Lilies, Lies and Love

Miss Lily's Lovely Ladies #4

by Jackie French

As the King of England wavers between duty and love, Sophie knows that she must choose duty.

The year is 1936 and the new King Edward VIII wishes to marry American divorcee, and suspected German agent, Wallis Simpson. Top-secret documents that the king must read and sign are being neglected for weeks, and some are even turning up in Berlin.

And as Germany grows its military might with many thousands of new fighter planes every year, Britain and its empire are under increasing threat.

Can Miss Lily's most successful protege, Sophie Vaile, the Countess of Shillings, seduce the new king, prevent his marriage to Wallis Simpson, and turn him from fascism?

And if a man can sacrifice his life for his country, should a woman hesitate to sacrifice her honour?

Based on new correspondence found in German archives, Lilies, Love and Lies is a work of fiction.

Or is it?

In the fourth title in the Miss Lily series, Jackie French explores one of the most controversial events in history that saw the unthinkable happen when a king chose love over duty.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Adult, Australia, Fiction

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Jackie is an award-winning writer, wombat negotiator and the Australian Children’s Laureate for 2014-2015. She is regarded as one of Australia’s most popular children’s authors, and writes across all genres - from picture books, history, fantasy, ecology and sci-fi to her much loved historical fiction. In her capacity as Australian Children’s Laureate, ‘Share a Story’ will be the primary philosophy behind Jackie’s two-year term.

Reviews

[Jeanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

What can I say about this book other than it's a "licorice all sorts" read. I wonder if the author could fit in any more personalities, clothing descriptions and food along with the recipes. In a nutshell it's about a war spy ring of lovely ladies with transgender Miss Lily/Nigel head of the spy ring, King Edward VIII, Wallis Simpson along with Sophie, heiress with Australian property interests and an English estate through marriage to Nigel/Lily. Nigel had to be killed off (in a previous book) and Sophie is to marry Daniel alter ego John but before that Sophie, a long time friend of King Edward on arriving back to "Shillings" estate is talked into seducing the King in order that he get rid of soon to be twice divorced Wallis who has leanings toward Hitler and is anti-semitic. Her influence on the King is worrying as he now shares her convictions towards Hitler and is anti-semitic also. If Sophie cannot succeed plan 2 contrived with Churchill is to get the King to abdicate with him supposedly taking on another royal role so that he can marry Wallis. However, the King is out maneuvered and as was the true result he was removed from the throne. Wallace and now the Duke of York are exiled with them spending the rest of their lives mostly in France amongst the upper echelons of society.

Amongst all the events, Sophie is abducted and escapes with the help of Violette, dress designer/murderer who unflinchingly murders the three guards. As she was well disguised and the Russian operatives behind the abduction don't want exposure the three murders go unsolved.

[Janine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t enjoy this as much as the previous books in this series as I found the middle part to be a bit slow.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alright I guess I’m just embracing the implausible at this point.

To book 5!

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely book to read, with a beautiful ending.

[Kushmir · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trigger warning: Drugs, kidnapping, allusions to rape, blackmail.

Lilies, Lies and Love follows the now widowed Sophie Higgs-Vaile as she journeys from Thuringa back to England to seduce the King before he marries an American divorcee and loses all his authority, allowing undue German influence.

I’m not familiar with the history behind this story, but the idea that Sophie was the only person they could trust to carry out the task sounded a little too much like a plot convenience to tie Sophie back into the story. It has begun to feel like nothing ever goes too wrong for Sophie. She loses Nigel, it’s all okay, she has Daniel now. She’s kidnapped, it’s all okay, Violette will rescue her when the British Intelligence cannot. It almost feels like she has plot armour, which, considering she is the main character, isn’t all that surprising.

Compared to the last three books, this book honestly felt like filler. There were several pages dedicated to descriptions of food- this book even contained recipes at the start of a few chapters. I missed characters like Greenie and Jones and was desperately wishing for more of Violette. I think I find her much more relatable than Sophie at this point in time, mostly because Sophie is much older than me and we don’t share many of the same life experiences.

This book was my least favourite of this series so far. I’m still looking forward to the fifth and final book.

[Jill Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is intriguing from the first page. Shillings Estate, England, September 1936. Would war blight them again? Would this estate survive another horrific war?

James Lorrimer, who is a manipulator and clever British Agent guiding many loyal people, to ensure the safety of the UK.

Sophie ran the Estate in Australia and was unaware of James Lorrimer's visit, until the small plane landed on the property, and her life would be drawn into a plot to oust a King and his Mistress.

As one of Miss Lily's girls, Sophie could charm and woo. She would not leave Australia without her children and loyal staff. Miss Lily would be with her as a 'sister-in-law'. Daniel was her true love now, even though he discovered innocently enough through a game of cricket, the true connection between Miss Lily and Nigel, Sophie's deceased husband.

There is so much to this story. The horrors of the war come to life in the hated treatment of innocents being killed by the Germans. Jackie French has woven what could be historic events into a thrilling story.

In brief - I just completed reading this book. It's about espionage, betrayal, duty, and living for the moment.

[Dorothy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I keep reading this series because I really want to like it. The author's research is so meticulous and each period is recreated so lovingly. However, I feel as though she puts the history first and the people second. It feels as though she chooses a period in history, creates scenarios that illustrate the key aspects of that period, then makes characters move from one to the next--even if that means making them do illogical things, or things that don't gel with the values or motivations suggested earlier in the story. In this series, for instance, the heroine falls in and out of love with different men according to the needs of the plot. There's lots of internal monologue to justify that, but it never really convinces.

It also means that many plot points are implausible. Miss Lily's secret is a glaring example. She goes through decades being so utterly convincing that only one person (Hannelore) ever suspects, then Daniel realises her secret based on one gesture? Violette is another example, a character invented (I suspect) solely so she can conveniently (and unbelievably) get Sonia out of captivity at a key moment.

Finally, both book 2 and book 4 (and, I suspect, book 3) suffer from the same issue: there's a section of a few chapters where something exciting happens, but first you have to wade through the opening chapters, where the build-up is very slow, and Ms French is determined to recap the entire story-to-date in detail whether it's relevant or not (when I picked up this book, I had just read Book 2, and thought this was #3. As it turns out, it didn't matter, because books 1, 2 and 3 are so exhaustively retold). I wish the editor had been more ruthless!

[Lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the previous books in this series, and this one was just as good. The historical background in this made for an interesting insertion of lovely lady. Initially I had forgotten the previous books, but Jackie French cleverly gives you enough in the early stages to set you up and keep going. There are some lovely strong female characters in this, and the threat of war in 1936 was real. A warm heartening read, and I hope there is another Miss Lily story to come.

[Cel Jel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The continuing story of Sophie and the Lilies this book is set at a time that the world is heading to war again and others are trying to stop that happening.
Sophie has been living happily in Australia with her children but is drawn into an intrigue to try to prevent David heir to the throne being used by the Nazis.
In some ways the story had parts that were far fetched, but it kept having me wanting to read more. That is why I managed to read it faster and some easing of work.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a wonderful series. And what a supreme author Jackie French is. She writes stories for all ages that are so readable and take you into the action and the lives of her characters. And there are so many in this series that will always remain with me. And it is so true that women of that time went through so much and saw so much change. I hope this series helps younger generations understand just how much they went through.

[Narelle Dimond · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am loving the Miss Lilly series. These books are very well researched with fiction woven through to hold your interest to the very end making you race to the next book. Jackie French is a very good writer that holds your interest even when she writes off to the side other characters who become an appendix to the main story. Brilliant reading that captivates your history knowledge as well as your imagination.

[Amy Hampson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic Jackie French Lily novel. Historical fiction (which I love) mixed with a touch of mystery/crime/controversy, and romance. I enjoyed this one more than the previous one in the series. It probably helps that it’s set in one of my favourite periods of time (such a fascinating time!). I feel like it wraps the series up well - though, I’m not sure if more books are planned.

[Joy Norman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the book especially about David, Hitler and Churchill. Read it really quickly because it was written in a wanting to know more. My husband read this book also and found it really interesting and good read. We have talked a lot about the times that the book was written that we were not fully aware of . One book to go !! Can't wait

[Jean Nicholson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn't read any of this series before though have liked the author's children's Books. This is fiction based on some facts about Britain & Australia in 1936 before the Kings abdication. I read it as true facts and it was only author's note that made me realise it wasn't true.

[Garrett Fitzgerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easy to read. However, the first half is focuses on constantly reiterating that Lily has two people in her body - yes, we get it, move on with the plot already.

Additionally, I have not read any other books of this series, and there appears to be quite abit of recap in this novel.

[Karen Thurecht · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have thoroughly enjoyed the Miss Lily series of stories.

[Rambling Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't really remember what happened in this book which probably tells me a lot about the impression it made on me.

[CL · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 pretty good

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an intriguing series, and whilst I'm not enjoying it nearly as much as the Matilda Saga, each book does draw me in.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like this one as much. I feel the description of food continually was overdone. However will be interested to see how it pans out in book 5.

[Jenny Bond · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite books in this series by Jackie French. Lots of emotion and even a bit of intrigue. A very interesting and well researched book. I highly recommend it.

[Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review on book #4 in the Miss Lily series is pretty much the same as my thoughts on books #2 and #3. I really enjoyed reading about Sophie + her family's adventures. Like the other books in the series, some plot points feel a bit far-fetched, Sophie often feels too perfect a character and there are some editing errors here and there. But the book as a whole is fun, excellently researched and engaging to read. Something I liked about this particular Miss Lily book was the side plot of the little blind girl who was killed as part of the Nazi euthanasia program. It was heartbreaking but sensitively handled and importantly highlights an aspect of Nazi history that I believe is less well-known. Looking forward to the final book in the series.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting approach to this period in time. The year is 1936 and the new King Edward VIII wishes to marry American divorcee, and suspected German agent, Wallis Simpson. Top-secret documents that the king must read and sign are being neglected for weeks, and some are even turning up in Berlin.

[Tony Peck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable easy read with some challenging aspects. Set in the era just before the 2nd WW, the story is quite complex and convoluted. Well told with lots of period detail along with some great characters. Some setting up ( I think) for the next in the series with some excellent characters available for more riveting story telling.

August 2021: Read again - started by accident and as I was enjoying it kept going…

I realized I had already read this part way through. Enjoyable despite this. Full of fun etiquette, fashion and period detail. Based around the abdication and a rather simpleton portrayal of a flawed man.

The women are all strong, clever and likeable. There are good men too. Violette comes into her own in this story. Readable and interesting.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing book number 4 in the enchanting Miss Lily series, I didn't want it to end. This book takes the reader up to 1937 with the unmistakable feeling of another war about to begin. The actions of the then King Edward VIII and his involvement with the Nazi party is pretty well known I feel, and certainly his abdication could hardly be forgotten. Jackie French gives a very interesting, though fictional, account of the events leading up to the abdication. Thank you Jackie French for this book and the three previous Miss Lily books. I have loved reading all of them and very much hope there will be more books to follow.

[Chris Lindert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another amazing tale told by a very skilled story teller. This time in the years leading up to WW2, when a king unwittingly ‘chose’ his mistress over his kingdom, Sophie Higgs-Vaile, was co-opted to put her life on hold and leave her beloved Thuringa in Australia, to do her ‘duty’ as a ‘lovely lady’ back in England. Beautifully crafted page turner. I do hope there is at least one more instalment.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miss Lily challenges Sophie to reconnect with a number of allies and enemies as Germany's plight grows.
Encouraging the King of England against his love for Wallis Simpson takes twists and turns that even Sophie struggles to understand. All while playing dutiful widow, mother and friend to those in need.