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Dangerous Enchantment
Why do some women always manage to fall for a man who they know from the start can never be any good to them?Julie Kennedy, like most girls, had hero-worshipped the famous television singer Manuel Cortez from afar, but it had never entered her head that she might meet him, let alone that he would show an interest in her. But it all happened, and before she knew where she was Julie had fallen hopelessly in love with him. Hopelessly-because, as she well knew, to Manuel she was just another in a long line of adoring women, never to be taken seriously, never to last long.Her head told her she must break away from him or regret it bitterly-but her head had no control over her heart…
175 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1969
6 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
About the author
Anne Mather
799 books359 followersAnne Mather is the pseudonym used by Mildred Grieveson, a popular British author of over 160 romance novels. She also signed novels as Caroline Fleming and Cardine Fleming.
Mildred Grieveson began to write down stories in her childhood years. The first novel that she actually finished, Caroline (1965), was also her first book to be published. Her novel, Leopard in the Snow (1974), was developed into a 1978 film.
Mildred Grieveson began to write down stories in her childhood years. The first novel that she actually finished, Caroline (1965), was also her first book to be published. Her novel, Leopard in the Snow (1974), was developed into a 1978 film.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 3, 2021
Possibly the most outrageously hideous outfit ever is to be found in Dangerous Enchantment (1969):
I googled "salmon-pink crimplene" and got this:
I think even the dowdiest schoolmarm or vicar's wife would shrink from wearing it, let alone on a first date with Julio Iglesias. But that's what 21-year-old Julie chooses to wear when asked to dinner by internationally famous Latino pop-star 34-year-old Manuel Cortez. Manuel has lots of black hair and great big sideburns, and even though he's only in his mid-thirties, he's got "lines" which make him look older. Really not a very delightful prospect.
Julie is awful. She's unambitious, prissy, endlessly leading on her perfectly pleasant boyfriend Paul and constantly lying to him. She gets frankly weird and stalkerish, invading Manuel's flat when he cancels a date, issuing commands to his manservant, and playing nurse when he's unconscious in bed. We're frequently told that Julie is really into babies and children. I suppose this was considered a more attractive personality trait for a lower middle class girl in the 1960s than career aspirations. But to a modern reader, it's not very appealing. She keeps kissing Manuel, then freaking out that it's going too far. He hasn't even tried to grope her or take her clothes off, yet she gets all panicky and irate. She even vomits after their first date.
Manuel jets off overseas (probably to escape her) and we get this:
Then comes a scene so terrible I found it difficult to read. Manuel, back in the UK and clearly a sucker for punishment, picks up Julie from work and drives her home. She's insanely rude to him: surly and sulky. Then she accuses him of driving her home because he had another woman in his flat. Not that she even wanted a lift from him, let alone to go back to his place.
It gets worse. Manuel gets out to open her door or talk to her or whatever, and she starts freaking out that he's going to hit her (why?!) and calling her father to escape him. "Daddy!" she cried thankfully.
W. T. F. ? Manuel hasn't even tried to lay a finger on her.
It gets even more worse. She has a date with Paul and some Manuel Iglesias records are playing. This turns Julie on and she starts kissing Paul more fervently. He's shocked and "thrust her away" from him, demanding to know "where she learnt to kiss like that" etc.
The Other Woman is the gloriously-named Dolores Arriviera but there's sadly not much of her. She does "laugh a brittle laugh" in one scene and grip Julie's skin with her "sharp nails". The other Other Woman turns out to be Manuel's 16-year-old daughter. I'm not sure why Anne Mather decided to saddle him with a daughter.
Julie gets flu. People keep getting sick in this book, when they're not in hospital having babies called "Tony". Then she decides to go to America as her friend's nanny. She needs a smallpox vaccination for this, which is rather a shame, because a hasty death from smallpox would save us from another hundred pages of her.
Before she goes, she invites herself round to Manuel's apartment, defying the "commissaire" (doorman/concierge/security guard) to sneak up in the lift. She discovers that Manuel is out with Dolores Arriviera, so leaves again. Naturally she bumps into Manuel in the lobby and accepts yet another lift in his green Ferrari. Then - oh cringe oh cringe oh cringe - she asks him if he "loves" Dolores. Manuel basically tells her to piss off - "I don't need you, honey" - and once more buggers off overseas again.
This couple have had like ONE DATE. Her level of obsession with Manuel is chilling.
Anyway it's now March in California. We're in for a string of bizarre randomness. Julie's-friend's-husband's-colleague's-mate turns out to be Manuel's brother Felipe. Ben (the husband) is some sort of artist and wants to paint Manuel. Separately, Julie's O-level German leads her to help a nun communicate with a sick a Polish sailor in a Mission Hospital. One of the doctors working there turns out to be "Felipe Cortez" and the spitting image of Manuel.
Wanna bet? Try looking up "John Smith" in the London phone book and then do your "math" on the Hispanic population of California. Anyway, obviously this one is Manuel's brother, because we're past the half-way point (80 pages to go) and Anne Mather has got to reconnect the protagonists somehow. Julie starts working as a volunteer at the hospital. Please become a nun, Julie. Please become a nun and spare us all..
But no. Manuel reappears, gets jealous about Julie and Felipe.
Manuel has a car crash. Proposes to Julie. The End.
Some bonus vintage notes:
1. Manuel's bedroom has silk sheets and a "vivid tangerine" carpet. He has a dark blue silk dressing gown. In California he drives a pale blue Cadillac with leather "in a brilliant shade of orange".
2. I don't know if my copy was edited for the American market, but they keep going on about a "roadhouse". It appears to be a regular British pub.
3. It's explained to us that French fries were what "Julie would have called chips".
She had dressed with care in a new Crimplene two-piece of a delicious shade of salmon pink. The flared skirt was calf-length while the short jacket was double-breasted and scalloped on the neckline. With it she wore her double string of pearls and a beige llama coat
I googled "salmon-pink crimplene" and got this:
I think even the dowdiest schoolmarm or vicar's wife would shrink from wearing it, let alone on a first date with Julio Iglesias. But that's what 21-year-old Julie chooses to wear when asked to dinner by internationally famous Latino pop-star 34-year-old Manuel Cortez. Manuel has lots of black hair and great big sideburns, and even though he's only in his mid-thirties, he's got "lines" which make him look older. Really not a very delightful prospect.
Julie is awful. She's unambitious, prissy, endlessly leading on her perfectly pleasant boyfriend Paul and constantly lying to him. She gets frankly weird and stalkerish, invading Manuel's flat when he cancels a date, issuing commands to his manservant, and playing nurse when he's unconscious in bed. We're frequently told that Julie is really into babies and children. I suppose this was considered a more attractive personality trait for a lower middle class girl in the 1960s than career aspirations. But to a modern reader, it's not very appealing. She keeps kissing Manuel, then freaking out that it's going too far. He hasn't even tried to grope her or take her clothes off, yet she gets all panicky and irate. She even vomits after their first date.
Manuel jets off overseas (probably to escape her) and we get this:
Paul, now she was away from Manuel's disturbing presence, became once again a very pleasant young man, and she found that if she tried very hard she could practically dispel all thoughts of Manuel from her mind when she was with Paul.
Then comes a scene so terrible I found it difficult to read. Manuel, back in the UK and clearly a sucker for punishment, picks up Julie from work and drives her home. She's insanely rude to him: surly and sulky. Then she accuses him of driving her home because he had another woman in his flat. Not that she even wanted a lift from him, let alone to go back to his place.
It gets worse. Manuel gets out to open her door or talk to her or whatever, and she starts freaking out that he's going to hit her (why?!) and calling her father to escape him. "Daddy!" she cried thankfully.
W. T. F. ? Manuel hasn't even tried to lay a finger on her.
It gets even more worse. She has a date with Paul and some Manuel Iglesias records are playing. This turns Julie on and she starts kissing Paul more fervently. He's shocked and "thrust her away" from him, demanding to know "where she learnt to kiss like that" etc.
The Other Woman is the gloriously-named Dolores Arriviera but there's sadly not much of her. She does "laugh a brittle laugh" in one scene and grip Julie's skin with her "sharp nails". The other Other Woman turns out to be Manuel's 16-year-old daughter. I'm not sure why Anne Mather decided to saddle him with a daughter.
Julie gets flu. People keep getting sick in this book, when they're not in hospital having babies called "Tony". Then she decides to go to America as her friend's nanny. She needs a smallpox vaccination for this, which is rather a shame, because a hasty death from smallpox would save us from another hundred pages of her.
Before she goes, she invites herself round to Manuel's apartment, defying the "commissaire" (doorman/concierge/security guard) to sneak up in the lift. She discovers that Manuel is out with Dolores Arriviera, so leaves again. Naturally she bumps into Manuel in the lobby and accepts yet another lift in his green Ferrari. Then - oh cringe oh cringe oh cringe - she asks him if he "loves" Dolores. Manuel basically tells her to piss off - "I don't need you, honey" - and once more buggers off overseas again.
This couple have had like ONE DATE. Her level of obsession with Manuel is chilling.
Anyway it's now March in California. We're in for a string of bizarre randomness. Julie's-friend's-husband's-colleague's-mate turns out to be Manuel's brother Felipe. Ben (the husband) is some sort of artist and wants to paint Manuel. Separately, Julie's O-level German leads her to help a nun communicate with a sick a Polish sailor in a Mission Hospital. One of the doctors working there turns out to be "Felipe Cortez" and the spitting image of Manuel.
It could not be such a coincidence that there were two Felipe Cortez' in San Fransciso.
Wanna bet? Try looking up "John Smith" in the London phone book and then do your "math" on the Hispanic population of California. Anyway, obviously this one is Manuel's brother, because we're past the half-way point (80 pages to go) and Anne Mather has got to reconnect the protagonists somehow. Julie starts working as a volunteer at the hospital. Please become a nun, Julie. Please become a nun and spare us all..
But no. Manuel reappears, gets jealous about Julie and Felipe.
"I have known dozens of women in my time," he muttered, " and they are all alike in that they are greedy and selfish. You must be the same!"
Manuel has a car crash. Proposes to Julie. The End.
Some bonus vintage notes:
1. Manuel's bedroom has silk sheets and a "vivid tangerine" carpet. He has a dark blue silk dressing gown. In California he drives a pale blue Cadillac with leather "in a brilliant shade of orange".
2. I don't know if my copy was edited for the American market, but they keep going on about a "roadhouse". It appears to be a regular British pub.
3. It's explained to us that French fries were what "Julie would have called chips".
June 12, 2017
I'm trying to find and read the first 100 Harlequin Presents. This is book #41. It was originally published in 1969 and the HP edition is from 1974. So this was a fairly old fashioned story. There was very much an element of good girls don't sleep with any man before marriage. The hero was a world renowned musician, think Tom Jones maybe. He had side burns and leisure suits with skinny legged slacks. So basically he falls for this good girl who he eventually learns to love. How much is because she won't put out I don't know. It was well written and moved along pretty quickly. Some of these old HPs are as slow as molasses but this one wasn't.
October 11, 2025
In a nutshell: It bored me. It was not exciting. All issues I have below come down to this: they didn't make an interesting story. It's clean. So is your tv instruction manual. Fun book by same author: Melting Fire. Read that one.
In detail: Not an interesting book and that is an understatement. The h falls in love with the H because... I don't know really. She liked his songs and I suppose he's not a bad guy? The Hthe author tells us and we have to believe her falls in love with the h because.... she won't sleep with him??? That's it really.
They dance once, go out a couple of times and she really, really feels the chemistry with this guy. The physical chemistry I will assume, cause their dialog bored me, they must have fallen asleep. Then we -repeatedly- have this:
Heroine (thinks): He's so hot! I want to touch him. I want to kiss him.
Hero: Lets go on a date.
Heroine: Ok.
(While on date he kisses her or just tries to kiss her or gives her a compliment.)
Heroine: Don't touch me! Don't flirt with me!
(Heroine acts hysterical and runs away.)
Alternate ending:
Heroine: Don't touch me! Don't flirt with me!
Hero: Ok. Get lost. Its not like I care.
The hero: Unlike the alpha guys of the time, this guy is not pushy. A beta hero would pursue his love more. This guy actually convinced me he was indifferent. He brakes off repeatedly, he leaves for California, he doesn't try to win her, they're spending NO time together.
The heroine: She is a cold fish too. Boring, stuffy, mean. She pines away in private, somehow all the secondary characters know she's in love with him and the only feeling I got from her when they were together was 'Get lost you sleaze' and a lot of holier than thou aggression. She's figure out he's not the marrying type you see so her plan is: accept dates, act like an ass, leave or be such an idiot that he kicks you out. How to win your man, ladies!!!
The book was finishing and there was no chemistry. There was no ROMANCE either. And in the last 10 pages -which I skimmed cause I couldn't care less- they say they love each other. Good for you. I didn't see it. You weren't in the same city or the same CONTINENT most of the book. And I was extremely bored.
In detail: Not an interesting book and that is an understatement. The h falls in love with the H because... I don't know really. She liked his songs and I suppose he's not a bad guy? The H
They dance once, go out a couple of times and she really, really feels the chemistry with this guy. The physical chemistry I will assume, cause their dialog bored me, they must have fallen asleep. Then we -repeatedly- have this:
Heroine (thinks): He's so hot! I want to touch him. I want to kiss him.
Hero: Lets go on a date.
Heroine: Ok.
(While on date he kisses her or just tries to kiss her or gives her a compliment.)
Heroine: Don't touch me! Don't flirt with me!
(Heroine acts hysterical and runs away.)
Alternate ending:
Heroine: Don't touch me! Don't flirt with me!
Hero: Ok. Get lost. Its not like I care.
The hero: Unlike the alpha guys of the time, this guy is not pushy. A beta hero would pursue his love more. This guy actually convinced me he was indifferent. He brakes off repeatedly, he leaves for California, he doesn't try to win her, they're spending NO time together.
The heroine: She is a cold fish too. Boring, stuffy, mean. She pines away in private, somehow all the secondary characters know she's in love with him and the only feeling I got from her when they were together was 'Get lost you sleaze' and a lot of holier than thou aggression. She's figure out he's not the marrying type you see so her plan is: accept dates, act like an ass, leave or be such an idiot that he kicks you out. How to win your man, ladies!!!
The book was finishing and there was no chemistry. There was no ROMANCE either. And in the last 10 pages -which I skimmed cause I couldn't care less- they say they love each other. Good for you. I didn't see it. You weren't in the same city or the same CONTINENT most of the book. And I was extremely bored.
August 14, 2012
I didn't think I would enjoy this book but since I'm a rather huge Anne Mather fan and have been reviewing all the books I've read by her, I figured I needed to read this one too.
I wasn't disappointed. The hero was kind of a brooding ass a lot of the time but I love how fate kept putting him in the heroines path. It was kind of romantic, especially when the hero got all jealous about his brother associating with the heroine.
I wasn't disappointed. The hero was kind of a brooding ass a lot of the time but I love how fate kept putting him in the heroines path. It was kind of romantic, especially when the hero got all jealous about his brother associating with the heroine.
August 23, 2021
Like most women, Julie Kennedy hero-worshipped the famous star Manuel Cortez from afar ? but she had never imagined in a million years that he might actually show an interest in her! But it had all happened so quickly, and before she knows it Julie has fallen hopelessly in love with him. She knows that she has to break away from him or regret it bitterly - but her head has no control over her heart…
August 1, 2017
Boring book very less interaction between hero and heroine.
December 27, 2018
Deadly dull.
June 24, 2020
Enjoyable
October 26, 2025
#41 of first 100 HPs
August 28, 2016
A good read.
Young woman meets sexy older man and is overwhelmed by the feelings he triggers in her unawakened body. Poor Julie has never experienced these feelings before and is both drawn to handsome Manuel and afraid of him. Trying to understand what she is feeling and realizing he sees her as a game as he does not respect the female gender at all, leaves her confused.
Manuel can be a bit of an ass and in order to protect his heart treats her cruelly and makes her feel foolish. She goes back to her life and tries to forget him as easily as he seems to forgotten her. They meet again months later just when she is learning to forget him and live again. He of course has not changed his lifestyle and doesn't realize the heartache he caused her. She still tries to forget him as he is no good for her. An accident occurs that brings both their feelings to the surfaces.
Was a well written read with a lot of simmering passion and emotions but sometimes both the hero and heroine pissed me off with their attitudes. Julie was such a cowardly ninny in the beginning but towards the end she seemed to mature only to revert to a silly girl again when he gets injuried. Manuel was extremely superior and selfish in that he believed all women find him attractive and should give him what he wants. He treats Julie like experiened woman than puts her down when she won't let him take her to bed. He comes off as an unfeeling jerk, which makes him hard to like until he shows his other caring side. Loads of tension and emotions.
Young woman meets sexy older man and is overwhelmed by the feelings he triggers in her unawakened body. Poor Julie has never experienced these feelings before and is both drawn to handsome Manuel and afraid of him. Trying to understand what she is feeling and realizing he sees her as a game as he does not respect the female gender at all, leaves her confused.
Manuel can be a bit of an ass and in order to protect his heart treats her cruelly and makes her feel foolish. She goes back to her life and tries to forget him as easily as he seems to forgotten her. They meet again months later just when she is learning to forget him and live again. He of course has not changed his lifestyle and doesn't realize the heartache he caused her. She still tries to forget him as he is no good for her. An accident occurs that brings both their feelings to the surfaces.
Was a well written read with a lot of simmering passion and emotions but sometimes both the hero and heroine pissed me off with their attitudes. Julie was such a cowardly ninny in the beginning but towards the end she seemed to mature only to revert to a silly girl again when he gets injuried. Manuel was extremely superior and selfish in that he believed all women find him attractive and should give him what he wants. He treats Julie like experiened woman than puts her down when she won't let him take her to bed. He comes off as an unfeeling jerk, which makes him hard to like until he shows his other caring side. Loads of tension and emotions.
August 17, 2023
Ugh
Judging by the other reviews, I'm apparently alone in feeling that Julie was annoyingly pathetic and showed no self respect. I understand that the attraction was strong, but what was Manuel's appeal? Other than the good Samaritan portion Anne Mather added to this character to make him
a little likeable. I was literally cringing in some places and the only reason I finished this book was because I paid for it. A year later I read it again and felt the same.
Judging by the other reviews, I'm apparently alone in feeling that Julie was annoyingly pathetic and showed no self respect. I understand that the attraction was strong, but what was Manuel's appeal? Other than the good Samaritan portion Anne Mather added to this character to make him
a little likeable. I was literally cringing in some places and the only reason I finished this book was because I paid for it. A year later I read it again and felt the same.
June 8, 2013
مترجمة للعربية بعنوان " الغيمة أصلها ماء"
i like it
i like it
November 20, 2014
The hero made me mad
Like he's so freaking special that she should be glad he paid her any attention at all?
I'm glad his brother messed with his head about the heroine
Like he's so freaking special that she should be glad he paid her any attention at all?
I'm glad his brother messed with his head about the heroine
May 24, 2014
This female really seemed to have no pride!
April 29, 2021
3.5* This was one of my mum's in her old hardback collection. I enjoyed the story at the time and on subsequent readings.
September 20, 2016
كعادة روايات عبير ممتعه
ومليئه بالرومانسية
لكنها ليست الافضل
ومليئه بالرومانسية
لكنها ليست الافضل
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews