The Secret Mistress

Mistress Series, Book 3

By: Mary Balogh

Narrated by: Anne Flosnik

Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

While Lady Angeline Dudley’s pedigree dictates that she must land a titled gentleman, the irrepressible beauty secretly longs for a simple, ordinary suitor. No wild rakes like the men of her family, just a kind heart and good nature. So when Edward Ailsbury, the new Earl of Heyward, rescues her with unmatched civility from the advances of a scoundrel, Angeline thinks that she has found her true love. Persuading the earl is another matter entirely.

Edward has his future neatly mapped out. He hopes to wed his steadfast companion, a woman who shares his values of loyalty, respect, and decorum. But arriving in London to take his seat in the House of Lords, he is derailed by Angeline, an exquisite bird of paradise seemingly devoted to sending his predictable life into chaos.

From the brilliant hues of her fashion to her hoydenish antics, Angeline is the last woman on earth for Edward. And yet a stolen kiss in the moonlight awakens something deep and primal within him. Naturally, being a gentleman, he does the right thing after compromising a lady: He offers marriage.

Angeline knows that Edward’s proposal is born of duty, not love. But denying something so provocative and passionate is easier said than done. Deep down, Angeline believes that Edward’s dedication to convention will melt behind closed doors, where sensuality and seduction play wicked games. For a proper wife by day can become a husband’s secret mistress by night, when delicious desire rules.

Listen to more in the Mistress Series.

©2011 Mary Balogh (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Wonderful story

Where does The Secret Mistress rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's hard to rank. I really enjoyed the story but I wish it had a different narrator. I admit it's probably just my personal preference but I wish someone like Roslyn Landor or Phyllida Nash had narrated it.

What other book might you compare The Secret Mistress to and why?

I honestly cannot think of a book to compare to this one. I think that's why I enjoyed it so much. Edward and Angeline are unique. He is so determined not to be like his older brother, who died while curricle racing, that he is thought to be a "dry old stick". Angeline's youthful spontaneity brings out his passionate side when they are alone. She has two older brothers who are similar to Edward's older brother. She sensibly chooses not marry someone like them. But, because she is playful and loving, she teases Edward by saying that though they will marry she will pretend to be his Secret Mistress.

Did Anne Flosnik do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

She did make an effort to differentiate the characters by changing the pitch and accents. I can't help wishing that Roslyn Landor, who narrated book one in the Mistress series had also done this book.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

An sweetly romantic love story.

Any additional comments?

This story is simply based on the advice not to judge a book by its cover. Seriously, ignore the cover art. Angeline and Edward's story is very touching, romantic and rewarding.

Precious

This is one of my favorite Mary Balogh books.
Angeline’s character is just so precious. Her sparkling personality and joy of life, despite her rather unloving upbringing, is so endearing.
This one was definitely worth a credit!

great book best one of the triology

I thought this was the best of the triology. It was light hearted and funny. It was enjoyable to read about a woman not falling in love with a rake and the actions of the "proper" man that she fell in love with. Would definetly read this one again. Also great narration by Rosalyn Landor

In the Mistress trilogy, Lady Angeline's story

Lady Angeline Dudley has loved her two brothers all her life but they, like her father, unfortunately had the wild, daring, devil-may-care Dudley temperament -- rakish and tempestuous! Angeline's petite mother, a blonde beauty, had always been openly critical of Angeline's tall, lithe, slim figure, thus she felt overshadowed by both of her more spectacular brothers. Angeline wanted to find a loving, less volatile man to wed so she wouldn't have to worry so dreadfully about dangers and disasters.

When your brothers are rakes . . .

Did you ever wonder what life might be like for the sister of a rake? That's what Lady Angeline Dudley is -- the sister of not one but two handsome, charming, and utterly incorrigible rakehells, the Duke of Tresham and Lord Ferdinand Dudley. Moreover, her late parents were famous for their many indiscreet affairs, and she has decided never to marry a man who is anything like her brothers or father.

Lady Angeline is on her way to London for her first season and is to meet up with her elder brother at a coaching inn in Reading. When she finds herself alone in the inn's tavern and is approached by a strange man, another stranger comes to her defense. He leaves without introducing himself, and Lady Angeline falls for him on the spot.

Quote: How could one not fall instantly in love with such a man, Angeline asked herself as she stared at the door after they had both left. In a few short minutes he had shown himself to be her ideal of manhood. Of gentlemanhood. He seemed perfectly content and comfortable with his ordinariness. He seemed not to feel the need to posture and prove his masculinity at every turn, preferably with his fists, as most men did in Angeline’s admittedly rather limited experience. He was, in fact, more than ordinary. He was an extraordinary man. And she had fallen head over ears in love with him. Indeed, she was going to marry him—despite the fact that she would probably never see him again. End Quote.

Her savior is Edward Ailsbury, the new Earl of Heywood, who has succeeded to the title after his brother's death in a curricle race against said Duke of Tresham. Of course, he and Angeline are destined to meet again and again, and while she falls ever deeper in love he finds her to be all that is improper and unappealing in a lady. While his many female relatives urge him to court Lady Angeline, the season's most eligible young lady, he has determined to marry Eunice Goddard, the shy, bookish daughter of his favorite Cambridge don. They had agreed years earlier to marry at some point in the future, and Edward looks forward to a very proper future with Eunice.

As the season progresses, Edward finds himself repeatedly in the company of Lady Angeline and feels a reluctant attraction to her. His determination to marry Eunice, however, does not wane, although Eunice believes that he must marry higher in society now that he is an earl. She rejects Edward's proposal and urges him to marry Lady Angeline. But when he proposes to Lady Angeline, she rejects him as well, because he does not love her. Indeed, he doesn't really believe in romantic love.

Edward is perplexed, but like the true gentleman that he is, he carries on with his duty to find a suitable wife and set up his nursery. I won't go any further with the plot so as not to spoil the surprising developments. Suffice it to say that the last third of the book is romantic and funny at the same time and reminded me of something Georgette Heyer would have concocted (only a little steamier).

Mary Balogh does an excellent job of creating many secondary characters and weaving their stories into the main plotline. And while Lady Angeline is a singular young lady -- tall, dark, not demure, and wearer of loud, attention-getting bonnets -- it is Edward who is Balogh's most original creation. He is nothing like the standard HR hero. He is not tall and broad-shouldered. He doesn't cast smouldering looks at ladies. He doesn't gamble or drink to excess. He's never fought a duel or placed a wager at White's. He doesn't have a mistress, nor does his mighty wang spring to attention at the sight of every desirable woman. His father and brother were careless, self-centered men, but Edward bears few inner scars and is certainly not "tortured."

What I found most fascinating was Angeline's romantic dreams of her perfect man -- so unlike the typical HR hero:

Quote: I have sworn and sworn that I will not marry a rake, even if it means marrying a dull man instead. Better to be dull than to be so unhappy that one is forced to take lovers. * * *

I did not know for sure until then that there were gentlemen like you. I had experience only with gentlemen like my father and my brothers and their friends. I did not want to marry anyone like them, for whoever I chose would not remain faithful for long, and how can there be marriage and parenthood and contentment and friendship and happiness and growing old together unless there is fidelity? * * *

I want you just as you are. I want you to live your dull, blameless life of duty and responsibility. I want you to be a very proper, perhaps even stern husband. I want you to make me feel you care. I want you to be a father who spends more time than is fashionable with his children. End Quote.

It is not unusual in HR to see the rake, reformed by marriage, become like the man Lady Angeline describes, but typically the heroine is simply hoping that life will turn out that way. In The Secret Mistress (and the title won't be explained until the very end), Angeline is determined to rely on something other than hope; she will control her own destiny. And Edward will learn that his destiny is not nearly so dull after all.

I thought I knew the story......

Continuing through my audio Mary Balogh marathon. I loved this story!! In the previous two books in the series, Angeline and Haywood are married so I thought it might be a little weird to listen to a story about two people who I knew had found their HEA. I was wrong!! I realized I knew nothing about Angeline and Haywood. I loved their story and their relationship and their journey to their HEA.

Since I did listen to the audiobook, I feel I need to say a little about that. The previous books in the series were narrated by Rosalyn Landor who is one of my favorite historical romance narrators so it was a little jarring at first to get used to the new narrator. But, as usually happens, I soon became lost in the story and forgot all about it. Anne Flosnik did a wonderful job. This was the first book I’ve listened to her narrate but I will be looking for more books.

Reading was a little too sleepy

I'm not sure why but the narration of this version of a solid story by Mary Balogh (although not my favorite) felt too sleepy and with intonation and emphasis on words that felt off. I can't even put my finger on it as the narrator has a lovely voice, but it didn't engage me as much as other narrators of Balogh books. I needed a little more range and energy.

IRRITATING NARRATION

This audiobook is an "ok" story but the narrator's voice is irritating. I also like to be drawn in by the characters but this book didn't achieve that.

whish it was read by some one else

monotony no action or excitement did not do the book justice. slow to get started.

Gentle Sweet Story

Mary Balogh fans will thoroughly enjoy this sweet story of a relentlessly positive young girl and a duty-bound earl well on his way to entrenched cynicism. Beautifully narrated and just what one needs when life seems a little too stressful. Mary doesn't disappoint, though fans of her more angsty plots might not be satisfied.