Customer Reviews

The Perfect Mistress

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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!

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.

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!

I found the book lying around the library and checked it out, not expecting much. My goodness, I loved it to death. I swear, I couldn't put this book down! True, men did see women as "meat" but she did get him back by using her own "talents" aginst and well, for him. A great book for those who love romances.

Set later in the nineteenth century than most romances, THE PERFECT MISTRESS offers an entertaining glimpse of the upper crust underground. The novel features the daughter of a successful courtesan, a young woman who suspects that financial security lies in marriage rather than settling as the mistress for some lordling. In that sense, young Gabrielle may appear to be sensible and wise in rejecting her mother's plans for her future, but alas, she is actually prone towards hasty schemes and extreme measures. She initiates the action in this novel by escaping her mother's luxurious home to run wild on the streets of London and, what, meet her future husband?

Er, well, this is a romance. But before satisfying her longing for security, she ends up twice abducted by men expecting her to be your basic fowl-mouthed Haymarket prostitute. The first attempts to reform her against her errant ways, and then the latter seeks to gather evidence of the former's hypocritical interest in whores. At the conclusion of these encounters, she's been roped into British partisan politics, and she's found a pretend suitor in order to stave off her mother's matchmaking/pimping.

You can't expect everything about a book like this to be a breath of fresh air. The hero's dour mother threatens his inheritance, and, natch, he calls her The Dragon. The heroine launches a desperate crusade to win back the hero's trust. There are also a couple of variations on The Misunderstanding, but they don't overwhelm the plot, and seem fairly consistent.

Besides these minor faults, THE PERFECT MISTRESS has plenty of entertaining ideas. For instance, while "courting" Gabrielle, the hero encourages her to scout out those souls who responded to the advertisement that she placed in her quest for eligible and willing bachelors. This scenario plays out perfectly, both amusing and ratcheting up the stakes in their relationship. It will be interesting to see if author Betina Krahn can maintain this level of creativity in her other books.

This was a great read because it is refreshing to see a woman who was born into the demimonde and still aspire to be "normal". I like the view of the world from the mother and her friends who try to make Gabrielle accept passion and not marriage. The seduction attempts were both interesting and touching at the same time. All in all, a good value for your money and definitely not a waste of time to read.

This was really enjoyable. I liked the story and laughed often

I always appreciate an author that can tell a story by weaving their words beautifully, and Betina Krahn is one of those authors. Her writing style is captivating with it's humor and dialog. Even the secondary characters were interesting. Everyone was fleshed out and had their own little life story. I enjoyed most of the book, it was very exciting and enjoyable to read until the hero and heroine were married. I loved their slow courtship! They really got to know each other. You actually get to see them falling in love and you understood what led them to that love. The sexual tension was always at an high. The problem was that after they were married the excitement of their relationship dimmed. It became A battle instead - even though you knew they loved each other, and it took away from the enjoyment of the pursuit. I was also looking forward to seen Pierce developed as London's most notorious rake- since that's what drew me to the book, but it was only stated that he was a rake and you never get to actually see it in his character development. All of the other characters were developed really well though. This book was not one of my favorite's- but I am sure that it will appeal to many other readers since it has a special quality about it.

There was so much humor, passion, and true emotion in this book. I liked both Pierce and Gabrielle. Unlike so many historical romances I've read lately, these two characters seem perfect for one another. They both have humanly flaws, but are true soul mates. I just LOVED the best friend angle - you just rarely see that type of sentiment in historical romance.

Betina Krahn adds so many little details that add truth to the characters. Just little human nuances that add so much life to characters.

The romance sizzled and the sex scenes were fairly intense. I thought there could have been a few more of them, but that's just me. ;)

I absolutely adored Rosalind and her fiery parting with the duke. I actually had butterflies when she finally told him off. I thought their reconciliation could have been a bit spicier at the end, but it wasn't a big deal.

Definitely a fun, touching story.

Gabrielle and Pierce are two of a kind. this book is for you if you enjoy suspence, anticipation and just plain impatience of what may happen next. i swear i stayed up till midnight for 3 straight days trying to get to the end. both of the characters are in love but try to outwit it. Gabrielle can't resist Pierce and vise versa. i love the way Pierce is protective and dominant of Gabrielle and how he's in love with her but still has to stand by and let her go on with her manhunt for a 'suitable husband'. i loved this novel to the end. Krahn seems to find the right words for everything and keeps you in suspence for thier 'get together' and well deserved happily ever after.