Harlequin Presents Readers discussion

Hello Everyone!
I am looking for books where the story starts with heroine being hero's mistress and not, heroine becomes hero's mistress anywhere in middle of the book!(no blackmail) :D
I know there are a lot of books of this theme but it would be kind if you guys would recommend some! :D

*Forgive my english(i am Italian) :D

The Billionaires Pregnant Mistress by Lucy Monroe is a favorite of mine.

The Bellini Bride Michelle Reid

The Bellini Bride

The Mistress Bridge Michelle Reid

The Mistress Bride

Loreli wrote: "The Billionaires Pregnant Mistress by Lucy Monroe is a favorite of mine."

I like that one too. I was just looking up the name of it. Couldn't remember.

The Billionaire's Pregnant Mistress

Great minds ... ;)

On of my favs as well! I'm also fond of For Pleasure...or Marriage? by Julia James. Great ending.

Slave to Love by Michelle Reid -- she's not really a mistress in the usual sense, but her lover treats her like one.

willaful wrote: "On of my favs as well! I'm also fond of For Pleasure...or Marriage? by Julia James. Great ending."

That's a good one. I need to re read it.

willaful wrote: "Slave to Love by Michelle Reid -- she's not really a mistress in the usual sense, but her lover treats her like one."

Slave to Love is great, except that I think the one where he calls her Bunny (I can't help giggling...)

I was just rereading FPoM too! It strikes me that I can't think of any HP "mistress" books where the heroine thinks of herself as a mistress -- unless it's a forced thing. She's always just in love.

It's kind of hard to pull off in the newer books. Do men even still do that? Have mistresses?

Beth wrote: "It's kind of hard to pull off in the newer books. Do men even still do that? Have mistresses?"

An interesting question! The (modern) HP world is so rarefied and I have no idea how closely it approximates reality.

I get the sense that men still do have adulterous affairs with women they support... you see ads in papers for such things. But of course that's not HP style.

Yeah, like the Silcon Valley Sugar Daddy/baby thing.... ick, not romantic.

I still like the dynamic when the heroine thinks they're dating and the hero is an idiot and thinks she knows it's not serious. Makes for a good grovel. :D

I love a good grovel ;)

willaful wrote: "On of my favs as well! I'm also fond of For Pleasure...or Marriage? by Julia James. Great ending."

One of the best for me. I read it so many times!

Now I'm rereading the prequel, Shackled by Diamonds. Looking forward to a good grovel. :-)

I wish James would write the story for the pregnant model, Jenny...

Tempestuous Reunion by Lynne Graham

A Question of Pride by Michelle Reid

oh, forgot to mention Maya Banks The Tycoon's Pregnant Mistress. Technically it's a Silhouette Desire title but exactly like an HP. One of my favorites of that theme.

Hey everyone thanks for the recommendations.I have read some of them and will try others.keep posting:)

Checked my shelves and found a few more.

Raging Passion by Amanda Carpenter - Personally, I thought this one took a left turn somewhere in the middle, but it fits the theme.

Marriage at His Convenience (Wedlocked) by Jacqueline Baird

I love how they renamed Raging Passion to Rage when they digitized it. :-)

willaful wrote: "I love how they renamed Raging Passion to Rage when they digitized it. :-)"

I didn't realize they'd done that. I sometimes don't get all the renaming that goes on.

I just finished Shackled by Diamonds and I can't believe we don't learn about what happens to the pregnant model. It almost seemed like a setup for a sequel.

James said she was planning to write books for the other two (even the dumb one apparently!) but they never happened. Maybe she kind of wrote herself into a corner there? It's HP style for Jenny's shiekh to find her and the baby and them to live HEA, but he did some pretty terrible things...

Seduced By the Sultan by Sharon Kendrick is one whete the heroine is the hero's mistress. it was a lovely read.

willaful wrote: "Maybe she kind of wrote herself into a corner there? It's HP style for Jenny's ..."

You know I was thinking the EXACT same thing. Because it would be hard to explain away how an in-control HP alpha would have not known that his employees were behaving as they did or redeem him if he did know. Here's a very HP trope-y idea for Julia James and I won't even charge for it ;)

The thugs were actually hired by some evil relative of the H instead of the H himself. Someone who wants to put the h permanently out of the picture.

I just found one (this is obviously one of my fav themes) that I put on my wishlist. So, not sure if it's good or not, but the book description definitely fits the thread.

The Sicilian's Defiant Mistress by Jane Porter

KatieV wrote: "I just found one (this is obviously one of my fav themes) that I put on my wishlist. So, not sure if it's good or not, but the book description definitely fits the thread.

[book:The Sicilian's De..."

It's a love it or hate it book. I gave it four stars =)

I loved how the hero ran up and down the highway in For Pleasure or Marriage, all confused. Apparently he never had the birds and bees talk or he might have figured out how babies were created.

I just read The Mistress Bride because of this thread. I liked it, except it really could have used some editing. All those heavy sighs...

Prince Hafiz's Only Vice is just published (September 2014). She is quite clearly a mistress, having no other role but to be available for him after hours, her accommodation and expenses being provided by him. I get annoyed with women who give up their independence for "love". I enjoyed it, nevertheless, although I often wanted to shake some sense into her (and him).

Just read one: The Greek Tycoon's Convenient Mistress by Lynne Graham. It was a 3.5 for me. worth a read if you like the trope.

The Greek's Baby Bargain by Sharon Kendrick :)

Seduced by the Sultan by Sharin Kendrick.

The Marriage Possession by Helen Bianchin

The Bellini Bride by Michelle Reid

Yay, more recs!

I just read one that fits, although the book starts several years after she was the mistress. She had amnesia from an accident she got in the night she left the H (the big misunderstanding)and the H was unable to find her. The Sicilian's Mistress by Lynne Graham. 2.5 - 3* for me because the h was too wishy washy.

Aren't they all? Wishy washy, I mean. Just once I'd like to see one of the heroine's clean one of the Greek/Italian/Sicilian and or Sheikh's clock. Get sassy.

Kelly wrote: "Aren't they all? Wishy washy, I mean. Just once I'd like to see one of the heroine's clean one of the Greek/Italian/Sicilian and or Sheikh's clock. Get sassy."

Very true. But some are even worse than others. With social media the way it is now allowing authors to get instant feedback, you'd think they'd learn that's what we want. I did like the heroine in A Question of Pride by Michelle Reid. Which is essentially another mistress book. He doesn't support her, but treats her exactly like a mistress. The majority of the book is the H trying to regain her trust. Some around her thought she took it too far, but it made me happy :)

Not a mistress story, but At The Sheikh's Bidding was very funny. Yes, the heroine is a virginal pushover, but she has a temper and throws things at random (which he handily catches) and punches out a palace guard.

I've created a list for those poor heroines who think they're girlfriends until the H lets them know they are just a mistress. Please add your favs.

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/8...

KatieV wrote: "I've created a list for those poor heroines who think they're girlfriends until the H lets them know they are just a mistress. Please add your favs.

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/8......"

Thanks KatieV!

The Twelve-Month Mistress (Alcolar Family, #1) by Kate Walker

Harlequin romance book where heroine is hero’s mistress and when she asks him if she can look for something deeper like marriage he tells her she is not good enough for him or educated enough to be considered for a candidate for marriage

Rekha wrote: "Harlequin romance book where heroine is hero’s mistress and when she asks him if she can look for something deeper like marriage he tells her she is not good enough for him or educated enough to be..."

Uh oh, there are a lot of these. Here's my "I'm a Mistress and Didn't Know it" list.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Vintage that’s funny! I will be clicking on that shelf 😂

Hi found it. It is tempestuous reunion where the book starts with asking the hero if he ever thought of marrying her. . Thanks

Rekha wrote: "Hi found it. It is tempestuous reunion where the book starts with asking the hero if he ever thought of marrying her. . Thanks"

Glad you found it; prepare to rant. It's equal opportunity on both characters.

Lynne Graham has another one, actually a few, similar to this without the child that has the heroine doing classes to better herself so she can keep up with the hero. Poor heroine!