The heroine in HIS SECRET MISTRESS, the first book in “The Logical Men’s Society’s Guide to Dangerous Women,” is thirty-five.

Yes, I did that. Kate is over thirty.

And she has . . . sex!

And if you are over thirty, I hope you are having plenty of sex, too.  In fact, I suspect you probably are having better sex than you did in your twenties.  Maybe not as much, but, hopefully, better. We know what to ask for now, right?

When I wrote this story, I wasn’t thinking about age.  I was thinking about “the one who got away.” You know, that person whose memory lingers in the back of your mind? Everyone has one. Sometimes more than one.

There are also those of us who wonder if perhaps that person may have been our true soul mate. We could have dated them for years. Or maybe they were a one night stand with fabulous sex—oh, come on, most of us have had at least one.  It could have even been meaningful sex. Then events served to part us. Aren’t we all adrift in the sea of Life?  We follow our path, we do productive things, but we never forget that person.  There is always that lingering question.

Kate has never forgotten either, and just when she is ready to reclaim what she really wants—he walks into her life.

Of course, she’s wiser now. When we are very young, we are too malleable.  In our thirties, we start to empower ourselves. Trust me, Kate is no easy mark and he’s got some explaining to do. 

However, Smexy did throw me when she brought up the heroine’s actual age as if I was doing something daring.  One of the things I like about writing romance is that the only truly important rule is the happy ending.  (What reader doesn’t want a fulfilling end to a book?)

After that, all bets are off and I think that openness to all sorts of scenarios is what makes our genre so vibrant. Over the years, we’ve played with almost any theme we could imagine. Authors have written about characters raising children with disabilities or going through cancer treatments or suffering the ravages of war or finding themselves being chased by werewolves or arguing with the Amish or petitioning the local bar owner or fighting for women’s rights. In contrast to all of that, age is a little thing. Besides, the over thirty woman has been written as well. Many times.

So I am happy to throw Kate into the fray. 

She thinks she is done with men. She believes she is in control of her life and her mind . . . but love always catches us off guard, a fact makes us a little crazy. We all want to plan our lives, and Kate is no different than any of us. Still, she deserves her happy ending and it is time for Love to play a trick or two.

About the Book

His Secret Mistress: A Logical Man’s Guide to Dangerous Women Novel by Cathy Maxwell, publishes 2/25/20

At the Logical Men’s Society—an exclusive bachelor’s club—brandy flows like water, bawdy stories abound, and a gentleman tempted to marry is always persuaded to reconsider . . .

Brandon Balfour made the mistake of trusting his heart to the exquisite, strong-willed actress, Kate Addison, with whom he shared one intimate night before fate intervened. Now a decade later, Brandon is a leading member of the Logical Men’s Society—for no woman since Kate has managed to captivate him.

To Kate, the memory of that night still burns strongly, because it was followed by a stunning betrayal. A chance encounter may have brought Brandon back into her life, but that doesn’t mean Kate will ever forgive him. She’s vowed to make him pay—even as she realizes the promises of the young love they once shared are still etched upon her heart . . .

Loving her exiled him.

Trusting him ruined her.

And now, a clash of passions threatens everything each of them ever desired.

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About the Author

Cathy Maxwell has been in publishing for over twenty-five years. Yes, that makes her a war horse, i.e. she has seen a lot of stuff.  Over the course of that quarter of a century, Cathy has written over thirty-five historical romances, hit the New York Times and USA Today lists, been nominated for or won some nice awards, made dynamite writing friends, and has had the time of her life. Her upcoming book has the old school title of HIS SECRET MISTRESS and will be out February 25, 2020. You can find out more about her at www.cathymaxwell.com Or, if you wish to stalk her, www.facebook.com/maxwellcathy. She usually yaks back.