Two Face the World

Marry in Haste...

Romance - Suspense
301 Pages
Reviewed on 12/03/2018
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Sarah Stuart is an award-winning author of Romance/Sizzle novels who has ventured into clean romance with Christian values. Her passions are music, wildlife, and travel. She writes because she enjoys it, and as a commitment to ecology and unwanted pets. 100% of her royalties are donated to animal charities - those helping endangered species worldwide, and others taking care of pets like Ben in Two Face the World. Sarah always has at least one dog adopted from the Blue Cross in her home, and her heart.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite

Two Face the World: Marry in Haste... by Sarah Stuart is a suspenseful romance with strong psychological hints, a second entry in a gripping romance series. I first read Three Against the World and was literally hypnotized by the author’s exploration of the emotional depth of the characters, but in this new novel, she takes the stakes higher. Richard and Maria are a new couple and while they have every reason to be happy, both are haunted by their past, both caught in a powerful, disturbing dilemma — face the truth of their past and risk their marriage or keep their secrets from each other and live in constant fear. But when their lives and property are attacked, they make the decision to uncover the person behind the attacks.

Sarah Stuart spins a tale that will resonate with readers. The characters are genuinely flawed and their humanity is deftly handled. The author has the gift of infusing the narrative with realism, making readers feel as though they are confronted with a story that unfolds before their gaze. The narrative starts with a powerful premise and deals with a problem that readers encounter in real life. The question that begs for an answer is: What do we do with our past when we get married? The strong narrative voice combines with the crisp prose to create a reading experience that is enjoyable. The prose is atmospheric, the plot intriguing and the characters skillfully developed with psychological and emotional depth. Apart from her gift of storytelling, Sarah Stuart creates the kind of conflict that defines the dynamics of the story and keeps the reader utterly engaged. Two Face the World: Marry in Haste... is another excellent read for fans of contemporary romance.

Lesley Jones

In Two Face the World by Sarah Stuart, Richard and Maria can now officially announce their love to the world, three years after being thrown together in the most unusual circumstances. They have each other, promising careers and a wonderful future to look forward to. That should be enough, but their tormented pasts of rejection and loneliness have left them damaged emotionally. They both question if they have a right to happiness. Someone they know agrees with them, and is secretly holding a grudge and wants them to separate. A threatening letter lands on Richard and Maria’s doorstep. As they try to solve the mystery, the threats become more violent and sinister. The pressure is on to find the person responsible before someone gets seriously hurt. With unexpected personal problems, can Richard and Maria once more stand together against the world, or will this put an end to a great love story?

Sarah’s relaxed writing style really made this an enjoyable read. She places such detail in the story line and characters' personalities, it brings a realism to relationships, life struggles and the emotion a person feels in dark situations. The characters' mannerisms and dialogue also suit their personalities perfectly. The narrative just flows and you get lost in the lives of the characters. Richard and Maria are complex and tortured souls, full of self-doubt. This is not just a beautiful love story, but a tale of two people overcoming years of rejection and accepting who they are. I think the star of the novel, though, was the little Jack Russell; he was adorable. I had the pleasure of reading Three Against The World, and although you do not need to read the first story to enjoy this sequel, it would give you more of an insight to the background of this endearing relationship. Highly recommended if you enjoy real-life romance novels.

Ruffina Oserio

Two Face the World: Marry in Haste... by Sarah Stuart is the second book in the Richard and Maria series, a suspenseful romance that explores the complexities of a relationship between two compelling characters and the choices they make. I love books that are intense and a plot structure that puts the characters in stressful situations, and this story does just that and more. We encounter Richard and Maria, a couple who are newlywed, and while they have everything to feel happy about, they are each haunted by their own past. When they start experiencing attacks on property and their lives, they are forced to face reality and lift the lid on their secret fears and insecurities to each other. But can they identify their enemy and save their marriage?

Sarah Stuart knows how to grab the attention of readers and keep it by creating characters that are rock solid and real, with a humanity that readers can easily connect to. It’s very easy to care for these characters, because they are written into a world that is familiar to most readers and they face dilemmas that nurture the conflict and make it strong. The plot advances through a wave of suspense that gets readers intrigued and curious to find out what happens next. The prose in Two Face the World: Marry in Haste... is beautiful and the author combines the art of writing vivid descriptions with well-written dialogues to create emotionally and psychologically rich scenes. An entertaining read, indeed.

Theresa Jacobs

A page turner from the start. I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the story line, with the push - pull of the couple and the underlying mystery, it kept me guessing. And most importantly who would want to hurt the little dog Ben? Dive in and find out.

Lesley Hayes

‘The course of true love never did run smooth…’ This quote from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream fits perfectly the continuing story of Richard and Maria. Their plans to marry and live happily ever after seem dogged with disaster at every stage along what first promised to be their primrose path. Having become enamoured with their characters and that of Richard’s dog Ben in the first book, Three Against the World, I was keen to read this sequel as soon as the opportunity arose. I wasn’t disappointed. Once again the story flows effortlessly, and one of the attractive features of Sarah Stuart’s writing is an almost breathless pace of prose that keeps a reader mesmerised, along with a plot that has byzantine twists and turns to keep you continually guessing. This author is adept at describing the stumbling blocks thrown up by human frailties, and part of the story’s fascination is in seeing how both Richard’s and Maria’s insecurities threaten to tear them apart as much as the intimidations and increasingly menacing actions of their unknown enemy. This psychological aspect of the novel makes the characters and their struggles to maintain the integrity of their relationship intensely real. The early days of any marriage are always a steep learning curve, but for these two it is far more than an uphill climb. Whether or not they survive the journey I will leave for other readers to discover. Suffice it to say that for me it was a definite 5 star read, and highly recommended.

Penny Luker

This is the second book in the Richard and Maria series. It follows, Three Against the World: A waif, a Stray, and a Romance? I'd enjoyed the first book, so couldn't wait to read the second and I wasn't disappointed. Maria becomes eighteen and she and Richard are free to follow their romance, but someone is trying to prevent a 'happy ever after'.
Sarah Stuart weaves a story, with likeable main characters, and a loveable dog, Ben, but who is trying to break up the couple by the most devious and cruel means? I won't tell you if that person is successful, but it will hold your interest to the end. Add to that scenario that Richard and Maria are both fragile and lacking in confidence from being let down in the past.
I thoroughly recommend this book.

Virginia E. Johnson

In this sequel to Three Against The World, our main characters are back, Richard and Maria are newly weds facing the problems every young married couple usually have, but with a few more problems added. Shakespeare would have a field day with this couple.

Two Face The World is the perfect title for this romantic romp, and the author is in good form as she spins their yarn once more to the delight of her many fans. The twist and turns keep the readers turning the pages to see what happens next. Will their love conquer all obstacles, or will they fall into defeat as many marriages do? To find out you have to read this wonderful new entry in the series by this wonderful author. Highly recommended.

Ruth Coulson

I loved Three Against the World (Book one) and dived straight into its sequel to discover how Richard and Maria's less than easy relationship develops. Their pasts continue to blight their present as past insecurities and an ill-wisher drive wedges between them. I love Richard and Maria and Ben, the dog; their actions and reactions are real and understandable, and their love for one another intense, and it's easy to empathise with them as they face the obstacles thrown in front of them. Can their love survive? I guess I shall have to wait, impatiently, for Book Three for the final answer, but I do hope so. A sweet and captivating love story.

John Nicholl

Fast-paced and thoroughly entertaining. Recommended reading. If you're a fan of romance with plenty of twists and turns, this one if for you.

Chris-Jean Clarke

The heart of Two Face The World by Sarah Stuart is a fine romance story, however the artery leading from the heart and feeding the body of the story is dripping with mystery and intrigue. - Highly recommended reading!

Rea

I certainly became endeared with the two main characters, Richard and Maria, in Stuart's first book in this series, so I was excited to read the continuation and I was not disappointed. Stuart has this wonderful ability to transform the unlikely and sometimes questionable relationships into loving, happy and successful love affairs. She does exactly that with Two Face the World. Despite their age difference and the fact they once thought they were Father and Daughter, Richard and Maria were clearly destined for each other and Stuart explores the ups, downs and merry-go-rounds of this relationship in Book 2 of the series. The best way to judge a sequel is whether it superseded the original in enjoyment and for me, this did. It's a fantastic story with lovely characters and I can recommend it extremely highly.

Paul Tait

Two Face the World: Marry in Haste… picks up where Three Against the World: a Waif, a Stray, and a Romance? left off. All the likeable, and some not so likeable, characters from the first book return. They and some new faces make for a compelling “who dunnit?” or rather, “who is doing it?” gallery of suspects when Richard and Maria first receive written threats, and then are victims of violence.

In addition to the mystery, much is spent on Maria’s catering business, Richard’s nightly gig playing Bill’s tavern, Richard’s day job as a manager of a furniture company and the travails faced by a newly married couple. While twenty years separate them, the tale shows that age difference makes no difference when it comes to what goes on in the emotional and psychiatric make-up of a person. Love may conquer all, but ingrained beliefs about oneself (Maria) and automatic reactions to situations (Richard) are often as threatening as any outside antagonists.

Nonetheless, all these elements circle the primary concern about who is at the heart of the external threats. Sarah Stuart’s storytelling style is sharp and to the point. The reader is not at any time off the hook of suspense she crafts. I highly recommend Two Face the World: Marry in Haste… to all lovers of romance and well told mystery!

Ju Ephraine

Two Face the World: Marry in Haste by Stuart is a suspenseful, psychological romance and the second book in this fascinating romance series. The author has placed the two main characters, Richard and Maria, in a unique situation where they want each other, but with secrets between them make for a relationship with little hope of surviving. That is, unless they both stop living in the past, accept each other, and move on. The suspense to see what direction these two will take, had me rooting for Richard, even though he was the more secretive of the two, he was the underdog, and I always root for the underdog. This story has enough tension to make it suspenseful and just the right emotional upheaval to keep the reader engaged.

Lee Milnes

The elements making up Two Face the World has everything from intrigue, to romance, to new-born and reshaped lives. The further I read the more engrossed I got. especially with the twists and turns keeping me literally on the edge of my chair. I am 100% glad I found Sarah Stuart and her beautifully crafted descriptive books to take me out of self and get my imagination up and running.

Tom Benson

There’s nothing like a good romance—especially when it’s laced with suspicion, anonymous letters, malicious damage, poisoning, and several options as the perpetrator, or perpetrators. If the course of true love never runs smooth, you could say that Richard and Maria have definitely found true love.
Richard’s life has been dogged with problems going back years, and every time he feels in control, something happens to pull the rug from under his feet. Like any good man, his well-being comes second to those he loves, and in his case it is Maria, and of course Ben, the little terrier.
Apart from the devotion which binds the main characters, there are those who for personal reasons are intent on causing heartache and hardship. Yes, there are friends on the scene, but when does a friendly word or gesture help, or hinder?
Here we have an author who can be trusted to make a walk in the park more like an assault course. An impressive feature of Sarah Stuart’s writing is the level of detail, of which I am a fan. Another positive aspect of the work is that no issue is left unanswered—if there is a niggling doubt about why something has happened, the answer will be supplied somewhere before the end.
This is another great tale of relationships and the many pitfalls of commitment.

Rhiannon Rhys-Jones

Richard's and Maria's story has a mystery... who's trying to break the couple up, and why? What might at first seem like pranks have the potential to turn deadly as the hatred hurled against them continues. And not only the humans suffer, but poor Ben, their Jack Russell dog seems to continue to get the worse of it. If not for the love Richard and Maria have for him, he probably wouldn't have made it.

Excitement from start to finish. I thought I knew who might be causing the problems, but the motive behind it was a shocker! Well done.