Customer Reviews

Mistress of Scandal

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

...of the first two books in the series. It felt in "Mistress of Scandal" that Sara Bennett was forcing chemistry, forcing tension, and forcing the narrative along. While the book was not completely lacking, it really was a hohum text that offers no real wit or sparks. A blah book all around.

The third and final book in this trilogy of sisters who were kidnapped as babies from their courtesan mother is such a disappointment. And this is coming from an author who has years of experience writing enjoyable historical romances. When you have constant eye rolling by the third chapter and throughout the book you know this was written on auto pilot.
The premise looks to be interesting as mother "Madame Aphrodite" pays our hero Sebastian to try and find the evil ones responsible for stealing her children years before. Sebastian is your typical angst filled man who lives on the dark side for some wrong he has done in the past. The horror! The total cliché!
Sebastian happily takes on the case and in the process almost dies by being left to drown in some bog. (They actually have marshy bogs in England that will kill you!) He is found and saved by the youngest daughter Francesca as she walks with her dog through the moors even though she is suppose to be some respectful young woman. What a coincidence this makes. Sebastian is over come by lust the minute he sees her! And Francesca, even though she doesn't want to act out any traits of her trashy mother, tries not to think these lust filled thoughts.
Even though by page 100 she and Sebastian have fallen in bed together.
Zany turmoil and constant villains surround these two over and over. And along the way they are overcome with passion and ecstasy while always in danger.
If only there were not clichés' and over the top actions by the villains and the two main characters, then maybe this book could have been redeemable. For a good chuckle, and not in good way perhaps this book is for you. Otherwise check out Bennett's earlier works for more substance and no eye rolling.

Katiebabs

Rules of Passion
Lessons in Seduction

I just finished reading this book and I'm inclined to disagree with the first two reviewers. I really did enjoy the story. Sure, I guessed who the mastermind behind the Greentree sister's kidnapping was right from the first book, but it was quite nice having all the pieces finally drawn together and answer all the why's and also, finally allowing closure for all three sisters and their "two" mothers.
Of course, it had a happy ending with the youngest of the sisters finally letting go of all her insecurities and allowing herself to accept love and being loved without being afraid of losing her heart to her hero Sebastian.

Having not read the first two installments of the Ms Bennett's kidnapped sisters series, I came to Ms. Bennett's novel without any preconceived ideas about heroine Francesca or her courtesan mother Aphrodite. I was not enthralled with this novel. The leads were a little too ordinary and their chemistry although lustful was not deep.

Francesca is the daughter of courtesan Aphrodite and even though she really has not lived with Aphrodite since she was an infant she still worries that she will become a wanton like notorious mother. She has been raised by a sweet woman in the country. Francesca is resolved to never marry and never have the passions of her mother.

Thorne is an investigator hired by Aphrodite to discover who kidnapped her children years ago however Aphrodite knows the identity of the kidnapper but wants Thorn to investigate without her help. This leads him to Francesca and trouble.

Francesca rescues Thorne from the treacherous bogs near her home and instantly they fall into lust and quickly into bed, so much for Francesca not being like mom. Thorne leaves for London to continue with his investigation and Francesca and her adoptive mother also head for London too. Thorne and Francesca have some romantic interludes in town but not a lot of deep conversation. Thorne finally opens up about his past and Francesca is sympathetic to Thorne's troubles.

Francesca also must come to terms with her passionate nature and her relationship with her real mother which never seemed very genuine. Aphrodite was a hard woman to know and perhaps if I had read the previous novels I would have liked her more. She was self sacrificing for her girls but had definitely lived by the theme song of courtesans,"Love the one your with."

Thorne was an okay hero but not one that stood out amongst romance leads. He was smart and understanding but not necessarily memorable. Francesca was not an unsympathetic heroine, she just lacked some pizzazz. What I do recall well about this novel is the quite steamy romantic encounters the leads have which were inventive and emotional. Ms. Bennett does pen wonderfully intimate trysts.

Francesca Greentree had enjoyed her quiet life and content to live the rest of her days on the moors of Yorkshire. She detests the loud and chaotic life of London and is determined to stay away from one of its most famous inhabitants, her birth mother, the notorious courtesan Madame Aphrodite. Francesca's most dreaded fear is that one day her most base desires will surface and she will become like her mother, which is something that Francesca is determined will never happen. Until the day she meets Sebastian Thorne, and now her life will never be the same.

Accepting an assignment by Madame Aphrodite, Sebastian Thorne sets out for Yorkshire, where he is to meet with someone to gather information. And hopefully find the person who kidnapped Aphrodite's daughters twenty-four years ago. The meeting place was to be along the moors, but his guide has tricked him and now he is sinking, slowly into the mired muck. Only a miracle will save him.

Sebastian's miracle comes in the form of Francesca Greentree, the daughter of Aphrodite herself. Pulling Sebastian from the moors, Francesca discovers that she is her mother's daughter after all when he stirs feelings in her that she had long suppressed. What does he want? Why is he out on the moors to begin with?

Mistress of Scandal is the third book in the eagerly awaited Greentree Sisters trilogy. Sara Bennett brings her readers a story of love found in the most unexpected place and a twenty-four year old mystery that will keep readers turning the pages from beginning to end. Sara Bennett is one of today's most gifted romance writers. She writes with passion and truly gets into the `heads' of her characters making them come to life for all of us to enjoy. Beautifully written and characters to fall in love with, Ms. Bennett delivers on all counts.

Debbie reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I will not give a summary, because most of these reviews do that. This novel was so extremely ho-hum. I didn't feel any chemistry or passion between the leads, I felt like there was just sex (and that wasn't very hot). It was also kind of hard to understand Aphrodite hiring someone to solve a crime when she was already positive of who the criminal was. Not to mention her refusing to disclose any information, how odd.

In 1849, whereas her two older sisters have reconciled with their birth mother Madam Aphrodite and found love (see LESSONS IN SEDUCTION and RULES OF PASSION), Francesca Greentree hates what her biological mom does for a living. Instead she prefers to rusticate in Yorkshire where her "adopted" mom Amy Greentree raised her and her siblings rather than spend time in London where she is reminded of her biological mother a famous courtesan.

Aphrodite asks the "human bloodhound" Sebastian Thorne to find the odious baby snatcher Mrs. Slater and learn from her who was going to pay her to steal her three offspring from her over two decades ago. She also begs him not to tell her darling daughters the truth about his mission. In Yorkshire Hal the blacksmith tricks Sebastian who begins sinking into the bog of the Emerald Mire moor, but Francesca rescues him. As he continues his sleuthing, he knows he is in love from the moment he first saw her; but he has a disgraceful past that leaves him too dishonorable to court his beloved even as he willingly risks his life to keep her safe from someone wanting her dead.

In spite of the chance encounter between the lead protagonists on the moor, the third Aphrodite's children tale is a fabulous Victorian private investigator romantic suspense that ties up the key loose threads especially the who and why of the original abduction. The story line is fast-paced from the moment that Aphrodite hires Sebastian and never slows down until the final confrontation with a romantic subplot running through the middle. Historical romantic mystery fans will appreciate this pleasingly entertaining series.

Harriet Klausner

Mistress of Scandal, the third book in the Greentree Sisters series. The infamous courtesan, Aphrodite has three daughter by three different men. They get kidnapped as children and she get reunited with his daughter as the series goes along. This is the story of Francesca, the third daughter who dislikes her mother because she is scared she will become like her mother. He mother hires Mr. Thorne to solve the mystery of the people who stole her daughter. The mystery leads to Francesca dangerous moors and start a great mystery and romance. Check out the other books of the Greentree Sisters series; Lessons in Seduction, and Rules of Passion.