A story you won’t forget from #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Maya Banks Mistress. It sounded so sordid, so impersonal, so far removed from the kind of relationship Marley Jameson had with Greek hotel magnate Chrysander Anetakis. Until it all came crashing down around them. Three months later, Marley awakened in the hospital with no memory of what happened before she got … before she got there. She couldn’t remember her past, Chrysander…or the baby she carried. All she knew was that when Chrysander showed up and whisked her away to his private Greek island, being with him felt like home.
Until she remembered the truth…
“Readers will be swept along in this whirlpool of love, jealousy, betrayal and forgiveness.”
–RT Book Reviews on Wanted
The Mistress was originally published as The Tycoon’s Pregnant Mistress in 2009.
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Audible lists this book under the title, “The Mistress” and doesn’t tag it as belonging to any series. The original title of the book is ” The Tycoon’s Pregnant Mistress” and it is Book 1 of “The Anetakis Tycoons” series. 2 stars. The narrator was good though.
Marley is the live-in girlfriend to Crysander Anetakis. Banks sort of shoves us into the demise of their relationship by opening the book with Marley trying to break the news that she’s unexpectedly pregnant while Crysander finds out that Marley supposedly used their relationship for corporate espionage. Crysander callously gives her a “you weren’t anything more than a mistress” speech and then gives her 30 minutes to get out. She leaves the apartment in tears whereupon she’s abducted and held for several months. (Yup, all this OTT drama is packed into a single chapter).
Marley is eventually rescued from her captivity but has amnesia and doesn’t remember any of her relationship with Crysander. After seeing her story on the news he arrives at the hospital claiming to be her fiance. He brings her home and then takes her to his private Greek island to recuperate.
Side note: Can we acknowledge for one moment here the ridiculousness that is police & hospital staff releasing an emotionally traumatized pregnant woman into the custody of a man she has no memory of and letting him whisk her out. of. the. country. Seriously?
Anyyywaaayyyy… meanwhile in Greece… Crysander slowly woos (uh, basically has sex with despite still believing her a thief and liar) and “cares” for Marley. Marley continues to find clue after clue that she was never a real part of Crysander’s life. None of the clothes in her closet are maternity clothes. She’s never been to his home in Greece before. She’s never met his brothers before. She doesn’t have an engagement ring. It’s a LONG list.
**insert evil cackle here** Add in that this entire time Crysander’s personal assistant keeps popping in at inopportune times, flirting, and generally disrupting life. She might as well be walking around with a “I’m the villian” t-shirt.
Crysander has some vague business that requires he return to NY. He decides to bring Marley with him and then insists they get married while there. This is a plot point that is never really explained or justified. He keeps pushing to get married before her memory returns and she realizes what a jerk he is. Yet, he doesn’t love her and HE STILL THINKS SHE’S A THIEF AND A LIAR. Why? Why? Why?
They go to a fancy party, everyone treats Marley like crap, she overhears them all talking nasty about her and BOOM, memory returns. She loses it and flees. At this point she not only remembers all the nasty stuff he did at the break-up, but also that he refused to pay her ransom, and that he has a *real* residence in NYC he never took her to.
If there’s one thing I dislike more than “insta-love” it’s “insta-forgiveness”. Banks spent a considerable amount of time presenting the case that Crysander was unfeeling, ruthless, and inconsiderate that when she tried to redeem him with Marley, it fell flat. He explains all the misunderstandings and apologizes for the ways in which he was a jerk. It takes Marley two days to decide not only to forgive him, but to re-accept his marriage proposal. I found myself rooting for Marley to kick him to the curb. However, I did finish the book. Banks does little to invest readers in the lives/personalities of the remaining Anetakis brothers that I don’t really find myself wanting to continue the series. This definitely isn’t something I’d listen to again and wouldn’t spend a credit on.
Audiobook: Narrator – Carol Monda
Because I was so caught up in the story, I can’t really say how well this narrator performed. But I guess, that must me she did an excellent job because I was never taken out of the story by being aggravated by her change from male to female voice. I do remember thinking she did a great job of the hero’s character which is where I struggle with female narrators.
This one took me back to the good old days of Harlequin Romances. With a greek hero and a sweet heroine, it was exactly what I was wanting.
After learning she’s pregnant, Marley is forced to question Chrysander about the status of their relationship. While they’ve lived together for several months, he is still very standoffish and never gives her a clue as to his feelings for her. When he flat out tells her she is his mistress and nothing more, she is heartbroken. Then the accusations are hurled at her which leads to her in a nightmare situation.
Chrysander was developed much like the original alpha heroes from long ago. He is so protective of Marley when he gets her back even to the point of demanding she have assistance going up and down the stairs. But he’s got a viper whispering in his ear and yep, just like those Harlequins I cut my teeth on, he doesn’t see the evil right in front of him.
This is a fast paced story with some pretty good angst that while not gut clinching is the kind that makes you want to smack someone. The steam was high and there were no surprises here, just pure predictability and sometimes that’s exactly what I need and want. This book helped to soothe that craving.
Dual POV