The Mistress by Tiffany Reisz (The Original Sinners #4)
Released: July 30, 2013
Erotic BDSM
Harlequin
Reviewed by Mandi
And we come to the end of The Original Sinners (well kind of). When I first picked up book one, The Siren, I was blown away. Then I read The Angel and that still remains my favorite book of the series. The Prince cooled off for me though. I got bored Wesley and thought the end felt like a soap opera. So where does that leave The Mistress?
I don’t know. I have mixed feelings. My main disappointment is that I feel like so many things are rehashed in this book. There is a lot of talking. Nora may be kidnapped, but all she does is tell story after story to her captor. We have flashback sex scenes and more stories. It felt slow and like there was a lot of filler in this one. I was anxious to have Nora escape and the story to move forward without her captor. Here are my thoughts on each pairing:
Spoilers!
Nora/Søren – Overall I was happy with their outcome. As I said, I wanted to see them together more (Nora doesn’t get released from her captor until the end of the book). While I initially did not like Søren, I think the author does a really nice job with showing us his “human” side. His past is done well and I really felt like he belonged with Nora at the end.
Marie-Laure – While I was annoyed that she became a character at the end of the last book, I did come around and like her as a villain in this one. I didn’t like that she was in the book so much or that most of the time was spent with Nora telling her stories, but her hate for Søren was done well. I believed in her want for revenge.
Kingsley – While I appreciate his love for Søren (and Nora) my only complaint about him as that we never get to see Juliette and him together. I felt so bad for Kingsley because he really, really loves Søren, it would have been nice to see him with Juliette to experience his love for her.
Wesley – I got bored with Wes in the last book. His relationship in this one with Laila was predictable. I’m glad he didn’t end up engaged to Nora though.
Michael/Griffin – Adore them.We don’t see them a lot in this book but adore their HEA. I want them to have their own book.
Grace – I did not enjoy Grace in this book. The scene with her and Søren at the end did not make sense to me. I felt it wasn’t in her character to do what she did (nor in Søren’s character). This was the most disappointing part of the book for me.
I didn’t dislike this book, but I didn’t love it. I didn’t like Nora being held captive for so long. I wanted her out of there and back with her men. I got so tired of the constant stories. I’m not sure if I’ll read The Priest (a prequel to this series) because I feel like we know so much about Nora and Søren’s past already. If another book is written in present day, I’ll be all over it.
Rating: C
Goodreads l Author Website l Series Listing
Subtle spoilers ahoy…
I adored King so so much in The Mistress. I’m so Team Kingsley. Soren was more in the background this time around, except for the balls to walls hotter than hot menage with him, Nora and King when Nora was younger.
The scene with Grace and Soren has most readers going, WTF?! I did that at first. But I think it’s open to interpretation.
I am so stoked for The Priest and more Nora and especially how she and Soren began and fell in love. So wrong, yet I can’t get enough.
Agree with a lot of this. Didn’t really get the point of Grace, other than gratuitous lay for Soren and shoving in a bestie for Nora (plus the pickle at the very end, but that was comically forseeable). And I was SO happy that Wes was outta there. Snooze. I did rather like the stories, though. Yeah, that menage…wowzers.
I have just finished this and am confused/unsettled/disappointed or something along those lines!
I have read all these books and her short stories and have for the most part loved them. I didn’t mind the tales in this but agree that the story didn’t really move on enough and there was not enough delving into current relationships. However, I do not get AT ALL what happened when Nora was finally released.
After all the trauma of the potential sacrifice and rescue and the realisations of who really loved who, the Nora/Kingsley scene was out of place and as for Soren/Grace – this was beyond wrong for me. Why would she do that and more importantly why after all these years of staying true to N & K would he suddenly be with someone else on a sexual level – and especially after what had just transpired. And if what the author is intimating at the end has happened – please NO!!! :(
I agree. For the book to end with Soren/Grace on such an intimate moment – made my little romance heart cry. And on top of that – it felt so out of place and out of character for Grace to do. I was really disappointed in that. And the hinted outcome of what Grace…ends up with.
I hated this book!!!!! I was WTF when I read about soren and grace ….
I know…I’m still unsettled over it
i hate the ending of this book and i agree grace is really irrelevant in the story and Soren so irresponsible getting her pregnant arghhh! after being a dominant and a king underground??he should know more!
i would like to read about Nora getting pregnant, she really wants a child, regretting about her abortion, this is why she is seeking king’s son.IUD for Nora?? I’m hurt for Nora in reality she’s the selfless person in all the books series and yet no good happened to her, Soren won’t be hers totally, Wes left her, Soren got a child with grace(fuck)awww i pity her what a misserable life only giving not receiving! hope the saint will do justice for her…
I still think Nora gets what she deserves. IF Grace is pregnant (and I guess it’s not totally confirmed) that doesn’t mean Soren and Grace are together or anything.
Wes had to leave her, but he will still be around.
Not sure if Nora would be happy with total devotion…she needs some freedom
(but I didn’t love the end either)
I really love all the books … But the Mistress was all about Nora and King…. The way I saw the ending is maybe Nora couldn’t have no more baby that is why Grace became pregnant with Soren child…. But I due agree with you all why did Soran had sex with Grace???? Is it a punishment because she had sex with Zack?…… All this time Soren prove and said that his little one belong to him only him
I hope they make another book to see if Nora bring King son back and what will happen to Grace son …. With is the story behind. Please respond to see if there will be another book
I didn’t love Soren and Grace together either
In terms of books, there are four more coming in this series but they will be prequels – they will start when Nora is a teenager.
You can read more here – http://www.tiffanyreisz.com/books/
I know I’m late with my reply, but I agree totally with this review. Kingsley is a great character, while I’m happy his a dad I wish I got to see his joy that he was going to be a dad. I needed to see more of him with Juliette and their love. What was Zach saying about showing and not telling in Siren? Without seeing their relationship, Kingsley’s story is kind of sad, since he is sharing Søren, but in reality he has a great life. Søren loves him as much as or maybe more than Nora. He has a woman who loves him completely and carried his child who she loves and be a great mom to. He has a great body and very rich. He can sleep with anyone he wants. Kingsley has a lot to be grateful for.
The Søren, Nora, and Kingsley trio seemed confusing in this book. Are Nora and Kingsley in love (nah) or more like sibling? Nora I feel should have a man completely devoted to her, ah Søren. Wes is out of picture ( thank goodness) and Kingsely loves her but she number four (maybe 5) on his list, so Søren is kind of all she has. I didn’t like the bible verses she uses at the end about David and Jonathan implying that deep down Søren loves Kingsley more than women. It just left a bad taste in my mouth, because Nora is awesome (side note I’m not a huge fan of King David, odd I know).
Søren and Kingsley relationship seems undefined which leaves Nora and Søren relationship undefined, in my opinion. I guess I’m just confused by the ending. Are nora and Søren living together in NO? is Søren dividing his time equally between Nora and Kingsley? Is Søren going to keep visiting Grace to until she is done having kids? Is Nora a full time sub for Søren and a part time Dom or vis versa, I’m just confused.
These are all very good questions. I wanted more of a conclusion myself. I really wanted more from Kingsley and his love.
I think she is going back and writing prequels from here on out. Maybe we will get more in present day eventually. I kind of like to rec The Siren and The Angel and then I become wary.
I loved the books, couldn’t read them fast enough. I loved that sometimes I had to put the book down and digest what I’d just read. I loved that sometimes I said, “shh… I’m reading!” when I couldn’t put it down and was supposed to be doing other things. I loved that sometimes I kept saying, “OMG! OMG! OMG!” with my mouth open after discovering different story after story.
This was a great review and I enjoyed reading the comments. I came here because at the end of my journey with these characters, whom I adore, I am confused. The ending has left me with a slight ache… I thought I understood, but as the books reveal, you never really know…
I firmly believe Tiffany Reisz is a sadist. I hope eventually she will write another book going forward in time in the story. Tell us more. Maybe one day she will give us some relief after torturing us for a bit.
Overall, I liked this entire series – just didn’t love how it ended – the whole Grace and Soren thing???
The Saint is on NetGalley or something – it’s the first prequel. I don’t think I can read it yet…
Hi Mandi
I have read The Siren,The Angel and The Prince, and currently half way through The Mistress. I am not sure how this book is going to end but there is a pattern developing between certain characters and twisting away from the other 3 books. I do like Kingsley and you get to appreciate him more as the story unravels. I wonder how it will end with him and Marie Laure???
Could you also tell me why these books are the so called red series and the newer books like The Saint called The White series??
I would like your opinion on your favourite out of these 4 books. Mine so far have been The Angel and The Prince as the relationship and attraction between Kingsley and Soren is strong.
Would love a follow up comment please.
Thank You, Cheers Mary Camilleri
Sorry I have just posted a comment as above. Would like to hear via email please.
Cheers Mary
Hi Mary
I have not read the newer books – the ones that have come out as prequels – but I’ve heard good things.
My favorite of the series was book two (the angel?). I disliked The Mistress but enjoyed the series as a whole (although the end of book four made me a little angry)