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.

.A courtesan is hired to provide a nobleman with an education so that he can please his yet to be determined wife. The plot is different with an open door content, so this story is only for mature readers over 21. Characters are charming and the author shows their personalities from the inside out rather than what others believe to be true. This is a story in a series and while it can stand alone, I much prefer reading the entire series.

A very satisfying ending to the Society of Sirens. Thais was a charming protagonist, and this subverted a lot of the typical ways romances (especially historicals) talk about sex, so that was refreshing and engaging.

This book is hot, hot, hot!!!!

The Mistress Experience was a highly anticipated book 1) because I love Scarlett Peckham & 2) this is the last in the series. I am very ecstatic to report that this book exceeded my expectations.

I loved the couple so much. They had the perfect dynamic. The build-up to their love was done wonderfully and had the classic Peckham touch (which means cauldron hot chemistry!). The steamy scenes are out of this world. I think Peckham does a fantastic job with spice and The Mistress Experience is a display of this talent. I couldn't get enough of these two!!!

Definitely recommend!!

The Mistress Experience is third in The Society of Sirens series. This was a new to me author and I was able to read this as a standalone.

It was such a wonderful story and I loved every bit of it with all the great aspects of a historical romance - heartwarming with lovable characters and a sweet love story with heat mixed in.

I loved the MC, they both have a reputation in society that portrays them for who they are on the surface and they’re both content at being seen that way; but I loved how it was written to showcase who they were underneath, as well. They’re opposites that fit together beautifully with vulnerabilities that they’re able to share with one another to create an understanding and sweet bond.

This is great if you’re looking for: older MC (H 40, h didn’t catch age but late 20s?), close proximity, lessons, celibate hero and s*x worker heroine.

There were four encounters with a few brief scenes that I didn’t count.

I received an advance ebook from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This book tugged me out of a reading slump before I had even finished the first chapter. I inhaled it within 24 hours. If you aren’t aware, Scarlett Peckham can WRITE. Everything I look for in a romance was here: exceptional banter (with the bawdiest jokes), humor, so much swooning and tenderness between the MCs, a good grovel, and exquisite attention to detail in lovemaking, and sex lessons for the MC. To say I might be obsessed with this book is an understatement. The cover alone is breathtaking and after reading it so perfectly captures the story and the characters.

I would almost recommend going in blind to The Mistress Experiment (I saw the author name and cover and I was like, SOLD!). So I will not hold it against you if you choose not to read further and just go out immediately and get this book. But I will try my best not to spoil anything that might make your reading experience less. Thaïs is a sex worker, and probably the most notorious one in London and possibly all of England for her beauty, her ability in the bedroom, and her bawdy humor. She knows exactly who she is and loves her work; she uses the word whore and courtesan to describe herself without shame in those words. When the novel opens, she is being auctioned off to the highest bidder for a month of her time (she has the luxury to bed men only once and only one time a week), in exchange for the funds to be used by the Society of Women for their school.

I’ll skip to the good part; Thaïs mistakes the identity of whom pays for her services. And gah! the reasons he wants her? Only the most romantic thing ever—to give him lessons making him proficient at sex and to teach him how to make lovemaking good for his future wife. The lessons are EVERYTHING in this book. Here’s what I loved. Although this is very much open door and openly descriptive, Peckham uses Alastair’s uncomfortableness and eagerness with any sexual situation involving Thaïs to draw out their encounters. It’s almost a slowburn of the most delicious kind with the give and pull between what Alastair desires and the amount of control he’s willing to give up. Thaïs is so gentle with his insecurities and yet she doesn’t let him get away with anything. Likewise he is so kind-hearted and soft towards her, cracking her hardened exterior by truly seeing her for herself, and not just as a beautiful woman on a pedestal or as a lowly whore undeserving of affection.

The majority of the story takes place in a country cottage where Thaïs’s city girl personality truly shows. Her boredom brings playfulness and humor and with a month of time on their hands Peckham is able to delve deep into Alastair and Thaïs’s characters. I loved the cooking scenes and to have a hero who will not think twice about stepping below his station to provide for his mistress made my heart soar. This is competency kink at its best; Alastair wants to be “perfect” in all things, including the bedroom and it takes a Thaïs sized being to teach him.

You will not want to put this one down. I loved Alastair, loved Thaïs and loved the sex lessons premise (it’s so steamy—really really good!). I wish I got a little bit more out of the epilogue; what was the ton’s reaction? What is their future like together? But even though I have a few unanswered questions, this book is a solid five stars for all the feelings it drew out of me while reading. I received an early copy from Avon and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Steam: 🧯🧯🧯🧯
Number of 🐔: 5️⃣9️⃣ and one 🦚

I have a mixed relationship with Scarlett Peckham's books. I often feel like she is taking on way too much: these are sexy romances, with HEAs and lots of open door scenes, but they're also often used as vehicles to get across her sex positive feminism. (I think she succeeds at both the romance and the politics to an equal degree. And that degree is "almost!")

This book is her most conventional romance yet. Yes, the FMC is a sex worker, but any experienced HistRom reader could identify at least 3 other books with the same beats: super starchy nobleman falls for inappropriate woman; asks her to be his mistress because she's not suitable to be his wife; learns the error of his ways and proposes. Thais, the FMC, also has a pretty conventional end goal: she wants to have a family. Specifically, she wants to be a mom and have kids with a husband who is devoted only to her.

This is also my favorite entry in the series, and my second-favorite Peckham to date (after The Lord I Left). Maybe I'm conventional, or maybe I'm just a sucker for a virgin (or virgin-adjacent) hero who falls for a more experienced woman. Who knows?

OK, in more detail: Thais, London's most celebrated and sought-after courtesan, hires out her services for a full month to the highest bidder, profits going to a feminist cause. Lord Eden hires her - secretly! - to get him ready to be able to please whoever he ends up marrying in bed. Eden suffers from premature ejaculation. Plus, he'd probably identify as demi in this day and age; he is uncomfortable both mentally and physically with the idea of having sex with a stranger. Once Thais arrives, they live together in close proximity (he has a tiny cottage without any live-in servants and COOKS FOR HER EVERY NIGHT). They end up being compatible in and out of the bedroom, but he knows he can't marry a notorious sex worker!

Peckham does do some interesting things with this relatively common setup: Eden is starchy, and can't imagine marrying someone below his station, but less because he's a snob and more because he's seen what happens in these "mismatched marriages": his father DID marry "below himself," which (Eden thinks) caused a lot of issues, even leading to his mother's death by suicide (CW alert!). Eden is also a political progressive, and he intellectually understands that he is not Thais's social better. His obsession with the perfect has led him to miss out on a lot of things in life, not just his current conundrum with Thais.

Anyhow, I really liked this one! Plus the Avon covers of the Society of Sirens really knocked it out of the park.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

Renowned and exclusive courtesan Thaïs has auctioned off a month of her time to raise funds for her friends’ charity and is expecting to spend a month in the country with a dissolute rake. She’s surprised to find herself at a rustic cottage with a very straightlaced earl instead. Alastair is planning to take a wife this season and needs some lessons in the bedroom to ensure that he’s fulfilling his wife’s needs. He’s secretly hired Thaïs to help him be able to perform. Due to all sorts of insecurity and hang-ups and his overwhelming desire for her, Alastair is incredibly awkward and reserved. He clearly needs to have trust and an emotional connection to be open to any sort of physical activity and it takes quite some time to pull him out of his shell. Over this month in isolation, we get to see a steamy slow burn romance develop and these two people connect and let down their walls. The heartbreaking downside of course is that they’ll have to go back to reality and it’s not like this ever-proper earl could marry a courtesan. Or so he thinks.