Rating: 
Summary: first time
Review: I agree with almost all the reviewers in the fact that Temporary Mistress is big fat flop. Isabella Leslie is a dimwit I mean if she is a person of brains couldn't she think of another way of saving herself from her scrubulous relatives in order to keep her new fortune, other than becoming a mistress? Second, Dermott Ramsay I understand why he was such a rake, but I do not buy his I have to have her, the heroine, and yet sleep with every woman except for her. Even after he let her go he still continued to sleep with other women. That is not a knigt in shining armour but a lusting brute. Then after Dermott told her to take a hike and took his time she let herself fall to his feet like pudding. What a disgust.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed again
Review: I am a long-standing and ardent Susan Johnson fan, but the disappointing trend of her recent writing (Taboo, Golden Paradise, A Touch of Sin, To Please A Lady) continues in Temporary Mistress. The characters were one dimensional, the dialog was stilted, the plot lacked continuity or cohesion, and the love scenes lacked heat. I have read worse historical romance, but not by Ms. Johnson.
Rating: 
Summary: Another titillating book...another cloning of characters
Review: I don't think there will ever come a time when I won't buy books written by Susan Johnson, but the time has come when I wish she wouldn't use the same characters in every book. I love Ms. Johnson's writing style; I love the edge of erotica she lavishes throughout her books; I love her strong characters; I love the tidbits of fact she teaches her readers - but the cloning needs to stop. "The stud of London..." has been written to death after "servicing the Ton" all these years. Give us some new characters to cuddle up with!
Rating:
Summary: Fascinated Fan
Review: I enjoy Susan Johnson's work. She is not afraid to describe the passion between men and women. I enjoyed this book, but not as much as her other work. Susan always leaves you waiting for the next book. In this story Isabella Leslie was in dire straits to get away from her unsavory relatives, and meets up with a man who couldn't commit because of his lost love. I enjoy how she describes the passion between them, it almost makes you want to be there. I am counting the weeks, and months until her next book.
Rating: 
Summary: poor
Review: i have all of susan's books and this has got to be her worst. i was most dissappointed after waiting most earnestly for the release of this book. The book bears no resemblance to former ones. I found no connection between the characters as well as the story left me unmoved. It took me three days to complete unlike others which i couldn't wait to finish.
Rating:
Summary: Lousy
Review: I have read much better and worthy works of Susan Johnson and this must be one of the worst. The story was so flat and ridiculous. There was little character-building and the plot was too predictable. I find it hard to like and respect the lovers, well, we needed more convincing that they were in love because all we read was their lust towards each other. And talk about lust, even Susan Johnson's trademark erotic sex scenes were lousy and sloppy.
Rating:
Summary: Lousy
Review: I have read much better and worthy works of Susan Johnson and this must be one of the worst. The story was so flat and ridiculous. There was little character-building and the plot was too predictable. I find it hard to like and respect the lovers, well, we needed more convincing that they were in love because all we read was their lust towards each other. And talk about lust, even Susan Johnson's trademark erotic sex scenes were lousy and sloppy.
Rating:
Summary: Where's the romance?
Review: I honestly do not know why I picked up another book by Susan Johnson, especially since I didn't particularly care for the other two I read, Taboo and Legendary Lover. OK, so there's some notes in the back on historical trivia. I like to see that in my historical romances. But more important than trivia or historical accuracy is romance, the relationship between the protagonists. I did not feel any sense of connection between Dermott and Isabella. Suddenly, after lots of sex, they decide they're in love?! He rescues her from her family's schemes, so they decide they're in love?! He gives her pleasure in bed, so it must be love? She's a sexual novelty to him, so it must be love?! Sorry, I just don't buy that. I wish I hadn't bought the book itself either.If you're looking for a historical romance with grounding in real history and true character development, try Mary Jo Putney, Katherine Kingsley, Jo Beverley, Nicole Jordan, or (my latest favorite) Lauren Royal. If you're looking for a thinly-veiled sex-fest masquerading as a poorly written plot, read Susan Johnson.
Rating:
Summary: Not quite her best, but not a disappointment either!
Review: I own all of Susan Johnson's books, and some are absolutely memorable, keepers to read over and over yet never lose their touch. This one isn't quite that, but is a good read - not as historically involved or as unique as others - but entertaining and interesting nonetheless. Builds a decent foundation of emotion in both characters, although I feel this could've built to a more riveting and more fleshed-out conclusion at the end. I highly recommend Taboo (undoubtedly her best book) if you prefer more highly charged emotion/dialgoue and an incredibly intriguing historical background that only adds to the intensity. In the meantime, this one might not necessarily belong in your personal library, but sure is a good read anyway.
Rating: 
Summary: Okay, but not great
Review: I read this book a few weeks ago, and one of the first things that struck me as odd was that Ms. Johnson footnoted the book. In my relatively short life thus far, I have never, ever read a romance novel before this one that's been footnoted. But I humored my curiousity (and perhaps the author) by reading the footnotes at the back of the book whenever I came across a little subscripted number. The next thing that struck me as odd was the words describing sex and various body parts (obviously I won't use them here). Ms. Johnson seems to have degraded the sexual act for both the hero and the heroine. And the hero isn't much of a hero at all- he's slept with half of the females of England.
So, I recommend reading this novel with caution. If you are 'faint of heart' when it comes to the adjectives and descriptions of the sexual act, perhaps you are better off with something by Judith McNaught. And beware of the footnotes- most of them are historical background, and Ms. Johnson was an Art History major (the Latin/Art History teacher at my school would be proud).
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