I was so surprised at how sweet this book was. Like sex lessons as a trope is definitely one of my favorites so I was expecting a lot of spice (and it delivered for sure) but Eden and Thais' relationship was so much more and it was truly just so refreshing to read.

There is so much I loved about this book. She’s a famed courtesan who uses her popularity to auction a month of her time to the highest bidder. With the money, she and her friends (the rest of the series) plan to build a school/home/training facility for women. He’s a stuffy aristocrat desperate for some intimacy lessons to prepare him for marriage and has a friend win the auction on his behalf. It’s a great premise!

There are so many romantic elements I loved- forced proximity, class differences, progressive politics, doting big brother, he cooks for her, she tries to cook for him, birthdays, helping friends, sick bed, caretaking, plus the spicy scenes were hot. I did have trouble at times believing they were more than friends and wished I had seen a more evident romantic shift in their feelings. It was always evident that they respected and admired each other but I wanted to see, not be told, that they loved each other.

This was a fast, solid read! I didn't particularly connect with either character, but I still enjoyed the book.

This is my favorite so far of the Society of Sirens series. Magadalene is a SW who is trying to raise money for a school for women. She offers one week of her charms to the highest bidder. A friend wins and she's excited, till she's carted off to the country and actually meets the real winner, the far more buttoned up Lord Alastair Eden. The "teach me" trope is one of my absolute favorites and this one is done so well. Truly understanding what Eden needs and slowly educating him, while trying to guard her heart in the process... like that will ever work. It was a delight to read.

Can an earl and a courtesan make a relationship last?

Thais sells a month of her talents in order to raise money for creating a school for women. Eden, using a proxy for anonymity, wins the bid and asks Thais to teach him the art of seduction and bed sport as he plans to find a wife. They spend a month in the country together learning all of each other’s innermost desires and dreams, but return to cold reality and London alone.

Thais is such a fun character. She comes off as a bit immature at times, but it’s somehow charming and fits well with her backstory. Eden is obsessed with perfection which leads to some issues in the bedroom and in initiating the relationship with Thais. However, Thais is patient and able to very compassionately understand what Eden needs to move forward. Thais desperately wants a family of her own, and she’s done being a courtesan. Eden is ready for a family but his position means he can’t eschew societies rules and must marry someone of equal station, ie not Thais. How will this work?! I won’t lie, I was worried and aggravated with Eden’s choices given his progressive leanings, but I understood both sides of the coin here, and thankfully, he comes to his senses! I did feel the ending was slightly rushed, but honestly, I maybe just didn’t want it to end. I think I would have liked more of an epilogue, say with Thais finally having a baby of her own, but the epilogue was emotionally satisfying nonetheless.

Thanks to the publisher for the complimentary arc. All opinions are my own.

Scarlett Peckham is known for writing the most beautiful and innovative historical romances and The Mistress Experience is one of them. Thais and Alastair are carefully constructed and well written characters and it was a delight to read their story.

I love that this one had a guy that didn't know what to do and woman that did. It was an interesting turn of events that I was all here for it. The banter and relationship was so good I couldn't put it down. Great for readers who love romantic historical fiction.

My fave of the series by far. Watching Alastair fall apart for Thais was delicious. But it made me sad that she was trying to hard to keep her feelings at bay. And the hugs. The hugs don’t lie.

I love this author and this story! I loved Eden so much!! Her and Alastair are so cute together! This started out as Alastair needing help in the bedroom, so he bid of having Eden teach him how to give pleasure. He wanted to be prepared for when he took a wife. Eden made him feel more comfortable and their chemistry was off the page! I enjoyed how Alastair supported Eden and never made her fell less than! This was the perfect ending to the series!! Prob my favorite too! Highly recommend this series!

“The Mistress Experience” was my first Scarlett Peckham experience! This is the third of the Society of Sirens series and I can’t wait to read more of her books.

Perfectionist Lord Alastair Eden wants to perfect his bedroom skills before marrying so he wins a charity auction. Thais Magadalene was the skilled courtesan and teacher he needed.

I enjoy different social class individuals coming together. I was pleasantly surprised that they respected each other through their mutual desire for human rights and that Alastair didn’t treat her as if he was better. The book mentioned they met in a previous book so of course I need to read about their platonic meet-cute.

If you enjoy love lesson stories with the inevitable slow burn, then this is one to read. Alastair seemed hopeless however the reason behind his lack of improvement was actually sweet. The way he admired Thais and vice versa kept a smile on my face.

I never wanted this book to end thus taking my time to finish. There was so much respect between the two characters, Alastair wanted to make things right so badly, and Thais having a big heart that I love this book simply for how much I wanted the best for the main characters as individuals and as a couple. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Net Galley, Avon, and Harper Voyager US for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

In "The Mistress Experience," Scarlett Peckham delivers a unique historical romance that captivates with its blend of humor, warmth, and genuine emotion. The story revolves around Thaïs Magdalene, London's most infamous courtesan, who auctions herself off for a month to raise funds for women's rights. Some of her dialogue will make you laugh out loud and blush. The unexpected twist comes when Lord Alastair Eden, a perfectionist earl and aspiring politician, becomes the highest bidder, seeking to learn the art of pleasing a future wife. Their journey through physical intimacy and emotional connection is both engaging and relatable, making it difficult to put the book down.
Peckham’s writing style shines as she crafts a narrative filled with depth and character development. Thaïs and Alastair's relationship is unusual for the time period, showcasing the complexities of love, desire, and personal growth. The witty exchanges and tender moments truly highlight their chemistry. While the series concludes with "The Mistress Experience," the impact of Thaïs and Alastair's story lingers, leaving readers eager for more from Peckham. It’s a bit of a slow burn book, with few spicy scenes. This book is a joyful and fun read that stands out as a memorable addition to the conclusion of this series. I did read this series in order and it’s nice to see some of the names reappear. It makes sense for the continuity, but it could be a stand alone. I LOVE the cover. It has that great vintage look.

Thais is a brash, rough talking prostitute. Alistar is a shy, sexually repressed Earl. Their relationship is unusual and very hot. I found the first half of the book pretty slow but 50% in the book began to heat up and became very enjoyable. 4 stars.

A fitting conclusion to an ambitious, if uneven historical romance trilogy, The Mistress Experience is overall an extremely joyful, heartfelt read, thanks to its fiery, no-filter heroine, excellent writing, and the 'sex education' premise that dives into issues rarely communicated with such frankness in a historical romance context.

While Book 2 The Portrait of a Duchess elaborated on the series' world building (really fleshing out the activities of the Society of Sirens), and being more explicit regarding its social commentary, to the point of overriding its romance, The Mistress Experience feels like an extreme course correction; with a very scaled-back domesticity story taking place primarily at a single location. Even though it is a positive change returning focus back to the featured couple, as someone who prefers dynamic plotting /multiple settings in his historical romance, this can also be perceived as a slight downgrade.

I'm glad I was able to follow through with this series; with The Rakess, still reigns as the perfect blend of familiarity and fresh ideas, The Portrait of a Duchess packed with great intentions but fumbles the execution, and The Mistress Experience lands somewhere in between, I can these stories are nothing if not memorable. I'm curious what Scarlett Peckham will write next!

Sexy and emotional, this is very different than the other historical romances, as the heroine and hero have the roles reversed. Hes a buttoned up earl and shes a well known courtesan. I liked this one, as with The Siren, but didnt love it. I have a hard time connecting with the characters and enjoying the whole book, and found myself skipping ahead.
Thank you to the author and publisher for this arc.

A powerhouse of a feminist and sex-positive historical romance, Scarlett Peckham’s conclusion to the Society of Siren’s trilogy pairs a modest, proper earl with London’s most infamous courtesan. This historical romance pairs earthy sensuality with comforting hugs in a delicious blend. A+

Scarlett Peckham does it again!!! As devastated as I am to see the Society of Sirens series come to an end, I could not be happier that it ended with Thaïs getting her happily ever after with Alastair! The premise of auctioning off her companionship for a month was enough to bring me in, but the genuine friendship and affection that grew between Thaïs and Alastair had me hooked!!! This book had me laughing out loud, swooning, fanning myself, and crying both happy and heartbroken tears.

What I love most about Scarlett Peckham's FMC is the depth that she gives to each of these characters, whether it be Seraphina's past which shapes her current judgment, views, and endeavors; Cordeilia's intersectionality, or Thaïs' longing for someone to love her for true self and not despite it. I do not have the space in this little box to explain all of the ways I love these books and how they have easily found a spot among my all-time favorite historical romances.

I like this series but this installment wasn't the strongest for me but I did like the characterizagtion of the two leads

Thais is London’s favorite courtesan who never spends more than a night with a man. To raise money for women’s rights she auctions herself off for a full month. She believes one of her former paramours is the winner until she arrives at a cottage in the Cotswolds and finds Lord Alistair Eden. Alistair has a reputation for propriety and perfection and hopes that a month with Thais will teach him to be a skilled lover with his future wife. The pair slowly work through different levels of physical intimacy while also becoming closer emotionally.

I absolutely adore this series and this book was a perfect end (I believe) to it. I am fully obsessed with the cover and can’t wait to get a physical copy to have on my self. I loved loved loved Thais and Alistair. Their relationship was funny and sweet and I was fully invested. I struggled to put the book down and found myself devastated by the third act break up. I loved the side characters but appreciated that the book was really focused on Thais and Alistair and didn’t get lost in side plots. I wish there were a dozen more books in this series and I can’t wait to see what Scarlett writes next.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What do you do if you want to learn the proper way to please your future wife in bed? Bid on a month with a very popular courtesan of course?

The premise is different than most Historical Romance novels. We have an inexperienced man and a knowing woman.

It may put the genre on its head but it delivers in a frothy romance just the same.

Thank you Avon and NetGalley for the ARC.

The Mistress Experience is the newest release from Scarlett Peckham and this was so good! This is the 3rd book in the interconnected standalone, historical romance series and I loved this one!

Thaïs is the most infamous harlot in London and one month with her is up for auction to help raise money for the cause of women’s rights. Lord Alastair Eden is an earl, a radical politician, and a perfectionist in all things. He ends up secretly purchasing the month with Thaïs since he wants to take a wife soon and wants to know exactly how to please her...a skill he’s currently lacking in and knows it.

I absolutely adored this hero! He cooks, he wants to know exactly how to please his future wife, he wants to be able to harness his own urges. It was so fun seeing him paired up with Thaïs who is so much more brash and upfront about the topic of sex. He’s very prim and proper but in a very endearingly charming way! It was also nice seeing a hero who isn’t just a perfect rake in the bedroom and really needs help and wants to learn and things go awry and he struggles and they figure it out together. She also secretly wants a husband and children of her own one day and it was sweet seeing this pairing! Also some great sick/caretaking scenes in this one! While book 2 was a miss for me, 1 and 3 were both excellent but very different vibes.

I received an ARC, all thoughts in this review are my own.