Lovely Lying Lips

by Valerie Sherwood

In seventeenth-century England the beautiful young woman, Pamela Archer, risks her reputation in order to save a man wrongly accused of murder

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, 17th Century

574 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1983

About the author

A pseudonym of Jeanne Hines.

Reviews

[Evelina A. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lovely Lying Lips takes place against the background of the 17th century Monmouth Rebellion, but the historical background is very thin. The plot is so disjointed, I felt like the author was leading me down a maze even she didn't know how to get out of. The historical details that Sherwood usually does a better job of interweaving into the story appear tacked on and contrived. There are a number of characters/couples, perhaps too many, and they are very shallow yet Sherwood stirs enough interest to want more. Very frustrating. The plot weaves and winds to a conclusion where all the knots are tied very tidily for the reader's satisfaction. Generally not a bad thing. However, there are a few good parts and Sherwood writes with such vigor and panache that Lovely Lying Lips occasionally takes on the flavor of a romp that left me liking it - well - a little bit. No bodice-ripping in this one, ladies, but plenty of romantic entanglements, light intrigue, and rakish lords and ladies. But IMO, not Sherwood's best.

[Isabel Luna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Muy mala novela. Me motivó a nunca más leer nada de esta autora. Son tres mujeres cuyas historias convergen entre sí: lady Pamela, lady Constance y la Dama Enmascarada. Todas mujeres intrepidas q están perdidamente enamoradas, aunq al principio la cosas sea tan confusa q no sabes muy bien con quien debería quedarse cada una. Especialmente en el caso de Constance, q aparece enamorada del q aparetemente tiene q ser el amor de la Dama Enmascarada y después resulta q siempre está perdidamente enamorada de otro. Y la razón de la existencia de la Dama enmascarada y del imposible amor q sufre por su caballero: vanidad, simple vanidad.
La única q tiene una historia más o menos decente es Pamela, pero lastimosamente ella es la q menos protagonismo tiene en la trama y obviamente no es suficiente para salvar todo el libro.
No tengo buenos recuerdos de esta novela y sinceramente espero nunca más toparme con ella.

[Andre Arguinzoniz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy predecible, donde siempre triunfa el amor, más allá de la guerra... lindo para pasar el tiempo.

[William · Rating 1 out of 5]

A stumble from prolific Valerie Sherwood, "Lovely Lying Lips" is just plain odd. Set in the lead-up to the unsuccessful attempt of the Duke of Monmouth, illegitimate son of Charles II, to claim the English Crown in 1685, the novel follows the fortunes of three women in England's West Country. Kind of. One of the characters, Constance, gets way more attention than the other two. While parts of her story are engaging, Sherwood dilutes much of the narrative tension with odd, overly detailed red herring-like courtship shenanigans among a variety of suitors, as if grafting a Jane Austen novel onto her characteristic adventure stories. Very few of the romantic entanglements are convincing, with one exception--and even then the fidelity of the lovers is in grave doubt, usually fatal for a romance novel. The individual components that made Sherwood a popular writer in the late 70s and throughout the 80s are here--villainous villains, courageous heroines, intricate escapes from danger, historical underpinnings--but it never comes together well in this case. The novel is strictly for readers who want to read all the author's works.

[Anna Bowling · Rating 5 out of 5]

After all these years, I still don't like the title, but oh how I love the story. Though we have a standalone on our hands, it contains three, count them, three, romances, all wrapped up in the Duke of Monmouth Rebellion of the seventeenth century. Sunny, girly-girl Pamela, her newfound cousin, Constance, who totes all kind of emotional baggage, and the mysterious masked lady (her name is Margaret) each have a role to play, and very real obstacles between themselves and the loves of their lives. This is a monster of a book, over six hundred pages, and is truly an old school entry, which is, for me, part of the charm.

If you lie your romance and history intrinsically intertwined, have a thirst for adventure and poiitical intrigue with historical verisimilitude, this is for you.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

re-read 9/22/15

[Skilly Dragonna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty sure this is the only romance novel I've ever read