Review by Patti: When I started reading this book I was not too pleased with the hero. Edward Christie was overly serious, proper and quite cold. Deep down he was a passionate man but he felt it was not appropriate actually act on those feelings. He was a widower who loved his first wife but they had a very proper and businesslike marriage.Lady Caroline on the other hand is a very demonstrative passionate woman and feels she shouldn’t have to apologize for it. The marriage starts out very tumultuously and there are events that are referred to but not exactly explained in detail. After a year of tensions and unsuccessful attempts to try and change her and force her to fit the mold of the wife he feels is proper, he buys her a house in a part of the city where men keep their mistresses. They have a strange arrangement where they come together once a year on their anniversary.Lady Caroline is an author. She uses the information she gleans from her neighbors to write very risqué novels. She bases her villains on the people in the ton. Caroline uses her books to mete out punishments for bad behavior by people who would otherwise have things covered up. This has made her some very dangerous enemies because the descriptions and names she uses make it very clear who they are representing. The book begins after they have been married for quite some time. The tension between them is quite obvious and the book has quite a few twists. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was not just another romance. I appreciated that it had some very unique circumstances. Mistress by Marriage was a fun rollercoaster ride of secrets, betrayals, passion and love. Favorite Quote: What started as the merest brush of lips changed to devouring possession. Who possessed whom Edward wasn’t sure, for they took turns slating their lips over the other, their tongues tasting and tangling, their hands busy exploring. Redonk Nutshell: Husband who has banished his wife to "Courtesan Court" considers divorce despite their intense attraction I picked up this book (bundle, actually - these three books are currently available as an e-bundle) solely because of the buzz it generated via SmexyBooks, Smart Bitches Trashy Books, etc. I wan't sure what to expect, having never read anything by Maggie Robinson. Our story is about Edward Christie and Caroline Parker, spouses for several years, though living separately. Edward banished Caroline to a townhouse in the notorious "Courtesan Court" after discovering what he believed to be infidelity on her part. He visits her once a year to partake in his marital duties, then leaves her. Caroline is a vivacious beauty, a woman with a tumultuous past who has grown tired of her strained relationship with her estranged husband. They both agree that divorce would be best, though scandalous. The problem, however, is that they can't seem to shake their intense attraction from each other. Edward is cold and devoid of emotion while Caroline wears her heart on her sleeve. They drive each other to insanity, which ultimately ends up creating sparks in the bedroom. During the process to collect information in order to petition for divorce, Edward discovers information about his wife he'd never known, and his world suddenly shifts around him. He realizes, albeit too late, that he loves her and he wants desperately to keep her. He has only to convince Caroline, and unfortunately Caroline has her mind set against him. Okay. I had to adjust my expectations while reading. Some authors have a romantic way with words that weave an intricate and dreamy web of exposition. Other authors throw it out there, raw and unbridled. That latter is Maggie Robinson. There is little sugar coating in her tone, and once I got past that I found myself settling in just fine to watch the story unfold. Her main characters are complicated creatures. It's a lot of fun watching them struggle with the unwelcome attraction they each share toward the other. Edward's Achilles heel is his wife, and it drives him nuts. It's ultimately why he wants to rid himself of her. Caroline is just tired of being jerked around on his emotional chain, and she's finally at a point where she can admit to herself it's time to let it go. What really takes this sensual story the extra mile is the intricate ties our main characters have to each other. It goes beyond physical, and it takes the span of the story for our hero and heroine to realize it. It's lovely. What we get is a sensually charged story of two people at ends rediscovering each other. I enjoyed it. I look forward to checking out the other books in this series. Mistress by Marriage by Maggie Robinson, 352 pgs, Aug 2011Rating: BRomance: 4/5 Raunch: 4/5
