Living on the edge for Honoria Hartley and Oscar Flint in Vivienne Lorret’s second book of her The Liar’s Club series!

I loved the double secret identity in this book! I crack up every time Oscar used the prefix that he knows from his meet-cute with Honoria. As the title implies, one identity was invented and some else got resourceful.

I enjoyed the internal thoughts changing from how to get rid of a person to how amazing a person is. Both main characters got to know each other beyond the initial attraction and the desire to best each other had me smiling throughout the book!

I also loved the hidden identity that revealed a truth. The truth created a happy ending of course however it was a well-deserved happy ending for someone was put into a situation which led to a morally grey life.

I highly recommend this entertaining, well-paced, and full of good trouble book!

Thank you to Net Galley, Avon Books, and Harper Voyager US for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I adored Honoria and Oscar's story! I really enjoyed these two and their bantering. So much fun to read!

The trouble with The Trouble with Inventing a Viscount is in the details. This is a slow burn romance, but the FMC and MMC wanted each other from the opening pages. I liked the characters apart from each other but never really felt the chemistry between Oscar and Honoria.

The interesting plot kept me reading and I enjoyed both the Hartleys and the widows who wanted to get rid of Oscar. The ending, however, came out of nowhere and I feel like there are subplots that disappeared without resolution.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an eARC. Opinions are my own.

Slow burn alert! Vivienne Lorret pulled out all the stops on this enemies to lovers slow burn. Honoria is a lady with strong ideas about how her life will be lived and has created the best possible path to that end. She never accounted for a scoundrel that would take advantage of all that planning. I loved Oscar so much! There’s a special something about a good man who’s convinced he’s bad. The attraction between them is immediate and intense but the fight is strong and it does take a while to get there but it feels natural and just strengthens their connection. I won’t spoil the twist but I do wish it were a little more explanation to it so the story unfolded too late to really appreciate the outcome. The characters are so fun and likeable you’ll end with a chuckle and a warmth. I just wish we could live in it a little bit longer.

I really enjoyed this book. Verity and Magnus have great chemistry and I enjoyed their dynamic and banter throughout the book. There was a depth behind Verity’s character that I really enjoyed seeing unfold. I also really liked seeing Magnus’ character development through the book. They were great main characters and I thought the side characters were entertaining.

It was all right. It took a while for the romance to progress but everything else kept my interest for the most part. I'm just impatient!

Honoria has used the excuse that she's engaged since birth to Viscount Vandemere to refuse all offers of marriage. She wants to be independent and is secretly earning money for her future. No one has ever seen the Viscount or even has any idea where he is. Until one day Oscar shows up claiming to be the Viscount! Honoria knows he isn't, but he knows a secret about her that he uses to blackmail her into silence. Oscar is an orphaned charlatan on the run from a villain tracking him down while Honoria is afraid to love after losing her twin brother as a child. Ridiculous elements but her eccentric loving family and his "family" of widows makes for entertaining fun.

Wow!I can’t even begin to say it any better especially with lines like “she said the three words every man longs to hear: freshly baked biscuits”! Yes it's that kind of story. The writing in this story is positively perfection. Lorret even managed to make eating a radish sexy. You're going to love this one. Amazing characters you will fall in love with. The wit, the flirting, the suspense, the conversation, the passion and so much more. All this together creates the best story adventure you could imagine.
In this story we find the con man Oscar who crosses paths with Honoria when she happens to steal from him. This sets things in motion. Now he shows up as her long lost betrothed, the Viscount Vandemere. She wants to be free of responsibilities and he wants to stay alive. When they must find a way to win what they want the last thing they expect are the feelings, or that hot spice passion! Will they give in or go separate ways?
I loved this story. I can’t give the story enough credit. I couldn’t put it down. I am a big fan of Vivienne Lorret and this is exactly why. She can tell a romance in such a unique and fun way. It was so exciting. I have to find the rest of the Liar's Club series, I have been missing out.
Enjoy this exciting adventure.
1000 stars

One of my favorite things about series romances is following a family through their trials of falling in love. We met Honoria in book 1. She's very independent. She knows she's beautiful and has been avoiding saying yes to any suitors because she knows they only want her because of her beauty and her money. Enter the formidable poker opponent, Oscar. He's a man of unknown origin, always on the run, and desperately needs the purse Honoria won at the tables. A bit of blackmail, a betrothal from birth, and the family's usual shenanigans take you on a wild ride of passion and antics. I can't wait to read more from this family - we still have a couple of siblings to be paired off.

Book was just ok. Chemistry between characters was good. I thought it was just an ok book all in all. Would I read it again? Probably not.

I enjoyed this book, it's well written. The chemistry between these two liars was great. Their games had some twists that I did not expect. Resolution was a bit rushed, so 4 stars from me.

**4.5 stars**

I've had this ARC forever and just read it whoops! I really enjoyed the first book and this one was even more fun. The plot of this one is more intricate, more entertaining, and overall better in my opinion. I loved seeing a bit more of Verity & Magnus and getting essentially an "update" on their story, too. And while I enjoyed their book, I feel like Honoria and Oscar are better characters with more growth!
My biggest issues are, as ever, insta-love and lust, and then there's like some crazy descriptions that happen during 1) a picnic scene and 2) in every intimate scene that were just SO off putting to me. Like why is every description food related? Why was there a whole weird "feeding each other sexily" scene?
Besides that though, I really had a great time with this one! The author spent more time making the plot exciting, if a bit predictable, and ensuring that the characters grew.

This second book in The Liars Club series is a well written love story that is very entertaining and original. The character's witty and snarky banter is hilarious. I enjoyed the plot twits, turns, with a mix of action, suspense, blackmail, and the slow burn and tension throughout that kept me engaged throughout. I highly recommend reading!

The Trouble with Inventing a Viscount is the second book in Vivienne Lorret’s The Liar’s Club series. I have not read the first in series and did not have any trouble reading as a stand-alone.
Honoria Hartley has no intention of marrying. She has been betrothed since birth to the long lost Viscount Vandemere, who has never been seen. To keep his title alive, she’s willing to invent him.
Oscar Flint, a skilled gambler raised by a con artist, finds himself intrigued by Honoria. After losing to her, he recalls her tale of the lost viscount. When he arrives claiming to be Vandemere, Honoria is thrown off guard by his convincing charm. As their chemistry ignites, she struggles to protect her heart, but Oscar is determined to win her over, no matter the cost.
This is a fun, fast paced romance with witty banter between the leads. Oscar and Honoria are an entertaining couple and the Hartley family are just perfect. I loved the little twist at the end and I’m really looking forward to the next book. I will be going back and getting my hands on the first in series.
I received an advanced review copy from Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book. It is the second book in The Liars' Club series and Vivienne Lorret does not disappoint. I hadn't read the first book in the series and didn't need to as with most romance books. We see a bit of the previous couple, but being a romance, it can not possibly be a spoiler that they got together in the end. The plot for this one was somewhat predictable, but, again, it's a romance. Knowing where it's headed doesn't at all detract from this witty, fast paced and thoroughly enjoyable ride. This enemies to frenemies to lovers romance grabs you from the first chapter. Oscar and Honoria are such great characters and the banter between them was so much fun. The book only served to cement Vivienne Lorret as one of my auto-buy authors.

Vivienne Lorret is criminally underrated in the genre. Who do I speak to about this??? I love this series so far. The first book was so fun and this one was as well. I adored these two liars mutually blackmailing each other, and I have to say that there were some twists and turns I did not predict! Ran out and bought this one on pub day because I love it so much.

Another great book in the Liars Club series! - 4.5 Stars
Vivienne Lorret has a way of infusing comedy into her historical romances that remind me of Tessa Dare. This book is no exception. It has great witty banter, romance, a mystery element, great supporting characters, and loads of fun and romance!
Even though part of a series, You will still enjoy as a stand a lone. You can’t go wrong with the book or the series! thank you to net galley and the publisher!

Top Pick - 4.5 Stars

I’m loving The Liars’ club!

Let me start by saying that Lorret has a way of infusing comedy into her historical romances that are very reminiscent of Tessa Dare. The Trouble with Inventing a Viscount is no exception. I immediately fell for con man Oscar and the troublesome Honoria Hartley. I’ve been waiting for Honoria’s retribution to arrive for her constant lying about the long-lost heir to a neighboring estate being her betrothed, and boy, does she meet her match.

They met on a random night, and she stole from him. Oscar has been in dire straits ever since. His solution is to pretend to be the very thing Honoria has been hoping never comes home: her long-lost Viscount. Though pretending to be an heir isn’t easy since the viscount’s relations don’t want him around either. What ensues is a wild ride filled with plenty of hilarity, sexy moments, and an equally emotional story about true love with two people who aren’t supposed to be destined for each other.

What makes it so good? The story has a mix of everything I love. Witty characters, action moments with a touch of suspense, romance, and a story that drags you in until you realize you’ve been up until three in the morning reading. It’s a book that left me with such an endorphin high that I was grinning the next day even though I got barely any sleep. This one was so good, I went back to read the first one in the series just to remind myself of how good The Liars’ Club is.

Overall, if you want something to bring those Tessa Dare vibes, you can’t go wrong with this book or the series. I’ll be eagerly awaiting Althea’s story and looking forward to the hijinks she gets up to.

~ Landra

Honoria Hartley has spent her life betrothed to a man no one has ever met, the Viscount Vandemere. To discourage would-be suitors, she pretends that she's been devotedly corresponding with him for years, despite not being sure if he even exists. When a man Honoria knows from a card game (and a kiss!) in Paris shows up pretending to be Vandemere, Honoria has to go along with his ruse or admit that she's been lying for years.

Apparently "I made up a suitor and now someone has shown up saying they're him" is a micro-trope I'm super into. If you enjoyed the premise of Tessa Dare's "When a Scot Ties the Knot" and are looking for something similar, I suggest giving this one a try! Vivienne Lorret is a new author to me (my first was the first book in this series), and I will definitely be looking for more from her. I loved how Honoria is frustrated when people (men) only seem to value her for her beauty, but when she tries to use her tried-and-true "wiles" on Oscar he's already seen through them. The first time they kiss he doesn't even know what she looks like. It's fun to see how much he enjoys her cleverness (if only to compete against it). Although I like the couple in the first book more, there's a lot more humor in this book that I think people will really appreciate.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for an eARC to review. All opinions are my own.

The Trouble with Inventing a Viscount by Vivienne Lorret is book two in the Liar's Club series. I'll say that you can read this as a standalone but I recommend that you actually read the series and start with book one because there are references to previous characters and their storyline that I think could create some confusion if you don't really know who they are and how they fit together. That said, don't worry if you don't...you'll still enjoy this one if you just want to read it as a standalone.

Honoria Hartley isn't interested in marrying. Besides, she’s been betrothed since birth to the long-lost Viscount Vandemere. The thing is...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.

Enter Oscar Flint is a first-rate gambler. Estranged from his father’s side of the family his entire life, he grew up under the tutelage of a legendary con artist and there isn’t anyone who could pull the wool over his eyes. That is, not until he crosses paths with Honoria. When Oscar loses a game to her and it puts him in a bind, he remembers her story about a lost heir to a viscountcy. An heir that no one has ever met.

When Oscar suddenly arrives on Honoria’s doorstep, claiming to be Vandemere, she is thrown for a loop. She doesn't want him to stay but she doesn't want him to go either. As they pretend to be betrothed, feeling start to get real...for both of them and they have to decide how far they are willing to go for each other or their freedom.

I loved the banter in this one and the chemistry between Oscar and Honoria is spot on. I also enjoyed the whole separate aspect of Oscar's challenges in how he was getting on at Dunnelocke Abbey with all the widows. I'm on the fence on the whole Ladron plot line resolution as of yet but ultimately it didn't determine my overall enjoyment of the story or not because really I thought Oscar and Honoria were great.

Overall, this book was on par with book one in my opinion and I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series when I can. I love the characters that Lorret has created in this series. The sense of family she has developed here with the Hartley's is great and I can't wait to see who is up next in the series. Definitely consider picking up this book if you're looking for a new historical romance with great banter, well-written characters, and a story that will keep you turning the pages.