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Enchanted Affair
SHE WAS A MOST UNUSUAL MISS, TO BE SURE!
Lovely Lisanne Neville had always found solace in the verdant beauty of Sevrin Woods. But now the woods were about to be destroyed in order to pay off the gambling debts of the Duke of St. Sevrin. Clearly, drastic measures were called for. So Lisanne proposed marriage to the duke. The her fortune for his woods.
The Duke of St. Sevrin put aside his bottle long enough to consider this mad bargain, recognizing he had nothing to offer this sprite of a girl save his crumbling home, hellish reputation, and mountain of bills. He accepted. It was not the beginning of a fairy-tale marriage--but never underestimate the power of love . . . and a little bit of magic!
Lovely Lisanne Neville had always found solace in the verdant beauty of Sevrin Woods. But now the woods were about to be destroyed in order to pay off the gambling debts of the Duke of St. Sevrin. Clearly, drastic measures were called for. So Lisanne proposed marriage to the duke. The her fortune for his woods.
The Duke of St. Sevrin put aside his bottle long enough to consider this mad bargain, recognizing he had nothing to offer this sprite of a girl save his crumbling home, hellish reputation, and mountain of bills. He accepted. It was not the beginning of a fairy-tale marriage--but never underestimate the power of love . . . and a little bit of magic!
228 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 30, 1996
About the author
Barbara Metzger
103 books201 followersBarbara Metzger is the author of over three dozen books and a dozen novellas. She has also been an editor, a proof-reader, a greeting card verse-writer, and an artist. When not painting, writing romances or reading them, she volunteers at the local library, gardens and goes beach-combing and yard-saling.
Her novels, mostly set in Regency-era England, have won numerous awards, including the Romance Writers of America RITA, the National Reader's Choice Award, and the Madcap award for humor in romance writing. In addition, Barbara has won two Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times Magazine.
Source: http://www.barbarametzger.com/about_b...
Her novels, mostly set in Regency-era England, have won numerous awards, including the Romance Writers of America RITA, the National Reader's Choice Award, and the Madcap award for humor in romance writing. In addition, Barbara has won two Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times Magazine.
Source: http://www.barbarametzger.com/about_b...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
June 2, 2019
3.5/5. Cinderella story of sort only heroine was her own fairy Godmother and although she did eventually run away from the ball, it was not the prince who went looking for her but her own ducal husband who was already familiar with her identity but wanted to familiarise himself with her person. We've got an unusual heroine in the highly intelligent and precocious Lisanne, who became Baroness Neville after her parents' premature death. She, who had always loved roaming around in the nearby Sevrin Woods as a young child turned to the forest for solace after her wicked uncle was assigned her guardian and moved his repulsive family into her home and the home in turn became her prison. In her isolation, she frequently found comfort in the woods where she considered the creatures there, real and mystical, her only friends and, with the aid of books and nature, she taught herself the botanical art of healing. As Lisanne blossoms into a wild and beautiful young girl, she finds herself subjected to greater oppression by the avaricious uncle who wants to extend his guardianship over her indefinitely, thereby retaining control over her extensive fortune and hence he encourages local gossip labelling her "Addled Annie".
The new Duke of St. Sevrin of the neighbouring estate inherited a dukedom buried in such debts that he has no hope of rectifying the damage wrought by his spendthrift father. Sloane drowns his troubles in grog while making just enough money through gambling to barely sustain himself and his loyal man. So when Lisanne emerges from the woods in the moonlight like an enchanted fairy creature and makes him an offer so outlandish, he thinks the drinking has addled his brain. Lisanne however is very serious - her hand in marriage and most of her fortune in exchange for him rescuing her from the clutches of her uncle. She might be a slip of a girl, but her shrew negotiation skills are thoughtful and rival that of any lawyer and he knows soon enough not to underestimate her intellect.
Lisanne drew herself up to her five feet naught height, the naught giving her dignity. “I am eight and ten, Your Grace, not a child.”
“Forgive me, Baroness, but you appear to be no more than fifteen.”
“And you are said to be twenty and seven, yet you look nearly forty.”
St. Sevrin turned to Lisanne. “Are you insane?”
“Can you afford to be so particular?” she replied, pointed chin raised, blue eyes flashing.
Lisanne made a fabulous heroine - strong, independent, and yet lonely and fragile at the same time. Her pain in the forest when she thought she had been abandoned by all was heart-rendering. Sloane was sweet with her right from the start, not wanting to take advantage of her vulnerable state. He was a bit impotent and held on to the grog like his crutch for far too long, but she inadvertently made him feel redundant with her efficiency and her money. He eventually got over his inferiority complex and became a bit more attentive and proactive. There wasn't enough dialogues between them to show how their MOC and feelings progressed as they got to know each other better. The writing was great as expected from Metzger and there were the usual witty observations but the romance was lacking with the protagonists being apart for at least half the book. It also skipped her training in all the skills required for her ton debut and court presentation.
... there’s a lady who needs rescuing, and she just might be the salvation of us all.” Sloane took a swallow. “Tell me, old man, do you think I’m beyond hope?”
“The devil hisself is not beyond hope. They call it religion. Why don’t you try going to church instead of to that accountant bloke?”
“I wasn’t thinking of divine intervention. Let’s start off with small miracles.”
The new Duke of St. Sevrin of the neighbouring estate inherited a dukedom buried in such debts that he has no hope of rectifying the damage wrought by his spendthrift father. Sloane drowns his troubles in grog while making just enough money through gambling to barely sustain himself and his loyal man. So when Lisanne emerges from the woods in the moonlight like an enchanted fairy creature and makes him an offer so outlandish, he thinks the drinking has addled his brain. Lisanne however is very serious - her hand in marriage and most of her fortune in exchange for him rescuing her from the clutches of her uncle. She might be a slip of a girl, but her shrew negotiation skills are thoughtful and rival that of any lawyer and he knows soon enough not to underestimate her intellect.
Lisanne drew herself up to her five feet naught height, the naught giving her dignity. “I am eight and ten, Your Grace, not a child.”
“Forgive me, Baroness, but you appear to be no more than fifteen.”
“And you are said to be twenty and seven, yet you look nearly forty.”
St. Sevrin turned to Lisanne. “Are you insane?”
“Can you afford to be so particular?” she replied, pointed chin raised, blue eyes flashing.
Lisanne made a fabulous heroine - strong, independent, and yet lonely and fragile at the same time. Her pain in the forest when she thought she had been abandoned by all was heart-rendering. Sloane was sweet with her right from the start, not wanting to take advantage of her vulnerable state. He was a bit impotent and held on to the grog like his crutch for far too long, but she inadvertently made him feel redundant with her efficiency and her money. He eventually got over his inferiority complex and became a bit more attentive and proactive. There wasn't enough dialogues between them to show how their MOC and feelings progressed as they got to know each other better. The writing was great as expected from Metzger and there were the usual witty observations but the romance was lacking with the protagonists being apart for at least half the book. It also skipped her training in all the skills required for her ton debut and court presentation.
... there’s a lady who needs rescuing, and she just might be the salvation of us all.” Sloane took a swallow. “Tell me, old man, do you think I’m beyond hope?”
“The devil hisself is not beyond hope. They call it religion. Why don’t you try going to church instead of to that accountant bloke?”
“I wasn’t thinking of divine intervention. Let’s start off with small miracles.”
April 11, 2022
3.5 stars.
Not as charming as her other books I've read. I thought Lisanne was too perfect (what can she not do?), and St. Sevrin was too much of a coward. It would have been better if they spent their time together after the wedding. Unfortunately, the author placed them apart after the wedding, and they spent most of their time nursing their misapprehension about each other.
Not as charming as her other books I've read. I thought Lisanne was too perfect (what can she not do?), and St. Sevrin was too much of a coward. It would have been better if they spent their time together after the wedding. Unfortunately, the author placed them apart after the wedding, and they spent most of their time nursing their misapprehension about each other.
March 9, 2022
Regency England. Sorry to say this felt average.
Featured were Sloan, an Army officer who became
a Duke & heiress Lisanne who was treated poorly
by her uncle once her parents died. Lisanne as
a girl had no one nearby, her age, so she made
friends with critters and plants in the forest. The
locals and her uncle/ his family thought her daft
and called her "Addled Annie." She rescued animals
and acted as a healer of animals & humans, using
herbs & so on.
At age 18, Lisanne approached Sloan and offered
marriage to him to pay his debts and restore his
country home. He'd receive a large portion of her
fortune and she a smaller portion. In exchange
she'd escape her uncle (who told his son to rape
her, which did not happen) who embezzled from
her. She wore cast-offs while uncle's dtr wore silk.
She'd also spend time in the woods, at will.
Sloan considered the h beautiful & intelligent, but
spent too much of the story doubting her sanity.
His kisses lacked passion. We saw this couple, once
wed, be separated too long. The H did not seem in
love with the h. This couple would have been better
off living in separate households?
Featured were Sloan, an Army officer who became
a Duke & heiress Lisanne who was treated poorly
by her uncle once her parents died. Lisanne as
a girl had no one nearby, her age, so she made
friends with critters and plants in the forest. The
locals and her uncle/ his family thought her daft
and called her "Addled Annie." She rescued animals
and acted as a healer of animals & humans, using
herbs & so on.
At age 18, Lisanne approached Sloan and offered
marriage to him to pay his debts and restore his
country home. He'd receive a large portion of her
fortune and she a smaller portion. In exchange
she'd escape her uncle (who told his son to rape
her, which did not happen) who embezzled from
her. She wore cast-offs while uncle's dtr wore silk.
She'd also spend time in the woods, at will.
Sloan considered the h beautiful & intelligent, but
spent too much of the story doubting her sanity.
His kisses lacked passion. We saw this couple, once
wed, be separated too long. The H did not seem in
love with the h. This couple would have been better
off living in separate households?
October 30, 2024
3.5 stars
December 11, 2021
Lisanne Neville is hands down the best thing about this book and the sole reason that I think it deserves 4-stars!
March 22, 2022
I adore early HRs, and Metzger never disappoints. Lisanne was sweet, lonely, self-sufficient and altogether lovable. Sloane was attentive but dissolute and a bit of a coward towards his feelings and his wife. It was a perfect read for a cosy afternoon with a cup of coffee by my side.
December 24, 2014
cute, Cinderella like story, except instead of a fairly godmother, she takes matters into her own hands. wish the greedy uncle got a bit more punishment for all the pain he cause than just having to spend his own money
December 10, 2023
Lost Opportunity
I love this book & thoroughly enjoyed (almost) all of it. Our two lead characters were equally irritating and endearing, but the author lost the opportunity to build their relationship into something deeper and more meaningful.
Lisanne was resentful; Sloane was selfish; neither communicated in a proper and meaningful way. Sloane’s absence for months and the subsequent return did nothing to either of them or their relationship. There were passages of wasted pondering and rumination when the author should have used the space later to develop their characters and marriage.
Do read as it is enjoyable.
I love this book & thoroughly enjoyed (almost) all of it. Our two lead characters were equally irritating and endearing, but the author lost the opportunity to build their relationship into something deeper and more meaningful.
Lisanne was resentful; Sloane was selfish; neither communicated in a proper and meaningful way. Sloane’s absence for months and the subsequent return did nothing to either of them or their relationship. There were passages of wasted pondering and rumination when the author should have used the space later to develop their characters and marriage.
Do read as it is enjoyable.
August 30, 2022
I did not like this much, particularly because there was too much of abuse (not graphic) at the hands of greedy relatives. RR as a genre have some very standard tropes, and this one employed two of my least favorite - MoC and MisUnderstanding (I feel MU has to be the most idiotic things; just a little bit of communication, even in the times of that high degree of formality should have easily avoided it).
I found it quite average, with run-of-the-mill plot and no humor to redeem it.
I found it quite average, with run-of-the-mill plot and no humor to redeem it.
March 24, 2015
ve it! Love the light story telling, the strong but seemingly weak and slightly otherworldly heroine, the 'depraved' but kind hero, and the entertaining mix of other characters. Delightful read.
February 11, 2020
This was somehow cute and whimsical. I loved Lisanne and thought she was a great heroine although somewhat peculiar - educated, knowledgeable, innocent and candid, believing in fairies and able to cure animals and people. But I didn't care much about Sloane. One moment the Duke was noble and on the path of reformation, the next - he was again sunk into debauchery. And I didn't like the lack of communication between these two. For me that was basically the plot hurdle - it was not that much the villains of the story (uncle Neville and family) or society's unacceptance of Lisanne, but the inability of the H and h to communicate clearly their feelings and wishes. So I would give this story a middle range "liked it" and move on to other light and fluff stories by Ms. Metzger.
Narrative: 3rd person following different characters, but mainly the H and h
Religion: none
Sensuality: clean, but talk of mistresses and light skirts
Narrative: 3rd person following different characters, but mainly the H and h
Religion: none
Sensuality: clean, but talk of mistresses and light skirts
June 26, 2021
Sweet story
The outline for almost every romance seems to be a couple who fixate on some misunderstanding from their first interaction and persist listening to their insecurities until the audience ready to scream at them to stop being ninnyhammers! Somehow Metzger writes with enough wit and detail to get through the formula enjoyalby. I would have liked to have read a bit more of the happily ever after. Did their children see fairies in the forests? More... I suppose she left me wanting more.
The outline for almost every romance seems to be a couple who fixate on some misunderstanding from their first interaction and persist listening to their insecurities until the audience ready to scream at them to stop being ninnyhammers! Somehow Metzger writes with enough wit and detail to get through the formula enjoyalby. I would have liked to have read a bit more of the happily ever after. Did their children see fairies in the forests? More... I suppose she left me wanting more.
March 3, 2023
Very Few Love Scenes forr a Love Story
As in most regency romances, our heroine is a rich orphan but treated very badly by her foster family as well as by her uncle who wants only her money. That is until our hero shows up. His father lost all their money but left him a Duke, one that drinks, gambles, has mistresses, and goes off to war. He ends up marrying our heroine for her money but then leaves her for almost the rest of the book. The love scene is one paragraph long. Too bad; the characters were interesting. The plot wasn't. I did not like this book.
As in most regency romances, our heroine is a rich orphan but treated very badly by her foster family as well as by her uncle who wants only her money. That is until our hero shows up. His father lost all their money but left him a Duke, one that drinks, gambles, has mistresses, and goes off to war. He ends up marrying our heroine for her money but then leaves her for almost the rest of the book. The love scene is one paragraph long. Too bad; the characters were interesting. The plot wasn't. I did not like this book.
November 26, 2023
It's hard to beat Metzger for dialogue, whether it's sharp and laugh-out-loud funny or poignant and moving. This is a lovely story with an unusual but appealing heroine and a flawed but deeply likeable hero. The villains are wonderfully hiss-worthy as well. I left off one star because the end felt rushed and therefore a bit unsatisfying. NOTE: I listened to the audio version read by the incomparable Pippa Rathborne. She takes a little getting used to at first, but she knows exactly how to bring out the best in Metzger's wonderful writing.
May 10, 2018
A soft 3
This started out really good. I like marriage of convenience stories. I thought it might be a 4 or 5 star read. However the day after the marriage which is not consummated by the way our hero goes to London and does not exchange a letter or have a conversation with the heroine until the 80% mark of the book. There is no romance really. A few pages before the end of the book they finally get it together. To little to late. Interesting premise though.
This started out really good. I like marriage of convenience stories. I thought it might be a 4 or 5 star read. However the day after the marriage which is not consummated by the way our hero goes to London and does not exchange a letter or have a conversation with the heroine until the 80% mark of the book. There is no romance really. A few pages before the end of the book they finally get it together. To little to late. Interesting premise though.
January 22, 2025
One of those stories that makes you smile and curl your toes in pleasure. Some may say the whole reformed rake thing doesn’t do it for them, but I thought this story went so well into the background and thoughts of the hero and heroine that I felt like I knew them better than they knew themselves. Besides, he treated her like a queen, so no matter what he had done in the past I could forgive it. Just a sweet, romantic, delightful, feel-good story.
September 1, 2018
Again, a bit disney-like story and quite an enjoyable read. I see some people think Lisanne is too perfect, but on the other hand, see that she is not generally well liked by people around her - they are wary of her, respect her, but don't understand her. It would be annoying as hell if everyone adored her - it was a lot more interesting the way it was. And a clean romance to boot -I was pleased.
July 24, 2025
This was unfortunately rushed at the end, they didn’t have the fairy plot anchieve anything except rumor and innuendo and the female main character is oddly both an expert at certain things without a believable background for this. The premise was promising but not enough pay-off. It’s the kind of book with an extensive re-write could be a fave of mine.
April 17, 2019
Charming and Enchanting!
What a refreshing and delightful novel filled with great wit and sparkling plot! Barbara Metzer’s writing never fails to be utterly charming!!! A must read book!
Helen
What a refreshing and delightful novel filled with great wit and sparkling plot! Barbara Metzer’s writing never fails to be utterly charming!!! A must read book!
Helen
October 18, 2021
I think it's more of a coming of age and just a tale of a girl who did not fit in. It's a little heavier than most Metzger. But Rathborn is wonderful, as usual. Her voice is perfect for the tone of the story. She is the empress of tongue in cheek!
March 15, 2023
Loved sweet little Lisanne. So sweet. I wish there would have been a little more romance in this. I also enjoyed the fact that they didnt rush “redemption” or an overnight change for the hero but wouldve liked to see a little more from him.
October 15, 2019
Quick read by Barbara Metzger - not one of my favorites of hers but another interesting premise for a story. Ending seemed a bit rushed.
November 19, 2019
Delightful.
July 16, 2020
Take one very sweet, caring girl with a tiny bit of magic and a hardened drunk and you have very interesting read. I enjoyed this read. It was funny and sweet.
No sex scenes, but didn't needed it.
No sex scenes, but didn't needed it.
March 11, 2021
Metzger never disappoints.
July 3, 2021
2.5 stars
July 29, 2022
I love this author, I think she wrote this book just for the pure pleasure of writing about fairies and magic. If you like those kinds of books you will love this one.
January 5, 2023
Nic enough but nothing special. The h was too perfect.
March 13, 2023
Delightful!
A different sort of romance full of broken and unacceptable characters that find being unacceptable precisely what they love about each other!
A different sort of romance full of broken and unacceptable characters that find being unacceptable precisely what they love about each other!
January 15, 2025
A good light hearted read. Sometimes that is just what I want.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews