A Tale of Two Lovers

Written by Maya Rodale

Narrated by Carolyn Morris

The second book in Maya Rodale’s exciting historical romance Writing Girls series.

An incredible talent, Maya Rodale continues her deliciously exciting “Writing Girls” historical romance series with A Tale of Two Lovers. Fans of the bestselling romance of Laura Lee Guhrke and Suzanne Enoch will adore this Regency Era-set love story from one of the most exciting members of the new generation of romantic fiction writers. A Tale of Two Lovers is a wonder, chronicling the deliciously passionate twists and turns that ensue when The London Weekly’s fearless gossip columnist, the “Lady of Distinction,” ruins her reputation by slandering the notorious Lord Roxbury, leaving them both no recourse except marriage…to each other!

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Feb 8, 2022
• ISBN: 9780063162198

Maya Rodale

Maya Rodale began reading romance novels in college at her mother's insistence. She is now the bestselling and award-winning author of smart and sassy romances. She lives in New York City with her darling dog and a rogue of her own.

Reviews for A Tale of Two Lovers

[lycomayflower · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lady Julianna Somerset is a young widow supporting herself in 19th century London as a gossip columnist (identity hush-hush, of course). Lord Simon Roxbury is a rake notorious for his skills at seduction. When Roxbury's father issues an ultimatum that his son either marry within a month or be cut off, it unfortunately coincides with a juicy piece of gossip in Lady Somerset's column that shuts the doors of high society firmly in Roxbury's face. Then Julianna and Roxbury quickly engage in a love-hate relationship that was just great fun to watch. A bit predictable in the big picture (not really a criticism of a romance, unless one wants to criticize the whole genre) but often surprising in the particular events. A touch repetitive, but not annoyingly so. Rodale's characters are a hoot (one of my favorite things about this book is that it's believable when the characters (inevitably) turn the corner from loathing to loving. It's not the deepest character study I've ever seen, but the development is there), and the bits of newspaper gossip we get feel deliciously of the time. A mystery about the identity of a rival gossip columnist adds just enough interest beyond the romance between the principles. Delightfully fun.

[thelustyliterate-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.5 StarsThis was a solidly written, moderately steamy, historical romance. It was unique and adventurous. The main characters, Julianna and Simon, are fun to read. Both are witty and multi-layered. They spar and torment each other- then begin to secretly mutually respect and desire one another. It's a lovely seduction. By the end they have both truly and deeply fallen in love. This is a smart, sexy and a delightful tale to read.

[xicanti_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A TALE OF TWO LOVERS follows Julianna, a popular gossip columnist for a weekly paper who can't make ends meet without her beloved job, and Roxbury, a rake whose father has decreed he must marry or lose all access to family funds. Julianna and Roxbury clash after she prints a juicy piece of gossip about him at exactly the wrong moment, and it isn’t long before their mutual antagonism has destroyed both their prospects. A marriage of convenience seems like the obvious solution, but can two strong-willed enemies who are determined not to fall in love possibly make a go of it?Okay, we all know how it ends. It’s a romance novel, yeah? Thing is, truly good romance novels let you (meaning me) forget the obvious ending. They either trick you into becoming so invested with the characters that you truly believe in their potential separation, or they entertain you to such an extent that you don’t care that you know about the upcoming HEA.A TALE OF TWO LOVERS falls into the latter camp. My dears, this is a spectacularly fun story! Both Julianna and Roxbury are strong-willed and feisty. Neither backs down after the initial volley, and their attempts to thwart one another become increasingly pointed as the feud drags out. You’ve gotta love a romance novel where the heroine and the hero spend the first hundred and fifty-odd pages screwing each other over. Especially when they’re so obviously perfect for one another, and so totally incapable of seeing it.Rodale tempers these vicious jabs with a fair measure of sexual tension. That’s tension, mind; the characters are instantly attracted to one another, but this isn’t your average I-must-snog-you-or-I-shall-DIE romance. They share one kiss quite early on, then refrain from more until they know one another much better (and until they’ve stopped trying to destroy one another). Rodale does a wonderful job of balancing desire with romance. She tempers the characters’ physical attraction to one another with the genuine affection that springs up despite all they do to fight against it.I like a good sex scene as much as the next girl, but I love a romance that unfolds slowly and naturally. Rodale delivers the goods. She doesn’t rush a thing. By the time the characters come together, body and soul, it feels right.On the downside, there’s a fair amount of repetition herein, and most of it falls quite close together. Rodale particularly likes to remind us of how Julianna got her job, what went down with her previous marriage, and where her pistols are currently located. I was also a little unsure about certain aspects of the ending, which felt a tad rushed in places.Overall, though, this was excellent. I don’t hesitate to recommend it to other historical romance fans; in fact, I’ve already lent my copy to my mother. Maya Rodale has officially joined my list of Romance Authors To Inhale.This review originally appeared on my blog, Stella Matutina, in a slightly different form.

[reesa00 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An interesting book but I was not able to warm to the heroine. Julianna, the heroine, is somewhat secretly writing a gossip column. She destroys the hero, Lord Roxbury's reputation in her column. He is determined to get back at her for this. Honestly, I was on his side at this point. It made me wonder how many other people's lives she had destroyed. Ostensibly she writes the column to support herself since her husband died but I doubt the column pays as well as her lifestyle. Anyway, Lord Roxbury ends up ruining her reputation and the two end up married to save both of their reputations. I never was really able to warm to the heroine and their relationship didn't seem to deal with any of their pre-marriage issues.