Review: Never a Mistress, No Longer a Maid

Never a Mistress, No Longer a Maid by Maureen Driscoll
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Historical Romance
Release Date: May 17th 2011
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

Caught behind enemy lines at the Battle of Waterloo, nurse Jane Wetherby is forced to seek shelter with British operative Lord Edward Kellington. After a night of passion, the two are separated. With nothing but the alias Jane used to protect her family, Lord Edward is unable to find the woman he cannot forget. Seven years later, Jane courts scandal by serving as the unofficial surgeon in the village of Marston Vale. When Edward arrives to formalize his betrothal to a viscount's daughter in accordance with his late father's wishes, Jane has no choice but to watch the match proceed. When a threat from the past emerges, Jane must join forces with Edward to safeguard her loved ones. But at what risk to her heart?

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In the interest of full disclosure, the author sent me a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

In all truthfulness, I have little interest in historical romance books, but the author did tell me in advance that the book was heavier on the romance side of things than the historical, and she wasn’t fibbing. I liked this book a great deal more than I thought I would! It was a bit predictable at times, but still enjoyable. The characters were interesting and believable, and the pacing was dead on for me. When things started to seem like they were moving too slowly, something would happen that brought it back up to a quicker pace.

When Edward suddenly appears in Jane’s life seven years after their initial encounter, she’s more than a tad shocked—and frightened. She has deliberately avoided seeking him out, even though she’s harboring a secret that very much affects his life. She tries to push him away, but he remains stubborn, determined to be part of her life one way or the other—even though he is unofficially betrothed to another (a horrible nasty woman named Madeline). When the secret comes out, he’s stunned, and even more determined to insinuate himself into her life. But she doesn’t want any part of it. No, that’s not true. She wants that very much, but she’s also stubborn and afraid of getting her heart broken.

Things get even more complicated for the pair when there are a series of misunderstandings involving his “fiancée,” and even his own family. Which brings me to my next point—this is just the first book in a series, though to my understanding each book is about a different member of the Kellington family. So if you’re a reader who enjoys reading several books that at least involve the same characters, and you like historical romance, this is a good book for you to start with, in my opinion. But keep the kiddies away from it—there are some steamy love scenes!

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Author Bio:

Maureen Driscoll is an Emmy-nominated writer/producer in Hollywood. She is the author of a series of Regency romance novels about the Kellington family and looks forward to meeting her very own Mr. Darcy.

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