Mistress in the Making by Larissa Lyons

Mistress in the Making Reviews

• 
  Bonnie

  I received a copy of this from BookSirens and this is my freely given opinion.
  
  This is my second reading of the series and I enjoyed it just as much the second time around.
  
  This is a set of the 3 story series (Seductive Silence, Lusty Letters, and Daring Declarations) about Thea and Daniel. Daniel is a Marquis with a speech impediment that caused him to be the target of abuse and ire by his father, especially when he became the heir, when his brothers died. He was raised with his sister, both targets of their father's abuse. This has caused him to be rather reclusive and taciturn in his adult life, not wanting to expose his impediment to others. He contracted a long term mistress for the past 10 years, and had stayed with her out of convenience, and the fact that she was a chatterbox so he never had to worry about long conversations with her. However, that relationship came to an end, and Daniel is now reluctantly seeking a replacement - reluctantly as he is again anxious about being in social situations and exposing his weakness.
  
  Thea is a commoner, and a widow, in quite straitened circumstances, and is convinced by her friend to join in a dinner party where she could find a protector and become a his mistress. At least that way, she would hopefully have a home, and get fed and clothed, considering she is presently living a threadbare existence in a rat-infested tenement, and being threatened and harassed. She is not very sexually experienced, and does not know how to be a mistress, especially as her husband was quite older than her and was not very sexually awakened himself.
  
  Thea and Daniel are both shy, and their relationship initially was strained as Daniel did not know how to approach her and Thea is so inexperienced and unsure, despite their mutual attraction. But they connect through a charming communication via letters and verse, where they both felt free to be more humorous and flirtatious. It was quite sweet and charming. Thea is very sweet and grateful for Daniel's care and attention, and Daniel is drawn by her beauty, but also her sweet nature.
  
  The development of their relationship is very sweet and charming, with some sexy heat - after all, she is there to be his mistress. But I quite liked both their characters, and how they related and connected to each other despite each of them having this sense of awkwardness. This was a heartwarming and enjoyable read the second time around as well.
  
  4 stars out of 5.
• 
  Emma

  Seductive Silence (Mistress in the Making Book 1)
  I enjoyed the entire book. The story is quite riveting and realistic. Daniel a marquess is a quiet man. But it is only a cover for his stammering. When the story described his childhood, it devastated me. It was painful, brutal and without love. His father loathed him. He grew up thinking all people would treat him as his father has. He still has a lot to overcome. He is looking for a new mistress. When his good friend suggests he attend a dinner party to meet a potential mistress he agrees. Dorothea is a penniless, destitute widow. She lives in squalor and her landlord is constantly making advances. Dorothea is an only child of parents who were the only children. She had no relatives nor friends to turn to. Until she met Sarah. Sarah was the mistress of Daniel's good friend. So, she matched Dorothea and Daniel. Dorothea knew little of sex, her husband was perfunctory. But she decided between living in squalor, little food if any could be had, no employment and a landlord who was getting more brutal by the day she decided to become Daniel's mistress. Thank goodness he liked her on sight. Dorothea did not know what to think of Daniel because he did not speak. Their first night together was confusing. Daniel had plenty of questions to ask but would not because of his stutter. Dorothea had questions but she felt she dare not ask when he told her to stay quiet. What a muddle. This story continues in book two and i am looking forward to reading it.
  
  Lusty Letters (Mistress in the Making Book 2)
  Loved this second book. The fun way Dorothea and Daniel took to pen writing missives back and forth was adorable. I enjoyed their witty and sɛxy banter. Theirs is a delightful way to get to know each other. Also, Daniel found a new safe haven to be himself, to stutter and not be ashamed. I was so happy for him. Now to book three and I can't wait to see what develops between him and Thea as he calls her.
  
  Daring Declarations (Mistress in the Making Book 3)
  The third book and conclusion of Mistress in The Making. This story is full of wonderful surprises. Thea meets Ellie, Daniel's sister and her husband. Ellie comes to Thea for mistress training. She wants to be sure her husband never roams from her bed. They learn some valuable information from one of Thea's friends. Thea immediately puts the information into action and Daniel thinks he is in heaven. Daniel has had several epiphanies and it has drastically changed his outlook on life. Ellie helps Thea do something for Daniel that will mean the world to him and it does have that effect. Thea returns to her squaller of a room to retrieve her mother's hair brush when the landlord begins to speak in vulgar ways and physically tries to assault her. Daniel's employee beats the landlord and Thea finishes him with a knock in the head with a heavy heeled boot. Daniel meets her at her new home and finds her trembling and not divulging what happened. But his employee did reveal what happened and Thea filled in the rest. Daniel took his friends and workers and five of them went after the landlord. Daniel returned to Thea satisfied the landlord would no longer do anyone harm. Then he sat Thea down for the talk of his life and explained what she meant to him. (sigh/swoon) What a wonderful romantic romance. I highly recommend it.
  
  
  I received a free copy of this book from BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving a review.
  
  Reasons I enjoyed this book:
  Entertaining
  Funny
  Happily Ever After
  Original
  Page-turner
  Romantic
  Realistic
  Unpredictable
  Witty
  Wonderful characters
• 
  Bee

  “I’ve written you a poem.” — Daniel
  
  Thea used to be a watchmaker’s wife. He died a year ago and whatever little wealth he had, was transferred to his brother. Thea went from middle-class wife to destitute in the blink of an eye. She lived in Regency England, where women like her were discarded and forgotten. Hunger and squalor were her new reality. She befriended Sarah, the mistress of a nobleman. Sarah convinced her to try out her lifestyle. At least with a nobleman as a protector, she could be assured of a full stomach. That’s how she met Daniel.
  
  This awesome, ginormously long novel contains Thea and Daniel’s complete love story. I loved Thea. She was level-headed and willing to do what she must in order to survive. She faced every new experience with open curiosity and a certain level of innocence. She was truly beautiful inside and out. Daniel was also wonderful. He had a speech impediment he was ashamed of and lived a rather isolated life. He also had a penchant for rescuing and taking care of people and animals discarded by society. Watching Thea and Daniel fall in love and reach their HEA was just lovely.
  
  Towards the end of the story Daniel gifted Thea with a poem he wrote. It struck me this was an important moment because he really did not like writing or reciting poetry. He did it for her to show her he was willing to humble himself for her. Of all the gifts he gave her, that’s the one I loved the most.
  
  The author did her due diligence researching life during this time period which helped the story seem more plausible. The period-appropriate vocabulary sprinkled throughout the story added color and dimension to the world created for Thea and Daniel. The main characters and the supporting characters were well developed. I truly enjoyed this very well written series.
  
  I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
• 
  Laura

  Where does one go to find a new mistress in Regency England? Why, a dinner party thrown by a well known mistress and her gentleman protector of course.
  
  And to that, does the same applies for widows down on their luck and hoping to improve their impoverished circumstances? If they're lucky, they're friends with the same woman, who has decided to introduce you a man in want of a mistress at her very exclusive dinner party.
  
  Only problem is, the widow's new protector hasn't said BOO to her all evening.
  
  Daniel Holbrook, the Marquis of Tremayne suffers from a life long speech impedement. He deals quite well with it, thank you very much, by not speaking to anyone.
  
  Mrs. Dorothea Hurwell, a widow forced to the decision to become a man's mistress or face living on the streets of London, is a woman who likes to chat. And she likes answers to her questions.
  
  In this unlikely pairing, does love blossom?
  
  This is an engaging romp through Regency Era England told from dueling perspectives. It's delightfully written. Lyons always goes the extra mile with a Regency take, using authentic slang from the Era. You have to love a story that mentions the 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue.
  
  Many chapters are headed with quotes or poems with relevance to the chapter. This is something that I have enjoyed in other books from Lyons.
  
  Mistress in the Making is a reformating of three previous novellas which told this story. That's one of the things I like about reading a Larissa Lyons' tale; she listens to her readers and endeavors to give them what they want.
  
  I found a personal connection to Daniel's story. My brother suffers from a severe stutter,and those years growing up, I pushed and hit a few noses of those who made fun of and mocked him. It's a painful and frustrating disability, one that people need to become more aware of, and certainly more understanding and tolerant. Bravo to Ms Lyons for sharing Daniel's story, and touching on her own.
• 
  Gill M

  Daniel Holbrook, the fourth Marquis of Tremayne is handsome and wealthy. He is also hampered by a speech impediment. His stammer led to ridicule and cruelty by his father. The emotional effects of the experience, still present in adulthood.
  
  Dorothea (known as Thea) is an impoverished widow in such dire circumstances that the suggestion of becoming a man’s mistress is an acceptable option.
  
  The two meet at a party held to facilitate such arrangements.
  
  The book details their growing relationship. She struggles with his reticence in person but is delighted by Daniel’s wit and humour in letters.
  
  Daniel will not reveal his stammer to her, afraid of being ridiculed. Corresponding is easier, but raises her expectations of further discourse.
  
  Their growing attachment and understanding of each other is adorable, but is there a respectable future for a mistress and her Lord?
  
  While this is described as a bundle or box set of the series, to be honest, it is one book. It should never have been published in three parts. Many reviews of the individual parts express dissatisfaction at the way the books do not stand alone. The cost of each part has also raised some comment. Mercenary motivation was suspected.
  I wondered if people were being a little unfair, but the ending of book 2 Lusty letters and the beginning of book 3, deal with arriving at the Opera and walking in the door. Just about ok to move from one chapter to the next, but a whole new book?!
  All this is regrettable as together the elements make an extremely enjoyable book.
  
  I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. All views expressed are my own.
• 
  JenReviews4U

  This is a collection of previously published novellas each a different part of the same story arc, same characters, now put all together in a collection so it reads as one complete novel.
  Overall, this is not a bad read but it does lag in many places.
  In the first section we learn about the characters and their backgrounds, the next is letters back and forth furthering their desire for each other, the last is their HEA and conclusion.
  It honestly took me three different times to actually get into this book but once I did get into it, I enjoyed it and thought it to be a pretty good story.
  I think creatively this has got to be one of the more unusual novels with the way that it was written. I didn't it written as such but I felt it broke the flow of the story arc up.
  The story line of the story isn't bad but it left me with questions and in thinking it was a bit shallow. I felt Daniel was written in a way that showed his tender side making him very much the swoonworthy lead male. Thea though was a bit of a mess for me and I didn't care for her. The bedroom scenes which needed to be so much apart of this story, as she is a mistress, were a bit 'meh' for me. I felt there needed to be more in them and I didn't feel the characters connection.
  I do recommend this set for an entertaining story and good writing but you need to give it chance.
  I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
• 
  Dominique Englebert

  I really recommend this lovely page-turner
  I could not help laughing out loud at some of the situations in the book.
  The tribulations of an educated young widow who has to become a mistress to escape stark poverty and starvation.
  Young and not so young women without the protection of a male relative – father, brother, husband – and without financial means had not much choice to avoid starvation and that was to earn their living ‘on their back’. Becoming the mistress of a well-to-do gentleman was a large step above prostitution.
  People having a (heavy) stutter were considered in the nineteenth century as lacking intelligence and often suffered the abuse of their entourage.
  Orreries are fascinating and incredibly delicate to calibrate. I speak from experience as I am still trying to build and calibrate mine.
• 
  Jayne Butcher

  This trilogy has bawdy bashes; lecherous landlords; pugilists; stuttering; speech deficiencies; orreries; and jaw dropping sex. Desperate times led the impoverished and widowed Thea to agree to become Daniel’s mistress. Daniel, who struggled with his own demons, was thrilled to introduce her to her sensual side. As we see Thea blossom, Daniel comes to terms with his past and realizes that Thea makes him a better person. This is an emotional journey from rags to riches and horror to happiness. The author uses witty repartee and off-color humor, and a varity of unconventional characters to enhance the story and keep your interest. Very enjoyable.
  
  I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
• 
  Suzette

  A story that shows that you can overcome the odds and find love. Lord Daniel Tremayne is a man haunted by his disability and an abusive father. He has hidden his true self from most people and has deprived himself of love and affection. Thea is a widow who has found herself in poverty due to a lack of care by her deceased husband and his family. The story speaks of a relationship that develops that at first is only transactional, moves to friendship and then love. Throughout they both discover that they each have more to offer than what they believe.
• 
  Space Cowgirl

  Express Yourself!💕🎶🎶
  ADULT Historical Recency Romance💕. This is a Three book📚 series about the same couple. It Should be read in sequence.
  
  I loved this set, especially Daniel🐺🍆⛲💪👊, the Marquis of Tremayne, who has a lifelong stutter and speech impediment because of the vicious cruelty and abuse by his father.
  
  Most of the time he can barely express himself and becomes agitated and angry because of it. He can be a cave man at times!
  He takes out his anger by boxing👊👊 at his club. He dismisses his low born, mouthy mistress. He needs a new one.
  
  Luckily, he is quite expressive and fluent in his writings📜 and thoughts. It is in his writings📜 that he woos Lady Dorothea💃💋 Hurwell, a well educated but poor widow, and a woman he believes could be his new mistress. She is much more than that....
  
  However, some of the ADULT scenes were awkward and odd, and disappointing. The profound and interesting story makes up for it, though.
  
  You just have to read this ADULT Historical Recency set📚! It's beautifully written, funny at times, and very emotional all the way through! I can't praise it enough! This is a book to read again and again!
  
  ARC Provided by Hidden 💎Gems.
  This ebook was $5.99 on Amazon📚 at the time of this review. No KU.
  Opinions expressed here are entirely my own fault! These three books can be gotten individually, too.
• 
  Jamie Jack

  Excellent Three-Part Love Story
  
  I thoroughly enjoyed this three-part story when it first came out book by book. I was delighted to see the author put it all together in one compilation so an avid reader can go from one book to the next without having to even wait for a download! Some reviewers have complained that this is one story put out serially in 3 books, but the middle book is unique as it is nearly all epistolary (letters) that I can't actually imagine them being together as one single book from the start. It might feel too jarring. I had so much fun reading this again. I loved, loved, loved the swoony hero, the delightful heroine, and their love story. It has a lot of humor and heart due to the circumstances surrounding the major players. They are both strong and vulnerable in their own ways.
  
  Here are my reviews of the individual books.
  
  Book 1: Seductive Silence: Off to An Excellent Start
  I read a lot of Regency romance. Often, they are too predictable, but I never feel like this author’s books are... thank goodness! She writes a truly different Regency story. First, she writes them with much humor. In fact, if you're expecting the typical staid or refined Regency, her writing may disappoint you… but in a good way if you let it. I suggest you just be open to the story and simply go along for the ride. This particular book has not only the author’s trademark humor but touches on a subject that is certainly more serious... how people with a stutter can be ostracized. We plainly see the hero often get frustrated trying to communicate—my heart went out to him at each of his big struggles—though at times his stutter is barely there. The author has created two unique characters with their differing wounds that make them so right for each other... even though they don't fully comprehend that right away. This particular book is steamy, as you might imagine since the series is called “Mistress in the Making,” but only toward the end. By the way, this book is only the first one about this couple. I'm not sure how many the author is intending to write for them, but this only starts Thea and Lord Tremayne’s romantic arc. However, the author has set a great stage with fantastic characters with excellent backstories, and I am certainly looking forward to reading more about them.
  
  Book 2: Lusty Letters: Mostly Epistolary; All Wicked Delight
  This is the middle book of the author's Mistress in the Making series. It doesn't really feel like a proper series but rather a serialized novel split into three installments with cliffhangers at the ends of the first two books. In general, I am not a fan of either cliffhangers in a series or serialized installments of what would essentially be a proper novel. But I absolutely adore this author's writing style, as she imbues it with so much humor that it is a sheer delight to read, no matter the form or contrivances. She manages to ratchet it up a notch or 10 by making this book mostly epistolary in nature. The hero has a quite endearing stammer that he hides as much as he can by not talking much because he has been treated cruelly in the past because of it. So through letters, he can best express himself... and through swoony, steamy actions, of course. So this book shows the characters falling for each other and revealing character through these delightful letters. They both have such vulnerabilities for very different reasons. I love romance stories with characters who have a certain fragility finding love, understanding, and compassion with each other. This is one of those books. I highly recommend it as well as the others in the series, and you certainly have to read them in order as one builds off the other. I found this book to be an incredibly fun, steamy, and passionate read, and I hope you do as well.
  
  Book 3: Daring Declarations: Wonderful Final Installment
  I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books of this Mistress in the Making series. It isn't a series in the truest sense. Rather, each book is an installment of a serialized novel. This book completes the series. Throughout all the stories, both the hero and heroine have their own growth arcs. At the series’ start, each was vulnerable in his/her own way. Regency romances in particular, as happens in most historical romances, usually feature near-perfect people, at least physically. So I loved that this hero not only had a debilitating stammer, but it figured significantly into the plot. I love it when characters drive plot in fiction. But he is an utterly endearing and swoon-worthy hero, as we saw in book two with his delightfully romantic letters and gestures. The heroine has her own insecurities and vulnerabilities. In this book, we see these growth arcs neatly and naturally tied up in a satisfying way. The hero's family was great in this book as well. I highly recommend this serialized novel for its delightful humor and well-rounded, believable, and relatable characters.
  
  I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
  
  My book blog:
  https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
• 
  Alison

  Seductive Silence
  Seductive Silence is the first part of a three part story that is separated into three books. It is difficult to come to any conclusions in that the story is just getting started.
  
  What I can deduce is that I am really enjoying the main characters. Lord Tremayne and Thea are both interesting and unique people. They both have pasts that haunt their present and both have a large open space in their hearts that can be filled by the affection and love of the right person.
  
  Lusty Letters
  Lord Tremayne begins to find his voice in this epistolary rich installment of Mistress in the Making.
  
  I absolutely adored the mode of letter writing to further the relationship between Daniel and Thea. Daniel, Lord Tremayne, had a difficult childhood that led to a lot of self-consciousness and trauma around his difficulties with speaking. By shifting the central part of this story to letter writing, Daniel can continue to safely mask his stutter from Thea, but have a way in which to comfortably communicate and connect with her through laughter and playfulness.
  
  Daniel also has a scene that I don't want to spoil. It involves a young man who has lived with a stutter, but with the support rather than ridicule from family. I adored this portion of the story and the growth that it lead to in Daniel's demeanor and confidence-it was a huge turning point that felt necessary and important.
  
  Thea and Daniel become more deeply ingrained in their thoughts of one another and their desire to be together as much as they can. I look forward to seeing how their story continues in Daring Declarations.
  
  Daring Declarations
  Lord Tremayne is a man of the peerage who has dealt with his demons in the only way he knows how. Through tactics such as tardiness, and tinkering with a mechanical orrery to avoiding situations where he must converse, Daniel is adept at masking his stutter. Equally, he immerses himself in his penitence via pugilistic endeavors.
  
  Thea is similar to Daniel in that she is a survivor. She has done what was necessary to survive, even if it means that she would not be looked upon as a respectable woman. I found Thea to be a strong and positive person even though she had experienced neglect and was on the brink of starvation.
  
  Daniel and Thea are two people who you want to succeed. The heat and eroticism between them is palpable on the page. The sweetness between the two of them is just as equally satisfying and heart warming. I was left feeling happy that these two people, who were so in need of love and acceptance, found and rescued one another.
  
  I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.
• 
  Krystal

  This book gave me so many mixed feelings. On one hand, I enjoyed the written banter between Daniel and Thea (aka when they exchanged letters back and forth between each other); I felt like that gave us much more insight into who these characters were on the inside. Which was good considering most of the time they were alone, they were barely speaking and simply having sex with one another. Which I UNDERSTAND, I mean, Daniel's stutter made speech difficult for him and he didn't exactly take Thea as his mistress for stimulating conversation.
  
  HOWEVER. This oversight makes it increasingly hard to believe that these two were able to fall in love with one another in just under a week. I feel like they had definite chemistry in the bedroom, and her understanding and peaceful nature helped to steady him outside of it, but on the whole it felt like they were only marrying to be able to be around each other all the time.
  
  With the sudden ending to this story, I feel like an epilogue would have served to better showcase the love between these two, whether it be a glimpse into their wedding day, or better yet, a glimpse into their lives several years down the road. What was life like for them once the "honeymoon" was over?
  
  Another thing I found interesting about this novel is that while it focuses on Daniel and Thea, I was more interested in what was going on with his sister Ellie and her husband Wylde, and to a lesser extent, Daniel's friend Penry and his mistress Sarah. What was going on in their lives?
  
  I have a feeling it was purposely done this way to entice the reader to purchase their stories as well (if they are written as of yet), and honestly? I enjoyed this one just enough that I may just do that.
  
  DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.
• 
  Emily Pennington

  Mistress in the Making #1-3 . . .
  
  The MISTRESS IN THE MAKING historical romance bundle is in the style of Jane Austen, told in three parts: Seductive Silence, Lusty Letters, and Daring Declarations. This digital box set contains the complete series. Below is a review of one of the books to give you an idea of what to expect.
  
  • Seductive Silence (Book 1)
  • Lusty Letters (Book 2)
  • Daring Declarations (Book 3)
  
  *** Reviewing “LUSTY LETTERS (BOOK 2)” ***
  Lord Tremayne (“Daniel”) has a persistent stammer he wishes to keep secret from Thea. But he wants to move the relationship forward and get to know her better. He decides to communicate by writing letters to woo her. Their relationship does grow and flourish with the promise of something more between them. But their witty banter on the page escalates so that Thea requests they finally meet in person. Now what will he do when his speech impediment is revealed to her? He can’t possibly make a witty impression when his stammer will ruin everything!
  
  This story line was filled with humor, longing, and intrigue. Daniel is able to freely and fully express his feelings until that confidence is shaken by Thea’s wanting to meet him face-to-face. He doesn’t want to lose her, but they do need to move forward unless they want to walk away and lose all they have gained. What choice will he make?
  
• 
  Suzanne Irving

  I hadn’t read these books before they came out in this trilogy and in a way I’m glad because this is definitely one story that you have to read in order. I found this book absolutely delightful and its story about a middle class woman who falls on hard times and becomes a mistress who then becomes more really different in the historical romance trope. I’m so glad that more historical romance books like this one are being written about people who are not of the aristocracy. Because this is a story about Thea becoming Daniel’s mistress the heat starts a lot earlier than it often does in historical romance and that heat is great fun to read. She was married but is still very inexperienced and he has a stammer that he tries hard to hide. The situations and misunderstandings that develop because of these problems are n absolute hoot to read. I had to stop reading this book around my husband because he kept asking what I was giggling about. This series is also extremely heartwarming as these two characters slowly realize that they are just what the other one needs. I highly recommend this book. Enjoy.
  
  I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
• 
  Candy Briggs

  Dorthea Hurwell was a widow. Her husband did not leave her even pen money to survive. His family
  was not any better. She was living in a small room with two mice and one cat. No food and certainly nothing for clothes. She spoke to her friend, Sarah, that she needed help. Sarah was a mistress. She invited Dorthea to a party at her house and she knew of a man looking for a mistress. Thea had never been a mistress before and she was learning from the ground up.
  
  Daniel Anthony Holbrook, fourth Marquis of Tremayne, was nice looking, strong, but he didn't like to speak. He had grown up in a very abusive family. His father would birch him and had left scars. He stuttered and if his father heard him he would be punished. So Daniel didn't speak unless he had to. He also loved Orreries (a mechanical representation of the Solar System). His grandfather had the first but also started collecting them.
  
  It was a very good story but you could see that they were getting closer and she was helping him even if she did not know it. To watch the bantering between them was amazing. The way they helped each other. Even Sarah helped Thea more than once. It was a sweet and heartwarming tale.
  I received this ARC from Book Sirens and voluntarily reviewed it.
• 
  Pam Graber

  If you're looking for a fast, very hot read, look at this trilogy. The book I read had the complete series so I could read seamlessly from beginning to end. The books, separately, are not standalones. You'll want to read all three to find out how Daniel and Thea's story ends. I liked both characters a great deal. Thea is in desperate straits, and sees no alternative but to become a wealthy man's mistress. She's thrilled when the man who chooses her is both handsome and kind. If he doesn't talk much, she can live with that as long as she has a safe place to sleep and food on the table. Daniel believes all he wants is a woman in his bed until he meets Thea. She accepts him the way he is, and doesn't seem to notice that his speech is halting. Can these two - one from the aristocracy and one from the common folk - find out that while their bodies sing together in the bedroom, their hearts are even more in tune?
  
  This was a very quick read. I read all three books of the trilogy in under two evenings. And, yeah, the steam practically rose off the pages.
  
  I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
• 
  Ltlmer2

  Lyons writes such lively and engaging characters, they just leap off the page and immediately feel like your friends. I want more from every character (especially Ellie/Wylde, Sarah, and even Buttons). Having a friend who struggles with speech, I feel that aspect was represented wonderfully well. Lyons gives you characters that are strong and smart, yet also vulnerable and imperfect.
  
  I love her blend of humor and heat. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 And this one has an epistolary touch that I adore in HR. I find that often characters connect and can be more free in their letters, and that is definitely (and charmingly) the case here.
  
  I'm glad to have read it all together in this collection, but if you are a fan of serials, they would be quick, enjoyable and steamy reads.
  
  
  I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
• 
  Jacqulyn

  I found this book delightfully original. The hero struggling all his life with a stutter and determined not to marry suddenly finds himself attracted to his new mistress. His major form of communicating with her becomes missives they frequently exchange. His major fear is exposing his disability. What would she think? The possible scandal if he marries her, the unusual flavor of the language in the book with its' peculiarities of the time makes a fun romantic read. There is questionable language reminiscent of the time and steamy scenes. I thought the entire thing was well worth the time to read.
  
  I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
• 
  Sonia

  I read the first installment in this series awhile back and it felt incomplete. I therefore really appreciate the fact that the story is now available as a single volume.
  
  Daniel and Thea are an endearing couple. Daniel struggles to overcome his insecurities from childhood and Thea deals with the unfortunate circumstances of her widowhood. The two of them are definitely better together.
  
  This book is well-written and has many good elements. Loyal servants, good friends and endearing pets abound. This was an entertaining read and I highly recommend it.
  
  I received a free ARC and this is my honest review.
• 
  Jenn

  A Wonderful Beautiful Story
  
  This set includes the three books in the Mistress in the Making trilogy - I’m glad I read them in this boxed set, because the story is so beautiful I couldn’t imagine having to wait for the next book. I loved how the romance between Thea and Daniel progressed, with understanding and plenty of spice. I really enjoyed the bouncy style of writing Larissa Lyons employs in her storytelling - I’m not a big fan of Regency stories, but I know that her stories will always please me. A splendid set of stories to transport the reader.