Elizabeth Clarke, The Bare Truth

The Bare Truth

Elizabeth Clarke

Leisure, Mar 2007, $6.99

ISBN: 0843956720

Desperate for employment in a reputable home, Juliette Garrison forges letters of reference. She actually succeeds in scoring a fine position, but knows she must keep her big mouth shut as her aristocratic employees are not interested in her thoughts.

However, she soon learns that she is the offspring of a lord and a serving girl. She begins dreaming of asking her sire's family for help, but fears their reaction will cost her current position in which she has food and a bed. When American business man Thomas Jameson meets serving girl Juliette, he likes her spark and spunk. She reciprocates though the cost of a tryst she knows would mean sleeping on the streets as she knows guys like the wealthy Yank marry aristocrats while doodling with English servants.

This is an interesting historical due to the outspoken Juliette whose mouth gets her into one problem spot after another though it is her loquacious vivaciousness that brings her to the attention of the visiting American. The story line is typical of the period as the lead female makes all other women pale in comparison and the brash Yank ignores convention. Sub-genre readers will enjoy this fine late Victorian.

Harriet Klausner