Mistress No More

Mistress #2

by Niobia Bryant

The much-anticipated sequel to the bestseller Message from a Mistress is here! Will the wives finally get their revenge on their notorious "frenemy"? Niobia Bryant thrills readers again with another bold, sexy, suspense-packed story!

In Message from a Mistress, Jessa Bell shocks her three married girlfriends by texting them all that she's sleeping with one of their husbands--and refused to reveal which one. All three women had reason to believe they had cheating liars on their hands, and much chaos and heartache ensued. But for some of these women, the curse may actually have been a blessing.... Jaime Hall starts to see her husband for who he really is--a judgmental, controlling man who only cares about himself. Aria Livewell turns to therapy to cope--and learns things about herself that actually improve her life. And Renee Clinton has a hard time grappling with what's true and isn't, but may eventually see what's really important when all is said and done. So Jessa may be ready to confront the ladies and move on. But she may soon learn that revenge isn't just sweet: It can be deadly. Because nothing will ever be the same once Jessa Bell decides that she's a mistress no more....

Genres: African American, Fiction, Audiobook, Drama, Urban

267 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Niobia Bryant is the award-winning and national bestselling author of more than fifty works of romance and commercial mainstream fiction. Twice she has won RT Magazine's Best African-American/Multicultural Romance Award, "Kiss the Ring"--written under the pseudonym Meesha Mink--was listed as one of the Library Journal's Best Books, and her books have appeared in Ebony, Essence, The New York Post, The Star-Ledger, The Dallas Morning News and many other national publications. One of her bestselling books has been adapted to film.

Reviews

[OOSA · Rating 4 out of 5]

The After Life,

I gotta start this review with a slight rant. I normally don't read other reviews until after I've written mine, and even then I don't read them often. But with the overall low rating on this book, I wanted to see what people were taking issue with. This issue doesn't seem to be this book, but the last book. If you didn't like "Message from a Mistress," why even pick this one up? And if you can't separate the two books, why bother with a review? Review the book at hand on the merit of its content and stop tripping off what she did or didn't do to your liking in book one. What did you expect? I don't know what Bryant could have done, if anything, that would have made some people happy, so the book was pretty much doomed to begin with for some folks. And what in the world is up with all the spoiler reviews?!? If you can't write a review without telling who shot JR or giving away paternity results like you Maury Povich, you shouldn't be writing nobody's review! Now moving on to my review of THIS book...

"Mistress No More" picks up a month later with the good residents of Richmond Hills picking up after the hot mess disaster of Hurricane Jessa Bell. As all husbands returned home, somebody's man is lying. The question is who. Not only is the identity of said scumbag revealed, "Mistress No More" deals with the personal struggles of each woman and the state of each of their marriages moving forward.

Let me start off with what I didn't like. It took too entirely long for the cheater to be exposed. And once his identity was revealed, the crux of the two books, it was downplayed and took a backseat to everything else. While I enjoyed that this novel focused on the ladies dealing with their underlying issues and getting right, a little more focus should have been given to the reason why we all read the books to begin with. I came away still not understanding why and how the affair started. Next, Jessa Bell, everyone's favorite home wrecking hoe, was pretty much nonexistent in this book. She set all this nonsense in motion and then basically disappeared, making a cameo here and there. She should have played a bigger role in this sequel.

Had those two things not been issues for me, I could have really really liked this book. Bryant brought the drama and emotion with this sequel. While the plot was simple and a little predictable, the read was made enjoyable through each woman's individual story and the need to find the answers within. "Mistress No more" is very entertaining and a quick read. And though I enjoyed these characters, I do hope this is it. Sure, some questions were left but in a way that allows readers to come to their own conclusions based on what they've learned about the characters. Great character development allows for that. You know the characters well enough to know what they'll probably do. I, for one, am glad that this was not concluded by being neatly packaged with a bow on the top.

Dafina - what's up with the synopsis? What's really going on???

Reviewed by: Toni

[Byron Washington · Rating 4 out of 5]

GOOD, BUT....

🚨🚨SPOILER ALERT🚨🚨

From a Male POV this book was..difficult to accept. Are there levels of betrayal, or is it the same, no matter the action? If there is no consummation is that not the same as actual consummation if that was the intent? To be nude in a hotel room with another person that isn't your significant other is cheating NO MATTER what is done, IMHO.

I felt like there was too much rationalization. Who hurt whom more. Who betrayed whom more. A kiss can destroy a relationship just as much as a full blown affair, IMHO. There are no levels, betrayal is betrayal. To treat it as you hurt me more so I have the upper hand is ridiculous to me. Who am I to dismiss the feelings of someone else? Everyone is entitled to feel what they feel.

All parties in the book were at fault EQUALLY as far as I'm concerned, except for Kingston!!! Lawd, that couldn't of been me!!!🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 And Jaime, I hated that character with a passion. She NEVER loved her husband, and while what he did after finding out about her infidelity was so foul, I had a hard time having any compassion for her. The floor of a backroom at a strip club?!?!? For money?!?!?!🤬🤬🤬 That's just me though. Aria, miss me with her bull, and Renee, if dude would've been heterosexual she would've swapped fluids with a quickness. As a matter of fact she did anyway!!! All of them are hypocrites!!!

A good tale, but I felt like the author let some of the female characters off too easy. Also the failings of some were somehow worse, even if precipitated by the actions of the other. Not everyone will turn the other cheek. "For every action, there is an equal, or opposite reaction."- Newton. I know this quote is about physics and motion, but it so often pertains to E-motion. If you push too hard, usually your man/woman will more than likely push back.

It may be cruel to say, but everyone in this book got what they deserved, and most didn't get enough as far as I'm concerned. Enough of my proselytizing!!!😁😁😁 Good yarn, I can't lie about that.😁😁😁 Buy it, read it and enjoy!!👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an AWESOME book!!! I think there should be a part 3

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not everyone can survive serious trouble in their marriage, especially when the one causing the problems is supposed to be your friend. In Message from a Mistress, Ms. Jessa Bell, wreaks havoc on her three friends - Jamie, Aria, and Renee – and their husbands. In the first book, Jessa sent an email to her friends saying she had been having an affair with their husband but didn’t say which one. In this sequel, we find out the drama that unfolds when women are scorned. The issues are non-stop making the entire read “OMG” worthy. Be ready to be shocked as you read how four women mend relationships, find themselves in the mist of drama, and learn from their past mistakes. This book comes in short of five stars because there are several questions revolving around Aria and I wanted the ladies to know what happened to Jessa.

[Ariel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was simply OKAY.

I read the first book and while I loved the suspense of it, I do not like it as a series.

I only read the second book because I wanted to find out which husband was the cheater (which Im sure was the point of the cliff hanger. Kudos!) But I did not read it because OMG this was such a good book that I needed to read part two. Mistress no more lacked logical realism for me. A lot of situations didn't make sense!

Kingston was in the medical field, so all the time he and Aria had been trying to get pregnant to no avail why wasn't it suggested that they go to a fertility clinic?

It was annoying to constantly hear about Aria being a a street girl and her smarts leading her to Columbia University like OKAY we get it already! Why is that in almost every one of her monologues! Why Did Jamie do a COMPLETE 360! I get that she had been perfect her entire life but what wasn't clear is was that a Facade or was that who she was and could not help....because if it was a facade being who she was by the end of the book should've been something that was at least in the thought process between both books leading up to that moment. The author made her change completely without regards to her 30something character that she had been playing all her life. No one changes that way in a believable sense!

Same for her husband, Dude went from zero to one hundred real quick! yes he was obviously disturbed for the things he made jamie do but come on..... there was nothing gradual about his actions in part two and it was almost uncomfortable to read because it just didn't fit to me.

And WHY ARE THESE GROWN ASS OVER 30 WOMEN CONSTANTLY LICKING OFF THEIR LIPGLOSS! Number one who constantly does that and two....NONE OF THEM WEAR LIP STICK? grown ass women man.

I feel like as a writer when you write about situations or professionals you have to research the work and the protocol in order to have a believable read so the only thing I have to say about Renee's story is her jail/court process, didnt seem right to me....seemed extreme for a DUI where she crashed herself into a wall....but whatever.

AND I ALSO WANT TO POINT AN INCONSISTENCY MISTAKE THAT SHOULD'VE NEVER HAPPENED.... We know that Eric and Jamie's last name is Hall, but when Eric was masturbating outside of Jessa's window She called him Eric Livwell...which is the last name of Kingston and Aria. And then as if doing it ONCE was bad enough it happens several times as Jamie's chapter returns and she calls herself JAMIE LIVWELL and her parents the LIVWELLS!.....it does not stop until Jamie's code is not accepted at the gated and she tells lucky to call her friend ARIA LIVWELL and he apologizes and calls her MS HALL! LIKE COME ON! Thats just an annoying editing/writing mistake that should not occur which is why there shouldn't be so many characters in a book if you can't control them.

All in all its an ok read for a shallow-looking-for-a-WOW-but-not-caring-about-the-authenticity-of-the-plot reader. I was not impressed and wished authors took more time to give a great read rather than looking for a WOW moment. But hey Enjoy, I am a different type of reader I can take shallow if its logical.

[African Americans on the Move Book Club · Rating 5 out of 5]

Message from a Mistress was a banger when I read it in 2010, but only to be stunned that I wouldn’t discover the big secret was a downer. So when I was able to finally get my hands on part two Mistress No More, I was more than ready to see which husband was carrying on with the mistress. This sequel was definitely a standalone and really you don’t need to read part one. Sometimes the scenes were gut twisting funny, to heart wrenching intense which made this book a page turner from the very first line. All characters are back and in the lives of Aria, Renee, and Jamie they will face some of their own demons. Yes their lives were torn upside down by their former friend, the mistress of one of their husbands, but karma got in the way from their own secrets. One by one each lady comes face to face with their own demons because their former friend Jessa spilled the beans to their husbands about their lies. They thought that the message from a mistress was the worst part that could happen in their lives but when drama bigger then one of their husbands creeping in the sheets with their best friends, starts to unveil each life is dealt a bad hand, and the worst thing about it is there’s no way to undo some of the mess they have created.
In the end you discover the cheating husband, and everyone’s secrets come out to bite them in the ass. This book was one of my favorites by Niobia. This was a funny, intense, sexual, and all around memorable read. In the end you learn that when you point a finger there’s three more coming right back at cha. Go read this book you want be disappointed.

Tamika Newhouse
AAMBC Reviewer

[Selena · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extremely entertaining storyline with a whole lot of real situations. The girls finally find out who the cheating husband was, and each one goes through their own personal hell with their marriage and personal issues. Rene battles alcoholism and a DUI along with learning her husband Jackson got a coworker pregnant, Aria deals with the issue of not being able to conceive due to multiple abortions when she was younger and her and Kingston not being on good terms because she has kept him in the dark, Jaimie is no longer with Eric and is battling to get what she is owed from that marriage. She has also learned there is a very dark and sadistic side to him…

The story ended on a bit of a cliff hanger. It leaves you wanting to know what has happened to Jessa. 4 stars.

[KarynReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part 2 has landed Jessa Bell (Jezebel) still in the hot seat even after they all now know which husband she had the affair with! He was not willing to leave his wife but wanted to keep seeing Jessa. 🤦🏾‍♀️ Needless to say she said Nah! Lol Jessa ends up telling ALLL the secrets of her now frenemies to their husbands. The chaos is too juicy to say the least. This woman ruined homes and she still not done. This series seems to be the definition of with friends like these.. you finish the rest. 🫢🫣

[PatriceC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Answers to previous questions & then more drama. #3...

[Nardsbaby Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glass Shards

It's been one whole month since the infamous text from Jessa Bell. Lives have changed drastically, as the ladies are trying to deal with their own secrets; their friendships have taken a beating. While each husband returned home that night, the identity of Jessa Bell's lover is still unanswered.

Richmond Hill may be the ideal place for most families, but for these families, there is anger, hostility, desperation and secrets that continue to eat away at their once happy lives as they try to recover.

Disappointed with her lover's betrayal, Jessa Bell is ready to let bygones be bygones. Unfortunately for her, she will not be met by the welcoming committee. Can these ladies all coexist in Richmond Hills together?

MISTRESS NO MORE was just an okay follow-up for this reader. I was disappointed in the way the story dragged with the reveal and all of the roads it took to get there. More disappointing was the lack of Jessa Bell's portrayal. I was intrigued in MESSAGE FROM A MISTRESS, but didn't feel as if the same passion went into MISTRESS NO MORE.

3.5

[Shanae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I'm a fan of Niobia Bryant's romance novels, but I think this is my first time ever reading one of her urban lit novellas. I have not read Message from a Mistress or Mistress, Inc. but that did not limit my understanding of Mistress No More. As a matter of fact, I think I'll read the other two books because if they're as drama-filled as Mistress No More, I know I'll enjoy it. Mistress No More has sex, lies, substance abuse, adultery...man, I could go on and on. It's the perfect escape from any of your personal issues. Reading about Jessa Bell, Jaime, Renee, Aria, and their husbands will surely make you appreciate any problems you have haha :)

[Nay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mistress No More starts a month later with everybody's lives in turmoil. Two couples are seperated and the final couple is hanging on by a thread. Aria is driving Kingston away with accusations, Renee is a raging alcholic, Jamie is addicted to Pleasure's pleasure, and Jessa Bell is being stalked. I don't want to give away too many details but it's better than the first book. It's more emotional and comical.

[Diana Townsend · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, since I couldn't sleep last night I decided to read this book since I was still dying to know whose man Jessa had been sleeping with and I am glad I did. The author does a much better job this time of getting the story moving and not wasting our time with a lot of nonsense. She got right to the point and it was a really good story with enough twists to keep me laughing and interested. She improved her writing from the first book and that is a great job on her part.

[SerenaBeReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Niobia Bryant showed out on this one! This book had me sounding like a run a way slave with all the twists and turns. Whew! And the ending! Ahhhhhh! I loved how each of the three ladies stories ended, especially Aria's :-). An amazing book. I'd like to see a third one with the ladies in it. This was gooooooood!

[ShayBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good book, Niobia Bryant has really outdone herself. This series is filled with Drama, ooh's , ah's and no she didn't I cannot wait to read the next one this one left my mouth open and was like Omg.

[ROSA MICKENS · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, I only continued to read these series of books, because, once I start a series, I like to complete them.
I rated this book with 3 stars, because just as the first book. It was too wordy and took too long to even give any information going forward from where the mistress( Jessa Bell) alerted everyone that she was taking someone's man.
The most intriguing , part of the book, which took so painfully long to reveal is who is the cheating husband, but all throughout this book, we learn that all the friends have messed up marriages for one reason or another.
In the end the book reveals that being a mistress isn't all that it is cracked up to be, because you are lied to and you find out you are messing with a messed up crazy man, who eventually tries to kill you and he winds up killing himself.
So in the end, you are ostracized, judged and talked about. Your face and story are plastered throughout the media, because you were the catalyst of this ending situation with a married man.
Jessa seems to feel that she is the victim at the end of this book and seems she is going to bring on some more pain to the females who used to be her friends.
So on to the next book to see what Jessa has in store for the crew of Richmond hill.

[Vincent · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you are in this for juicy scenes, spilled secrets and confrontations, you might like this book.

Personally, I didn't like the way it was structured. For example there were places where I felt Bryant was trying to go for parallels or mirror images and made it too obvious.

It also doesn't help that the "mistress" of the title, barely appears in the book, isn't given any chapters, and her motivation for starting an affair is never fully (or maybe just not satisfactorily) revealed.

I also had trouble with the moral calculus of the book, unless its point was that the fallout of secrets is random. It didn't feel good to me which characters were punished more and which were able to move on.

[CaroMommie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so incredibly good. The characters were phenomenal and relatable as heck. The word and scene building took my breath away.

The chemistry and passion was heated, I could feel it leap from the page. It’s also a page turner to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Do all you can to get this book, it is worth ALL of your time.

[Annette C. Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than #1

Although this one gave up the info it was a tad bit better than book 1. However, I was really surprised about Eric. Unfortunately, #2 is where I stop. I got what I wanted and not interested in any other books that follow. Very talented writer. Thanks for a good read.

[Kailah Lathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sequel was not as good as the first book. Of course, this is my second time reading this series but I couldn’t remember the details of the book.
Everyone had a semi HEA and came a long way. I don’t know how invested I am in continuing the series because all the secrets have been spilled so I’m not sure where else there is to go from here. However, I certainly will give the next book a try.

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four friends and one of them is a backstabbing snake! Be careful of who you tell your secrets to and who you trust you man with. Getting ready to start Mistress Inc. I started reading this series because of a book named Pleasure.

[Ty Monee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part 1 had me keep on thinking about these characters Jessa Bell was a horrible friend but she did make her friends go deep within their selves and marriages. Just because you have the best that money can buy don't mean you are happy, everybody go through something.

[Corban Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

another solid, salacious read by Nobia Bryant! I can't say I am a big fan of the cliff hanger, but I can say I loved the pacing and readability (that is a word, right?) of the novel. I felt more invested in these character's stories and their struggles, even for our antagonist. A solid 4/5

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was slightly better than book one. I will most likely read the third installment.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

#Outstanding. I loved it. I want more of it.

[Sophie Sealy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Way better than the first, if you havev't read the first skip it, you'll figure it out

[Devaney Roberts · Rating 2 out of 5]

I honestly couldnt finish this book as it was too repetitive for me with all of the characters

[Mithila De Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have hooked to the book after reading prologue from fb and badly wanted to know more about the. Ook

[Victoria Goins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trashy, vulgar. Story line was good without the explicit details. Think Lady Chatterley's Lover.

[Deidre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picks up where book 1 ended, the drama continues until the end! Oh Jesse bell when will you get over it? Onto book 3!