The Scandalous Life of a True Lady

Royce Lie Detectors #2

by Barbara Metzger

Assigned to spy on enemies of the crown at a house party in rural England, spymaster Harry Harmon enlists the assistance of the smart, exotic Simone Ryland, a penniless beauty with no guardian, dowry, or references, to masquerade as a courtesan to infiltrate the party at his side. Original.

Genres: Historical Romance, Regency, Romance, Historical, Fiction, Espionage, Mystery

352 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 3, 2008

About the author

Barbara Metzger is the author of over three dozen books and a dozen novellas. She has also been an editor, a proof-reader, a greeting card verse-writer, and an artist. When not painting, writing romances or reading them, she volunteers at the local library, gardens and goes beach-combing and yard-saling.

Her novels, mostly set in Regency-era England, have won numerous awards, including the Romance Writers of America RITA, the National Reader's Choice Award, and the Madcap award for humor in romance writing. In addition, Barbara has won two Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times Magazine.

Source: http://www.barbarametzger.com/about_b...

Reviews

[Nabilah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I definitely think you need to have a pen and paper handy while reading this book as the cast of characters is huge! After a while, I just shrugged it off as I simply couldn't remember who's who.

Anyway, the pacing is definitely better than the previous book in the series (I didn't nod off, so that's good). I enjoyed the tongue-in-cheek humour. The most fascinating aspect of the book is how the 'talent' manifests in each male member of the Royce family. In this book, Harry (the one born on the wrong side of the blanket) can taste the lie. Whenever someone lies to him, his taste bud will turn sour. He has to keep sweets handy in order to chase off the taste. Due to his talent, he became a spymaster for England. Since the war with France is over, he wanted to quit and let Major Harrison or 'The Aide' dies due to natural causes and he intends to be far away when this happens so that no one will connect him to 'The Aide'. Cue, the heroine, Simone, a governess down on her luck who's off to the brothel opposite her boarding house to become a demi-monde. She's tired of being sexually molested by her employers and she needs the money to support her brother. So, she's going to sell off the only thing that's left on her, her virginity. Harry wants to hire her as his mistress at a 2-week party for demi-monde where he will be when his 'death' occurs. On top of that, he is off to discover a plot to overthrow the government and to discover who has been trying to kill him. Sounds very busy, doesn't it? At the house party, you have 10 couples (20 people) and this was where I just shrugged it off since I couldn't keep up.

The plotline is definitely interesting but it was so busy that I doubt that I can remember most of it. Not her best book to start with but this book is fantastic if you're looking for a busy, humorous and low angst read.

Steam factor: It's not exactly chaste and it's also not only just kisses. The intimate scenes are definitely fade to black. So, I guess low steam.

[kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Royce "Harry" Harmon can taste lies. Simone Ryland used to be a governess and now thinks she can make it as a courtesan. Harry hires heroine to help him complete his final mission and they fall in love.

1. I really, really enjoyed this book. The semi-fantastical element (all the Royce men can 'sense' a lie--one by sight, one by taste, one by color) was played with a light hand: a simple statement of fact without a bunch of worried narrative to explain it. It was just well done and interesting and definitely something that makes me want to read the rest of the series.

2. I liked Harry and Simone for the most part! Absolutely they're both completely thick--just how many times does Harry tell her that he can taste the truth before she's like "OH YES I SEE YOU ARE MAKING A FACE THAT TELLS ME THAT THE THING THAT WAS JUST SAID WAS A LIE!! I SEE THAT NOW!!" Like, I get that it's kind of a ridiculous thing, but he flat out tells her he can taste lies in the first third of the book! AND SHE DOESN'T 'GET IT' UNTIL THE FINAL CHAPTER???

3. The writing itself was fine: overly metaphoric, at times, but solid. There were a few instances where waaaay too much stuff happened all at once, without any space given to let those events land. It allowed things to get muddled and easily overlooked.

4. WHAT WAS WITH THE FADE TO BLACK?? COME ON NOW. TURN THE HEAT UP TO 11, I DARE YOU.

5. For as frustrating as this book sometimes was, I had a hard time putting it down and will be definitely checking out the others in the trilogy. It entertained me on a long, dull afternoon, and for that, I award it 4 stars.

[Wealhtheow · Rating 2 out of 5]

Simone Ryland is at her wit's end--she's had to defend herself against sexual advances at every job she's ever had, and so has no references and no prospects for future employment. She needs money to support herself and her bookish younger brother, so she approaches the nearby brothel owner in hopes of becoming a member of the demimonde. Harry Harmon is the bastard son of an earl who can taste lies. He's spent his life spying on others in disguise or interrogating England's enemies. He's heard rumors that conspirators against the Crown are gathering at a decadent house party, and he needs a beautiful "mistress" who can lend credence to his presence there and also provide another set of listening ears. Simone, who is beautiful, ladylike, and speaks several modern languages, would fit his needs precisely. This whole set up takes a few chapters and is the most fun of the book. Once they show up at the house party, it was all downhill for me.

The house party is set up as a contest, wherein the 20 mistresses compete at various tasks such as watercolors and fashion. The comparisons between them rapidly wearied me: Simone is continually the kindest, most ladylike, most unaffectedly pretty, and smartest woman, and the other mistresses are all 2 dimensional (they're each allowed a talent or two and then at least one way in which Simone can pity them). And the reason Harry and Simone are attending the party is pushed far into the background--several hundred pages in, Harry barges into a billiards game and demands the men there tell him who's plotting against the Regent. The one person in the know immediately fesses up. I thought this book would be Simone and Harry trying to maintain their respective disguises in a louche atmosphere that ramped up the sexual tension between them, all while finding clues and weighing tidbits of information. Not so. Instead, Harry and Simone basically just act like themselves (except that Simone and the narrative plays up her ~gypsy heritage~ in a depressingly fetishistic way), there is no subterfuge at all, and it was all pretty boring and repetitive.

[Julie (jjmachshev) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barbara Metzger is a writer I can count on to deliver a few hours of pleasureable and entertaining reading. Her recent release "The Scandalous Life of a True Lady" was no exception. Her heroes are heroic and her heroines are smart. They each try to do the right thing and somehow find their way to each other in the process.

Harry is tired of his life as a disguised spymaster. He's decided to stage the death of that character so he can quit constantly looking over his shoulder. Everything's set, now all he needs is to find an intelligent, beautiful, and trustworthy courtesan...uh huh!!

Simone is at the end of her choices. With brutal honesty she realizes all she has left to barter is her virginity so she makes a furtive visit to the bawdy house madam. The madam immediately realizes she's found just what Harry's looking for.

It was fun and a pleasure to read about the antics of these two as they learn about each other, try to rout out a spy, foil a plot on Harry's life, and compete in a Queen of the Courtesans tournament, all while 'enjoying' a country house party.

[Christa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a good story, but it was not your typical romance novel of today. There was tension and foreplay between the hero and heroine, but their physical relationship was never consummated. The characters were likeable, and the storyline was interesting, but the book was not the steamy, heated romance that I was expecting, which lessened my enjoyment.

Simone Ryland has managed to support herself and her brother since they were orphaned, but she is now in a dire predicament. After unpleasant incidents with the males in the last residences where she was employed, she is left without references and knows she will not find another position as a governess. She has decided that her virtue, which she has protected so diligently, will be taken from her eventually without her consent, so she may as well profit from its loss. She believes that she and her young brother will be better able to survive if she becomes a rich man's mistress. A brothel owner introduces her to Major Harrison, who is actually Harry Harmon, a government employee and master of disguises. Harry has need of an intelligent, gently bred mistress to attend a house party with him while he tries to find a traitor to the government. The house party will be attended by rich men and their mistresses, with a contest to crown the "Queen of the Courtesans." Simone has second thoughts about becoming a fallen woman, but she wants the opportunity to win some of the money that will be awarded to winners in the contest events. Harry also has second thoughts about causing a young woman's downfall, so he decides to hire her to play his mistress instead of actually becoming lovers. The two attend the house party, engaging in the activities of the contest while looking for the government traitor. As events progress, Harry and Simone begin to have deep feelings for one another, and must decide if they will have a relationship after the house party ends.

I enjoyed reading this book, which has some paranormal elements - the hero can "taste lies and truths," and the heroine looks at someone and has impressions of their future. I felt let down at the end due to the lack of an intimate relationship between the hero and heroine. This is my first book by this author, so I don't know if this book was typical of her others.

[Sharyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Truly enjoyed this because I loved the characters. Did not realize it was book 2 of a series and now must go find the others. 2 society misfits find each other; there are spies, courtesans, and eventually love. A happy ending for everyone.

[skein · Rating 4 out of 5]

More a romantic novel than a Romance, but -- funny, sweet, thoughtful, without a speck of rape apology -- charmed me right out of my stockings.


(4-20? or something like that.)

[Jerry Jares · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the middle tome of a trilogy by Barbara Metzger. It is the story of the Royce men who have the ability to discern lies from others. They have been instrumental in helping the British government during the Napoleonic Wars. Now, spymaster Major Harrison is ready to retire but has one more case to solve.

He needs to attend a country house party with a courtesan to learn if there is a plot afoot to tumble the government. At the same time, Simone Ryland has hit the end of her rope. She is responsible for a younger brother (away in school) and has no means of caring for him or herself. She keeps losing jobs because men of the household try to take away her virginity. When she refuses, she is fired without a reference. Now, Simone is at Mrs. Burton's brothel, asking for work. Mrs. Burton, a friend of Major Harrison/Harry Harmon, decides that Simone is just the right person for Harry's plot.

The end of the story was just too tidy; it didn't smack of realism. The dialogue was snappy and Daniel was a treat.

Royce Lie Detectors
1. Truly Yours (2007)
** 2. The Scandalous Life of a True Lady (2008)
3. The Wicked Ways of a True Hero (2009)

[Nena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining

The premise was not credible. I read it as a comedy of errors. Exaggerated situations and the ending would not have been feasible in real life. Enough to pass the time, but a bit boring at times. I couldn’t care les for the characters.

[Jessica Hubbard · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, Idk how many times I’ve read this. However, I find it humorous that our “hero” cannot lie - ever…. Yet, he has no problem dressing in various “costumes” to encounter our heroine - yet proudly proclaims his inability to tell a lie.

Like, what? 🤦🏻‍♀️

[Phylisha Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable regency romance with a twist. Will read the other two in this series.

[Frances · Rating 3 out of 5]

The.....

Bring a notebook and pen to keep track of characters and their assorted talents and foibles. Not great literature but an easy read.

[Prajakta M · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't finish it!

[Megzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.25 stars

[Juli · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 and 1/2. Interesting premise but didn’t fulfill its promise

[Anne Bryson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very entertaining

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot dragged in spots but overall still enjoyable - novel scenario. A bit forced in some bits - for example the heroine’s resolve to become a kept woman was easily shaken - as if her understanding of the reality of her situation still involved some magical thinking. So first we learn she decides there is no alternative. & then when she sees she might need to bed an older gentleman she suddenly believes she has other options & wants to go back to being paid flint on the belief that she will be able to repay the debt. Furthermore, the gentleman was far too quick to judge her clever and virtuous by dint of her beauty… the conversation they had did not suggest so much of her intelligence. & ultimately her language skills came in handy twice only.

I enjoyed how Harry spoke in ways that obscured info without lying - yet the man depicted in this book seemed less mature, wise, & in fact as clever as the man in the first one. For one he sprung the younger version of himself on Simone in the stupidest way, expecting somehow she’d be delighted to have the old codger replaced with a younger man, despite knowing she was guarded and had successfully fended off attackers previously.

I don’t admire Simone so much as she seems less cautiously reserved than her experience would have taught her to be, have unrealistic expectations & not be honest with herself of what she was really willing to do (yes money, no not the old guy, yes the means justifies the end of ultimately deciding we should have sex…). Having come from a Christian background where sex is reserved for marriage, I know that it’s still unlikely to convince a girl, despite her having allowed the heaviest petting, unless the man sneakily forces himself upon the girl while she is deliriously exposed… There must be so many women who have technically been raped but decided to call it not rape either from wanting to maintain the relationship, or would rather see themselves as a collaborator rather than a non-consenting aggrieved party… So in reality the scenarios described in so many romance novels of women having overcome their scruples by their true love would have been uncommon back in the time when women truly believed they would burn in hell. The only part where it rings true is 1. her lack of experience with paramours (a person is more likely to place inordinate trust in first love), & 2. her mother having ket her know how lovemaking can involve pleasure when with the right person (info few females brought up on the precepts of chastity were given).

Her lack of reserve and prudence also shows where her curiosity compells her to ask open questions, immediately, rather than tease the truth out as someone clever & subservient would have learned to do. She also keeps not taking Harry’s insistence of the seriousness of the situation seriously, & does not appear to be motivated a whit by patriotism - in an era where the show (& some actual fervor) of patriotism would have been very common (a virtue). She appeared less cautious & wiley than the servants. I was surprised, the second time she turned yellow, that Harry would have allowed such a wildcard to continue with the plot (device), with such high likelihood of jeopardizing both his very much hoped-for future, not to say the national (crown) interests he had been laboring so long to preserve.

Such an issue could have been amended if Harry, even under the guise of the secretary who stayed often enough with Simone whilst Major Harrison was away, had conversed with her sufficiently to bring her to his side. The secretary being there so often to dine with her definitely showed he had enough time to do so.

The other stupid thing was how often Harry had to suck on peppermints or drink sweet alcohol to tolerate the lies that left a bitter taste in his mouth. Someone who grew up with that condition would have inured themselves at that point, & learnt to not show any signs irritation. Particularly as taste is one of our more valence malleable senses.

I did find it nice that the women bonded over eachothers’ powerless situations, and Emily’s pregnancy. It was a refreshing way of showing people with more dimensions than books of this sort sometimes forget to do. & the wry wit interspersed in parts was always alleviating.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can a respectable lady do when she cannot find employment in any of the limited occupations allowed for a lady and she has a young brother to support? In desperation she walks across the street to a house her prim landlady despises and prepares to bargain strenuously for her last possession, herself. By some strange turn of fate, the owner knows a gentleman who needs a woman to accompany him to a high class house party designed to determine “The Queen of the Courtesans”. Harry thinks Simone will do nicely except for their conflicting outbreaks of conscience. But Harry be seen and seen with a noticeable companion, if he is ever to retire from his work at the War Office. Espionage and blackmail raise their heads as we read about the life of a kept woman in Regency England. Somehow Simone and Harry manage to find a way to create a happy ending for just about everyone.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah, it's a little on the silly side, but I liked it anyway. The hero is a bastard son of a family with the ability to discern whether someone is telling the truth. This hero gets a bad taste in his mouth if someone is lying. The heroine needs a job. Badly. I don't remember exactly why she does, but she does, and she's decided that becoming a courtesan is the way to go. But when she visits the brothel across the street from her rooming house, she's drawn into the hero's need for a courtesan to further his plan to wind up the last of his spy business, let his alter ego die and become himself again. The story takes its own sweet time getting untracked, but it's entertaining all the while. A fun, lightweight read

[Englishrose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, this one is not quite as squeaky clean as most of the ones I review. Nothing is described in detail, but one or two things are tidily glossed over. Besides the fact that it is about a houseparty full of men with their mistresses. But, I'd still call it clean and very enjoyable. I love Harry's character and how he fights with his inner moral sense. Simone is fun and taciturn and made me smile the whole time. As well as having a romantic plot, there was some real excitement. The side characters were fun too - I can't wait to try out their stories too. I really enjoyed it.

http://cleanromancereviews.blogspot.com

[Z. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one has more depth than I was expecting from Metzger. I don't mean that as a criticism, really - I've enjoyed her lighter and more humorous regencies. The shenanigans are a bit more serious in tis one. While the heroine is only pretending to be the hero's mistress, there are a lot of actual mistresses who play a role in the plot and the more significant ones are well-developed and interesting in their own right, not the one-note caricatures they tend to be in Regency romance. I liked the h/h's relationship but I was almost more invested in the secondary characters, especially Claire and Lord Gorham.

[Meggie]

I borrowed a bunch of Barbara Metzger Regencies and finished most of them but this one...when the respectable young heroine just walked over to the neighboring brothel and was like "OH HAI CAN I BE A COURTESAN NOW" I was like NOPE. Done. I'm out. Barely finished the first one in this trilogy, but can't do this. Won't even attempt the third.

DNF.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second in the Truth trilogy, this book takes a look at the demi monde and the truth taster. While the courtesans have more freedom than the wives (almost captives) at the time, they certainly are not secure in their future without ample funds to be independent. Jealousy, mixed talents, plots, danger, and love mix to make this fast-paced read as enjoyable as the first in the series.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice mix of intrigue and romance.

Harry Harmon's luck hasn't run out yet. He's staging his own death as a spy so he needs to be in plain view while the deed is done.

He decides to attend a house party with a courtesan contest. But then he needs a courtesan, but not a real one. He gets a break and meets Simone Ryland, who needs money and can help him.

A pleasant diversion.

[Cary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Considering the topic, this book was quite clean and I thought it was a nice "Take Me Away from Reality" moment without being too brainless. Be warned that this is sort of a Book 2. Yeah, I didn't know Truly Yours is #1 and The Wicked Ways of a True Hero is #3

[Sylvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Regency

[Margo Dubach · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was wonderful reading, but at the end of the book used "other world" ideas which I didn't like.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an amusing read. The author is humorous and adds an element of fantasy to her work.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nicely written regency romance. The characters are very likable, though they and the plot seem a little contrived

[Minnesinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!