Maurilia Meehan

Ailsa took a deep breath. “Now, I didn’t come here to make a scene. I’m a practical woman. I trained as a zoologist. I understand men’s urges.”

And she does. Pragmatic and world-weary, Ailsa Trewen has confronted several mistresses over the course of her marriage to the philandering Sid. But her plans for an animal sanctuary and a quiet future take an unexpected turn when Sid’s death in the arms of his latest lover leaves her a wealthy widow and she invests in a thriving hotel.

Not just any hotel, but Hotel d’Amour, a luxurious retreat for the businessman and the ‘other woman’. If a quirk of fate can make Ailsa head such an establishment, she might as well put her position to good use. Over gourmet dinners at her ‘mistresses only’ nights, her clients shed their inhibitions and share their experiences, telling tales of lust, envy and revenge as they explore the agonies, ecstasies (and ironies) of adultery. And with shared experience comes some peace, and the promise of another kind of sanctuary for Ailsa… wickedly amusing entertainment.