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The Housemistress
For a lot of seventeen-year-old girls, being sent to a same-sex boarding school would be a nightmare for one simple reason: No boys. But that’s really not a problem for sixth form student Rylie Harcourt. Instead, what might prove somewhat difficult to overcome is the school’s strict policy concerning on-campus relationships.
All sexual contact is expressly forbidden. Carnal pursuits are a distraction from learning, so says the Headmistress, and virtue is to be as highly regarded as education—if not higher. This harsh ban on expressions of love becomes especially problematic when Rylie meets her new French Housemistress, Vivienne Carriveau, and attraction sparks.
In a sexless environment, thirty-one-year-old Mademoiselle Carriveau is a magnet for the affections of her hormonal, adolescent students. Competition for her attention is fierce, and when it starts to become clear that Rylie’s burgeoning interest in her is reciprocated in equal measure, tension among the student body rises to a deadly level.
All sexual contact is expressly forbidden. Carnal pursuits are a distraction from learning, so says the Headmistress, and virtue is to be as highly regarded as education—if not higher. This harsh ban on expressions of love becomes especially problematic when Rylie meets her new French Housemistress, Vivienne Carriveau, and attraction sparks.
In a sexless environment, thirty-one-year-old Mademoiselle Carriveau is a magnet for the affections of her hormonal, adolescent students. Competition for her attention is fierce, and when it starts to become clear that Rylie’s burgeoning interest in her is reciprocated in equal measure, tension among the student body rises to a deadly level.
211 pages, Paperback
First published March 8, 2014
83 people are currently reading
1973 people want to read
About the author
Keira Michelle Telford
29 books287 followersKeira Michelle Telford is an award-winning author with a love for the gruesome, the macabre, and the downright filthy. She writes dystopian science fiction, contemporary and historical erotic lesbian romance, and other lesbian fiction, often with a focus on age-gap relationships.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews
December 12, 2020
Disclaimer: If you came looking for this book, you know what you're in for. A lot of Telford's works can fall under the 'dark' or 'wrong' category. Enjoy this guilty pleasure responsibly.
Don't want to belabor the hotness of this book, but it is indeed one of the hottest lesbian fictions I've ever happened upon. Teacher/Student done right for an erotic romance, as far as I'm concerned. Telford's writing style is sharp and distinct; I love it. The two mains recognize their attraction immediately and it works really well. I don't need constant torture. Have I reread this book an embarrassing amount of times? You bet I did.
Marry me, Mademoiselle Carriveau.
Update: Read it again in one night. Just as hot and perfect as the first few reads. Still waiting on Mlle. Carriveau to propose to me.
Don't want to belabor the hotness of this book, but it is indeed one of the hottest lesbian fictions I've ever happened upon. Teacher/Student done right for an erotic romance, as far as I'm concerned. Telford's writing style is sharp and distinct; I love it. The two mains recognize their attraction immediately and it works really well. I don't need constant torture. Have I reread this book an embarrassing amount of times? You bet I did.
Marry me, Mademoiselle Carriveau.
Update: Read it again in one night. Just as hot and perfect as the first few reads. Still waiting on Mlle. Carriveau to propose to me.
April 18, 2018
Vivienne Carriveau... *sigh*
Well this book sure left a lasting impression on me. As it turns out I actually read this years ago and had totally forgotten about it. I'm really glad I came across it again though because it's so good.
The author does an amazing job making you root for Rylie and Vivienne despite their age gap and the fact that not only is Rylie a minor but also Vivienne's student. There is definitely an element of taboo in the book, even during some very steamy scenes the author uses the word "teen" to once again remind you of this fact. Despite all of this there was never a moment in the entire book that made me feel awkward reading about their relationship.
This is so well written. It has a great cast of secondary characters, some who you will love and others you will hate. The thing I loved the most about this book though is the seduction. Those scenes are exceptionally well written and incredibly sexy. I will definitely be reading this again in the future.
Well this book sure left a lasting impression on me. As it turns out I actually read this years ago and had totally forgotten about it. I'm really glad I came across it again though because it's so good.
The author does an amazing job making you root for Rylie and Vivienne despite their age gap and the fact that not only is Rylie a minor but also Vivienne's student. There is definitely an element of taboo in the book, even during some very steamy scenes the author uses the word "teen" to once again remind you of this fact. Despite all of this there was never a moment in the entire book that made me feel awkward reading about their relationship.
This is so well written. It has a great cast of secondary characters, some who you will love and others you will hate. The thing I loved the most about this book though is the seduction. Those scenes are exceptionally well written and incredibly sexy. I will definitely be reading this again in the future.
March 28, 2022
after 17 year old Rylie Harcourt begins displaying “lesbian tendencies” as her parents called it, they decide to send her to an all girls school boarding school (all i could picture was the one from Wild Child lol) for some discipline and to rectify her behaviour... which Rylie wasn’t complaining about since she was a lesbian about to attend an all girls school.
but it wasn’t one of the girls who caught her eyes.
Vivienne Carriveau. the allusive, 31 year old French housemistress catches Rylie’s eyes from the first moment they meet. and she catches Vivienne’s eye too... along with the majority of her other students.
in the span of the first two chapters, Vivienne caresses Rylie’s face and hair after just meeting her. does a Patrick Swayze and stands behind a student kneading dough in cooking class to help her, holding hands and kissing her forehead (which she also does to all of the girls every morning before they leave for class wtf) as they knead the dough. then offers a doughy finger to another student to lick the remnants off Vivienne’s finger. luckily the student swipes it off with her own finger then tastes it rather than putting Vivienne’s whole damn finger in her mouth but i was still 👁👄👁
bcos right before this Vivienne does this:
then when her finger with the dough on is offered to Rylie, her lesbian tendencies jump out and...
i knew there and then i was gonna be in for a ride lemme tell you. from then on, every interaction between the two was sexually charged and it was intense. i would find myself enjoying it until i remembered that Rylie was still only 17, so it was harder for me to fully immerse myself in their chemistry when Rylie was still a minor (since this is set in England so she’s still a minor by English laws and my own moral standards too).
my other issue was how from the get-go, it didn’t seem like Rylie was the first student Vivienne had shown her interest in. most of the girls were enamoured by her but some of her actions suggested she reciprocated. literally one girl had a whole arse mural in her room of Vivienne as part of her “masturbation material”: She’s filled an entire wall of her cubicle with numerous hand-drawn pictures of a Carriveau-esque female: dark hair, green eyes, long legs. Many of them show her with an exaggerated, cartoonish bust, offering maximum cleavage, breasts threatening to burst out from the confines of tight clothing.
so, Vivienne came across as very femme fatale-esque, like a succubus, especially with how many of the students were infatuated with her. but it was actually Rylie who was the pursuer, slightly aggressive at times. honestly, at times it felt like Rylie was the older one, she was very assertive and protective, while Vivienne could be flimsy and meek. i was expecting this older, dominant elusive woman but instead she felt like a weepy Mary Sue. and bcos if that, i surprisingly found myself liking Rylie a lot while gradually losing my interest and patience with Vivienne.
i found it laughable when the other housemistress said this: ”Look”—Miss Ansell glares at her—“I don’t know what your game is, but Miss Carriveau doesn’t deserve all this nonsense. She’s kind and affectionate, and you buggers are all the same: you take advantage of her.” The irritated geography teacher gives the floor a cursory once-over with a horsehair broom. “Thankless takers, the whole bleeding lot of you.” as though Vivienne wasn’t a 31 year old adult pursuing a sexual relationship with a minor... not for the first time. so it was this type of rhetoric where Vivienne was victimised that i lost interest in her character.
which wasn’t helped by the fact Rylie clearly wasn’t the first girl Vivienne had been interested in, sexually and romantically. Adel Edwards and Kaitlyn Simmons were the main two, but just how oddly affectionate she was with a lot of her students. she said the kisses the girls’ cheeks and foreheads religiously bcos she’s French and it’s just their version of a handshake... :/
Rylie kinda felt like a replacement for Kaitlyn, with how similar they both looked. it definitely undermined Vivienne’s attraction, love and infatuation with Rylie. i didn’t fully believe it the more her past with Kaitlyn was unveiled.
so im shocked to say it wasn’t the taboo aspect of this that bothered me and lowered my rating (bcos for more than half the book this was a solid four stars until more of Vivienne’s past with Kaitlyn was revealed), but it was that i felt like Vivienne was just replacing Kaitlyn with Rylie and i felt the poor girl deserved better than that. bcos i really loved Rylie— i didn’t expect to like her so much, i thought she’d be the demure, diligent “not like other girls” heroine but she ended up being the complete opposite.
im annoyed though, that my enjoyment began to dwindle bcos i think the author actually did a really good job at writing their tense interactions, it’s what initially drew me in. parts were subtle, and despite their immediate chemistry, the build up to their relationship was satisfying bcos it wasn’t too rushed nor did it lean too much into base erotica with no substance. their intimate moments didn’t feel cheap, i felt like they were artfully crafted, honestly. they had intellectual encounters, inside jokes and intense longing looks.
a few encounters were cliche but i didn’t mind. it didn’t take away from their relationship, luckily they weren’t distracting. instead, the build up to their blossoming sexual relationship was intense and authentic bcos their previous interactions were chaste moments filled with some flirtatious language and word play. i just felt like it was... idk, sophisticated? refined? i think it’s partly bcos i, unfortunately, have low expectations when it comes to sapphic romances since they’re usually straight up erotica verging on fetishisation with very little depth. or they’re very generic, fade-to black with no real exploration of sexuality. so this pleasantly shocked me.
but yeah... the introduction of the Kaitlyn storyline ruined a lot of my enjoyment. the fact Rylie wasn’t the first student Vivienne has an affair with kinda debased the authenticity of her and Rylie for me, unfortunately. i was hoping with all of the Kaitlyn hints throughout the book, that there would be some plot twist and it wouldn’t be what it seemed (that they had a sexual affair), but then Vivienne explains it all to Rylie and i was just left like
so in the end it fell short and disappointed me after the really intriguing beginning.
it has made me want more sapphic student-teacher romances... bcos the taboo aspect was juicy to say the least. just the emotional aspect was fell flat (i really am blaming some random dead girl named Kaitlyn for ruining my enjoyment of this book).
and despite all of this, the most unbelievable part was the fact Rylie was taking four A-Levels💀 surprised girly had the time to breathe let alone start an affair with her French tutor and housemistress.
but it wasn’t one of the girls who caught her eyes.
Vivienne Carriveau. the allusive, 31 year old French housemistress catches Rylie’s eyes from the first moment they meet. and she catches Vivienne’s eye too... along with the majority of her other students.
in the span of the first two chapters, Vivienne caresses Rylie’s face and hair after just meeting her. does a Patrick Swayze and stands behind a student kneading dough in cooking class to help her, holding hands and kissing her forehead (which she also does to all of the girls every morning before they leave for class wtf) as they knead the dough. then offers a doughy finger to another student to lick the remnants off Vivienne’s finger. luckily the student swipes it off with her own finger then tastes it rather than putting Vivienne’s whole damn finger in her mouth but i was still 👁👄👁
bcos right before this Vivienne does this:
Carriveau turns her attention on Rylie. In silence, she sucks raw cookie dough off one of her fingers, her cherry red lips wrapped around the slender digit, sliding from base to tip as she regards the pretty blonde with the same intense interest she’d shown earlier in the hallway.
then when her finger with the dough on is offered to Rylie, her lesbian tendencies jump out and...
Noting that the proffered finger is being held at mouth level for her, Rylie steps forward and puts her lips around the base of the tendered digit, maintaining eye contact with Carriveau all the while.
i knew there and then i was gonna be in for a ride lemme tell you. from then on, every interaction between the two was sexually charged and it was intense. i would find myself enjoying it until i remembered that Rylie was still only 17, so it was harder for me to fully immerse myself in their chemistry when Rylie was still a minor (since this is set in England so she’s still a minor by English laws and my own moral standards too).
my other issue was how from the get-go, it didn’t seem like Rylie was the first student Vivienne had shown her interest in. most of the girls were enamoured by her but some of her actions suggested she reciprocated. literally one girl had a whole arse mural in her room of Vivienne as part of her “masturbation material”: She’s filled an entire wall of her cubicle with numerous hand-drawn pictures of a Carriveau-esque female: dark hair, green eyes, long legs. Many of them show her with an exaggerated, cartoonish bust, offering maximum cleavage, breasts threatening to burst out from the confines of tight clothing.
so, Vivienne came across as very femme fatale-esque, like a succubus, especially with how many of the students were infatuated with her. but it was actually Rylie who was the pursuer, slightly aggressive at times. honestly, at times it felt like Rylie was the older one, she was very assertive and protective, while Vivienne could be flimsy and meek. i was expecting this older, dominant elusive woman but instead she felt like a weepy Mary Sue. and bcos if that, i surprisingly found myself liking Rylie a lot while gradually losing my interest and patience with Vivienne.
i found it laughable when the other housemistress said this: ”Look”—Miss Ansell glares at her—“I don’t know what your game is, but Miss Carriveau doesn’t deserve all this nonsense. She’s kind and affectionate, and you buggers are all the same: you take advantage of her.” The irritated geography teacher gives the floor a cursory once-over with a horsehair broom. “Thankless takers, the whole bleeding lot of you.” as though Vivienne wasn’t a 31 year old adult pursuing a sexual relationship with a minor... not for the first time. so it was this type of rhetoric where Vivienne was victimised that i lost interest in her character.
which wasn’t helped by the fact Rylie clearly wasn’t the first girl Vivienne had been interested in, sexually and romantically. Adel Edwards and Kaitlyn Simmons were the main two, but just how oddly affectionate she was with a lot of her students. she said the kisses the girls’ cheeks and foreheads religiously bcos she’s French and it’s just their version of a handshake... :/
Rylie kinda felt like a replacement for Kaitlyn, with how similar they both looked. it definitely undermined Vivienne’s attraction, love and infatuation with Rylie. i didn’t fully believe it the more her past with Kaitlyn was unveiled.
so im shocked to say it wasn’t the taboo aspect of this that bothered me and lowered my rating (bcos for more than half the book this was a solid four stars until more of Vivienne’s past with Kaitlyn was revealed), but it was that i felt like Vivienne was just replacing Kaitlyn with Rylie and i felt the poor girl deserved better than that. bcos i really loved Rylie— i didn’t expect to like her so much, i thought she’d be the demure, diligent “not like other girls” heroine but she ended up being the complete opposite.
im annoyed though, that my enjoyment began to dwindle bcos i think the author actually did a really good job at writing their tense interactions, it’s what initially drew me in. parts were subtle, and despite their immediate chemistry, the build up to their relationship was satisfying bcos it wasn’t too rushed nor did it lean too much into base erotica with no substance. their intimate moments didn’t feel cheap, i felt like they were artfully crafted, honestly. they had intellectual encounters, inside jokes and intense longing looks.
a few encounters were cliche but i didn’t mind. it didn’t take away from their relationship, luckily they weren’t distracting. instead, the build up to their blossoming sexual relationship was intense and authentic bcos their previous interactions were chaste moments filled with some flirtatious language and word play. i just felt like it was... idk, sophisticated? refined? i think it’s partly bcos i, unfortunately, have low expectations when it comes to sapphic romances since they’re usually straight up erotica verging on fetishisation with very little depth. or they’re very generic, fade-to black with no real exploration of sexuality. so this pleasantly shocked me.
but yeah... the introduction of the Kaitlyn storyline ruined a lot of my enjoyment. the fact Rylie wasn’t the first student Vivienne has an affair with kinda debased the authenticity of her and Rylie for me, unfortunately. i was hoping with all of the Kaitlyn hints throughout the book, that there would be some plot twist and it wouldn’t be what it seemed (that they had a sexual affair), but then Vivienne explains it all to Rylie and i was just left like
so in the end it fell short and disappointed me after the really intriguing beginning.
it has made me want more sapphic student-teacher romances... bcos the taboo aspect was juicy to say the least. just the emotional aspect was fell flat (i really am blaming some random dead girl named Kaitlyn for ruining my enjoyment of this book).
and despite all of this, the most unbelievable part was the fact Rylie was taking four A-Levels💀 surprised girly had the time to breathe let alone start an affair with her French tutor and housemistress.
August 25, 2018
It was high time I re-read The Housemistress by my favorite author Keira Michelle Telford. Besides it needed to be shared with book club buddie D.
I can only say it seems to get better the second time around. The delicious build-up, the attraction of things forbidden, the slow torture Miss Telford puts us through as we follow the growing relationship between 17-year-old Rylie Harcourt and the buxom French Housemistress and head of the language department Vivienne Carriveaux. Inspired by the movie "Mädchen in Uniform" (1958) it's one of the most erotic works I've ever read. Telford is a master storyteller and paints a vivid picture of the life at an all-girls British boarding school.
And Mademoiselle Carriveaux, oh Mademoiselle Carriveaux... tu me rends faible <3
5 stars *****
I can only say it seems to get better the second time around. The delicious build-up, the attraction of things forbidden, the slow torture Miss Telford puts us through as we follow the growing relationship between 17-year-old Rylie Harcourt and the buxom French Housemistress and head of the language department Vivienne Carriveaux. Inspired by the movie "Mädchen in Uniform" (1958) it's one of the most erotic works I've ever read. Telford is a master storyteller and paints a vivid picture of the life at an all-girls British boarding school.
And Mademoiselle Carriveaux, oh Mademoiselle Carriveaux... tu me rends faible <3
5 stars *****
January 4, 2016
I think this is one of those books that either is for you or isn't. I would probably have given this one star except it's very reasonably priced and moves at a good clip. I'll check out something else by this author in the future, but I won't read this again.
March 23, 2021
Book: The Housemistress
Rating 1 star
I learned two things while reading this:
1. I need to start DNFing books when I can tell I won't like it
2. I need to STOP trying to reading student/teacher romances
Summary
Rylie is sent to an all-girl boarding school so she can learn to be a more disciplined person. Her parents don't agree with most of what she does, especially who she chooses to love. As soon as Rylie is there, she catches the eye of one of the teachers, Mademoiselle Vivienne Carriveau. They both should stay away from each other but for some reason, they can't. But are they really ready to face the consequences in order to be together?
Review
All I wanted was a nice steamy f/f romance but instead I got this. This was ridiculously bad; it was supposed to be "taboo" but it was kind of disgusting to me. First and foremost, I am not the biggest fan of student/teacher because I just find that trope odd at times and it makes me uncomfortable. However, if everyone is at least eighteen and the relationship develops in a good way I can get behind it. Sweet Dandelion is an example of an amazing book with this trope. Nonetheless, I should have known this book would not be anything like Sweet Dandelion. Regardless, I sat through 200 pages of a really bad relationship between a teacher and student.
Here are some of the few things that I found extremely problematic that happened in this book *spoilers*:
1. The teacher heroine, Vivienne, watches one of her underage students masturbates ⮕ gross
2. Vivienne has had another relationship with a student before the one she has with our other heroine, Rylie
3. All the girls at the boarding school are just so in love with her and find her attractive
4. The teachers "warn" her to not have another relationship with a student ⮕ shouldn't she be fired?
5. Never in this book did I see Vivienne acknowledge she should not be with our other heroine, Rylie. Who is seventeen by the way so this is fucking illegal!
6. Rylie has been with another teacher before when she was 15 ⮕ um what???
Unfortunately, I could go on and on but I'll stop there. Yeah...this book was just 🤢🤢
Rating 1 star
I learned two things while reading this:
1. I need to start DNFing books when I can tell I won't like it
2. I need to STOP trying to reading student/teacher romances
Summary
Rylie is sent to an all-girl boarding school so she can learn to be a more disciplined person. Her parents don't agree with most of what she does, especially who she chooses to love. As soon as Rylie is there, she catches the eye of one of the teachers, Mademoiselle Vivienne Carriveau. They both should stay away from each other but for some reason, they can't. But are they really ready to face the consequences in order to be together?
Review
All I wanted was a nice steamy f/f romance but instead I got this. This was ridiculously bad; it was supposed to be "taboo" but it was kind of disgusting to me. First and foremost, I am not the biggest fan of student/teacher because I just find that trope odd at times and it makes me uncomfortable. However, if everyone is at least eighteen and the relationship develops in a good way I can get behind it. Sweet Dandelion is an example of an amazing book with this trope. Nonetheless, I should have known this book would not be anything like Sweet Dandelion. Regardless, I sat through 200 pages of a really bad relationship between a teacher and student.
Here are some of the few things that I found extremely problematic that happened in this book *spoilers*:
1. The teacher heroine, Vivienne, watches one of her underage students masturbates ⮕ gross
2. Vivienne has had another relationship with a student before the one she has with our other heroine, Rylie
3. All the girls at the boarding school are just so in love with her and find her attractive
4. The teachers "warn" her to not have another relationship with a student ⮕ shouldn't she be fired?
5. Never in this book did I see Vivienne acknowledge she should not be with our other heroine, Rylie. Who is seventeen by the way so this is fucking illegal!
6. Rylie has been with another teacher before when she was 15 ⮕ um what???
Unfortunately, I could go on and on but I'll stop there. Yeah...this book was just 🤢🤢
March 18, 2019
Mother Nature was against me last time I picked up this book. There was a flood and more than 10 people at my home. And they all wanna know what I am reading and I had to tell them its Harry Potter and I regret it coz then I had to explain whole harry potter to my young cousins. It took me almost a week to finish this book because I was constantly interrupted.
But this time I enjoyed every word of this book. Oh my God.."Vivienne"😌 -still drooling-
This is fan-fuckin-tastic. Its a forbidden romance between 17-year old Rylie and her housemistress, a 31-year old French teacher, Vivienne Carriveau.
Rylie's parents send her off to boarding school. She meets her new French/English teacher and housemistress Vivienne and instantly attracted. Vivienne is also attracted to Rylie but put her off (at first) because of the past tragedy happened in Vivienne's life. But Rylie pursues Vivienne and ofcourse get the woman.
Well, we all can relate to having a crush on a teacher and I had one too. *sigh*.
So..MC's have this great chemistry and sex scenes are amazing, we can feel the connection between them.
I just loved this book and I'm going to read it again soon. And its in my 'favorite till death' list. Oh and I never knew French language is really sexy..Now I'm trying learn French.
"Think of me like a rainbow,Nice to look at, but always out of reach"
"I bet the rainbow tastes delicious"
But this time I enjoyed every word of this book. Oh my God.."Vivienne"😌 -still drooling-
This is fan-fuckin-tastic. Its a forbidden romance between 17-year old Rylie and her housemistress, a 31-year old French teacher, Vivienne Carriveau.
Rylie's parents send her off to boarding school. She meets her new French/English teacher and housemistress Vivienne and instantly attracted. Vivienne is also attracted to Rylie but put her off (at first) because of the past tragedy happened in Vivienne's life. But Rylie pursues Vivienne and ofcourse get the woman.
Well, we all can relate to having a crush on a teacher and I had one too. *sigh*.
So..MC's have this great chemistry and sex scenes are amazing, we can feel the connection between them.
I just loved this book and I'm going to read it again soon. And its in my 'favorite till death' list. Oh and I never knew French language is really sexy..Now I'm trying learn French.
"Think of me like a rainbow,Nice to look at, but always out of reach"
"I bet the rainbow tastes delicious"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2018
My my my. Once again, i'm thankful for my Goodreads friends as I do not think I would have stumbled upon this book on my own. I understand some reviewers distaste due to the age gap of the MC's. (17 vs. 31). But I never felt uncomfortable while reading it. I really just took the book to be what I think it was meant to be: fun, campy, and sexy. I never once felt this was a realistic story.
The author(who looks like she's about freaking 17!)spins a good story and she can really write! And always extra points for making me snicker more than once. My favorite line re the school's Headmistress's eyes: "One is paled from age and encroaching blindness, while the other is a rich hazel. The fact that it's a false eye couldn't possibly be any more shockingly apparent, even if it still had the price tag on it."
And Vivienne's use of the French language....OH MON DIEU, i would pay her thousands just to talk to me in French for the day.
And finally, the bat-shit-crazy-Glenn Close-Fatal Attraction ending! Loved it.
The author(who looks like she's about freaking 17!)spins a good story and she can really write! And always extra points for making me snicker more than once. My favorite line re the school's Headmistress's eyes: "One is paled from age and encroaching blindness, while the other is a rich hazel. The fact that it's a false eye couldn't possibly be any more shockingly apparent, even if it still had the price tag on it."
And Vivienne's use of the French language....OH MON DIEU, i would pay her thousands just to talk to me in French for the day.
And finally, the bat-shit-crazy-Glenn Close-Fatal Attraction ending! Loved it.
July 8, 2021
Ok. Let's not sugarcoat things. This story is quite controversial seeing that it's a sexual relationship between a 17-year old boarding school student and her 31-year old housemistress/teacher. The attraction between the two when they first met was immediate and NGL, it felt predatory at first.
Sometimes though, it's fun to venture in the forbidden. If you can't accept a relationship between a barely legal teen and an adult with a 14-year gap, this book is not for you. This is fiction, so it didn't bother me much. Plus I was curious how the author would make it work—if she even can.
This was written in third-person POV of both MCs. As someone who likes it best when the romance is told from the perspectives of both protagonists, I was relieved to see this. The first four chapters were from Riley's POV, so for a sec I was worried we'd only see the story from her eyes.
If I had it my way, I would've made the flirtation between Riley and Vivienne a bit more subtle in the beginning. But nope, that's not the route the author went with lol. Telford did a fantastic job of making me like both characters though, so that helped ease me into accepting their budding relationship.
And let's face it, the fact Mademoiselle Carriveau was French didn't hurt things either. A romantic French woman AND a modern languages expert? Riley didn't stand a chance 🤣 Hell, I didn't 😳 Lol! Like c'mon, the woman's name alone spells sex 💀🙈 So yeah, can't blame our girl for being magnetized.
I was surprised Telford chose to write the MCs' first bed scene by throwing us right in the middle of it. It was jarring and honestly, it kinda botched the buildup and anticipation she set leading to it. I prefer it done in the old fashion way of starting in the beginning, making it soft and romantic, so I thought this was a weird choice made by the author.
There was a small amount of suspense in the end that would've made the story finish strong, had the ending been written without being rushed. Actually, the whole book would've been better if it were longer and the scenes were more nuanced.
Fortunately, Telford did a great job with characterization, not only of Vivienne, but also of Riley who had a good head on her shoulders. Yes, Riley was young, but I didn't witness any power imbalance between her and Vivienne. This made the story more palatable to me.
I also love the sensuality of the cover. Clipped nails for those fingers would've made it perfect but nonetheless, it's the sort of creative cover I'd like to see more in erotica. Enough of those displaying chests, bums, and skimpy outfits. There's more to being sexy than merely exposing the body's erogenous zones.
I'm happy I liked this book better than I thought I would.
But I'm also now mad at myself for not being able to speak French.
Sometimes though, it's fun to venture in the forbidden. If you can't accept a relationship between a barely legal teen and an adult with a 14-year gap, this book is not for you. This is fiction, so it didn't bother me much. Plus I was curious how the author would make it work—if she even can.
This was written in third-person POV of both MCs. As someone who likes it best when the romance is told from the perspectives of both protagonists, I was relieved to see this. The first four chapters were from Riley's POV, so for a sec I was worried we'd only see the story from her eyes.
If I had it my way, I would've made the flirtation between Riley and Vivienne a bit more subtle in the beginning. But nope, that's not the route the author went with lol. Telford did a fantastic job of making me like both characters though, so that helped ease me into accepting their budding relationship.
And let's face it, the fact Mademoiselle Carriveau was French didn't hurt things either. A romantic French woman AND a modern languages expert? Riley didn't stand a chance 🤣 Hell, I didn't 😳 Lol! Like c'mon, the woman's name alone spells sex 💀🙈 So yeah, can't blame our girl for being magnetized.
I was surprised Telford chose to write the MCs' first bed scene by throwing us right in the middle of it. It was jarring and honestly, it kinda botched the buildup and anticipation she set leading to it. I prefer it done in the old fashion way of starting in the beginning, making it soft and romantic, so I thought this was a weird choice made by the author.
There was a small amount of suspense in the end that would've made the story finish strong, had the ending been written without being rushed. Actually, the whole book would've been better if it were longer and the scenes were more nuanced.
Fortunately, Telford did a great job with characterization, not only of Vivienne, but also of Riley who had a good head on her shoulders. Yes, Riley was young, but I didn't witness any power imbalance between her and Vivienne. This made the story more palatable to me.
I also love the sensuality of the cover. Clipped nails for those fingers would've made it perfect but nonetheless, it's the sort of creative cover I'd like to see more in erotica. Enough of those displaying chests, bums, and skimpy outfits. There's more to being sexy than merely exposing the body's erogenous zones.
I'm happy I liked this book better than I thought I would.
But I'm also now mad at myself for not being able to speak French.
November 3, 2022
A quick and enjoyable read with a fair amount of angst and steamy moments. The age difference and their circumstances didn't really bother me. The way that the two women professed their affection left and right without thinking much about getting caught though sounded unrealistic. I expected them to be way more guarded and careful but I guess it made the story more playful and lively rather than thoroughly pragmatic. I would've liked a more substantial ending as well.
August 25, 2018
4.2 stars. So I didn't get arrested after reading Cadence of My Heart but surely I'm on some kind of list now after finishing this book. (Hi, FBI people.)
I enjoyed this one just as much. Her sex scenes are one of the best in lesfic and age gap taboo makes it exciting. Her older characters never come off as predators because her younger characters are assertive and confident and lust after their older women. Telford has her own formula and it works.
I was not too keen on the part of the story, I felt it handled too lightly but the rest of it was splendid.
Solid erotica.
I enjoyed this one just as much. Her sex scenes are one of the best in lesfic and age gap taboo makes it exciting. Her older characters never come off as predators because her younger characters are assertive and confident and lust after their older women. Telford has her own formula and it works.
I was not too keen on the part of the story, I felt it handled too lightly but the rest of it was splendid.
Solid erotica.
May 14, 2018
This was a conflicting book for me. While the sexual tension is immensely titillating, the plot was both implausible and a tiny predictable. And oddly, I kinda rooted for them, even though the events of the novel were horribly wrong — but is bad that I want to read another book by her? 🤷🏾
July 6, 2018
Recently stumbled upon Keira Michelle Telford. Curiosity piqued. Randomly selected "The Housemistress" as my 1st book of hers. I LOVED IT!! It's a cross between "Mädchen in Uniform" and "Loving Anabelle" but INFINITELY more compelling, explicit, more sensual and erotic especially when it's in WORD form! Add French language and expressions into the mix...😍❤️ 'Nuff said.
Age-gap, taboo subject, forbidden love, endurance of love & desire...what's not to like, eh? 😉
Most importantly for me, though is the writing. Telford writes with absolute fervour, filled with utterly captivating word flow, tone, graphic, and no-holds-barred style which I totally appreciate and love. Yup, I'm gonna be exploring the rest of her lesfic books & will be on a look out for her future ones! 😊
In Bug's Own Words
Age-gap, taboo subject, forbidden love, endurance of love & desire...what's not to like, eh? 😉
Most importantly for me, though is the writing. Telford writes with absolute fervour, filled with utterly captivating word flow, tone, graphic, and no-holds-barred style which I totally appreciate and love. Yup, I'm gonna be exploring the rest of her lesfic books & will be on a look out for her future ones! 😊
In Bug's Own Words
September 5, 2025
Original Read: October 2021
Original Rating: ★★★★★
Second Read: December 2, 2022
Rating after re-read: ★★★★★
Third Read: July 4, 2024
Fourth Read: September 5, 2025
Review after fourth re-read:
I've been on a roll with my re-reads this year and I make no apologies about. I love this book more and more with each read.
Review after third re-read:
Gosh, the way that I love this book more after every reread is crazy. I’m in the mood to do some rereading of favorites so why not start with the book that solidified my obsession with sapphic romances. Riley and Vivienne’s story is just so damn good. The right amount of drama and angst and both characters are so likable. I can’t get enough of this book and I wish that Telford was still writing.
Review after re-reading:
Still every bit of five stars for me. This is the book that made me the avid sapphic reader that I am today so you can blame this author for that. This book is extremely taboo but dammit it’s so good. I love Telford’s writing style and I’ve read quite a few of her works now and this one is still my absolute favorite. A forbidden boarding school romance between a student and the Housemistress. So good and I’m glad that it still holds up for me.
Original review:
5 stars. Give me lesbian romances but make it taboo and forbidden. Those seem to be my favorite. I absolutely loved this book. I wish it were longer, that way we could’ve gotten a bit more character development but for what it is it is a fantastic read.
I loved the writing, it made for a very addicting read. It’s paced well and I never was bored with it. I couldn’t put my kindle down once I started reading it. This is a student/teacher romance. Rylie is sent to an all girl boarding school and falls in love with her Housemistress, Vivienne. It’s all very instant but I didn’t care because their chemistry was through the roof. Riley is the main pursuer of the relationship. She’s a very forward and confident person whereas Vivienne struggled on and off with it, especially given what happened in the past. It’s very taboo and wrong but the author made it work with her fantastic writing. There’s a lot of build up and tension. I did like the ending but felt it was a bit rushed and could’ve been stretched out just a bit longer.
Overall, I loved this and it definitely worked for me but I can see how it wouldn’t for others. I’m interested in reading more from this author for sure.
Original Rating: ★★★★★
Second Read: December 2, 2022
Rating after re-read: ★★★★★
Third Read: July 4, 2024
Fourth Read: September 5, 2025
Review after fourth re-read:
I've been on a roll with my re-reads this year and I make no apologies about. I love this book more and more with each read.
Review after third re-read:
Gosh, the way that I love this book more after every reread is crazy. I’m in the mood to do some rereading of favorites so why not start with the book that solidified my obsession with sapphic romances. Riley and Vivienne’s story is just so damn good. The right amount of drama and angst and both characters are so likable. I can’t get enough of this book and I wish that Telford was still writing.
Review after re-reading:
Still every bit of five stars for me. This is the book that made me the avid sapphic reader that I am today so you can blame this author for that. This book is extremely taboo but dammit it’s so good. I love Telford’s writing style and I’ve read quite a few of her works now and this one is still my absolute favorite. A forbidden boarding school romance between a student and the Housemistress. So good and I’m glad that it still holds up for me.
Original review:
5 stars. Give me lesbian romances but make it taboo and forbidden. Those seem to be my favorite. I absolutely loved this book. I wish it were longer, that way we could’ve gotten a bit more character development but for what it is it is a fantastic read.
I loved the writing, it made for a very addicting read. It’s paced well and I never was bored with it. I couldn’t put my kindle down once I started reading it. This is a student/teacher romance. Rylie is sent to an all girl boarding school and falls in love with her Housemistress, Vivienne. It’s all very instant but I didn’t care because their chemistry was through the roof. Riley is the main pursuer of the relationship. She’s a very forward and confident person whereas Vivienne struggled on and off with it, especially given what happened in the past. It’s very taboo and wrong but the author made it work with her fantastic writing. There’s a lot of build up and tension. I did like the ending but felt it was a bit rushed and could’ve been stretched out just a bit longer.
Overall, I loved this and it definitely worked for me but I can see how it wouldn’t for others. I’m interested in reading more from this author for sure.
May 9, 2019
Translation: She's displayed some lesbian tendencies, which we find deeply shameful, and she needs to be straightened out--in every sense.
Rylie's not quite sure how they think they're going to achieve that by sending her to an all-girl's school, but she's definitely not complaining.
The tongue-in-cheek writing style was great. The writing was clever, funny, and felt inspired.
A+ for the dialogue and banter; the sexual tension was off the charts and the love scenes were scorching hot. This definitely came across as a fantasy. It wasn't completely realistic, but I didn't mind it one bit.
February 17, 2023
This should have been my exact sort of thing, and it was, but unfortunately my enjoyment was marred by some odd authorial choices. The plot "twists" you could see coming practically from the first page, and there were parts that were so outrageously unrealistic I couldn't suspend my disbelief, even for erotica. Still, it was quite fun, I suppose?
August 4, 2019
This book jumped my very long TBR queue because 1) Bugs kept raving about this author and 2) it's based on the classic forbidden love between a teacher and student. One of my favorite trope.
The Housemistress is about Vivienne, 31 yo French teacher/housemistress of a private boarding school and her growing relationship with her 17yo student, Rylie. The book is practically a reworking of two movies, Mädchen in Uniform (1931) and Loving Annabelle (2006), and giving it a happy ending the previous two didn't have.
Now in order to properly talk about this book, there's a few things I need to put out there first. The taboo element of a relationship between a teacher and a student, specifically an underage student, is central to the story. So if the mental image of such a relationship makes you squeamish or puts your moral compass on high gear (e.g., sex with a student is wrong, sex with a minor is statutory rape, sex with someone twice your age is disturbing, yada yada), then you're not going to like this book regardless of how good this author is. But if you want to appreciate this book for what it is -- a fictional love story between two people, you'll have to suspend or cast aside any prejudice and moral/ethical convictions you may have about a teacher/student and a large age gap relationship.
That said, we can move on to this book and what I thought about it. I had high hopes reading The Housemistress because Bugs promised me an HEA and an author who's gifted in writing erotic romance (oh yes!!). And HEA we did get and erotic RESOUNDING YES!, but unfortunately, the characters and theirlove infatuation with one another fell a little flat to me.
Vivienne is the love interest/object wet dreams are made of. She's beautiful, hot, sexy, intelligent, speaks French, recites erotic French poetry, and whispers things like "Je suis toute mouilee." She's also a seductress and teases her students with sexy outfits, hugs, kisses, gentle touches, and occasionally listens to them masturbate. Now the last part is creepy. Rylie immediately fancies Vivienne the moment she enters her new school and relentlessly flirts with her with no regards to where or when. She declares her love to Vivienne after two weeks at the school. Now I can totally see how Vivienne is the love interest of many of the girls at the school (I'd be inlove lust with her too) but I don't see what she sees in Rylie. There's nothing particularly unique or interesting about her character. Other than being sexually experienced, she lacked depth and maturity.
I can't help but compare this story to the movie Loving Annabelle because there are so many parallels between Vivienne/Simone and Rylie/Annabelle. I feel the need to bring up the movie because 1) this is the movie that led me to my own coming out and my falling in love with lesfic 2) I love Annabelle's character (and the actress Erin Kelly). What I love about Annabelle is that she was a strong character and had a lot of depth. Not only was she hot, she was highly intelligent, mature beyond her years, compassionate, and empathic. She wasn't like any 17yo. Rylie? Not so much. She seemed kind of shallow. Vivienne on the other hand is way more sexier (she's French!!) and interesting compared to Simone, but her aggressive approach to pursuing and declaring her love for Rylie seems a bit out of place as a teacher. I can relate better to Simone's struggles more because she was truly conflicted between doing what's right and what her heart wants. She eventually caved in in the end but in the context of a forbidden/taboo relationship, again let's cast aside being on moral high ground, it seems just a bit more tolerable if it's the student pursuing the teacher, not the other way around. The latter just seems predatory which is what this book made Vivienne to be. This alone gives critics plenty to harp on, plus if it was a male teacher behaving like Vivienne, everyone would be outraged. Also, the twist at the end with that batshit crazy girl was over the top and created unnecessary angst. The ending happened too abruptly. When you're at 94% and not sure how you'd get an HEA and then it happens suddenly at 96%, it feels anticlimactic and like a let down. I wanted more.
All that said, I admit I still enjoyed reading the book despite the shortcomings. I like this particular trope for reasons mentioned already and reading about one of your hottest fantasies crawling next to you in the middle of the night and fucking you is, like I said, stuff wet dreams are made of. Now and then we are allowed to indulge in decadence if only in our mind or in a book. Or a tub of Haagen Daaz triple chocolate fudge ice cream stashed away behind a bag of frozen peas. (Know who does that? 😉) The author certainly did an excellent job writing about the forbidden, seduction of the highest order, and eroticism.
The Housemistress is about Vivienne, 31 yo French teacher/housemistress of a private boarding school and her growing relationship with her 17yo student, Rylie. The book is practically a reworking of two movies, Mädchen in Uniform (1931) and Loving Annabelle (2006), and giving it a happy ending the previous two didn't have.
Now in order to properly talk about this book, there's a few things I need to put out there first. The taboo element of a relationship between a teacher and a student, specifically an underage student, is central to the story. So if the mental image of such a relationship makes you squeamish or puts your moral compass on high gear (e.g., sex with a student is wrong, sex with a minor is statutory rape, sex with someone twice your age is disturbing, yada yada), then you're not going to like this book regardless of how good this author is. But if you want to appreciate this book for what it is -- a fictional love story between two people, you'll have to suspend or cast aside any prejudice and moral/ethical convictions you may have about a teacher/student and a large age gap relationship.
That said, we can move on to this book and what I thought about it. I had high hopes reading The Housemistress because Bugs promised me an HEA and an author who's gifted in writing erotic romance (oh yes!!). And HEA we did get and erotic RESOUNDING YES!, but unfortunately, the characters and their
Vivienne is the love interest/object wet dreams are made of. She's beautiful, hot, sexy, intelligent, speaks French, recites erotic French poetry, and whispers things like "Je suis toute mouilee." She's also a seductress and teases her students with sexy outfits, hugs, kisses, gentle touches, and occasionally listens to them masturbate. Now the last part is creepy. Rylie immediately fancies Vivienne the moment she enters her new school and relentlessly flirts with her with no regards to where or when. She declares her love to Vivienne after two weeks at the school. Now I can totally see how Vivienne is the love interest of many of the girls at the school (I'd be in
I can't help but compare this story to the movie Loving Annabelle because there are so many parallels between Vivienne/Simone and Rylie/Annabelle. I feel the need to bring up the movie because 1) this is the movie that led me to my own coming out and my falling in love with lesfic 2) I love Annabelle's character (and the actress Erin Kelly). What I love about Annabelle is that she was a strong character and had a lot of depth. Not only was she hot, she was highly intelligent, mature beyond her years, compassionate, and empathic. She wasn't like any 17yo. Rylie? Not so much. She seemed kind of shallow. Vivienne on the other hand is way more sexier (she's French!!) and interesting compared to Simone, but her aggressive approach to pursuing and declaring her love for Rylie seems a bit out of place as a teacher. I can relate better to Simone's struggles more because she was truly conflicted between doing what's right and what her heart wants. She eventually caved in in the end but in the context of a forbidden/taboo relationship, again let's cast aside being on moral high ground, it seems just a bit more tolerable if it's the student pursuing the teacher, not the other way around. The latter just seems predatory which is what this book made Vivienne to be. This alone gives critics plenty to harp on, plus if it was a male teacher behaving like Vivienne, everyone would be outraged. Also, the twist at the end with that batshit crazy girl was over the top and created unnecessary angst. The ending happened too abruptly. When you're at 94% and not sure how you'd get an HEA and then it happens suddenly at 96%, it feels anticlimactic and like a let down. I wanted more.
All that said, I admit I still enjoyed reading the book despite the shortcomings. I like this particular trope for reasons mentioned already and reading about one of your hottest fantasies crawling next to you in the middle of the night and fucking you is, like I said, stuff wet dreams are made of. Now and then we are allowed to indulge in decadence if only in our mind or in a book. Or a tub of Haagen Daaz triple chocolate fudge ice cream stashed away behind a bag of frozen peas. (Know who does that? 😉) The author certainly did an excellent job writing about the forbidden, seduction of the highest order, and eroticism.
July 10, 2017
A smothering hot read that lives up to the delicious cover art. This is exactly what it sounds like; a teacher student relationship which is wholly inappropriate(and illegal), but not any less hot. It does have a heavy tabooish vibe, along with some good ol' creep vibes, "taking in her adolescent body" is among them, so yeah, be warned. It is erotic, but not smeared with senseless sex either, it does a lot of teasing and it does it well. As for the plot... Errr... Big tits? Yeah, big french tits! That sounds about right. Enjoyed it a lot, but holy crap the twist caught me off guard.
November 11, 2020
Erm okay... I usually enjoy a teacher / student romance, but this was more erotica than romance, especially in the beginning. So I felt a little bit uncomfortable, because there's a thin line between flirting and sexual grooming. I think it got much better towards the end. So I had an internal struggle about rating this either a 3 or a 4 star. Decided to just go with a 4 star.
April 10, 2022
21/08/2020: This was my second book by Keira and, even though I didn’t really fully enjoy the other book I read, I LOVED THIS ONE!!! So so good! One of my favorite wlw movies is Loving Annabelle and this book is so alike! It’s everything I wanted and needed. Such a pleasant surprise. And omg I screamed when I read what I’ve been suspecting from the beginning: that Kait did not commit suicide and it was the other crazy annoying girl that killed her out of jealousy. I just knew it and I was right! I was super happy to be right about that lol sad because it happened but excited because my instincts were correct hehe I honestly truly enjoyed this book a lot! I’m a sucker for teacher/student romances and this one delivered it flawlessly imho. 100% recommend
10/04/2022 (reread): Just as amazing as I remember it. I had this urge to reread this book and I’m so happy I did. It’s such a good book, I mean, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I love it a lot. Like I said before, it reminds me of one of my favorite movies ever - Loving Annabelle - and I just love it love it love it 🥰
10/04/2022 (reread): Just as amazing as I remember it. I had this urge to reread this book and I’m so happy I did. It’s such a good book, I mean, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I love it a lot. Like I said before, it reminds me of one of my favorite movies ever - Loving Annabelle - and I just love it love it love it 🥰
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2025
⭐ 4 stars
You can definitely call this book: guilty pleasure.
I started this story knowing it could be controversial, and it was. But I don’t regret reading it.
As a native French speaker, I liked how this book mixed English and French. It was done well and made the story enjoyable. Many books try to use French words but often get the translations wrong, which wasn’t the case here.
Rylie and Vivienne’s relationship is full of passion and explores forbidden love and an age gap in a way that might make some people uncomfortable, but I was hooked.
The spicy scenes were great. My only complaint is that the ending felt a little too fast. I wanted to see more of their story after what happened with Adel.
You can definitely call this book: guilty pleasure.
I started this story knowing it could be controversial, and it was. But I don’t regret reading it.
As a native French speaker, I liked how this book mixed English and French. It was done well and made the story enjoyable. Many books try to use French words but often get the translations wrong, which wasn’t the case here.
Rylie and Vivienne’s relationship is full of passion and explores forbidden love and an age gap in a way that might make some people uncomfortable, but I was hooked.
The spicy scenes were great. My only complaint is that the ending felt a little too fast. I wanted to see more of their story after what happened with Adel.
July 27, 2021
Felt hella gross reading this ngl
August 18, 2020
Mademoiselle Carriveau. That's it. That's the review.
February 20, 2022
My darling, you’re a tease, and you make me weak.
Woof. Vivienne Carriveau is a walking wet dream.
“And you might have to take extra lessons,” Carriveau warns, winding the unraveled thread around her finger. “Maybe even some private tutoring.”
Well, sign me tf up for those lessons because shit just got wild...
When Rylie Harcourt’s parents send their veryy gay daughter to an all girls boarding school, little do they realise that the joke’s on them. Because guess who Rylie hooks up with? Her thirty-one year old housemistress-cum-teacher who is very sexy—and, I cannot emphasise this enough—very much off limits. But Rylie doesn't recognise nor respect boundaries and let's just say that Vivienne isn't exactly trying her best to fend her off.
The best part about this book is perhaps that it doesn't try to whitewash and sugarcoat things (no, strike that, the best parts are the nsfw ones). I dislike books that try to drabble in taboo genres while playing it safe. No. Rylie and Vivienne are both very much aware of the illegality of their situation and they go for each other despite it. The funny thing about teacher/student romances is that once the character reaches the legal age and the teacher joins a different school or the student does the same, the situation becomes legal.
If you're queasy about the age gap+s/t dynamic, then I'd strongly advise staying away from The Housemistress because Keira Michelle Telford is not trying to be subtle at all, going so far as to emphasise their age gap and dynamic using the words “teen” and “thirty-one year old” pretty frequently. Not too frequently to be annoying but often enough to lay emphasis on the theme.
As for the erotic relationship, I was charmed even more by the build up and sexual tension than the actual sex scenes. The shameless and unapologetic way in which Rylie and Vivienne lusted for one another was simply delicious. Also, French is just too hot. No, seriously, french classes should be a compulsory for successful wooing.
The book is also veryyy melodramatic. Like, in a soap opera way. The final exposition of the suicide was just wayyy too much drama. Keira Michelle Telford never lets up though. Her writing has a very dramatic flair to it that is simultaneously sexy (I'm using the word sexy too many times rtnw), snarky and lascivious. If I delve too much on it, I do realise that book actually lacks depth, but it's a quick, sexy (sexy count: 653) read and Vivienne kept my mind away from it all.
Woof. Vivienne Carriveau is a walking wet dream.
“And you might have to take extra lessons,” Carriveau warns, winding the unraveled thread around her finger. “Maybe even some private tutoring.”
Well, sign me tf up for those lessons because shit just got wild...
When Rylie Harcourt’s parents send their veryy gay daughter to an all girls boarding school, little do they realise that the joke’s on them. Because guess who Rylie hooks up with? Her thirty-one year old housemistress-cum-teacher who is very sexy—and, I cannot emphasise this enough—very much off limits. But Rylie doesn't recognise nor respect boundaries and let's just say that Vivienne isn't exactly trying her best to fend her off.
The best part about this book is perhaps that it doesn't try to whitewash and sugarcoat things (no, strike that, the best parts are the nsfw ones). I dislike books that try to drabble in taboo genres while playing it safe. No. Rylie and Vivienne are both very much aware of the illegality of their situation and they go for each other despite it. The funny thing about teacher/student romances is that once the character reaches the legal age and the teacher joins a different school or the student does the same, the situation becomes legal.
If you're queasy about the age gap+s/t dynamic, then I'd strongly advise staying away from The Housemistress because Keira Michelle Telford is not trying to be subtle at all, going so far as to emphasise their age gap and dynamic using the words “teen” and “thirty-one year old” pretty frequently. Not too frequently to be annoying but often enough to lay emphasis on the theme.
As for the erotic relationship, I was charmed even more by the build up and sexual tension than the actual sex scenes. The shameless and unapologetic way in which Rylie and Vivienne lusted for one another was simply delicious. Also, French is just too hot. No, seriously, french classes should be a compulsory for successful wooing.
The book is also veryyy melodramatic. Like, in a soap opera way. The final exposition of the suicide was just wayyy too much drama. Keira Michelle Telford never lets up though. Her writing has a very dramatic flair to it that is simultaneously sexy (I'm using the word sexy too many times rtnw), snarky and lascivious. If I delve too much on it, I do realise that book actually lacks depth, but it's a quick, sexy (sexy count: 653) read and Vivienne kept my mind away from it all.
December 16, 2023
Def a 5 star for me. Altho, if it weren't for my opinionated thoughts of the storyline being a bit of a rush with its ending and how I felt like it needs more lengthening due to it being less than 300 pages. However, in spite of that, yes, I can truly say that this book is definitely worth the read! The writing was well-done, and there was a lot of teasing and sexual innuendos between the characters that I tremendously enjoyed all throughout. Although, the entire setting kinda reminds me of the 2009 movie "Cracks" which is also kinda about a teacher and student. Anyway so yeah, I'll certainly make sure to read more from Keira because this book got me 100% hooked from the beginning ;) This was def an underrated read for me <3
July 27, 2022
The Housemistress (Paperback) by Keira Michelle Telford: The book was steamy. The characters in a sense were overblown. It kept missing for me. Did you ever have one of those books that you never could relate to, for me, this was one. I did finish it because it was not poorly written. The process of reading was a month and a half. 2 stars.
August 21, 2019
I got major eva green from "cracks" vibes. And while I absolutely adore eva green and really enjoyed this too, the premise was so morally ambiguous that I couldn't wholeheartedly come to terms with it!
3.4 stars
3.4 stars
April 19, 2014
The book reminds me a little bit of the movie Loving Annabelle, but with a slightly different twist. The book is definitely hot, and all in all it's quite an enjoyable read.
September 16, 2023
Oh my God... HOLY DAMN!!
That was so intense and so good. I love it. This older women fiction is being a drug. And the French, yes, give me.
That was so intense and so good. I love it. This older women fiction is being a drug. And the French, yes, give me.
August 30, 2023
A short book, that catches you from the first pages, is funny and spicy, although the end felt flat, I think it is an interesting and light reading.
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