My Wicked Little Lies

By: Victoria Alexander

Narrated by: Justine Eyre

Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's Summary

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....

©2012 Victoria Alexander (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Good story, lazy writing

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

This book was entertaining, though not as much as others. While certainly not a complete waste, I wouldn't list it as one of my favorites.

What other book might you compare My Wicked Little Lies to and why?

I've only listened to one other Romance novel, so I'm afraid I have a very limited field of comparison.

Which character – as performed by Justine Eyre – was your favorite?

While I truly loved Justine's voice, the problem with her narration is that all characters sound basically the same. In fact, it sometimes became difficult to determine which character was speaking for that very reason. Justine has a beautiful voice, she needs to work on her character development.

What would have made this romance irresistible?

More variation in the narration and a thorough editing for repetitive sentences and phrases. If I were still playing drinking games, I'd suggest one for this book: Take a drink whenever you hear the words: "furrowed brow", "wicked smile" or "chose her words with care." You'll be drunk by the end of the second chapter. While the story line is good, these examples of what can only be described as lazy writing are exceptionally distracting.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Wicked

Setting: England Victorian era
Genre: Romantic intrigue

I enjoy Justine Eyre's performances. I think she does a good job differentiating characters, and she has good range.

Evelyn and Adrian were introduced in His Mistress by Christmas, which was a farce. Though this premise could have been presented in a farcical style, it was not. Adrian is the stuffy, proper head of the Hadley-Attwater family, and Evelyn is his wife of 2 years. They have become so complacent with one another and their marriage, both are itching for something more. But when Evelyn's past as a spy for the crown comes calling, she's not so sure she wants excitement after all. She never told Adrian about her clandestine activities, and her own odd behavior makes her worry that he'll wonder what's going on. Adrian has never been sure why Evelyn married him in the first place, so her nervousness and out of character actions make him more insecure. He worries that she finds him so boring that she'd have an affair. The characters are interesting, and the reveal at the end was surprising. The delivery of the premise was average and could have been tightened up.

Bottom line is that it was an enjoyable way to pass a few hours, but it won't be at the top of my re-listen list.

I like this author but....

Any additional comments?

I would give the author points for trying a different sort of plot line, using a married couple. Maybe it was the narration that did not work for me.

ANGST!

That's all, just stupid angst! Don't waste your credit, or like me, your money!