Format Read: Kindle book
Source: owned by reviewer
Release Date: March 8, 2014
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble
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Blurb from goodreads:
For a lot of seventeen-year-old girls, being sent to a same-sex boarding school would be a nightmare for one simple reason: No boys. But that’s really not a problem for sixth form student Rylie Harcourt. Instead, what might prove somewhat difficult to overcome is the school’s strict policy concerning on-campus relationships.
All sexual contact is expressly forbidden. Carnal pursuits are a distraction from learning, so says the Headmistress, and virtue is to be as highly regarded as education—if not higher. This harsh ban on expressions of love becomes especially problematic when Rylie meets her new French Housemistress, Vivienne Carriveau, and attraction sparks.
In a sexless environment, thirty-one-year-old Mademoiselle Carriveau is a magnet for the affections of her hormonal, adolescent students. Competition for her attention is fierce, and when it starts to become clear that Rylie’s burgeoning interest in her is reciprocated in equal measure, tension among the student body rises to a deadly level.
Robin and I met on Patricia Briggs' message board and we had talked about him doing a review. He contacted me recently, excited about a book he'd read, and eager to review it, so here it is. :) It doesn't sound like my cup of tea but when someone is so excited, how can I not share?
Robin's Thoughts:
"The Housemistress" is sexy as all get out. Though it may sound like a recipe for just another awkward coming-of-age, exploring sexuality story, it isn’t. Both main characters are fully aware of who they are and who they want. There isn’t even much dithering about the age difference between the two ladies, seeing as how both are of legal age in England, where the story is set. The only conflict comes from the social situation in which Rylie and Vivienne meet, and the opinions and feelings of those around them, just like any good romance. Van Halen’s “Hot for Teacher” has been around for thirty years, with similar sentiments probably having been around since the concept of teachers first began. It is an understandable fantasy, which almost everyone can probably share, however Telford manages to treat the taboo fantasy as an extra bit of decoration instead of making it the focal point of the story. Nor is the focal point even a stand for lesbianism (and by extension, homosexuality), even though the characters do make it clear that there is nothing obscene or abnormal about their love. No, Telford’s creation is simply a beautiful story of love that explores an emotional, romantic connection between two people, topped off with a heaping amount of tasteful but erotic scenes that managed to leave me extremely hot and bothered without degrading the book to cheap wanting material. Be assured, if you are a fan of f/f erotica, you will definitely need a cigarette after finishing the book.
The book could have benefited from a very little amount of extra attention in the editing department, but there was nothing so bad as to disturb the flow and quality of this amazing book. It should be noted that the plot is not earth-shattering in originality, I was particularly and strongly reminded of the movie Loving Annabelle (2006), but Telford makes the charming, funny, romantic, and very sexy story her own. I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a good romance, and be prepared to take care of any impulses that might get fired up. Enjoy!
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