Lie With Me
Pre-Regency Era Romance
A penniless Countess. A rich Marquis. And a great deception.
A noble, nearly-destitute widow who is the mother of three. A rich and reclusive aristocrat who wants to buy her last asset.
In this gender-bending sapphic romance, set in England just before the Regency period, things aren’t always as they seem. The Countess Maryam Wyndham’s solicitor has been siphoning her late husband’s estate into his own pockets. Now she finds herself with only one last asset, Skylark Manor, which she has to sell so she can take care of her children.
The man who wants Skylark is the Marquis Julien D’Avenant, a half-English half-French aristocrat who fled the bloodbath in France after the revolution and has lived in near-seclusion since his return to England. When he does come out in public, he causes a stir. His nose is a beak, his face is slashed, and he dresses in the long trousers worn by the working class revolutionaries who stormed the Bastille.
One look at the extraordinary D’Avenant takes Lady Maryam’s breath away. He has an air of wildness about him, a feral streak, a shimmering, shifting countenance. D’Avenant is an anarchist with eyes the colour of lapis lazuli. But as the owner of Edgemere Estate, which surrounds Skylark, he says her property isn’t worth anywhere near what her solicitor says she can get for it.
When she decides to go see the distant estate for herself, D’Avenant impulsively invites Lady Maryam and her children to stay at Edgemere while she does so. It is only on cooler consideration that D’Avenant realizes that opening his home to this beautiful stranger could destroy everything he has built over the past ten years.
Because D’Avenant is not who he says he is. He is a woman disguised as a man.
Backstory of
Lie With Me
Like so many older readers, my first exposure to the romance genre was through reading the Grand Dame of the genre, Georgette Heyer. Lie With Me is a tip of the hat in her direction. As such, it is a sweet romance.
It is the first novel I ever wrote–before that I was writing screenplays and making movies. Originally it featured a whole political espionage sub-plot, but in 2021, when I dusted off the old manuscript, I stripped out that aspect, as it was too dark for who I am today. I left the bones, which were solid, and built a classic Regency-style romance on them.
Customer Reviews
An Excellent Read
This book is well worth the time it took to read it. The characters are great, the story is well written and informative. I happen to be a big fan of history so I really enjoyed it. I have no problem recommending this book and I will read more of Patricia Spencer’s books
Heartwarming
A lovely story with a satisfying ending. I enjoyed the found family dynamic and found the children characters charming. The love story was sweet and compelling. I look forward to reading more by this author.
Refreshing
Just what I have been looking for in a historical romance. Could not put it down. Can’t wait to read more.
Very Good Historical Read
I really enjoyed this book, an historical read with a lesbian hero. A woman living as a man to help herself and other women is a hero in my book. Sweet romance added to the mix and very well written characters is a win in my book. Thanks for a very good read.