Mr. and Mistress
Grade : C-

Mr. And Mistress is the fifth book in The Elliotts continuity series, and so far, the weakest link in the chain. The is true despite its basically likable characters, and the generally high quality of the writing. It is severely handicapped by its dated, hard to believe premise.

The aptly-named Misty Vale is a former Vegas showgirl (but not a stripper) who is basically living on Cullen Elliott’s dime. Three years ago he rescued her from poverty and starvation when a knee injury curtailed her show business career. He bought the building which houses both her home and her dance studio, and he helps her out with money. Every few months, he flies to Vegas and they indulge in a few days of steamy sex. They don’t have any agreement about exclusivity, but Misty doesn’t sleep with anyone else. She calls herself a “kept woman,” and that’s more or less what she is.

Things change when Misty accidentally gets pregnant. Suddenly she is horrified with her arrangement and redoubles her efforts to make it on her own. She refuses Cullen’s calls and tells him she doesn’t want to see him. But she also works herself into exhaustion. When she winds up in the hospital, one of her dance students calls the first number on her cell phone. It’s Cullen. He takes the corporate jet and arrives in Las Vega within hours. As soon as he gets to the hospital, he finds out about Misty’s pregnancy and is immediately concerned for her welfare.

Once Misty arrives home, Cullen waits on her hand and foot. He proposes. She refuses, knowing that a former showgirl-not-a-stripper would not fit into his snooty, rich family. Cullen is disappointed, but determined to wear Misty down. He takes her to New York, and though she is terrified to meet all his relatives, things mostly goes well. They settle into a routine, with Cullen going to work and returning to find Misty waiting with a nice meal and hot sex. He proposes almost daily, and she still says no. She is sure that he is only asking out of obligation. And basically, that’s it. He keeps asking, she keeps refusing, until finally he realizes he loves her (duh) and proposes the “right” way.

I thought the characters were likable, to a point. At the beginning, Misty flirted with “only-in-romance-novels” single mother selflessness, but she did intend to let Cullen know about his child – on her terms, when she was ready. Her determination to do the right thing is understandable, and her belief that she won’t fit in with Cullen’s family also makes sense.

Once Cullen finds out about the baby, he’s honorable to a fault. He doesn’t propose lightly, mostly because his parents were in the same situation and were “forced” to marry by his grandfather. That union later ended in divorce (although signs indicate that they hook up again in the eighth book of this series). Cullen’s father encourages him to think through his choices carefully, and both he and Cullen’s mother are very supportive. Cullen believes that he and Misty have as good a chance as anyone for a successful marriage, and he’s determined to work things out.

The main flaw in the book was really the initial premise, which seems mired in the nineteenth century. When people use the word “mistress” in 2006, it means only one thing: the illicit lover of a married man. Well, I suppose it could also be a married woman sleeping with someone else, but the point is that “mistress” is synonymous with “infidelity” in this day and age. Since premarital sex has basically lost taboo status, most people would just call Misty Cullen’s girlfriend. But she really isn’t, and she isn’t really a “friend with benefits” either. Maybe the best term would really be “throwback”. The problem becomes evident when Cullen pursues Misty with the tenacity of a bulldog. His utter determination to marry her (since she’s pregnant) begs the question: Why didn’t he want to marry her before? Why was it okay to just sleep with her without any sort of commitment? If he wasn’t ashamed of her, why was he hiding her in Vegas, and never mentioning her name to his family? And for Misty’s part, why did she agree to this arrangement without any promise of (at the very least) monogamy? Was she a Regency opera singer in a former life?

All in all, there are just too many questions; the plot can’t hold up to scrutiny. I’ve seen Betts do better, and I’ve seen this series do better. I’ve seen many a Regency heroine who comes across as a modern woman in disguise, but seldom a contemporary romance with the opposite problem. This doesn’t completely ruin the book, but it does hinder it significantly. I’ll hope that the series gets back on its feet with the next installment.

Reviewed by Blythe Smith
Grade : C-
Book Type: Series Romance

Sensuality: Hot

Review Date : May 30, 2006

Publication Date: 2006/05

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Blythe Smith

I've been at AAR since dinosaurs roamed the Internet. I've been a Reviewer, Reviews Editor, Managing Editor, Publisher, and Blogger. Oh, and Advertising Corodinator. Right now I'm taking a step back to concentrate on kids, new husband, and new job in law...but I'll still keep my toe in the romance waters.
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