Truth and Measure & Above All Things by Roslyn Sinclair is a duology that must be read together.
Truth and Measure is the first half of The Carlisle Series. When it opens, we meet Jules Moretti. She’s been the executive assistant to Du Jour Magzine’s editor, Vivian Carlisle, for around a year. Vivian expects no less than perfection and isn’t afraid to fire someone on a dime. So, Jules’s tenure is a huge testament to how masterfully she manages Vivian’s schedule, needs, and whims.
Jules may be used to doing more than the average EA, but Vivian needs her to go above and beyond when Vivian finds herself unexpectedly pregnant with her ex-husband’s baby. Theirs is an unconventional path to love, but somewhere among the doctor’s appointments and last-second requests to join Vivian in London at Christmas, it works for them.
Above all Things is the second half of their story. Jules and Vivian are navigating what a romantic relationship looks like, now that Jules is working at a startup and Vivian has to thwart a horrible boss who wants her out of the magazine that she built. Oh yeah, and there’s that whole baby on the way thing and no clarity on what Jules’s role will be with it. Luckily for them, their love is strong enough to find a way, no matter what challenges arise.
Pros And My Favourite Parts
Tara: This story is like my ultimate trope candy because it has:
- An age gap between the two love interests.
- An ice queen who’s thawed by a girl next door who knows her own worth.
- A workplace romance (I’ve been mixed on these post #MeToo, but this story works well for me. See more in the Cons).
And best of all? Because their story is told in two parts, their relationship fully develops from a lusty mutual obsession to a place where I was one hundred percent confident in their Happily Ever After. Vivian is still icy with everyone who’s not Jules, Jules’s career is going in a great direction, and they’re a happy family unit with a sweet baby. What more could I want?
It’s a little difficult for me to be fully objective about this series, however, because it’s a reinvention of my favourite fanfic of all time. That fic is nearly 300,000 words, I’ve read it many times, and I’ve often named it when asked about my favourite books, because it’s just THAT good. I was nervous when I heard that Truth and Measure was getting rewritten and released as original fiction, because what if it didn’t live up?
For everyone in the Devil Wears Prada fandom who have been equally worried, I’m relieved to say that The Carlisle Series is magnificent. It kept all of my favourite moments from the fic (like, say, when Vivian initially proposes an unconventional relationship between them, which I won’t spoil in case you haven’t read it), dropped a bunch of stuff that I didn’t care about, and added new scenes that I savoured because they were so wonderful. It was like reading a treasured favourite story and something brand new, all at the same time. I was delighted and perfectly satisfied the whole time I read it.
Rach: Like Tara, this story has been part of my life for so long! It’s one of the fanfics that lead me into the fabulous world of sapphic fiction! I was both excited and nervous when I heard it was being transformed into a book, but I always had confidence that it had a great team behind it to transform this perfectly wondrous fanfic and release it into the world. And what a job they did! Roslyn Sinclair managed to bring her much-loved fanfic up to date, polish it until it is extra shiny and dazzle us all.
For me these books are like an old friend whom I haven’t seen for a while, sure they’ve grown and changed but that has added to them and made them better. However, underneath all the new exciting changes they are still fundamentally the same, and that brings comfort and familiarity that make my heart happy.
What I love most about these books (and as Tara has said you simply must read them both) is the complete and utter cluelessness that Jules has when it comes to how Vivian feels about her! It’s both charming and ‘face plants palm’ worthy. The fact that Julia Moretti can read Vivian like a book when it comes to all other aspects of her life makes this ‘blind spot’ she has for herself even more endearing. The passion that these women have for each other jumps off the page and you feel it deep.
The Narration
The audiobooks for this series are simply perfect! Abby Craden has not only brought Vivian and Jules to life with Vivian’s deep husky tones and Jules’ giggly exuberance. But she gave life to all the side characters too. She nailed Simon with his ‘prissy, know it all’ tones and Allie with her utterly innocent outlook on any situation. I truly believe that the best narrator was picked for these books and her performance is exquisite!
Since the release of The Carlisle Series, I have not been back to read the original fic! I have no need to as the books are perfect! Now that I’ve listened to the audio I think it will be very rare that I read the books as these audios have somehow elevated perfection even more, and I am content to let Abby Craden read my favourite story to me over and over again!
Cons And Heads Up
No cons for me. Some readers may not love that Jules and Vivian’s romantic relationship begins when Jules is reporting to Vivian, but that issue is handled with great care. Vivian is aware of their power imbalance and is so not okay with it that she addresses it head on with Jules, which I was happy to see.
The Conclusion
Tara: I already know many of you are wondering: but what if I never read the fanfic? Will I enjoy the series too? If you like the tropes I listed above, then you absolutely will. The writing is spectacular, the characters are memorable and interesting, and there’s so much passion between Jules and Vivian that you will lose sleep because you won’t want to put either book down. Also, make sure to buy both at the same time, because you will want to dive immediately into the second part as soon as you finish the first.
While I adored the fanfic enough to read it a couple of times a year for the last 5 or 6 years, I won’t read it again. Truth and Measure and Above all Things are so perfect, that I’ll only be reading them going forward. They’re my ultimate comfort read and I’m already looking forward to revisiting them again and again, for many years to come.
Rach: If you have read these books and enjoy audio, I highly recommend adding these to your collection.
If you are solely an audio reader then these audios are a must! Abby Craden has done the most amazing job at bringing The Carlisle Series to life and they are definitely not to be missed!
These audios will be ones that I listen to repeatedly, and every time I press play, I know I feel that same thrill as I felt the first time.
Excerpt from Truth and Measure by Roslyn Sinclair
“I’ve never cared for yellow,” Vivian Carlisle said absently, looking over the editorial spread. “It’s so garish. Even in pastels.”
Most people would assume her comment was a casual observation. Jules Moretti, not most people, knew it was the calm before the storm and decided this would be a great time to stare intently at the notes on her tablet.
Who was today’s unlucky target? It couldn’t be her. Vivian didn’t make a habit of discussing aesthetic preferences with personal assistants. It must be somebody a lot higher up the ladder than Jules but still below Vivian. Like Simon, the creative director. Or Angie, head of copywriting. Or God.
But when Jules looked up, unable to take the long silence, she was skewered by Vivian’s eyes looking directly at her from across the desk. Simon and Angie had left the room, and the heavens remained resolutely silent.
And when Vivian Carlisle said a thing to you and then looked at you, you had about two seconds to figure out whether or not she wanted you to say something back. Jules’s two seconds were halfway up.
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Series: The Carlisle series
Truth and Measure
Above All Things
Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 9783963246449
Publisher: Ylva Publishing
Audiobook Publisher: Tantor Audio
Narrator: Abby Craden
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