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Entry-Level Mistress
Daniel Hartmann and Emily Anderson have every reason to hate each other. Her father destroyed the lives of his parents and he in turn sent her father to jail. Now Daniel’s a successful billionaire and artsy Emily is his newest employee. Both of them intend to make the other pay for the sins of the past, but revenge has never been so sweet.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2013
18 people are currently reading
223 people want to read
About the author
Sabrina Darby
20 books192 followersSabrina Darby has been reading romance since the age of seven and learned her best vocabulary (dulcet, diaphanous, and turgid) from them. She started writing romance the day after her wedding when she woke up with an idea for a Regency; she’s been back in the early 19th century ever since.
She currently resides in California with her husband.
And for more historical romance fabulousness, join Sabrina at https://www.facebook.com/groups/ILove... for fun discussions led live every Thursday by a different guest co-host.
She currently resides in California with her husband.
And for more historical romance fabulousness, join Sabrina at https://www.facebook.com/groups/ILove... for fun discussions led live every Thursday by a different guest co-host.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
April 11, 2013
Dear Ms. Darby:
Reading Entry Level Mistress was like going out on a date with a fun guy, the sort you start thinking, "Hmmm... He seems pretty cool. I think I'd like to see him again." And then, blam, over dessert, he says, "Let me pay for dinner. I wanna get lucky."
I would have walked out on said date. I did, though utterly annoyed, finish Entry Level Mistress. I then had to wait a week or two to calm down before writing this review.
Let me explain why.
Entry Level Mistress is a self-pubbed work. It tells the familiar tale of gorgeous 21-year-old Emily Anderson and 31-year-old billionaire alpha male Daniel Hartman. Emily and Daniel have a long history together although, when the book begins, they haven't seen each other in over a decade. Emily blames Daniel for sending her father to jail and Daniel blames Emily's father for ruining his parents' marriage. Now, Emily is newly graduated from college and set on revenge. She gets herself hired at mega-corporation Hartman Enterprises and plots Daniel's--he's the CEO--downfall.
Emily's worked there for less than a week when Daniel sees her. She's not sure he remembers her, but whether he does or not, he makes a play for her immediately.
And it's lunch, then dinner, then charged sexual banter, and then, after the second date in which his chauffeur picks her up in a Bentley and delivers her to Daniel's Charles Street brownstone, it's blow-your-mind sex. After many earthshaking orgasms, Emily refuses to spend the night because she has to be at work, for Daniel, in the morning.
She does indeed head into work and before lunch, Daniel's texted her to meet him on the 30th floor where he takes her up against the wall. After that knock-your-socks-off interchange, Emily asks him what their deal is going to be.
Emily becomes Daniel's mistress/girlfriend/hookup. She keeps her job, but everyone she works with knows she screwing the boss. This book would have been a disaster for me if Emily cared about her job but she doesn't.
Emily is a gifted sculptor who has already had two shows in galleries in Jamaica Plains. Come the fall, she's headed to a prestigious fellowship at Barrows Farm artist’s colony. Her feeling is she does what she's supposed to at work--earning that small paycheck fairly--so boning the boss isn't unethical. As she and Daniel spend time together, in and out of bed, Emily (the novel's narrator) muses on what sort of relationship they have and why. Is it for revenge? For the sex? Are they helping or hurting each other's ability to move beyond the past?
I was entertained by the first 80% of this novel. When I saw the promo on the cover--A young artist. A ruthless billionaire. A passionate revenge.--I was sure I'd hate it and that it would be indistinctively dull. Instead, I liked it and it felt fairly fresh. Emily's narration is smart, sassy, and plausibly filled with doubt about her choices. Daniel isn't an alphahole; he too questions what he's doing, whether he's being fair to Emily, whether he's behaving unforgivably to his other employees. They are a fun couple to read.
Ms. Darby does an excellent job of infusing her prose with palpable sexual tension. I like the way sex is described in this book: it's hot, not crude, and offers just enough detail. Here, Emily and Daniel are in bed for the first time.
I was willing to accept the moral iffiness of their work/sex/power issues because both of them are clear about what they are doing, who has the power (mostly, but not all, Daniel), and how dangerous their relationship is to both of their well-beings. I was enjoying myself. And then, it happened.
(The rest of this review spells out the ending of the novel so I've hidden it.)
I don't know how to grade this book because it's possible the loathing I have for this book's resolution is my problem. I enjoyed the first 80%. I'm giving it a C because I'm sure had I had a different response to the ending, I'd have given it a B-.
Still somewhat irate,
Dabney
Reading Entry Level Mistress was like going out on a date with a fun guy, the sort you start thinking, "Hmmm... He seems pretty cool. I think I'd like to see him again." And then, blam, over dessert, he says, "Let me pay for dinner. I wanna get lucky."
I would have walked out on said date. I did, though utterly annoyed, finish Entry Level Mistress. I then had to wait a week or two to calm down before writing this review.
Let me explain why.
Entry Level Mistress is a self-pubbed work. It tells the familiar tale of gorgeous 21-year-old Emily Anderson and 31-year-old billionaire alpha male Daniel Hartman. Emily and Daniel have a long history together although, when the book begins, they haven't seen each other in over a decade. Emily blames Daniel for sending her father to jail and Daniel blames Emily's father for ruining his parents' marriage. Now, Emily is newly graduated from college and set on revenge. She gets herself hired at mega-corporation Hartman Enterprises and plots Daniel's--he's the CEO--downfall.
Emily's worked there for less than a week when Daniel sees her. She's not sure he remembers her, but whether he does or not, he makes a play for her immediately.
I pushed my rolling chair back from the desk and stood, carefully not looking in his general direction. But I felt when his attention was on me again, or maybe that was my imagination. I crossed the few yards to the kitchen, wondered if not looking was too obvious, and spared a glance to my left. His hand was resting on the metal rim of another cubicle and his head was tilted down, but his gaze met mine.
Shock flooded my body. I struggled for control, forcing myself to play it cool. Then as if he were just another hot guy at art school or the barista at the local coffee house, I slanted him a smile and looked away, quickly hiding from the intense awareness. Three steps. Kitchen. Deep, deep sigh. What the hell was I doing? I pulled a paper cup out from the cupboard and started to fill it with water.
The light in the room dimmed infinitesimally. His polished black shoes were in my line of sight, as were the perfect hems of his tailored trousers. He was clearly a man who cared about his clothing.
“Emily Anderson, right?”
So he knew my name. Despite the relative ubiquity of Anderson as a last name, surely then, he knew that I was the daughter of his father’s old partner.
I straightened. Turned. Sent him that slanted smile. Up close he was nearly devastating. But he wasn’t smiling back. Maybe that intense expression meant something other than the desire I had read. Maybe I only knew how to read college boys, not mega-wealthy businessmen.
“That’s right,” I said lightly. Took a sip of water while watching him. “Newest employee at Hartmann Enterprises … Mr. Hartmann.”
His lips quirked. I almost held my breath, expecting that brief movement to stretch into his patented smirk, the one that had stared out at me from GQ. For goodness’ sake, he was a celebrity, or at least dated celebrities. And I was talking to him.
“Well, newest employee. I’m on my way out to lunch. Join me.”
And it's lunch, then dinner, then charged sexual banter, and then, after the second date in which his chauffeur picks her up in a Bentley and delivers her to Daniel's Charles Street brownstone, it's blow-your-mind sex. After many earthshaking orgasms, Emily refuses to spend the night because she has to be at work, for Daniel, in the morning.
She does indeed head into work and before lunch, Daniel's texted her to meet him on the 30th floor where he takes her up against the wall. After that knock-your-socks-off interchange, Emily asks him what their deal is going to be.
“Is this going to be a habit?” I asked.
He kissed an inch further up my bare thigh. Was he buying time? Trying to formulate just the right response? I had questions I wanted to ask him. Bold, honest questions that would cut to the quick of our past and our present. But I held my tongue, terrified at the idea. What if he said something that made it impossible for me to stay?
“Yes,” he said softly, his lips moving against my skin.
He stood and leaned closer, slowly stroking my neck. I leaned into his hand.
“And if I text you? Will you come running?”
Again, he hesitated, studying my face, running a thumb along the line of my jaw. What did he see in my expression? His was like a mask.
“I doubt it,” he said finally.
“And?” I prodded.
“You’re coming home with me tonight.”
My stomach clenched at his tone, tight with desire. Yes, I wanted that, but could I continue to let him have his way so easily? Get away with his arrogant admissions? I lifted my chin, raised an eyebrow.
“So this, it’s going to happen your way, everything? You text. I run. You pick me up, drop me off … ”
“I like the way that sounds,” he agreed, a small smirk on his lips, as if he knew there was no way in hell I or any other woman would go for that.
“OK.”
Emily becomes Daniel's mistress/girlfriend/hookup. She keeps her job, but everyone she works with knows she screwing the boss. This book would have been a disaster for me if Emily cared about her job but she doesn't.
Emily is a gifted sculptor who has already had two shows in galleries in Jamaica Plains. Come the fall, she's headed to a prestigious fellowship at Barrows Farm artist’s colony. Her feeling is she does what she's supposed to at work--earning that small paycheck fairly--so boning the boss isn't unethical. As she and Daniel spend time together, in and out of bed, Emily (the novel's narrator) muses on what sort of relationship they have and why. Is it for revenge? For the sex? Are they helping or hurting each other's ability to move beyond the past?
I was entertained by the first 80% of this novel. When I saw the promo on the cover--A young artist. A ruthless billionaire. A passionate revenge.--I was sure I'd hate it and that it would be indistinctively dull. Instead, I liked it and it felt fairly fresh. Emily's narration is smart, sassy, and plausibly filled with doubt about her choices. Daniel isn't an alphahole; he too questions what he's doing, whether he's being fair to Emily, whether he's behaving unforgivably to his other employees. They are a fun couple to read.
Ms. Darby does an excellent job of infusing her prose with palpable sexual tension. I like the way sex is described in this book: it's hot, not crude, and offers just enough detail. Here, Emily and Daniel are in bed for the first time.
He wasn’t the first guy to go down on me. Despite what my eighth grade human development teacher warned our all-girls class about, boys these days know they need to at least make an attempt, even if most of those attempts are sloppy, aborted efforts. But this was way past try; this was a skilled manipulation of my body and I reveled in it. With each lick, each caress, he found the places that pleased me most and discovered the rhythm that turned pleasant into astonishing. I threw my head back on the bed and gave in to the rising tide, focused on that build, on the swirling colors of it, on—
I bucked against his mouth and hands uncontrollably, felt him move, hold onto my hips even as I shook and trembled. And then he was sliding over me, inside me, and I gasped at the sharp fullness of my highly sensitized body.
I was willing to accept the moral iffiness of their work/sex/power issues because both of them are clear about what they are doing, who has the power (mostly, but not all, Daniel), and how dangerous their relationship is to both of their well-beings. I was enjoying myself. And then, it happened.
(The rest of this review spells out the ending of the novel so I've hidden it.)
I don't know how to grade this book because it's possible the loathing I have for this book's resolution is my problem. I enjoyed the first 80%. I'm giving it a C because I'm sure had I had a different response to the ending, I'd have given it a B-.
Still somewhat irate,
Dabney
October 28, 2013
Original review posted here: http://www.yourentertainmentcorner.co....
Entry-Level Mistress is a damn good book. Not too long, not too short; it’s just right. Not perfect because I did come across a few grammar errors and continuity issues, but for the most part I have no complaints. I read straight through this book in about one day. I didn’t want to put it down. I couldn’t put it down. You know when a book is so good you end up reading it while brushing your teeth, cooking, and would take it into the shower if you knew it wouldn’t get wet? Entry-Level Mistress is that book. The first person narration is perfect for this story. Emily’s voice is fresh and amusing. You fall in love with her character and want to know more about her right away. Her youth doesn’t put forth any naïveté nor does it take away from her capabilities as a narrator. You want her to tell you her story. You want her to pull you into her world as an escape.
Darby is so good at writing Emily, you feel she’s a real person. Her emotions are heartfelt and genuine, and her need for revenge is expressed clearly. So much so, you want Emily to go through with her plan. Or, maybe not. You sympathize with her cause and want only what’s best for her. She meets the object of her revenge plan, Daniel Hartmann, and wants to take him down. But then she also wants to take him to bed. Talk about a dilemma.
Truth be told, Entry-Level Mistress reminds me of the ABC series Revenge. The lead character is also named Emily and her love interest is Daniel. But that’s where the similarities end. Darby’s Emily is young, not well equipped to engage in the game she’s playing, and going at it alone. Her heart is compromised daily and she loses focus of what’s important to her. Or does she? I almost feel she has an eye opening experience and sees what’s really in front of her. She doesn’t let the past rule her as it could, and when she finds herself in a bit of a pickle, tries to run away. But Leanna her friend and roommate doesn’t shirk her friendship duties and makes sure Emily gets sound advice. It may not always be correct, but Leanna is a solid secondary character who acts as more of a conscience than a plot device. Now, James on the other hand, another secondary character, is only around as a means of showcasing Emily as an object of desire. You know how in some romance novels the heroine doesn’t believe she’s beautiful or acceptable as a sexual being? I don’t get that feel from Emily, though she second guesses her appeal to a man who’s used to dating supermodels. She knows she’s attractive in her own right; she’s just doubtful of her place in the world of a billionaire playboy. All that is swept aside as Emily regains her rightful place in the world of socialites and the rich and famous.
If you want a solid, well-written contemporary romance to get lost in, Entry-Level Mistress is your book. It’s hot, sexy, and suspenseful all at once. You never know who’s playing whom in the game of revenge. But there can only be one winner. Or two losers. Depends on how you look at it.
I was provided an ARC by NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.
Entry-Level Mistress is a damn good book. Not too long, not too short; it’s just right. Not perfect because I did come across a few grammar errors and continuity issues, but for the most part I have no complaints. I read straight through this book in about one day. I didn’t want to put it down. I couldn’t put it down. You know when a book is so good you end up reading it while brushing your teeth, cooking, and would take it into the shower if you knew it wouldn’t get wet? Entry-Level Mistress is that book. The first person narration is perfect for this story. Emily’s voice is fresh and amusing. You fall in love with her character and want to know more about her right away. Her youth doesn’t put forth any naïveté nor does it take away from her capabilities as a narrator. You want her to tell you her story. You want her to pull you into her world as an escape.
Darby is so good at writing Emily, you feel she’s a real person. Her emotions are heartfelt and genuine, and her need for revenge is expressed clearly. So much so, you want Emily to go through with her plan. Or, maybe not. You sympathize with her cause and want only what’s best for her. She meets the object of her revenge plan, Daniel Hartmann, and wants to take him down. But then she also wants to take him to bed. Talk about a dilemma.
Truth be told, Entry-Level Mistress reminds me of the ABC series Revenge. The lead character is also named Emily and her love interest is Daniel. But that’s where the similarities end. Darby’s Emily is young, not well equipped to engage in the game she’s playing, and going at it alone. Her heart is compromised daily and she loses focus of what’s important to her. Or does she? I almost feel she has an eye opening experience and sees what’s really in front of her. She doesn’t let the past rule her as it could, and when she finds herself in a bit of a pickle, tries to run away. But Leanna her friend and roommate doesn’t shirk her friendship duties and makes sure Emily gets sound advice. It may not always be correct, but Leanna is a solid secondary character who acts as more of a conscience than a plot device. Now, James on the other hand, another secondary character, is only around as a means of showcasing Emily as an object of desire. You know how in some romance novels the heroine doesn’t believe she’s beautiful or acceptable as a sexual being? I don’t get that feel from Emily, though she second guesses her appeal to a man who’s used to dating supermodels. She knows she’s attractive in her own right; she’s just doubtful of her place in the world of a billionaire playboy. All that is swept aside as Emily regains her rightful place in the world of socialites and the rich and famous.
If you want a solid, well-written contemporary romance to get lost in, Entry-Level Mistress is your book. It’s hot, sexy, and suspenseful all at once. You never know who’s playing whom in the game of revenge. But there can only be one winner. Or two losers. Depends on how you look at it.
I was provided an ARC by NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.
September 23, 2013
I had fairly high hopes for this book. The blurb made it sound interesting, and who doesn’t like a good revenge story, after all? There was some good and no actual bad to this story. It just didn’t have quite the oomph I expected, given the blurb.
Emily starts out as a relatively strong (albeit somewhat unbelievable – more on that in a minute) character. She gets an internship at Daniel Hartmann’s company with the intention of making him pay for sending her dad to jail many years earlier, and pretty much destroying her family’s fortune. I can get into that. However, as even Emily admits, the plan wasn’t a particularly strong one. After all, how’s she going to destroy his company from within…as a new hire…in the marketing department.
One issue I had with Emily herself that I had were her wishy-washy attitude toward Daniel himself. She’d admittedly been fascinated/a little obsessed with him since childhood (he’s 13 years older than her, which almost puts him in squicky old territory for me). Then as soon as she meets him, she gets lust for him and almost immediately starts sleeping with him (there are a couple of dates before then). I could see if she were trying to lure him to his doom, a-la-Siren fashion, but that didn’t seem to be the reason. I also don’t get where she got all her money to spend. She’s an entry-level marketing assistant. Yet she drops money at every opportunity buying high fashion, etc. I thought her family was broke. She’s 21. I don’t get it.
I did like the fact that she’d put a time limit, more or less, on her revenge plans since she had an art fellowship come autumn that she intended to go to. And she did go as planned, though things (naturally) didn’t go quite as she intended on that end. Clearly this revenge wasn’t the be all and end all of her existence, and given what she believed on Daniel, it easily could have been. Kudos to Ms. Darby for not making Emily solely revenge-oriented. That can often be overdone and it wasn’t in this case.
It was much harder to get a read on Daniel, given the book was first-person POV with Emily. So much of the book was just … meh. Daniel, other than being quite bossy and arrogant about her coming when called/texted (and she did), wasn’t a big alphahole, which was nice. But I never really got a feeling for him as a person, just a (given Emily’s profession) lump of clay moved around as necessary.
So, overall, the book was okay, but not spectacular for me. I wish there’d been more drama and actual revenge-getting moments than what we got, along with avoiding the oh-so-typical cliche moment (not going to spoil it, but there was an eye-roll moment after Daniel and Emily broke up at one point where she makes a particular discovery).
I liked Ms. Darby’s writing and I’m sure I’ll pick up another book by her in the future. This one just gets a 3-star rating from me, unfortunately.
Book provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Emily starts out as a relatively strong (albeit somewhat unbelievable – more on that in a minute) character. She gets an internship at Daniel Hartmann’s company with the intention of making him pay for sending her dad to jail many years earlier, and pretty much destroying her family’s fortune. I can get into that. However, as even Emily admits, the plan wasn’t a particularly strong one. After all, how’s she going to destroy his company from within…as a new hire…in the marketing department.
One issue I had with Emily herself that I had were her wishy-washy attitude toward Daniel himself. She’d admittedly been fascinated/a little obsessed with him since childhood (he’s 13 years older than her, which almost puts him in squicky old territory for me). Then as soon as she meets him, she gets lust for him and almost immediately starts sleeping with him (there are a couple of dates before then). I could see if she were trying to lure him to his doom, a-la-Siren fashion, but that didn’t seem to be the reason. I also don’t get where she got all her money to spend. She’s an entry-level marketing assistant. Yet she drops money at every opportunity buying high fashion, etc. I thought her family was broke. She’s 21. I don’t get it.
I did like the fact that she’d put a time limit, more or less, on her revenge plans since she had an art fellowship come autumn that she intended to go to. And she did go as planned, though things (naturally) didn’t go quite as she intended on that end. Clearly this revenge wasn’t the be all and end all of her existence, and given what she believed on Daniel, it easily could have been. Kudos to Ms. Darby for not making Emily solely revenge-oriented. That can often be overdone and it wasn’t in this case.
It was much harder to get a read on Daniel, given the book was first-person POV with Emily. So much of the book was just … meh. Daniel, other than being quite bossy and arrogant about her coming when called/texted (and she did), wasn’t a big alphahole, which was nice. But I never really got a feeling for him as a person, just a (given Emily’s profession) lump of clay moved around as necessary.
So, overall, the book was okay, but not spectacular for me. I wish there’d been more drama and actual revenge-getting moments than what we got, along with avoiding the oh-so-typical cliche moment (not going to spoil it, but there was an eye-roll moment after Daniel and Emily broke up at one point where she makes a particular discovery).
I liked Ms. Darby’s writing and I’m sure I’ll pick up another book by her in the future. This one just gets a 3-star rating from me, unfortunately.
Book provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 24, 2013
SHE WANTS REVENGE
Emily has just got a job in the marketing dept at Hartmann Enterprises. She's a college graduate an aspiring sculptress. Daniel Hartmann is the man who ruined her family, had her father sent to prison. They lost everything. But Emily is hoping that by working in Daniels company she can have some sort of revenge upon him.
The first time Daniel sees her, he invites her out to lunch, from there things become more involved between them. But as Emily puts it, it's just a game, or is it?
I liked the idea for this story and it is well written. So why three stars? Well the plot was a good idea. But it was the interactions between Emily and Daniel that were the stumbling block for me. Daniel in particular says very little, I didn't feel as if I got to know him at all. Except for his assertion that he refuses to talk about the past. But it's the past that is the connection between them. I just didn't feel the chemistry between these two. Emily was very well fleshed out, the story is told totally from her perspective, I was curious how she was going exact her revenge from her lowly position in the marketing dept, but then she never really attempted to. The sex scenes were okay. All in all this lacked oomph for me.
ARC courtesy of NetGalley
Emily has just got a job in the marketing dept at Hartmann Enterprises. She's a college graduate an aspiring sculptress. Daniel Hartmann is the man who ruined her family, had her father sent to prison. They lost everything. But Emily is hoping that by working in Daniels company she can have some sort of revenge upon him.
The first time Daniel sees her, he invites her out to lunch, from there things become more involved between them. But as Emily puts it, it's just a game, or is it?
I liked the idea for this story and it is well written. So why three stars? Well the plot was a good idea. But it was the interactions between Emily and Daniel that were the stumbling block for me. Daniel in particular says very little, I didn't feel as if I got to know him at all. Except for his assertion that he refuses to talk about the past. But it's the past that is the connection between them. I just didn't feel the chemistry between these two. Emily was very well fleshed out, the story is told totally from her perspective, I was curious how she was going exact her revenge from her lowly position in the marketing dept, but then she never really attempted to. The sex scenes were okay. All in all this lacked oomph for me.
ARC courtesy of NetGalley
September 21, 2013
*ARC provided via Netgalley*
Review to come.
Review to come.
August 7, 2017
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Revenge is a dish best served cold, but what happens when the fire spins out of control?
Opening Sentence: For the seventeenth time in the last five minutes, I looked at the clock on the upper right corner of the computer screen.
Excerpt: No
The Review:
Emily took a job at Harmann enterprises in hopes of getting revenge on Daniel for sending her father to jail. She wonders if he knows who she is especially when he asks her to lunch. The attraction is instant and it takes everything Emily has not to kiss him during the lunch. He soon asks her to dinner and she wonders what will happen between them. She begins to wonder if she can hold true to her plan for revenge.
During the dinner, the sexual tension between them escalates, but then cools off when he mentions that she is Mark Anderson’s daughter confirming his knowledge of who she is. They just barely manage to hold off falling into bed, but soon the relationship between them is hot and heavy. Emily knows that she is losing control of the relationship and her plans for revenge. Soon she is asked to leave her job, and she decides to make a clean break with Daniel.
But he begs her to stay and to go the Hamptons with him and after the trip ends Emily and Daniel are all over the tabloids. Her father shows up angry that she is in a relationship with him, and that his name is in the press again, which has ruined his chances of getting a good job. Emily confronts Daniel and things don’t end well. But is their love really over? How will she handle the new challenge on the horizon? Can Daniel really let her go?
This was a cute, quick and steamy read. I enjoyed every minute of it, although I am pretty sure Emily was pudding in Daniel’s hands from the get-go, so it was pretty light on the revenge and I was a little disappointed in that. Overall, I liked them as a couple. I was just expecting more revenge and more twist and turns during the course of the relationship.
Notable Scene:
My words charged the air, laid out a challenge. We both understood where this was leading. There was no doubt the attraction was there. What I didn’t know was, would I gather my clothes and be driven home in the wee hours of the morning, or would there be breakfast and normal, awkward, next-morning conversation? And why was I considering sleeping with a man I didn’t like? On the first date! When only half an hour earlier I had rejected the possibility.
FTC Advisory: Create Space Independent Publishing Platform provided me with a copy of Entry-Level Mistress. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Revenge is a dish best served cold, but what happens when the fire spins out of control?
Opening Sentence: For the seventeenth time in the last five minutes, I looked at the clock on the upper right corner of the computer screen.
Excerpt: No
The Review:
Emily took a job at Harmann enterprises in hopes of getting revenge on Daniel for sending her father to jail. She wonders if he knows who she is especially when he asks her to lunch. The attraction is instant and it takes everything Emily has not to kiss him during the lunch. He soon asks her to dinner and she wonders what will happen between them. She begins to wonder if she can hold true to her plan for revenge.
During the dinner, the sexual tension between them escalates, but then cools off when he mentions that she is Mark Anderson’s daughter confirming his knowledge of who she is. They just barely manage to hold off falling into bed, but soon the relationship between them is hot and heavy. Emily knows that she is losing control of the relationship and her plans for revenge. Soon she is asked to leave her job, and she decides to make a clean break with Daniel.
But he begs her to stay and to go the Hamptons with him and after the trip ends Emily and Daniel are all over the tabloids. Her father shows up angry that she is in a relationship with him, and that his name is in the press again, which has ruined his chances of getting a good job. Emily confronts Daniel and things don’t end well. But is their love really over? How will she handle the new challenge on the horizon? Can Daniel really let her go?
This was a cute, quick and steamy read. I enjoyed every minute of it, although I am pretty sure Emily was pudding in Daniel’s hands from the get-go, so it was pretty light on the revenge and I was a little disappointed in that. Overall, I liked them as a couple. I was just expecting more revenge and more twist and turns during the course of the relationship.
Notable Scene:
My words charged the air, laid out a challenge. We both understood where this was leading. There was no doubt the attraction was there. What I didn’t know was, would I gather my clothes and be driven home in the wee hours of the morning, or would there be breakfast and normal, awkward, next-morning conversation? And why was I considering sleeping with a man I didn’t like? On the first date! When only half an hour earlier I had rejected the possibility.
FTC Advisory: Create Space Independent Publishing Platform provided me with a copy of Entry-Level Mistress. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
September 24, 2013
Entry-Level Mistress. Sabrina Darby.
ARC supplied via Netgalley.
I really enjoyed this read. Its a romance, but with some mystery behind it. Emily is planning revenge on Daniel for bringing down her fathers business and resulting in him being jailed for five years. She's reviled him ever since, hating what happened to her family as a result. Then she sees an ad for his company, applies and gets taken on.
She wonders if he knows who she is, and quickly finds out he does. The attraction though – she didn't expect that and neither did he. After some stop- go scenes, where they want to get together, then they don't, then they do....they enter into a torrid affair, and there are some hot, erotic scenes between the two, with them agreeing not to talk about the past. But is she still planning revenge? Is he planning to dupe her in the same way? And what really is the truth, is it what she's always believed, or is there more to it? Daniel doesn't seem like the heartless, dangerous, vindictive person she's always pictured, but is he just playing a role in order to use her for revenge?
There's lots of questions – and thankfully they do get answered in a riveting and tearful finale. Daniel falls as hard for Emily as she has for him, but neither will admit it to themselves never mind each other. When their affair becomes public there's a lot of costs resulting to Emily, her family and job, and her relationship with him as she thinks he leaked the photos and her name deliberately. Her father is furious, she's heartbroken. Can they get back after that, and do they want to if they can't trust each other.
I loved Daniel, he was so different from what she'd imagined, and like her I wondered if he was just playing a role to deceive her. She's so far from his usual type of stick thin, model girl date that it seemed odd, – but them I’m a romantic and always want it to be love :) He seemed to be such a genuine character it was hard to imagine him as the vengeful person setting her father up to fall. It was clear though he held a grudge against her father for his affair with Daniels mother, and that had led to his fathers death. Emily though seems to believe that the affair didn't start until after his fathers death. There's several other conflicts between what Daniel says about the past, and what she's been told.
Emily is sweet, but she's carried this idea of fault and revenge around for too long. She's not planning to stay at the firm, having an artist in residence position at the end of the summer, but was just hoping to find something out to use against Daniel. It wasn't planned, just the idea and opportunity seemed to good to pass up. Now she's in the firm though, and has met Daniel she's struggling with holding fast to her intentions. I really felt for her, for so long she's been stuck between parents who don't get on, and fed a story that is now looking doubtful, and she's falling hard for Daniel. Then something comes along just at the time it all goes wrong, and she's tossed in a storm of emotions, not knowing where she'll fall and how much control she will have over events.
Thankfully this is a stand alone novel – I HATE getting to the end and then discovering there's more to come..at sometime in the future..maybe..if the author continues with the story. So a huge Thanks to Sabrina for not taking that route, and for giving us a great book, full of characters who I can empathises with, and a plot that kept me wondering what would happen, and how it could be resolved. Priced at £2.68 for 226 pages/349kb its decent VFM too.
Stars: loved it, almost but not quite a five – bit longer for me and it would have been so I’m giving four and a half.
ARC supplied via Netgalley.
I really enjoyed this read. Its a romance, but with some mystery behind it. Emily is planning revenge on Daniel for bringing down her fathers business and resulting in him being jailed for five years. She's reviled him ever since, hating what happened to her family as a result. Then she sees an ad for his company, applies and gets taken on.
She wonders if he knows who she is, and quickly finds out he does. The attraction though – she didn't expect that and neither did he. After some stop- go scenes, where they want to get together, then they don't, then they do....they enter into a torrid affair, and there are some hot, erotic scenes between the two, with them agreeing not to talk about the past. But is she still planning revenge? Is he planning to dupe her in the same way? And what really is the truth, is it what she's always believed, or is there more to it? Daniel doesn't seem like the heartless, dangerous, vindictive person she's always pictured, but is he just playing a role in order to use her for revenge?
There's lots of questions – and thankfully they do get answered in a riveting and tearful finale. Daniel falls as hard for Emily as she has for him, but neither will admit it to themselves never mind each other. When their affair becomes public there's a lot of costs resulting to Emily, her family and job, and her relationship with him as she thinks he leaked the photos and her name deliberately. Her father is furious, she's heartbroken. Can they get back after that, and do they want to if they can't trust each other.
I loved Daniel, he was so different from what she'd imagined, and like her I wondered if he was just playing a role to deceive her. She's so far from his usual type of stick thin, model girl date that it seemed odd, – but them I’m a romantic and always want it to be love :) He seemed to be such a genuine character it was hard to imagine him as the vengeful person setting her father up to fall. It was clear though he held a grudge against her father for his affair with Daniels mother, and that had led to his fathers death. Emily though seems to believe that the affair didn't start until after his fathers death. There's several other conflicts between what Daniel says about the past, and what she's been told.
Emily is sweet, but she's carried this idea of fault and revenge around for too long. She's not planning to stay at the firm, having an artist in residence position at the end of the summer, but was just hoping to find something out to use against Daniel. It wasn't planned, just the idea and opportunity seemed to good to pass up. Now she's in the firm though, and has met Daniel she's struggling with holding fast to her intentions. I really felt for her, for so long she's been stuck between parents who don't get on, and fed a story that is now looking doubtful, and she's falling hard for Daniel. Then something comes along just at the time it all goes wrong, and she's tossed in a storm of emotions, not knowing where she'll fall and how much control she will have over events.
Thankfully this is a stand alone novel – I HATE getting to the end and then discovering there's more to come..at sometime in the future..maybe..if the author continues with the story. So a huge Thanks to Sabrina for not taking that route, and for giving us a great book, full of characters who I can empathises with, and a plot that kept me wondering what would happen, and how it could be resolved. Priced at £2.68 for 226 pages/349kb its decent VFM too.
Stars: loved it, almost but not quite a five – bit longer for me and it would have been so I’m giving four and a half.
November 27, 2013
Daniel Hartmann and Emily Anderson have every reason to hate each other. Her father destroyed the lives of his parents and he in turn sent her father to jail. Now Daniel’s thirty something year old successful billionaire and Emily is 19 year old sculptor who takes a job at his company the summer after high school graduation to find a way to ruin him.
It was unbelievable that Emily sees this man on her second day at work and at first sight, she is immediately is overwhelmed with lust for a guy that is 13 years older than her. At first, Emily seems to be this horny, naïve immature kid who's hero worship is being taken advantage of, when sleeps with Daniel by the third date. But, ironically she seems to be the sexual aggressor. She often pushing Daniel to continue their casual sex (often at work), and she goads Daniel into continuing their encounters together by saying that it's just for fun and games. (Sadly the love scenes were short and there was room for a lot of development.)
This book had a great description and I was expecting more. It just didn't stand out in any way. The relationship between Daniel and Emily was blasé and not very note-worthy. The "college girl dates a dominant millionaire" plot has been overdone in romance books lately. It's a trend that will end soon (thank God). If writers choose to use the exact same trend as lots of other writers, there needs to be something extra or something unique into the story to make it stand out.
Daniel Hartmann and Emily Anderson have every reason to hate each other. Her father destroyed the lives of his parents and he in turn sent her father to jail. Now Daniel’s thirty something year old successful billionaire and Emily is 19 year old sculptor who takes a job at his company the summer after high school graduation to find a way to ruin him.
It was unbelievable that Emily sees this man on her second day at work and at first sight, she immediately is overwhelmed with lust for a guy that is 13 years older than her. Emily seems to be this naïve kid who's hero worship is being taken advantage of. Emily sleeps with Daniel by the third date, and she seems to be the sexual aggressor pushing for more of their no strings casual sex (often at the office). When Daniel is reluctant she often convinces him to continue their meetings by reminding him that their quickies are "just fun and games". (Sadly the love scenes were short and there was room for a lot of development.)
While this just wasn't the book for me, I am sure that I would read another of Sabrina Darby's other books.
It was unbelievable that Emily sees this man on her second day at work and at first sight, she is immediately is overwhelmed with lust for a guy that is 13 years older than her. At first, Emily seems to be this horny, naïve immature kid who's hero worship is being taken advantage of, when sleeps with Daniel by the third date. But, ironically she seems to be the sexual aggressor. She often pushing Daniel to continue their casual sex (often at work), and she goads Daniel into continuing their encounters together by saying that it's just for fun and games. (Sadly the love scenes were short and there was room for a lot of development.)
This book had a great description and I was expecting more. It just didn't stand out in any way. The relationship between Daniel and Emily was blasé and not very note-worthy. The "college girl dates a dominant millionaire" plot has been overdone in romance books lately. It's a trend that will end soon (thank God). If writers choose to use the exact same trend as lots of other writers, there needs to be something extra or something unique into the story to make it stand out.
Daniel Hartmann and Emily Anderson have every reason to hate each other. Her father destroyed the lives of his parents and he in turn sent her father to jail. Now Daniel’s thirty something year old successful billionaire and Emily is 19 year old sculptor who takes a job at his company the summer after high school graduation to find a way to ruin him.
It was unbelievable that Emily sees this man on her second day at work and at first sight, she immediately is overwhelmed with lust for a guy that is 13 years older than her. Emily seems to be this naïve kid who's hero worship is being taken advantage of. Emily sleeps with Daniel by the third date, and she seems to be the sexual aggressor pushing for more of their no strings casual sex (often at the office). When Daniel is reluctant she often convinces him to continue their meetings by reminding him that their quickies are "just fun and games". (Sadly the love scenes were short and there was room for a lot of development.)
While this just wasn't the book for me, I am sure that I would read another of Sabrina Darby's other books.
April 24, 2014
I was really excited about this book, I'm not sure why, but the whole revenge plot line really appealed to me. Maybe because I am not a person who really would ever be the type to go for revenge, so books are my only way to really experience it, plus they tend to be high drama and full or moral dilemmas.
Overall I liked the story, it was told from Emily's POV so you had a really good chance to get to know her and her personality as well as her motivations. Emily comes across this opportunity to work for the man who put her dad in prison, and once she is there, she knows she wants revenge for her family, but at the same time, she really has no idea how to go about doing it. The two of them have any immediate attraction to each other, with both of them acknowledging that they shouldn't get involved with each other but they do anyway.
The dynamic between the two of them is, well, interesting. It's really had to get a read on Daniel. Since it's never from his POV you really have to rely on his dialogue and his actions, and he isn't much of a talker. In fact on more than one occasion he completely refuses to talk about anything in the past, so you really have no idea how he feels about anything. He is a take charge kind of guy though, he is demanding of Emily, especially in regards to their sex life, but never in a way that seems too over the top or jerk like. I think part of the appeal of Daniel is that he's like 13 years older than her, so he is much more experienced, and I think she always enjoys that he is a bit on the demanding side.
The big plus for me when it came to Emily was that she wasn't completely devoted to the revenge plot. Thankfully she never really came up with any kind of meaningful plot to get any revenge, and even if she had, it was clear early on that she had a heart and was more inclined to listen to what her heart wanted versus any need for revenge that she had. To say that Emily and Daniel have some twisted family history between the two of them, might be a bit of an understatement. But overall Emily was likable, and the family drama only enhanced her character development. My only dislike of Emily was that there were moments where she came off as a bit on the vain side, but thankfully they didn't happen often enough to make me not like her.
The big downsides for me were that you getting get to really know Daniel all that well, and that the ending felt a bit on the rushed side for me. Overall I think it's a solid romance story, that definitely had some steamy elements to it that pretty much anyone would appreciate.
Overall I liked the story, it was told from Emily's POV so you had a really good chance to get to know her and her personality as well as her motivations. Emily comes across this opportunity to work for the man who put her dad in prison, and once she is there, she knows she wants revenge for her family, but at the same time, she really has no idea how to go about doing it. The two of them have any immediate attraction to each other, with both of them acknowledging that they shouldn't get involved with each other but they do anyway.
The dynamic between the two of them is, well, interesting. It's really had to get a read on Daniel. Since it's never from his POV you really have to rely on his dialogue and his actions, and he isn't much of a talker. In fact on more than one occasion he completely refuses to talk about anything in the past, so you really have no idea how he feels about anything. He is a take charge kind of guy though, he is demanding of Emily, especially in regards to their sex life, but never in a way that seems too over the top or jerk like. I think part of the appeal of Daniel is that he's like 13 years older than her, so he is much more experienced, and I think she always enjoys that he is a bit on the demanding side.
The big plus for me when it came to Emily was that she wasn't completely devoted to the revenge plot. Thankfully she never really came up with any kind of meaningful plot to get any revenge, and even if she had, it was clear early on that she had a heart and was more inclined to listen to what her heart wanted versus any need for revenge that she had. To say that Emily and Daniel have some twisted family history between the two of them, might be a bit of an understatement. But overall Emily was likable, and the family drama only enhanced her character development. My only dislike of Emily was that there were moments where she came off as a bit on the vain side, but thankfully they didn't happen often enough to make me not like her.
The big downsides for me were that you getting get to really know Daniel all that well, and that the ending felt a bit on the rushed side for me. Overall I think it's a solid romance story, that definitely had some steamy elements to it that pretty much anyone would appreciate.
October 10, 2013
ARC received through NetGalley
Entry-Level Mistress is the story about revenge. Its the story about how love surpasses everything. Its the story of Emily & Daniel. Emily is planning revenge on Daniel for bringing down her fathers business and resulting in him being jailed for five years. She's reviled him ever since, hating what happened to her family as a result. Then she sees an ad for his company, applies and gets taken on.
She wonders if he knows who she is, and quickly finds out he does.
They than start having an affair with a rule of not talking about the past. But is she still planning revenge? Is he planning to dupe her in the same way? And what really is the truth, is it what she's always believed, or is there more to it? Daniel doesn't seem like the heartless, dangerous, vindictive person she's always pictured, but is he just playing a role in order to use her for revenge?
It was much harder to get a read on Daniel, given the book was first-person POV with Emily. So much of the book was just … meh. Daniel, other than being quite bossy and arrogant about her coming when called/texted (and she did), wasn’t a alpha male, which was nice to read for a change. But I never really got a feeling for him as a person.I could'nt feel much depth to either of the characters.
So, overall, the book was okay, but not spectacular for me. I wish there’d been more drama and actual revenge-getting moments than what we got
Entry-Level Mistress is the story about revenge. Its the story about how love surpasses everything. Its the story of Emily & Daniel. Emily is planning revenge on Daniel for bringing down her fathers business and resulting in him being jailed for five years. She's reviled him ever since, hating what happened to her family as a result. Then she sees an ad for his company, applies and gets taken on.
She wonders if he knows who she is, and quickly finds out he does.
They than start having an affair with a rule of not talking about the past. But is she still planning revenge? Is he planning to dupe her in the same way? And what really is the truth, is it what she's always believed, or is there more to it? Daniel doesn't seem like the heartless, dangerous, vindictive person she's always pictured, but is he just playing a role in order to use her for revenge?
It was much harder to get a read on Daniel, given the book was first-person POV with Emily. So much of the book was just … meh. Daniel, other than being quite bossy and arrogant about her coming when called/texted (and she did), wasn’t a alpha male, which was nice to read for a change. But I never really got a feeling for him as a person.I could'nt feel much depth to either of the characters.
So, overall, the book was okay, but not spectacular for me. I wish there’d been more drama and actual revenge-getting moments than what we got
September 26, 2013
Smart, independent, creative artist Emily and successful, business tycoon, billionaire Daniel: a story that seems ill fated from the beginning. Lust, Revenge, and eventually love – all between two characters who are curious about each other – drawn to each other – by a past they can't put behind them. Emily takes a job with Daniel's company with the idea of bringing him down – but it never seems she is very serious about that idea, especially when she starts dating him and has the means to do him the most damage but never inflicts the wound. Can a relationship with all this baggage – between a couple who are so far apart in age – endure the storms that erupt when trying to pretend the past doesn't matter and that they are only playing a game, a temporary diversion, until they tire of it? Or will they finally discuss the past and let it go, admit they love each other and live happily ever after? You'll have to read it to find out. I enjoyed the book, but the story behind the story – what happened with their parents to cause Emily's curiosity and thoughts of revenge– was a little confusing. Overall, it was a good read.
I was given a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
I was given a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
October 19, 2013
First, I wanna say that I wish this book had a different title. From my perspective it’s a bit misleading to the story and may turn some off before reading.
It’s about two people whose fathers were in business together as partners. The partners had a terrible falling out that included a lot of family drama. Entry Level Mistress is the story of their children years later.
Thirteen years separates Daniel Hartman and Emily Anderson. Young Emily has a crazy plan to work for Daniel’s company. She wants to get the inside scoop and bring him to his knees. The only problem is that she is an art major and has no idea how to go about this. She gets an entry level job and whatdya know. She runs into the man himself. Sparks, looks, and sexual tension ensue.
It turns into a love story, with neither person discussing nor bringing up the past. They’re just living for the moment, but like so many books with this type of story line, they can’t live happily ever after. The past ALWAYS comes back to haunt you.
It was a fun, quick, and satisfying read. A little predictable, but pleasurable none the less.
3.5 Stars
T~
*Given via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
www.ktbookreviews.com
It’s about two people whose fathers were in business together as partners. The partners had a terrible falling out that included a lot of family drama. Entry Level Mistress is the story of their children years later.
Thirteen years separates Daniel Hartman and Emily Anderson. Young Emily has a crazy plan to work for Daniel’s company. She wants to get the inside scoop and bring him to his knees. The only problem is that she is an art major and has no idea how to go about this. She gets an entry level job and whatdya know. She runs into the man himself. Sparks, looks, and sexual tension ensue.
It turns into a love story, with neither person discussing nor bringing up the past. They’re just living for the moment, but like so many books with this type of story line, they can’t live happily ever after. The past ALWAYS comes back to haunt you.
It was a fun, quick, and satisfying read. A little predictable, but pleasurable none the less.
3.5 Stars
T~
*Given via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
www.ktbookreviews.com
September 25, 2013
Daniel Hartmann is a billionaire in the marketing world and Emily Anderseon has taken a low position in the design department in order to get her revenge.
They have good reason to hate each other, there fathers where both business partners in the past.. his died and hers landed in jail at the hands of Daniel the man she should hate but has a deep attraction to..
I like these two characters while they know little about each other in person. In theory they know a lot Daniel has had Emily and her family investigated for years, while she's always had a fascination about this older beautiful wealthy man who was the down fall of her family.
On there first meeting the mutual attraction is obvious, the banter between them always sexually charged. The sex scenes are great and I love "two lovers torn" aspect it's very Romeo and Juliet.
However while I enjoyed the idea of the story and thought the authors writing was good, I would of preferred to know a little more about there past history that nobody wanted to talk about! It was the elephant in the room I wanted to know the details of why certain characters acted the way they did. Adding this I feel would of made a good story great.
They have good reason to hate each other, there fathers where both business partners in the past.. his died and hers landed in jail at the hands of Daniel the man she should hate but has a deep attraction to..
I like these two characters while they know little about each other in person. In theory they know a lot Daniel has had Emily and her family investigated for years, while she's always had a fascination about this older beautiful wealthy man who was the down fall of her family.
On there first meeting the mutual attraction is obvious, the banter between them always sexually charged. The sex scenes are great and I love "two lovers torn" aspect it's very Romeo and Juliet.
However while I enjoyed the idea of the story and thought the authors writing was good, I would of preferred to know a little more about there past history that nobody wanted to talk about! It was the elephant in the room I wanted to know the details of why certain characters acted the way they did. Adding this I feel would of made a good story great.
March 24, 2015
Emily Anderson is out for revenge against Daniel Hartmann, the man she believes responsible for sending her father to jail. But it’s a lot more complicated than that, as Daniel also blames Emily’s father for the death of both of his parents. She once had an upbringing of privilege and comfort that was snatched away. She has always been curious about the man her father always blamed for his imprisonment and problems so, when a job opens up at Daniel’s company, she impulsively applies for the job.
I don’t own a television so all references to a television show called Revenge are lost on me. I simply read this book because I love Sabrina Darby's voice and her sensual and gripping stories. She's a very talented and perceptive writer who has a way of creating characters, mood, and emotion without a lot of extra descriptive fluff. It's spare, direct, and minimal; she can convey a lot in a compact style that is very powerful.
My full review on my historical romance and history blog: http://bit.ly/1FSUUL9
I don’t own a television so all references to a television show called Revenge are lost on me. I simply read this book because I love Sabrina Darby's voice and her sensual and gripping stories. She's a very talented and perceptive writer who has a way of creating characters, mood, and emotion without a lot of extra descriptive fluff. It's spare, direct, and minimal; she can convey a lot in a compact style that is very powerful.
My full review on my historical romance and history blog: http://bit.ly/1FSUUL9
November 25, 2013
Daniel and Emily had a past that ended up with the death of Daniels parents and her fathers life ruined with jail time. Not being able to let go of the past Emily decided it was time to cast her revenge and ruin Daniel for ruining her father. For a long time Emily thought Daniel was some type of evil villain and her revenge plan seems to back fire when they both end up falling for each other.
I enjoyed really enjoyed this book and it was short and very predictable. I enjoyed the characters and loved the connection between Daniel and Emily. I just wished that there was more to the story then what there was. I was expecting to see little mishaps and stuff that Emily would cause but never did. I figured that they would end up falling for each other because that's how stories like this usually goes. I think what made this story unique was that there was more to what happened to the families then I was expecting which made this book a bit different from the rest.
Overall I enjoyed reading this book and think you readers will too. 4 of 5 stars!
I enjoyed really enjoyed this book and it was short and very predictable. I enjoyed the characters and loved the connection between Daniel and Emily. I just wished that there was more to the story then what there was. I was expecting to see little mishaps and stuff that Emily would cause but never did. I figured that they would end up falling for each other because that's how stories like this usually goes. I think what made this story unique was that there was more to what happened to the families then I was expecting which made this book a bit different from the rest.
Overall I enjoyed reading this book and think you readers will too. 4 of 5 stars!
March 8, 2013
Initially I gave this book 2-stars, but thinking back, that was unfair. I'm the worst at rating books. I know what a 5-star book is for me, and I know what a 1-star is, but in between, it's all a mess.
This book was compulsively readable, and when I wasn't reading it, it stayed on my mind. That's always the sign of a good book, in my opinion. I like Sabrina's writing style, and I think her voice is very distinctive. I also thought it was a really good premise for a novel.
The only thing that makes me hesitate in loving the book is that I wish it had been longer. I really wanted to see more of the hero/heroine learning to trust each other/doubting each other's trust and falling in love. But maybe that's just me being greedy. :)
Also - the cover is gorgeous!
If you like historicals, you have to also check out Sabrina Darby's historical novella - The Short and Fascinating Tale of Angelina Whitcombe. It's excellent!
This book was compulsively readable, and when I wasn't reading it, it stayed on my mind. That's always the sign of a good book, in my opinion. I like Sabrina's writing style, and I think her voice is very distinctive. I also thought it was a really good premise for a novel.
The only thing that makes me hesitate in loving the book is that I wish it had been longer. I really wanted to see more of the hero/heroine learning to trust each other/doubting each other's trust and falling in love. But maybe that's just me being greedy. :)
Also - the cover is gorgeous!
If you like historicals, you have to also check out Sabrina Darby's historical novella - The Short and Fascinating Tale of Angelina Whitcombe. It's excellent!
Read
August 12, 2016I'm sure I'll get flack for writing this and I know there is one theory of literature in which the text needs to stand alone, but this has been nagging at me ever since I put this book out. This was never written as fan fiction of the TV show Revenge. The many similarities are a really unfortunate coincidence and I wish I'd known ahead of time and I would have changed the names! Even worse, at one point I was considering the title "The Art of Revenge!" However, I first wrote a draft of this book back in May 2010, before Revenge ever aired, with the names as they currently are.
But I thank everyone for all the thoughtful and thought-provoking reviews that help other readers! I always read them with the goal of improving my storytelling ability in the future and a deep appreciation that people have taken the time to see if what I have written resonates with them.
But I thank everyone for all the thoughtful and thought-provoking reviews that help other readers! I always read them with the goal of improving my storytelling ability in the future and a deep appreciation that people have taken the time to see if what I have written resonates with them.
October 31, 2013
A compelling love story all wrapped up in familial pain, business shenanigans, betrayal, old unhealed wounds that have resulted in terrible loss. Yet these two main characters are strongly attracted to one another but have to deal with all the old baggage as they try to figure out where this out-of-control sexual attraction is leading them. I don't like the title of this book--I think it is a tad misleading--but the story is well written, keeps the reader fixated on the story and is one of those stories that stays in the brain when you aren't reading it. That's the substance and reality of a good story. Yet there are emotional ups and downs and some surprises along the way. All in all, it's worth reading and I think those who like a non-fluffy and somewhat complicated love story will appreciate this book.
August 10, 2016
**Copy kindly provided by the author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
So I'm thinking that Sabrina Darby must be a fan of a little ABC show named Revenge; in which Emily a beautiful 20-something vows to get revenge on the family that framed her father for a crime he didn't commit and then she falls for their son Daniel. The only difference is that the Emily from Revenge actually greats revenge and there's a whole lot more action.
As for Entry-Level Mistress it was an okay book. It was kinda repetitive, the main character was super annoying, it was sorta predictable though, and a little anti-climatic. I made it through and for the most part it was pretty well written. Can't say that I would have wanted to pay for it but I'm not mad I read it.
So I'm thinking that Sabrina Darby must be a fan of a little ABC show named Revenge; in which Emily a beautiful 20-something vows to get revenge on the family that framed her father for a crime he didn't commit and then she falls for their son Daniel. The only difference is that the Emily from Revenge actually greats revenge and there's a whole lot more action.
As for Entry-Level Mistress it was an okay book. It was kinda repetitive, the main character was super annoying, it was sorta predictable though, and a little anti-climatic. I made it through and for the most part it was pretty well written. Can't say that I would have wanted to pay for it but I'm not mad I read it.
November 20, 2013
*Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy to honestly review!
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I really liked the writing, in fact following this book I quickly purchased another by said author (only 99 cents, great deal!) However the title is misleading, so read the blurb and don't jump to conclusions based on the cover.
Intrigue (enough to whet the whistle, not enough to be suspenseful page to page), hot sex, attractive CEO billionaire hero, self-aware witty heroine, and enjoyable ending.
Would definitely recommend to others who like me are addicted to the wealthy billionaire CEO hot hero type, this one had it's own elements of originality and was well written.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I really liked the writing, in fact following this book I quickly purchased another by said author (only 99 cents, great deal!) However the title is misleading, so read the blurb and don't jump to conclusions based on the cover.
Intrigue (enough to whet the whistle, not enough to be suspenseful page to page), hot sex, attractive CEO billionaire hero, self-aware witty heroine, and enjoyable ending.
Would definitely recommend to others who like me are addicted to the wealthy billionaire CEO hot hero type, this one had it's own elements of originality and was well written.
October 3, 2013
Emily is out for revenge, for the years of hurt Daniels family has caused her and her family. Taking an entry level job at billionaire Daniel's company was Emily idea of finding a way to get back at Daniel. But when the “game" is opened up, things change and no one know who’s lying or who had real feelings.
I thought this was a great novella it had a great storyline and was well explained. I could have easily read a longer book about Emily and Daniel but in the end I felt satisfied. This book has a deeper meaning in it, and I thought for a novella that was fantastic.
A Copy of this book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this was a great novella it had a great storyline and was well explained. I could have easily read a longer book about Emily and Daniel but in the end I felt satisfied. This book has a deeper meaning in it, and I thought for a novella that was fantastic.
A Copy of this book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 23, 2013
I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.
Good book bad title! I enjoyed Emily and Daniel's "game" and for a novella it had a big plot and a lot going on in less than 150 pages.
Emily wants revenge on the man that sent her father to prison and ruined their lives. She chooses to do this by working for his company and then becoming his mistress. But when feelings and emotions complicate things Emily must make a decision.
Good book bad title! I enjoyed Emily and Daniel's "game" and for a novella it had a big plot and a lot going on in less than 150 pages.
Emily wants revenge on the man that sent her father to prison and ruined their lives. She chooses to do this by working for his company and then becoming his mistress. But when feelings and emotions complicate things Emily must make a decision.
February 20, 2014
Daniel is just a smitten, "no, I don't invite all my employees to lunch. But I'm inviting you." And he's not afraid to let his intentions or his feelings known, "what I want, Emily, is something I shouldn't even be thinking right now, with that door unlocked and Janine about to come back from lunch any minute." Emily lays their agreement out in front of them, "so this, it's going to happen your way, everything? you text. I run. you pick me up, drop me off..." This book was a good time read.
January 18, 2015
I really enjoyed this story. I love the past the two main characters share. I love they way they ease into love and seeing their story develop. The only thing I wasn't thrilled on, was how easily Emily gave in. If this was a man she had hated her whole life, I think she should have put up more of a fight. But all in all, it was a great story that kept me interested from beginning to end!
January 1, 2014
I really liked this quick read by Sabrina Darby. Emily should really hate Daniel for what happened to her father and how it effected her life. But some how revenge is not what Emily ends up finding with her affair with Daniel. Emily learns some things about the past in the end that seem to confuse things for her even more. I will look for more titles by Ms. Darby.
July 12, 2015
DNF at 66%
This started out promisingly enough -- both relatively smart characters -- and then devolved into insipid avoidance. Once we hit American upper crust society, I lost all interest.
This tends to happen with Sabrina Darby novels. And yet I keep buying and reading in the hope that one day the story will develop as wonderfully as it deserves.
This started out promisingly enough -- both relatively smart characters -- and then devolved into insipid avoidance. Once we hit American upper crust society, I lost all interest.
This tends to happen with Sabrina Darby novels. And yet I keep buying and reading in the hope that one day the story will develop as wonderfully as it deserves.
May 2, 2016
Not what I Expected!! Sweet sweet revenge!!
Loved this book about Daniel and Emily! Daniel Hartmann, the sexy billionaire, ruined Emily's family. Her father went to prison because of him.
The saying, " Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer," comes to mind. A job becomes available at Daniel's company, so Emily takes it. Read to see what happens.
Loved this book about Daniel and Emily! Daniel Hartmann, the sexy billionaire, ruined Emily's family. Her father went to prison because of him.
The saying, " Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer," comes to mind. A job becomes available at Daniel's company, so Emily takes it. Read to see what happens.
July 31, 2016
Worth the read!!
Emily is a 21 yr old artist wanting revenge for her father going to jail. Daniel is a billionaire who she thinks sent her father to jail. When there worlds collide sparks fly. Can she see past the lies and betrayal and find love or will she walk away alone. You have to read to find out and by the way you don't stop turning pages until the last one. Enjoy!!!
Emily is a 21 yr old artist wanting revenge for her father going to jail. Daniel is a billionaire who she thinks sent her father to jail. When there worlds collide sparks fly. Can she see past the lies and betrayal and find love or will she walk away alone. You have to read to find out and by the way you don't stop turning pages until the last one. Enjoy!!!
August 11, 2016
Decadently romantic
First Entry-level Mistress starts out as hot and sexy then while Daniel and Emily fight their feelings for each other love starts to creep in. No longer just sex each thinking it's still about revenge there is a wonderful surprise that brings it all to the forefront. Emily learns some truths and Daniel faces his heart.
First Entry-level Mistress starts out as hot and sexy then while Daniel and Emily fight their feelings for each other love starts to creep in. No longer just sex each thinking it's still about revenge there is a wonderful surprise that brings it all to the forefront. Emily learns some truths and Daniel faces his heart.
October 24, 2013
This is a sweet, quick read. The storyline moves quickly and the flow is well paced. I don't want to give too much away but I highly suggest taking this book out for a spin. You'll fall in love with the stars!
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