What do you think?
Rate this book
Satan's Mistress
With dizzying speed, beautiful Fiona McQuade went from shopgirl to protege of a duke and duchess. Dazzled by the luxurious living, Fiona forgot her lowly origins and even dreamed of marrying Viscount Will Huxley, the duchess's handsome lover. But of course the arrogant duke and duchess had other plans for the lovely Fiona. They all were members of the dreaded Hellfire Club: jaded nobility who satiated their decadent desires on the young and innocent. And so the unawakened Fiona was ravished by many men, the handsome Will Huxley among them. She had been sold into sexual slavery, and Fiona vowed they all would pay, even the man she loved.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 1, 1981
203 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Cosgrove Payes
41 books8 followersRachel R. Cosgrove Payes was an American genre novelist. A research biologist by training, she married Norman Morris Payes in 1954. The bulk of Cosgrove's work consisted of historical romance novels, many published by Playboy Press.
Used These Alternate Names: E.L. Arch, Joanne Kaye, Rachel Payes, Rachel R. Cosgrove, Rachel Cosgrove.
Used These Alternate Names: E.L. Arch, Joanne Kaye, Rachel Payes, Rachel R. Cosgrove, Rachel Cosgrove.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 6, 2025
Like any trashy pulp novel, here you’ll find unrepentant villains, petty vendettas, attempted schemes of incest, a group rape, and extramarital cheating.
This book was not a romance but felt more like a bodice ripper. It did not feel sensual, but only sensationalizing things. Therefore, the book didn’t feel gross. It felt more like a soap opera of how many entanglements can we bring in?
I thought the first few chapters were lovely with the heroine and hero’s immediate attraction, but heroine is with other men for most of the novel, so the main focus of the novel is exploring the idea of the Hellfire Club and a political subplot of the Everyman politician who is campaigning for the poor to have better living conditions.
I also enjoyed the writing style. I bought a few of this author’s works so I’ll be reading more!
This book was not a romance but felt more like a bodice ripper. It did not feel sensual, but only sensationalizing things. Therefore, the book didn’t feel gross. It felt more like a soap opera of how many entanglements can we bring in?
I thought the first few chapters were lovely with the heroine and hero’s immediate attraction, but heroine is with other men for most of the novel, so the main focus of the novel is exploring the idea of the Hellfire Club and a political subplot of the Everyman politician who is campaigning for the poor to have better living conditions.
I also enjoyed the writing style. I bought a few of this author’s works so I’ll be reading more!
September 11, 2018
I won't paraphrase this book, but I'd like to comment on a few things that either disappointed or set my praise. :)
The heroine...
The heroine, Fiona, had a solid starting pitch; she was low birth, but very much aware of her aesthetic gifts and didn't mind inwardly sniping any bitch who disdained her & sometimes pointblank, too. I'd much rather a heroine be cognizant of her personal tools of trade, than to be ignorant and get herself trampled over because 'good girls don't play games' and all that. Because let's face it; life is going to fuck you over either way; at least give it a round or two of its own.
While self aware to an extent, Fiona still made a lot of ridiculously asinine decisions that led to her ruin (mentally, for the most part), but kept surfacing hitherto. She was a self-admitted kept woman, and preferred that over working her skills in the hat-making and dress alteration business. I mean, both had its perks. A glamorous, although sometimes degrading lifestyle of being the upper crust's mistress, or a self-made woman with a business tilt and strong constitution; Fiona? Not so much.
All in all, I liked her. Her story was a very hard-to-chew tact, and I know the conflict of her good girl / bad girl / kept woman or self-empowered / potential kept me on the fence, but that's what she ultimately wanted. If she's willing to put her ass on the line as the bills need paid, who the hell am I to blame her for what kinda currency she pays with if it's victimless? She knew what she was doing after the gig was up.
The story.....
The backdrop of the story was circulating around a very oppressed secondary-third rate citizen status, but really really came across as hypocritical because, well, Fiona didn't even want to work, and the love interest who pursued her was a spokesman for the working class, BUT, he lived in luxury himself(and that ALWAYS bothers me), because, IMO, if you're going to preach humility and the evils of the rich, than you'd best be devoting your every luxury within reason, to the cause, y'know? It doesn't exonerate your richness, either. Why are some people considered acceptably rich? I don't see them donating their London townhouses, or gondola tours of Italy. It says to me that you believe your wealth is safe, if you point other the destitute towards other wealthy assholes, instead of your own wealth. Nice trick, but nope. If you want to help the poor, you're likely going to need to bankrupt yourself in the process; giving all you can, IMO. That's the real cause.
Another thing that stuck in my craw was that the mob rule acceptability level was really crazy. If violence was forwarded to the working class citizen, it was appalling and unprecedented, but if the mob rule destroyed at random, it wasn't their fault; it was just their oppression made them do it. They were victims to their own violence. Bullshit. Utter bullshit. Fuck that ideology. Fuck it real nice like. Even when the heroine was nearly accosted herself, the political love interest cried it off as " results of oppression." It's hard to see raping and pillaging as anything other than it is; nor will a message of oppression be heard through said carnage. Expecting an honest and fair wage is the pursuit of any free country. Using people like cattle has always been the route of any empowered people, but I detest violence being the result, unless it's in self-defense; at your doorstep, with a clear and visible opponent. It boggled me how the violence on either side was simply brushed off as commonplace in this setting. JFC.
We get a lot of demonstration of the suffering of human beings, who'd do anything for a penny or leverage. Needless to say, it wasn't always rape in the Hellfire Club arranged orgies; it was easy to pay some farm girl to give up her goods for a few pennies for the entertainment of the jaded ton. Even the 'for the people' political leaders and radicals were hot on the mess.
After the heroine's spectacular meeting with the Hellfire Club, I really started helping her plan out her revenge. I had a mental treehouse with ballistics and spreadsheets of their every piss break, to hopefully exact the revenge on those jackals. Most of the time she wised up a great deal, but then she'd retract too. Ah, those girls who are the 'make the best of a bad situation' types; I can relate all too well! She gave as good as she got, although one particular injustice went without notice, and I suppose that was Payes' bodice ripping payoff; sometimes shitty people get away with a lot of shitty things. It's shitty.
The hero..
It's odd, but most of the males, good or professedly bad, were indistinguishable. The hero had a lot of good graces, as well as the Hellfire stoking bit, but in the end I think he arced out of that ass-shot temperament, without Fiona breaking his character into a good and honorable facade.
Wrapping it up...
In the end, the heroine & hero's rejoice of love left the story stuck in a kind of a rut for the last 25%, where pretty good guys died to facilitate the HEA, and it made for this embarrassing after-orgy dash to acquire lost underwear in a pile in the corner.
All in all, to me the book can be summed up as: A lot of terrible people, sometimes doing good things. :D
3.5 stars
The heroine...
The heroine, Fiona, had a solid starting pitch; she was low birth, but very much aware of her aesthetic gifts and didn't mind inwardly sniping any bitch who disdained her & sometimes pointblank, too. I'd much rather a heroine be cognizant of her personal tools of trade, than to be ignorant and get herself trampled over because 'good girls don't play games' and all that. Because let's face it; life is going to fuck you over either way; at least give it a round or two of its own.
While self aware to an extent, Fiona still made a lot of ridiculously asinine decisions that led to her ruin (mentally, for the most part), but kept surfacing hitherto. She was a self-admitted kept woman, and preferred that over working her skills in the hat-making and dress alteration business. I mean, both had its perks. A glamorous, although sometimes degrading lifestyle of being the upper crust's mistress, or a self-made woman with a business tilt and strong constitution; Fiona? Not so much.
All in all, I liked her. Her story was a very hard-to-chew tact, and I know the conflict of her good girl / bad girl / kept woman or self-empowered / potential kept me on the fence, but that's what she ultimately wanted. If she's willing to put her ass on the line as the bills need paid, who the hell am I to blame her for what kinda currency she pays with if it's victimless? She knew what she was doing after the gig was up.
The story.....
The backdrop of the story was circulating around a very oppressed secondary-third rate citizen status, but really really came across as hypocritical because, well, Fiona didn't even want to work, and the love interest who pursued her was a spokesman for the working class, BUT, he lived in luxury himself(and that ALWAYS bothers me), because, IMO, if you're going to preach humility and the evils of the rich, than you'd best be devoting your every luxury within reason, to the cause, y'know? It doesn't exonerate your richness, either. Why are some people considered acceptably rich? I don't see them donating their London townhouses, or gondola tours of Italy. It says to me that you believe your wealth is safe, if you point other the destitute towards other wealthy assholes, instead of your own wealth. Nice trick, but nope. If you want to help the poor, you're likely going to need to bankrupt yourself in the process; giving all you can, IMO. That's the real cause.
Another thing that stuck in my craw was that the mob rule acceptability level was really crazy. If violence was forwarded to the working class citizen, it was appalling and unprecedented, but if the mob rule destroyed at random, it wasn't their fault; it was just their oppression made them do it. They were victims to their own violence. Bullshit. Utter bullshit. Fuck that ideology. Fuck it real nice like. Even when the heroine was nearly accosted herself, the political love interest cried it off as " results of oppression." It's hard to see raping and pillaging as anything other than it is; nor will a message of oppression be heard through said carnage. Expecting an honest and fair wage is the pursuit of any free country. Using people like cattle has always been the route of any empowered people, but I detest violence being the result, unless it's in self-defense; at your doorstep, with a clear and visible opponent. It boggled me how the violence on either side was simply brushed off as commonplace in this setting. JFC.
We get a lot of demonstration of the suffering of human beings, who'd do anything for a penny or leverage. Needless to say, it wasn't always rape in the Hellfire Club arranged orgies; it was easy to pay some farm girl to give up her goods for a few pennies for the entertainment of the jaded ton. Even the 'for the people' political leaders and radicals were hot on the mess.
After the heroine's spectacular meeting with the Hellfire Club, I really started helping her plan out her revenge. I had a mental treehouse with ballistics and spreadsheets of their every piss break, to hopefully exact the revenge on those jackals. Most of the time she wised up a great deal, but then she'd retract too. Ah, those girls who are the 'make the best of a bad situation' types; I can relate all too well! She gave as good as she got, although one particular injustice went without notice, and I suppose that was Payes' bodice ripping payoff; sometimes shitty people get away with a lot of shitty things. It's shitty.
The hero..
It's odd, but most of the males, good or professedly bad, were indistinguishable. The hero had a lot of good graces, as well as the Hellfire stoking bit, but in the end I think he arced out of that ass-shot temperament, without Fiona breaking his character into a good and honorable facade.
Wrapping it up...
In the end, the heroine & hero's rejoice of love left the story stuck in a kind of a rut for the last 25%, where pretty good guys died to facilitate the HEA, and it made for this embarrassing after-orgy dash to acquire lost underwear in a pile in the corner.
All in all, to me the book can be summed up as: A lot of terrible people, sometimes doing good things. :D
3.5 stars
Read
April 4, 20262.5 ⭐️ cw: SA
So……who was this Satan she was the mistress of?
But actually though, this whole thing starts off with her swearing revenge on those who’ve wronged her, as it says in the book description when she’s tricked into being raped and then has to become a mistress to survive, so I was thinking this was going to be her “fucking her way to the top” in order to get revenge, but instead in turns into this kind of boring political melodrama?
Spoilers:
So she ends up getting married and starts having an affair with the dude she thought she wanted revenge on, and then political shenanigans happen, her husband is killed (predictably) in a duel and then it’s just easy breezy from there on? No fun revenge sexy times?
Also like lol (like it’s not funny but like JFC) at the whole miscommunication between her and Will being “oh sorry I didn’t realize I was raping you I thought you were willing I didn’t know they drugged you”. Like bro. You are having sex with a teenager that a bunch of other dudes just “had sex” with, did you not think there was anything maybe off about that entire scenario?????
But that’s not what really had an issue with, I more so had an issue about how they constantly talked and made jabs at the fact that the villain, the duchess is “old” and she’s NOT EVEN 30! Like again I understand that back then that was “older” but still! Like there’s a point where the author writes “she’s with some young fop that could be her son” and it’s like okay she’s like 28 so what is he, like 13??? Like damn I feel attacked lmao.
Overall this book was very plot driven I guess but there’s like zero character development or change, Fiona is young hot and poor, Lawton and her cronies are evil sex fied, Will is apparently the dumbest viscount I’ve ever read, compared to other bodice ripper heroes I’ve read he looks like a Boy Scout, and WHO WAS SATAN??? I don’t get it!
So……who was this Satan she was the mistress of?
But actually though, this whole thing starts off with her swearing revenge on those who’ve wronged her, as it says in the book description when she’s tricked into being raped and then has to become a mistress to survive, so I was thinking this was going to be her “fucking her way to the top” in order to get revenge, but instead in turns into this kind of boring political melodrama?
Spoilers:
So she ends up getting married and starts having an affair with the dude she thought she wanted revenge on, and then political shenanigans happen, her husband is killed (predictably) in a duel and then it’s just easy breezy from there on? No fun revenge sexy times?
Also like lol (like it’s not funny but like JFC) at the whole miscommunication between her and Will being “oh sorry I didn’t realize I was raping you I thought you were willing I didn’t know they drugged you”. Like bro. You are having sex with a teenager that a bunch of other dudes just “had sex” with, did you not think there was anything maybe off about that entire scenario?????
But that’s not what really had an issue with, I more so had an issue about how they constantly talked and made jabs at the fact that the villain, the duchess is “old” and she’s NOT EVEN 30! Like again I understand that back then that was “older” but still! Like there’s a point where the author writes “she’s with some young fop that could be her son” and it’s like okay she’s like 28 so what is he, like 13??? Like damn I feel attacked lmao.
Overall this book was very plot driven I guess but there’s like zero character development or change, Fiona is young hot and poor, Lawton and her cronies are evil sex fied, Will is apparently the dumbest viscount I’ve ever read, compared to other bodice ripper heroes I’ve read he looks like a Boy Scout, and WHO WAS SATAN??? I don’t get it!
August 3, 2010
This book has got to be in the top ten worst books I've ever read! The biggest problem for me was that the author did not know how to tell a story! If she did, I propably would have enjoyed this book. Every scene felt rushed without any real dept. The writing was so amateur! This was also a far cry from a romance. There was nothing but hate and darkness in this book. I gave the author the benefit of the doubt after I read the back of the book, hoping that she would be able to pull off such an un-conventional romance, but I should have known better. She did not pull it off. The heroine is so stupid it's laughable and the hero is a jerk you will hate - that stood by and allowed the heroine to be ganged rape while trying to join in! There is no excuse for that, I don't care how angry you are. I hated him and could not root for them to be together after that.
December 30, 2021
The three stars are for its being a much better book than the usual bodice ripper types of the late 70's/early 80's, though if I knew how I'd give it a half a star less, because the last part of the book didn't live up to the first and middle of the story. It reached its peak about 3/4 through and then slid downhill fast.
I give Ms. Payes credit for putting enough historic background to her novel, rather than just the token few sentences this type of book usually did. You learn about the political climate in mid 18thc England, the restlessness of the lower classes, political protests and reform efforts, a secret newspaper, and the infamous Hellfire Club, started by Sir Francis Dashwood, in the old Medmenham Abbey. This made for some informative as well as entertaining reading. (Sir Francis even makes an appearance in the middle of the book.)
The story starts out as a typical tale of innocence corrupted. Fiona McQuade lives with and works for her aunt, helping her make dresses for the upper class ladies. One of them, the diabolical Duchess of Lawton, hires Fiona, and she's soon living at the Lawton estate, where the lecherous Duke forces his attentions on Fiona, almost raping her, but she's saved by the Duchess's lover, Viscount Will Huxley. Fiona and Huxley have one of those "from the moment I first saw you" moments, but due to the difference in their stations, and his relationship with the Duchess, things don't appear very promising.
Fiona soon has a suitor from among the better class, Tor Werrington, courtesy of the Duchess, but her reasons are entirely selfish. Discovering Fiona has a planned tryst with Huxley, she instead traps her into going on a "sightseeing" outing with Werrington, to tour a famous old abbey. Unbeknownst to Fiona, she's being set up to be the sacrificial virgin at the Hellfire Club ritual, where men dress like friars, women like nuns, and all kinds of debauchery take place. (The Duke and Duchess are frequent participants, as is Huxley, and Werrington's eager to join them.) In an unbelievably un-PC scene - one of the worst - Fiona's given what could be called a "horny drug", dressed like a nun, and put on an altar for the friars to pump and dump. One after the other rapes her, while she's too out of it to care, until it's Huxley's turn, then the drug wears off and she's horrified and starts fighting to escape. He takes this as a rejection and his pride is hurt, while her heart is broken, that he could treat her so shamefully. What she doesn't know is that he came to the abbey that evening because he thought she'd deliberately stood him up for Werrington, when in truth she was unable to get a message to him, explaining that she had no choice. He believed she willingly came to the abbey and wanted to participate in the "fun". Fiona believed he knew she was being set up all the time. She now thinks Huxley's a depraved rake, he thinks she's a hypocritical slut, and they now despise each other.
May I add that they are both (and I'll use the words, not the letters) TOO STUPID TO LIVE!! Once the initial shock and horror wore off, Fiona should have stopped to think that if Huxley were as terrible as she thought then why did he bother to save her from the Duke, he would have just let him rape her. And for someone so sophisticated and jaded, Huxley sure was a dunce not to realize that Fiona was not participating willingly in the gang bang, or else she wouldn't have been fighting him off, what's one more f---? Easier to accuse others of bad behavior than accuse yourselves of lack of brains.
Fiona returns to her aunt and to dressmaking, but the Duchess soon poisons everyone against Fiona, by spreading the word about what happened (leaving out the drugging part), and that she and her husband were taken advantage of by a conniving trollop. Afraid of losing customers, her crummy aunt asks Fiona to leave, and wherever she tries to work next the same thing happens. Werrington magnanimously offers her what he considers an honor: the chance to be his mistress! After all, unlike everyone else, he's willing to overlook her immorality, though naturally he could never marry someone like her. Feeling like she has no choice (and not minding the nice house and lovely things he'll provide for her) Fiona agrees.
The story picks up, as she determines to revenge herself on the D and D and also on Huxley. Meanwhile, she endures Werrington's lovemaking, enjoys the house, clothes and jewelry, but knows it won't last forever. Soon, Werrington becomes engaged to a proper society lady, who knows about Fiona, and can't resist snarky comments. Fiona retaliates by presenting her with a very special book, Werrington's favorite: illustrations of his favorite sex positions that he insists Fiona perform! She says it should make a nice wedding gift! When the horrified young woman throws it to the ground and leaves, Fiona has it delivered to her, and Werrington has a fit! A bit of sweet revenge!
When that relationship ends, another one begins. She meets the social reformer Samuel Rogers, and they form an instant friendship, that soon becomes love for Samuel, and fondness (as well as gratitude) for Fiona, as he offers protection from the increasingly abusive Werrington, who, after his marriage, informs Fiona it's time for her to get lost. Samuel offers her a place to live. It's only his loyalty to his mentally ill wife that prevents him from petitioning for a divorce and making an honest woman of Fiona. She becomes his mistress, and when his wife dies, Samuel immediately marries her.
Samuel becomes more politically active, as he had a friend and fellow activist who had both money and connections helping him out, and he was able to buy the house Fiona had lived in with Werrington, that she was so fond of. It's also where the secret newspaper is published, that often makes inflammatory remarks about people in high places, including the King. Fiona suspects the benefactor/writer is Huxley, and wants proof, so she can use the info to try and ruin him. At the same time, she finds herself fantasizing about him whenever her husband makes love to her, using Samuel's body and the pleasure he gives her to vicariously have sex with the man she really wants. (Samuel deserves better than that.)
To speed things up: Samuel makes frequent visits to the Abbey, hoping to make more converts to his cause among these debauched aristocrats (he can use their influence and power). Fiona reluctantly accompanies him, and on one such visit almost has sex with Huxley, who still thinks she's a whore.
Another time she helps rescue Huxley's sister, Nell, from the same fate as hers, since she, too, was set up by the Duchess, who wants revenge for Huxley dumping her. (Had things worked out as the Duchess planned, Huxley, as one of the friars, would have had sex with his sister!) When Huxley sees the condition Nell's in, he finally realizes that Fiona was, indeed, an innocent victim, and now he can't apologize enough. Fiona, in turn, realizes she let the perfect opportunity for revenge against him slip away, by rescuing Nell, and now she doesn't want revenge at all, just him.
And here ends the three star portion of the book.
Now, here's where the book slides downhill (and only merits one of those stars). Fiona and Huxley give in to their repressed desires, and make passionate love at his place, three times. Then, Fiona suddenly remembers she has a husband and she owes him fidelity. (A little late for that, wouldn't you say?) Now, Huxley changes from a sophisticated rake to a lovesick lad, as he keeps declaring that he loves Fiona, has always loved her, and wants her to be his wife. (Sure, just toss Samuel in the trash, what the heck?) Fiona says she cares for Samuel, respects him and is grateful to him, and won't leave him, after all he's done for her. She's determined not to see Huxley again.
That lasts about five minutes. Soon, whenever Huxley's at the house to work on the paper, and Samuel is at work at the H of C, making speeches, Huxley and Fiona are hitting the sheets, and despite her continual declarations (ad nauseum) that Samuel is a good man and deserves better, she keeps cheating on him, as she can't resist those orgasms with Huxley. And wouldn't you know it, she has some with Samuel, too. So now she feels like she's cheating on Huxley whenever she's in bed with her husband. Now she really is the trollop everyone thought she was, and can't believe her actions, though she keeps up the deception, with poor Samuel none the wiser, and Huxley sounding more and more like a silly schoolboy: "Please leave him and marry me! I love you so!" He went from alpha to beta overnight; I'd take Samuel any day over this simp!
Yes, I'm Team Samuel Rogers all the way! He was a good man, stood by his first wife a long time before he strayed, (and this was when he learned there was no hope of her recovering) then stood by Fiona and believed in her, giving her the benefit of the doubt despite all the stories about her lack of morals, gave her his protection, his name and his heart, and what did he get in return? A wife who opens her legs again and again for a man who happens to be his good friend and political ally and has no intention of stopping. (All the while, Huxley's whining, "I must see you again! I must make love to you again! I'll die if I don't bed you!" Talk about sickening!)
Then (big surprise), Fiona's pregnant, with no idea who's the baby daddy, though Little Boy Huxley keeps whining: "It's mine, mine, mine, I KNOW ITS MINE!!" Samuel, meanwhile, is looking forward to fatherhood, never suspecting that he might not be the father. Now what? Conveniently get rid of Samuel, that's what, by having him get killed in a duel with the Duke, over rumors he and the Duchess spread about Fiona and Huxley. (For once, I was on their side.) There's a stupid melodrama bit where his second, Huxley, is standing over his body with the gun in his hand, declaring, "I DIDN'T DO IT! I DIDN'T DO IT!" (Seems the Duke shot Samuel in the back, then ran away, and dumbo ended up holding the gun, as in all those bad murder mystery movies) He spends some time in jail, does some more whining, is soon free, then marries Fiona before Samuel's body is cold, and then she has twins that look like him, and HEA!!! BARF!! BARF!! BARF!!
And they also manage to stop the nefarious deeds at the abbey, by printing an article in the paper and naming names (not themselves, of course) of those who attended the festivities. Talk about a hypocrite, as Huxley had many a wild, debauched night at Medmenham and loved it, but now he's Mr. Morality! Give me a frigging break!
I revised the ending in my head, out of respect for Samuel (who deserved a better life, not death): the newlywed couple lose all their friends and social standing, Fiona dies of childbed fever (it takes a while, so she gets to suffer a bit for betraying Samuel), the twins look exactly like Samuel, and Huxley's a widower with babies that aren't his, and ends up in the loony bin, crying: "I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THEY WOULDN'T BE MINE!! SHE WAS A TROLLOP, AFTER ALL!!"
THE END
I give Ms. Payes credit for putting enough historic background to her novel, rather than just the token few sentences this type of book usually did. You learn about the political climate in mid 18thc England, the restlessness of the lower classes, political protests and reform efforts, a secret newspaper, and the infamous Hellfire Club, started by Sir Francis Dashwood, in the old Medmenham Abbey. This made for some informative as well as entertaining reading. (Sir Francis even makes an appearance in the middle of the book.)
The story starts out as a typical tale of innocence corrupted. Fiona McQuade lives with and works for her aunt, helping her make dresses for the upper class ladies. One of them, the diabolical Duchess of Lawton, hires Fiona, and she's soon living at the Lawton estate, where the lecherous Duke forces his attentions on Fiona, almost raping her, but she's saved by the Duchess's lover, Viscount Will Huxley. Fiona and Huxley have one of those "from the moment I first saw you" moments, but due to the difference in their stations, and his relationship with the Duchess, things don't appear very promising.
Fiona soon has a suitor from among the better class, Tor Werrington, courtesy of the Duchess, but her reasons are entirely selfish. Discovering Fiona has a planned tryst with Huxley, she instead traps her into going on a "sightseeing" outing with Werrington, to tour a famous old abbey. Unbeknownst to Fiona, she's being set up to be the sacrificial virgin at the Hellfire Club ritual, where men dress like friars, women like nuns, and all kinds of debauchery take place. (The Duke and Duchess are frequent participants, as is Huxley, and Werrington's eager to join them.) In an unbelievably un-PC scene - one of the worst - Fiona's given what could be called a "horny drug", dressed like a nun, and put on an altar for the friars to pump and dump. One after the other rapes her, while she's too out of it to care, until it's Huxley's turn, then the drug wears off and she's horrified and starts fighting to escape. He takes this as a rejection and his pride is hurt, while her heart is broken, that he could treat her so shamefully. What she doesn't know is that he came to the abbey that evening because he thought she'd deliberately stood him up for Werrington, when in truth she was unable to get a message to him, explaining that she had no choice. He believed she willingly came to the abbey and wanted to participate in the "fun". Fiona believed he knew she was being set up all the time. She now thinks Huxley's a depraved rake, he thinks she's a hypocritical slut, and they now despise each other.
May I add that they are both (and I'll use the words, not the letters) TOO STUPID TO LIVE!! Once the initial shock and horror wore off, Fiona should have stopped to think that if Huxley were as terrible as she thought then why did he bother to save her from the Duke, he would have just let him rape her. And for someone so sophisticated and jaded, Huxley sure was a dunce not to realize that Fiona was not participating willingly in the gang bang, or else she wouldn't have been fighting him off, what's one more f---? Easier to accuse others of bad behavior than accuse yourselves of lack of brains.
Fiona returns to her aunt and to dressmaking, but the Duchess soon poisons everyone against Fiona, by spreading the word about what happened (leaving out the drugging part), and that she and her husband were taken advantage of by a conniving trollop. Afraid of losing customers, her crummy aunt asks Fiona to leave, and wherever she tries to work next the same thing happens. Werrington magnanimously offers her what he considers an honor: the chance to be his mistress! After all, unlike everyone else, he's willing to overlook her immorality, though naturally he could never marry someone like her. Feeling like she has no choice (and not minding the nice house and lovely things he'll provide for her) Fiona agrees.
The story picks up, as she determines to revenge herself on the D and D and also on Huxley. Meanwhile, she endures Werrington's lovemaking, enjoys the house, clothes and jewelry, but knows it won't last forever. Soon, Werrington becomes engaged to a proper society lady, who knows about Fiona, and can't resist snarky comments. Fiona retaliates by presenting her with a very special book, Werrington's favorite: illustrations of his favorite sex positions that he insists Fiona perform! She says it should make a nice wedding gift! When the horrified young woman throws it to the ground and leaves, Fiona has it delivered to her, and Werrington has a fit! A bit of sweet revenge!
When that relationship ends, another one begins. She meets the social reformer Samuel Rogers, and they form an instant friendship, that soon becomes love for Samuel, and fondness (as well as gratitude) for Fiona, as he offers protection from the increasingly abusive Werrington, who, after his marriage, informs Fiona it's time for her to get lost. Samuel offers her a place to live. It's only his loyalty to his mentally ill wife that prevents him from petitioning for a divorce and making an honest woman of Fiona. She becomes his mistress, and when his wife dies, Samuel immediately marries her.
Samuel becomes more politically active, as he had a friend and fellow activist who had both money and connections helping him out, and he was able to buy the house Fiona had lived in with Werrington, that she was so fond of. It's also where the secret newspaper is published, that often makes inflammatory remarks about people in high places, including the King. Fiona suspects the benefactor/writer is Huxley, and wants proof, so she can use the info to try and ruin him. At the same time, she finds herself fantasizing about him whenever her husband makes love to her, using Samuel's body and the pleasure he gives her to vicariously have sex with the man she really wants. (Samuel deserves better than that.)
To speed things up: Samuel makes frequent visits to the Abbey, hoping to make more converts to his cause among these debauched aristocrats (he can use their influence and power). Fiona reluctantly accompanies him, and on one such visit almost has sex with Huxley, who still thinks she's a whore.
Another time she helps rescue Huxley's sister, Nell, from the same fate as hers, since she, too, was set up by the Duchess, who wants revenge for Huxley dumping her. (Had things worked out as the Duchess planned, Huxley, as one of the friars, would have had sex with his sister!) When Huxley sees the condition Nell's in, he finally realizes that Fiona was, indeed, an innocent victim, and now he can't apologize enough. Fiona, in turn, realizes she let the perfect opportunity for revenge against him slip away, by rescuing Nell, and now she doesn't want revenge at all, just him.
And here ends the three star portion of the book.
Now, here's where the book slides downhill (and only merits one of those stars). Fiona and Huxley give in to their repressed desires, and make passionate love at his place, three times. Then, Fiona suddenly remembers she has a husband and she owes him fidelity. (A little late for that, wouldn't you say?) Now, Huxley changes from a sophisticated rake to a lovesick lad, as he keeps declaring that he loves Fiona, has always loved her, and wants her to be his wife. (Sure, just toss Samuel in the trash, what the heck?) Fiona says she cares for Samuel, respects him and is grateful to him, and won't leave him, after all he's done for her. She's determined not to see Huxley again.
That lasts about five minutes. Soon, whenever Huxley's at the house to work on the paper, and Samuel is at work at the H of C, making speeches, Huxley and Fiona are hitting the sheets, and despite her continual declarations (ad nauseum) that Samuel is a good man and deserves better, she keeps cheating on him, as she can't resist those orgasms with Huxley. And wouldn't you know it, she has some with Samuel, too. So now she feels like she's cheating on Huxley whenever she's in bed with her husband. Now she really is the trollop everyone thought she was, and can't believe her actions, though she keeps up the deception, with poor Samuel none the wiser, and Huxley sounding more and more like a silly schoolboy: "Please leave him and marry me! I love you so!" He went from alpha to beta overnight; I'd take Samuel any day over this simp!
Yes, I'm Team Samuel Rogers all the way! He was a good man, stood by his first wife a long time before he strayed, (and this was when he learned there was no hope of her recovering) then stood by Fiona and believed in her, giving her the benefit of the doubt despite all the stories about her lack of morals, gave her his protection, his name and his heart, and what did he get in return? A wife who opens her legs again and again for a man who happens to be his good friend and political ally and has no intention of stopping. (All the while, Huxley's whining, "I must see you again! I must make love to you again! I'll die if I don't bed you!" Talk about sickening!)
Then (big surprise), Fiona's pregnant, with no idea who's the baby daddy, though Little Boy Huxley keeps whining: "It's mine, mine, mine, I KNOW ITS MINE!!" Samuel, meanwhile, is looking forward to fatherhood, never suspecting that he might not be the father. Now what? Conveniently get rid of Samuel, that's what, by having him get killed in a duel with the Duke, over rumors he and the Duchess spread about Fiona and Huxley. (For once, I was on their side.) There's a stupid melodrama bit where his second, Huxley, is standing over his body with the gun in his hand, declaring, "I DIDN'T DO IT! I DIDN'T DO IT!" (Seems the Duke shot Samuel in the back, then ran away, and dumbo ended up holding the gun, as in all those bad murder mystery movies) He spends some time in jail, does some more whining, is soon free, then marries Fiona before Samuel's body is cold, and then she has twins that look like him, and HEA!!! BARF!! BARF!! BARF!!
And they also manage to stop the nefarious deeds at the abbey, by printing an article in the paper and naming names (not themselves, of course) of those who attended the festivities. Talk about a hypocrite, as Huxley had many a wild, debauched night at Medmenham and loved it, but now he's Mr. Morality! Give me a frigging break!
I revised the ending in my head, out of respect for Samuel (who deserved a better life, not death): the newlywed couple lose all their friends and social standing, Fiona dies of childbed fever (it takes a while, so she gets to suffer a bit for betraying Samuel), the twins look exactly like Samuel, and Huxley's a widower with babies that aren't his, and ends up in the loony bin, crying: "I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THEY WOULDN'T BE MINE!! SHE WAS A TROLLOP, AFTER ALL!!"
THE END
November 15, 2013
This book sucked I really cannot begin to describe how horrible the plot,the characters,and the flow of the story was to read. It felt like a skim read and I didn't skip at all. The author glossed over so much.
So much happens in this book and none of it good. The Heroine is working for her Aunt at a hat shop but before she arrives from the street she is rescued by the Hero who she falls for on the spot.
Later on the Evil duchess hires her( whom the Hero is the lover)for her talents with clothes. First day on the job nearly gets raped by the Duke. The Hero saves her and The Duchess learns that the Heroine is a virgin(dum,dum,dum).
The Duchess talks Fiona into pretending to be a lady to help her get a good husband. Well yada yada yada Black Mass happens. Turns out the duchess planed for Fiona to be the virgin gang raped. She was given a drugs to make her horny and after the third or fourth man takes her the drugs start wearing off and she fights the man taking her and rips his masks off and its *Gasps* the Hero that she is in love with.
Hero and her date Thor(the dude who took her to the black mass) does not get that she was drugged.
The Duchess and Duke turns her out, when she goes back to work for her Aunt and tells her what happened to her. The Aunt doesn't quiet seem to believe her but takes her back anyway. Well the Duchess threatens to ruin the Aunts shop if she doesn't turn Fiona out as well.
Now Fiona goes to another shop to work,but the Duchess ruins that as well.
During this Thor is sniffing around her bemoaning the fact that he didn't get to take her that night and now that she has nowhere to go he talks her into becoming his mistress.
She agrees, and now she gets to be raped on a regular basis. Thor is an asshole to the ninth degree. During this time she is planning revenge on the Hero.
Thor takes her back to the Abbey where she was raped for the after parties which are orgies sells her in a auction to the Hero who treats her like trash but doesn't have sex with her. There is a another man she likes and is sweet to her and she finds him and has sex with him and enjoys it. Thor discovers this and kicks her out.
Fiona then goes to live with this man and when his wife passes on marries him.
Fiona meets the hero's sister.
Fiona still attends the Abbey with her husband and becomes one of the "nuns" who prepare the virgins for Black mass the other nun is the Duchess. That night the Hero is to be abbot who gets to take the virgin first. Fiona is shocked that the virgin is Nell the hero's sister. *Oh no*
Fiona gets Nell away and hides her, finds the Hero who is still treating her like dirt. Tells him what happened with his sister being drugged and her being chosen as that night's virgin. He still doesn't believe her until he sees his sister. This finally wakes him up about what is really going on there. He thought all the virgins came willingly and he thought that Fiona was just like the others.
They escape, They make love but she is married to a good man.
Good man and hero has a duel,but the duke kills the good man frames hero.
Hero turns out ran an underground newspaper has a following and a friend who helps get word to king. Hero gets out of jail back to Fiona. Then it is all lovely dovey sunshine and rainbows. The Hero write a expose on the Abby and Black Mass, names all involved. The Hero and Heroine is laughter and smiles while leading a mob into the Abbey to see what is going on.
The Hell fire club is shut down, but not for long as the hero says they will find a way again.
Fiona and Hero are having Christmas together and then she gives birth to twins, and it's a perfect happy family.
This closing. Heroine is a stupid twit, the Hero is a boorish Dick.
So much happens in this book and none of it good. The Heroine is working for her Aunt at a hat shop but before she arrives from the street she is rescued by the Hero who she falls for on the spot.
Later on the Evil duchess hires her( whom the Hero is the lover)for her talents with clothes. First day on the job nearly gets raped by the Duke. The Hero saves her and The Duchess learns that the Heroine is a virgin(dum,dum,dum).
The Duchess talks Fiona into pretending to be a lady to help her get a good husband. Well yada yada yada Black Mass happens. Turns out the duchess planed for Fiona to be the virgin gang raped. She was given a drugs to make her horny and after the third or fourth man takes her the drugs start wearing off and she fights the man taking her and rips his masks off and its *Gasps* the Hero that she is in love with.
Hero and her date Thor(the dude who took her to the black mass) does not get that she was drugged.
The Duchess and Duke turns her out, when she goes back to work for her Aunt and tells her what happened to her. The Aunt doesn't quiet seem to believe her but takes her back anyway. Well the Duchess threatens to ruin the Aunts shop if she doesn't turn Fiona out as well.
Now Fiona goes to another shop to work,but the Duchess ruins that as well.
During this Thor is sniffing around her bemoaning the fact that he didn't get to take her that night and now that she has nowhere to go he talks her into becoming his mistress.
She agrees, and now she gets to be raped on a regular basis. Thor is an asshole to the ninth degree. During this time she is planning revenge on the Hero.
Thor takes her back to the Abbey where she was raped for the after parties which are orgies sells her in a auction to the Hero who treats her like trash but doesn't have sex with her. There is a another man she likes and is sweet to her and she finds him and has sex with him and enjoys it. Thor discovers this and kicks her out.
Fiona then goes to live with this man and when his wife passes on marries him.
Fiona meets the hero's sister.
Fiona still attends the Abbey with her husband and becomes one of the "nuns" who prepare the virgins for Black mass the other nun is the Duchess. That night the Hero is to be abbot who gets to take the virgin first. Fiona is shocked that the virgin is Nell the hero's sister. *Oh no*
Fiona gets Nell away and hides her, finds the Hero who is still treating her like dirt. Tells him what happened with his sister being drugged and her being chosen as that night's virgin. He still doesn't believe her until he sees his sister. This finally wakes him up about what is really going on there. He thought all the virgins came willingly and he thought that Fiona was just like the others.
They escape, They make love but she is married to a good man.
Good man and hero has a duel,but the duke kills the good man frames hero.
Hero turns out ran an underground newspaper has a following and a friend who helps get word to king. Hero gets out of jail back to Fiona. Then it is all lovely dovey sunshine and rainbows. The Hero write a expose on the Abby and Black Mass, names all involved. The Hero and Heroine is laughter and smiles while leading a mob into the Abbey to see what is going on.
The Hell fire club is shut down, but not for long as the hero says they will find a way again.
Fiona and Hero are having Christmas together and then she gives birth to twins, and it's a perfect happy family.
This closing. Heroine is a stupid twit, the Hero is a boorish Dick.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 30, 2023
They just don't write books like this anymore.
This thing was unhinged and I'm still trying to decide whether I like it or hated it. Was I entertained though? Yes.
This thing was unhinged and I'm still trying to decide whether I like it or hated it. Was I entertained though? Yes.
July 28, 2019
Miss Payes cannot write. When a book is published I at least expect a smooth ride. From words like "bombshell" to the cringe-worthy beginning when Payes has her heroine freeze before a coach just so the dashing hero can rescue her, this ride rattled from the very start, and got so bad I had to walk away.
You don't just poop out bunch of sticks and make them react to the whims of a childish plot. You don't tell the reader that your heroine is smart and decent then have her act like a stupid trollop.
A note to ALL writers: IT'S OK FOR A 16 YEAR OLD HEROINE TO BE STUPID. We have all been there.
You don't just poop out bunch of sticks and make them react to the whims of a childish plot. You don't tell the reader that your heroine is smart and decent then have her act like a stupid trollop.
A note to ALL writers: IT'S OK FOR A 16 YEAR OLD HEROINE TO BE STUPID. We have all been there.
June 22, 2023
2.5
I hated the H, he was despicable, he was gross the way he was using the victims bodies, between him and the villains I don't see different, they are from the same mold. I was glad that she could find pleasure with her husband besides the horrible H. It's a rarity when the h finds pleasure in another man. The villains, most of all the OW should be burned with stakes like the witches.
I hated the H, he was despicable, he was gross the way he was using the victims bodies, between him and the villains I don't see different, they are from the same mold. I was glad that she could find pleasure with her husband besides the horrible H. It's a rarity when the h finds pleasure in another man. The villains, most of all the OW should be burned with stakes like the witches.
March 18, 2024
i liked the author's simple style/tone relating the historical setting and background of the book , however, even as a bodice ripper, the Mcs are despicable! quite simply a slut paired with a manwhore...totally bizarre on morals and ethics irrespective of circumstances, really, and i think this is why the story eventually makes no sense!
September 11, 2023
Loved everything about it but the ending was slightly predictable.
February 21, 2011
I didn't really like this book. It was okay in the beginning, but the black mass just seemed anticlimactic, and it just went downhill from there. I guess I'm just used to more dramatic books, because everyone in this book seemed very laid back. I finally got so bored, I stopped in the middle. This was a very unexceptional book, over all.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews