His Favourite Mistress by Tracy Anne Warren

Hugely disappointing end to the series

2 Stars

When penniless Gabriella St. George tries to shoot a man who has wronged her family, she’s quite put out to discover that she actually has Anthony Black, Duke of Wyvern at her mercy.

The pair become further entangled due to the kindness of a relative who gives Gabriella the chance for a Season in London and the hopes of a new life. But instead of watching over her like he promised, Tony finds that he’s helpless against the scorching heat that engulf the pair whenever their together.

Soon, Tony has to rethink his stance on love and marriage but is it too late to win the one person he knows he can’t live without.

This is the third book in Warren’s Mistress Trilogy after My Fair Mistress and The Accidental Mistress. Although it contains characters and relies on instances that occurred in the first two stories, I still think this book stands alone quite nicely.

Despite that, I was hugely disappointed in this book and quite annoyed that what has been a fun and likeable series of books should end on such a note.

The plot, in my opinion was virtually non-existent and the story just seemed to plod along without much excitement or interest. I didn’t feel any real connection with or between the characters and felt they were too lacking in depth to be taken too seriously.

I also had a real problem regarding the difference in the character’s ages. Gabriella was 17 while Tony was at least 36. It wasn’t the age gap so much as that Gabriella really was written as a 17 year old girl and was immature with it which made the whole thing about a grown man lusting after a teenager a little creepy for me. It might have been the norm for Regency times but Gabriella could at least have been written at least slightly mature for her age.

Tony was also apparently completely uncaring that he was having his way with his best friend’s niece and his switch from never marrying to proposing was laughable in its suddenness.

Overall, this book fell completely flat for me. I’m giving it two stars instead of just one because the writing wasn’t terrible and I at least finished it. I won’t give up on Tracy Anne Warren but unless you’re desperate to read the concluding part to the Mistress trilogy I can’t recommend this book to you at all.