The Ringmistress

by Amelie Bliss

Boston, 1888 - the circus arrives under cover of night, promising the prodigal daughters of sultans and pharaohs, the delights of the far east and the refinement of the courts of Europe.

For a street-wise orphan girl who makes her living swiping from the pockets of others, it’s the perfect place to spend an evening. As 18-year-old Zadie wanders the glittering tents on the circus green, conning wealthy gentlemen out of their wallets, she begins to fall under the spell of the exotic performers and decadent temptations of the Cirque de Femme.

With her guard down and her senses overwhelmed, she finds herself cornered by a cirque enforcer - a tall, beautiful man unlike anyone she’s ever met before.
Zadie’s deft hands and clever tongue have gotten her into and out of trouble many times in her short life, but can they get her what she truly wants? A permanent place with the Cirque de Femme could change her fortune forever. The only thing she could want more is the touch of the mysterious man dragging her to her uncertain fate.

Genres: Romance

104 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 30, 2015

Reviews

[Seraphia Bunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to Cirque de Femme! A beautiful circus that seems to just spring up before your eyes. Inside you will find fascinating acts of gorgeous young women who will wow and astound you. When Zadie first happens upon the circus, for her, it seems to have appeared out of nowhere, but in her mind, it presents an opportunity. She and her "brother" Dec are little pickpockets. They're good at what they do and they intend to use their skills to get some full pockets from unsuspecting patrons. What Zadie doesn't count on is Sebastian. She's confronted by him twice, but the second time is the time that will decide to make a choice that will change her life.
The Ringmistress by Amelie Bliss is the first book that I have read by this author and I was honestly hooked from the cover. It was simply stunning and then by the blurb, I was sold. I was eager to read this book. For me, this book held the illusion that there might be some paranormal/supernatural element to it. While this is not the case, I found this story to be truly enjoyable nonetheless. Zadie is an interesting character. She has a lot of street smarts and she's been around. She still lives in an orphanage but she knows that her time there is short. This circus with it's beautiful trappings and allure calls to her. Sebastian is an interesting character as well. He's been taught to be a gentleman, but he finds himself fighting temptation when it comes to Zadie.
There is nothing that I don't like about this book. This short story is engaging from beginning to end and I honestly could not get enough. There are a couple of steamy scenes that will have you begging for more. I love the dynamics between Zadie and Sebastian, but not just him. I love that Zadie is building good relationships with the other circus folk and I'm eager to see where things go.
I am rating this novella 5 out of 5 stars. I couldn't put it down. If you love a good circus novel and love or don't mind some really steamy moments...then this is the book for you. I love the time period that this story is set in. It is well done and pulls me in all the more. The author has done a fantastic job with this story. Looking forward to more hopefully soon!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Melanie S · Rating 5 out of 5]

She snuck into the circus tent and stole the show

Zadie, a beautiful brown-skinned orphaned girl ,and her "brother" orphan con their way into the circus, intent on pickpocketing for their survival. But this strange circus is all-female - beautiful, skilled performers whose male audience can't get enough - and one of them gifts Zadie with a free pass! The pickpocketing is too bountiful to be believed, right up until Zadie mistakenly targets the owner's son Sebastian for his fat wallet (and cops a feel of his shapely derriere). Zadie and friend are hauled before Mama La Rose, who asks a few pertinent questions. Then, instead of tossing them to the local constabulary, La Rose invites them to run away and join the circus! Surrounded by women of beauty, talent, and independence, Zadie takes to performing like a duck to water. She's a natural. She also takes to seducing Sebastian, but that isn't quite as easy as performing in the circus. Cirque de Femme may be a henhouse, but Mama raised Sebastian to be a good boy, not a fox. Still, our sticky-sweet caramel Zadie has more than a touch of salt and spice to her, and Sebastian is only a man, after all. Exotic and erotic, with a dash of "orphan comes home' and a soupçon of girl power - this is wicked good reading for fans of erotic empowerment and scorched e-readers. Count me 'in'.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am leaving a review -voluntarily, independently, and without compensation.

[Caroline Doig · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my 1st review for this author but not my 1st read, I really enjoyed reading Amelie’s paranormal romances and this story The Ringmaster is no exception. The year is 1888 the place Boston, Zadie and her brother are orphans living on the streets she picks pockets from the rich after all they have plenty of money. A circus comes to town and Zadie see’s this as a perfect opportunity to pick more pockets but there’s trouble ahead when she gets caught twice by Sebastian. Sebastian is shy he’s never been with a woman but when Zadie tries to pick his pocket he takes her to his mother Mama La Rose the owner of the circus. I loved these characters Zadie because she is a strong sassy stubborn woman, and Sebastian who is such a gentleman and he blushes when Zadie makes a move on him it was so funny. A fantastic story a 5 plus +++++ ⭐️ read and I highly recommend this book it’s definitely well worth the read.

[Melissa Verseman · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time reading this authors work and it was steamy hot about joining the circus. So if you want a really steamy read for t now then you need to get this one.Has a great storyline and great characters to read about plus its steamy hot.So I hope you all enjoy it to.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

The circus is coming and everyone is going to have fun. She has been on the streets and she knows this would be good for her to get plenty of money. Suddenly she is cornered by a strange man. Things will get steamy and she wonders if she can join up with them

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.