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Royals of Cardenas #3.5
The Courtesan
A disgraced courtesan…
Once the mistress of a prince, and then the wife of a king, Davina Keane now finds herself divorced and banished from Cardenas. Now a penniless widow, she faces a life of poverty; prostitution being her only other option besides living on the street. Desperate to save herself, she makes one final attempt at forging a new life… by marriage to Rafe Rothwell.
A broken widower…
With three children to raise alone, Rafe has been looking for a wife to help manage his broken home. It’s too bad no one will have him, as he and his children (known notoriously as the Raucous Rothwells) have a reputation for being difficult to manage. He’s long given up his search when Davina Keane appears at his door, seemingly prepared to take on the role. Though his needs are practical at first, Rafe finds himself faced with the truth: he wants more from her than just a manager of his home and hearth.
A unexpected love…
As an arrangement of convenience becomes something more, Davina is faced with the possibility of losing her husband over the truth of a past she kept secret when entering the marriage. Will love be enough to erase the mistakes of her past, or will they threaten to upend her newfound happiness?
Previously published as The Mistress. Re-released in 2019 with all new content, edits, cover, and title.
Once the mistress of a prince, and then the wife of a king, Davina Keane now finds herself divorced and banished from Cardenas. Now a penniless widow, she faces a life of poverty; prostitution being her only other option besides living on the street. Desperate to save herself, she makes one final attempt at forging a new life… by marriage to Rafe Rothwell.
A broken widower…
With three children to raise alone, Rafe has been looking for a wife to help manage his broken home. It’s too bad no one will have him, as he and his children (known notoriously as the Raucous Rothwells) have a reputation for being difficult to manage. He’s long given up his search when Davina Keane appears at his door, seemingly prepared to take on the role. Though his needs are practical at first, Rafe finds himself faced with the truth: he wants more from her than just a manager of his home and hearth.
A unexpected love…
As an arrangement of convenience becomes something more, Davina is faced with the possibility of losing her husband over the truth of a past she kept secret when entering the marriage. Will love be enough to erase the mistakes of her past, or will they threaten to upend her newfound happiness?
Previously published as The Mistress. Re-released in 2019 with all new content, edits, cover, and title.
- GenresRomance
145 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 15, 2019
6 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
About the author
Elise Marion
62 books325 followersElise Marion is a lover books and has a special place in her heart for sweet and sensual romance. Writing about love across all walks of life is her passion, as is reaching people through the written word. The Army wife and stay-at-home mother of two spends most of her time taking care of her children. Her second job includes writing stories about characters that people can fall in love with. When the Texas native isn’t caring for her family or writing, you can usually find her with her nose in a book, singing loudly, or cooking up something new in the kitchen.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
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October 23, 2013Review to be posted in the upcoming issue of InD'tale Magazine.
www.indtale.com
www.indtale.com
January 17, 2019
Previously published as The Mistress. Re-released in 2019 with all new content, edits, cover, and title
I first met Davina in The Rogue Prince & I disliked her intensely as I thought her conniving & manipulative so when I received this copy I was intrigue to see if she could be redeemed. Davina has suffered in the last seven years since her banishment, first in a marriage of convenience then as a widow fallen on hard times & having to work as a seamstress before being ‘let go' & now her only option apart from prostitution is marrying Rafe. I liked Rafe who was still grieving for his first wife Hannah & he was struggling with his three children. I started to like Davina when she used unconventional methods to bring the children into line & these had me laughing. Her handling of Beth was lovely & gradually I grew to like her more & more. The relationship between Rafe & Davina quickly grew from convenience to liking to love. I’m glad Rafe got his wake up call & managed to save Davina.
Whilst this novella could be read on its own I’d recommend reading The Rogue Prince first to fully appreciate how much Davina had changed
I first met Davina in The Rogue Prince & I disliked her intensely as I thought her conniving & manipulative so when I received this copy I was intrigue to see if she could be redeemed. Davina has suffered in the last seven years since her banishment, first in a marriage of convenience then as a widow fallen on hard times & having to work as a seamstress before being ‘let go' & now her only option apart from prostitution is marrying Rafe. I liked Rafe who was still grieving for his first wife Hannah & he was struggling with his three children. I started to like Davina when she used unconventional methods to bring the children into line & these had me laughing. Her handling of Beth was lovely & gradually I grew to like her more & more. The relationship between Rafe & Davina quickly grew from convenience to liking to love. I’m glad Rafe got his wake up call & managed to save Davina.
Whilst this novella could be read on its own I’d recommend reading The Rogue Prince first to fully appreciate how much Davina had changed
October 13, 2013
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
Release Day Blitz: The Mistress by Elise Marion (Historical Romance)
Oct 13, at http://justonemoreromance.blogspot.com/
The Mistress (Kings of Cardenas #4) is my first read by Elise Marion and I must say I was very impressed. I have never been one to read historical romances, but this one caught my interest. I just couldn’t resist the story of a beautiful young woman born into high society turned courtesan, but not just any old plan courtesan. Davina Keane is a courtesan to a prince and then the wife to a king. Now she is a penniless widow and on the verge of prostitution.
Davina is not your ordinary damsel in distress. This woman has survived on her own with a backbone of steel and a cutthroat determination. With her highly tuned skills of manipulation she is determined to forge a new life and find a new husband, by accepting a deal of sorts. Marriage to Rafe Rothwell and his children the notorious Racous Rothwells. Boy is she in for a surprise!!!
I must say I really enjoyed the characters and plot to this beautifully written romance. It had everything I look for in a book. Lies, betrayal, loss, heartache, drama and HOT steamy love scenes of course. But what I really LOVED about this book was the snarky, witty comments and conversations between Davina and her best friend Meredith. This truly added to the story and to Davina’s character.
All in all I would highly recommend The Mistress and look forward to picking up books 1, 2, 3 in the Kings of Cardenas series.
Release Day Blitz: The Mistress by Elise Marion (Historical Romance)
Oct 13, at http://justonemoreromance.blogspot.com/
The Mistress (Kings of Cardenas #4) is my first read by Elise Marion and I must say I was very impressed. I have never been one to read historical romances, but this one caught my interest. I just couldn’t resist the story of a beautiful young woman born into high society turned courtesan, but not just any old plan courtesan. Davina Keane is a courtesan to a prince and then the wife to a king. Now she is a penniless widow and on the verge of prostitution.
Davina is not your ordinary damsel in distress. This woman has survived on her own with a backbone of steel and a cutthroat determination. With her highly tuned skills of manipulation she is determined to forge a new life and find a new husband, by accepting a deal of sorts. Marriage to Rafe Rothwell and his children the notorious Racous Rothwells. Boy is she in for a surprise!!!
I must say I really enjoyed the characters and plot to this beautifully written romance. It had everything I look for in a book. Lies, betrayal, loss, heartache, drama and HOT steamy love scenes of course. But what I really LOVED about this book was the snarky, witty comments and conversations between Davina and her best friend Meredith. This truly added to the story and to Davina’s character.
All in all I would highly recommend The Mistress and look forward to picking up books 1, 2, 3 in the Kings of Cardenas series.
October 11, 2013
A beautiful little girl was born to a wealthy man in town... all he saw was his future bloodline and wealth being wasted away... a female heir... and a wife who was now barren... as time went by that little girl he ignored, the one he felt repulsed by turned into a beautiful young lady... a lady of age to be married... and the highest bidder will bid for his daughters hand...
Davina had a different idea of what would happen to her life.. she was a free spirit... wanted to be married for love not to have an arranged marriage like her father wanted her to... she decides to take matters into her own hands.. do whatever it takes to be who SHE wants to be not what her father wants her to be...
Once a queen to the King, she was banished for a crime of love... forced to marry a man she didnt want... she finds herself being the misstress to the world... until she decides its enough... she wants to be someone and be taken cared of...
Raphael Rothwell was in desperate need of a wife and mother for his 3 children... he also had a secret that prevented him from really loving anyone...
Davina was in desperate need to become someones wife... but she was not expecting to fall in love... Beth, William and Tess won her heart over from the moment she fought with Will and Beth over their attitudes...
I would have loved to see the relationship develop a little more... but overall it was a great book with moments of love, sorrow and healing...
October 12, 2013
Secrets, parenthood, second chances, desperation and electrifying chemistry are intricately woven facets of Elise Marion’s latest release. Strong and determined characters, a journey of understanding, second chances and uplifting strength surround these multi-faceted characters that take a reader through powerful ups and downs and learning to live again. I enjoyed Rafe and Davina very much, they’re characters who jumped off the page and into my heart. Ms. Marion weaves such as an amazing romance, it was so fulfilling to read the first time, and I wanted to read it again right away. I do not read a lot of historical romances, simply because it's not my genre of choice, but I absolutely recommend THE MISTRESS for all readers who love an awesome romance penned by a very talented author.
This book was provided to me by the author for an honest opinion, and I was not compensated in any way.
This book was provided to me by the author for an honest opinion, and I was not compensated in any way.
October 19, 2013
As a fan of this series, I didn't know how the author was going to make the readers like Davina and make her a sympathetic character.
But as in life, we shouldn't judge others until we've walked a mile in their shoes. We don't know what experiences someone has had to make them the way they are, and that is exactly what happened with Davina.
The last time we saw her, she was a terrible person and her actions were despicable. But what we didn't know were the circumstances that made her the person she is.
This is a story about second chances - for all the characters in the book. The author has done an incredible job with this installment of the KOC Series. If I could give it more stars, I would.
But as in life, we shouldn't judge others until we've walked a mile in their shoes. We don't know what experiences someone has had to make them the way they are, and that is exactly what happened with Davina.
The last time we saw her, she was a terrible person and her actions were despicable. But what we didn't know were the circumstances that made her the person she is.
This is a story about second chances - for all the characters in the book. The author has done an incredible job with this installment of the KOC Series. If I could give it more stars, I would.
December 21, 2013
A highborn woman whose only life choice was to marry a man three times her age, Davina chose her own path and became a famous royal courtesan. But poor choices ruin her position and she is once again forced to make tough decisions.
Read full review in the 2013 Dec/Jan Holiday issue of InD’tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2013 Dec/Jan Holiday issue of InD’tale Magazine.
February 6, 2020
An interesting look into the life of a Courtesan in her quest to find the 'right man' after being sold into the profession by her father.
It is nicely written, quite easy to read and yet at times I wanted to throttle the men in her life who wouldn't hold onto her for her value in life besides the bed.
This story made me think about the mixed values in society, then and now, where it is ok for a man to deflower a female and to even pay for his pleasure but should a woman do the same then she is set aside, shunned or labelled and yet, what makes either viewpoint right or wrong when said values are set by the very people practicing them.
It is a good story and should be read.
My review above is voluntary and may or may not be biased, depending on the reader :)
It is nicely written, quite easy to read and yet at times I wanted to throttle the men in her life who wouldn't hold onto her for her value in life besides the bed.
This story made me think about the mixed values in society, then and now, where it is ok for a man to deflower a female and to even pay for his pleasure but should a woman do the same then she is set aside, shunned or labelled and yet, what makes either viewpoint right or wrong when said values are set by the very people practicing them.
It is a good story and should be read.
My review above is voluntary and may or may not be biased, depending on the reader :)
November 21, 2020
I don't read historical romance often but decided to give this series a try when The Rogue Prince was free on Google Books. Davina was one of supporting characters in that book & gawd she was very self-absorbed & vapid. I hated her.
The Courtesan takes place 7 years after the big event in The Rogue Prince. Davina has grown up. I was surprised that I shed some tears and chuckled a few times given that this book was quite short (161 pages). Wonderful writing by Ms Elise Marion. I wish this book was longer.
The Courtesan takes place 7 years after the big event in The Rogue Prince. Davina has grown up. I was surprised that I shed some tears and chuckled a few times given that this book was quite short (161 pages). Wonderful writing by Ms Elise Marion. I wish this book was longer.
September 22, 2019
Dislike, Forgiveness, Compassion.
Davina! If you have read the rest of the Kings Of Cardenas series, then Devine will be a familiar name to you, as well as who and what she is and does, quite easy to dislike. This is her story after all the problems and troubles she went through and caused. It brings to light more of what she went through and the ending of her story. That’s all I’ll tell you, the rest you shall read for yourself.
Davina! If you have read the rest of the Kings Of Cardenas series, then Devine will be a familiar name to you, as well as who and what she is and does, quite easy to dislike. This is her story after all the problems and troubles she went through and caused. It brings to light more of what she went through and the ending of her story. That’s all I’ll tell you, the rest you shall read for yourself.
January 19, 2019
I enjoyed the story. You really have empathy for the fallen heroine and the broken hero.
March 15, 2019
I loved this spinoff. Davina is seen in a different light in this book. We get to know her past and how things were for her. Well told. Great emotions. Great characters. Very enjoyable.
January 1, 2020
Quick, enjoyable novella. Can't say there was any depth to the characters.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews