The Perfect Mistress [Large Print] [Paperback]

Betina M. Krahn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1995

The Perfect Mistress is the perfect follow-up to The Last Bachelor. This time the heroine is a courtesan's daughter who wants the unthinkable: to get married... The daughter of an exquisite London courtesan, beautiful and blunt Gabrielle La Coeur is determined to make a different life for herself -- staid, respectable... married. Pierce St. James is an openly libertine viscount, who intends to stay single and free of the hypocrisy of Victorian society. For Gabrielle, there is only one way out of the life her mother has planned for her -- she must become the virginal "mistress" of London's most notorious rake.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Gabrielle Le Coeur's mother wants to make her into a rich man's mistress, but Gabrielle has other ideas. She wants to be a wife. Pierce St. James, a handsome, amoral viscount, is the perfect man to help her find a husband -- and he needs Gabrielle's aid to bring down a powerful enemy. But passion derails both their plans... --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From Library Journal

Gabrielle LeCoeur, the illegitimate daughter of a duke and a celebrated courtesan, needs a nominal lover; the jaded, libertine earl of Sandbourne, Pierce St. James, needs help gathering evidence against the prime minister-so they strike a bargain that for all its pragmatic beginnings soon evolves into something entirely different. As in The Last Bachelor (Bantam, 1994), Krahn uses a light touch to address a serious social issue (i.e., the vulnerability of women in Victorian society), combining wit and whimsy with a high degree of sensuality in a gracefully written, well-plotted, and occasionally unpredictable story.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 482 pages
• Publisher: Wheeler Pub Inc (December 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568952740
• ISBN-13: 978-1568952741
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,399,450 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another warm, witty romance from Betina Krahn, January 16, 2003

By 

baltimore0502 "Hon!" (BALTIMORE, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Perfect Mistress (Paperback)

So far I've read four of Ms Krahn's books (The Husband Test, The Mermaid, The Last Bachelor and this one) and I loved them all and look forward to reading more. I love her style, her sense of humour and of the absurd. She creates great characters with fun and interesting stories to tell. This one centers on Victorian views on morality, the role of wives vs mistresses, and the politics of Conservatives vs Liberals.

Pierce St James has heard it all, but is still surprised when Gabrielle LeCoeur proposes that he pretend to be her lover. She wants him to pretend in order to keep her mother at bay so that Gabrielle can look for a husband! You see her mother is a famed courtesan who believes that true love and passion cannot be found in the drudgery of marriage. But Gabrielle does not want to be a mistress - she claims not to have the "juices" i.e. passionate nature necessary for such a life. She simply wants a respectable husband and a respectable life.

Pierce, who always appreciates the perverse and absurd, agrees to this little charade thinking eventually he will seduce Gabrielle anyway. Besides, he plans to use Gabrielle to his political advantage against Prime Minister Gladstone, whose interest in prostitutes is cause for speculation among the political opposition.

But neither plans on the friendship, camaraderie and sheer enjoyment they get from spending time together. Eventually Pierce proves to Gabrielle that she does, in fact, have the "juices", and when things get serious, they also get very complicated. As Pierce pulls away from Gabrielle, she turns to her "advisory committee" which includes his mother, her own and some of her mother's courtesan friends, to find a way to pull him back. When nothing seems to work and things go from bad to worse, Gabrielle reminds Pierce that they were friends first and that she will be either his mistress or his wife - he only needs to choose.

The only reason that I didn't give this five stars is that I thought Pierce took too long to come around and that he was a bit unreasonable, stubborn, and ultimately hypocritical - the thing he claims to despise most! But she calls him on it and he finally wonders why he has to choose at all. Can't he have her as wife, mistress and friend? A radical notion for Victorian England!

Great read. Ms. Krahn is an author I recommend you investigate!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I adore this book!, October 24, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Perfect Mistress (Paperback)

What I like best is that Pierce doesn't spend the entire book lusting after Gabby and trying to get her clothes off, because he's a rake and that's what they do - he genuinely likes her as a person and they become *friends* first (gasp!) That doesn't happen near often enough for me in romance novels, so this was a refreshing change. Yes, the friendship does get complicated by physical attraction and social scandal and all those problems have to be resolved. It's just nice to find a story where two people like each other before they fall into bed, rather than having hormones get them together and it taking the rest of the book before they can stand one another in the light of day.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm buying all my friends a copy for Christmas!!!!!, August 23, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Perfect Mistress (Paperback)

No really, Krahn keeps you guessing the whole time and it's a delightful romp. The Heroin, Gabrielle, is a lovable feminist and very fresh. Pierce St. James could get an,"Oh, James." Quicker than 'BOND' could blink! But he manages to stay human at the same time. Everything is fun and in good taste. The story brakes through all the barriers and does exactly the opposite of what's expected. The tension grows with each chapter but friendship and mutual respect remain top priorities throughout. I'm sorry to report that 'The Perfect Mistress' is the best the Author has yet to offer but this means that there's light at the end of the tunnel. I really liked it!