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nicolemoon's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
becfund's review
5.0
This book was everything I want in a historical romance! It’s my first by this author and I will now be reading everything else they’ve ever written. I really really loved this one.
I loved the characters and their back and forth, I felt like they were both making each other braver as time went on. Very much an opposites attract match but I thought they were so sweet. I also loved the underlying plot of Thaïs and her friends building their home for educating and helping women. Thankfully, I didn’t feel I was missing much by not having read the previous two books in the series, everything was explained enough. (Though I will be reading them asap bc I loved the bits of the other couples we saw in this one!) This premise was so fun to me and not something I’ve read before, it also lead really well to the ultimate conflict between them without feeling super cheesy.
I really enjoyed this and look forward to reading a lot more from this author! Also, this series has stunning covers I can’t wait to have on my shelves.
Received as an ARC via NetGalley
I loved the characters and their back and forth, I felt like they were both making each other braver as time went on. Very much an opposites attract match but I thought they were so sweet. I also loved the underlying plot of Thaïs and her friends building their home for educating and helping women. Thankfully, I didn’t feel I was missing much by not having read the previous two books in the series, everything was explained enough. (Though I will be reading them asap bc I loved the bits of the other couples we saw in this one!) This premise was so fun to me and not something I’ve read before, it also lead really well to the ultimate conflict between them without feeling super cheesy.
I really enjoyed this and look forward to reading a lot more from this author! Also, this series has stunning covers I can’t wait to have on my shelves.
Received as an ARC via NetGalley
fringebookreviews's review against another edition
4.5
✨The Buttoned-Up to Completely Undone Earl Experience✨
Well this is by far my favorite book in the series!! It was really everything the summary stated it would be: A buttoned-up earl getting sex lessons from a notorious courtesan. He was so bumbling and earnest with his sexy spectacles and cooking abilities!! And she was a city girl trapped in the countryside trying to loosen him up.
I do love an alpha hero, but Alistair has got to be my favorite hero type. I had so much fun seeing his embarrassment slowly turn to confidence. Thaïs had a heart of gold and I loved her so much. She was so bright and fun. I think it could’ve been a bit steamier—hello, Chekov’s sex toys!!—but it was definitely a hot read. Sex lessons will ALWAYS hit different.
I will say, I do think Peckham phoned it in with the epilogue. It was more so an epilogue for the series as a whole rather than for the couple. Like it gave me a bit, but I wanted to see them at least a year out!!! It was practically expected from what we learned throughout the books and their wants for the future!!!
The third act hurt, but in a good way. I do think we needed like one more chapter??? Just to ease the heartache a bit and see them happy with nothing having over their heads. Also how did the scandal go??? This clearly seemed like the final book in the series, but hopefully Peckham will continue to write stories for some of the side characters.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶️🌶️.75/5
P.S. She better have gotten a kitten!!!! These are the things I need to know!!! Chekov’s kitten!!
I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.
Well this is by far my favorite book in the series!! It was really everything the summary stated it would be: A buttoned-up earl getting sex lessons from a notorious courtesan. He was so bumbling and earnest with his sexy spectacles and cooking abilities!! And she was a city girl trapped in the countryside trying to loosen him up.
I do love an alpha hero, but Alistair has got to be my favorite hero type. I had so much fun seeing his embarrassment slowly turn to confidence. Thaïs had a heart of gold and I loved her so much. She was so bright and fun. I think it could’ve been a bit steamier—hello, Chekov’s sex toys!!—but it was definitely a hot read. Sex lessons will ALWAYS hit different.
I will say, I do think Peckham phoned it in with the epilogue. It was more so an epilogue for the series as a whole rather than for the couple. Like it gave me a bit, but I wanted to see them at least a year out!!! It was practically expected from what we learned throughout the books and their wants for the future!!!
The third act hurt, but in a good way. I do think we needed like one more chapter??? Just to ease the heartache a bit and see them happy with nothing having over their heads. Also how did the scandal go??? This clearly seemed like the final book in the series, but hopefully Peckham will continue to write stories for some of the side characters.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶️🌶️.75/5
P.S. She better have gotten a kitten!!!! These are the things I need to know!!! Chekov’s kitten!!
I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.
jennanaps's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
triviareads's review against another edition
4.5
This is a gorgeous, sex-positive, feminist romance that answers the perennial historical romance reader question: "how do all these heroes come by their sexual prowess?" The answer here is sex lessons.
Thaïs is loud, proud, and unabashed about being a sex worker, and her bawdy sense of humor kept me laughing throughout the book, and kept our hero perpetually blushing. Alistair is starchy, charmingly sweet hero— a cinnamon roll, if you will. Where he deviates from most HR heroes is that he has performance anxiety, a bit of a hair-trigger dick, and he's been celibate for a long time. Enter Thaïs, who agrees to teach him by way of sex lessons. I'm a huge fan of this trope, and the fact that it's a sexually-experienced woman teaching a less-experienced man is something I really enjoyed reading.
One of my pet romance theories is that when you have a main character who has much-higher-than-average sexual experience, the novelty for them tends to be the emotional rather than physical connection with their love interest, so the author needs to build on that convincingly while not sacrificing the heat (because love can absolutely impact sexual chemistry). And I thought Scarlett Peckham did an amazing job of this; I adored all these lovely moments of growing intimacy between them— Alistair cooks for Thaïs and helps her with her correspondence because she can't read or write very well, and there's so much laughter and tenderness and teasing just because of how different they are. And then there's the hugs; listen, if you'd told me hugs can be written erotically a few months ago, I'd never have believer you, but now I'm a believer.
And as this intimacy builds, they both unwittingly start to torture one another with reminders of exactly what will happen once their month together ends: Thaïs insists on judging every one of the dossiers compiled on Alistair's potential brides even as she becomes increasingly hurt over them, and in a particularly heartbreaking scene, they roleplay his future wedding night, which NEVER ends well because feelings are always caught, AND YET. Alistair is hellbent upon doing the Right and Proper thing, namely marrying an upper-class virgin, and Thaïs doesn't figure into his future plans. I thought the class difference conflict, and the portrayal of stigma against sex workers, were both handled well.
Also, can we talk about this cover?? it's so lush and beautiful and harkens back to old romance clinch covers in the best way.
The sex:
This book felt honest about a lot of aspects of sex in a way not many romance novels are. Alistair's performance anxiety is real and the book doesn't beat around the bush when it comes to portraying it, but I want to clarify, Scarlett Peckham managed to make even this hot. There's a particularly steamy moment where Alistair is washing the mud out of Thaïs's hair and like, giving her a head massage. All it takes is her returning the massage favor (which... was honestly so romantic??) and a kiss, and the man is cumming in his breeches.
I also thought it was kind of great that he built up his *sexual stamina* by masturbating a multiple times a day— you don't get a lot of male masturbation scenes in HR, so I do appreciate this. And once it clicks for Alistair, there is no stopping this man. Near the end of their lessons, they're going at it 4 times a day, on the desk, on the floor, on the dining table, in the rain, etc. etc. He's insatiable.
Thaïs is an experienced courtesan and tends to disassociate during sex, and she feels like this is even more critical as her feelings start to grow for Alistair. Because of this, she also doesn't necessarily orgasm every time earlier in their sexual relationship. But once again, once Alistair is able to figure his stuff out (and by figuring out, I mean eating her out), and Thaïs lets go, there's no going back.
Overall:
I can't tell you how much I appreciate Scarlett Peckham for writing a historical romance that falls outside the norm in so many ways, and yet feels true to the subgenre in the way it merges certain realities with the romance of it all. I had so much fun reading The Mistress Experience, and I'd absolutely recommend it to any HR reader.
Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Heat Level: 3.75/5
Publication Date: June 25th
Heat Level: 3.75/5
Publication Date: June 25th
jessicabeel's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
blushinbluestocking's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
difficultwomanreads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
mandyandlo's review
4.0
I enjoyed this book! I thought it was quick read! I liked the reserve teach me troupe!
Thank you for arc!
Thank you for arc!
booksandteatime's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Mistress Experience is such a funny and sweet romance story! I have read all three books in Scarlett Peckham's The Secrets of Charlotte Street series and I loved them all. While I definitely plan to read the first two in the Secrets of Sirens series, I could not resist jumping to this one first when I received the arc.
Thais is such a vibrant and lovable main character and I think starting with her story endeared me to the friend group in such a special way as I was able to view everyone through her perspective. She is so fiery and passionate and I love her zest for life.
Alastair is so gentle and compelling. I enjoyed reading his perspective and watching him work through his anxieties and childhood traumas that have impacted his adult life.
Their romance is adorable and of course very spicy! Definitely a 4/5 on the spice scale.
I highly recommend this for historical and contemporary romance readers alike. If you like to laugh and swoon, this is the author for you!
Thais is such a vibrant and lovable main character and I think starting with her story endeared me to the friend group in such a special way as I was able to view everyone through her perspective. She is so fiery and passionate and I love her zest for life.
Alastair is so gentle and compelling. I enjoyed reading his perspective and watching him work through his anxieties and childhood traumas that have impacted his adult life.
Their romance is adorable and of course very spicy! Definitely a 4/5 on the spice scale.
I highly recommend this for historical and contemporary romance readers alike. If you like to laugh and swoon, this is the author for you!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, and Medical content