[G1T]≡ Libro Free More Than a Mistress Mary Balogh 9780440243229 Books

More Than a Mistress Mary Balogh 9780440243229 Books

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More Than a Mistress Mary Balogh 9780440243229 Books

It's been a while since I've read a book by Mary Balogh, and what a charming, well written, and beautiful love story this was! MORE THAN A MISTRESS is the first book in the "Mistress" trilogy, though the third book is actually a prequel. However, it was written a decade after the original two so I'd still suggest reading them in order of publication: More Than a Mistress (2000)... No Man's Mistress (2001)... The Secret Mistress (2011)...

I've read around forty of Ms. Balogh's stories, some of those being her short novellas. A few I just didn't like such as "Dancing with Clara" and "Unforgiven." Most were either okay or good which I'd rate 3-4 stars. And then there are the dozen or so such as this one, "Heartless" and "Slightly Dangerous" that just blew me away and are the reasons I keep buying her books.

This story caught my attention from the very first paragraph and never once let go. I loved the storyline, the storytelling, and the characters. Jane and Jocelyn were both so wonderfully developed and endearing. Their love was too precious and absolutely beautiful to watch unfold. Even all the secondary characters were a delight to get to know. This book literally had me with tears of joy in my eyes at the end of it. I just thought it was so incredibly romantic and touching! I'm very grateful to have read it and would definitely recommend it to all historical romance lovers. It is truly an unforgettable tale and one of the rare books that I will happily re-read =)

PLEASE NOTE: There is a also a short story (of sorts) titled "Now a Bride" that contains never-before-published scenes from "More than a Mistress" and "No Man's Mistress" plus an epilogue for the series.


Tags : More Than a Mistress [Mary Balogh] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. “A stunningly good work of romantic fiction. Mary Balogh reaches deep and touches the heart.”–Joan Johnston,Mary Balogh,More Than a Mistress,Dell,044024322X,HDT5903DB06222011H15281A,Romance - Historical - Regency,American Light Romantic Fiction,Fiction,Fiction - Romance,Fiction Romance Historical General,Fiction Romance Historical Regency,Romance - Regency,Romance: Regency

More Than a Mistress Mary Balogh 9780440243229 Books Reviews

Jane Ingleby has caused the Duke of Tresham no little vexation -- distracting him during a duel in Hyde Park, daring to challenge his commands, and enticing him with that golden hair and bewitching mouth .... you get the picture. This is a standard plot but well-written enough to be entertaining and a fun read. Circumstances result in silly behavior from an otherwise intelligent heroine and we come to appreciate that the Duke's legendary reputation as a rake does not fully encompass the man. The characters have strengths as well as flaws, and the book is very good until about the last 30 pages. The main impediment to the two protagonists' recognizing and formalizing their love for each other is Jane's flight from accusations of attempted murder and theft, yet after this issue is resolved the two characters continue through a series of trivial obstacles for another couple of dozen pages. It was too anticlimactic. There are two scenes of physical passion; one is rather explicit but not graphic. I enjoyed this book and would read others by the same author.
MY FAVORITE MARY BALOGH BOOK...
This is another unbelievable book of Mary Balogh.
Starts slow, and then wow, took my breath away.
I don't want to give too much away, but the angst here is off the charts.
Some parts of the book show how degrading men are too women.
In the middle of a duel the Duke of Tresham is distracted by a woman yelling at the participants to stop. In his distraction the Duke ends up being shot in the leg. He blames the woman and summons her to him so he can make sure she knows it. He's surprised when she doesn't give ground and admit she was wrong. Believing it is her fault he ends up detaining her to help him which ends up making her late for work. When Jane tries to explain the circumstances to her boss the woman says she won't believe her unless she has a signed note from the Duke. Jane refuses to let the Duke off the hook for making her lose her job and goes to his house to acquire the note.

The Duke is amazed by her gall and ends up hiring her as his nurse to entertain him after the doctor says he must stay abed for three weeks. Jane agrees because what choice does she have? She doesn't want to starve. They both agree it will be temporary until he's back on his feet. While she plays the nurse the Duke amuses himself by picking at her. He likes that she never backs down. When he demands she show him respect and address him as "your grace" she demands the courtesy right back and will only let him call her Miss Ingleby. Every time he pushes her on something she stands her ground and pushes him right back.

Slowly the two realize their attraction to each other and try to fight the feelings. They both know it can't go anywhere. The Duke, Jocelyn, refuses to seduce a servant under his protection and Jane has secrets that she is reluctant to admit. When Jane tells Jocelyn that it is time for her to go he ends up offering her the position of his mistress. Jane realizes she'll be in a better position to hide her secrets if she accepts, and truthfully she doesn't want to leave him. What follows is a beautiful tale of friendship and love. Even though the road is rocky until the end they both couldn't be happier when they are finally together.

I loved the fact that friendship between Jocelyn and Jane was so important to this story. It was nice to see that they didn't just love each other. They actually liked the person inside too. Often I'll read stories where the hero and heroine love each other but it seems like they can't help it. They never seem to really like each other and want to be friends. It was very refreshing. I also really liked Jocelyn's habit of saying the total opposite of how he felt when he was vulnerable. When he turned haughty and tried to put distance between them she knew exactly what he was doing and why he was doing it. It was fun to see him scramble to regain his Duke persona when he felt his feelings overtaking him.

The contract was an interesting piece of the story. It was also a very smart move on Jane's part. I liked that she tried to hide their emerging relationship behind the contract. It was nice to see Jocelyn be the one uncertain of Jane's feelings. Did she really want him or was it only because she knew he wanted her? Why was she so ashamed of him? Watching him try to work through insecurities like that without revealing how much it meant to him was sweet.

I really liked the very last chapter. Watching how the status of their relationship was revealed made me smile. One thing I didn't like was the end of the chapter just before that. I was really confused. When Jane admits something really important to Jocelyn and he's says that it changes everything the chapter just ends. What happened there? Did he pressure her? It's very frustrating. If anyone cares to explain it feel free to leave a comment.

Other than that slight confusion I loved the book.
Honestly based on the title I though that it would be hotter than it was. The smex scenes were so-so and limited. There was no chemistry between them. It dragged in parts and seemed to take forever for them to become a couple. There was to much blowing hot and cold between the characters especially the hero. He kept pushing her away and then going back to her to do it again. He was mean to her because he had feelings for her. Very immature. The ending was very lacking. The book just kinda ends.

The only reason that I gave it more than 2 stars is because the hero was faithful to the heroine. He had been celibate awhile since meeting her and was only with her afterwards, at least when the book ended.
It's been a while since I've read a book by Mary Balogh, and what a charming, well written, and beautiful love story this was! MORE THAN A MISTRESS is the first book in the "Mistress" trilogy, though the third book is actually a prequel. However, it was written a decade after the original two so I'd still suggest reading them in order of publication More Than a Mistress (2000)... No Man's Mistress (2001)... The Secret Mistress (2011)...

I've read around forty of Ms. Balogh's stories, some of those being her short novellas. A few I just didn't like such as "Dancing with Clara" and "Unforgiven." Most were either okay or good which I'd rate 3-4 stars. And then there are the dozen or so such as this one, "Heartless" and "Slightly Dangerous" that just blew me away and are the reasons I keep buying her books.

This story caught my attention from the very first paragraph and never once let go. I loved the storyline, the storytelling, and the characters. Jane and Jocelyn were both so wonderfully developed and endearing. Their love was too precious and absolutely beautiful to watch unfold. Even all the secondary characters were a delight to get to know. This book literally had me with tears of joy in my eyes at the end of it. I just thought it was so incredibly romantic and touching! I'm very grateful to have read it and would definitely recommend it to all historical romance lovers. It is truly an unforgettable tale and one of the rare books that I will happily re-read =)

PLEASE NOTE There is a also a short story (of sorts) titled "Now a Bride" that contains never-before-published scenes from "More than a Mistress" and "No Man's Mistress" plus an epilogue for the series.