Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Under the Italian’s Command | 2008 | Susan Stephens | Buy |
| 2 | Mistress Under Contract | 2008 | Susan Stephens | Buy |
| 3 | The Maverick’s Greek Island Mistress | 2008 | Susan Stephens | Buy |
| 4 | Housekeeper at His Beck and Call | 2008 | Susan Stephens | Buy |
| 5 | Confessions of a Millionaire’s Mistress | 2008 | Susan Stephens | Buy |
| 6 | His Mistress, His Terms | 2008 | Susan Stephens | Buy |
| 7 | Playboy Boss, Live-In Mistress | 2008 | Susan Stephens | Buy |
| 8 | The Secret Mistress Arrangement | 2009 | Susan Stephens | Buy |
| 9 | Hot-Shot Tycoon, Indecent Proposal | 2009 | Susan Stephens | Buy |
| 10 | Magnate’s Mistress…Accidentally Pregnant! | 2009 | Susan Stephens | Buy |
| 11 | The Millionaire’s Misbehaving Mistress | 2009 | Susan Stephens | Buy |
Kept for His Pleasure is an eleven-book Harlequin Presents themed collection published entirely in 2008 and 2009. The series name sets the tone: each book features a heroine in a mistress or kept-woman arrangement with a wealthy hero. Under the Italian’s Command opens the series, and titles like Mistress Under Contract, His Mistress His Terms, and Playboy Boss Live-In Mistress follow the same thread throughout.
The mistress trope was one of Harlequin Presents’ signature themes during this period, and this collection gathers a concentrated dose of it. The heroes are Italian commanders, Greek island millionaires, tycoon bosses, and other powerful men who want the heroine on their terms. The heroines push back against being treated as accessories, and the conflict between desire and self-respect drives each story forward. Confessions of a Millionaire’s Mistress and The Millionaire’s Misbehaving Mistress add confessional and rebellious angles to the formula.
The Maverick’s Greek Island Mistress brings an island setting into the mix, while Housekeeper at His Beck and Call uses the classic employee-employer dynamic. All eleven books can be read independently, but together they form a solid block of late-2000s Harlequin Presents at its most characteristic.