Viac než milenka

Mistress #1

by Mary Balogh, Tamara Chovanová (Translator)

Kráľovná regentskej romance Mary Baloghová vás v prvej časti trilógie Milenky pozýva do sveta londýnskej smotánky plného škandálov a zvádzania, kde sa istý arogantný vojvoda dopustí čohosi neslýchaného – zaľúbi sa do svojej milenky...

Keď sa Jane Inglebyová zamieša do súboja v londýnskom Hyde Parku, Jocelyn Dudley, vojvoda Tresham, utrpí strelné poranenie nohy a Jane kvôli neskorému príchodu do práce v klobučníctve madame de Laurent príde o miesto. Mladá žena je taká rozhorčená, že sa nebojí požiadať vojvodu, aby ju zamestnal, a Jocelyn je zas taký rozzúrený, že ju najme – ako svoju ošetrovateľku. Opovážlivá Jane je však aj mimoriadne príťažlivá, a tak netrvá dlho a arogantný vojvoda sa zahľadí do jej priezračných modrých očí a navrhne, aby sa stala jeho milenkou...

Dievčina sa usiluje predstierať, že medzi ňou a Jocelynom ide o čisto obchodnú dohodu, s ktorou musela súhlasiť, aby uchovala hrozivé tajomstvo. Keď však odhalí, že za vojvodovou cynickou fasádou sa skrýva šľachetné srdce, spozná najväčšiu hrozbu – horúcu vášeň, čo ju núti všetko riskovať kvôli jednému mesiacu s nesprávnym džentlmenom, ktorý je presvedčený, že zaľúbiť sa môže len blázon...

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

328 pages, Hardcover

Published February 15, 2024

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

[Dina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to start repeating myself, but I just love Ms. Balogh's writing! No other modern author is as apt at "transporting" me to Regency London as her. All it takes is the first paragraph, and the setting is crystal clear in my mind and I find myself in another time and space. More Than a Mistress was no exception: I was captivated from the start, and Jocelyn and Jane were another great couple to be added to my all-time favorite H/h in Romancelandia.

Let me admit that I thought I would have some difficulty adjusting to the hero's name, Jocelyn, since it isn't a name I'm used to associating with a man. And I remembered complaining about the heroine's name in another book I had read recently, so I knew I was shallow enough to care about that, LOL. Well, Ms. Balogh could have named Jocelyn anything she wanted and I would still not be bothered! Yes, I was that entranced by him and Ms. Balogh even managed to make the first time Jane said his name a special and touching moment. *sighs*

This was neither a love-at-first-sight or lust-at-first-sight tale. There wasn't even a spark of physical attraction between Jocelyn and Jane when they first met. This was a story about two people getting to know each other, opening up emotionally and falling steadily in love. And the build up was fully packed with emotion and sensual awareness: their first kiss, their first waltz... I could see them falling in love before my eyes, and I couldn't have been happier. They were just perfectly matched!

Now, I have to make a special remark about the ending... There's an unpublished epilogue on Ms. Balogh's website that should have never been cut during editing, IMHO. Okay, the epilogue wasn't really necessary to give closure to the story - everything was pretty much wrapped up by the end of the book the way it was published - but that "extra moment" with Jocelyn and Jane gave the certainty that he had truly conquered his past "demons" and was finally at peace. Not to mention that it was more than nice to see them frolicking in the grass... ;)

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 1 out of 5]

While this is first in a series, I kept thinking that Jocelyn's sister, Angeline, felt like the heroine of her own story. So I went digging a bit and, sure enough, she is. of the third book in this very series! Who does that?!?

This "romance" frankly sucked. Jocelyn is one of those tortured, constipated men who are convinced that "manly" means not caring about or for anybody or anything. We eventually learn that he's a musical genius and portraitist (both!) who was thrashed by his father for being girly. And I think Balogh meant that to explain his being the giantest donkeybuttock on the planet. Oh no! The sensitive boy was beaten so he's now an emotionless jerk who treats everybody, even his friends, like crap. What a tragedy! No, the tragedy is that I read this entire story and didn't dnf after the first time he used sex to degrade and humiliate Jane.

That's right, every time he has sex with her, he either uses it at the time for degradation and humiliation or he turns it degrading after the fact by his words and actions. I hated him the first time and kept wondering if he'd eventually show he isn't a complete waste of air by being even a little bit tender, understanding, or supportive of Jane and it literally never happens.

I was in it for Jane for a while. I mean, she's stuck in a bad position compounded by her own naïve idiocy but at least she has a backbone. Or so I thought. Because we get our dark moment by Jane actually answering in the negative when asked "well, now you have all my skeletons, how about yours?" I got that far and I just wanted to scream. She's asking him to be her friend. He's finally opened up and submitted to her telling him what he should do about fixing things, and then withholds honesty from him in that very moment?!? How was this any kind of a good idea?!?

So Jane turns coward and gives Jocelyn excuse to be even jerkier than he was before and it was like watching a trainwreck and I couldn't turn away. I was thinking this would be two stars because despite that one misstep, Jane was mostly pretty awesome and Jocelyn's dealing with upstart idiots was mildly entertaining. And then Balogh pulls the stupidest stunt with the ending that lost her that final star. I mean having a whole scene of Jane's come-out ball and acting like they were still at odds until revealing that, OH! We got married this morning! Surprise! was cheap beyond all cheapness. The single most important aspect of reconciling the past with the future happens off page!!! Just. No.

A note about Steamy: There are three or four explicit sex scenes that put this on the upper middle of my steam tolerance. It isn't helped that those scenes are Jocelyn at his worst just as Jane is at her most vulnerable. A lot of the negative rating for this comes from those scenes and I can't believe a romance writer thought they were a good idea. Or that it was a good idea not to, say, throw in even one that wasn't degrading or humiliating.

[Ira · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

I like this book very much!:)
Our hero is a bad tempered, ill mannered and very rude Duke *grins*
The heroine? Oh I love her, she is a lady with a strong opinions who, because of a bad situation need to disguise as a commoner. You wil see that her upbringing won't stop her to speaks her mind eventhough at present she is a commoner:)

This book is funny but there is a seriousness in this one too and I think this is one of Ms. Balogh's lighter story.

If there is a problem, it should be there are two chapters before the last one, and an epilogue. Apparently the editor cut them out and you will find them in the Series épilogue's book 'Now a Bride'. Yes you need to buy that one too to get the full wonderful story. This is why not 5 stars eventhought I love the story very much.

Here, part of this book epilogue which will you find in ‘Now a Bride’

“I will never discourage him from playing the pianoforte or painting,” he said. “He may even take up embroidery if he so chooses. Or knitting, heaven help me.”

Jane smiled. “And will you allow her to fight duels and race a curricle?” she asked him.

He tipped back his head and frowned up at her.
“Don’t test my patience at such an affecting moment, Jane,” he said.”

“She laughed at him and cupped his face with her hands. She leaned down and kissed him on the lips.

“And since I am down here anyway,” he said when she had finished, “I might as well make a complete ass of myself so that you may inform our grandchildren that their grandpapa made the extravagantly romantic gesture of getting down on both knees before they grew arthritic with age. My dearest, most beloved Jane, will you marry me? And you will note that I am not asking Lady Sara Illingsworth—she does not even sound like you. I am asking Jane Ingleby, my onetime nurse and mistress and my alltime lover. Will you?”

“Oh, Jocelyn.” She leaned over him and set her hands on his shoulders. “Oh, my love. Oh, my love, yes.”


There you go, 😘.
❤️

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread: 11/7/23

I didn't enjoy this book as much as I did the first time

Read: 5/11/21
What a delightful read! The MC were very compatible. Both had strong personalities but the author was able to find the right balance, which prevented the characters from becoming annoying. Though, I will admit I wanted to smack the hero in the beginning.

All in all, an entertaining read!

Sidenote: the author used the word "mount" like a dozen times. Pick a new adjective. It's not sexy. It sounds like our hero keeps mounting a horse. Oh well, Tallyho!

[Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

First time reading this author and I did enjoy it. I found it dragged a little bit in the middle and towards the end but, overall a good, solid read.


I really liked Jane. She was spirited and not afraid to voice her opinion. Of course, Jocelyn was your typical Duke of the era. Felt he was entitled to anything he wanted and how dare a little upstart like Jane question him and dare to answer him back.

He was not handsome, she decided. Not at all. But there was a raw masculinity about him that must make him impossible attractive to any woman who liked to be bullied, dominated, or verbally abused.

He was playing something hauntingly beautiful. Something Jane had never heard before.

"Well, well," he said, "the butterfly has fluttered free of its cocoon."

I will definitely return to this series and this author in the future.

"Books!" Jane said almost in a reverential whisper, her hands clasped to her bosom ...

His heart ached.
The heart he had not known he possessed.

[Lisa Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Regency painter’s easel, by Theodore Alexander

★★★★★ (This is a review of the audiobook.) Rosalyn Landor has an amazing ear and an ability to deliver the accents of England’s social strata. This raises her reading of Historical Romances to the upper echelon. There are lots of characters from different class levels in this novel, and her talent makes it that much more fun. She is fast becoming my favorite narrator for this era, though she does modern day beautifully, too. My eyes light up when I want to revisit one of my favorite “comfort reads” via my ears and I see she is the narrator.

It isn’t easy to switch back and forth between male and female voices, especially when they are in the heat of passion; it takes a deft tongue and a sharper mind. She does all this effortlessly and with perfect enunciation; I’m sure because she understands the characters so well; I never find myself being pulled from the story by any blunder.

Of course, it is worth listening to Ms. Landor reading More Than a Mistress just to hear the combination of love, understanding, and gentle reproof in the tone of the heroine when she says the hero’s name, after he makes a defensive comment – born from a mixture of new, bewildering, and hurt feelings – while slipping from the bed where they just made sweet love.

I adore this book! Mary Balogh is one of my favorite authors and this is one of my all-time favorites “comfort read.” Jocelyn Dudley, Duke of Tresham, is a brilliant combination of rake, haughty arrogant duke, and dangerous wounded hero – marvelously unaware that all he needs is love in his life. He has been callously and efficiently molded to perform his aristocratic duty, but Ms. Balogh’s heroine breaks his stiff reserve. Jane Ingleby delightfully stands up for herself, but manages to stay true to the Regency era. She calls Jocelyn on his male chauvinism with lady-like grace, all while keeping her secrets close to her chest.

P.S. I love this musical CD cover picture, which I think nicely depicts Jane and the room she decorates. It is easy to image the above painter’s easel within this Regency setting:

Mistress Series on Audio
 

[Luana ☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐
There are only two things I didn't like about this book. First, where is the epilogue? It really makes no sense to finish a book without a little glimpse of the future, but okey.

Second, if you read the older book from Mary Balogh "The secret pearl" you are bound to either love or hate this book. The two books are basically one and the same. Very feel nuances were different. I feel like this one was a better version of The secret pearl, I really enjoyed the characters verbal fights, it was truly entertaining.

The hero was extremely arrogant and moody. But the heroine was awesome, she gave as much as she got. She somehow always found a way to have the last word and it was great seen it. She also slowly found a way into the hero's true self. I fell in love with the hero, even if he is a pain sometimes.

I don't like the title of this book. It makes it sound a little dirty, when in reality I thought their story was quite sweet. It took time to develop physical attraction, it took time for them to accept their feelings, it was slow and steady. And full of stubbornness.

I am looking forward to read the second book to see more of what happened with the characters of this one!

[Pepa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reseña completa: https://masromance.blogspot.com/2020/...

Relectura, tenía un vago recuerdo y no ha sido exactamente como pensaba, pero me ha vuelto a encantar
Es de esos libros que, sin saber muy bien por qué, pasan a ser tus lecturas favoritas
Como si la autora hubiera medito en una coctelera todos los ingredientes que me encantan: duque, snob, mujer que le planta cara, unos diálogos irónicos y burlescos y un romance pausado
Para mí una joyita ♥

[Grecia Robles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este libro me gustó mucho.
Es de los mejores que he leído de la autora ( no he leído tantos)
Los protagonistas me gustaron mucho, la historia el desarrollo.

[Carol Cork *Young at Heart Oldie* · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Mary Balogh captivated me from the start with this unusual, intelligently written, emotional and sensual love story.

When we first meet Jocelyn, he is arrogant, cynical, bad-tempered and domineering and revels in his rakish reputation even when it is undeserved. He treats lesser individuals with disdain including his long-suffering servants.

Joselyn jerked impatiently on the bell rope beside his bed and vented his irritability on his vale, who had not brought his shaving water up.
‘I thought you would wish to rest this morning, your grace, ‘he said.
‘You thought! Do I pay you to think, Barnard?’
‘No, your grace,’ his man replied with long-suffering meekness.

Despite the desperate situation she finds herself in, Jane is a strong-willed, clever and independent woman who isn’t afraid to speak her mind, their verbal sparring providing some delightful dialogue. I love how Jane refuses to be intimidated by Joselyn, even at his most toplofty, and it brought a smile to my face when Jocelyn’s brother, Ferdinand, receives a scolding from Jane regarding the duel, prompting the following observation from Jocelyn…

‘She comes equipped with a mind, you see, Ferdinand,’ Jocelyn explained with studied boredom, ‘with a double-edged tongue attached.’

I love how Ms. Balogh develops the relationship between Jocelyn and Jane and I could feel their attraction and the growing sexual tension as they spend time together during Jocelyn’s convalescence. When Jane discovers Jocelyn playing the piano one night, she sees a sensitive and artistic side he has kept hidden from the world. I felt a subtle change in their relationship when Jocelyn confides in Jane that his father had considered his artistic talent effeminate and had been determined to beat it out of him, and Jocelyn discovers that Jane has a beautiful singing voice. It creates an intimate moment between them leading to their first kiss.

As the end of Jocelyn’s convalescence draws near, Jane does not want to leave any more than Jocelyn wants her to leave. Jocelyn’s solution is to ask her to be his mistress in his typical autocratic way.

‘I am offering you a proposition, a business one, if you wish. You need a home and a source of income beyond what you already have. You need some security and someone to take your mind off your loan state, I daresay. You are a woman with sexual needs, after all, and you are sexually drawn to me. And I need a mistress…’

I like how Jane still gets the last word by stipulating that there would be a contract drawn up between them.

I love how Jane describes the house that Jocelyn provides for her as sleaze and fluff and sets about making the house a home. The time they spend in Jane’s ‘den’ is my favourite part of the book. Jocelyn sees the den as a haven where they can be themselves; where he can do all those things that he longed to do as a boy. I loved the charming picture Ms. Balogh creates of Jane embroidering and Jocelyn playing the piano and painting in companionable silence. Jocelyn confides his innermost secrets to Jane and I could understand how they had shaped him into the man he became and tainted his life. Jane sees behind the mask to a vulnerable man in need of friendship, acceptance and love.

I could feel how deeply in love they were but Jane still harbours a secret but, before she can tell Jocelyn the truth, he discovers her real identity. I could understand his anger and sense of betrayal; he had trusted her enough to confide his innermost most self and she had shared nothing of herself but most of all…

She had taken everything from him, even the love of which he had though himself no longer capable.
He hated her for fooling him into hoping that after all life was worth living.

My one criticism is that I found the ending rather confusing, as though something was missing. When I discovered that the editor had suggested that certain scenes be deleted to provide a more effective ending, I bought a copy of Now a Bride, in which Mary Balogh has provided readers with the three missing scenes. I understand the element of surprise the editor was aiming for but, having read the deleted scenes, personally I feel that the book would have benefited from the emotional punch of The Proposal scene where Jocelyn finally expresses his feelings for Jane.

I liked Jocelyn’s sister, Angeline, a veritable whirlwind of chatter, with terrible dress sense, and an even worse taste in bonnets and his carefree, charming younger brother, Ferdinand, with his penchant for wagers. I also enjoyed the banter between Jocelyn and his circle of friends.

MY VERDICT: As always, Mary Balogh delivers a beautifully written, emotionally satisfying, character driven romance. Highly recommended.

Mistress Trilogy (click on the book covers for more details):



- Contains never-before-published scenes from More than a Mistress and No Man’s Mistress — plus Mary Balogh’s new epilogue for the series.

This review was first posted on my Rakes and Rascals Blog:

https://rakesandrascals.wordpress.com...

[Ingie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written September 23, 2014

3.8 Stars - A perfect enjoying historical with a cold-hearted hero ... gasp!!

My first historical by Mary Balogh is a "Regency" story written 2000. An, as it so often is when it comes to me, completely unplanned impulse "click and buy" book. In retrospect, a successful one. Certainly not my last by this author.



Good spent book-time in all ways. Quality in my ears (listened on the audio) makes me happy, very happy.

More Than a Mistress feels like an classic HR in the good old school. We get a proud, and at times very sarcastic and cruel, hero, a genuine ideal young beautiful lady heroine and a amusing heartwarming romantic drama. Also tastefully and comfortably enough with the right amount of heat and steam and I must say that I liked that.

***********************************************************

Twenty years old Jane Ingleby is far too bold for her own good and after she try to stop a duel is she stucked with a rake, Jocelyn Dudley, the Duke of Tresham. After a bit of fuss about who hurt who is he hiring her as his nurse for three weeks.

But Jane has more than one secret and the Duke begin soon to suspect that this saucy young woman is not just who she tells. Her fine talents, good conversational ability and beautiful blonde hair get our hero to crave more than just his nurse help with his footstool (needed as a result of the gunshot wound).

Three weeks are not much when you have fun.
She needs a job, housing and security (a hiding place?).
He needs a warm body and a woman to visit some nights.
# An agreement is signed.

‘Now she realized she had never been kissed before. Not really. Not like this.
Ah, never like this.’

***********************************************************

Gosh yes, yet another lovely audiobook. I will never be able to return to just reading books.

I've listened to the audio narrated by Rosalyn Landor.
A narrator voice I knew I would once again like. Ms Landor is fantastic with this kind of stories with much dialogue and slightly melancholic heroes.

You could say that I'm in both a huge audio-binge AND a, big but not huge maybe, HR-binge right now. A romance genre which does (fits) very good in the audio format. So it seems to me in any case.

***********************************************************

A lovely HR with a well thought out intriguing story plot. I more or less fell in all of these cleverly-made (for good romances so needed) emotions-traps.

...My heart ached and chafed painfully. I laughed and giggled, cried and snorted. I almost hated the hero and had the urge to pat the heroine on her head. I had to wait for the kiss and hear them bumping hot in the bedroom - rightly, as it should be.

“Everyone should know what it is like to be called by name. By the name of the unique person one is at heart.”

Perfect in so many ways. ~ Just what a historical romance should be to make me happy. ~ Tempted me to want to read more books in the series. We will see.

I LIKE - these gorgeous memorable rake-heroes...

[Inna · Rating 4 out of 5]

9/22/2022: 4 stars. I’m surprised that I actually liked this book so much more the second time around. I don’t even know why I decided to do a reread, since I was fully expecting myself to be disappointed. But I’ve been craving something by Mary Balogh, and decided on this one.

I still mostly agree with my sentiments from my previous read… but I did find that the mistress arrangement didn’t bother me very much this time around. It’s clear that the heroine just wanted to stay with the hero and was willing to sacrifice her virtue to pursue her own desires. Not sure why that reasoning seemed so stupid when I originally read this book. 🤪

Also, I REALLY liked the heroine. She’s one of the strongest HR heroines I’ve read in a long time - and I’ve been reading quite a bit of HR lately. She made some poor decisions, but ultimately her wit, spirit, and fortitude were unmatched by any other character in this book. She was frequently able to put the Duke hero in his place with just a few words. Even her decision to become the duke’s mistress can be seen as a decision to control her own future instead of relying on someone else’s mercy.

Now I’m on to the next book in this series - which supposedly has a VIRGIN HERO! 😍😍 I’m so excited for a change from the usual rake. Ofc, the heroine is a past courtesan or something similar. But I will take this change happily and hope that the heroine isn’t portrayed too much as some villainous fallen women.




6/21/2021: 3 stars. TBH, the mistress thing just didn't work for me. The heroine of this book really had no good reason to accept the hero's "indecent proposal". It felt forced to me and nonsensical, like it was just done to fit the idea behind the series. I felt like the same could have been accomplished without the formal agreement, the house where he took all his previous mistresses, etc. I also felt like the previous women he had housed in his "love nest" were severely demeaned by the author - like they were all tasteless whores. The heroine put herself in the same situation but ended up being treated differently only because of her birth.

The heroine's actions could be seen as inconsistent because she was really very smart and had a backbone like steal one minute, but then turned around and did something totally stupid the next.

The rest of the story was well done and enjoyable to read. I just didn't like the mistress thing, especially how it was done in this book. I really liked the ending and wish there was an epilogue.

Safe; virgin heroine, rake hero, no others for either of them once the book begins but there is some OW and OM drama, which is pretty mild overall. No cheating, no scenes with om/ow.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review October 2016:
I'm still in a HR mood after visiting some stately homes in England on a recent holiday. So I'm doing a reread of some of the old paperback HRs on my bookshelf. In a bit of a Mary Balogh mood at the moment. And I found I enjoyed this one again as I did originally when I bought it new, years ago. I'm still happy to four-star it, which was my original rating.

Jocelyn, Duke of Tresham. Has never really been in love. (Plenty of lust, though). Jane is hiding her true identity due to a murky situation she got caught up in. Circumstances bring them together, and they start liking each other more and more. Jane agrees to become Tresh's mistress (as she has few other choices left) and they fall in love. Somehow the other person allows them to become their true self. The gradual unmasking (especially of the cool and haughty Tresh) is delightful, and his inner 'feminine', artistic side, for this very masculine man is a revelation.

A lovely story.

[emtee · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the finest character-driven historical romances I’ve ever had the pleasure to read. Angsty and intimate, this book took hold of me and would not let go.

It’s a shame MB was convinced to remove three chapters from her original manuscript, but such a treat to be able to read them now in Now a Bride. Those three chapters were the icing on a very fine cake, and left my heart all warm and happy.

She folded her hands before her and looked steadily at him. He was not handsome, she decided. Not at all. But there was a raw masculinity about him that must make him impossibly attractive to any woman who liked to be bullied, dominated, or verbally abused. And there were many such women, she believed. She had had quite enough of such men.

***

He remembered now being shaken to hear his name on Jane’s lips a week ago. He had not expected it to bring such a feeling of—of intimacy. He had not realized how he had longed for such intimacy. Just that. Someone calling him by name.

***

“No, I will no longer think of this room as mine but as ours. A place in which our contract and our relative stations in life have no application. A place where you may paint and read, where I may embroider and write, a place where there can be a woman at one side of the hearth and a man at the other. A place of quiet and peace, where all is well with the world. You are invited to make yourself at home here whenever you wish, Jocelyn.”

***

“Did I not make you beautiful enough, Jane? Are you not flattered?” “Where …?” She frowned again. She did not know quite what it was she wished to ask. “Where does the light come from?” That was it. The painting was an excellent portrait. It was colorful and tasteful. But it was more than just a painting. It had life. And there was light in it, though she was not quite sure what she meant by that. Of course it had light. It was a vivid daytime scene. “Ah,” he said softly, “have I done it then, Jane? Have I really captured it? The essence of you? The light is coming from you. It is the effect you have on your surroundings.”

***

“I have hurt you,” she said, getting to her feet. “You will be pleased to know that you have had your revenge. If my heart was not cold before, it is now. I have given and given of my very self because your need has been so great. I was not given a chance to reach out for myself, for the comfort of your understanding and sympathy and friendship. There was not enough time—just one week and it ended so abruptly yesterday. Go. I am weary too. I want to be alone. You feel betrayed, your grace? Well, I do too.”

***

Strange, Jane thought dispassionately. If Lady Oliver had done the right thing at the start, she herself would never have met Jocelyn. How fragile were the moments of chance on which the whole course of one’s life hinged.

[Preeti ♥︎ Her Bookshelves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unequivocal 5 stars for being…
~Delightful
~Amusing
~Tender
~Heartfelt
~Sensual

A bit corny, a tad farfetched, not classic Mary Balogh (more Lisa Kleypas-ish!).
But made me smile and swoon in equal measures. *sigh*

A delicious alpha H who’s not a jerk (at least not excessively so!) and a spirited sweetheart h lock horns and more. First she gets him shot, then he forces her to be his nurse and later his mistress – not that she’s a timid or helpless quarry.
Add some villains, trying circumstances, minor intrigue, a h in need of saving, a H more in need of saving (from himself) and you get …
An utterly sweet and stunning love story!
Going straight on my Favorites shelf!

Her... “This was not the way she had expected it to be. This was not man and mistress. This was lover and beloved."
Him... “Jocelyn did not sleep. He was thoroughly sated but also uneasy. What the devil had he been babbling? He hoped she had not been listening.”

(No review needed)

[Viri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Otro de esos libros que releí pensando que sería una nueva lectura y OH SORPRESA... Ya sabía todo lo que pasaría jajaja

Me gustó mucho el prota y la historia es buena, solo que no pude disfrutarla tanto porque me sentía confundida. No estaba segura si la había leído o no y eso influyó a que no lo disfrutara como la primera vez.

Un 3.5

[Punk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Romance. You know what? I want to read a Regency romance about the second most notorious rake in London. He's pretty good at flirting, but that other guy is always swooping in and stealing away his conquests. It just drives him up the wall! So the second most notorious rake in London decides to do something about it. No matter what it takes, he will win the title of Most Notorious Rake in London. The current Most Notorious Rake in London thinks this sounds like good fun, as a little competition always makes things more interesting. They start showing up at all the same parties and watch each other keenly, studying the other's moves, getting into his head, exploiting his weaknesses, admiring his talents, enjoying the tightness of his breeches, going riding together, falling in love.

I will also take an alternate universe where it's the men who must be presented to society and the women are out sleeping around and riding horses and winking lasciviously at the beautiful young boys so tender and rosy cheeked and pure. Wait. That actually makes me a little queasy.

Luckily, in this book, the one I'm supposedly reviewing, Jane is twenty and has a pretty good head on her shoulders. The love interest is an alpha hero with an artistic underbelly she must coax out, so there's almost a beta hero buried deep, deep within him, but mostly he's dark and imperious and brooding. And, of course, the most notorious rake in London.

I don't know why I keep reading Regency romances. Maybe I'm looking for the one that subverts traditional gender roles. Maybe I want one that works within traditional roles to craft something so exceptional that a modern reader doesn't have to stifle modern thoughts about civil rights. But this Regency doesn't do either of those things, and in fact, relies on gender as a substitute for personality traits and is often given as a point of attraction.

The problem is that words like "masculine" and "feminine" don't actually tell me anything about the characters or their attraction for each other. Also the sex is boring. I liked the angry sex best, but even it had weird ideas about...pelvic floor muscles? I guess. Jane was getting philosophical about penetration in a way that made me grimace.

The plot is a solid line through the book. The sense of risk flagged a bit in the happy middle section, but led naturally into the third act misunderstanding, and from there we had quite a bit of excitement and rushing around. That was my favorite part and during that time I really did want the couple to work out their problems and have their happily ever after.

Three stars. The gender-as-character stuff was sloppy, but it's otherwise well written, with a romance trajectory I haven't seen before, and a heroine who tries to rescue herself and mostly succeeds.

eBook: No cover, and I didn't see a single error.

[Petra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want give this book a million stars. Thank you Mary Balogh.
Maybe this is arbitrary but in so many of these Regency or Victorian novels - main characters act always so scared of propriety, society and etiquette.
Jane and Jocelyn were the two bravest MCs I have read about in a while. They both followed their heart and acted with highest integrity.

“ “Oh,” she said, still smiling, “is it you, your grace? I had quite forgotten you were here.” It was about the most ill-mannered thing she had said in public in her whole life. She was enormously pleased with herself.”

I mean it’s still regency so they are not fighting savages or escaping prisons. And yes they argue a lot but it’s all because they are both strong headed people.

If you want to read a regency novel that is top notch love story with one of the best plot I’ve read in a while which is sprinkled with humor, give this one a try.

I could write more about the beauty of More than a mistress but I think the less you know the better.

I’m nominating it as my best Mary Balogh book and also one of the best books I have read ever.

However...
... there is no epilogue in this book and therefore I am taking a start down - only 999 999 stars.

[aedor ୨ৎ (busy till next yr) · Rating 5 out of 5]

《5 ♡》
look whos grinning like a horse to some random 1800s dude who's not exist 😁
this book is so entertaining for my stressed ass😜😜😜✨️❤️😍

pre-read
Exams week is almost over, it's time for me to SHINE back and have a new hyper fixation with micro tropes

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This review is of the audiobook version, narrated by Rosalyn Landor.

This was, I think, one of the first of Mary Balogh’s romances I read and I remember thinking at the time that it was something a bit out of the ordinary.

Our hero is Jocelyn Dudley, Duke of Tresham. He’s rich, arrogant and jaded, doesn’t suffer fools gladly and while accepting deference as his due, is secretly tired of all the toadying he experiences day after day.

He has a reputation as a rake, one who doesn’t draw the line at having affairs with married women – and at the beginning of the book, is participating in a duel, having been called out by a furious husband. What the husband doesn’t realise is that Tresham’s highly developed sense of honour will not permit him to call a lady a liar, even to prevent a duel – and in any case, the usual practice in these matters is for both parties to delope (fire into the air).

All would have gone according to plan had not Tresham’s opponent been distracted by screams – and instead of shooting wide, he is startled and accidentally shoots Jocelyn in the leg.

The imprecations to stop had come from Jane Ingleby, a young woman passing by on her way to work. She is immediately summoned to the scene to help – although Tresham is rather rude to her (not surprisingly) – but this means she is late to work and is dismissed from her job as a seamstress. Her employer, sceptical of her explanation of her lateness as being due to having provided aid to the Duke of Tresham tells her she can have her job back if she gets proof, signed by Tresham, that her explanation was the truth, and Jane, having no other alternative, angrily determines to get it.

Jane confronts Tresham – and instead of giving her a letter, he offers her a job as his nurse for three weeks.

The thing that marked this book out for me as being something a little different was the way in which the relationship between the hero and heroine is developed. Jane will not allow Tresham to browbeat her, and although he pretends to be put out, it’s clear that he rather likes having someone stand up to him. I got the sense of an hommage to Jane Eyre in this aspect of their relationship, and later, in the scene where he instructs her to play the piano for him.

As the days pass, they find themselves more and more drawn to each other, and the author does a magnificent job with building the romantic tension between them. Then, in a scene late at night where Jane discovers Tresham playing the piano like a virtuoso (being a musician myself, I always like a musical hero!) - they share a kiss and admit to themselves (if not to each other) that they feel far more for each other than friends should, and that it will be hard for them to part at the end of Jocelyn’s three-week convalescence.

His solution is not marriage; rather, he asks her to be his mistress.

They have fallen very deeply in love – and what I adore here is that Balogh has written a romance in which the protagonists are true soul-mates. I know that’s a rather hackneyed term, but I really can’t think of any other way to describe their deep connection to one another. The time they spend together at Jane’s house in their “den”, where they can be themselves without the need for conversation or any of the trappings of society is a delight to read, as we get to see Tresham as he really is, rather than the façade of the haughty duke he presents to the rest of the world. The scene where he finally lets go and tells Jane about his childhood and how his father ruthlessly beat every artistic, creative feeling out of him because he thought such impulses were emasculating; and later, how his father arranged for his ‘deflowering’ at the hands of his own mistress – is absolutely heart-breaking.

Despite the very real and deep love between them however, Jane is guarding a secret. She is not Jane Ingleby at all, but Lady Sarah Illingsworth, and she is suspected of the murder of her cousin, a widely disliked fellow as it turns out, who was attempting to rape her in order to compromise her into marriage. At first, Jane keeps her secret because she does not want to be caught, and as time goes on, she realises that she should ask Jocelyn for his help. But she cannot bring herself to do so – she is so much in love, and having gained his trust, feels unable to tell him the truth and shatter his belief in her when he has at last begun to believe he is worthy of love for himself and not his position.

Unfortunately for Jane, Tresham discovers her secret before she has steeled herself to tell him, and is furious – at both her, for what he sees as her betrayal, and at himself, for being stupid enough to fall for her and trust her.

My one complaint with the story is that the resolution seems to happen rather too quickly. One moment, Jane and Tresham are arguing with each other and he is saying some rather unpleasant things to her; then that chapter ends and the next begins at a completely different place, with Jane and Jocelyn still seemingly separated. While I can appreciate why this is, and quite liked the reveal, I nonetheless felt a bit cheated out of some sort of reconciliation scene.

Still, that’s the one complaint I have about the book, the rest of which is well-paced and which feels very real in terms of the emotional content. Jocelyn and Jane are both superbly written and the depth of feeling and the sexual tension between them fairly jumps off the page.

As I said, I read the book years ago, so listening to the audio version was almost like coming to a new book, because I’d forgotten many of the details of the plot.

My girl-crush on Rosalyn Landor continues; she’s quickly become my favourite narrator because not only are her character voices so distinct (in the one I’m listening to now, she’s voicing three sisters who appear in scenes together and managing to make them all sound different so there’s no confusion as to which character is speaking), they’re also distinct from her normal, beautiful speaking voice, so you almost feel like you’re listening to at least two different people.
I’ve read a number of criticisms about her voicing of the heroes in the books she narrates, which say she makes them sound older than they should and rather stuffy. I can certainly understand the criticism; her natural voice is quite deep anyway and she usually deepens it further for the male characters. Personally, I don’t mind and I don’t find it unattractive (seriously, there have been times I’ve felt like opening a window even though I know I’m listening to a woman!), but each to their own, I suppose.

But of course, the narration is make or break when you’re listening to an audio book, and if Ms Landor isn’t to your taste, it’s going to make it harder to enjoy or even listen to it. But I certainly have no hesitation in recommending her audios and am on a continuing quest to acquire more of them.

[Vintage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witty banter, matched adversaries , spine of steel. The 4 star drought is over. Kind of, I am rounding up because the relationship between the Hero and Heroine is so much fun as well as their verbal give and take.

On her way to her menial job, Jane, the on the run heroine, stops a duel in process. The Duke of Tresham has been challenged by a supposedly cuckolded husband, and Jane’s interruption results in the Duke getting shot in the leg.

Jane ends up becoming the Duke’s nursemaid and she gives no quarter to his loftiness and arrogance. Hints of St. Vincent’s charm and arrogance minus his utter debauchery color the Duke personality. Yes, he’s arrogant, but it's a fun arrogance as he is more than amused by Jane’s prim demeanor.

I’m not going to get into the reasons why she’s on the run as they are a little ridiculous, but this story is worth reading for the actual relationship and conversation between the two main characters which is something you don't get to read as often as you’d think. The Duke grows a little and sheds some of his I’m-not-worthy-bad boy-ness, and while the heroine is attracted to the Duke she doesn’t completely fall apart in a mindless, spineless puddle. I am sorry to say that the Duke’s name is Jocelyn. Yep, Jane and Jocelyn. Oh well, can’t have it all.

It falls apart a little at the end(hated the ending), but definitely readable.

[Lori ◡̈ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Loved it! This might be my first story by Mary Balogh, and my first thought was that she writes brilliantly. Extremely witty banter, very rich vocabulary, I could see, hear, smell everything very easily while reading.

Besides that, I loved how she made our grumpy, arrogant hero actually.... grumpy and arrogant. She didn't need to "tell" me that he said such and such grumpily or arrogantly. No telling was needed, Ms. Balogh writes so well that I understood and completely bought that he was a grump that needed to fall hard. And he did, I loved watching him fall in love.

The heroine was written well too, she was strong but not a cold bitchy bitch. The only thing that struck me funny about the story was that each and every time the hero spoke to the heroine, he would use her name in almost every sentence. "How are you, Jane?" Would you like some tea, Jane. Do you want sugar with your tea, Jane?" That, and I don't know if the poor guy had bad eyesight or if it was just trendy at the time, but he was constantly lifting his quizzing glass to his eye.

Regardless, loved the story, and I need to find more of Mary's lovely stories.

[ras 🔻 · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was going so well i was excited i finally found something good but after making her an offer to become his mistress, he just had to take her to the same house he kept all his other mistresses (who he lists off name by name 🙂) i knew better than to have high hopes for a historical especially by this lady

[Sometime · Rating 4 out of 5]

The whole mistress thing makes me nervous but Balogh pulled it off splendidly! Great book!

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the middle of a duel the Duke of Tresham is distracted by a woman yelling at the participants to stop. In his distraction the Duke ends up being shot in the leg. He blames the woman and summons her to him so he can make sure she knows it. He's surprised when she doesn't give ground and admit she was wrong. Believing it is her fault he ends up detaining her to help him which ends up making her late for work. When Jane tries to explain the circumstances to her boss the woman says she won't believe her unless she has a signed note from the Duke. Jane refuses to let the Duke off the hook for making her lose her job and goes to his house to acquire the note.

The Duke is amazed by her gall and ends up hiring her as his nurse to entertain him after the doctor says he must stay abed for three weeks. Jane agrees because what choice does she have? She doesn't want to starve. They both agree it will be temporary until he's back on his feet. While she plays the nurse the Duke amuses himself by picking at her. He likes that she never backs down. When he demands she show him respect and address him as "your grace" she demands the courtesy right back and will only let him call her Miss Ingleby. Every time he pushes her on something she stands her ground and pushes him right back.

Slowly the two realize their attraction to each other and try to fight the feelings. They both know it can't go anywhere. The Duke, Jocelyn, refuses to seduce a servant under his protection and Jane has secrets that she is reluctant to admit. When Jane tells Jocelyn that it is time for her to go he ends up offering her the position of his mistress. Jane realizes she'll be in a better position to hide her secrets if she accepts, and truthfully she doesn't want to leave him. What follows is a beautiful tale of friendship and love. Even though the road is rocky until the end they both couldn't be happier when they are finally together.

I loved the fact that friendship between Jocelyn and Jane was so important to this story. It was nice to see that they didn't just love each other. They actually liked the person inside too. Often I'll read stories where the hero and heroine love each other but it seems like they can't help it. They never seem to really like each other and want to be friends. This book was a very refreshing change of pace. I also really liked Jocelyn's habit of saying the total opposite of how he felt when he was vulnerable. When he turned haughty and tried to put distance between them she knew exactly what he was doing and why he was doing it. It was fun to see him scramble to regain his Duke persona when he felt his feelings overtaking him.

The contract was an interesting piece of the story. It was also a very smart move on Jane's part. I liked that she tried to hide their emerging relationship behind the contract. It was nice to see Jocelyn be the one uncertain of Jane's feelings. Did she really want him or was it only because she knew he wanted her? Why was she so ashamed of him? Watching him try to work through insecurities like that without revealing how much it meant to him was sweet.

I really liked the very last chapter. Watching how the status of their relationship was revealed made me smile. One thing I didn't like was the end of the chapter just before that. I was really confused. When Jane admits something really important to Jocelyn and he's says that it changes everything the chapter just ends. What happened there? Did he pressure her? It's very frustrating. If anyone cares to explain it feel free to leave a comment.

Other than that slight confusion I loved the book.

[Preeti · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Mistaken-identity, forced-proximity, reformed rogue, heroines I am in love with, mistress, great banter)

Once again I am amazed at Mary Balogh's great writing narrated in the perfect voice of Rosalyn Lander. 

I was a bit skeptical before starting this book but a lot of positive reviews convinced me to read it. And, at the risk of sounding too repetitive, let me say it, Miss Balogh surprised me AGAIN. She surprised me with the banter but mostly with the hero, Jocelyn Dudley, the Duke of Tresham. He has some attributes of the Bedwyn brothers but a lot of things that I normally hate in my HR heroes too.

In reality, I would have more complicated feelings towards Jocelyn(H) if MB would have not paired a heroin-like Jane against him. Jane is smart, proud, and always ready to fight her own battles. She is now one of my favs h from MB. And, the hero is one of the latest on my list of reformed rake aka poppycock🤭. Though normally I love my serious, beta/alpha heroes.

Now, a while back someone told me that Miss Balogh MCs don't know anything about humor. I should say such people should read this book because the banter here is legendary and still flows naturally with the relationship development.

"If you were the last man on earth and you were to pester me daily for a million years, I would not marry you. I will not do so."

"I do beg you to have some regard for my pride. A million years? I assure you I would stop asking after the first thousand."

I also loved the social commentary in this book more than a lot of her new books because it felt much lighter and more fun. 

Highly recommended.

[KatieV · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why haven't I been reading Mary Balogh? I suppose I'm leery of the herd of Regencies/Victorians, most of which tend to be fluffy-fluff with characters who seem like they're 21st century minds dressed in costumes. Thank heavens I've broken my latest dry spell of 2 star reads.

This book made me happy :) I felt like I'd been transported. Rosalyn Landor was a fabulous narrator (as usual). Sometimes I do admit to finding her hero's voice to be too pompous, but in this case it fit the role to a tee.

Jocelyn, Duke of Tresham was a nightmare. He was a pompous, self important ass who I alternately wanted to strangle and laugh at (especially every time he raised his quizzing glass aka 'monocle' to intimidate some unfortunate someone). Good heavens, I never thought I'd enjoy a HR with a hero that self important, snobbish and absurd. 'Absurd' was the exact word the heroine, Jane, used to describe him on more than one occasion.

I loved Jane, she was a fantastic heroine. She was smart, practical, and refused to play the martyr/victim. She was the perfect foil for Jocelyn who tried to bully her from the start (thinking her a mere serving girl). She put him in his place each and every time with a ladylike flair I envied and he grudgingly respected. Also, she did not immediately fall into his arms when he apologized for being an ass (which he was - spectacularly so).

I also felt the secondary characters were enjoyable. The Duke's sister was hysterical.

I'm so excited that Balogh has released some extended scenes her publisher removed the first go around (Now a Bride). I can't wait to read them. Sometimes publishers do not know best. There have been many novels (from pre-self pub days) where I cursed that a publisher/editor had not taken a pair of scissors to 200 pages of mind numbing crap, then they take a talented author and cut what I'm sure is going to be perfectly enjoyable. I suppose it can be a hard call to make.

[Raffaella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favourite MB. Ms Balogh sometimes writes very emotionals readings, and this is one.
The h/H meeting is one of the best ever.
He's having a duel, she accidentally sees it and tries to stop it. He's shot and very very angry. He requires her to be his nurse until he's healed. They fall in love, passionate love. She's a lady in disguise, some of her relatives want to get rid of her because of her ihneritance. Of course she hides from everyone, and doesn't tell the hero who she really is. He asks her to be his mistress, she accepts. Meanwhile he finds out who she really is, and he takes offence. He has to marry her because she's a lady, and she's pregnant. Eventually she will save him again from another duel, and they declare their mutual love.
The passion and angst is very good, they fall in love, madly, deeply in love, the attraction is very hot.
The hero is one of my favourite, so cold and controlled outside, but inside he's a burning mess.
The heroine is very brave, she makes a difficult choice because she accepts to become his mistress instead of trusting him with the truth, but I understand her.
There are some memorable moments, so full of angst, i really enjoyed it.
The moment where they meet at the party before the duel, and their eyes meet in a silent dialogue will be in my mind- and in my heart- forever.
Recommenden to every romantic soul around.

[Literary Lusts · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot up until the big reveal of the heroine's secret around the last 1/3 of the book. It was then that the hero did the big 180 degree turn around and suddenly became retarded and irrational. He didn't do anything terrible, it's just that you would think he would understand why the heroine didn't tell him the big secret (even though he could have figured it out on his own if he'd look in front of his face). And of course, instead of being rational about it he takes it as a huge betrayal. Now, granted I can understand him feeling somewhat betrayed with his background but he took it a bit far in my opinion. He redeemed himself by the very end of the book but it was too late for it to save the book for me. I just have a problem reading about hero's who have these 'big misunderstandings' or make irrational conclusions about the heroines in romance books. I know it's really common but it drives me up the wall. I don't mind a hero who makes a mistake or does something wrong, no one's perfect and sometimes it makes for interesting drama. It's just that I think sometimes it goes too far. I know I've made this rant before, but it's one of my bigger pet peeves. I really did like the first 2/3 of the book though, and the hero didn't go completely silly at the end so I had to give it a decent rating. It just could have been a lot better without the hero suffering from temporary insanity.

[GigiReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread. Still a keeper.

Haughty, imperious, toplofty rakish dukes with a superiority complex and a quizzing glass are my kryptonite. No one does an arrogant duke like Mary Balogh (see also another of Balogh's quizzing glass-wielding dukes in Slightly Dangerous).

They don't come any more arrogant than the Duke of Tresham. He's a scandalous scapegrace and a favorite of the ton. One morning while in the middle of his latest duel, the duke is shot in the leg by his opponent after a servant girl screams at them to stop, startling the duke. The girl is Jane Ingleby, who was on he way to her menial job when she happens upon the duel in the park. She loses her job due to being late from that morning's shenanigans. She blames the duke for it and marches right up to his Mayfair mansion demanding he replace the job she lost. The duke decides to hire her as his nurse for his convalescing period so he can make her life as miserable as he feels. But in reality, he's intrigued by the impertinent outspoken servant girl who acts nothing like a servant and isn't afraid of standing up to him and his quizzing glass.

Reader, this is Regency romance at its best
Think Jane Austen with some mild spice. It's a character-driven relationship-centered romance with a delightful cast of characters. Jane is one of those pragmatic no-nonsense outspoken heroines I love but Tresham steals the show here. He's ridiculous 😅 but also broken and emotionally stunted and his character arc is as amazing as Dain's in Lord of Scoundrels. If you've read Balogh before you'll know not to expect steam. Her sex scenes can vary from sensual to cringe with her love for words like mounting 😬 But for me, the breathtaking relationship development makes up for it. Here we see and are shown Tresham falling for Jane and vice versa. It's historical romance at its very best, IMO. My only complaint is that it ends abruptly and there's no epilogue 😭

If you've never read Balogh this is a great place to start. Five enthusiastic stars.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
🔥/5

Tropes:

Fake Identity
Forced Proximity
Rescue trope

CW: mentions of attempted SA