No Man's Mistress - Softcover

Mary Balogh

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0749942029 ISBN 13: 9780749942021

Publisher: Piatkus Books, 2011

Synopsis

Lord Ferdinand Dudley is accustomed to getting what he wants - that is, until he appears at the door of Pinewood Manor, attempting to claim his rightful estate, and is met by the bewitching fury of Lady Viola Thornhill. She refuses to relinquish the home she calls her own. He refuses to leave and so the contest begins. Each day under the same roof brings immense frustration - and temptation. But Viola knows it is a battle she cannot afford to lose. Marriage is out of the question, and she will be no man's mistress even as Dudley's unnerving presence threatens to melt her resolve. Against his better judgement, Dudley is beguiled. This maddening beauty has stirred him as no woman had before. And now he is bound and determined to make her his own.

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

Critics call her ?a veritable treasure, a matchless storyteller? (Romantic Times). Readers have fallen in love with Mary Balogh?s sparkling blend of wit and romance. Now this dazzling writer sweeps us back to Regency England, into a world of dangerous secrets and glittering intrigue, as a dashing lord meets his match in a fiery beauty who vows to be ... No Man?s Mistress.

The dark, devastating stranger rode into the village fair and wagered twenty pounds at the throwing booth ? for a chance to win the daisies in Viola Thornhill?s hair. The Gypsy fortune teller had warned: ?Beware of a tall, dark, handsome stranger. He can destroy you ? if you do not first snare his heart.?

Recklessly Viola flirted, then danced with him around the Maypole. And then came his delicate, delicious kiss. Viola did not regret that she had let down her guard ? until the next morning, when he appeared at her door to claim her beloved Pinewood Manor.

Lord Ferdinand Dudley won her home in a game of cards!

Viola hated him for trying to take everything, including her soul. She was mistress of Pinewood Manor. Yet Dudley refused to leave, even as his conscience rebelled at compromising this beautiful innocent whose only proof of ownership was a dead earl?s promise. Dudley held the deed, but at what cost?

Each day under the same roof brought its share of temptation, intimacy, and guilt. But Viola knew it was a battle she could not afford to lose. Marriage was out of the question, and she would be no man?s mistress. Even as Dudley?s unnerving presence, his knowing smile, threatened to melt her resolve.

Against his better judgment, Lord Ferdinand Dudley was beguiled. This maddening beauty had stirred him as no woman had before. And he was bound and determined to make her his own.

At once sensuous, whimsical, and wonderfully romantic, Mary Balogh?s new novel holds us in thrall, bringing to life a love story that sizzles with passion and originality.

From the Back Cover:

“[H]eartwarming ... fans of the period will savor.... [C]harismatic characters and swift pacing will keep romance enthusiasts riveted to the page.”
— Publishers Weekly
Praise for Mary Balogh and More Than a Mistress:

“A stunningly good work of romantic fiction. Mary Balogh reaches deep and touches the heart.”
— Joan Johnston, New York Times bestselling author of The Cowboy

“Mary Balogh is the writer I read for pleasure.”
— Susan Elizabeth Phillips, New York Times bestselling author of First Lady

“More Than a Mistress is a winning, witty, and engaging tale that fulfilled all of my romantic fantasies. A new Mary Balogh book is a gift every woman should give herself!”
— Teresa Medeiros, New York Times bestselling author of The Bride and the Beast

“Wise, witty and compassionate, Mary Balogh is an incomparable talent. I never miss a book.”
— Jill Barnett, bestselling author of Wicked

About this edition

• Publisher: Piatkus Books
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0749942029
• ISBN 13: 9780749942021
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 352