More than a Mistress
Written by Mary Balogh
Narrated by Rosalyn Landor
4/5
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About this audiobook
In her most captivating novel to date, Mary Balogh, the premier writer of Regency-era romantic fiction, invites you into a world of scandal and seduction, of glittering high society and startling intrigue, as an arrogant duke does the unthinkable— he falls in love with his mistress.
More Than a Mistress
He is bad-tempered, reckless, a man superior in his abilities to charm and delight women. The greatest matrimonial prize in all of Christendom, he is the scandalous Duke of Tresham. When a young woman interferes in his Hyde Park duel, causing him to get shot, he hires her as his nurse, vowing that she will share his misery during his convalescence. Far too bold for her own good, Jane Ingleby is the kind of woman a man might find beautiful were it not for her impudence. She questions the duke's every move, scolds his bad manners, breaches his secrets, and touches his soul. When Tresham offers to set Jane up in his London town house, love is the last thing on his mind.And hers. Trying to pretend it is strictly business, an arrangement she must accept in order to conceal a dangerous secret, Jane suspects there is nothing more perilous than being the lover of such a man. Yet as she gets past his devilish facade and sees the noble heart within, she discovers the greatest jeopardy of all—a passion that drives her to risk everything on one perfect month with the improper gentleman who thinks love is for fools.Hailed by critics as "sensual," "unforgettable," "a matchless storyteller,"* Mary Balogh has captured the hearts of readers with her novels of breathtaking romance. In More than a Mistress she dazzles us once again with a love story that sizzles with wit and sensuality—a rare gem of wondrous storytelling that holds readers enthralled from first page to last.*Romantic Times
Mary Balogh
New York Times bestselling, multi-award-winning author Mary Balogh grew up in Wales, land of sea and mountains, song and legend. She brought music and a vivid imagination with her when she came to Canada to teach. There she began a second career as a writer of books that always end happily and always celebrate the power of love.
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Reviews for More than a Mistress
382 ratings11 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Enjoyed very much. Great characters. Excellent trajectory of story. Good reading.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The power dynamic is a bit off-putting, as Jocelyn and Jane have, initially, a master-servant relationship. However, Jane's attitude and Jocelyn's character development helped in getting over that. Although the title seems to imply that this is a salacious novel, I was pleasantly surpriced that it ended up to be a sweet and heartwarming story on how kindness and understanding can help heal scars, deep-buried and unacknowledged as they can be. Their rift near the end of the book and the resolution was heartwrenching and satisfying, respectively, and in the end I found myself cheering for their HEA (even if it's entirely expected). Rosalyn Landor is my favorite narrator, for her calm, soothing voice, excellent diction, and ability to create different voices.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Such a romantic tale! And excellent story with interesting characters who unfold as the book does. I loved it!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I liked the characters and the plot but it felt like the characters attitude through the last 3rd of the book was just there to keep the tension high. It didn't feel natural.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5There were times when I would have leaned more toward 3 stars I think, the characters really are *so* stubborn, but ultimately it was interesting and kept my attention and I'm happy I read it, so I'll go with 4 stars.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I really enjoyed this as the story was rolling along well, and we started to see why and how Jocelyn became the duke. The thing was that although the reader learned Jane’s story, I was sorry that we didn’t get a scene of her explaining it all to him; the lack of communication and his being a dick could have been shortened somewhat.So while I’m glad they’re together at the end, it sucks that we didn’t get to see him really understand and hear her. It’s still well worth it, but I’m not sure what it says when the best part of the book was when she was his mistress hanging out in their den together. Also Jane would be horrified at the cover; it’s literally the epitome of everything she hates, and she’d redecorate immediately (the cover designer obviously didn’t read the book).
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I really thought this was going to be a 4 star book. But I was so, so, so, so, so unspeakably disappointed in the ending. It was so ... lackluster compared to what I anticipated. Sigh.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Delightful love story! Very likable hero/heroine and fun secondary characters.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Whilst I have read women’s fiction for years now I have read very little historical fiction, it’s never been an area that I’ve been particularly interested in. The synopsis of More Than A Mistress grabbed my attention however and I was curious to give it a go.
The plot worked really well for me. Whilst it is essentially innocent girl meets attractive rogue and they fall in love despite their best efforts there is much more to it. Jane’s hiding quite a secret, as I started to discover it I found myself getting increasingly caught up in the plot and fearing that the happy ending I was hoping the couple would have might not happen after all.
I liked the character of Jane a lot. I liked the way that she stood up to Tresham, their sparring really entertained me. Tresham was also a very likeable character, it was clear from an early stage that there was more to him than the standoffish arrogant rake he was claiming to be. The minor characters were well created, I particularly enjoyed the scenes between Tresham and his male friends, I could have happily read more of this.
I enjoyed reading this book a lot, though at times I did find the prose to be a little fluffy for my liking. It didn’t put me off, and I would certainly read historical romance again based on this book. There is a second book in the series, No Man’s Mistress, I think I shall be adding it to my to read list. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The arrogant, influential, and hotheaded Duke of Tresham never hesitates to get into duels defending his honor. But when his most recent duel is interrupted by a passing servant girl, Tresham is wounded for the first time in his dueling career. Incensed, he orders the girl, Jane Ingleby, to come serve as his nurse as he heals from his bullet wound.Jane, however, is no ordinary servant. She carries herself and speaks like a lady, and is more than willing to talk back to Tresham. The two can’t stand one another—until they can’t get one another. Trouble is, Jane is hiding a terrible secret about her identity, so when Tresham offers her the opportunity to be his mistress, Jane agrees. What they have between them becomes much more than an ordinary mistress arrangement, though…At times overly dramatic, MORE THAN A MISTRESS is nevertheless one of the most impressive historical romances I have ever read. Character development is sensational, the romance is sensual and believable, and overall the whole story is simply unforgettable.I absolutely adored how there wasn’t insta-love/lust/attraction between Jane and Tresham. Instead, both of them dislike each other upon first meeting, though their respective stubbornness keeps them clashing—and, thus, crossing paths—again and again. Tresham acts arrogant, but you still can’t help but liking him, understanding his arrogance as a product of his upbringing. Jane feels a little more generic, as the heroine with the modern sensitivities everyone just wished existed back in the days, but she has undeniably chemistry with Tresham, and goes about trying to solve her troubles in a very respectable way.I typically like my historical romances straight to the romance point, so I was a little less believing of the whole dueling/wanted for murder plotline, but overall, Tresham and Jane were definitely enough for me to keep plowing through this book. This is my first historical romance by Mary Balogh, but if it’s any indication of her other works, it certainly won’t be my last.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is a very good book. Jocelyn is one of my favorite Balogh heroes - he seems hard and cruel at first, but it's just a mask for a gentle, warm soul. He reminds me, in some ways, of an early verison of Wulfric Bedwyn, although there are certainly differences as well. The love story in this book is tender and almost heart-rending. I felt myself truly touched and convinced by this book.