Book Review: "Entry-Level Mistress" by Sabrina Darby

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Rating: ★★★★★

Cover courtesy of Amazon.com

Synopsis: Daniel Hartmann and Emily Anderson have every reason to hate each other. Her father destroyed the lives of his parents and he in turn sent her father to jail. Now Daniel’s a successful billionaire and artsy Emily is his newest employee. Both of them intend to make the other pay for the sins of the past, but revenge has never been so sweet. – CreateSpace

Entry-Level Mistress is a damn good book. Not too long, not too short; it’s just right. Not perfect because I did come across a few grammar errors and continuity issues, but for the most part I have no complaints. I read straight through this book in about one day. I didn’t want to put it down. I couldn’t put it down. You know when a book is so good you end up reading it while brushing your teeth, cooking, and would take it into the shower if you knew it wouldn’t get wet? Entry-Level Mistress is that book. The first person narration is perfect for this story. Emily’s voice is fresh and amusing. You fall in love with her character and want to know more about her right away. Her youth doesn’t put forth any naïveté nor does it take away from her capabilities as a narrator. You want her to tell you her story. You want her to pull you into her world as an escape.

Darby is so good at writing Emily, you feel she’s a real person. Her emotions are heartfelt and genuine, and her need for revenge is expressed clearly. So much so, you want Emily to go through with her plan. Or, maybe not. You sympathize with her cause and want only what’s best for her. She meets the object of her revenge plan, Daniel Hartmann, and wants to take him down. But then she also wants to take him to bed. Talk about a dilemma.

Truth be told, Entry-Level Mistress reminds me of the ABC series Revenge. The lead character is also named Emily and her love interest is Daniel. But that’s where the similarities end. Darby’s Emily is young, not well equipped to engage in the game she’s playing, and going at it alone. Her heart is compromised daily and she loses focus of what’s important to her. Or does she? I almost feel she has an eye opening experience and sees what’s really in front of her. She doesn’t let the past rule her as it could, and when she finds herself in a bit of a pickle, tries to run away. But Leanna her friend and roommate doesn’t shirk her friendship duties and makes sure Emily gets sound advice. It may not always be correct, but Leanna is a solid secondary character who acts as more of a conscience than a plot device. Now, James on the other hand, another secondary character, is only around as a means of showcasing Emily as an object of desire. You know how in some romance novels the heroine doesn’t believe she’s beautiful or acceptable as a sexual being? I don’t get that feel from Emily, though she second guesses her appeal to a man who’s used to dating supermodels. She knows she’s attractive in her own right; she’s just doubtful of her place in the world of a billionaire playboy. All that is swept aside as Emily regains her rightful place in the world of socialites and the rich and famous.

If you want a solid, well-written contemporary romance to get lost in, Entry-Level Mistress is your book. It’s hot, sexy, and suspenseful all at once. You never know who’s playing whom in the game of revenge. But there can only be one winner. Or two losers. Depends on how you look at it.

I was provided an ARC by NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.

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Elle

Writer, mother, realist, cloud lover, daydreamer, dessert enthusiast, sweet tea addict, perfectionist, and lover of life and Christ, but not in that order. http://www.fanfiction.net/~vikingloverelle