MY FAIR MISTRESS - Tracy Anne Warren
Mistress Trilogy, Book 1
Ballantine Books
ISBN: 978-0-345-49539-6
November 2007
Historical Romance

Regency London

Lady Julianna Hawthorne had been a dutiful daughter who dutifully married the man of her father's choice and dutifully -- and stoically -- performed her marital duties...and was rather relieved when the elderly Lord Hawthorne died and left her comfortably off. Julianna has also acted as mother to her younger brother and sister, Harry and Maris. Now it is time for Maris to make her bows to Society, but Harry, in the short time since he'd inherited the earldom from their father, has managed to squander the assets of the estate and heavily encumber it in debt. If he doesn't pay what he owes to the financier, Rafe Pendragon, in the next few days, he'll lose everything.

Julianna counts up the worth of her jewelry, silver and such, and gathers the courage to call on Pendragon to plead for more time to raise the money. The Dragon is not the crude old man that Julianna expected; instead, he's handsome and cultured and has a very, very disturbing effect on her.

Rafe Pendragon began life as the loved son of a clergyman's daughter and an aristocratic father. Unfortunately, he was married to another, and Rafe soon became aware of certain realities even before his father died. It wasn't easy, but he's now a wealthy man, and he didn't get that way by forgiving debts. Yet, when the lovely widow offers all her trinkets and it isn't enough, he can't resist making her a proposition: He'll cancel the loan if she'll become his mistress for a term of six months, with meetings thrice a week.

Julianna has much to learn about what can occur between a man and a woman, and Rafe is a master teacher. In session after session of instruction, Julianna blossoms into full womanhood. She never even knew she was attractive. And Rafe, who is somewhat accepted by the ton because of his fortune, is alarmed to find himself developing feelings he's never experienced before.

Besides the escalating passion and romance between Rafe and Julianna, MY FAIR MISTRESS includes a youthful romance involving sweet Lady Maris, who is also the target of a villain who hates Rafe.

MY FAIR MISTRESS is an exciting reading experience that takes readers from Rafe's bedroom to glittering Society events and into the hearts of the main characters, including young Harry and Maris. Well-written with both entertaining and emotional situations and dialogue, MY FAIR MISTRESS has it all. It's the first book of a trilogy and will be followed by THE ACCIDENTAL MISTRESS in December and HIS FAVORITE MISTRESS in January 2008. Get started now or wait until you have all three titles; just don't miss the fun.

Jane Bowers