Comments on: REVIEW: Public Scandal, Private Mistress by Susan Napier

By: MaryK

MaryK — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 21:46:49 +0000

I liked this book a lot, but the title stinks. She’s not his mistress – they’re lovers! Based on past usage of “mistress” in HP titles, it implies something completely different and assumes some kind of arrangement where the hero supports the heroine. IMO, the HP titles have gotten even more over the top lately. They’ve been cheesy for a while, but now they aren’t even accurate. It’s gotten to where I won’t even pick one up unless I’ve read the author before.

Anyway . . .

I really like Susan Napier. Does anybody know if she’s written anything else? Her voice is kind of unique in HP, and I would’ve thought she’d have written a single title or two.

By: Ann Bruce

Ann Bruce — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 02:42:13 +0000

Helen – They’re both millionaires in Miranda Lee’s book.

By: Helen Burgess

Helen Burgess — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 17:26:29 +0000

I think I am getting the hang of HP’s. The title could be said to represent the contents but generally in a very misleading way. Before coming to this site, the only interest I had in these books was to laugh at the titles. I have tried a couple now recommended on this site and felt brave enough to pick up “Millionaires Inexperienced Love Slave” the other day, in the certain knowledge that it would not be anything to do with love slaves,(certainly not in the BDSM way). It was a sweet story about a widow recovering from her husband’s death and moving on. She was the millionaire incidentally.

By: Elly Soar

Elly Soar — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 03:49:36 +0000

@Sami – Luke wasn’t totally a virgin, he had had sex like once many, many years before, but that was “A Lesson in Seduction”. “Secret Admirer” did have an actual virgin hero though. Susan Napier’s an autobuy for me too, but not a guilty pleasure – Cherry Adair fills that notch for me.

By: Jane

Jane — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 03:20:56 +0000

@Brenna – sadly there are so few Napier books in ebook format!

By: Brenna

Brenna — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 02:47:13 +0000

Love Susan Napier and she’s an auto buy for me. She’s one of the remaining Mills&Boon author that I still buy, the other one being Michelle Reid. They are what I call my guilty pleasures. I have her complete backlist and I’m glad that she’s back after taking a break from writing for a year or two I think. Her characters are always interesting, not the typical stereotype we always read. Now I’ve just got to buy the ebook version of this book.

By: Sami

Sami — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 01:44:52 +0000

I’ve been reading Napier’s books since way back when, and to my mind they always were a little different than the standard HP. Her heroines are always strong and independent, not faux strong and independent that quickly turns to mushy-mushy-sacrifice-myself-for-him by the end, like some (not all!) of the HP books. I’m pretty sure it was a Napier book of 10+ years ago that featured a virgin hero and a more sexually experienced woman who picks him up at a holiday resort. Wish I could remember what that was called.

By: Gennita Low

Gennita Low — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 23:45:11 +0000

Oooh good, a Napier is out! I’ve missed her. Off I go to get me the latest! I always find Napier’s style right at the edge of a Blaze in the Presents situations. And a Bianchin for Oct! I’m in Presents heaven ;-).

By: Ann Bruce

Ann Bruce — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 23:28:02 +0000

Actually, a few of Susan Napier’s older titles could crossover into the Blaze line. Of course, maybe she did kick up the heat for the Modern Heat line. Since she’s an autobuy for me, I’ll find out shortly.

By: Jane

Jane — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 23:15:43 +0000

@Keishon – I will be interested in hearing what you think about it.

@ME and @Laura Vivanco – thanks for the details. That makes sense. It was surprisingly modern and sexual for an HP.

@jmc – I thought you had to give Napier big props for making all those coincidences totally believable. I thought that was a pretty good piece of plotting. Yes, the ending with the Big Mis was a bit of an eye roller but because it was resolved fairly quickly it wasn’t a huge irritant.

Like you, I thought that the language (nipple sucking!) was very explicit. I had to remind myself I was reading an HP through much of the book.

By: jmc

jmc — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 23:10:29 +0000

Napier is one of my autobuys, although she hasn’t written much lately. And I liked this book a lot, but the Big Misunderstanding at the end had me rolling my eyes a bit. Oh, the melodrama!

I read this one and two October HPs (Robyn Donald and Helen Bianchin), and the heightened sexuality was very noticeable in this one and Bianchin’s. Not just in terms of length and detail, but also language. The clitoris and vaginal muscles were mentioned without euphemisms. When did HPs start okaying that? Although I guess if these are Modern Heat and just wearing an HP label for the US, the shift/change makes sense.

By: Laura Vivanco

Laura Vivanco — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 20:59:43 +0000

It was first published in the Modern Heat line, which is really quite different from the Modern line (which is what Harlequin Presents are sold as in the UK). For some reason the Modern Heats have sometimes been sold in the US as Presents without the difference of line being noted prominently. At other times they’ve been sold as Presents Collection, I think.

By: ME

ME — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 20:59:38 +0000

Hey Jane. this book is most likely hotter because they’re actually Modern Heat or Mod X I think they’re called in the UK. They’re under the presents umbrella but have a younger feel and yeah, the sex is hot! I enjoy them a lot more than a presents

By: Keishon

Keishon — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 18:26:57 +0000

I have this one, J. Good to know that it’s good. I own quite a few HP’s, in fact, but my heart is not in romance right now.