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Gentlemen of Fortune #3
Wanted: Mail-Order Mistress
Betrayed by his first wife, Simon Grimshaw won't marry again. But sultry nights in Singapore can be lonely—nothing a beautiful English mistress wouldn't fix!
Bethan Conway answers an advert to become a wife, believing it will help her secret search for her missing brother. But Simon isn't the ugly old man she was expecting. He's a hot-blooded bachelor who wants a woman in his bed—a position Bethan's more and more tempted to fill!
Bethan Conway answers an advert to become a wife, believing it will help her secret search for her missing brother. But Simon isn't the ugly old man she was expecting. He's a hot-blooded bachelor who wants a woman in his bed—a position Bethan's more and more tempted to fill!
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
January 9, 2018
Me encanta la forma de escribir de ésta autora. Simon ha perdido la fe en las mujeres, cada vez que elige ayudar a una o confiar en ellas, le traicionan. Por eso, el matrimonio no entra entre sus palabras favoritas, pero sigue siendo un hombre con necesidades, por lo mismo manda a traer a una mujer dispuesta a ser su amante desde Inglaterra. Bethan acepta ir al otro lado del mar a ser la esposa de un comerciante, con al esperanza que en Singapur pueda encontrar a su hermano perdido, el único familiar que le queda vivo.
Cada uno se lleva una sorpresa. Ni ella es una habilidosa mujer de mundo, ni él es un vejeztorio a punto de morir. Por el contrario, ella es una educada y excelente dama, que pese a ser una sirvienta, sabe comportarse y tiene excelentes valores morales. Y él es un hombre apuesto, elegante y caballeroso; con una hija y un pasado atormentador a cuestas.
Y esperan para poder estar juntos al fin. Aunque aún en el lecho matrimonial, se dan cuenta que no estaban buscando lo mismo.
Cada uno se lleva una sorpresa. Ni ella es una habilidosa mujer de mundo, ni él es un vejeztorio a punto de morir. Por el contrario, ella es una educada y excelente dama, que pese a ser una sirvienta, sabe comportarse y tiene excelentes valores morales. Y él es un hombre apuesto, elegante y caballeroso; con una hija y un pasado atormentador a cuestas.
Y esperan para poder estar juntos al fin. Aunque aún en el lecho matrimonial, se dan cuenta que no estaban buscando lo mismo.
January 2, 2018
leído en Oct 2012
September 15, 2011
I borrowed this book because the title suggested a very interesting story; I mean, I’ve read stories about mai-order brides, but never one about mail-order mistresses, or the reasons why anyone would want a mail-order mistress/to be one. Unfortunately, I was not enamored of the story that enfolded.
In a nutshell, the story is mostly one whole big misunderstanding. She thinks she is going to be a bride, he has ordered a mistress and thinks he’s getting one. Bethan, our heroine , is not one of the better ones I’ve come across. I simply did not like her, or her responses to things. When a dude is talking about a painful memory – aka death of his first wife – I don’t expect your first and only reaction to be curiousity instead of empathy/sympathy, you know the general emotions you feel when someone is reliving something particularly bad.
It was two for two: I also didn’t like the hero. Who orders a mistress by mail and then fails to discuss the terms of the contract, especially since you didn’t do the scouting/accepting mistresses yourself? Instead he tries to get her into bed at the first opportunity. They just didn’t work for me.
The storyline was also not particularly exciting for me, and the dialogue was not engaging.
Womp.
In a nutshell, the story is mostly one whole big misunderstanding. She thinks she is going to be a bride, he has ordered a mistress and thinks he’s getting one. Bethan, our heroine , is not one of the better ones I’ve come across. I simply did not like her, or her responses to things. When a dude is talking about a painful memory – aka death of his first wife – I don’t expect your first and only reaction to be curiousity instead of empathy/sympathy, you know the general emotions you feel when someone is reliving something particularly bad.
It was two for two: I also didn’t like the hero. Who orders a mistress by mail and then fails to discuss the terms of the contract, especially since you didn’t do the scouting/accepting mistresses yourself? Instead he tries to get her into bed at the first opportunity. They just didn’t work for me.
The storyline was also not particularly exciting for me, and the dialogue was not engaging.
Womp.
June 23, 2020
Es una bonita historia Bethan es una chica soltera que va en busca de su hermano una tierra hostil, para poder hacerlo acepta un anuncio de matrimonio, o ella piensa que es de matrimonio, pues Simón Grimshaw lo que menos quiere es una esposa, una amante lo que busca para calentar su cama por las noches, Bethan choca con esta terrible confusión al llegar a la mansión Grimshaw y decide convertirse en sirvienta, demostrándole a Simón la inteligente y desenvuelta que es, esto atrae aun mas al casanova... Reomendada
September 14, 2020
Novela romántica de fácil y rápida lectura. Simple y puro entretenimiento, no da más de sí.
May 21, 2011
Wanted: Mail-Order Mistress is the story about Beth Conway, a young Welsh woman who responds to a want-ad for a man in Singapore who seeks a mistress. Unfortunately, Beth’s English is imperfect, and she agrees to the union while under the assumption that the bachelor is seeking a bride. But, our heroine has another--hidden--motive for accepting: her brother is missing, and Singapore was his last known destination.
Deborah Hale does not fail to keep my attention in this historical love story. The characters were flawed but lovable, and the author’s descriptive words helped plant me dead-centre in nineteenth-century Singapore. Even though I knew the characters motives from the beginning, I waited with bated breath for the moment when the misunderstanding would be discovered and when I would I would learn what came of her brother.
The third book in the Gentlemen of Fortune series, this book is irresistible and a must-read for romance lovers. ****
Deborah Hale does not fail to keep my attention in this historical love story. The characters were flawed but lovable, and the author’s descriptive words helped plant me dead-centre in nineteenth-century Singapore. Even though I knew the characters motives from the beginning, I waited with bated breath for the moment when the misunderstanding would be discovered and when I would I would learn what came of her brother.
The third book in the Gentlemen of Fortune series, this book is irresistible and a must-read for romance lovers. ****
April 2, 2011
Hale's latest is a lovely historical in an unusual setting: Singapore. It's a wonderful story and the last of her Gentlemen of Fortune miniseries. The best part for me? The utterly gorgeous use of sensory detail. When the heroine arrives, the reader arrives with her and experiences all of the firsts - the scents, sounds and tastes of an exotic, foreign land. It made for an enchanting read that was just a little bit different from my usual fare.
Deborah Hale never disappoints. She always delivers a warm, emotionally rich story!
Deborah Hale never disappoints. She always delivers a warm, emotionally rich story!
November 27, 2020
Siguiendo la Operación Cuarentena Literaria, entre los libros antiguos que tenía escondidos en un rincón he encontrado esta pequeña novela de Harlequín.
Se busca amante es una de esas novelas románticas que te hacen levantar los ojos al cielo no de entusiasmo sino de incredulidad. Por una parte tenemos a un rico empresario asentado en Singapore a principios del siglo XIX, viudo y con una hija pequeña desea un poco de compañía femenina, por eso cuando su socio regresa a Inglaterra le pide que le busque una amante y se la envíe por barco. Vamos, lo normal en estos casos, llega a ser en la actualidad y la pide por Amazon, aunque sea de plástico. Por su parte ella es una joven galesa que no entiende mucho el inglés -pues para no entenderlo lo habla muy bien con todo el mundo- por lo que aceptó la propuesta del socio del protagonista pensando que sería para ser una esposa porque no entendió el significado de ser una amante o una concubina. Además ella tiene otros planes: encontrar a su hermano perdido por esas tierras.
Lo más extraño es que ninguno de los dos habla de su trato. Pasan los días, y las semanas y no sale a relucir lo que cada uno espera del otro. Hay pensamientos, alguna mención sobre la relación que ella tiene con la niña: para ella supone ser como su madre, para él un problema porque no quiere que se amante se relacione mucho con su hija... Vamos que cada uno se ha montado su propia historia y vive en ella sin que se lo cuente a los demás.
Pasa el tiempo, y pasa el tiempo y lo que te esperas que ocurra o ocurre, pero en todos los frentes: Amor perdido, dudas, hermano que aparece, algo de peligro, la dulzura de la protagonista que derrite el duro corazón del hombre...
Deborah Hale tiene algunas novelas históricas muy buenas pero esta no es una de ellas, es como un queso de esos lleno de agujeros, no hay mucho donde más masticar.
Como conclusión final, he de decir que la nota del libro está más que justificada. No puedo revelarme ante la sabiduría de otros lectores.
Se busca amante es una de esas novelas románticas que te hacen levantar los ojos al cielo no de entusiasmo sino de incredulidad. Por una parte tenemos a un rico empresario asentado en Singapore a principios del siglo XIX, viudo y con una hija pequeña desea un poco de compañía femenina, por eso cuando su socio regresa a Inglaterra le pide que le busque una amante y se la envíe por barco. Vamos, lo normal en estos casos, llega a ser en la actualidad y la pide por Amazon, aunque sea de plástico. Por su parte ella es una joven galesa que no entiende mucho el inglés -pues para no entenderlo lo habla muy bien con todo el mundo- por lo que aceptó la propuesta del socio del protagonista pensando que sería para ser una esposa porque no entendió el significado de ser una amante o una concubina. Además ella tiene otros planes: encontrar a su hermano perdido por esas tierras.
Lo más extraño es que ninguno de los dos habla de su trato. Pasan los días, y las semanas y no sale a relucir lo que cada uno espera del otro. Hay pensamientos, alguna mención sobre la relación que ella tiene con la niña: para ella supone ser como su madre, para él un problema porque no quiere que se amante se relacione mucho con su hija... Vamos que cada uno se ha montado su propia historia y vive en ella sin que se lo cuente a los demás.
Pasa el tiempo, y pasa el tiempo y lo que te esperas que ocurra o ocurre, pero en todos los frentes: Amor perdido, dudas, hermano que aparece, algo de peligro, la dulzura de la protagonista que derrite el duro corazón del hombre...
Deborah Hale tiene algunas novelas históricas muy buenas pero esta no es una de ellas, es como un queso de esos lleno de agujeros, no hay mucho donde más masticar.
Como conclusión final, he de decir que la nota del libro está más que justificada. No puedo revelarme ante la sabiduría de otros lectores.
January 9, 2023
Took me days to finish the book. The misunderstandings and secrets frustrated me that I had to take a break a few times before continuing. The heroine was mostly the cause. As a reader, I'm annoyed with her but if you put your feet on her shoes then maybe you might sympathise with her or think that her decisions were reasonable. But that doesn't deter me from liking her at all.
June 27, 2017
I have mix feelings both this one.
I love how it took place in Singapore and I could really feel their emotions but I have a slight problem with Bethan and her personality.
Overall, good read and it took me back to Singapore and could relate to many of its terms.
I love how it took place in Singapore and I could really feel their emotions but I have a slight problem with Bethan and her personality.
Overall, good read and it took me back to Singapore and could relate to many of its terms.
October 1, 2017
How could Bethan not read the advert correctly maybe to scared or to dumb founded, I enjoyed that Simon was definitely surprised. hi hi, How the game was played was fun to read. A lovely book for our love addicted readers not to missed
January 31, 2024
Un hombre que tiene un grave problema, le atraen las damiselas en apuros por así decirlo... Y Bethan una chica galesa que viaja hasta Singapur para buscar a su hermano y casarse con él por un aviso.
Nace un malentendido, o un par, respecto a las expectativas de ambos en la relación.
Me gustó la historia y la ambientación. Es cortó. Aunque el final me dejó medio WTF?? No sé si lo leí muy por encima, pero no creo.
Nace un malentendido, o un par, respecto a las expectativas de ambos en la relación.
Me gustó la historia y la ambientación. Es cortó. Aunque el final me dejó medio WTF?? No sé si lo leí muy por encima, pero no creo.
August 16, 2018
Good historical info on Singapore. I liked watching the character Simon change throughout the book.
The play on words was interesting. I can’t say which words because it would spoil the story.
The play on words was interesting. I can’t say which words because it would spoil the story.
November 8, 2013
Quand Bethan quitte son pays pour se marier avec un homme d'affaires, Simon Grimshaw, qu'elle ne connait pas, pensant bien évidemment retrouver un vieil homme bedonnant et non un homme dans toute sa splendeur , viril et d'une beauté à en couper le souffle, elle ne se doute pas une seconde que sa vie va changer au plus haut point. Mais si elle a accepté de venir vivre à ses cotés à Singapour, c'est avec une idée bien précise, retrouver son frère qui a disparu.
Quant à Grimshaw, c'est d'une maîtresse dont il a besoin et non d'une femme à marier. Mais c'est également un homme blessé physiquement avec un coeur meurtri dissimulé derrière une carapace et son travail.
Citation :Parfois, lorsque qu'il arrive quelque chose de triste, les gens essaient de ne pas trop y penser pour ne pas trop souffrir.... (page 117)
Nous avons aussi Rosalie, la fille de celui-ci qu'il protège sans lui ouvrir son coeur. Il a du mal à faire son rôle de père surtout depuis le décès de sa femme. Alors, il lui offre la meilleure éducation mais ne partage rien avec elle.
Citation :Les enfants sont généreux. Ils nous donnent toujours plus de chances que nous n'en méritons. (Page 122)
Puis nous avons les paysages. On y découvre un pays, des saveurs, des plats, une culture.
A travers cette histoire, j'ai pu toucher l'eau, j'ai goûté aux plats. Et ces odeurs enivrantes et épicées qui me donnait envie de tourner les pages. Holala, l'auteure a su me captiver et surtout à me donner faim avec toutes ces descriptions si bien détaillées.
Sans compter que l’héroïne a du caractère, ce qui donne du pep's à l'histoire.
Elle sait ce qu'elle veut, et n'a pas peur de dire ce qu'elle pense.
Ce livre regorge d'amour et de sentiments. On s'y sent bien.
D'ailleurs, les scènes sensuelles sont assez plaisantes. Un peu en dessous de ce que j'ai l'habitude de lire mais assez palpitantes tout de même.
En tout cas, Deborah Hale, je ne connaissais pas et je suis vraiment tentée de lire un autre roman de cette auteure.
Pour ma part, c'est un très bon choix. J'en suis ravie. - See more at: http://hamisoitil.blogspot.fr/search?...
Quant à Grimshaw, c'est d'une maîtresse dont il a besoin et non d'une femme à marier. Mais c'est également un homme blessé physiquement avec un coeur meurtri dissimulé derrière une carapace et son travail.
Citation :Parfois, lorsque qu'il arrive quelque chose de triste, les gens essaient de ne pas trop y penser pour ne pas trop souffrir.... (page 117)
Nous avons aussi Rosalie, la fille de celui-ci qu'il protège sans lui ouvrir son coeur. Il a du mal à faire son rôle de père surtout depuis le décès de sa femme. Alors, il lui offre la meilleure éducation mais ne partage rien avec elle.
Citation :Les enfants sont généreux. Ils nous donnent toujours plus de chances que nous n'en méritons. (Page 122)
Puis nous avons les paysages. On y découvre un pays, des saveurs, des plats, une culture.
A travers cette histoire, j'ai pu toucher l'eau, j'ai goûté aux plats. Et ces odeurs enivrantes et épicées qui me donnait envie de tourner les pages. Holala, l'auteure a su me captiver et surtout à me donner faim avec toutes ces descriptions si bien détaillées.
Sans compter que l’héroïne a du caractère, ce qui donne du pep's à l'histoire.
Elle sait ce qu'elle veut, et n'a pas peur de dire ce qu'elle pense.
Ce livre regorge d'amour et de sentiments. On s'y sent bien.
D'ailleurs, les scènes sensuelles sont assez plaisantes. Un peu en dessous de ce que j'ai l'habitude de lire mais assez palpitantes tout de même.
En tout cas, Deborah Hale, je ne connaissais pas et je suis vraiment tentée de lire un autre roman de cette auteure.
Pour ma part, c'est un très bon choix. J'en suis ravie. - See more at: http://hamisoitil.blogspot.fr/search?...
June 27, 2012
Bethan Conway is naive from a small Welsh village and is on a great voyage to find her brother Hugh who was lost in a mutiny in the South East Asia. She agrees to become a mistress to a rich man in Singapore, Mr. Simon Grimshaw who is the third and final partner in the Vindicara Trading company made up of English men looking for a fortune and adventure. Only problem is that Bethan doesn't understand English very well and believes that she is going to Singapore to become a wife and 'mistress' of the house to a rich man. Simon has a daughter Rosilia and is widowed and terribly traumatize and broken by his dead wife who was a big adulterer and died whilst running away with yet again another lover. Simon has been a widower for some years and desires a kept woman to pleasure him without being pressured to marry again (because the last marriage was a fiasco!).
There is so much miscommunication and lack of trust that I started to get angst from the angst for the characters in this story. I didn't like it as much as the first two stories with Married: The Virgin Widow and Bought: The Penniless Lady, because Bethan was so stupid about street smarts, in contrast to how intelligent she was about emotional trauma and people's sufferings.
2 stars for a somewhat boring read compared the the great first two books in the Gentlemen of Fortune series. Go and read the other books and don't waste time with this one.
There is so much miscommunication and lack of trust that I started to get angst from the angst for the characters in this story. I didn't like it as much as the first two stories with Married: The Virgin Widow and Bought: The Penniless Lady, because Bethan was so stupid about street smarts, in contrast to how intelligent she was about emotional trauma and people's sufferings.
2 stars for a somewhat boring read compared the the great first two books in the Gentlemen of Fortune series. Go and read the other books and don't waste time with this one.
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April 24, 2012"La fiducia deve essere reciproca. Per quanto mi sia stato difficile, vi ho concesso più fiducia che a qualunque altra donna. Voi invece non vi siete fidata di me. Se siete disposta a raccontarmi la verità adesso , forse il nostro futuro insieme può ancora realizzarsi. A voi la scelta."
"Ho capito che il vero amore non è fatto per navigare sempre con il vento in poppa, perché la vita non è mai codì. Ci saranno strepiti, pirati e ammutinamenti, ma se noi continueremo a navigare senza abbandonare la nave, potremo condividere tante avventure e troveremo sempre un porto sicuro."
Alcune frasi e riflessioni dei protagonisti mi sono piaciute, però, le vicende della ricerca del fratello della protagonista mi sono sembrano in alcuni passaggi un po' confuse e incoerenti...
Bella, comunque, la cover abbastanza originale per un romance...
"Ho capito che il vero amore non è fatto per navigare sempre con il vento in poppa, perché la vita non è mai codì. Ci saranno strepiti, pirati e ammutinamenti, ma se noi continueremo a navigare senza abbandonare la nave, potremo condividere tante avventure e troveremo sempre un porto sicuro."
Alcune frasi e riflessioni dei protagonisti mi sono piaciute, però, le vicende della ricerca del fratello della protagonista mi sono sembrano in alcuni passaggi un po' confuse e incoerenti...
Bella, comunque, la cover abbastanza originale per un romance...
September 13, 2011
Heroine was hired in England to be the hero's mistress. Only she's Welsh, her English isn't that good, and she thinks she's been recruited to be his wife. He doesn't intend to marry again, because his first wife betrayed him. Oh, and all this takes place in Singapore soon after the city's established. She agreed to come to Singapore to hunt for her brother who was apparently accused of mutiny. Then there's the hero's daughter, who looks a lot like her mother, and who the hero doesn't quite know what to do with, despite his love for her. So the heroine has a lot of things to do. This story seemed to move awfully slowly, for all its exotic locale. Still, it was different, and well told. I liked it.
December 18, 2024
A misunderstanding that persists for half the book makes for great tension. I enjoyed the unusual and exotic locale, which was well-described (though I suspect our characters are more progressive than many Europeans would have been at the time). No big surprises, but some pleasant twists. Bethan oscillates between naiveté and suspicion, but she's twice a fish out of water, so that's understandable.
August 23, 2011
Cute finale for this series, here Simon Grimshaw wants an English mistress but Bethan Conway answers thinking the ad is for a wife; but most importantly she wants to get to Singapore to look for her missing brother. Quite a few misunderstandings as they both are trying to keep their own secrets… a good read.
March 27, 2013
Third in a series. Didn't read #1 though. But this one was as good as the second book. Very much like they way she writes. Fast easy read her stories are really good. They really are love stories sweet & tender that brings a tear or two. But they need editing a bit.
On kindle but don't know when it got there...or how.
On kindle but don't know when it got there...or how.
January 13, 2017
Aïe! Ce livre a été mal traduit et aurait de plus mérité une sérieuse relecture : problème de point de vue des héros, problème d'expressions françaises, problèmes de syntaxe... Et pourtant je me faisais une joie de lire le 3e volet des gentlemen à marier. De même, je n'ai pas vu ce qu'apportait l'épilogue?
September 22, 2011
I enjoy these stories. I like the way the h/h interact. You like both of them and understand the confusion and cheer when they get together. I don't like stories where either of the folks are real hard cases for the sake of acting an a**.
October 21, 2011
Che fatica immane, non ne potevo più...lo giuro. :P
Mi dispiace perchè la Hale scrive bene, ma gli ultimi due romanzi di questa serie mi hanno abbattuto psicologicamente. XD
Spero si riprenda nei prossimi, o spero di riprendermi io quel tanto da farmeli vedere in una luce un pò più favorevole.
Mi dispiace perchè la Hale scrive bene, ma gli ultimi due romanzi di questa serie mi hanno abbattuto psicologicamente. XD
Spero si riprenda nei prossimi, o spero di riprendermi io quel tanto da farmeli vedere in una luce un pò più favorevole.
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May 1, 2011Miniseries: Gentlemen of Fortune
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December 24, 2014Miniseries: Gentlemen of Fortune
April 13, 2011
Jack Sparrow "Clearly you have never been to Singapore." something that just ran though my mind while reading this one...
February 28, 2013
Another great plot!
June 13, 2011
TP... didnt understand why she cant tell anyone about her brother? kinda silly if you ask me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2011
This is pretty standard fare. The worst thing about it is the cover dress does not fit the time period of the book. That tends to drive me fairly wild.
April 22, 2012
I prefer the mail order bride stories from the old West... much more endearing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews