Kidnapped: His Innocent Mistress

by Nicola Cornick

If I accept his offer to be his mistress, I could have the finest silks, the best carriage and be transformed from ugly duckling to a pampered, pretty swan! And although I would feel a virtuous pride in turning down the wicked rake, I also have an unmaidenly interest in exactly what the role would entail….

Catriona is doing her best to resist the skillful seduction of the scandalous heir to the Earl of Strathconan. But kidnapped and shipwrecked with only this rake as company, her adventure has just begun….

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

267 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

International bestselling author Nicola Cornick writes dual-time historical mysteries that draw on her love for genealogy and local history. She studied History at London and Oxford and worked in academia for a number of years before becoming a full time author. Nicola acts as a guide and researcher at the stunning 17th century hunting lodge, Ashdown House and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Friends of Lydiard Park in Swindon. She gives talks and tours on a variety of historical topics.

Nicola lives near Oxford and loves reading, writing, history, music, wildlife, travel and walking her dog. She also loves hearing from her readers and chatting to them. She can also be found on Facebook, Twitter @NicolaCornick and Instagram.

Reviews

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

It definitely surprised me how much I enjoyed this book, as there is little steam and lots of adventure! I was completely caught up in the story until they returned to society; from then on, in the end, I found the drama a bit forced.

The narrative is told by Catriona herself; she's the FMC; she and Niel build a credible relationship, but I don't know how they managed to spend at least 1 month (I can't remember for sure) totally alone in some kind of "The Blue Lagoon" setting without falling into temptation 🤔😂

[Elodie’s Reading Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been a while since I read a story with only the point of view of the narrator, I feared it will restrain the story to the wall of her mind.
But no, Mrs Nicola Cornick is very talented and she brung to life a very strong female character and she crafted a very entertaining tale.
Catriona is no damsel-in-distress, she is very down-to-earth, she says she acts before thinking but it is for things of few importance. When in a dire situation, she grounds her feet, observes and plots.
From her encounter to Neil Sinclair to her HEA, she exprimes her feelings, her uncertainties but also her strength.
As it is in the 1st person story, Neil Sinclair remains quite a mystery, quite conceited at the beginning but quickly he shows he cares in his own way for Catriona.
In all it was a very entertained read full of adventures with a very likable and ressources full heroine, a dashing hero, it had also plenty of witty moments and banters, and there was a lot of vilains I loved disliking.

[Julie (jjmachshev) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Nicola Cornick is an author I can normally count on to provide a couple of hours of good historical romance reading, but "Kidnapped: His Innocent Mistress" wasn't one of her better stories. She states in her intro that this book is her homage to RLS and it was easy to see that, however, the light-heartedness usually present was just missing for me in this tale.

When Catriona is left destitute and homeless after the deaths of both parents, she discovers her father actually had a brother! She's bookish and rather more fiery that most young women of her day, but she's very glad that she has a family to fall back on, even if it was one she never knew about before. The only downside she can see is the arrogant rogue that's sent to escort her to her new family. Why, less than 48 hours after meeting her, her's offering her carte blanche!

Sinclair will be an Earl one day, but he refuses to live the life of leisure his uncle, the Earl, demands. Instead he joined the British Navy at sixteen and has spent his years since then sowing his oats. He's captivated by Catriona's fire from the first, so when they end up kidnapped and shipwrecked together he has a devil of a time controlling his 'urges'.

I think I enjoyed the play on RLS's Kidnapped more than anything else in this book. By writing in the RLS style, it was hard for me to get a good 'feel' for the characters and their relationship. It had a more stilted tone and the hero and heroine stayed figures on paper rather than coming alive for me. The romance part of the book was definitely G-rated and the nasty plot at the end seemed more contrived to force a happy ending than something that came up naturally. But even though this one wasn't a winner, I'll continue to read Cornick's books because her normal writing style is one I enjoy.

[Harlequin Historical]

Written in 1st person

I was quite shocked to discover this Historical was written in the first person pov. I questioned if I would be able to connect with all the characters which I have had problems with in other 1st person pov's. However, I did not experience that issue with Kidnapped. Nicola is a master at creating a complete scene no matter what. I felt what the other characters were feeling even though I wasn't told. Now about the book itself.

Catriona is alone in the world except for some family she has never seen or heard of before. Her welcome is less than cheering but she will not complain. She should have known it wouldn't be easy to liv e with her new family just by the "gentleman," the Earl of Strathconan, they sent to help her find her way to her new home. The man actually asked her to be his mistress on the way there. Oh he thought he was offering her a better life than she would have but she could never do that. Catriona gets kidnapped (which the title says will happen, lol) but so does the Earl. She is clever and finds a way to escape and rescue the Earl but it all comes to late. The ship they were being transported on becomes shippwrecked and it appears the only two survivors are them. They were lucky enough to wash up on the shore of a very tiny uninhabited island. They work together for survival, refusing to act on their mutual physical attraction. However, when they are finally rescued and it is clear that people will believe they were intimate, marriage seems the only answer to save her reputation. The question is, will marriage make either of them happy or will it take place at all?

I really enjoyed watching Catriona grow up and face the world head on. Great read.

[Jaye · Rating 1 out of 5]

The title implies that he kidnapped her and made her his mistress. Wrong.

They were kidnapped together. She wasn't his mistress (they're SORTA cousins, 2-3 times removed) and shared at most a few kisses. They didn't have relations until after they got married.

Characters are kind of lame. Disliked the H with his weird morals and ethics and the HH with her internal tweenage thoughts and envies. Thumbs down.

[Kirsten · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really struggled with this one. I didn't particularly like any of the characters and the story was not easy to get into at all

[Frances · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not fond of books that are written in the first-person. I did not find this very interesting. Dialogue was basically nonexistent, there was no humor, and the ending was spectacularly dull.

[Susan Hopper · Rating 4 out of 5]

good read

This book starts out oddly but then they fall in love adraid to tell one another but it ends in one of the best ways, Together with the love of their lives!

[Shayr · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is written in first person. I have put aside many a books on the first page, just for this reason. I'm glad that I, for once, looked past this and gave it a go. It reads like a memoir and the subheadings give you a clue as to what to expect in the coming chapter.

Catriona first meets Mr Sinclair at her father's wake. The author's other heroines are usually overcome with desire upon first seeing the hero - needless to say, I am so glad that did this not happen and she did not melt into a puddle at first glance. Not hours after burying her father.

Her feelings towards Mr Sinclair begins with irritation, onto being physically aware of him ("felt as though he was too close to me..." despite "sitting at a perfectly respectable distance") moving on to 'we want this but we cant' (which, by the way, was delicious).

Catriona is never the most beautiful girl in the room, so it was interesting to read how she was treated by the male characters, her peers and her own thoughts on vanity and her looks. But she has spirit - I worried that there would be a case of 'not like other girls' but it was fine.

The book had just the right amount of adventure for me. What I thought would be a light romance was a little heavier than expected, as always with this author, but I loved it. I felt all shades of jealousy and outrage and heartache in some bits. There was the threat of mortal peril that had me at the edge of my... book(?) and of course the pull between Catriona and Mr Sinclair.

Taransay, Applecross and Glen Clair were written beautifully.

Although the ending came at the right time it felt a little abrupt - but sweet, I guess. I would have liked an epilogue.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were some elements of 'Kidnapped' that I really enjoyed, and yet overall I found my interest languishing a little during the read. Having said this, I read it within a day and found it light and a nice afternoon read.

I liked both Catriona and Neil but I didn't feel that we really knew Neil. He served the purpose of hero to Catriona but I felt that he wasn't quite developed enough for me to fall in love with him. He existed for this story alone, I didn't know how he felt about his time in the navy, whether he enjoyed reading or who he considered friends etc. As a couple they did have the makings of chemistry with some saucy banter and heated looks but it kept falling short for me. I loved their verbal sparring and the looks that they shot each other when in company, but it still felt somewhat insta-love and without foundation.

I found the writing style odd as it was first person but it also broke the fourth wall by addressing the reader directly. There was something off about the pacing as well, it felt that some parts were dragged out and other more important events were brushed over or explained away too quickly.

Overall I found it a quick, light read but I wouldn't say that it was among my favourite Regency Romances.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in a day. It had many unexpected twists in it which kept me on my toes. The drama plays out rather quickly in certain parts but there is a lot of it. Between the drama there are large patches of time lost and explained by "they did the same thing for weeks." I didn't find this extremely off-putting as I knew it was intended to represent drudgery and monotony in the characters lives but I do wish there was more development of characters and their experiences. There's also a lot of drama that occurs outside the perspective of the two main characters. Maybe this is in another book? It would be nice to know more about what happened.

The title is also a bit misleading. The use of the term mistress implies this might be a "steamy" novel and it is not. It is actually fairly clean with only mild language used to describe anything physical/explicit.

I enjoyed it and would recommend, however if you are looking for smut or the next literary masterpiece this isn't it.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok this book was great. Firstly please ignore the title and cover; she does not actually become his mistress when he offers at the start of the book. It should really be called Kidnapped: marriage of convenience, because after the Kidnapped remix plot (which I enjoyed very very much; I have not read Robert Louis Stevenson’s KIDNAPPED in some time so this was a fun way to revisit some of the details in a different way) that’s what it segues into. I really liked the heroine, she was smart without being “not like other girls” and headstrong without dipping back into “impulsive at the expense of sense,” and I liked the narration style too, a conversational tone telling the reader the character’s story much in the style of RLS’s works. All in all I had a wonderful time with this one.

Heat level: It was about a level 2–on page but only one scene not super detailed.

[Georgina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars vs 2 stars
I liked that it was somewhat original and interesting with the death of the h's parents. I liked that she was educated. I liked that she had 2 secret families that wanted nothing to do with her. I loved Ellen and her 2 suitors.

I did not like that the story was written in first person. I did not like Sinclair or the h. I found their relationship to be absolutely ridiculous just like her name.

I loved the development of all of the villains. The aunt Maelaine, the uncle, the sea captain abd his crew, the Ladies Methven abd Stratconan and their plot to drive the h and h apart.

Thus, we arrive at 3.2 stars.

[Nightwitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was expecting an enjoyable but predictable category romance. Instead I found a delightful tribute to Stevenson's Kidnapped, told in the first person. Nothing was terribly surprising, but it was all delightful and vivid and the characters were so much fun. A really nice companion while trekking around public transportation in the aftermath of a winter storm.

[Jesica · Rating 4 out of 5]

BLOG: www.quiuboleecon.blogspot.com
INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/jesica_vas/

A esta protagonista le pasa de todo jajajaja y aun asi sigue firme en sus convincciones de no dejarse convencer de ser la amante del protagonista, me hicieron reir mucho, como se fueron enamorando en medio de todo lo que pasaron y sin perder el sentido del humor con las conversaciones que tenian. jjajjajaa

[Trenchologist · Rating 3 out of 5]

3+

Plucky courageous heroine, against rake-type (still a rake) hero, unexpected plot turns, lovely forced intimacy and dailiness, and no contrived drama based on that one easy conversation they somehow refuse to have. I dig.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little weird for me reading this at first but then the character's strength is really highlighted. She wasn't going to let people treat her like nothing and she wasn't going down without a fight.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice read. I liked the hr. She was strong and spoke her mind, but cautiously. I liked all the characters. This was not an over romantic story but a story about nice, realistic couple.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun book, especially if you know RLS.

[Maura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read this author before and I generally like the things that she writes. I know that this one was different, specifically written in a different manner as a tribute or something and it just didn't work for me. First of all, I am almost always put off by first person POV, particularly in romance. I like getting other POVs because after a while I get really annoyed being in the same person's head all the time.

The heroine Catriona, is orphaned and moves in with her Uncle's family. She is escorted by Neil Sinclair, heir to the Earl of Strathconan, who appears to be an arrogant, conceited ass who propositions Catriona to become his mistress within a day of meeting her. He also takes to stealing kisses even though she expresses her anger (but clearly her eyes tell him that she wants him). Catriona's uncle hates her and has her kidnapped, along with Neil. They end up shipwrecked on a deserted isle, she is compromised and he ends up marrying her. But he's not ready for a wife and takes off for some navy duty and when she's left with his horrid family she is miserable. Plenty of angst and what not.

Catriona fell in irrational insta-love with Neil. She hardly knew the man, but suddenly realized that she loved him. Despite his offering to make her his mistress and despite having just met his current mistress (where he was buying her gowns), she decides that he's really quite honourable and wonderful. And all the while, I wanted to escape this woman's head. This might have been a higher rating if it had been 3rd person. It was still well written and the plot was decent - I just don't like 1st person POV.

[Hoga Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is super chick lit, but story is quick and to the point. This is not normally what I would read, but I got it and decided to stick to reading it. It was a nice surprise as it is historically correct. I was in Scotland in August and at the places that she used in the novel. It makes more sense trying to imagine what it would have been like in ancient days. Personally, I can't believe that Catriona would have been able to purchase such beautiful clothes as I am not sure if such quality would have been available in small harbor town frequented by soldiers. I have read better books, but then other books have failed dismally and this was a pleasant surprise.

[Jean Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the way this book is written as if the heroine is telling the story, or reading from her diary. I particularly like the way the author has started each chapter with a brief key point of what the chapter is about, as each chapter unfolds this key point is uppermost in your mind to see if the author has kept to the point and she does. The story is complete and tells both sides of the story well without the need for tedious repetition. The charters remain in character throughout and the story keeps going at a good pace and is full of good surprises. A very enjoyable read. I want to read more of her books.

[Maud · Rating 3 out of 5]

It felt like a sort of Plagiarism under the cover of a tribute to R.L. Stevenson.

As for the story. Well written. The intimate scenes were a bit too graphic in my opinion. Sometimes less is more.
The period authenticity scale tips to the unbelievable side. But that's more or less to be expected.
Finally at about 85% of the book the story takes an turn for the worse.
What is it with heroines and their obsession for the magical 3 little words?

[Ezri · Rating 5 out of 5]

don't be put off by the title, this is superb.

Catriona is the perfect antidote for all the "too stupid to live" heroines you've been annoyed by. the settings are so well done, and who doesn't like a little adventure in their romances? honestly so impressed! the first person narrative works really well and i know that isn't easy to pull off!

[Joycee · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK...not one of my faves from Ms. Cornick. Maybe it's because the heroine is not even in her twenties yet (I know - I'm "ageist"). Plus I'm not a big fan of first-person narrative either. But it hasn't put me off Ms. Cornick's work altogether.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting much out of this book. The surprise was more than pleasant :). The only reason it doesn't get five stars is because I would have appreciated a longer denouement. I'd have to give this 4.8 stars.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading Catriona's and Neil's story - from a fast meeting to a serious of quick and sometimes horrible experiences. I do like happy endings - too bad some of the 'bad guys' didn't get theirs.

[Penny Hampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful homage to R. L. Stevenson's 'Kidnapped'! Nicola Cornick has written a lovely story that I thoroughly enjoyed. Even though it is written in the first person she draws all the characters beautifully. Loved it!

[rivka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amusing.

Inspired by RL Stevenson's Kidnapped, and written mostly in the style of books of that era, this book can perhaps be forgiven its frequent over-the-top-ness.

[Angelica]

Short and sweet. It's different from most Regency Romances, but it still has the excitement that I look for in my favorite romance sub-genre.