Madame's Deception [Mass Market Paperback]

It had only taken one meeting to form an obsession. Since the moment he met Madame DeBourcier, Alex Randall, Lord Colwick, has been plagued by constant thoughts and dreams of the red-headed beauty. Determined to unravel the mystery surrounding her, he attempts to gain admittance to her brothel (Crimsom Belle) and, most importantly, into her bed.

Due to an unusual inheritance, Jocelyn Tolliver has been thrust into a life that she never anticipated nor expected, but its because of her mothers dying wish that she makes good on her promises to keep the Crimsom Belle and its dubious employees. After nine years she's fashioned for herself a quiet bookish life behind the scenes -that is until the handsome Lord Colwick startles her. He wants a decadent season of his own and his choice of lover is none other than the Madame herself.

I wanted to love this book, truly I did. I thought the prequel was quite good and seriously HOT! BUT and its a big but, I had to totally suspend reality reading this. ****semi-spoilers*** You have been warned......... A virginal Madame? -OK I'll accept that. Having the brothel full of women who are essentially admit to being nymphos and are COMPLETELY satisfied with the life that they live?.... Huh?... You don't get the feeling that this is an unfortunate turn in their lives but rather a planned choice -thats just too much for me to swallow. You'd think that it is a respectable business they are involved with and not a high class brothel. I would have rather seen the seedier side of this life, that would have been more interesting. The murder mystery is rather dull too. I kept expecting more to happen, especially at the end. It really was a missed opportunity to create some good suspense and tension (which A Lady's Pleasure was full of). The love scenes aren't as hot as the prequel either, there is a decided lack of buildup (sort of like you wanna have sex then OK lets go at it) -just ordinary. There is nothing exciting or intriguing in either of these two characters. Alex needed to be more alpha (I mean he's a rake right? but we never see examples to back this up) and Jocelyn needed to be more, I don't know, but something more.

So its just an OK book. Go back and read the A Lady's Pleasure instead if you haven't and if you have then don't expect the same caliber with this book because no doubt you'll be disappointed. I'm hoping that the next in the Mistress series is better. Bernard has a lot of talent and is capable turning out a really good book, unfortunately this isn't one of them.

First, let me say I thoroughly enjoyed this story every bit as much as Ms. Bernard's debut book, and, perhaps more. The heroine had a small role in Ms. Bernard's first book and now we get "her" story in this one. I had a hard time putting the book down because to me it was that interesting and that exciting and was just drawn in completely. I will point out that there was a mystery running through the book to compliment the romance between the two main characters that I followed all the way through and therein lies a slight flaw at how that puzzle was solved. I became very interested in the murders of the other prostitutes from other establishments...especially when one of Jocelyn's own "girls" (who was very sweet and well loved) is murdered. It really was quite a nice little mystery, but, it just got wrapped up a little too easily and no big climactic ending when catching the murderer. That storyline deserved more because as a reader you really did care. It threw me off kilter just a bit in the last chapter at how that plotline came to a close and for that I was disappointed. I wanted more to happen and it should have been more of an event rather than a mentioning. However, I was able to forgive that because the book is in fact about two people, Jocelyn and Alex, and their love story which the author managed, for me, to make it magical even though it was out of the ordinary by todays standards. Jocelyn is a madame ,but, by sort've by inheritance from her mother who had died. Alex is a member of the peer and he had met her in the previous book "A Lady's Pleasure". She agrees to "spend time with Alex" for payment and had never done this before but she was curious how it would feel to have someone and she yearned for it. Throughout their "meetings" they do have conversations and flirt and have verbal playfulness..along with the steaminess and it does sizzle. I will say that. But aside from their "time" I felt a connection between the characters, loved the dialog between them as well as the talks between the girls in the classy brothel. You couldn't help but connect with the characters and understand how some of them got there. All in all it was an extremely enjoyable read and one I found difficult to put down. I felt this book deserved 5 stars because it moved me, touched me, enthralled me, in spite of the romance possibly needing a little more substance to establish the love that grew between them ,but, I still could see how that love developed even though there was a lot of sex involved. It was steamy ,but, I can't complain about that just wish there was a bit more tension and buildup between the two leads. But I still really felt it and for me that means good writing was involved because it won me over. This goes on my keeper shelf and I know it will be read again in the future. Bravo Ms. Bernard. Can't wait for the next one.

and too much sex. I love a good steamy story, but there was hardly no story here. Hero basically comes and goes to have sex with hardly any plot.