Andrew Rossiter has been living as a whore since he was seven years old. Men and women alike desire his good looks and prowess in bed which is fine by him since his flexible morals only care about the money his clients pay him with. But when he has to rescue his son from assassins, the only thing he can do is try and turn his ill-gotten gains to the purpose of hiding his son and making a new life for both of them. Which is all easier said than done when he ends up on a cold and dank island that may be remote, but comes with a harpy of a nursemaid. A harpy nursemaid whom his son adores, and (to his surprise) can stir his jaded senses without even trying.

Gemma Peartree may have gotten off on the wrong foot with Andrew and the house staff, but she NEEDS her job. Her past isn’t so stellar either, and spending it hiding with the far too handsome and angelic looking employer who makes her heart flutter is a better fate than the one that awaits her elsewhere. She grew up with whores so she understands Andrew. Every time he tries to drive her away she knows that he’s really just afraid of wanting her closer.

And this is why this book works so well. Andrew is a much darker character than any others in Robinson’s “Courtesan Court” series. He’s been sexually used and abused for so many years that he doesn’t know what it’s like to be cared about for himself. I’ve enjoyed the other books of the series, but this one is my favorite. Finally I got to see inside the mind of the enigmatic and sultry Andrew Rossiter. He’s been a fantastic secondary character, but as a leading man he kept me up all night turning pages.

Gemma is his perfect foil. Because she too is damaged and has grown up around people like Andrew there aren’t any secrets or big misunderstandings to take up valuable pages. When Andrew reveals the dark side of himself, Gemma just looks at him and shrugs, making him wonder if maybe he isn’t so dark and dangerous after all.

The plot with his son is well-woven in, too. Often with children in a book like this the child is either ignored or takes over too much of the story. But Robinson uses him and the threat to his life perfectly. He was never in the way of the adult’s talk and very hot sex, but he was a tool that brought them together nicely.

Bottom Line: The best book in this series and one a fan of tortured heroes will love.”

Thanks, Cybil!

Verdict: Master of Sin is so much more than an erotic historical romance novel. Its emotional depth and the exploration of Andrew’s healing touched my heart…If you are not afraid of a bit of emotional baggage and a seriously tortured hero you shouldn’t miss out on Master of Sin, it is a wonderful story and a worthy ending to this great series.” The whole thoughtful, wonderful review with excerpts of the book is here.

Overall the story is one of redemption; neither character feels worth of love but both find it. Those who loved Maggie’s Mistress by Mistake, Mistress by Marriage and Mistress by Midnight will love Master of Sin. I was slightly saddened by the fact that this final book to the series didn’t include Mistress in the title. Luckily, the book provided everything that made me fall in love with the novels that have come before it. Maggie is an author you don’t want to miss and this story and series are ones you will want to read sooner rather than later!”

Thank you, reviewer Tiffany!

For Mistress by Marriage at Love Saves the World: “Robinson showcases her technical skills as a writer in this series…This is a story unlike any other that I have read — and I am delighted to have read it.”

I’m packing for my first-ever Romantic Times convention, since Margaret Rowe is nominated for a 2011 RT Reviewers Choice award! I hope the week ends as nicely as it began.

Andrew is forced into hiding when he witnesses the murder of an Italian duke and duchess. Andrew must flee with the couple’s young son – a boy who Andrew fathered in exchange for money – and hide from the murderer (as Marc, the young boy is technically the heir to the dukedom). Andrew arranges to change his name, buy a house far removed from society and hire a woman to help take care of Marc. This is how Gemma ends up stranded in Andrew’s new and somewhat tired home with a housekeeper who doesn’t speak English. The two take an immediate dislike to each other, but Gemma does bond immediately with young Marc.

Much of Andrew and Gemma’s relationship is antagonistic. Andrew wants Gemma to leave, but Gemma has nowhere to go. She also starts to care for her taciturn boss as much as she does for his son. Unfortunately, Andrew isn’t particularly proud of his past, and he isn’t sure how to deal with freely given affection. My heart bled for his tortured soul, especially as he struggled with his feelings for both Gemma and his son.

I have not read the first three books in Robinson’s Courtesan Court series. I was not lost at all, but suspect that Andrew may have been an important character in earlier books – and I do wish that I had read them first. There is much talk of Edward and Caroline who are the hero and heroine of “Mistress by Marriage.” I will be going back to read these books when I get a chance.

“Master of Sin” by Maggie Robinson is a highly emotional romance with tortured characters who find kindred spirits in each other. While I did expect this book to be sexier given Andrew’s history, the intimate moments between Andrew and Gemma were rather tender and quite fitting. After all, Andrew desperately wanted to leave his past behind. This one packs an emotional punch that will satisfy readers.”

Thank you, Jennifer!

Some nice reviews have been posted. “Sinfully grand indulgence. A wicked and sensual delight” from The Romance Reviews. “A wonderfully satisfying, sensual romance” from Rogues Under the Covers. Yay!

So her review of Master of Sin means more to me than I can say. My “link” link to this blog seems to be broken, so I’m reposting the review from her blog Just Janga in its entirety.

“Andrew Rossiter is a male prostitute who is paying a return visit to Duca Allesandro di Maneiro and his wife. Rossiter, who fathered the couple’s heir, two-and-a- half-year-old Marco, has been hired to impregnate the duchess a second time. The key players are on board the duke’s yacht when assassins board it, killing the duke and duchess. Andrew escapes with the child, but knowing his son’s life remains in jeopardy, he establishes a new identity on an isolated island in the Outer Hebrides. Andrew Rossiter has become Andrew Ross, a widower with one child.

Waiting for him on the island is Gemma Peartree, an impertinent sprite who speaks six languages. Their meeting is unpropitious. Gemma has been waiting on the island for two weeks. The house Andrew has purchased through agents is in disrepair, Gemma’s possessions have been lost, and the island is cold and wind-blown. Gemma badly needs a bath and a change of clothing. When Andrew first sees her, she looks more like scullery maid than a governess. Andrew is eager to be rid of her. Not only is she not governess material, but also the inexplicable attraction he feels threatens his vow to put sin behind him. More important, Marco, who has been ripped from all that is familiar to him, forms a quick attachment to Gemma, who is gentle with him and the only person on the Gaelic-speaking island who speaks Italian. And, as Gemma keeps reminding Andrew, she has a contract.

Both Andrew and Gemma are haunted by their pasts and protective of their secrets. Andrew’s past is more deeply shadowed than Gemma’s. His angelic looks are ironic in view of his sordid secrets and the dark forces that shaped him from childhood. He believes himself incapable of giving or receiving love and unworthy of happiness. It will take all Gemma’s stubbornness and all her wiles to persuade Andrew that he has a heart that can be filled with love for her and for his son, to convince him that a future untainted by the past is within his reach.

Redemption stories are among my favorites, and this one is superb. First of all, it truly is about a man in need of redemption. Readers familiar with Mistress by Marriage will know that Andrew Rossiter is no titled hero suffering from a guilty conscience over wasting his substance on drink and doxies. He is, as Gemma recognizes full well, “a man who had done everything with everybody.” But the most fertile ground for love’s redemptive powers is often found in the hearts of those who believe themselves unfit to be redeemed. Second, both Andrew and Gemma grow during the course of the book. Revelation of secrets sheds healing light, and the love they feel for one another and for Marc frees them to become more fully the selves they were meant to be.

This final book in Robinson’s Courtesan Court series is a dark story, but it is also one filled with flashes of humor and seductive sensuality with characters who compel the reader’s interest. It has the added benefit of Robinson’s lucid, skillfully crafted prose. If you’ve read Robinson’s other Courtesan Court books (Mistress by Mistake, Mistress by Midnight, and Mistress by Marriage), you probably have Master of Sin on your TBB list. If you haven’t read Robinson yet, what are you waiting for? Master of Sin can be read as a standalone. And I’m betting that you’ll find these books the verbal equivalent of Lay’s potato chips: bet you can’t read just one.”

Thank you, Janga!