A review by xandrarama
The Earl's Mistress by Liz Carlyle

4.0

This author is fairly new to me; having read a novella she contributed to an anthology, I was impressed and wanted to try a full-length novel of hers. I was not disappointed. The female protagonist is an impoverished gentlewoman trying to protect her young sisters from a dodgy cousin with guardianship rights; the difficulties faced by a woman trying to make her own way in this time period come across clearly and the reader is aware of how limited and unappealing her options are. The male protagonist is a familiar figure in the historical romance genre, a rakish earl with Hidden Pain. Refreshingly, this pain does *not* reflect the typical daddy issues ("my father was stern and unloving and I'll never live up to his expectations, boohoo") and is actually quite interesting to read about. The book provides a thoughtful, nuanced treatment of dominant/submissive tendencies and features some mild BDSM.