No Mistress of Mine

An American Heiress in London

By: Laura Lee Guhrke

Narrated by: Susan Ericksen

RITA Award Winner, Historical Romance, Short, 2017

USA Today best-selling author Laura Lee Guhrke is back with the latest in her dazzling An American Heiress in London series, in which a reformed rogue finds all his honorable resolutions tested by the only woman who ever broke his heart....

After spending his youth as one of the wildest rakes in the ton, Lord Denys Somerton has devoted the past six years to putting his past behind him. He is determined to fulfill his duties, find a suitable wife, and start a family, but that plan changes when Lola Valentine - the red-haired temptress from his past - returns to London, sparking the same irresistible desires that almost ruined his life once before.

Lola is a woman with no romantic illusions. She knew love would never be enough for a British lord and an American girl from the wrong side of the tracks. For Denys' sake she walked away from him and the glittering life he offered. But when an unexpected inheritance brings her back to London, Lola discovers the passion between them is as hot as ever. Can they vanquish it, or will it burn out of control again and destroy them both?

©2016 Laura Lee Borio (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers

Entertaining, but not wow (spoilers in review)

The narrator was excellent. Great diction and characterization.

Unfortunately, the story left me cold. I didn't feel that Denys was invested in Lola's goals. Instead it felt like two story lines. One the romance, the other the acting thing. I thought the conflict felt manufactured and it was so easily resolved. Neither character had to work to earn their happy ending. Her having to give up acting - and being so willing to do so when at the beginning of the story it was her driving force - made the first half of the book feel hollow and unimportant. I also felt the ending was campy - everyone just caved into a kumbaya moment.

I may buy other titles from this author, but she's certainly not going on my must-buy list. I will keep my eyed open for this narrator again.

Favorite HR of the year!!

Would you listen to No Mistress of Mine again? Why?

Absolutely. I enjoyed every minute of this audiobook.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Denys was the perfect hero. It was a welcome change to read about a character who didn't have any issues with his family, nor they with him. When he was jilted by the woman he loved at the age of 24, he threw himself into his role as the successor to his father's title. When the woman, Lola, returned many years later, the struggle within himself to keep her at arms length because of what she had done, as well as to keep peace with his family, was quite believable.

What does Susan Ericksen bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Susan Ericksen is an autobuy for me. I've read a few of Laura Lee Guhrke's books and they were just okay; however, as soon as I noted that Ms. Ericksen was narrating this one, I bought it without even reading the blurb. In my opinion, this is her best narration to date, surpassing my long-time favorite, The House of Rohan series by Anne Stuart.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There were several scenes that had me tearing up, especially the incident that occurred at the end.

Any additional comments?

I've read several negative reviews that focused on the unbelievable relationship between a titled gentleman of the ton and an actress; however, the story took place in the late 1890's - not Regency England of the earlier part of the century. In 80 years, society's rules had to relax somewhat, didn't they? Even so, I thought the author did an excellent job with the struggles that Denys and Lola had - both internally and together. The HEA they fought so hard for was perfect!

Narrator saved it.

What did you love best about No Mistress of Mine?

The narrator is this book's only saving grace!

Would you ever listen to anything by Laura Lee Guhrke again?

Maybe, but I'll certainly pay more attention to the other reviews. I normally get annoyed with interruptions when I'm listening to a book, but I found myself wearing my EarPods without ever having returned to listening. That's how uninteresting this book was.

Have you listened to any of Susan Ericksen’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes. I love Susan Ericksen! In my opinion, she's incomparable with American accents, no matter the region. She doesn't have a vast range with British accents, but she's still far better than most. I've gotten hooked on several authors who I never would've considered, simply because I was looking for something with her as narrator.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No. The majority of this book was a yawn. The ending was very nearly ridiculous.

Any additional comments?

I gave this book four stars overall solely on the brilliance of the narrator. The story itself was dull and boring and trite. Sorry - I've enjoyed the rest of this series, but if I'd read this one first, this author would never had gotten another chance!

Loved It

Never understood ‘good ton’ and the snubbing of a society or the way people take advantage of others. Loved the ending of this story. Not sure if that would happen in real life but with fiction, anything goes. Good job.

Hard to finish it was so boring

This was a hard one to finish. The series kept getting worse after each book. I fast forwarded so many times.