The Mistress Diaries by Julianne MacLean

Narrated by Rosalyn Landor

I’ve only known Julianne MacLean to be a writer of glorious contemporary fiction. People had mentioned her historical romances to me, but I never picked one up. There was something about the magic of her contemporary writing that held me in place and I was afraid the magic would lessen with the change of genres. However, anyone who knows me well will tell you that I can’t resist the draw of a historical for very long. Once the Pembroke Palace series became available in audio format with the incomparable Rosalyn Landor as the narrator, I knew I had to give it a try.

The Mistress Diaries is the second book in the series and although each of these books can be read on its own, I imagine the listener would get the full effect by reading them in order. Characters from Book 1, In My Wildest Fantasies, do appear in this book but not having read the first book did not negatively impact my experience with the second.

Cassandra Montrose is alone and desperate and believes she’s at death’s door. Her family has disowned her for bearing a child out of wedlock. What will become of her daughter? Cassandra knows the baby’s father is from a wealthy family and it is her hope that they will care for the child once Cassandra is no longer alive to do so. With this in mind, she sets off for Pembroke Palace, with no idea of the effect she will have on the lives of the people who live there.

Vincent Sinclair is a rake unwilling to reform. Three years ago, he lost the love of his life in a tragic accident. Now, he lives a life of debauchery, careful to give his heart to no one. He and Cassandra spent one night together, a night he can’t forget, no matter how hard he tries.

When Cassandra shows up with his daughter, Vincent finds himself in quite the predicament. His father, who is slowly losing his grip on reality, has said that all four of his sons must be married by Christmas in order to secure the money he has left them in his will. Not only that, but each son must marry a woman approved by the duke. Vincent already has a fiancé. He doesn’t love her, but that isn’t a problem. She doesn’t love him either. It’s strictly a marriage of convenience for both. Now though, things are very different. From the moment he sets eyes on his young daughter, Vincent’s heart begins to melt, and he begins to question the life he has chosen to live.

When I’m listening to a historical romance, there’s no better narrator than Rosalyn Landor. Her accent is wonderful, and her way of reading transports me back in time. Landor has quickly become one of my very favorite narrators, and I’m likely to try a new author, if she’s narrating the book.

I’ve heard people say that Landor’s male voices sound stuffy but that was not my experience with this book. She deepened her voice, and gave it a bit of harshness when speaking for Vincent. This worked well, as Vincent is a man who works hard to appear uncaring.

Landor’s portrayal of the duke was masterful. We are allowed to see his vulnerability as he succumbs to a madness no one understands. He says and does ridiculous things, and Landor portrayed him beautifully. I was able to laugh out loud at some of his antics, but also feel sorry for this once powerful man who is doing the best he can with what he has left.

Landor also did a very good depiction of Cassandra. Our heroine is quite idealistic and she believes in the power of love to cure all things. She is poor, but she loves her daughter. To her, love is worth more than money. Landor lets the listener come to know Cassandra as a proud and wistful young woman, a woman who has made mistakes, and is now paying the price. We hear the love she feels for her daughter, and for Vincent, with every word she speaks.

The relationship between Vincent and Cassandra is a rocky one. Cassandra does not want to be any man’s mistress. She wants only to provide a good life for her daughter, once she learns that her death is not as imminent as she had feared. Vincent wants her in his bed, but he knows he can’t marry her. He’s engaged to another, and his father will never agree to allow him to marry the mother of his illegitimate child.

This is the story of two very different people who are determined to live life on their own terms. What happens when those terms are in direct opposition to one another is an entertaining and poignant experience. I definitely plan to listen to the rest of this series, and go on to other historicals MacLean has written over the years.

Shannon

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Narration:  A

Book Content:  A-

Steam Factor:  Glad I had my earbuds in

Violence:  Minimal

Genre:  Historical Romance

Publisher:  Julianne MacLean

 

The Mistress Diaries was provided to AudioGals for review by the author.

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