More than a Mistress (Mistress Trilogy #1)

Oct 13, 2011 Dina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Dina by: Magnolia88 & seton from Amazon

Shelves: historical-romance

I'm going to start repeating myself, but I just love Ms. Balogh's writing! No other modern author is as apt at "transporting" me to Regency London as her. All it takes is the first paragraph, and the setting is crystal clear in my mind and I find myself in another time and space. More Than a Mistress was no exception: I was captivated from the start, and Jocelyn and Jane were another great couple to be added to my all-time favorite H/h in Romancelandia.

Let me admit that I thought I would have so...more I'm going to start repeating myself, but I just love Ms. Balogh's writing! No other modern author is as apt at "transporting" me to Regency London as her. All it takes is the first paragraph, and the setting is crystal clear in my mind and I find myself in another time and space. More Than a Mistress was no exception: I was captivated from the start, and Jocelyn and Jane were another great couple to be added to my all-time favorite H/h in Romancelandia.

Let me admit that I thought I would have some difficulty adjusting to the hero's name, Jocelyn, since it isn't a name I'm used to associating with a man. And I remembered complaining about the heroine's name in another book I had read recently, so I knew I was shallow enough to care about that, LOL. Well, Ms. Balogh could have named Jocelyn anything she wanted and I would still not be bothered! Yes, I was that entranced by him and Ms. Balogh even managed to make the first time Jane said his name a special and touching moment. *sighs*

This was neither a love-at-first-sight or lust-at-first-sight tale. There wasn't even a spark of physical attraction between Jocelyn and Jane when they first met. This was a story about two people getting to know each other, opening up emotionally and falling steadily in love. And the build up was fully packed with emotion and sensual awareness: their first kiss, their first waltz... I could see them falling in love before my eyes, and I couldn't have been happier. They were just perfectly matched!

Now, I have to make a special remark about the ending... There's an unpublished epilogue on Ms. Balogh's website that should have never been cut during editing, IMHO. Okay, the epilogue wasn't really necessary to give closure to the story - everything was pretty much wrapped up by the end of the book the way it was published - but that "extra moment" with Jocelyn and Jane gave the certainty that he had truly conquered his past "demons" and was finally at peace. Not to mention that it was more than nice to see them frolicking in the grass... ;)
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Jan 07, 2010 Rane rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: regency-romance-napoleonic-era, keeper

More then a Mistress is just one of those books that capture you from the start and doesn’t let you go until long after.
One of the most unlikely meetings to take place in both their lives. Jocelyn Dudley, Duke of Tresham is faced with another duel as he’s ascued to have been the lover of a married woman. A gentleman through and through takes up the duel instead of calling the woman a liar. So when a young woman runs toward the duel to stop them, Jocelyn is annoyed when he’s shot in the leg.
J...more More then a Mistress is just one of those books that capture you from the start and doesn’t let you go until long after.
One of the most unlikely meetings to take place in both their lives. Jocelyn Dudley, Duke of Tresham is faced with another duel as he’s ascued to have been the lover of a married woman. A gentleman through and through takes up the duel instead of calling the woman a liar. So when a young woman runs toward the duel to stop them, Jocelyn is annoyed when he’s shot in the leg.
Jane thought she was doing the right thing in stopping the duel, but when her efforts go astray things get a little tricky and she becomes the nurse of the infamous Duke of Tresham and later his mistress.

Jocelyn runs from the demons of his past, taught that kindness and love were a weakness, those emotions if shown where beaten out of him or hid away behind his gentleman armor. Slowly his armor cracks as the kindness and understanding of Jane opens his heart and sees the world like never before.
Jane runs from the demons of the present, after protecting herself from her cousin who would have raped her in order to gain her money, she runs away thinking she killed him (with a book no less)in order to find help, then to hide knowing it wouldn’t last forever. When she starts to work for Jocelyn she starts to see a great man behind the society mask he dons to wear. Falling in love with the man inside.

I adored Jocelyn, thinking like Jane he was some stuck up peer, but you see ,like her, he’s much more then that and the pains from his past run deep. Jane slowly heals his wounds not only the shot through his leg, but on his heart. Jane was a great female lead, very straight-forward taking no lip from Jocelyn and giving it back ten-fold. Showing wisdom beyond her years and love and trust.
Jocelyn and Jane don’t fall head over heels in love with each other at first sight, but get to know each other, slowly falling in love with one another, but fighting and hiding it tooth and nail. You can see moments where both feel the connection between each other.
The sensual level is like a warm burn making the moments feel special and magical (expect for one time).

The pace of the book never stumbles or slows keeping pace as the story unfolds of the truth behind Jane and the struggles of Jocelyn.
The secondary characters each shined in their own way, but not outshining either Jane of Jocelyn.

While at the end I did want to smack Jane and Jocelyn up-side the heads for being so mule-headed and short-sighted, they do come to their senses in time for their wonderful happy ever after!

Overall: I adore Mary Balogh’s books as she makes these wonderful complex imperfect characters, making them human and real. Making a special place in your heart for them. More then a Mistress does that and so much more. (less)

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Aug 23, 2009 Adrienne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library-loan

Oh. I loved this story so much!!

Hero Jocelyn who's hiden his emotions behind a wall of arrogancy and disdain, and heorine Jane a Lady on the run from a crime that may or may not have been committed. They meet up in the most unlikely of ways and quite by accident whilst Jane walks to work one morning, a lady with a conscience, she sees fit to interfere in a situation which she really should not have. And so the story is set in motion. A series of events mean that Jane and Jocelyn spend alot of ti...more

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Mar 30, 2013 Lisa Kay rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: authors-b, authors-m, 2013-rlftci-group-challenge, challenge-nbrc-tower, re-read-for-comfort, re-read-via-audio, reviewed-by-me, genre-romance-historical, genre-romance-regency, zzcover-red, character-duke-or-maybe-1-in-story, xyzcover-hat, well-narrated

Regency painter’s easel, by Theodore Alexander

★★★★★ (This is a review of the audiobook.) Rosalyn Landor has an amazing ear and an ability to deliver the accents of England’s social strata. This raises her reading of Historical Romances to the upper echelon. There are lots of characters from different class levels in this novel, and her talent makes it that much more fun. She is fast becoming my favorite narrator for this era, though she does modern day beautifully, too. My eyes light up when I...more Regency painter’s easel, by Theodore Alexander

★★★★★ (This is a review of the audiobook.) Rosalyn Landor has an amazing ear and an ability to deliver the accents of England’s social strata. This raises her reading of Historical Romances to the upper echelon. There are lots of characters from different class levels in this novel, and her talent makes it that much more fun. She is fast becoming my favorite narrator for this era, though she does modern day beautifully, too. My eyes light up when I want to revisit one of my favorite “comfort reads” via my ears and I see she is the narrator.

It isn’t easy to switch back and forth between male and female voices, especially when they are in the heat of passion; it takes a deft tongue and a sharper mind. She does all this effortlessly and with perfect enunciation; I’m sure because she understands the characters so well; I never find myself being pulled from the story by any blunder.

Of course, it is worth listening to Ms. Landor reading More Than a Mistress just to hear the combination of love, understanding, and gentle reproof in the tone of the heroine when she says the hero’s name, after he makes a defensive comment – born from a mixture of new, bewildering, and hurt feelings – while slipping from the bed where they just made sweet love.

I adore this book! Mary Balogh is one of my favorite authors and this is one of my all-time favorites “comfort read.” Jocelyn Dudley, Duke of Tresham, is a brilliant combination of rake, haughty arrogant duke, and dangerous wounded hero – marvelously unaware that all he needs is love in his life. He has been callously and efficiently molded to perform his aristocratic duty, but Ms. Balogh’s heroine breaks his stiff reserve. Jane Ingleby delightfully stands up for herself, but manages to stay true to the Regency era. She calls Jocelyn on his male chauvinism with lady-like grace, all while keeping her secrets close to her chest.

P.S. I love this musical CD cover picture, which I think nicely depicts Jane and the room she decorates. It is easy to image the above painter’s easel within this Regency setting:

Mistress Series on Audio
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Apr 30, 2013 Jane Reader rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I wasn’t so sure about this novel when I first started it. I’ve been on a historical romance novel binge and while some a good and enjoyable others can be boring or just plain trashy (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing depending on my mood). More than a Mistress started out a bit slow for me, but quickly picked up the more I was introduced to the characters.

Jane Ingleby thinks she’s being a Good Samaritan by interrupting a duel. Instead, she finds an annoyed Duke of Tresham and unemployment af...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Kennedy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. For me this was a typical Balogh novel and I like Balogh novels. This actually had the potential to be one of my favorites but fell a little short. I liked, Jocelyn, the male lead (I had a hard time not thinking that was a female character each time I read his name). He reminded me of Wolfric from the Slightly series who is probably my favorite character from Balogh. Jocelyn is a Duke and has a hard exterior protecting a soft interior – but still very manly of course . I like the setup of Ferdin...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Brandon Smith added it · review of another edition

Shelves: gave-up-on

In this captivating novel, Mary Balogh, the premier writer of Regency romance, invites you into a world of scandal and seduction, of glittering high society and intrigue, as an arrogant duke does the unthinkable—he falls in love with his mistress.

She races onto the green, desperate to stop a duel. In the melée, Jocelyn Dudley, Duke of Tresham, is shot. To his astonishment, Tresham finds himself hiring the servant as his nurse. Jane Ingleby is far too bold for her own good. Her blue eyes are the

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In this captivating novel, Mary Balogh, the premier writer of Regency romance, invites you into a world of scandal and seduction, of glittering high society and intrigue, as an arrogant duke does the unthinkable—he falls in love with his mistress.

She races onto the green, desperate to stop a duel. In the melée, Jocelyn Dudley, Duke of Tresham, is shot. To his astonishment, Tresham finds himself hiring the servant as his nurse. Jane Ingleby is far too bold for her own good. Her blue eyes are the sort a man could drown in—were it not for her impudence. She questions his every move, breaches his secrets, touches his soul. When he offers to set her up in his London town house, love is the last thing on his mind.

Jane tries to pretend it’s strictly business, an arrangement she’s been forced to accept in order to conceal a dangerous secret. Surely there is nothing more perilous than being the lover of such a man. Yet as she gets past his devilish façade and sees the noble heart within, she knows the greatest jeopardy of all, a passion that drives her to risk everything on one perfect month with the improper gentleman who thinks that love is for fools.

From Publishers Weekly

In her assured hardcover debut, Balogh (One Night for Love) serves up two Regency-era characters determined not to fall in love with each other, despite their shared aesthetic sensibilities, uncontrollable physical attraction and increasingly intimate friendship. The predictability of their predicamentAthey come from different social classesAis compensated for by an authentic London high society setting and the smart, sexy dialogue between Jocelyn Dudley, duke of Tresham, and Jane Ingleby, the two attractive, headstrong protagonists. Jocelyn is an avowed bachelor, rake and accomplished duelist. While preparing to fire his pistol during a duel, he is interrupted by a woman's scream urging him to stop. Jocelyn hesitates and is shot in the leg. Furious, he confronts the disruptive woman, milliner's assistant Jane, who is impudent beyond her station in accusing him of foolishly risking his life. As punishment, he insists she be his nurse for the three weeks he is recuperating. Jane is proud and feisty because, actually, she's not really a common serving girl. She's the orphan Lady Sara Illingsworth, who mistakenly believes she killed a man who was attempting to rape her. She fled her home in Cornwall for London, but without money or protection, her future seems bleak. When Tresham recovers his health, Jane agrees to stay on as his mistress, partly in order to remain hidden, but also because she is falling in love with him. Although some intrigue surfaces when Tresham's previous romantic entanglements make him the target of a husband's vengeance, the real story is the dynamic love-hate relationship between Jane and Tresham, their many obstacles to happiness parried with fiery wit and spirit. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

When Jane Ingleby tries to stop a duel, Jocelyn Dudley, Duke of Tresham, is wounded. So it's surprising that she ends up employed as his nurseDand ultimately his mistress as well. But as their relationship blossoms, Jocelyn commits the unpardonable sin of falling in love. In this refreshingly unconventional romance, which boasts an outspoken, memorable heroine, the author again pushes the edges of the genre. Her fans will be waiting. Balogh (One Night for Love) is a well-respected writer of historical romance who lives in Canada.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Jun 21, 2012 Wealhtheow rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jane is in hiding from the Bow Street Runners. A chance encounter brings her to the annoyed attention of the notorious Duke of Tresham, Jocelyn, who hires her first as his nurse and then convinces her to be his mistress. But what he doesn't know is that (view spoiler) He installs her in his love ne...more

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Nov 05, 2011 RomReader rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical

Heroine is working incognito as a seamstress for her survival b/c she's running from the law believing that she may have killed her earl cousin who tried to rape her. She loses her job after being late due to tending to injured duke Hero who got shot during a duel she interrupted. He hires her as his nurse for 3 weeks after she accuses him of losing her seamstress job. Getting to know each other in those weeks gradually progress into a mutual attraction which heroine tries to deflect by attempti...more

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Sep 01, 2011 Srisurang rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

อ่านได้เรื่อยๆ ค่ะ น่าติดตามตลอดเรื่อง แต่มันบอกไม่ถูก รู้สึกเกือบๆ จะชอบ เกือบๆ จะใช่อยู่ตลอดแต่ไม่ถึงจุดพีคที่สามารถบอกว่าชอบมากกกกก ให้กรี๊ดได้ซักที ถ้าพระเอกน่ารักกว่านี้อีกนิด ลดความเก๊กลงหน่อย นางเอกจะปากเก่งน้อยลงอีกสักสิบเปอร์เซ็นต์คงดีกว่านี้ แต่ก็มีฉากซึ้งๆ บางฉากที่ติดอยู่ในความทรงจำเหมือนกัน
ชอบน้องสาวช่างพูดของพระเอกอะ เธอแต่งตัวทีใครเห็นก็มึนไปเลย แต่น่ารัก น้องชายพระเอกยิ่งน่ารักใหญ่ อ่านจบแล้วเพิ่งรู้ว่ามันเป็นซีรี่ส์เล็กๆ มีเรื่องของน้องชาย และน้องสาวพระเอกอีกคนละเล่มด้วย โทนเรื่...more อ่านได้เรื่อยๆ ค่ะ น่าติดตามตลอดเรื่อง แต่มันบอกไม่ถูก รู้สึกเกือบๆ จะชอบ เกือบๆ จะใช่อยู่ตลอดแต่ไม่ถึงจุดพีคที่สามารถบอกว่าชอบมากกกกก ให้กรี๊ดได้ซักที ถ้าพระเอกน่ารักกว่านี้อีกนิด ลดความเก๊กลงหน่อย นางเอกจะปากเก่งน้อยลงอีกสักสิบเปอร์เซ็นต์คงดีกว่านี้ แต่ก็มีฉากซึ้งๆ บางฉากที่ติดอยู่ในความทรงจำเหมือนกัน
ชอบน้องสาวช่างพูดของพระเอกอะ เธอแต่งตัวทีใครเห็นก็มึนไปเลย แต่น่ารัก น้องชายพระเอกยิ่งน่ารักใหญ่ อ่านจบแล้วเพิ่งรู้ว่ามันเป็นซีรี่ส์เล็กๆ มีเรื่องของน้องชาย และน้องสาวพระเอกอีกคนละเล่มด้วย โทนเรื่องออกแนวอ่านสบายอารมณ์ ไม่เครียด น่ารักน่าลุ้น ปมปัญหาไม่ใหญ่มากอะไร มีเซอร์ไพรสเราได้ตอนก่อนจบด้วย แปลกใจมาก ชอบนะ แต่ก็...แอบ ไรอะ นิดนึง ไม่เห็นบอกกันก่อนเลย ฉากดวลอันที่สองเราก็ทายถูกว่ามันต้องมีและก็ต้องมาอยู่ตอนท้ายๆ เรื่องเนี่ยแหละ ให้ได้ลุ้นกันไป สรุปว่าก็สนุกดีค่ะ อ่านเพลินๆ ไม่ปลื้มมากแต่ก็ไม่เลวทีเดียว(less)

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May 19, 2010 Crista rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-star, regency, series

I really liked this book.....I wouldn't say that it's Balogh's best, but it's definitely good.

Jane Ingleby is on the run and is hiding from her uncle who wants her prosecuted for murder and theft. She happens across a duel in progress and interupts it by screaming for the two men to "STOP". Jocelyn Dudley, the Duke of Tresham, is distracted and winds up being shot in the leg. Angry and in want of "payback" for Jane's distraction, he "employs" her as his nurse for the duration of his healing per...more

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Mar 01, 2010 BarkLessWagMore rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, audiobook

I read this as an unabridged audio so I'll more than likely spell some things incorrectly and may be fuzzy on some of the details.

The hero, a fancy-pants duke, is injured during a duel when a young lady gives a shout out. She's held up because of the ridiculous duel and ends up getting fired from her job and can't buy groceries. She blames Jocelyn Dudley, Duke of Tresham, for her predicament and tracks him down to holler at him (a little fuzzy on the details here ~ this is why I need to take not...more

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Nov 08, 2011 Kasey rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, period-pieces-historical-romances, regency

A really good story. These two characters were a perfect fit. Jocelyn was a arrogant self important Duke used to getting his own way in every situation. Jane was much to strong willed to be bullied around by someone like him. And he had no idea what hit him when she stormed into his life unwilling to heed his demands. I loved the dynamic and the two of them learning the secrets that made each of them the way they are. Jane looked beyond the surface and saw the man behind the mask.

The story star...more

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Oct 20, 2011 Mindy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read book 3 first but it turned out to be a prequel, so I lucked out, this being book one in the series. I loved the characters. Jocelyn, Duke of Tresham and Jane (Lady Sara Jane Illingsworth). Jane is on the run from her cousin who tried to ravish her. While she was able to fend off her drunken cousin, events occured that made it necessary for her to flee to London to her Godmother. Her godmother wasn't home, her cousin was in a coma, and jane was wanted by the law. Jane finds work as a shop...more

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Mar 26, 2013 Amber rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: brain-candy, historical, romance

I am IMPRESSED. I read. A LOT. And because of that I can usually see plot twists and resolutions coming a mile away. I will definitely read more Balogh because she managed to blindside me with a plot twist that I KNEW was was going to turn up. Even with an ending that left me hanging a little, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book. I can only hope the rest of her books are this entertaining.
To elaborate: Nothing unexpected happened in this book. I mean...it's a romance novel of a particular genr...more

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Mar 11, 2010 Catherine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: excellent, romance, historical

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 beli...more 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. This book was a very refreshing change of pace. 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.(less)

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Nov 01, 2011 Lori McD rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-lit, easy-read, guilty-pleasure, regency, romance, british-lit, 2011_read

It's easy to dismiss this book as some sleazy, fluffy story with characters and plots only to disguise the bodice-ripping. The truth is that there's no bodice-ripping and no sleaze.

Jane and Jocelyn (yes, strange name for a titled English gentleman) are fully developed characters caught up in an interesting and entertaining plot. Both have secrets. Both are tormented by something in their past -- Jane by a much more recent past, and Jocelyn by his upbringing and "what it means" to be a man and a...more It's easy to dismiss this book as some sleazy, fluffy story with characters and plots only to disguise the bodice-ripping. The truth is that there's no bodice-ripping and no sleaze.

Jane and Jocelyn (yes, strange name for a titled English gentleman) are fully developed characters caught up in an interesting and entertaining plot. Both have secrets. Both are tormented by something in their past -- Jane by a much more recent past, and Jocelyn by his upbringing and "what it means" to be a man and a titled gentleman. And yes, in many ways you can point to the romance-story formula and see how nicely this story does against it. The *point* is, that you don't care about formulas or tormented lovers.... you do care about the secrets, as the author reveals them to you in layers of character and plot. You do care.

As for the steam, IMO it's nicely done. We don't have the almost sports-like play-by-play; rather, we receive glimpses and word pictures without vulgarity. What happens is very much intimate, but we don't feel as if we've just participated in the intimacy. Rather like a PG-13 movie. Some readers might be disappointed. I am not. For me, it was one of the charms of this book.

I even appreciated the handling of TBM (the big misunderstanding): there was a lot of rage and the plot of revenge... but along the way, the lover who felt he was most hurt realized that he was wrong. So instead of the over-long, over-dramatic oh-my-goodness these two lovers will never be in love again and will hurt one another until the day they die, we see that it's possible for love to triumph OVER all that falderal. There's nothing more irritating to me than to have a perfectly good love story ruined by a TBM that's gotten out of hand and gone on too long -- the point of almost destroying not just the love, but the two lovers. And then *suddenly*, one or both realizes their goof in the last 10 pages, and we, the reader, are supposed to believe that within the blink of an eye, these 2 lovers will live happily-ever-after, without remembering how awfully they treated one another or without allowing the tragedy to ruin their love and married life.

Despite the titillating title, this book is a well-crafted Regency love story about how it's possible for two people to "find" one another and fall in love by being friends first, without dousing the sexual chemistry and still managing to keep honor and Regency values in place. Well done!(less)

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Jul 25, 2010 Casta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This appears to be the first book in a series; I've read others by Mary Balogh, and had good expectations for this one. They were, I'm pleased to say, largely met. I had some trouble with the premise of the meeting of our protagonists at the very start: young woman is passing a duel in progress, shouts "STOP" for no known reason, one man is wounded seriously, and she expects to continue on her merry way? Why did she even interfere in the first place?

Our hero, Jocelyn, the Duke of Tresham, is som...more

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Apr 07, 2011 Jenni rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: british-author

Whilst I have read women’s fiction for years now I have read very little historical fiction, it’s never been an area that I’ve been particularly interested in. The synopsis of More Than A Mistress grabbed my attention however and I was curious to give it a go.

The plot worked really well for me. Whilst it is essentially innocent girl meets attractive rogue and they fall in love despite their best efforts there is much more to it. Jane’s hiding quite a secret, as I started to discover it I found m...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Bird rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, historical-romance, library-reads, read-in-2013, saucy

Let me get this out of the way first: I was really, really, REALLY annoyed with the title and description of the book. It tells you right up front that Jane is Tresham's mistress. Why is this bothersome? Because it doesn't happen until you're 40% of the way through the book!! So there's all this stuff going on in the beginning, and the whole time I'm just waiting for her to become his mistress. I would have much preferred not to know about something that won't happen until halfway through the bo...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Setting:
London’s Hyde Park; Pulteney Hotel; Candleford, Cornwall; mistress’s house

Theme:
Childhood shaping, character, love

Characters:
Jocelyn Dudley, Duke of Tresham – Dudley’s are manly… what that means to Jocelyn is to bury one’s feelings, love the ladies, never walk away from a fight… He doesn’t believe in love – his parent’s alternated their time at the estate with the kids, each carried on independently with him … at the age of 16, when he started to show interest in a neighbor girl, his f...more

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Jan 21, 2012 Punk rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Punk by: JET

Shelves: ebook, romance

Romance. You know what? I want to read a Regency romance about the second most notorious rake in London. He's pretty good at flirting, but that other guy is always swooping in and stealing away his conquests. It just drives him up the wall! So the second most notorious rake in London decides to do something about it. No matter what it takes, he will win the title of Most Notorious Rake in London. The current Most Notorious Rake in London thinks this sounds like good fun, as a little competition...more Romance. You know what? I want to read a Regency romance about the second most notorious rake in London. He's pretty good at flirting, but that other guy is always swooping in and stealing away his conquests. It just drives him up the wall! So the second most notorious rake in London decides to do something about it. No matter what it takes, he will win the title of Most Notorious Rake in London. The current Most Notorious Rake in London thinks this sounds like good fun, as a little competition always makes things more interesting. They start showing up at all the same parties and watch each other keenly, studying the other's moves, getting into his head, exploiting his weaknesses, admiring his talents, enjoying the tightness of his breeches, going riding together, falling in love.

I will also take an alternate universe where it's the men who must be presented to society and the women are out sleeping around and riding horses and winking lasciviously at the beautiful young boys so tender and rosy cheeked and pure. Wait. That actually makes me a little queasy.

Luckily, in this book, the one I'm supposedly reviewing, Jane is twenty and has a pretty good head on her shoulders. The love interest is an alpha hero with an artistic underbelly she must coax out, so there's almost a beta hero buried deep, deep within him, but mostly he's dark and imperious and brooding. And, of course, the most notorious rake in London.

I don't know why I keep reading Regency romances. Maybe I'm looking for the one that subverts traditional gender roles. Maybe I want one that works within traditional roles to craft something so exceptional that a modern reader doesn't have to stifle modern thoughts about civil rights. But this Regency doesn't do either of those things, and in fact, relies on gender as a substitute for personality traits and is often given as a point of attraction.

The problem is that words like "masculine" and "feminine" don't actually tell me anything about the characters or their attraction for each other. Also the sex is boring. I liked the angry sex best, but even it had weird ideas about...pelvic floor muscles? I guess. Jane was getting philosophical about penetration in a way that made me grimace.

The plot is a solid line through the book. The sense of risk flagged a bit in the happy middle section, but led naturally into the third act misunderstanding, and from there we had quite a bit of excitement and rushing around. That was my favorite part and during that time I really did want the couple to work out their problems and have their happily ever after.

Three stars. The gender-as-character stuff was sloppy, but it's otherwise well written, with a romance trajectory I haven't seen before, and a heroine who tries to rescue herself and mostly succeeds.

eBook: No cover, and I didn't see a single error.(less)

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Sep 26, 2011 Jody rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 28, 2010 Rhapsody rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, romance-regency

Very enjoyable novel. Jocelyn was a tough, reckless, violent hero who had a repressed sensitive and artistic nature. Jane, a lady in hiding, becomes his nurse when she interrupts his duel and gets him shot in the leg. He's amused by her impertinent nature, but she starts getting past his defenses, causing him to share pieces of himself that he'd long since buried. Great story about a powerful and lonely man "finding himself" again with the help of a beautiful damsel in distress.

It's been a while...more Very enjoyable novel. Jocelyn was a tough, reckless, violent hero who had a repressed sensitive and artistic nature. Jane, a lady in hiding, becomes his nurse when she interrupts his duel and gets him shot in the leg. He's amused by her impertinent nature, but she starts getting past his defenses, causing him to share pieces of himself that he'd long since buried. Great story about a powerful and lonely man "finding himself" again with the help of a beautiful damsel in distress.

It's been a while since I read a Balogh novel. She's really good about crafting believable love stories. Watching Jocelyn and Jane interact, I could really believe their attraction for each other and the progression of their love. Sometimes it was a bit contrived, but overall, it was really satisfying seeing the little ways in which they kept on getting closer.

This book stands out for me on one point. Usually in these books, the hero gets upset over some minor thing and treats the heroine really badly and I end up hating him for being unreasonable. This time though, I was actually able to sympathize with him. If anything, I think Jane didn't quite deserve him.

Jane kind of annoyed me. Fortunately, she got better, but I disliked her interrupting the duel. Whatever her opinion about duels, she should've minded her own business, especially when it was so critical that she keep her job (which she lost that same day, thanks to being late). Instead, she runs in there as she pleases, gets him shot (sort of), and then shows up at his house demanding he either write a note to her employers explaining why she was late, or give her a job. I just didn't like that spoiled, petulant attitude of hers, and even when she becomes Jocelyn's nurse, she continues to mouth off, even though she desperately needs to keep the job. It's not that I hate spirited heroines; but I hate irrational ones who refuse to face how the world works and can't control themselves enough to get by. If she'd been fired, she would have been SCREWED.

Finally...we keep hearing about how dangerous the duke of Tresham is, and we see how tough he is in the first scene where he's shot in the leg but still manages to nonchalantly ride off, but still, I'm used to Linda Howard alpha males. Although the narrative kept telling us how dangerous he could really be, I never once got a sense of that danger from him. I think the book would have been better if he'd been given more of a genuine edge.(less)

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Feb 11, 2011 Manuela rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: storico

Letto tutto d'un fiato.
Non posso che dar ragione a chi, come Noco, lo considera un DIK.
Un romanzo quasi perfetto, dove tutto è al posto giusto e che coinvolge fino alle lacrime in più punti.
La caratterizzazione sia di Jane che di Jocelyn è accurata e molto realistica; la storia, con tutti i suoi risvolti, è narrata con delicatezza e sensibilità, come è prerogativa della Balogh, e anche la parte sensuale, che di solito in questa autrice è meno preponderante, qui assume una valenza profonda e m...more

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Aug 02, 2009 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: aar-top-100-2007, 2009-reads

Jocelyn Dudley, Duke of Tresham was a rake with a bad reputation. His rakehell ways landed him in yet another duel on a foggy morning in Hyde Park. Just as the participants took aim, Jane Ingleby (for no apparent reason that I could see) came running into the clearing and distracted the duelers (is that a word?). Anyway, Jocelyn (Tresh to his friends, thank God), ended up with a bullet wound to the leg. He also ended up hiring Jane as his nurse for 3 weeks because the delay in the park caused he...more Jocelyn Dudley, Duke of Tresham was a rake with a bad reputation. His rakehell ways landed him in yet another duel on a foggy morning in Hyde Park. Just as the participants took aim, Jane Ingleby (for no apparent reason that I could see) came running into the clearing and distracted the duelers (is that a word?). Anyway, Jocelyn (Tresh to his friends, thank God), ended up with a bullet wound to the leg. He also ended up hiring Jane as his nurse for 3 weeks because the delay in the park caused her to lose her job, a fact that she won't soon let him forget.

Jane Ingleby was a lady on the run. She had come to London after being attacked by her cousin who was trying to force her into marriage to secure her family's fortune. At the beginning of the book her cousin was dead, she was wanted for his murder, and she was penniless with no job (Thanks to Tresham). She agreed to take care of the duke because she needed the money, but no amount of money could make her act like the meek little servant he thought she should be.

I really wanted to like this book. The plot was interesting and Jane was a likable heroine. Too bad Jocelyn Dudley was such an ass. I didn't like him in the beginning which is not entirely unexpected. He was, after all, a rake in desperate need of reforming. I read the book with the expectation that as it progressed, Tresham would soften and be more of a heroic character, at least in the presence of Jane. With the exception of the week spent together in the den, he was a jerk to her throughout the book. A jerk right up until the last page. They never genuinely acknowledged their feelings for each other. As I read the last page, I had the impression that within the month, he would have moved on to his next mistress and he would still be treating her like a "speck of dust on his boot".

This is the first novel that I have read by Mary Balogh. Her writing is sound, but sometimes she made me go (huh??!!) when she wanders away from the subject right in the middle of a scene. An example would be the first time they have sex:

"You, me, we, us." He lowered his head and spoke against her mouth. "Let us invent a new pronoun, Jane. The unity of I and the plurality of we melded into a new numberless word for Jane and Jocelyn."

Seriously, would anyone ever say that? I doubt it, not even a couple of hundred years ago, and certainly not at such a moment. (lol!!)(less)

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Feb 15, 2012 Christine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

This may be a case of the right story at the right time, but I basically enjoyed this. If I picked it apart too much, I know I'd find flaws. The ending, in particular, was a bit of a letdown. No details, but the resolution seemed too easy. But basically, we've got a smooth regency tale involving one of the hundreds of eligible and handsome dukes readily available in the early 1800's (at least, that's what I've been assuming based on all the regency romances I read :) ), and a lady in disguise, o...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Christina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

OH MY GOD!!! I LOVED this book & I completely fell in love with Jocelyn (minus his name LoL). In my opinion, he is a PERFECT example of alpha male. He is arrogant, brooding, "bored", brawny, & likes to fight. That's just his crunchy candy coating though! On the inside he is capable of opening up, honesty, extreme bouts of sensitivity, has a knack for art, is not opposed to communication, & the things that he says to express his love for Jane make my knees weak. Jane is also, in my op...more

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May 16, 2013 Gina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jane Ingleby is desperately trying to make it on time to her job at a milliners when she accidentally on purpose interrupts a duel. She soon finds herself fired on day three of her job and in the employee of one of the duell-ees, Duke of Tresham. She is hiding a huge secret and eventually agrees to become the Duke's mistress - a way of hiding out and continuing to be near the Duke. The first 2/3 of this book is 5 stars. I loved Jane and Jocelyn, the Duke, together. I loved being a part of their...more

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Sep 21, 2009 Brandy *Ahviel* rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, library-shelf, 2009

Jocelyn Dudley, Duke of Tresham, is arrogant and stubborn. and when he finds himself shot becuase he hears someone scream stop he does not blame the person that shot him no he blames the person that was trying to stop the duel from happening. that would be Jane Ingleby who he hires as his nurse. Jane who is also stubborn stands up to him and talks to him as though no one would talk to him before. she does not fear his wrath although jocelyn thinks she should. As their time progesses Jocelyn find...more

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title link	preview: More than a Mistress
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More than a Mistress (Mistress Trilogy #1)

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