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Once a Mistress
An earl disguised as a swashbuckler, Alex Rawnsley resolves to return home after rescuing the lovely heiress, Diana Covington, from her pirate kidnappers, who are also his sworn enemies, but her charms tempt him into revealing his identity. Original.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
9 people are currently reading
127 people want to read
About the author
Debra Mullins
23 books133 followers(from website)I hate writing bios. They always seem so cut and dried. But you came to my website to learn more about me, so here goes.
I’m the oldest of four sisters, and we are full-blooded Irish on our father’s side. Oh, and our house had one bathroom. If you have any questions about where I got my flair for drama, just imagine that scenario on a Saturday night when four teen-aged girls need to get ready for their dates all at the same time.
‘Nuff said.
So, I am the writer in the family, though I always had a secret dream to be a torch singer. You know, like Michelle Pfeiffer in The Fabulous Baker Boys. My voice is OK, but the only place I feel comfortable singing is in the shower, so that was out. Besides, my sister Kate would kill me. She’s the singer in the family. Seriously, she sang at Carnegie Hall once (yeah, as part of a choir and with the orchestra and a bunch of other people, but Carnegie Hall! How many people can say that and be telling the truth?)
Anyway, I settled on writer and left the singing to Kate. My other two sisters are both artists, and no, they don’t have anything in the Louvre, but my sister Christine paints her house constantly, always changing the décor in her kids’ rooms. So you see? Creative impetus will out, and there’s no stopping it. Better to just give in and have the chocolate standing by for those moments of Artistic Frustration.
After giving up my torch singer aspirations (but before I fully accepted that I am A Writer) I gave serious thought to a practical career. The term “starving artist” was not conceived out of whimsy, you know, and I did have a fondness for food and shelter. So, soon after high school, I considered a career as a simultaneous interpreter for the UN.
I heard you giggle. Yes, I did. So let me clarify by adding that I have a gift for languages and had already taken several years of Spanish, French and Italian by the time I graduated high school, AND I had done the exchange thing in France, where I lived for a summer with a family, speaking nothing but French. So there.
Ahem. Anyway, in order to be a simultaneous interpreter, you need to know five languages. I had four under my belt (since I do know grammar and punctuation, I consider English the fourth language). I just had to learn one more language.
But that never happened. I chose True Love over College, then got married and started a family young.
Yes, you can laugh now.
Anyway, years pass. I gave in to my natural tendency to be a storyteller and started working on the one thing I had ever finished—a hand-written, 100 page “novel” about a Spanish pirate that I had completed in junior high. As an adult, I still felt there was a story there. That novel evolved into my first published work, ONCE A MISTRESS (Written in English, though my pirate does say cool Spanish words like mi amor and mi querida. Sigh. Swoon!) In 1996, ONCE A MISTRESS was a finalist in the prestigious Golden Heart competition run by Romance Writers of America. Two years later—OK, on January 26, 1998 at 4:06PM—Avon Books called and offered to publish my opus.
So there you go. I’ve written eight more books since then, often utilizing my knowledge of other languages for flavor. I visited the old West with DONOVAN’S BED and THE LAWMAN’S SURRENDER. (Oh, and DONOVAN’S BED was a finalist for RWA’s RITA Award for Best Short Historical in 2001, which is like an Oscar nomination in the land of romance writing. How cool is that?) Then I visited the Regency era. I won the NJ Romance Writers Golden Leaf Award for Best Historical (2003) with A NECESSARY BRIDE. In 2005, THREE NIGHTS… was nominated for Best Historical Romance in competition for Virginia Romance Writers’ prestigious Holt Medallion.
All of my Regency historicals have been optioned as featured selections by Doubleday Book Club and Rhapsody Book Club. My books have also been translated into Hungarian, Russian, and Portuguese f
I’m the oldest of four sisters, and we are full-blooded Irish on our father’s side. Oh, and our house had one bathroom. If you have any questions about where I got my flair for drama, just imagine that scenario on a Saturday night when four teen-aged girls need to get ready for their dates all at the same time.
‘Nuff said.
So, I am the writer in the family, though I always had a secret dream to be a torch singer. You know, like Michelle Pfeiffer in The Fabulous Baker Boys. My voice is OK, but the only place I feel comfortable singing is in the shower, so that was out. Besides, my sister Kate would kill me. She’s the singer in the family. Seriously, she sang at Carnegie Hall once (yeah, as part of a choir and with the orchestra and a bunch of other people, but Carnegie Hall! How many people can say that and be telling the truth?)
Anyway, I settled on writer and left the singing to Kate. My other two sisters are both artists, and no, they don’t have anything in the Louvre, but my sister Christine paints her house constantly, always changing the décor in her kids’ rooms. So you see? Creative impetus will out, and there’s no stopping it. Better to just give in and have the chocolate standing by for those moments of Artistic Frustration.
After giving up my torch singer aspirations (but before I fully accepted that I am A Writer) I gave serious thought to a practical career. The term “starving artist” was not conceived out of whimsy, you know, and I did have a fondness for food and shelter. So, soon after high school, I considered a career as a simultaneous interpreter for the UN.
I heard you giggle. Yes, I did. So let me clarify by adding that I have a gift for languages and had already taken several years of Spanish, French and Italian by the time I graduated high school, AND I had done the exchange thing in France, where I lived for a summer with a family, speaking nothing but French. So there.
Ahem. Anyway, in order to be a simultaneous interpreter, you need to know five languages. I had four under my belt (since I do know grammar and punctuation, I consider English the fourth language). I just had to learn one more language.
But that never happened. I chose True Love over College, then got married and started a family young.
Yes, you can laugh now.
Anyway, years pass. I gave in to my natural tendency to be a storyteller and started working on the one thing I had ever finished—a hand-written, 100 page “novel” about a Spanish pirate that I had completed in junior high. As an adult, I still felt there was a story there. That novel evolved into my first published work, ONCE A MISTRESS (Written in English, though my pirate does say cool Spanish words like mi amor and mi querida. Sigh. Swoon!) In 1996, ONCE A MISTRESS was a finalist in the prestigious Golden Heart competition run by Romance Writers of America. Two years later—OK, on January 26, 1998 at 4:06PM—Avon Books called and offered to publish my opus.
So there you go. I’ve written eight more books since then, often utilizing my knowledge of other languages for flavor. I visited the old West with DONOVAN’S BED and THE LAWMAN’S SURRENDER. (Oh, and DONOVAN’S BED was a finalist for RWA’s RITA Award for Best Short Historical in 2001, which is like an Oscar nomination in the land of romance writing. How cool is that?) Then I visited the Regency era. I won the NJ Romance Writers Golden Leaf Award for Best Historical (2003) with A NECESSARY BRIDE. In 2005, THREE NIGHTS… was nominated for Best Historical Romance in competition for Virginia Romance Writers’ prestigious Holt Medallion.
All of my Regency historicals have been optioned as featured selections by Doubleday Book Club and Rhapsody Book Club. My books have also been translated into Hungarian, Russian, and Portuguese f
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 13, 2022
It was okay. A bit anachronistic but I was fine with it.
February 3, 2021
Pirates, secret identity, and a strong heroine, what more could you want? I mean besides some fleshed out characters... but hey there was plenty of action. This was a quick fun read. I enjoyed it but I do wish more time would have been spent actually developing the characters. 3.5 ⭐️
June 17, 2012
Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...
Pirates, damsels in distress, massive ships and tropical islands make the perfect setting for an amazing romance. This story is bursting with action, a beautiful well-to-do woman chased by a less than reputable guy refuses his advances, is kidnapped by one pirate and rescued by another. The sparks fly and romance ensues. Add in an outraged father, pirates with and without honor, a bit of intrigue, a Spanish barmaid, and a hunt for revenge and you have the perfect mix of excitement, romance, and a just plain good story.
The character development in Once a Mistress is good. The plot line is well done, flows nicely and with solid transitions. The settings are descriptive, vivid and accurate and the historical details are well done without any obvious inaccuracies. The book was originally published in 1999 by Avon books and it is a delight to see the book return with a new publisher.
Some stories are classic, they stick with you and sweep you off your feet. The storyline in this book moves smoothly without any wild details or crazy situations. The situations are close to reality and that makes the story all the more believable. You can see yourself on the ships, feel the salty wind and enjoy the romance that goes with being on the high seas and dealing with pirates, and tropical locations. There's also something special about a girl growing up from the protected child/woman to a strong independent woman willing to fight for love and stand for what she believes in with a tall, dark, handsome man who gives up revenge for love. Once a Mistress was a book I thoroughly enjoyed.
Pirates, damsels in distress, massive ships and tropical islands make the perfect setting for an amazing romance. This story is bursting with action, a beautiful well-to-do woman chased by a less than reputable guy refuses his advances, is kidnapped by one pirate and rescued by another. The sparks fly and romance ensues. Add in an outraged father, pirates with and without honor, a bit of intrigue, a Spanish barmaid, and a hunt for revenge and you have the perfect mix of excitement, romance, and a just plain good story.
The character development in Once a Mistress is good. The plot line is well done, flows nicely and with solid transitions. The settings are descriptive, vivid and accurate and the historical details are well done without any obvious inaccuracies. The book was originally published in 1999 by Avon books and it is a delight to see the book return with a new publisher.
Some stories are classic, they stick with you and sweep you off your feet. The storyline in this book moves smoothly without any wild details or crazy situations. The situations are close to reality and that makes the story all the more believable. You can see yourself on the ships, feel the salty wind and enjoy the romance that goes with being on the high seas and dealing with pirates, and tropical locations. There's also something special about a girl growing up from the protected child/woman to a strong independent woman willing to fight for love and stand for what she believes in with a tall, dark, handsome man who gives up revenge for love. Once a Mistress was a book I thoroughly enjoyed.
April 20, 2016
At first it seemed like an interesting read but soon I lost interest.
Diana, girl just didn't know when to shut up. Her sharp tongue was fun at the beginning, but when mixed with silly stubbornness it became tedious. At one point she realized how selfish and spoiled she was, but she still she insisted to come with Alex to hunt Marcus. The psychopath villain Marcus. Alex tried from reasoning to begging to stop her but she's the great Diana you see, and who will watch Alex's back if she didn't tag along with him? Because she saved him, like once, and she won a cat fight with Alex's ex mistress, of course she could take down Marcus.
And Alex. His secretive attitude was understandable, at first. Then it just made me rolled my eyes.
There's a lot of brooding over silly situations, which could be avoided if a certain someone (yes, you Alex) acted more straightforward.
This could be a fun read if you don't take it too seriously.
Diana, girl just didn't know when to shut up. Her sharp tongue was fun at the beginning, but when mixed with silly stubbornness it became tedious. At one point she realized how selfish and spoiled she was, but she still she insisted to come with Alex to hunt Marcus. The psychopath villain Marcus. Alex tried from reasoning to begging to stop her but she's the great Diana you see, and who will watch Alex's back if she didn't tag along with him? Because she saved him, like once, and she won a cat fight with Alex's ex mistress, of course she could take down Marcus.
And Alex. His secretive attitude was understandable, at first. Then it just made me rolled my eyes.
There's a lot of brooding over silly situations, which could be avoided if a certain someone (yes, you Alex) acted more straightforward.
This could be a fun read if you don't take it too seriously.
May 24, 2022
I only made it to chapter 4. Too much violence and ill reputable men. Also, the constant bickering between the hero and the heroine was annoying. I will not read another Debra Mullins book.
February 11, 2024
Once a Mistress had all the ingredients to be a great read but unfortunately something essential was missing…. Overall verdict, good enough but nothing memorable.
June 10, 2022
I write my reviews in real time as I am experiencing the story. I am currently listening to the audiobook version Narrated by Charlotte Wright.
I personally find the narration bothersome. It's overly dramatic in a way that really detracts from the story for me as a reader.
Honestly, the plot itself may have been great if it was written differently. There is way too much talking and telling instead of showing. The writing has some immaturity that is difficult for me as a reader to ruffle through.
I'm not sure when this was written, but some of it may not have aged well. I understand the attitudes towards women in the setting that the story takes place, but this is literally written with every women vs man cliche that I can imagine. "Women don't know their own mind, men know better, women are only good for sex, I've been burned before" etc, etc, etc.
Diana is not a strong female character... she's a Mary Sue who behaves like a 14 year old girl. She's not "imperfect" in a way that makes her real, she is "imperfect" in a way that makes her exasperating to read about.
Alex is also a very typical stereotype. Good guy disguised as bad guy to bring down evil, then *surprise* he's such a good person and too much honor. Again with the exasperation. An extremely annoying case of Hero Complex/Man knows best.
I liked the plot of the kidnapping, chasing down a bad pirate, rescuing the damsel, escape, etc and written differently would've been enjoyable. However, their back and forth discord (he wants her but doesn't want her, she wants him but she's too prim and proper and wants to use her virginity to save her father... they're both "trapped" by their image and titles... they're going to, theyre not doing to, they're up, they're down, they're here, they're there) is exhausting. As I'm listening to the constant running dialogue (between the characters and in their minds), I find myself hearing a sentence and thinking "Of course you're going to do that/feeling that way"- not in a justified way, but in a "this is predicable af" way.
I have 5.5 hours left of this book to listen to, and I'm not sure if I'm going to make it. The characters are written in a way that is like listening to nails on a chalk board. The whole book reeks of immaturity- in the characters, in the style of writing, across the board. Teenagers across the board probably love this book, but for someone who reads obsessively (including romance novels) it is one dimensional, and cliche. So. Very. Cliche.
Honestly, this is not a book that I would read again.
I personally find the narration bothersome. It's overly dramatic in a way that really detracts from the story for me as a reader.
Honestly, the plot itself may have been great if it was written differently. There is way too much talking and telling instead of showing. The writing has some immaturity that is difficult for me as a reader to ruffle through.
I'm not sure when this was written, but some of it may not have aged well. I understand the attitudes towards women in the setting that the story takes place, but this is literally written with every women vs man cliche that I can imagine. "Women don't know their own mind, men know better, women are only good for sex, I've been burned before" etc, etc, etc.
Diana is not a strong female character... she's a Mary Sue who behaves like a 14 year old girl. She's not "imperfect" in a way that makes her real, she is "imperfect" in a way that makes her exasperating to read about.
Alex is also a very typical stereotype. Good guy disguised as bad guy to bring down evil, then *surprise* he's such a good person and too much honor. Again with the exasperation. An extremely annoying case of Hero Complex/Man knows best.
I liked the plot of the kidnapping, chasing down a bad pirate, rescuing the damsel, escape, etc and written differently would've been enjoyable. However, their back and forth discord (he wants her but doesn't want her, she wants him but she's too prim and proper and wants to use her virginity to save her father... they're both "trapped" by their image and titles... they're going to, theyre not doing to, they're up, they're down, they're here, they're there) is exhausting. As I'm listening to the constant running dialogue (between the characters and in their minds), I find myself hearing a sentence and thinking "Of course you're going to do that/feeling that way"- not in a justified way, but in a "this is predicable af" way.
I have 5.5 hours left of this book to listen to, and I'm not sure if I'm going to make it. The characters are written in a way that is like listening to nails on a chalk board. The whole book reeks of immaturity- in the characters, in the style of writing, across the board. Teenagers across the board probably love this book, but for someone who reads obsessively (including romance novels) it is one dimensional, and cliche. So. Very. Cliche.
Honestly, this is not a book that I would read again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2021
I mean I am always looking for a solid pirate romance and this one was fun. Not perfect but fun. I enjoyed seeing how they would end up together since she is a lady and of course abducted so how can her reputation stand it? I was entertained!
December 10, 2020
This book is exactly what you expect it to be. And sometimes that’s exactly what you’re in the mood for.
December 21, 2020
Audible Catalogue
AUDIOBOOK: Read 19 ? 20 December 2020
9hrs 26min
Narrator: Charlotte Wright was ok
This one was way to stretch out. It was just ok.
AUDIOBOOK: Read 19 ? 20 December 2020
9hrs 26min
Narrator: Charlotte Wright was ok
This one was way to stretch out. It was just ok.
December 13, 2021
Wasn't a fan of this book. Heroin is a spoiled, selfish, idiot and that doesn't change throughout the story. I also didn't much care for the narration that made her even more whiney.
May 24, 2024
This book was kinda a struggle to get through. Wasn’t there for all the back and forth between Alex and Diana. They had some cute moments but he just needed therapy.
January 26, 2012
OH MY GOSH!!! I really don't know where to start on the review. Pirates? Check. Sexy, Alpha male? You bet. Head strong, beautiful woman? But of course. Passion? Oh my... :) Intrigue? That and more. Ready for my thoughts? Here goes:
I was so excited when I heard that Samhain was going to launch a Retro line of books from authors that had the rights back to their back lists, I was intrigued. I wondered what authors and their books would find a home at an e-publisher that had already been in print before. I'll be honest though, most of the authors that were signed I had never heard of but that didn't stop me from reading and reviewing Once a Mistress. Its the blurb that reeled me in. I'm a sucker for pirates and that time period of the late 1600's. Ms. Mullins further reeled me in with her vivid descriptions of the boats, the islands, but most importantly, her characters.
Diana Covington is not your typical heroine for the time period. In fact, I found her to be much more like a woman from the present. She is beautiful, spirited, head strong, able to take care of herself and not as naive as you would think. She was sheltered but once she knew what she wanted, she went for it. Did it get her in trouble some times? Yes but that only endeared me more to her and the situation that she was in. Diana started out a girl with foolish dreams and became the heart of the story very quickly. She would do anything to get out of an arranged marriage and to prove her father's innocence. She wouldn't take no for an answer from Alex and she came across as his equal partner in both the relationship and circumstance. Keep in mind that the story is set in the late 1600's, so you would think that Alex would be a brute about Diana's head strong thoughts and feelings but instead he embraced them and made him stand up and take notice.
Alex, my Alex...sigh...I'm not even sure where to start with him. He is a pirate, honorable even but there is so much more to him then meets the eye. He's a lover not a fighter but he vows revenge on his brothers killer. He didn't anticipate having to rescue a woman from the killer or to want her as bad as he did. When we first meet Alex, I thought of him as a rogue or a scoundrel. I couldn't have been more wrong about a character. He is loving, tender, funny, honorable and fair with Diana and with his crew. He fears his attraction to Diana and tries to keep her at arms length but can not resist the temptation any longer. For me, Alex is one of the most intriguing characters that I have read in a long time. I never felt confused by his actions or his words. He was man of word but never felt like he love again or find the woman that would truly steal his heart. He found her in Diana and it confused him. Emotions that he had not felt for a long time came to surface and slightly blurred his quest for revenge.
I would be remiss in not telling you about the sea battles. I really felt like I was on the ship feeling it rock from side to side and hearing the cannons go off. Ms. Mullins paints a very realistic portrait of the sea and the battles between the two pirates. The climatic scene between Marcus and Alex was so engaging that I started yelling and cheering in my head and then realized...wait, this is a book. Her use of imagery and attention to detail is vivid and made me feel the scenes instead of just reading them.
When I was reading, I found myself laughing out loud at some parts in the books. The secondary characters are fleshed out perfectly and you knew who the villain was from the start. I was cheering right along with the characters and found the ending perfect. A couple of scenes will leave you laughing out loud. The tavern scene is the scene-stealer of the book. Trust me, read it and try to disagree. :) Once a Mistress is a sensual read, nothing too graphic but worth it. Alex and Diana's bedroom scenes are sensual, tender and loving. The dialogue in the book is rich and layered. I found myself never wanting the book to end.
I highly, highly recommend Once a Mistress to anyone that loves pirates, a book that you can't put down for fear that you might miss something and a beautifully written historical that never felt like a historical at all. Kudos to Ms. Mullins and I'm anticipating her next release from Samhain. Meanwhile, I'll be gobbling up her recent releases on her website.
I was so excited when I heard that Samhain was going to launch a Retro line of books from authors that had the rights back to their back lists, I was intrigued. I wondered what authors and their books would find a home at an e-publisher that had already been in print before. I'll be honest though, most of the authors that were signed I had never heard of but that didn't stop me from reading and reviewing Once a Mistress. Its the blurb that reeled me in. I'm a sucker for pirates and that time period of the late 1600's. Ms. Mullins further reeled me in with her vivid descriptions of the boats, the islands, but most importantly, her characters.
Diana Covington is not your typical heroine for the time period. In fact, I found her to be much more like a woman from the present. She is beautiful, spirited, head strong, able to take care of herself and not as naive as you would think. She was sheltered but once she knew what she wanted, she went for it. Did it get her in trouble some times? Yes but that only endeared me more to her and the situation that she was in. Diana started out a girl with foolish dreams and became the heart of the story very quickly. She would do anything to get out of an arranged marriage and to prove her father's innocence. She wouldn't take no for an answer from Alex and she came across as his equal partner in both the relationship and circumstance. Keep in mind that the story is set in the late 1600's, so you would think that Alex would be a brute about Diana's head strong thoughts and feelings but instead he embraced them and made him stand up and take notice.
Alex, my Alex...sigh...I'm not even sure where to start with him. He is a pirate, honorable even but there is so much more to him then meets the eye. He's a lover not a fighter but he vows revenge on his brothers killer. He didn't anticipate having to rescue a woman from the killer or to want her as bad as he did. When we first meet Alex, I thought of him as a rogue or a scoundrel. I couldn't have been more wrong about a character. He is loving, tender, funny, honorable and fair with Diana and with his crew. He fears his attraction to Diana and tries to keep her at arms length but can not resist the temptation any longer. For me, Alex is one of the most intriguing characters that I have read in a long time. I never felt confused by his actions or his words. He was man of word but never felt like he love again or find the woman that would truly steal his heart. He found her in Diana and it confused him. Emotions that he had not felt for a long time came to surface and slightly blurred his quest for revenge.
I would be remiss in not telling you about the sea battles. I really felt like I was on the ship feeling it rock from side to side and hearing the cannons go off. Ms. Mullins paints a very realistic portrait of the sea and the battles between the two pirates. The climatic scene between Marcus and Alex was so engaging that I started yelling and cheering in my head and then realized...wait, this is a book. Her use of imagery and attention to detail is vivid and made me feel the scenes instead of just reading them.
When I was reading, I found myself laughing out loud at some parts in the books. The secondary characters are fleshed out perfectly and you knew who the villain was from the start. I was cheering right along with the characters and found the ending perfect. A couple of scenes will leave you laughing out loud. The tavern scene is the scene-stealer of the book. Trust me, read it and try to disagree. :) Once a Mistress is a sensual read, nothing too graphic but worth it. Alex and Diana's bedroom scenes are sensual, tender and loving. The dialogue in the book is rich and layered. I found myself never wanting the book to end.
I highly, highly recommend Once a Mistress to anyone that loves pirates, a book that you can't put down for fear that you might miss something and a beautifully written historical that never felt like a historical at all. Kudos to Ms. Mullins and I'm anticipating her next release from Samhain. Meanwhile, I'll be gobbling up her recent releases on her website.
June 14, 2012
this was a quick read. i really enjoyed it. i don't know exactly what it was that made the hero and heroine fall in love, but hey, once they did, it was sweet. i wish there had been little bit more detail and fleshing out of the characters and their backstories.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews