Chosen Mistress

By: Elizabeth Conte

Narrated by: Marnye Young

A complex tale of two women, in early Victorian society exposing the underside of love, sex, and relationships. Charlotte Ashford will do anything for her cousin Lydia. They are practically sisters, growing up together in the heart of Victorian England. They dreamed they would share their lives forever and made girlish promises to always be there for each other. When Charlotte’s path veers to America and Lydia marries the enchanting Nathanial Hammond, their dream of sharing a life together is fractured.

Years later, Charlotte is unexpectedly left penniless and alone. Learning of her cousin’s fate, Lydia doesn’t hesitate to invite Charlotte to return to England and live with her. But when Charlotte arrives, she discovers that not all is as idyllic as it seems for her cousin. With promises from the past, to always be there for one another, Lydia is pushed to ask Charlotte to embrace a role that she never could have imagined–to become her husband’s mistress.

As secrets surface and truths unravel, Charlotte finds herself ensnared in a web of duty and deception. Amidst the intricate dance of desire and loyalty, the picturesque life Charlotte and Lydia once envisioned together, now holds a far more complicated plot–one that beckons them to defy convention, question the boundaries of love, and navigate the perilous territory of a shared life with one man.

©2023 Elizabeth Conte (P)2024 Elizabeth Conte

I choose Chosen Mistress!

I loved the unsuspecting twists and turns of this story! This is a no cookie-cutter romance, and far more interesting. It has scandalous intrigue, sensual allure, and genuine romance; everything one could desire in a romantic book.

The narrator was amazing and I loved how she made each character unique and recognizable with her skillful voice.
I hope this author continues to create more audibles!

I enjoyed the narration, but not the book

I finished this audiobook a little while ago and I’ve been trying to figure out how to write this review because while I thoroughly enjoyed the narration, the book itself just wasn’t for me. While I don’t often read historical romance, I do enjoy it when I do read it. However, this book just didn’t hit right for me, and I think that had to do with the ending. While it could technically be said that there is an HEA, it was not the ending that I was hoping for and I just wasn’t happy with it.

The book has an interesting premise and it definitely intrigued me. It just didn’t personally work for me. In all honesty if I had been eyeballing reading this I would have skimmed large portions, eventually gone to the back of the book to see how it would end, and then dnf it.

What kept me engaged in the book was the narration itself. Maryne Young is quickly becoming one of my top female narrators. She’s easily able to distinguish the characters voices from each other and she does an amazing job bringing these characters to life. The audio for this book was phenomenal and I did enjoy the narration.

Not every book is for every person and unfortunately that is that case for me with this one. And while this book wasn’t for me, it may be for you because there are a lot of people that enjoyed it. If you do decide to give this book I try then I highly recommend the audiobook.

Captivating Story!!

I thoroughly enjoyed Chosen Mistress, so much so that I listened to the audible version AFTER reading the book. The narrator’s voice added an additional layer to this already fascinating novel. The writing is superb, the imagery is detailed beautifully, the characters are rich and complex, and the story is unique and scintillating. This would be a great book for a book club as there are quite a few plot twists for a great discussion! I can’t wait for the next novel by Elizabeth Conte.

Nicely Written and Narrated

As someone who loves historical romance, I'm always glad to give a new-to-me author a try. That doesn't always work out, but happily this time it did. This story of cousins who grew up as close as sisters and vowed to always be there for each other was most enjoyable. The initial twist isn't so unexpected - it's pretty well hinted at in the book's title and synopsis. But that isn't the end of the twists. The characters are interesting and well-written. The storyline has depth, humor, angst, and more than a few surprises. The audiobook was beautifully narrated by Marnye Young. Definitely hope to see more from this author.

Not a HEA for typical romance readers

3/5 ⭐
1/5 🌶
5/5 🎧


*possible spoilers ahead*
I am really torn on how I feel about this book... While it was a fascinating story, as a romance reader I couldn't get behind the ending. I need either happily ever afters that dreams are made of, or absolute tragedies that leave me breathless and sobbing in a corner knowing one day they'll be reunited in the afterlife, and this fell heartbreakingly in the middle where everyone settles...
*end spoilers*

However, this story is beautifully narrated by Marnye Young. She did such a wonderful job and it made me love this book more than I expected and I can't wait for more from her.

Chosen Mistress is a unique story with amazing narration

This is not exactly my typical genre, but I was hooked within the first 20 minutes. Chosen Mistress is historical fiction, and it strikes the perfect balance of steam without crossing into smut. What truly sets it apart is its exceptional narration, bringing the story to life. The characters are well developed and the story line is unique. I enjoyed listening to a story I haven’t heard over and over. It's a must-read for anyone craving a captivating tale with heart and depth.

Fantastic

I loved the creativity of the story and plot. The outcome was well thought out and made sense. I loved the narrator's impeccable voice and perfect tone. So well done. The characters are memorable and each has their own unique personality. The intricate plot was brilliant and moved along at a perfect clip. I don't usually listen to this genre, but I found it intriguing and refreshing due to the author's use of detail and character insight. I will look for more of her work.

Outstanding narration!

I loved the narrator of this book. Marnye Young was excellent with well voiced characters and pacing. However, I did not love the story itself. It was an interesting premise but ultimately I did not love the characters or feel compelled by their story. I wanted to love it but sadly I did not. If you are interested in Victorian historical fiction and want to try this book I would highly recommend the audio however!!