Mistress of Merrivale by Shelley Munro

Mistress of Merrivale by Shelley Munro
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Genre: Action/Adventure, Historical, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (265 pgs)
Other: M/F
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Peppermint

A marriage of convenience…full of inconvenient secrets.

Jocelyn Townsend’s life as a courtesan bears no resemblance to the life she envisioned in girlish dreams. But it allows her and her eccentric mother to live in relative security—until her protector marries and no longer requires her services.

Desperate to find a new benefactor, one kind enough to accept her mother’s increasingly mad flights of fancy, Jocelyn is nearly overwhelmed with uncertainty when a lifeline comes from an unexpected source.
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Leo Sherbourne’s requirements for a wife are few. She must mother his young daughter, run his household, and warm his bed. All in a calm, dignified manner with a full measure of common sense. After his late wife’s histrionics and infidelity, he craves a simpler, quieter life.

As they embark on their arrangement, Leo and Jocelyn discover an attraction that heats their bedroom and a mutual admiration that warms their days. But it isn’t long before gossip regarding the fate of Leo’s first wife, and his frequent, unexplained absences, make Jocelyn wonder if the secrets of Merrivale Manor are rooted in murder…

Warning: Contains mysterious incidents, a mad mother who screeches without provocation, scheming relatives, and a captivating husband who blows scorching hot and suspiciously cold. All is not as it seems…and isn’t that delicious?

Jocelyn and Leo’s story is riveting from beginning to end. Not only does it have an enchanting love story, but the budding relationship is surrounded with mystery, murder, complicated in-laws, and conspiracy. This story truly has something for everyone and I just could not get enough of it.

Jocelyn’s background can be considered sketchy at best, but if you pull back the layers you see a woman who is a victim of circumstance trying to do the best for herself and her mother. Jocelyn took on the role of caretaker to her ailing mother at a young age, no matter the consequences to herself. This immediately made her character endearing to me. I can say that I wanted her to have a happy ending from beginning to end, and sometimes questioned if Leo was capable of giving that to her.

Leo is a man of mystery to say the least. His deceased wife met with an untimely death leaving him the sole caretaker for their daughter, and trying to find a suitable replacement. Jocelyn seemed to be a wife of convenience for him, since she had some of the traits his previous wife lacked such as discretion and loyalty. The author wrote his character as one of mystery in many ways and I never quite knew if Leo was the hero or the enemy. I found this entertaining and definitely added depth to the story. Even in the end I found myself questioning his integrity. One thing I did not question, however was his feelings towards Jocelyn. I could immediately tell he was smitten by her, even if he did not recognize his developing feelings towards her. This made me want him to be the good hearted man he tried to appear to be, because I knew if he was, he would be the man to care for sweet (but not so innocent) Jocelyn, which she needed and deserved.

This plot had more twists and turns than a windy road in the middle of the night. I can honestly say that the author surprised me with some of the angles of the story. This kept me enthralled the entire time, and wanting to find out more and more. I am new to author Shelley Munro’s work, but I can say that after reading this story, I would love to read more.