What do you think?
Rate this book
Mistress #3
The Secret Mistress
While Lady Angeline Dudley’s pedigree dictates that she must land a titled gentleman, the irrepressible beauty secretly longs for a simple, ordinary suitor. No wild rakes like the men of her family, just a kind heart and good nature. So when Edward Ailsbury, the new Earl of Heyward, rescues her with unmatched civility from the advances of a scoundrel, Angeline thinks that she has found her true love. Persuading the earl is another matter entirely.
Edward has his future neatly mapped out. He hopes to wed his steadfast companion, a woman who shares his values of loyalty, respect, and decorum. But arriving in London to take his seat in the House of Lords, he is derailed by Angeline, an exquisite bird of paradise seemingly devoted to sending his predictable life into chaos.
From the brilliant hues of her fashion to her hoydenish antics, Angeline is the last woman on earth for Edward. And yet a stolen kiss in the moonlight awakens something deep and primal within him. Naturally, being a gentleman, he does the right thing after compromising a lady: He offers marriage.
Angeline knows that Edward’s proposal is born of duty, not love. But denying something so provocative and passionate is easier said than done. Deep down, Angeline believes that Edward’s dedication to convention will melt behind closed doors, where sensuality and seduction play wicked games. For a proper wife by day can become a husband’s secret mistress by night, when delicious desire rules.
Edward has his future neatly mapped out. He hopes to wed his steadfast companion, a woman who shares his values of loyalty, respect, and decorum. But arriving in London to take his seat in the House of Lords, he is derailed by Angeline, an exquisite bird of paradise seemingly devoted to sending his predictable life into chaos.
From the brilliant hues of her fashion to her hoydenish antics, Angeline is the last woman on earth for Edward. And yet a stolen kiss in the moonlight awakens something deep and primal within him. Naturally, being a gentleman, he does the right thing after compromising a lady: He offers marriage.
Angeline knows that Edward’s proposal is born of duty, not love. But denying something so provocative and passionate is easier said than done. Deep down, Angeline believes that Edward’s dedication to convention will melt behind closed doors, where sensuality and seduction play wicked games. For a proper wife by day can become a husband’s secret mistress by night, when delicious desire rules.
Audio CD
First published January 1, 2011
439 people are currently reading
2574 people want to read
About the author
Mary Balogh
193 books6,394 followersMary Jenkins was born in 1944 in Swansea, Wales, UK. After graduating from university, moved to Saskatchewan, Canada, to teach high school English, on a two-year teaching contract in 1967. She married her Canadian husband, Robert Balogh, and had three children, Jacqueline, Christopher and Sian. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading, music and knitting. She also enjoys watching tennis and curling.
Mary Balogh started writing in the evenings as a hobby. Her first book, a Regency love story, was published in 1985 as A Masked Deception under her married name. In 1988, she retired from teaching after 20 years to pursue her dream to write full-time. She has written more than seventy novels and almost thirty novellas since then, including the New York Times bestselling 'Slightly' sextet and 'Simply' quartet. She has won numerous awards, including Bestselling Historical of the Year from the Borders Group, and her novel Simply Magic was a finalist in the Quill Awards. She has won seven Waldenbooks Awards and two B. Dalton Awards for her bestselling novels, as well as a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award.
Mary Balogh started writing in the evenings as a hobby. Her first book, a Regency love story, was published in 1985 as A Masked Deception under her married name. In 1988, she retired from teaching after 20 years to pursue her dream to write full-time. She has written more than seventy novels and almost thirty novellas since then, including the New York Times bestselling 'Slightly' sextet and 'Simply' quartet. She has won numerous awards, including Bestselling Historical of the Year from the Borders Group, and her novel Simply Magic was a finalist in the Quill Awards. She has won seven Waldenbooks Awards and two B. Dalton Awards for her bestselling novels, as well as a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 609 reviews
August 29, 2011
Balogh had mentioned wanting to write this prequel on her mailing list a number of times, and I never quite got why. The loquacious, scatteredbrained Angeline and her stuffy husband weren’t all that interesting to me, and they were already together. I should have known Balogh could do it. Even the title, which appeared to be a forced attempt to squeeze the book in with rest of the series, completely works -- though I won't spoil it by saying why.
You’d never expect nineteen year old Lady Angeline Dudley to fall madly in love with Edward, Lord Heyward. She’s vivacious and impulsive, he’s the man his wild brother called a staid old sobersides. But Edward’s dignified courtesy at their first meeting makes a big impression on Angeline, who’s not at all interested in the rakish young men who are so much like her own wayward family.
I love how Balogh makes us see the attractions of her ordinary hero:
“In a few short minutes he had shown himself to be her ideal of manhood. Of gentlemanhood. He seemed perfectly content and comfortable with his ordinariness. He seemed not to feel the need to posture and prove his masculinity at every turn preferably with his fists… He was in fact, more than ordinary. He was an extraordinary man.”
“He looked at her, and suddenly his lips curved upward slightly at the corners and his eyes twinkled with amusements -- and a small dimple made its appearance in his right cheek, close to his mouth. It was an absolutely devastating smile -- or almost smile. If Angeline had not already been seated, her knees would surely have buckled under her.”
“…because she was in danger of losing her balance, she was forced to lean slightly toward him and rest her hand on his shoulder. Oh, such a firm, warm shoulder, a shoulder to depend upon.”
But although Angeline relishes Edward’s differences, he is wary of hers, having painful experience with the tragedies that can be caused by reckless behavior. And though he’s self-conscious about his own soberness -- after one chiding speech, he thinks to himself that he “half expected to see dust emerge from his mouth with the words” -- he can’t see himself paired with a Dudley, and keeps trying to talk himself out of his interest in her:
“He and Lady Angeline Dudley were about as suited to each other as day is to night.
It was a poor comparison, of course. For night and day were two sides of the same coin. One could not exist without the other. They were the perfect balance of opposites, the perfect harmony of nature taking its course.
Night and day worked perfectly together, in fact.
Damnation!”
As it turns out, quite a bit of loneliness and insecurity lies behind both Edward and Angeline’s public personas. On the surface the pairing is somewhat similar to that in Slightly Dangerous, but Edward and Angeline are actually quite different from Wulf and Christine, and though some of the courtship details are similar, (typical Balogh -- rolling down hills, dancing outdoors, etc.) this doesn’t feel like a replay.
Although it's original, funny and charming, I did have one big problem with The Secret Mistress, which I fear is just going to be a problem for me with all Balogh books from now on: too much filler. The style of the frequent internal monologues is very repetitive, a form of thought/response that sounds exactly the same for every character in every book -- and now that I’ve noticed it, is a continual irritation. (The quoted thought by Edward above is very typical of the style; effective by itself, really annoying accompanying many similarly worded passages.) It made A Secret Affair incredibly disappointing for me; here it’s an irritant that I put up with because I enjoyed so much else.
You’d never expect nineteen year old Lady Angeline Dudley to fall madly in love with Edward, Lord Heyward. She’s vivacious and impulsive, he’s the man his wild brother called a staid old sobersides. But Edward’s dignified courtesy at their first meeting makes a big impression on Angeline, who’s not at all interested in the rakish young men who are so much like her own wayward family.
I love how Balogh makes us see the attractions of her ordinary hero:
“In a few short minutes he had shown himself to be her ideal of manhood. Of gentlemanhood. He seemed perfectly content and comfortable with his ordinariness. He seemed not to feel the need to posture and prove his masculinity at every turn preferably with his fists… He was in fact, more than ordinary. He was an extraordinary man.”
“He looked at her, and suddenly his lips curved upward slightly at the corners and his eyes twinkled with amusements -- and a small dimple made its appearance in his right cheek, close to his mouth. It was an absolutely devastating smile -- or almost smile. If Angeline had not already been seated, her knees would surely have buckled under her.”
“…because she was in danger of losing her balance, she was forced to lean slightly toward him and rest her hand on his shoulder. Oh, such a firm, warm shoulder, a shoulder to depend upon.”
But although Angeline relishes Edward’s differences, he is wary of hers, having painful experience with the tragedies that can be caused by reckless behavior. And though he’s self-conscious about his own soberness -- after one chiding speech, he thinks to himself that he “half expected to see dust emerge from his mouth with the words” -- he can’t see himself paired with a Dudley, and keeps trying to talk himself out of his interest in her:
“He and Lady Angeline Dudley were about as suited to each other as day is to night.
It was a poor comparison, of course. For night and day were two sides of the same coin. One could not exist without the other. They were the perfect balance of opposites, the perfect harmony of nature taking its course.
Night and day worked perfectly together, in fact.
Damnation!”
As it turns out, quite a bit of loneliness and insecurity lies behind both Edward and Angeline’s public personas. On the surface the pairing is somewhat similar to that in Slightly Dangerous, but Edward and Angeline are actually quite different from Wulf and Christine, and though some of the courtship details are similar, (typical Balogh -- rolling down hills, dancing outdoors, etc.) this doesn’t feel like a replay.
Although it's original, funny and charming, I did have one big problem with The Secret Mistress, which I fear is just going to be a problem for me with all Balogh books from now on: too much filler. The style of the frequent internal monologues is very repetitive, a form of thought/response that sounds exactly the same for every character in every book -- and now that I’ve noticed it, is a continual irritation. (The quoted thought by Edward above is very typical of the style; effective by itself, really annoying accompanying many similarly worded passages.) It made A Secret Affair incredibly disappointing for me; here it’s an irritant that I put up with because I enjoyed so much else.
February 1, 2021
Did you ever wonder what life might be like for the sister of a rake? That's what Lady Angeline Dudley is -- the sister of not one but two handsome, charming, and utterly incorrigible rakehells, the Duke of Tresham and Lord Ferdinand Dudley. Moreover, her late parents were famous for their many indiscreet affairs, and she has decided never to marry a man who is anything like her brothers or father.
Lady Angeline is on her way to London for her first season and is to meet up with her elder brother at a coaching inn in Reading. When she finds herself alone in the inn's tavern and is approached by a strange man, another stranger comes to her defense. He leaves without introducing himself, and Lady Angeline falls for him on the spot.
Her savior is Edward Ailsbury, the new Earl of Heywood, who has succeeded to the title after his brother's death in a curricle race against said Duke of Tresham. Of course, he and Angeline are destined to meet again and again, and while she falls ever deeper in love he finds her to be all that is improper and unappealing in a lady. While his many female relatives urge him to court Lady Angeline, the season's most eligible young lady, he has determined to marry Eunice Goddard, the shy, bookish daughter of his favorite Cambridge don. They had agreed years earlier to marry at some point in the future, and Edward looks forward to a very proper future with Eunice.
As the season progresses, Edward finds himself repeatedly in the company of Lady Angeline and feels a reluctant attraction to her. His determination to marry Eunice, however, does not wane, although Eunice believes that he must marry higher in society now that he is an earl. She rejects Edward's proposal and urges him to marry Lady Angeline. But when he proposes to Lady Angeline, she rejects him as well, because he does not love her. Indeed, he doesn't really believe in romantic love.
Edward is perplexed, but like the true gentleman that he is, he carries on with his duty to find a suitable wife and set up his nursery. I won't go any further with the plot so as not to spoil the surprising developments. Suffice it to say that the last third of the book is romantic and funny at the same time and reminded me of something Georgette Heyer would have concocted (only a little steamier).
Mary Balogh does an excellent job of creating many secondary characters and weaving their stories into the main plotline. And while Lady Angeline is a singular young lady -- tall, dark, not demure, and wearer of loud, attention-getting bonnets -- it is Edward who is Balogh's most original creation. He is nothing like the standard HR hero. He is not tall and broad-shouldered. He doesn't cast smouldering looks at ladies. He doesn't gamble or drink to excess. He's never fought a duel or placed a wager at White's. He doesn't have a mistress, nor does his mighty wang spring to attention at the sight of every desirable woman. His father and brother were careless, self-centered men, but Edward bears few inner scars and is certainly not "tortured."
What I found most fascinating was Angeline's romantic dreams of her perfect man -- so unlike the typical HR hero:
It is not unusual in HR to see the rake, reformed by marriage, become like the man Lady Angeline describes, but typically the heroine is simply hoping that life will turn out that way. In The Secret Mistress (and the title won't be explained until the very end), Angeline is determined to rely on something other than hope; she will control her own destiny. And Edward will learn that his destiny is not nearly so dull after all.
Lady Angeline is on her way to London for her first season and is to meet up with her elder brother at a coaching inn in Reading. When she finds herself alone in the inn's tavern and is approached by a strange man, another stranger comes to her defense. He leaves without introducing himself, and Lady Angeline falls for him on the spot.
How could one not fall instantly in love with such a man, Angeline asked herself as she stared at the door after they had both left. In a few short minutes he had shown himself to be her ideal of manhood. Of gentlemanhood. He seemed perfectly content and comfortable with his ordinariness. He seemed not to feel the need to posture and prove his masculinity at every turn, preferably with his fists, as most men did in Angeline’s admittedly rather limited experience. He was, in fact, more than ordinary. He was an extraordinary man. And she had fallen head over ears in love with him. Indeed, she was going to marry him—despite the fact that she would probably never see him again.
Her savior is Edward Ailsbury, the new Earl of Heywood, who has succeeded to the title after his brother's death in a curricle race against said Duke of Tresham. Of course, he and Angeline are destined to meet again and again, and while she falls ever deeper in love he finds her to be all that is improper and unappealing in a lady. While his many female relatives urge him to court Lady Angeline, the season's most eligible young lady, he has determined to marry Eunice Goddard, the shy, bookish daughter of his favorite Cambridge don. They had agreed years earlier to marry at some point in the future, and Edward looks forward to a very proper future with Eunice.
As the season progresses, Edward finds himself repeatedly in the company of Lady Angeline and feels a reluctant attraction to her. His determination to marry Eunice, however, does not wane, although Eunice believes that he must marry higher in society now that he is an earl. She rejects Edward's proposal and urges him to marry Lady Angeline. But when he proposes to Lady Angeline, she rejects him as well, because he does not love her. Indeed, he doesn't really believe in romantic love.
Edward is perplexed, but like the true gentleman that he is, he carries on with his duty to find a suitable wife and set up his nursery. I won't go any further with the plot so as not to spoil the surprising developments. Suffice it to say that the last third of the book is romantic and funny at the same time and reminded me of something Georgette Heyer would have concocted (only a little steamier).
Mary Balogh does an excellent job of creating many secondary characters and weaving their stories into the main plotline. And while Lady Angeline is a singular young lady -- tall, dark, not demure, and wearer of loud, attention-getting bonnets -- it is Edward who is Balogh's most original creation. He is nothing like the standard HR hero. He is not tall and broad-shouldered. He doesn't cast smouldering looks at ladies. He doesn't gamble or drink to excess. He's never fought a duel or placed a wager at White's. He doesn't have a mistress, nor does his mighty wang spring to attention at the sight of every desirable woman. His father and brother were careless, self-centered men, but Edward bears few inner scars and is certainly not "tortured."
What I found most fascinating was Angeline's romantic dreams of her perfect man -- so unlike the typical HR hero:
I have sworn and sworn that I will not marry a rake, even if it means marrying a dull man instead. Better to be dull than to be so unhappy that one is forced to take lovers. * * *
I did not know for sure until then that there were gentlemen like you. I had experience only with gentlemen like my father and my brothers and their friends. I did not want to marry anyone like them, for whoever I chose would not remain faithful for long, and how can there be marriage and parenthood and contentment and friendship and happiness and growing old together unless there is fidelity? * * *
I want you just as you are. I want you to live your dull, blameless life of duty and responsibility. I want you to be a very proper, perhaps even stern husband. I want you to make me feel you care. I want you to be a father who spends more time than is fashionable with his children.
It is not unusual in HR to see the rake, reformed by marriage, become like the man Lady Angeline describes, but typically the heroine is simply hoping that life will turn out that way. In The Secret Mistress (and the title won't be explained until the very end), Angeline is determined to rely on something other than hope; she will control her own destiny. And Edward will learn that his destiny is not nearly so dull after all.
![Profile Image for [Aengell].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1431033477i%2F7221205._UX200_CR0%2C26%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
March 13, 2015
You know those times when you can’t really describe why a book has caught your heart, because there aren’t the usual reasons? No ordinary words apply, and you cannot fathom how it could be possible to make other people know, understand, what you feel. I can only try, can’t I?
This is the story of Angeline Dudley, sister and daughter of a Duke, and Edward Ailsbury, Earl of Heyward.
They are one of the most contrasting couples out there, and Mary Balogh is one of the few who can pull it off like this.
Edward is quiet, sober and, well, dry. He is a perfect gentleman and always behaves as he should, which turns him into a rather boring and ordinary fellow. No, he is no rake and scoundrel, he’s is really just a honest, down-to-earth-man of few words.
So easily he could have turned into one of the most boring heroes ever, and I can’t blame some readers for actually regarding him that way, but really. Balogh creates an extraordinary character, by not only making him as Beta as they come, but giving him angles and issues and little tid-bits that create a wonderful boring hero. Do I make any sense?
And then comes Angeline, who is his opposite in every aspect you can think of. She is outspoken, even talks too much, she is an open book to everyone. She doesn’t dwell on deep-going, philosophical conversations. Her mind is simple, and mind you, not stupid simple, but really just that: simple. She see’s the world for what it is, she is a little naïve and innocent, but has a freshness about her that made me not only like her, but love her.
Even her dressing style is something different, because she doesn’t shy away from dressing in bright and unmatching colours.
But she brings something out of Edward that wouldn’t be shown otherwise, and it is clear from the start that because they are as different in their personalities as they can be, they are so refreshing and delightful together. One example for that is in the very beginning of the story, where, at her opening ball, she is introduced formally to Edward after they encountered each other a few weeks before. Edward is asked by his female relatives what he thinks of Angeline, seeing that she is the most eligible debutante of the season, and he is the most eligible bachelor.
”I think she is the most beautiful creature I have ever set eyes upon”
And that’s so fascinating about Edward: he is quiet, he isn’t outspoken at all, but he is honest to a fault, literally, so that it comes to sayings like this.
The story begins, and there are many ups and downs and little plotlines, but it all flows very easily, and Edward and Angeline are so very fascinating as the main characters!
Their relationship is complex, but I don’t expect anything else from this author, and the push and pull of their dynamics kept my interest until the end.
Here’s a quote that describes it all very accurately:
”I agree that there is much confusion in her mind. She has had a sheltered, rather restrictive, and loveless upbringing, and now she has been thrown upon the ton to cope with a Season and the flood of admirers who wish to court her and marry her. She is excited by it all and repelled by it and really quite … well, confused. But she has seen someone who is a rock of stability in a sea of just the opposite, and she wants it very badly and very passionately."
It’s truly heart-warming to see how Angeline’s feelings develop so easily and naturally, and although we have a case of love at first sight here, it is so much more than that, because there is a good reason why Angeline is attracted to Edward. And I need to emphasize at this point that although there is of course physical attraction, it plays a rather minor role, for their feelings and thoughts and dialogues are in the focus of the story.
I love Mary Balogh’s writing style. Her narrative voice is very realistic and authentic, without turning it dry or boring, which leads to the whole story being written in a laid-back, new-Jane-Austen-kind of way.
This novel is just another example for why I love this author so much, and although I’m afraid my thoughts are a little bit unstructured in this review, I really, really, really, from the bottom of my heart really, recommend this novel to everyone who is in the mood for an enticing Historical Romance.
November 4, 2019
This is technically third in the series because it was the last written. It takes place first chronologically, though, so I recommend reading it first. Frankly, I don't recommend reading the rest of the series, so just stop here.
I liked this more than I expected to and I expect some of that is that it's later in Balogh's career so she was better at the character dynamics. Or it could be that there's no actual mistress in the story and the title is manufactured to fit in with the series. I mean, yeah, in the last little bit it becomes a game between them to refer to her as his mistress but that's as manufactured as if the title had no relation to the story at all in the first place.
Key to my enjoyment was liking Angeline. She is completely unfiltered in her conversations with people she likes and I found that charming. And I was glad to have a character with poor fashion taste who decided to indulge her extreme rather than be cowed by it. So I put up with the instalove at the heart of their relationship. I got a bit fed up by her naïve machinations, though I'm glad they weren't mined for embarrassment or stupidity.
Edward was harder to like, not least because he has such a stupid view of love that amounts to a negative motivation* pretty much for it's own sake. Balogh even points out a few times that he has plenty of love in his life from his mother and sisters so his myopic idiocy regarding romantic love has even less foundation that usual.
Elevating this story immensely was "the other woman", Eunice.
So having her turn out really quite amazing and, even better, seeing her interactions with both Edward and Lord Windrow was a real treat. And, in conjunction, the mini-reformation of Lord Windrow through his interactions with Eunice only enhanced that storyline along the way.
So this ends up being a shaky four stars and most of that is the secondary romance and side characters. On their own, Edward and Angeline would have been lucky to manage three.
A note about Steamy: There are a couple of explicit sex scenes putting this barely in the middle of my steam tolerance. They happen way late and I liked the pivot in intimacy and promise that they represented, despite the weird tacked-on bit about her being his "secret mistress" despite their quite conventional relationship.
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back (or, if that link doesn't work, here's a cache of the original) and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story.
I liked this more than I expected to and I expect some of that is that it's later in Balogh's career so she was better at the character dynamics. Or it could be that there's no actual mistress in the story and the title is manufactured to fit in with the series. I mean, yeah, in the last little bit it becomes a game between them to refer to her as his mistress but that's as manufactured as if the title had no relation to the story at all in the first place.
Key to my enjoyment was liking Angeline. She is completely unfiltered in her conversations with people she likes and I found that charming. And I was glad to have a character with poor fashion taste who decided to indulge her extreme rather than be cowed by it. So I put up with the instalove at the heart of their relationship. I got a bit fed up by her naïve machinations, though I'm glad they weren't mined for embarrassment or stupidity.
Edward was harder to like, not least because he has such a stupid view of love that amounts to a negative motivation* pretty much for it's own sake. Balogh even points out a few times that he has plenty of love in his life from his mother and sisters so his myopic idiocy regarding romantic love has even less foundation that usual.
Elevating this story immensely was "the other woman", Eunice.
So having her turn out really quite amazing and, even better, seeing her interactions with both Edward and Lord Windrow was a real treat. And, in conjunction, the mini-reformation of Lord Windrow through his interactions with Eunice only enhanced that storyline along the way.
So this ends up being a shaky four stars and most of that is the secondary romance and side characters. On their own, Edward and Angeline would have been lucky to manage three.
A note about Steamy: There are a couple of explicit sex scenes putting this barely in the middle of my steam tolerance. They happen way late and I liked the pivot in intimacy and promise that they represented, despite the weird tacked-on bit about her being his "secret mistress" despite their quite conventional relationship.
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back (or, if that link doesn't work, here's a cache of the original) and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story.
January 18, 2020
For quotes, comments, and deeper review - The Secret Mistress Buddy Read
I usually love Balogh, so I don't know what happened with this one. A lot of the story is spent in the heroine and hero's head and when there were scenes in present time acted out, they were dragged on.
I enjoyed the heroine, she was sheltered from growing up in the country but her naivety, openness, and honesty felt very genuine and not Mary Sue-ish. She also made friends with who she thinks the hero loves and it wasn't done in maliciousness but because she genuinely liked aspects of the women's personality.
The hero is thought to be dull, in comparison to his wild brother, and I honestly had to agree, he did come off dull. His character didn't get colored in until towards the ending.
There was a secondary romance that had way more spark and chemistry and I wished this had been their story instead.
I usually love Balogh, so I don't know what happened with this one. A lot of the story is spent in the heroine and hero's head and when there were scenes in present time acted out, they were dragged on.
I enjoyed the heroine, she was sheltered from growing up in the country but her naivety, openness, and honesty felt very genuine and not Mary Sue-ish. She also made friends with who she thinks the hero loves and it wasn't done in maliciousness but because she genuinely liked aspects of the women's personality.
The hero is thought to be dull, in comparison to his wild brother, and I honestly had to agree, he did come off dull. His character didn't get colored in until towards the ending.
There was a secondary romance that had way more spark and chemistry and I wished this had been their story instead.
February 21, 2026
3.5-4 stars. The first time I read this book, it was after the other two books in the trilogy, and I didn't really get the MCs' characters. They are very different from Angeline's brothers Tresh and Ferdinand, the MMCs of the other books. But on rereading, I enjoyed the book much more. It's actually a prequel to the other two books, so it would have made more sense to have read it first anyway.
Angeline the FMC is immature in many ways, but she's very young and has led a very sheltered life till now. I think this time around, I 'got' her character, whereas the first time I read it, she just felt like a silly, immature little girl. This time I dug a little deeper into her character, and could see the underlying integrity and strength in her. I liked her individuality and her wacky fashion sense, which she refused to change despite some mockery from others. Her colourful hats made her happy, and she was darned well going to wear them. I respected her backbone, especially in such a young woman.
I also had more understanding and respect for Heyward. He's a beta MMC, which I quite like when it's done well, as it is here. He has repressed his need for some joy in life and has become the 'dry old stick' Tresh calls him. But his attraction to Angeline somehow opens him up, and the hidden passions inside him are revealed.
I did get a little impatient near the end of the book, with Angeline and Eunice's slightly tedious and silly scheming and letters. It was a little too much. But the ending was sweet. Lovely epilogue, actually. The secondary romance of Eunice and Windrow was quite nice, too.
So, overall, I've changed my mind about this book and am now happy to give it 3.5-4 stars.
Angeline the FMC is immature in many ways, but she's very young and has led a very sheltered life till now. I think this time around, I 'got' her character, whereas the first time I read it, she just felt like a silly, immature little girl. This time I dug a little deeper into her character, and could see the underlying integrity and strength in her. I liked her individuality and her wacky fashion sense, which she refused to change despite some mockery from others. Her colourful hats made her happy, and she was darned well going to wear them. I respected her backbone, especially in such a young woman.
I also had more understanding and respect for Heyward. He's a beta MMC, which I quite like when it's done well, as it is here. He has repressed his need for some joy in life and has become the 'dry old stick' Tresh calls him. But his attraction to Angeline somehow opens him up, and the hidden passions inside him are revealed.
I did get a little impatient near the end of the book, with Angeline and Eunice's slightly tedious and silly scheming and letters. It was a little too much. But the ending was sweet. Lovely epilogue, actually. The secondary romance of Eunice and Windrow was quite nice, too.
So, overall, I've changed my mind about this book and am now happy to give it 3.5-4 stars.
September 26, 2022
3 stars. This book was good, not great. I expected more from the story based on what we learned about the MCs in the previous two books. The love on the part of the heroine was very insta, and then the hero went from being completely irritated by the heroine to “in love” so fast that it felt like whiplash. The hero asks OW to marry him several times, and if she hadn’t declined, he wouldn’t have ended up with the heroine. What a love story! 😒.
Also, since this is written as a prequel to books 1&2, it was a little frustrating reading about the hero of book 1 manwhoring around town. I wanted to remember his sweet HEA, not his past.
Safe; virgin heroine, hero not a manwhore & says he’s been celibate for about a year, slight OM drama but more jealousy than anything else, some OW drama to do with a woman who the hero wants to marry, she declines his marriage offer twice. No cheating, no scenes with OM/OW.
Also, since this is written as a prequel to books 1&2, it was a little frustrating reading about the hero of book 1 manwhoring around town. I wanted to remember his sweet HEA, not his past.
Safe; virgin heroine, hero not a manwhore & says he’s been celibate for about a year, slight OM drama but more jealousy than anything else, some OW drama to do with a woman who the hero wants to marry, she declines his marriage offer twice. No cheating, no scenes with OM/OW.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2017
Delightful. Just, delightful.
Balogh has this marvellous technique, which works better in some of her books than others, of layering subtle changes in character, one after the other, through introspective thoughts or dialogue. Doing this she steadily manoeuvres her H/h to the place where often her readers already know they are: in love. When she's really on form, she also takes two characters who appear, at first blush, as somewhat one dimensional, and shows that, in fact, they're not.
There's more going on, more keeping them from and/or driving them towards that love than you first thought. Perhaps there's some clever literary word for this. Either way, I think it's genius. This book is a fantastic example of that.
Angeline, when we first meet her, is a young debutant. Wide eyed, cheerful, a little naive. At first, she annoyed me a little bit because with all those qualities she seemed very young. And, I like my heroines with a dose of dark cynicism. But I judged too soon. Angeline has far more going on than that. She's been damaged by her brothers' raking [in the romance sense, not the garden sense], a critical mother who died when she was young and a series of unpleasant governesses. She's insecure and confused and faking much of her confidence. When she finally opens up about it all to the hero, I actually shed a few tears. You see, Balogh had layered and layered and she crept up on me, this character, without my realising it; suddenly I knew her and I was rooting for her. And of course, it all serves to make Edward, the hero perfect for her, because he's the steady, solid presence she's always craved.
On which, Edward, is prim and proper and a gentleman. He doesn't like rakes and he doesn't like Angeline, with her exuberant outfits and enthusiasm for life and taking herself off riding and walking about town unescorted. But, of course, all that is exactly what he needs too, because he's become more and more restrained to compensate for his rakish brother and the responsibilities of his new title.
These two are made for each other, they balance each other and I was aching to see them get together. Which sounds terribly overblown, but it was a literal ache, clinging to my Kindle, tapping rhythmically at that next page button, willingit to happen. There are these great moments when H/h act and talk and think that they don't want to be together, but small moments betray the reality. It's just so, so good.
If you're after major ~dramaz~ this isn't the one for you, nothing too much happens in this book, it's a simple but great love story. And that's my favourite kind.
After much though, I'm going with 4.5 stars and I'm probably being harsh. But I wanted more sex and I wanted a little bit less back and forth before they got together (Angeline tries to fix Edward up with someone else - which helps the story for the most part, but went on too long in my view).
Nonetheless, well worth a read. It's by far the strongest of the mistresses series (its link to the 'mistress' moniker and, in particular, using that word in the title, is pretty tenuous and a little bit shoehorned in, I think) and this book can totally be read as a standalone.
Balogh has this marvellous technique, which works better in some of her books than others, of layering subtle changes in character, one after the other, through introspective thoughts or dialogue. Doing this she steadily manoeuvres her H/h to the place where often her readers already know they are: in love. When she's really on form, she also takes two characters who appear, at first blush, as somewhat one dimensional, and shows that, in fact, they're not.
There's more going on, more keeping them from and/or driving them towards that love than you first thought. Perhaps there's some clever literary word for this. Either way, I think it's genius. This book is a fantastic example of that.
Angeline, when we first meet her, is a young debutant. Wide eyed, cheerful, a little naive. At first, she annoyed me a little bit because with all those qualities she seemed very young. And, I like my heroines with a dose of dark cynicism. But I judged too soon. Angeline has far more going on than that. She's been damaged by her brothers' raking [in the romance sense, not the garden sense], a critical mother who died when she was young and a series of unpleasant governesses. She's insecure and confused and faking much of her confidence. When she finally opens up about it all to the hero, I actually shed a few tears. You see, Balogh had layered and layered and she crept up on me, this character, without my realising it; suddenly I knew her and I was rooting for her. And of course, it all serves to make Edward, the hero perfect for her, because he's the steady, solid presence she's always craved.
On which, Edward, is prim and proper and a gentleman. He doesn't like rakes and he doesn't like Angeline, with her exuberant outfits and enthusiasm for life and taking herself off riding and walking about town unescorted. But, of course, all that is exactly what he needs too, because he's become more and more restrained to compensate for his rakish brother and the responsibilities of his new title.
These two are made for each other, they balance each other and I was aching to see them get together. Which sounds terribly overblown, but it was a literal ache, clinging to my Kindle, tapping rhythmically at that next page button, willingit to happen. There are these great moments when H/h act and talk and think that they don't want to be together, but small moments betray the reality. It's just so, so good.
If you're after major ~dramaz~ this isn't the one for you, nothing too much happens in this book, it's a simple but great love story. And that's my favourite kind.
After much though, I'm going with 4.5 stars and I'm probably being harsh. But I wanted more sex and I wanted a little bit less back and forth before they got together (Angeline tries to fix Edward up with someone else - which helps the story for the most part, but went on too long in my view).
Nonetheless, well worth a read. It's by far the strongest of the mistresses series (its link to the 'mistress' moniker and, in particular, using that word in the title, is pretty tenuous and a little bit shoehorned in, I think) and this book can totally be read as a standalone.
October 29, 2011
This is a prequel to the two books she wrote a few years ago (More Than a Mistress and No Man's Mistress) which are not really among my favorites of hers. The heroine of this book is the sister of the heroes of the earlier books; she is already married in those books and presented as a rather silly person inexplicably happily married to a very serious, stuffy man. Of course, readers called for another book to explain this situation.
I liked The Secret Mistress much better than the previous two books. The most obvious reason is that the hero here (in contrast to the earlier ones) is what romance readers describe as a "beta hero" -- a more thoughtful, gentle man who isn't particularly interested in the markers of masculinity glamorized by the more common "alpha heroes" (aggressive behavior, physical strength, taking charge of everyone including the heroine, not admitting to any emotional sensitivity). Perhaps because because their traits are more conducive to a narrative in which romance can be explained as BECAUSE HE IS A MAN AND SHE IS A WOMAN, I often find alpha males in stories that are emotionally shallow and lacking anything interesting to say about relationships or gender. Alpha-hero stories that most engage me are those in which the heroine is well aware of the code of masculinity within which the hero is operating, and is able to challenge the hero to see and question it for himself.
While I did enjoy the hero of The Secret Mistress on his own merits, what really made the book worthwhile for me was the heroine -- and especially her opinions about alpha and beta heroes! Of course she calls them "rakes." She is completely aware that her own brothers are alpha heroes (I mean rakes) and while she finds them harmless dears, she has no interest in marrying anyone like them. Thus when she encounters the perfect beta hero, she instantly resolves upon marrying him.
Balogh continues this theme of the nature of rakes and non-rakes by making a rake an important secondary character, who is (sort of) competition for the hero and involved both in an amusing plot and a secondary romance. (I think a mark of a quality romance novel is when it has an identifiable theme apart from heterosexual happiness!) This character also provides one of the only parts of the book I dislike -- in the very first scene, he verbally sexually harasses the heroine, (narratively) in order that the hero can rescue her; but because he isn't actually the villain, (1) the hero does have a brief thought about how it was kind of the heroine's fault, and (2) the harassment is trivialized as harmless behavior for the rest of the book. I sort of came around to liking this character in the end, but revisiting the first scene confirms that it was really sexual harassment and that the heroine's behavior absolutely should not be construed as consent. Nope, I don't like that.
HOWEVER, I still have mixed feelings even about this scene, not because I approve of the overall narratorial treatment of it, but because I love the way the heroine responds. She knows she's not in any physical danger; she assesses the harasser and identifies him as someone like her brothers -- "essentially harmless despite their silliness ... [she] could never take such men too seriously." She behaves totally coolly towards the "rake," while at the same time she is inwardly melting into a sugary puddle about the hero.
I can't do it justice, but the heroine's reactions during this scene are the perfect way to start the book. They capture her complicated personality: total, nonchalant confidence around the sort of people whom others (including lots of romance heroines) hold in awe; extreme yet heartfelt sentimentality; good common sense; and (also in evidence in this scene) ingenuous, though sometimes self-aware, ditziness. She was great fun to read about, especially in scenes written from her point of view, and I'm sure she'll be one of the few romance heroines whom I remember distinctly long after I've closed the book.
Two other splendid points in this book:
(1) Its complete refusal to engage in the misogynistic "other woman" cliché and its promotion of female friendships -- combined in the same relationship, as the hero's female best friend, whom he originally thinks he should marry, becomes the heroine's best friend too. (There are a couple scenes with the heroine and this friend in which I nearly suspect that Balogh is deliberately alluding to the Bechdel test.)
(2) A completely delightful scene (in chapter 9) in which the hero and the heroine have a conversation about her characteristically loud, tasteless hats. This starts off by her asking him if she likes the hat she's wearing, him asking whether his good opinion of her hats is really important to her, and her concluding that, in fact, it is not, because she likes her hats. It turns into an exploration of vulnerability and self-esteem, and concludes with both of them laughing. I loved it.
I liked The Secret Mistress much better than the previous two books. The most obvious reason is that the hero here (in contrast to the earlier ones) is what romance readers describe as a "beta hero" -- a more thoughtful, gentle man who isn't particularly interested in the markers of masculinity glamorized by the more common "alpha heroes" (aggressive behavior, physical strength, taking charge of everyone including the heroine, not admitting to any emotional sensitivity). Perhaps because because their traits are more conducive to a narrative in which romance can be explained as BECAUSE HE IS A MAN AND SHE IS A WOMAN, I often find alpha males in stories that are emotionally shallow and lacking anything interesting to say about relationships or gender. Alpha-hero stories that most engage me are those in which the heroine is well aware of the code of masculinity within which the hero is operating, and is able to challenge the hero to see and question it for himself.
While I did enjoy the hero of The Secret Mistress on his own merits, what really made the book worthwhile for me was the heroine -- and especially her opinions about alpha and beta heroes! Of course she calls them "rakes." She is completely aware that her own brothers are alpha heroes (I mean rakes) and while she finds them harmless dears, she has no interest in marrying anyone like them. Thus when she encounters the perfect beta hero, she instantly resolves upon marrying him.
Balogh continues this theme of the nature of rakes and non-rakes by making a rake an important secondary character, who is (sort of) competition for the hero and involved both in an amusing plot and a secondary romance. (I think a mark of a quality romance novel is when it has an identifiable theme apart from heterosexual happiness!) This character also provides one of the only parts of the book I dislike -- in the very first scene, he verbally sexually harasses the heroine, (narratively) in order that the hero can rescue her; but because he isn't actually the villain, (1) the hero does have a brief thought about how it was kind of the heroine's fault, and (2) the harassment is trivialized as harmless behavior for the rest of the book. I sort of came around to liking this character in the end, but revisiting the first scene confirms that it was really sexual harassment and that the heroine's behavior absolutely should not be construed as consent. Nope, I don't like that.
HOWEVER, I still have mixed feelings even about this scene, not because I approve of the overall narratorial treatment of it, but because I love the way the heroine responds. She knows she's not in any physical danger; she assesses the harasser and identifies him as someone like her brothers -- "essentially harmless despite their silliness ... [she] could never take such men too seriously." She behaves totally coolly towards the "rake," while at the same time she is inwardly melting into a sugary puddle about the hero.
I can't do it justice, but the heroine's reactions during this scene are the perfect way to start the book. They capture her complicated personality: total, nonchalant confidence around the sort of people whom others (including lots of romance heroines) hold in awe; extreme yet heartfelt sentimentality; good common sense; and (also in evidence in this scene) ingenuous, though sometimes self-aware, ditziness. She was great fun to read about, especially in scenes written from her point of view, and I'm sure she'll be one of the few romance heroines whom I remember distinctly long after I've closed the book.
Two other splendid points in this book:
(1) Its complete refusal to engage in the misogynistic "other woman" cliché and its promotion of female friendships -- combined in the same relationship, as the hero's female best friend, whom he originally thinks he should marry, becomes the heroine's best friend too. (There are a couple scenes with the heroine and this friend in which I nearly suspect that Balogh is deliberately alluding to the Bechdel test.)
(2) A completely delightful scene (in chapter 9) in which the hero and the heroine have a conversation about her characteristically loud, tasteless hats. This starts off by her asking him if she likes the hat she's wearing, him asking whether his good opinion of her hats is really important to her, and her concluding that, in fact, it is not, because she likes her hats. It turns into an exploration of vulnerability and self-esteem, and concludes with both of them laughing. I loved it.
September 15, 2016
There's something incredibly relaxing about a Mary Balogh book.
First and foremost, I get to trust the book. I know I won't end up rolling my eyes or loathing a character. As a matter of fact, they generally have fantastic interesting characters (with charming idiosyncrasies) who flourish as the story progresses.
Second, there's a rhythm to her stories that I find soothing. I'm never on the edge of my seat. But I smile. A lot. I get a sense of deep satisfaction.
This story was a lot of fun. Essentially it explains how a pair of ancillary characters from 2 other books got together. Edward and Angeline are in More Than a Mistress (which I read and enjoyed) and No Man's Mistress (which I'm reading next). Angeline's brothers are the heroes in those books. But Angeline (chatty and sparkly ) and Edward (very staid) deserved their story too.
When I read contemporaries I find myself bombarded by similar images and writing patterns. Sex. Angst. Strong emotions or quirky characters. Frequently I put myself in the character's place and get frustrated. Things are bright. Quick. Flashy. Like reading hummingbirds.
Reading historicals is a break from the hustle and bustle. MB's books and characters unfurl slowly - like flowers. The sex is limited. The stories let me breathe. And the characters are so human. She is my respite from the contemporary prison I sometimes build myself.
First and foremost, I get to trust the book. I know I won't end up rolling my eyes or loathing a character. As a matter of fact, they generally have fantastic interesting characters (with charming idiosyncrasies) who flourish as the story progresses.
Second, there's a rhythm to her stories that I find soothing. I'm never on the edge of my seat. But I smile. A lot. I get a sense of deep satisfaction.
This story was a lot of fun. Essentially it explains how a pair of ancillary characters from 2 other books got together. Edward and Angeline are in More Than a Mistress (which I read and enjoyed) and No Man's Mistress (which I'm reading next). Angeline's brothers are the heroes in those books. But Angeline (chatty and sparkly ) and Edward (very staid) deserved their story too.
When I read contemporaries I find myself bombarded by similar images and writing patterns. Sex. Angst. Strong emotions or quirky characters. Frequently I put myself in the character's place and get frustrated. Things are bright. Quick. Flashy. Like reading hummingbirds.
Reading historicals is a break from the hustle and bustle. MB's books and characters unfurl slowly - like flowers. The sex is limited. The stories let me breathe. And the characters are so human. She is my respite from the contemporary prison I sometimes build myself.
March 16, 2018
3.5 stars.
January 21, 2020
2.75
This was a buddy read with WhisperintheJar-Kyraryker from Jan.12th to 18th, 2020.
First off, this book is a prequel (for readers who like to read in order). Secondly, the second half of the blurb for this book is a bit misleading.
And yet a stolen kiss awakens something primal within him. Naturally, being a gentleman, he does the right thing after compromising a lady: He offers marriage. The proposal is born of duty, but will Angeline cause Edward to forget about decorum behind closed doors, where sensuality and seduction play wicked games? For a proper wife by day can become a husband’s secret mistress by night, when delicious desire rules.
Based on this, I thought they would get married and Angeline would become his "secret mistress." But nope! Both events do not occur until By that time, the whole "secret mistress" feels forced just so it can be connected to the series.
The book is slower than most Mary Balogh books. A few scenes at the beginning are told from the hero and heroine's point of views, which did not work for me, unfortunately. This is not her usual writing style.
Angeline falls in love with Edward at first sight, because he is gentleman and not a rake like her two brothers (who have their own books in the series). She is the exact opposite of Edward. Very talkative. There are a few dialogues where she just goes on and on and on. If Edward wasn't such a gentleman, I wonder if he would have kissed her to stop her from her ramblings. lol
Edward has a friend, Eunice. They had an agreement to marry each other one day, but Eunice breaks off this agreement early in the book. However, Edward won't be dissuaded. Because of how opposite Angeline is from Edward and because he was so intent on marrying Eunice, I wondered how he would eventually end up with Angeline. Fortunately, he doesn't love Eunice romantically nor does he desire her, so there is hope for the main characters after all.
There is mild angst, because Angeline's love is unrequited. I like that she wants to be noble and selfless by playing matchmaker with Edward and Eunice (because she believes they loved each other and couldn't be together). Edward's own admission of love for Angeline was too sudden that I almost missed it. They have several scenes together. One of my favorites is when they waltzed on the terrace in the moonlight.
There is a secondary love story with Eunice and Windrow. We meet him at the beginning of the book. One would think he end up being the antagonist, but he actually ends up being a pretty good guy.
Overall, this was okay.
I also listened to the audiobook. Anne Flosnik usually does a good job, but for some reason, I had a hard time distinguishing the voices she used. Maybe this was one of her earlier narrations?
This was a buddy read with WhisperintheJar-Kyraryker from Jan.12th to 18th, 2020.
First off, this book is a prequel (for readers who like to read in order). Secondly, the second half of the blurb for this book is a bit misleading.
And yet a stolen kiss awakens something primal within him. Naturally, being a gentleman, he does the right thing after compromising a lady: He offers marriage. The proposal is born of duty, but will Angeline cause Edward to forget about decorum behind closed doors, where sensuality and seduction play wicked games? For a proper wife by day can become a husband’s secret mistress by night, when delicious desire rules.
Based on this, I thought they would get married and Angeline would become his "secret mistress." But nope! Both events do not occur until By that time, the whole "secret mistress" feels forced just so it can be connected to the series.
The book is slower than most Mary Balogh books. A few scenes at the beginning are told from the hero and heroine's point of views, which did not work for me, unfortunately. This is not her usual writing style.
Angeline falls in love with Edward at first sight, because he is gentleman and not a rake like her two brothers (who have their own books in the series). She is the exact opposite of Edward. Very talkative. There are a few dialogues where she just goes on and on and on. If Edward wasn't such a gentleman, I wonder if he would have kissed her to stop her from her ramblings. lol
Edward has a friend, Eunice. They had an agreement to marry each other one day, but Eunice breaks off this agreement early in the book. However, Edward won't be dissuaded. Because of how opposite Angeline is from Edward and because he was so intent on marrying Eunice, I wondered how he would eventually end up with Angeline. Fortunately, he doesn't love Eunice romantically nor does he desire her, so there is hope for the main characters after all.
There is mild angst, because Angeline's love is unrequited. I like that she wants to be noble and selfless by playing matchmaker with Edward and Eunice (because she believes they loved each other and couldn't be together). Edward's own admission of love for Angeline was too sudden that I almost missed it. They have several scenes together. One of my favorites is when they waltzed on the terrace in the moonlight.
There is a secondary love story with Eunice and Windrow. We meet him at the beginning of the book. One would think he end up being the antagonist, but he actually ends up being a pretty good guy.
Overall, this was okay.
I also listened to the audiobook. Anne Flosnik usually does a good job, but for some reason, I had a hard time distinguishing the voices she used. Maybe this was one of her earlier narrations?
July 13, 2011
Imagine you had written two romance novels featuring a secondary sister character included primarily as comic relief. Then imagine someone told you that you had to write another romance novel, this one with the laughable sister in the starring heroine role. Then imagine the hero you had to link her to was described by all and sundry as "dry as a stick," including the heroine's beloved brothers. The likelihood of penning an interesting, compelling romance between two such unlikely protagonists would be daunting for almost any writer. But not for Mary Balogh, who demonstrates why she is considered one of the best historical romance authors publishing today in this sweet, sensitive love story.
Most authors would be hard-pressed to move beyond comedy, to make such characters come to life beyond the constraints of the typically flatly constructed comic relief role they played in the earlier books. That Balogh manages to create a romance novel heroine out of the crazy-hat-wearing, endlessly babbling Lady Angeline (sister to the heroes depicted in Balogh's earlier books MORE THAN A MISTRESS and NO MAN'S MISTRESS), and do it not only without making the reader feel infinitely superior to Angeline, but by allowing the reader insight into the character-based vulnerabilities of a woman most would regard as hardly worth their time, demonstrates her talents. And I couldn't help feeling for Edward, being myself once eclipsed by a far more charismatic sibling and taking on the "good girl" role in the family, just as Edward did in his.
Though this novel will not take anyone's breath away for its innovation, Balogh's latest is a glowing example of the sweet Regency historical in top form.
Most authors would be hard-pressed to move beyond comedy, to make such characters come to life beyond the constraints of the typically flatly constructed comic relief role they played in the earlier books. That Balogh manages to create a romance novel heroine out of the crazy-hat-wearing, endlessly babbling Lady Angeline (sister to the heroes depicted in Balogh's earlier books MORE THAN A MISTRESS and NO MAN'S MISTRESS), and do it not only without making the reader feel infinitely superior to Angeline, but by allowing the reader insight into the character-based vulnerabilities of a woman most would regard as hardly worth their time, demonstrates her talents. And I couldn't help feeling for Edward, being myself once eclipsed by a far more charismatic sibling and taking on the "good girl" role in the family, just as Edward did in his.
Though this novel will not take anyone's breath away for its innovation, Balogh's latest is a glowing example of the sweet Regency historical in top form.
September 28, 2022
Absolutely loved this one so much... Perhaps my favourite of the series. A perfect pairing of vivacious, colourful heroine meets dutiful reserved Hero. Balogh can take standard HR tropes and flush the characters out to perfection and bring such emotional connection and vibrancy to the story you just can't put it down. The last book I read with similar vibes to this one was Elisa Braden's A Marriage Made in Scandal. It is so evident the more I read of Mary Balogh's books just how far and wide her influence is. Her writing is nothing less than perfection and she has come to be one of my favorite authors.
January 1, 2012
Here's a reprint of a review I did originally for Sue Grimshaw's Random House website:
The Secret Mistress
I cannot even imagine how difficult it must be to write a prequel to two beloved books, as Mary Balogh just has. Let me lay my cards on the table: More Than A Mistress was one of the first romance books I read (I started reading romance from A to Z, using the Desert Island Keeper list at All About Romance as my reading list). Balogh had the first among equals benefit of being a “B” in the alphabet which means I will have a forever fondness for her, for Jo Beverley and Suz Brockmann, the trio that opened the doors of Romlandia to me).
There is an advantage to a prequel – you have a built-in audience that is champing at the bit to read your book. The disadvantage – as an author, you are quite hamstrung by what you’ve already written. Balogh is highly regarded for her respect for historical appropriateness, so given that, the love story of Angie, a duke’s daughter (in her first season) and Edward, an earl’s son, is not going to be a hawt hawt tale, or at least not a first glance.
Even being locked into the word “Mistress” is rather daunting. How can there be a mistress situation where we, loyal readers all, know that Angie has been married to Edward forever? Let me quickly review the cast of characters and then share with you why you’ll love The Secret Mistress. First among equals: Jocelyn, the duke of Tresham. In Angie’s story Jocelyn is distant, cold, somewhat disapproving and his love for his younger sister is revealed fleetingly and sporadically. But it’s there. Then there’s Lord Ferdinand, younger, somewhat of a blithe spirit and quite disengaged from his sister’s debut. As we know, Jocelyn and Ferdinand grew up in what we would now call a dysfunctional family: their parents were estranged for years. As soon as their father died, they left home, leaving Angeline behind.
When we meet Angeline, she is bubbling over with nervous excitement as she prepares to meet her older brother, Jocelyn, at an inn: he will escort her to London and there, she is sure, her life will begin! A life full of bright colours and music and all the gaiety she has been denied. Angeline, a strikingly attractive young woman but she is no conventional beauty: she is tall and in no way resembles her late mother’s petite blonde beauty. She is quite self-conscious but she masks her anxiety behind a confident manner and glaringly bright outfits. And whom should she meet at the inn but a reserved, well-mannered young man who steps up and defends her honour when a contemptuous and handsome young blade insulted her. Here’s Angie’s first impression of Edward, Lord Heyward,
The second man was entirely different, even though he was almost as tall as the other and was well and solidly built. He was dressed neatly and fashionably without any flair or ostentation or any suggestion of dandyism. His brown hair was cut short and neatly styled. His face was neither handsome nor plain. Although he had an elbow on the counter, he was not leaning on it. pg. 19
And sure enough, Angeline thinks to herself, “how could one not fall instantly in love with such a man”.
Perhaps you’re wondering what is interesting about a book where you know the hero and heroine will marry? Ah, but it’s the journey that proves to be so fascinating. Angie is a wounded peacock, ignored to a great extent by her family and a little clumsy and heedless. Edward is almost her polar opposite; wound very tight and never one to step out of line or in any way put himself forward. Truly a case of opposites attracting but that’s rather too simplistic. Others, like Tresham, may think Edward is stuffy and staid, and frankly, he is a bit, but he’s also loyal and responsible and capable of very deep feelings. Others may see Lady Angeline has an over-the-top flamboyant young woman, flighty and free-spirited, but Edward, as he comes to know her, sees the tender feelings beneath the surface. Initially it’s true, he does not approve of her, but there’s something about her effervescent spirit,
He looked at her, and suddenly his lips curved upward slightly at the corners and his eyes twinkled with amusement—and a small dimple made its appearance in his right cheek, close to his mouth. It was an absolutely devastating smile—or almost smile. If Angeline had not already been seated, her knees would surely have buckled under her. pg. 65
It wouldn’t be a romance if the course of true love ran smooth and Edward and Angie have their share of misunderstandings and missteps. Unusually, though, you sense that they have each met the one person who will unlock the deepest mysteries of their souls. That their love will allow each other to blossom and grow into a joyful maturity. So often one senses that a man or a woman has to compromise somewhat to reach their HEA. In The Secret Mistress Angeline loves Edward because of who he is but also because she knows that her love makes him a happier man, that without her he would be “unable to live a happy, fulfilled life”. Edward accepts Angie’s monstrous fashion choices and occasional foot-in-the-mouth comments because that makes her her, and he would not wish her to be different.
You’ll have to find out for yourself what the “secret” is behind the title but rest assured that behind closed doors, Edward and Angie have an intimacy that is as sensual and heart-pounding as the love shared by Jocelyn and Jane and Ferdinand and Viola. Balogh makes us look behind the stereotypes—we embrace the meeting, courtship and mating of two very different people who become whole through their love.
http://www.heroesandheartbreakers.com... This was on my top three list at Heroes and Hearts :)
The Secret Mistress
I cannot even imagine how difficult it must be to write a prequel to two beloved books, as Mary Balogh just has. Let me lay my cards on the table: More Than A Mistress was one of the first romance books I read (I started reading romance from A to Z, using the Desert Island Keeper list at All About Romance as my reading list). Balogh had the first among equals benefit of being a “B” in the alphabet which means I will have a forever fondness for her, for Jo Beverley and Suz Brockmann, the trio that opened the doors of Romlandia to me).
There is an advantage to a prequel – you have a built-in audience that is champing at the bit to read your book. The disadvantage – as an author, you are quite hamstrung by what you’ve already written. Balogh is highly regarded for her respect for historical appropriateness, so given that, the love story of Angie, a duke’s daughter (in her first season) and Edward, an earl’s son, is not going to be a hawt hawt tale, or at least not a first glance.
Even being locked into the word “Mistress” is rather daunting. How can there be a mistress situation where we, loyal readers all, know that Angie has been married to Edward forever? Let me quickly review the cast of characters and then share with you why you’ll love The Secret Mistress. First among equals: Jocelyn, the duke of Tresham. In Angie’s story Jocelyn is distant, cold, somewhat disapproving and his love for his younger sister is revealed fleetingly and sporadically. But it’s there. Then there’s Lord Ferdinand, younger, somewhat of a blithe spirit and quite disengaged from his sister’s debut. As we know, Jocelyn and Ferdinand grew up in what we would now call a dysfunctional family: their parents were estranged for years. As soon as their father died, they left home, leaving Angeline behind.
When we meet Angeline, she is bubbling over with nervous excitement as she prepares to meet her older brother, Jocelyn, at an inn: he will escort her to London and there, she is sure, her life will begin! A life full of bright colours and music and all the gaiety she has been denied. Angeline, a strikingly attractive young woman but she is no conventional beauty: she is tall and in no way resembles her late mother’s petite blonde beauty. She is quite self-conscious but she masks her anxiety behind a confident manner and glaringly bright outfits. And whom should she meet at the inn but a reserved, well-mannered young man who steps up and defends her honour when a contemptuous and handsome young blade insulted her. Here’s Angie’s first impression of Edward, Lord Heyward,
The second man was entirely different, even though he was almost as tall as the other and was well and solidly built. He was dressed neatly and fashionably without any flair or ostentation or any suggestion of dandyism. His brown hair was cut short and neatly styled. His face was neither handsome nor plain. Although he had an elbow on the counter, he was not leaning on it. pg. 19
And sure enough, Angeline thinks to herself, “how could one not fall instantly in love with such a man”.
Perhaps you’re wondering what is interesting about a book where you know the hero and heroine will marry? Ah, but it’s the journey that proves to be so fascinating. Angie is a wounded peacock, ignored to a great extent by her family and a little clumsy and heedless. Edward is almost her polar opposite; wound very tight and never one to step out of line or in any way put himself forward. Truly a case of opposites attracting but that’s rather too simplistic. Others, like Tresham, may think Edward is stuffy and staid, and frankly, he is a bit, but he’s also loyal and responsible and capable of very deep feelings. Others may see Lady Angeline has an over-the-top flamboyant young woman, flighty and free-spirited, but Edward, as he comes to know her, sees the tender feelings beneath the surface. Initially it’s true, he does not approve of her, but there’s something about her effervescent spirit,
He looked at her, and suddenly his lips curved upward slightly at the corners and his eyes twinkled with amusement—and a small dimple made its appearance in his right cheek, close to his mouth. It was an absolutely devastating smile—or almost smile. If Angeline had not already been seated, her knees would surely have buckled under her. pg. 65
It wouldn’t be a romance if the course of true love ran smooth and Edward and Angie have their share of misunderstandings and missteps. Unusually, though, you sense that they have each met the one person who will unlock the deepest mysteries of their souls. That their love will allow each other to blossom and grow into a joyful maturity. So often one senses that a man or a woman has to compromise somewhat to reach their HEA. In The Secret Mistress Angeline loves Edward because of who he is but also because she knows that her love makes him a happier man, that without her he would be “unable to live a happy, fulfilled life”. Edward accepts Angie’s monstrous fashion choices and occasional foot-in-the-mouth comments because that makes her her, and he would not wish her to be different.
You’ll have to find out for yourself what the “secret” is behind the title but rest assured that behind closed doors, Edward and Angie have an intimacy that is as sensual and heart-pounding as the love shared by Jocelyn and Jane and Ferdinand and Viola. Balogh makes us look behind the stereotypes—we embrace the meeting, courtship and mating of two very different people who become whole through their love.
http://www.heroesandheartbreakers.com... This was on my top three list at Heroes and Hearts :)
November 14, 2023
we’re so back.
this book is immediately very special to me.
There's just something about a Balogh heroine who is the annoying woman in another of her books. My two favorite heroines are embittered sufferers of consequences, if not both the other woman/impediment to a relationship (Frejya Bedwyn/Camille Westcott).
Angeline Dudley is not the OW or the impediment in the earlier Mistress books (which this is actually a prequel for), but the married sister of the heroes. The ridiculous married sister of the heroes. She is an over the top gossiper and worrier, prattling on about her nerves and her husband is a reserved stick in the mud who Angeline's brothers know is a good man, but don't really like being around all that much.
We know this couple in histrom. They are the comic relief! They are the contrast to the main couple's intense passion. A ridiculous woman and her trapped, put upon husband. The Austen couple they most remind me of is the Palmers from Sense and Sensibility. Or maybe even Mr. and Mrs. Bennet from Pride and Prejudice.
I loved them.
Angeline Dudley doesn't want to marry the best man or an extraordinary man. Her brothers are rakes and dandies and she loves them, but she wants to marry someone who will be quietly and consistently devoted her. Honorable and ordinary. She has nerves! Her brothers race curricles and she wants a husband who balks at the idea of risking himself for thrills.
When Edward, Earl of Heyward, a second son who became Earl after his rakish brother died in a carriage race, defends her honor at a coaching inn (after Angeline is hanging out alone when she should not be hanging out!), she becomes besotted with him, convinced that this good man could be her good man. He thinks of this woman from the coaching inn as a reckless hoyden and means to give her no other thought--until they both arrive in London and realize they are each the most eligible members of their sex on the marriage mart.
There is lots of the normal Balogh plotting: miscommunication, a secondary couple that takes up too much time for me, a house party that gets people alone, another excursion to a different house that does the same thing.
But I just loved Angeline and Edward. I loved this exercise is wondering "what if that man reading his newspaper and rolling his eyes as his chattering wife is actually hopelessly devoted to her, and they have a very cute reason for not letting anyone be wise to it??"
She prattled to cover her insecurities. Now there was a disturbing revelation, if it was true. Lady Angeline Dudley prattled all the time.
"Angie,” he said, “never stop talking, my love. You are an eternal delight to me.
If we have remotely similar tastes in Balogh, please read this!
this book is immediately very special to me.
There's just something about a Balogh heroine who is the annoying woman in another of her books. My two favorite heroines are embittered sufferers of consequences, if not both the other woman/impediment to a relationship (Frejya Bedwyn/Camille Westcott).
Angeline Dudley is not the OW or the impediment in the earlier Mistress books (which this is actually a prequel for), but the married sister of the heroes. The ridiculous married sister of the heroes. She is an over the top gossiper and worrier, prattling on about her nerves and her husband is a reserved stick in the mud who Angeline's brothers know is a good man, but don't really like being around all that much.
We know this couple in histrom. They are the comic relief! They are the contrast to the main couple's intense passion. A ridiculous woman and her trapped, put upon husband. The Austen couple they most remind me of is the Palmers from Sense and Sensibility. Or maybe even Mr. and Mrs. Bennet from Pride and Prejudice.
I loved them.
Angeline Dudley doesn't want to marry the best man or an extraordinary man. Her brothers are rakes and dandies and she loves them, but she wants to marry someone who will be quietly and consistently devoted her. Honorable and ordinary. She has nerves! Her brothers race curricles and she wants a husband who balks at the idea of risking himself for thrills.
When Edward, Earl of Heyward, a second son who became Earl after his rakish brother died in a carriage race, defends her honor at a coaching inn (after Angeline is hanging out alone when she should not be hanging out!), she becomes besotted with him, convinced that this good man could be her good man. He thinks of this woman from the coaching inn as a reckless hoyden and means to give her no other thought--until they both arrive in London and realize they are each the most eligible members of their sex on the marriage mart.
There is lots of the normal Balogh plotting: miscommunication, a secondary couple that takes up too much time for me, a house party that gets people alone, another excursion to a different house that does the same thing.
But I just loved Angeline and Edward. I loved this exercise is wondering "what if that man reading his newspaper and rolling his eyes as his chattering wife is actually hopelessly devoted to her, and they have a very cute reason for not letting anyone be wise to it??"
She prattled to cover her insecurities. Now there was a disturbing revelation, if it was true. Lady Angeline Dudley prattled all the time.
"Angie,” he said, “never stop talking, my love. You are an eternal delight to me.
If we have remotely similar tastes in Balogh, please read this!
July 17, 2011
When I first read that Mary Balogh will write the book with Angeline and Heyward as the main couple, I was skeptical. They seem as such an unlikely pair - the chatty, sometimes frivolous Angeline and uptight Heyward. But Balogh managed to do it brilliantly.
Lady Angeline Dudley has waited for quite some time for this moment - finally she will be presented to society, go to balls, and with some luck find a perfect husband. While on route to London she meets the perfect man for her - Heyward. To anyone else he might appear a dry stick, but to her he is everything good - a true gentleman who respects ladies and all those little rules. Of course getting him may not be that easy, after all he didn't introduce himself. But fate is on her side - her fist dance in society was with him.
Heyward is appalled by Angeline's behavior. She doesn't act like a lady, and her taste in hats is truly atrocious. She is nothing like the wife he imagined for himself. But fate has a way of forcing our hands. Well fate and some well meaning friends.
Both Angeline and Heyward don't exactly fit the picture of a perfect heroine/hero, but they are perfect for each other. Angeline is so full of joy, while Heyward brings some stability and common sense into the relationship. That doesn't mean that Angeline is incapable of being serious, she understands a lot of the world, she just doesn't let the bad things dim her light.
There were some moments in the book when there was a bit too much drama coming from Angeline , but it fit the story.
I truly enjoyed reading the book. :-)
Rating:
4.5 stars
Lady Angeline Dudley has waited for quite some time for this moment - finally she will be presented to society, go to balls, and with some luck find a perfect husband. While on route to London she meets the perfect man for her - Heyward. To anyone else he might appear a dry stick, but to her he is everything good - a true gentleman who respects ladies and all those little rules. Of course getting him may not be that easy, after all he didn't introduce himself. But fate is on her side - her fist dance in society was with him.
Heyward is appalled by Angeline's behavior. She doesn't act like a lady, and her taste in hats is truly atrocious. She is nothing like the wife he imagined for himself. But fate has a way of forcing our hands. Well fate and some well meaning friends.
Both Angeline and Heyward don't exactly fit the picture of a perfect heroine/hero, but they are perfect for each other. Angeline is so full of joy, while Heyward brings some stability and common sense into the relationship. That doesn't mean that Angeline is incapable of being serious, she understands a lot of the world, she just doesn't let the bad things dim her light.
There were some moments in the book when there was a bit too much drama coming from Angeline , but it fit the story.
I truly enjoyed reading the book. :-)
Rating:
4.5 stars
January 8, 2018
This is a pleasant story with pleasant writing, kind of like the way vanilla ice cream is pleasant.
If you like Mary Balogh and you liked the two Dudley brothers' stories (Jocelyn in MORE THAN A MISTRESS and Ferdinand in NO MAN'S MISTRESS), you should not pass up the opportunity to read this, the prequel to those two books. In this one, their younger sister Angeline is 19 years old and coming to London for her come-out. No suspense here, of course, if you've read the older MISTRESS books, because she's long married in those, which chronologically take place after this new one.
However, it is a nice story (not thrilling, or exciting, or passionate or sensual, just nice) about how Angeline meets and falls in love with Edward. It's also totally predictable. You have a somewhat flighty and fun-loving heroine and a staid and respectable (dare we say almost stuffy and boring?) hero. What we know should happen, does happen. But it's sweet and pleasant and nice. And I must say I found myself liking both the characters. (They're very nice.)
My favorite part of this book is actually what happens between two secondary characters: Edward's longtime friend Eunice Goddard, who he is convinced should be the woman he marries, and Lord Windrow, a rakish friend of Angeline's brothers. That's a bit more fun and I would have liked to read more of their interaction.
So, this is worth a read for a Balogh fan. Her writing is still much better than the majority of HR writers'. Not worth the hardcover price, however. Get it from the library like I did, or get the paperback or Kindle edition (preferably when offered at a bargain price).
If you like Mary Balogh and you liked the two Dudley brothers' stories (Jocelyn in MORE THAN A MISTRESS and Ferdinand in NO MAN'S MISTRESS), you should not pass up the opportunity to read this, the prequel to those two books. In this one, their younger sister Angeline is 19 years old and coming to London for her come-out. No suspense here, of course, if you've read the older MISTRESS books, because she's long married in those, which chronologically take place after this new one.
However, it is a nice story (not thrilling, or exciting, or passionate or sensual, just nice) about how Angeline meets and falls in love with Edward. It's also totally predictable. You have a somewhat flighty and fun-loving heroine and a staid and respectable (dare we say almost stuffy and boring?) hero. What we know should happen, does happen. But it's sweet and pleasant and nice. And I must say I found myself liking both the characters. (They're very nice.)
My favorite part of this book is actually what happens between two secondary characters: Edward's longtime friend Eunice Goddard, who he is convinced should be the woman he marries, and Lord Windrow, a rakish friend of Angeline's brothers. That's a bit more fun and I would have liked to read more of their interaction.
So, this is worth a read for a Balogh fan. Her writing is still much better than the majority of HR writers'. Not worth the hardcover price, however. Get it from the library like I did, or get the paperback or Kindle edition (preferably when offered at a bargain price).
January 5, 2014
Una historia fresca y en algunos momentos divertida...
No ha conseguido superar a la historia de Jocelyn, para mí la primera y favorita de esta trilogía..
Los protagonistas me han gustado mucho, y a pesar de ser una historia contada después de leer las dos primeras (que en realidad transcurren después), la autora ha sabido encajar el tema espléndidamente.
Quizás hay algunas cosas que han faltado aclarar... o son algo precipitadas, pero en su conjunto una historia muy recomendable
No ha conseguido superar a la historia de Jocelyn, para mí la primera y favorita de esta trilogía..
Los protagonistas me han gustado mucho, y a pesar de ser una historia contada después de leer las dos primeras (que en realidad transcurren después), la autora ha sabido encajar el tema espléndidamente.
Quizás hay algunas cosas que han faltado aclarar... o son algo precipitadas, pero en su conjunto una historia muy recomendable
May 2, 2024
There was something so incredibly sweet and heart-wrenching about this book. I loved both MCs but specially Heyward and how blind and proper he was.
However I don’t understand why is this the 3rd book if it takes place before the other two.
So now I have to reread Tresham’s book.
However I don’t understand why is this the 3rd book if it takes place before the other two.
So now I have to reread Tresham’s book.
November 27, 2011
Authors like Mary Balogh do not come often. I offer that, in my humble opinion, she is as enduring and as skilled as the wonderful Georgette Heyer. The Secret Mistress is one of the many books I think put her in this class.
This is a lovely, lovely read. It evoked a range of emotion that surprised me given that it has a "dull and dutiful" man as the hero, and a flighty and frivolous young woman as the heroine. At least that is what we are first lead to believe. Edward and Angeline would seem to be quite mismatched and their romance unlikely to even start let alone to develop and endure. He dislikes her the moment he lays eyes on her in a taproom of an inn. She strikes him as loose and bold, and quite the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. She falls instantly in love with him as the antithesis of her rakish father and brothers.
This story never explodes in a flurry of action or drama, but delights with humour and tender emotions.I was moved to laugh aloud and cry openly -sometimes at the same time. We are never clunked on the head with passages that tell us what we should think, but engaged and intrigued by the author's clever unfolding how two such opposites do in fact play very balancing halves, just like "night and day create the whole of twenty four hours".
I don't know if other readers will relish this story as I have, but I thank this author for a book which I treasured reading and know will enjoy again; for the hero who you come to see is much more than a dull, practical man. He loves Angeline richly and genuinely as the woman who will always "bowl him over with some madness". We recognize his strength and that he will use that to always honour his wife and family with fidelity. My heart was caught and held by his words to his daughter when he first held her gaze; "You are loved my sweetheart, and that is quite unnegotiable from this moment until I breathe my last." OH, Edward.
This is a lovely, lovely read. It evoked a range of emotion that surprised me given that it has a "dull and dutiful" man as the hero, and a flighty and frivolous young woman as the heroine. At least that is what we are first lead to believe. Edward and Angeline would seem to be quite mismatched and their romance unlikely to even start let alone to develop and endure. He dislikes her the moment he lays eyes on her in a taproom of an inn. She strikes him as loose and bold, and quite the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. She falls instantly in love with him as the antithesis of her rakish father and brothers.
This story never explodes in a flurry of action or drama, but delights with humour and tender emotions.I was moved to laugh aloud and cry openly -sometimes at the same time. We are never clunked on the head with passages that tell us what we should think, but engaged and intrigued by the author's clever unfolding how two such opposites do in fact play very balancing halves, just like "night and day create the whole of twenty four hours".
I don't know if other readers will relish this story as I have, but I thank this author for a book which I treasured reading and know will enjoy again; for the hero who you come to see is much more than a dull, practical man. He loves Angeline richly and genuinely as the woman who will always "bowl him over with some madness". We recognize his strength and that he will use that to always honour his wife and family with fidelity. My heart was caught and held by his words to his daughter when he first held her gaze; "You are loved my sweetheart, and that is quite unnegotiable from this moment until I breathe my last." OH, Edward.
September 8, 2012
Insipid heroine, foolish hero; did not finish. I expected so much more from Mary Balogh.
September 9, 2019
Solo con decir que me ha durado dos días, creo que os hacéis una idea de cuánto me ha gustado este libro.
Al principio no sabía que esperar, porque aunque la autora lo ha programado como el tercero de la serie, en realidad debería de ser el primero, ya que la protagonista del libro, Angelina, y hermana de Jocelyn y Ferdinand, en realidad está casada cuando la serie empieza.
Eso me descolocó bastante, ¿Por qué la autora empieza casando a los hermanos si es la hermana quien se casó primero? Pero la verdad es que ha sido una estrategia muy inteligente por parte de la misma, porque desde que leí el libro de Ferdinand siempre tuve la duda de cómo es que una pareja tan opuesta (ella es todo alegría y él es un estirado) pudo haberse conocido y enamorado. Y la verdad, ha merecido totalmente la pena la espera.
El comienzo de su historia no comienza exactamente de la mejor manera, ya que las primeras impresiones por parte de él no son nada alagadoras, pero debido a una serie de circunstancias ambos acaban compartiendo gran parte de su tiempo en la temporada social y acaban descubriendo que son el uno para el otro.
Al haber dos personajes casi al mismo nivel de protagonismo que los propios protagonistas (sin ir más lejos la mejor amiga de Edward y con quien se quería casar desde el principio y Windrow, un libertino encantador que tira los tejos a todo lo que se mueve), pensé que la trama iba a estar llena de malentendidos, sufrimientos y partes aburridas....Nada más lejos de la realidad.
Angelina es un personaje tan noble que, incluso amando a Edward, prepara toda una estratagema para hacer de casamentera entre el mismo y su mejor amiga dejando a un lado sus sentimientos. Aunque lo mejor es cuando esa misma amiga hace lo mismo pero para ser ella la que se junte con su amor prohibido, lo que da lugar a una serie de malentendidos la mar de cómicos y que he disfrutado como una enana.
Si os apasionan los romances frescos, divertidos y con muchos malentendidos pero sin llegar a ser deprimentes y tediosos. Éste es definitivamente vuestro libro. Ahora en cuanto pueda a leer el primero, que tengo mucha curiosidad por saber la historia del hermano mayor.
Al principio no sabía que esperar, porque aunque la autora lo ha programado como el tercero de la serie, en realidad debería de ser el primero, ya que la protagonista del libro, Angelina, y hermana de Jocelyn y Ferdinand, en realidad está casada cuando la serie empieza.
Eso me descolocó bastante, ¿Por qué la autora empieza casando a los hermanos si es la hermana quien se casó primero? Pero la verdad es que ha sido una estrategia muy inteligente por parte de la misma, porque desde que leí el libro de Ferdinand siempre tuve la duda de cómo es que una pareja tan opuesta (ella es todo alegría y él es un estirado) pudo haberse conocido y enamorado. Y la verdad, ha merecido totalmente la pena la espera.
El comienzo de su historia no comienza exactamente de la mejor manera, ya que las primeras impresiones por parte de él no son nada alagadoras, pero debido a una serie de circunstancias ambos acaban compartiendo gran parte de su tiempo en la temporada social y acaban descubriendo que son el uno para el otro.
Al haber dos personajes casi al mismo nivel de protagonismo que los propios protagonistas (sin ir más lejos la mejor amiga de Edward y con quien se quería casar desde el principio y Windrow, un libertino encantador que tira los tejos a todo lo que se mueve), pensé que la trama iba a estar llena de malentendidos, sufrimientos y partes aburridas....Nada más lejos de la realidad.
Angelina es un personaje tan noble que, incluso amando a Edward, prepara toda una estratagema para hacer de casamentera entre el mismo y su mejor amiga dejando a un lado sus sentimientos. Aunque lo mejor es cuando esa misma amiga hace lo mismo pero para ser ella la que se junte con su amor prohibido, lo que da lugar a una serie de malentendidos la mar de cómicos y que he disfrutado como una enana.
Si os apasionan los romances frescos, divertidos y con muchos malentendidos pero sin llegar a ser deprimentes y tediosos. Éste es definitivamente vuestro libro. Ahora en cuanto pueda a leer el primero, que tengo mucha curiosidad por saber la historia del hermano mayor.
October 4, 2011
I reviewed this book for Romance Reader At Heart website:
RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:
THE SECRET MISTRESS is actually a prequel to the Mistress (or Dudley) series and Angeline’s story. I honestly think that this series would have never been quite complete without this tale.
In previous two books, MORE THAN A MISTRESS (Duke of Tresham’s story) and NO MAN’S MISTRESS (Ferdi’s story), we were allowed only a glimpse of Angeline as she comes in and out of their brothers’ lives. We see her as someone who’s a bit eccentric, but nevertheless a lovable and very much loved sister. By going back in time, Ms. Balogh has given us a gift of pure unadulterated joy.
From the first page...no, let me rephrase that....from the first paragraph, we know that we’re in for a sweet and humor-filled ride.
Reading the book blurb above, you’ll get the gist of the story, but reading the book, you’ll be touched by Edward’s and Angie’s great chemistry. Ms. Balogh is one of those authors with the rare ability to create a relationship that I can actually feel developing as the story develops.
Angeline was such a refreshing heroine. In spite of her insecurities, I thought her a strong and genuine real person, full of innocence, with enthusiasm and energy to burn. We finally get to know the reasons behind all those bonnets she wears, and we get to care for this quirky, yet sharp heroine.
Edward was her polar opposite, yet such a perfect match for her. He was ice to her fire, ying to her yang. Ms. Balogh took this character and made him so real, a so ‘regular’ kind of a guy who personifies the word Gentleman. He takes himself and his duties very seriously and honor is sacred to him. I never took him for a ‘dried stick’, as her brothers refer to him, but more as a somber kind of fellow; yet, every time I was inside his head, I saw a man who had so much passion and humor that I was brought to tears by laughing. The tension between the two was very realistic; their relationship felt believable and added to the excitement of the story, which was fast-paced.
Ms. Balogh gives the story just the right mix of humor (in this case, bordering on silliness), wit, and playfulness, that a person would have to be made of stone not to break down and laugh-out-loud every ten pages or so!
I loved the supporting characters, Lord Windrow and Eunice Goddard, just as much as our hero and heroine, and I found myself rooting for their happiness as well.
THE SECRET MISTRESS is a fun, exciting, and sweet love story with plenty of passion. If I had this much fun reading this book, I can only imagine the fun Ms. Balogh had in writing it. Can you tell how much I loved this story? This is a laugh out loud, hold your sides, and roll on the floor read. I had to stop at times, just to make sure that this is Mary Balogh’s book. This is so unlike anything else I’ve ever read from her, and I’ve read plenty.
BTW: Just prior to sending this review in, I checked Ms. Balogh’s website and guess what? She’s written a short story that sort of wraps up all three books with some scenes that are NOT to be missed, in eBook format (Kindle only) called NOW A BRIDE. It is a must buy for all fans of this series!
Melanie
RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:
THE SECRET MISTRESS is actually a prequel to the Mistress (or Dudley) series and Angeline’s story. I honestly think that this series would have never been quite complete without this tale.
In previous two books, MORE THAN A MISTRESS (Duke of Tresham’s story) and NO MAN’S MISTRESS (Ferdi’s story), we were allowed only a glimpse of Angeline as she comes in and out of their brothers’ lives. We see her as someone who’s a bit eccentric, but nevertheless a lovable and very much loved sister. By going back in time, Ms. Balogh has given us a gift of pure unadulterated joy.
From the first page...no, let me rephrase that....from the first paragraph, we know that we’re in for a sweet and humor-filled ride.
Reading the book blurb above, you’ll get the gist of the story, but reading the book, you’ll be touched by Edward’s and Angie’s great chemistry. Ms. Balogh is one of those authors with the rare ability to create a relationship that I can actually feel developing as the story develops.
Angeline was such a refreshing heroine. In spite of her insecurities, I thought her a strong and genuine real person, full of innocence, with enthusiasm and energy to burn. We finally get to know the reasons behind all those bonnets she wears, and we get to care for this quirky, yet sharp heroine.
Edward was her polar opposite, yet such a perfect match for her. He was ice to her fire, ying to her yang. Ms. Balogh took this character and made him so real, a so ‘regular’ kind of a guy who personifies the word Gentleman. He takes himself and his duties very seriously and honor is sacred to him. I never took him for a ‘dried stick’, as her brothers refer to him, but more as a somber kind of fellow; yet, every time I was inside his head, I saw a man who had so much passion and humor that I was brought to tears by laughing. The tension between the two was very realistic; their relationship felt believable and added to the excitement of the story, which was fast-paced.
Ms. Balogh gives the story just the right mix of humor (in this case, bordering on silliness), wit, and playfulness, that a person would have to be made of stone not to break down and laugh-out-loud every ten pages or so!
I loved the supporting characters, Lord Windrow and Eunice Goddard, just as much as our hero and heroine, and I found myself rooting for their happiness as well.
THE SECRET MISTRESS is a fun, exciting, and sweet love story with plenty of passion. If I had this much fun reading this book, I can only imagine the fun Ms. Balogh had in writing it. Can you tell how much I loved this story? This is a laugh out loud, hold your sides, and roll on the floor read. I had to stop at times, just to make sure that this is Mary Balogh’s book. This is so unlike anything else I’ve ever read from her, and I’ve read plenty.
BTW: Just prior to sending this review in, I checked Ms. Balogh’s website and guess what? She’s written a short story that sort of wraps up all three books with some scenes that are NOT to be missed, in eBook format (Kindle only) called NOW A BRIDE. It is a must buy for all fans of this series!
Melanie
September 20, 2014
I was really looking forward to reading this book. I first met Angeline in her brother's book More Than a Mistress and I liked the tiny snippets of interaction between her and her husband. It made me want to read their love story too.
Sadly, I found myself skipping passages and passages of inner thinking. I was also bored by how much all of the characters would talk or better said ramble on. At one point I think it took one page everything that came out of Angeline's mouth. The other characters weren't far behind as regards to talking too much.
An interesting thought popped in my head while reading this book. I kept wondering whether Angeline has ADHD?
I have one more book in my TBR-pile by M.B. The Secret Pearl which I 'll try to read soon, but I am afraid Mary Balogh may not be an author for me.
Sadly, I found myself skipping passages and passages of inner thinking. I was also bored by how much all of the characters would talk or better said ramble on. At one point I think it took one page everything that came out of Angeline's mouth. The other characters weren't far behind as regards to talking too much.
An interesting thought popped in my head while reading this book. I kept wondering whether Angeline has ADHD?
I have one more book in my TBR-pile by M.B. The Secret Pearl which I 'll try to read soon, but I am afraid Mary Balogh may not be an author for me.
September 19, 2020
3,5 estrellitas.
Me ha gustado mucho, más que el segundo de la trilogía. El hecho de saber el final de la historia, puesto que conocemos a Angelina y a su marido de los dos libros anteriores, no ha restado interés. Es más, tenía mucha curiosidad por saber más de Edward, ese educado caballero que siempre dice si a absolutamente todo lo que le proponga su mujer. ¿Cómo lo íbamos a imaginar tan reacio en el principio de su historia?
Me ha encantado la seguridad en sí misma de Lady Angelina Dudley.
Me ha gustado mucho, más que el segundo de la trilogía. El hecho de saber el final de la historia, puesto que conocemos a Angelina y a su marido de los dos libros anteriores, no ha restado interés. Es más, tenía mucha curiosidad por saber más de Edward, ese educado caballero que siempre dice si a absolutamente todo lo que le proponga su mujer. ¿Cómo lo íbamos a imaginar tan reacio en el principio de su historia?
Me ha encantado la seguridad en sí misma de Lady Angelina Dudley.
April 22, 2018
I normally love MB's books, but this didn't work for me at all. I found Angeline annoying, and Edward dull as dust - and it didn't change throught the book. What grabbed me MUCH more, was what happened between Windmore and Eunice - now that's a book I would have loved to see!
June 1, 2016
Ooooh, a tame hero that is not a rake.
How refreshing!
All that in a tight little Mary Balogh packet?
I knew it was a sure win.
But now that I read it?
I can just say-give me a brightly colored hat and such a man and I shall die happy! :)
How refreshing!
All that in a tight little Mary Balogh packet?
I knew it was a sure win.
But now that I read it?
I can just say-give me a brightly colored hat and such a man and I shall die happy! :)
June 16, 2024
3.5 stars
”How could one not fall instantly in love with such a man, Angeline asked herself as she stared at the door after they had both left. In a few short minutes he had shown himself to be her ideal of manhood. Of gentlemanhood. He seemed perfectly content and comfortable with his ordinariness. He seemed not to feel the need to posture and prove his masculinity at every turn, preferably with his fists, as most men did in Angeline’s admittedly rather limited experience.
He was, in fact, more than ordinary. He was an extraordinary man.
And she had fallen head over ears in love with him.”
”How could one not fall instantly in love with such a man, Angeline asked herself as she stared at the door after they had both left. In a few short minutes he had shown himself to be her ideal of manhood. Of gentlemanhood. He seemed perfectly content and comfortable with his ordinariness. He seemed not to feel the need to posture and prove his masculinity at every turn, preferably with his fists, as most men did in Angeline’s admittedly rather limited experience.
He was, in fact, more than ordinary. He was an extraordinary man.
And she had fallen head over ears in love with him.”
March 22, 2017
This book is perfect, i just loved this very 'ordinary' but extraordinary hero. The over the top, dazzling and macho heroes were seriously boring the hell out of me recently, thank god I found this book. I kind of forgot that i already read the first book of this series, i would not even have remembered except that the H of that book was named Jocelyn! That's a name you cannot forget. I enjoyed reading Jocelyn's book a lot. Now to this book, I loved how both the H and h completed each other. I just love Mary Balogh's novels, one of my fave! The sweet epilogue at the end ***** Awesome!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 609 reviews