wife is up to something. She has been distracted and not herself of late. He fears that she has become bored with her life as a Lady of Society, and fears most that his beautiful wife is turning her attention elsewhere for excitement…like another man.
Which is more dangerous to Evelyn, returning to a life as an agent, or a jealous husband bent on discovering her secrets?
This is another well written novel by Ms. Alexander which brings back many of the great characters we met in His Mistress by Christmas and drops many hints of other happenings in the family and setting us up for future novels.
My only disappointment is that the information on this novel made it sound like this story would surround the mystery and intrigue of Evelyn returning to her life as a spy. Unfortunately, the majority of the story deals with the fact that Evelyn is preoccupied by her assignment and Lord Hadley-Attwater jumps to the conclusion that since she is not 100 percent focused on him (self-centered much!), that she must be having an affair because she is bored with their two-year marriage. Yeah, let’s jump directly to your loving and happy wife must be sleeping with someone else because she isn’t focused on your every word. Hey, maybe one of her friends has a problem…or maybe one the servants is stealing… That’s one heck of a jump to her having an affair. It also seems that for an ex-spy Evelyn is a little slow catching on to some of the secrets her own husband has been hiding.
Regardless of my disappointment, the story is well written and quite funny, and I am intrigued by where Victoria Alexander will be going some of her characters.
Favorite Scene:
This very entertaining scene is between Lord Hadley-Attwater and his valet.
“You did have an interesting life, sir,” Vincent murmured.
“A certain restlessness is to be expected in a man after two full years of eminently proper living,” Adrian said and wondered exactly whom he was trying to convince.
Vincent cleared his throat.
Adrian knew that sound. “Well?”
“Well what, sir?”
“Well, tell me whatever it is you are thinking.”
“I daresay you won’t like it.”
“I don’t expect to like it.”
“Permission to speak freely then?”
“Because you haven’t spoken freely up to now?” Adrian glared, “I know exactly what you’re doing, you know.”
“Do you, sir?”
“You think the longer this discussion goes on, the more likely I am to come to my senses. To look at all this rationally.”
“You have always been a rational man.”
“Well, it won’t work. Not this time. There is no need for me to come to my senses because I have not lost them.” His bows drew together. “The facts speak for themselves.” He ticked the points off his fingers. “Her manner has been odd of late. She went to the museum without mention it to me.”
Vincent gasped, “Oh no, sir, not the museum.”
“Sarcasm, Vincent, is unbecoming in a servant.”
“I beg your forgiveness, my lord.”
Adrian ignored the sarcastic note in the other man’s voice and continued, “She slipped away to meet someone in Dunwell’s library. Soon thereafter, that scoundrel Radington arrived, all too delighted to see my wife, I might add. The man surreptitiously slipped a note into his pocket, obviously to hide it from me, the unsuspecting husband. A note which, no doubt, arranged an assignation. And the stationery…” He paused for emphasis. “Was cream in color.”
Vincent stared in confusion.
“My wife’s stationery is cream in color,” he said pointedly.
“Ah, well, there you have it then.” Vincent shook his head. “Cream isn’t at all a common color for a lady’s stationery.”
“Sarcasm, Vincent.”
“My apologies, sir.”
