The Mistress (The Original Sinners #4) by Tiffany Reisz

Sadly, for me, this book has been a disappointment. This is the last book in the series, or, half the series since this is the "Red Years" and there are 4 books planned for the "White Years" relating to the time when Nora / Eleanor was younger. I haven't decided yet if I want to read it or not but we'll see.. Kind of strange reading "what happened before" when you already know exactly how it's all going to end..

We start the book with Nora being held by Kingsley's sister. At the moment it's quite obvious it's her.. I must say during the previous book I KNEW it was her for quite a long while though I WAS wondering how she faked her death.. (especially since it was an isolated area). This woman is REALLY fucked up.. and as the summary says it does sometimes feel like Scheherazade AKA Nora telling her kidnapper stories to keep herself alive...

The book has many POVs each with his/her name relating to almost all involved in rescuing Nora:

"The Queen" - Nora. Captured in Søren's childhood home trying to buy herself time with stories of Wesley as well as Søren and Kingsley.  She also explains her acceptance of Wesley's marriage proposal (which wasn't what you'd expect..). 

"The King" - Kingsley. Overwhelmed with the past coming to hunt him and the people he loves. Yes, he does love Nora even if half the time he is envious of her. He also doesn't spare Wesley what he thinks of HIM. In a way he is right, but it doesn't change the way both Nora and Wesley feels towards each other. He actually disappointed me. I expected a LOT more from an ex-assassin.. even if we ARE talking about killing his sister. But I must say that his feeling for Søren heart breaking, especially hearing what is Søren explanation to not being with him.. AGAIN not what I expected to learn.. 

"The Knight" - Wesley. Crushed with having Nora taken from him after the amazing time they had together finally on their own, but he is also quite interested in Laila (Søren's niece). Not sexually in the beginning, but there is an instant connection between the two of them, which feels right from the start in a way, I don't know, too obvious? I'm not begrudging Tiffany for this move, I actually like it.. I guess :) It was just so fitting to I had hard time to even consider it a "wrong move" and Laila IS really sweet. 
There is a very intriguing scene between him and Søren. I think they were both surprised to be that calm and accepting of one another in this conversation but it was well in place. 

"The Rook" - Grace. Well, HER I didn't like, there is something about her I find totally and absolutely annoying. I feel that the only reason she was there is for us to have a kink scene (near the end). The whole chapter was about 10 minutes and I could have thrown up from 90% of it. It was NOT about the beating, really. what I hated was what was in her HEAD! MY GOD! That's what she was thinking as well as what I was thinking - from her side of things - I truly think she sees Søren as half a god. and I was thinking - he is NOT. He is a human being. Might be more attractive and appealing than most but he is just a man.. The way she describes him I described my childhood crush when I was 13... (he WAS a tall blonde but that's besides the point! :D). I expect a more mature look on things from a grown up woman.. 
She is just not an interesting character and her whole being there was for us to get a better perception of Søren.

"The Pawn" - Laila. Laila is Søren's niece who was tricked into Marie Laure's web. When she gets away from Marie Laure it's quite obvious she is VERY attracted to Wesley (who wouldn't be?). She was really sweet and I do think it was quite obvious she will be a total and absolute match for Wesley even though when Søren is around - one move against her would be any man's last.. 

The only two people missing are Søren and Marie Laure. Wasn't especially interested in hearing the both of them especially since I had Grace walking after Søren like a puppy adoring her new master.. and milking him of his thoughts.. (as well as his wine)

If you're wondering what actually HAPPENED in this book then the answer would be - almost nothing. Wesley and Laila were trying to find themselves in the situation in which it was obvious they had nothing to do. Kingsley and Søren were trying to think of a way to save Nora while doing nothing but drinking wine and reminiscing of the past (with Grace's help on Søren's side) and Nora? She tries to get away but mostly she tells us stories. Yeah, stories are nice but it felt like it was too long, too much of the past and not nearly enough of what's going on now.  

All in all a nice enough book, not "catching" enough considering the setting and the fact that this is the final book in the series. I WOULD say that Nora has one HELL of a scene with Søren that made me smile then laugh out loud! She will be the end of him :)

somewhere in between... 

Additional Details: Kindle Ebook, 464 pages, 29-30 July 2014 / On GoodReads

 

  ABOUT THIS SERIES

 

The Original Sinners ("The Red Years") by Tiffany Reisz is an excellent Erotica series. I'll be the first to admit I wasn't sure I'm going to like it, wasn't sure I'll feel comfortable reading it or somehow be able to sympathize with the characters. I"m not sure that I DID sympathize with ALL of them, BUT my initial uncomfortable feeling passed as the series continued and I just feel like I got a strange entrance pass as well as a very informative brochure to a world I wouldn't have visited without :)  

I recommend this series to all Romance lovers even if BDSM and S&M isn't your "thing". I think I mainly consider it "different" now, I find that I "get" it more than I did before and my revulsion of some of the staff somehow subsided. I mainly have a problem with the psychological side of things (like humiliation) and much less with the physical harm (like beating). In my eyes harming a person, really harming, is never about putting them in casts in the hospital it's breaking their spirit.

While this IS a series, in a way it's a whole tale written in 4 parts. Don't expect a HEA before the absolute ending and till all the pieces fall into place. Also don't believe everything you read or think. Most things are A LOT more complicated than they look.

The series is separated into 2 sub series - The Red Years which relate to the present and The White Years which relate to the past. I've read the first 4 books in the Red Years, in the White Years only the first book was published (out of 4).

The story in the Red Years is sort of a love triangle between the Main Character Nora Sutherlin (Also known as Eleanor Schreiber) a submissive in her past, a writer and dominatrix in the present, Søren (her Dom and lover for almost 20 years) and Wesley (her young and vanilla roommate). There are few more important main characters in the series that makes it colorful and interesting.  

My two main reasons for being reluctant to read The White Years are I'm not sure how I would feel about reading Nora as the submissive Eleanor. Also, if the White Years are like the Red years, the whole story will be told only when then last word on the fourth book is finished so I might wait for it all to come out then read it. 

There are a TON of short stories in this series, haven't read any of them yet, but all are listed either on GoodRead here or/and in Tiffany's website right here. I will probably read them when I feel I miss Nora Sutherlin and her fun and kinky world. 

 

There are 4 more books "The White Years" of Nora's time as Eleanor. Haven't read those. I'll probably get to them but I'm not sure when. 

Books:
The Red Years
1. The Siren (published 24 July 2012) ★★★★★
2. The Angel (published 25 September 2012) ★★★★★
3. The Prince (published 20 November 2012) ★★★★★
4. The Mistress (published 30 July 2013) ★★★½