Can a mistress truly find love when she is being trapped?

Synopsis

In the eyes of the ton, Ellen Harding lives a charmed life – she is the beautiful, exquisitely adorned mistress of Lord Gainsborough.
But on the inside, behind her glamorous façade, she is empty – a vessel – deaf to the voice of morality and blind to shame. Unable to escape the gilded cage she has been trapped within.
Kind, gentle Edward Marlow could prove to be her salvation… With one look he gives her hope. With one touch he sets her senses alight.
Lose yourself in the passionate intensity of this stunning debut from exciting new talent Jane Lark.

My review

Ellen Harding is living as a mistress of Lord Gainsborough. While on the outside it may seem that Ellen is his by choice, carrying his jewellery, the truth is a darker one, where she is forced to do whatever Lord Gainsborough wants.
But one night may change everything for Ellen, by meeting Edward Marlow. Just one look gives her feelings she only felt once, and for sure it wasn’t with Lord Gainsborough.
Will Edward be the one who will save Ellen? Is Ellen to risk everything for love? 

I started reading this book with the thought it would be an easy, quick book to read. And while the start was just like I imagined it would, I was a bit flabbergasted when I realized that just when I thought I would quickly reach the end, I wasn’t even halfway the story! 

The start is rather predictable as a young woman is the mistress of a despicable man lays her eyes on her saviour, and feel an undeniable attraction.
But where I thought it would be nothing more than a ‘simple’ romance (nothing wrong with that, as I enjoy reading such books too!), it quickly turned in a whole different kind of story. And that was a very pleasant surprise! 

You cannot not feel sorry for Ellen, because while it would appear that being a mistress would give her more liberties, the opposite is true.
We get to know that Ellen is not being a mistress by choice, but by force. And to protect her secret, she has no other choice than comply…
But life with Lord Gainsborough is not easy. Not only does his looks and age even make me repulse, but his behaviour is just horrible. 

Ellen is truly a tormented soul, and where she has resigned in her life, the appearance of Edward brings everything in turmoil.
I could understand on one hand why she didn’t want him to see her, out of fear. But on the other hand I could also comprehend her frustrations when he kept his distance, because of her love for him.
Her life isn’t an easy one, and while it’s far by perfect, she knows that she is all doing this for one purpose alone… even if that frustrated Edward, as he doesn’t know where he is standing. 

Edward is truly a kind and gentle soul, perfect to heal Ellen’s tormented one. He is very understanding of Ellen’s reticence. But he is also ready to fight for her.
He is the kind of man who sees a woman in need of help, and helps her, without hesitation or asking questions.
He doesn’t care what people may think, he follow his heart. 

And while this is all very sweet, this story goes beyond it all. Because we see a woman who has been treated wrongfully, not only when she was mistress, but way before, by her own father and other people she thought would be on her side.
With now having found someone in her corner, she wants to regain her place in the world, with the people who belong by her side.
And Edward will stand by her side no matter what. 

There are obviously people against the bond between Edward and Ellen, for several and completely different reasons. I could comprehend the wariness of those close to Edward, because a mistress isn’t the kind of person people like Edward should marry. Yet Ellen was clever enough to see their tricks and prove them wrong.
And it was wonderful to see how the group of allies started to grow once they saw the Ellen behind her ‘title’ as mistress. 

It was a slow start for me while reading, but quickly I found myself submerged in this bittersweet tale of two characters who find each other, and find the strength and courage to fight the wrongdoings.
And tat is what love can do, it makes you find that one person who can make the impossible possible… 

This author was a real delight to discover and I cannot wait to read more from her!