Now a Bride

Mistress #2.5

by Mary Balogh

In anticipation of the enticing third book in the Mistress trilogy, The Secret Mistress, here are never-before-published scenes from More than a Mistress and No Man’s Mistress -- plus Mary Balogh’s new epilogue for the series.

JOCELYN AND JANE: Three new scenes—“The Proposal,” “The Wedding,” and “Return to Acton Park”—spark more fiery passion from charmingly arrogant Jocelyn and spirited Jane.

FERDINAND AND VIOLA: Two unpublished scenes—“The Wedding” and “Home to Pinewood Manor”—prove once again that this unlikely but perfect couple is made for each other.

THE REUNION: FIVE YEARS LATER:Enjoy a brand-new chapter that reunites readers with all three Dudley couples and their children and answers every fan’s biggest question: What happened after the last page was turned?

The enchanting prequel to the Mistress series! Readers got to know madcap Angeline and straitlaced Edward through the romantic adventures of the Dudley brothers. But Angeline and Edward have their own story of passion to tell in The Secret Mistress.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Regency, Fiction, Regency Romance

60 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Mary 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.

Reviews

[Alba Turunen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3'5 Estrellas, pero le subo a 4 por el mérito que le he echado al ser mi primera lectura íntegramente en inglés, que aunque sea un relato corto me ha costado, pero no demasiado, y para lo que es, creo que he entendido bastante a mi querida señora Balogh, cosa que me hace muy feliz.

En realidad, ésta breve antología no es un sino un regalo que nos ha hecho la autora a los fans, sobre todo a quienes leímos la trilogía "Amantes". Empezando porque los dos primeros relatos en realidad, son escenas eliminadas de "Más que una amante". A éste respecto debo decir que me he enfadado mucho porque dichas escenas fuesen cortadas por la editora de turno por no considerarlas necesarias ¿Perdona? ¡Con lo bonitas que son! ¡Por favor!

Los dos siguientes relatos sí lo son como tal, pertenecen al libro de Ferdi y Viola, pero en su caso no fueron escenas eliminadas, si no que la Balogh las escribió después, o por lo menos es lo que me ha parecido entender, sigo diciendo que mi inglés no es muy boyante como para creer que lo he entendido todo.

El último relato sí me ha llenado de alegría, es de esos sobre los que nos gusta leer a toda lectora de romántica, el qué ocurrió años después con nuestros protagonistas y sus retoños.

En general todos los relatos han tenido su encanto, y me han parecido muy bonitos. Para ser mi primera incursión en inglés creo que no lo he llevado demasiado mal, así que creo que no tardaré en darle más oportunidades al idioma de Shakespeare.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're like me, and you want to read three new scenes from Jocelyn and Jane's story ("The Proposal," "The Wedding," and "Return to Acton Park"), two unpublished scenes ("The Wedding" and "Home to Pinewood Manor") of Ferdinand and Viola's story and the reunion that takes place five years later, you'll get it. There was no way I was going to pass on this offer. I was very glad she gave us, her diehard fans, these extra chapters of the books that will stay with me for a long time. It was so nice to revisit this loving family and catch up with everyone. For some, it may be lacking, but for me, it was pure indulgence to find out how they are and finally I was able to say a proper goodbye to Dudley's.

Melanie

[Jody Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is just a little fan-service 50 pages with a couple scenes that were cut from More Than a Mistress and then corresponding scenes written for No Man's Mistress. Balogh said she wanted to keep the structures of these books parallel, and the additions do that. Then there's a lovely little years-later epilogue for the series.

I always think that these old school books (the original mistress series was written in 2000/2001) are so abrupt. It's usually literally, we declare love and SCENE! Right there in the ballroom or wherever they happen to be. I was happy to see a little more from the books here.

Also, Balogh was asked in her Fated Mates Trailblazer interview about saying that there is no such thing as happily ever after. She couldn't remember ever saying that (they were asking in context of a speech she gave) but in this book one character thinks: "Life was good. It would not remain perfect for all eternity, of course. There was no such thing as happily-ever-after. But *now* it was good."

[OLT · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading this is like sitting next to a garrulous, doting grandmother on an airplane flight. This is a must-read only for die-hard Balogh fans and epilogue lovers. Those who have a low threshold for boredom and honest-to-gosh wholesomeness, stay away. We're supplied with a few chapters cut from the first two MISTRESS books, about Jocelyn and Ferdinand, and by reading them, we see why the editors suggested cutting them in the first place, but for a true Balogh fan they could be an interesting read. Then we get an epilogue to all 3 MISTRESS books, including the most recent THE SECRET MISTRESS. It takes place maybe 5 years after Ferdinand and Viola's wedding. (They're the last couple to marry.) Here you get yourself up to date on how many children everyone has, how happy they all are and how wholesome their lives are. It's like a Hallmark card or a Christmas newsletter from an annoying friend or relative but many fans will like it.

But for me, this should not have cost even 99 cents. This is all stuff that, as one reviewer on Amazon said, should have been supplied for free on Balogh's website. Maybe she's needing to accumulate money for her old age. One very seldom finds a nice bargain price on a Balogh book, even for Kindle.

[willaful · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of vignettes related to Balogh's "Mistress" series. The previously cut sections from More Than a Mistress had some meat to them, but the mirroring scenes written for No Man's Mistress and the epilogue for the series were pretty blah. A pleasant nough read if you're a fan of the series, but I'm glad I borrowed it from the library.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the deleted scenes from book one the best. I'm not really sure the series epilogue was needed. It just read like a genealogy report, for the most part.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a good addition to the series.

I enjoyed the 3 scenes about Jocelyn and Jane. I liked their book More Than a Mistress, and these snippets completed the story of their love. Especially the first two, the Proposal and the Wedding. I remember reading the book and being confused about the jump. I kept turning the pages expecting to find a missing chapter in which there would be an explanation. These stories filled in the blanks and I'm thankful for that.

The two stories about Ferdinand and Viola were OK, but since I didn't actually read their book No Man's Mistress, I wasn't interested in them. I have no idea why I didn't read it since I distinctly remember the beginning, but anyway, to somebody who did read it the stories would hold deeper meaning.

The epilogue was nice. I like the fact that we met the children (especially those of Angela and Edward, since they had some problems), and that we caught a glimpse of their lives after the respective HEAs. :-)

Rating:

4 stars

[Carrie Olguin · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. I skimmed the pages seeking a story, but instead all I found were author notes and missing/alternate scenes from her books.

When I purchase a DVD, I like the extras cause I can watch them right after I've watched the movie.

But a book full of deleted scenes from books I read months or even years earlier? It takes too much brain power to remember the story, let alone notice the difference between the old a new material.

Hey, publishers! This idea of a book loaded with odds and ends just doesn't work for me.

And then to say it's a short story? What short story? Where? Must have been really, really short if it was stuffed in the middle of the words pervious thrown out as not good enough the first time around.

[Chumchum_88 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice short glimpse on the whole series by the author.

-It was nice to view some scenes from the original manuscript that weren't included in the published version.

-Also I have to admit i'm from the later category the author mentioned regarding epilogues, I love them.That's why it was nice to see all the three siblings together with their spouses happy and with their children.

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

I challenge anyone to match me book for book on my love and knowledgeable of every single word Balogh has ever written but this book of epilogues didn't do it for me. I actually bless the editor who cut the scene between Jane and Jocelyn in More than a Mistress -- she was right, it made the book stronger. It was fun to catch up but there weren't any new information or insights.

[Lady Wesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely little update and epilogue to the Mistress books.

[Nhi Nguyễn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a bad reading habit, which is reading the novella(s) of a book series before finishing the book(s) that precede those novellas. Maybe because I was so pumped up, so eager to figure out how happily ever after the characters I came to love in the novels were actually living. And, in this case, my bad reading habit stayed the same, which led to the fact that I finished reading this novella even when I haven't finished reading the first book in the "Mistress" trilogy :D And I must say it satisfied my hunger for more Dudleys' stories somehow ^^

Out of the three stories presented in this book, I loved the story of Jocelyn and Jane the most (of course, since I'm reading the novel about their romance right now :D). The proposing scene, the wedding scene, especially the coming-back-to-Acton-Park scene, really touched my heart. About Ferdinand and Viola's story, I'm not sure I liked it, since I haven't read the novel about their romance yet. And the final story, happening 5 years later when the three Dudleys gathered together with their children, was a sweet note for readers like me who longs to know about how many children my favorite characters eventually had :D. Still, the story was not actually a story, just some conversations and stated facts, so I didn't find it so enjoyable for my taste. Anyway, this is still a decent read from Ms. Balogh who never ceases to amaze me :))

[Emy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

FYI. These are missing and/or additional chapters from More Than a Mistress and No Man's Mistress. If you enjoyed the books, which I did, you will be happy to read the scenes the author left out from both books. However, it is obvious to me that the publisher is just downright greedy to charge money for these few pages.

[Carmen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing to write home about. If you don't read it you won't miss a thing.
==================
Nada del otro jueves. Si no lo lees no te pierdes nada.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This little novella serves a couple purposes. First, it includes deleted scenes from the books More than a Mistress and No Man’s Mistress. With regards to More than a Mistress, we get the wedding scene and the return to Jocelyn’s childhood home. Personally, I didn’t think either of these scenes were “missing” from the original book. I gave that book 5 stars and I think it felt complete the way it was originally released. Reading the scenes here was fine, they just didn’t add anything for me.

As far as the second book, No Man’s Mistress, we get the wedding scene as well as Ferdinand and Viola’s return to Pinewood Manor. The wedding scene was fine, but I didn’t think it added anything to the original book. On the other hand, one of my biggest complaints about the book was that the couple did not return to Pinewood. It made no sense to me at all because the entire book was based and focused on the ownership of that property where the couple lived for the first half of the book and where they fell in love. By not returning, we get no closure for the village characters we spent so much time with, nor did we get closure for the ownership storyline. I thought this was a huge omission from that book and contributed to the fact that I only rated it 2 stars. So to finally get that scene in this novella felt like the correction of a major error in my opinion.

Lastly, we are given a family epilogue (for all 3 siblings and their families) that takes place during a family reunion at Pinewood Manor. It doesn’t give much as it is fairly short, but it was cute and we find out how many kids each couple has at this point.

[Jack Vasen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why?

Perhaps if these chapters had been included in the original texts, they would have been acceptable, but even so, I question how many of the 7 would have improved the existing books. You see, while I find a good epilogue quite nice especially when you are dying to know if some poor almost spinster did have children, I didn't find this one that good.

The editor's choice in More Than a Mistress was the correct one. Those three chapters added little especially when the context is not fresh in the reader's mind. (And I read all of the series a mere couple of weeks ago.)

The issue is really that I find MB has a tendency to run on far too long after what could have been a good solid ending. In many of her books, the climax has come and gone long ago and the writing just keeps on going. Obviously she considers wedding scenes important, but they are all much the same. In More Than a Mistress the shock to the reader, as well as to their friends, of the surprise wedding was excellent.

I'm glad I didn't pay for this, even if it was only $.99.

[Bethe · Rating 2 out of 5]

This short book comprises chapters that were edited out of books 1&2 of the Mistress series, the ones right before the rather abrupt mention of the weddings that were just errands for the ladies, to be revealed at the big balls. The author had gotten requests for Angeline’s story so she wrote book 3 and an explanation for the Secret Mistress title. The final chapter/epilogue tying all 3 books together was disappointing.

[Marina P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Balogh is right: these parts were really missing in the previous books. Without the wedding scenes , the two stories have gaps in their story lines. I guess the publishers wanted to earn more money these parts in a novella style. I wouldn’t have bought it though, I got it for free as an e-book through my library. The whole reading took me less than an hour!

[Ani · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's so freaking sweet that I'm having a pleasant toothache for company. When I read this kind of books I want to laugh and cry at the same time, cause I feel happy for them but I also feel sad that it's fiction, not real life. Anyway, loved this epilogue kind of novella very much. The cut out scenes of the previous books brings back fond memories for me too.

[Jane Dunning · Rating 3 out of 5]

Forgive me Mary!?!

I have never given you a 3 before! I loved, loved the Mistress Trilogy giving them 5s but it taxed my brain to keep the stories and characters straight two years later!

[penelopewanders]

This was a funny little collection of scenes that had been cut from books in the Mistress series, and an even shorter scene (or that’s how it seemed), providing some back story for a sister who is already married in the other books. Not really what I was expecting, but interesting nonetheless.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the deleted scenes from More than a Mistress. Those two are adorable and hilarious and dramatic in their dealings together. 5 stars.

The rest of the short stories were unnecessary and mostly boring. But I'll reread those first 3 scenes focused on Jocelyn and Jane.

[pmatch1104 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting short novella with missing chapters from the Mistress series.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice follow up with favorite characters.

[San · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pointless

[P. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh.

[MJ4S · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading more about the characters of the first 2 books, especially Jane and Jocelyn.

[Tracy Yeanish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Balough

Thank you for this amazing trilogy and look behind the scenes, before the editing pen struck. Plus the series Epilogue!

[Evelyn]

I love Mary Balogh's books, but sorry, I was disappointed. This is just a little additional material to existing works and don't think it is fair to market it as a stand-alone book.