What do you think?
Rate this book
Lissa
When Viscount Stapleford arrived at his country estate to recover from an unfortunate love affair, every mama bought her marriageable daughter a new gown in the hope she might catch his eye. But he shunned them all.
The only one who caught his interest was sixteen-year-old Lissa Wayburn. Her fine straight nose, remarkably fine eyes, and riot of glorious copper curls seemed to belie her unknown birth and doubtful respectability. The viscount took her in as a companion for his sister, giving her an education in the ways of the polite world.
The disappointment and jealousy of the frustrated mamas and daughters bred a dangerous scandal. Lissa was left with no choice but to run away. For she and Stapleford found themselves falling in love.
Now he had to find her—and try to uncover the true facts about her birth. . . .
Mira Stables is the author of many historical fiction novels, including The Byram Succession, The Swynden Necklace and Golden Barrier .
The only one who caught his interest was sixteen-year-old Lissa Wayburn. Her fine straight nose, remarkably fine eyes, and riot of glorious copper curls seemed to belie her unknown birth and doubtful respectability. The viscount took her in as a companion for his sister, giving her an education in the ways of the polite world.
The disappointment and jealousy of the frustrated mamas and daughters bred a dangerous scandal. Lissa was left with no choice but to run away. For she and Stapleford found themselves falling in love.
Now he had to find her—and try to uncover the true facts about her birth. . . .
Mira Stables is the author of many historical fiction novels, including The Byram Succession, The Swynden Necklace and Golden Barrier .
Hardcover
First published September 12, 1979
28 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 2, 2022
This is one of my favourite authors this year, and definitely one of my favourite works of hers.
The characters are intriguing and with a good fullness to them.
The story is interesting and throughout flows well, without any boring bits!
The characters are intriguing and with a good fullness to them.
The story is interesting and throughout flows well, without any boring bits!
May 25, 2018
Predictable, unoriginal story. Pretty sure I've read similar before. A great pity as I liked the author's other books.
August 13, 2018
Lovely
I don’t know why I refrained from reading this book sooner. This is, I believe, my third book by Mira Stables I have read and I have enjoyed everyone of them. It’s so hard for me to discover good, wholesome Regency fiction that I enjoy, but I’ve definitely found that in Mira Stables books.
*Spoiler*
In Lissa, we are introduced to an “orphan”, Lissa, who is quickly elevated to that of companion of the local “Lord’s” sister, Mary. While Lissa is young, there is a maturity as well as an innocence and purity of heart that quickly attracts Mary’s Brother to Lissa. Yet it is unheard of that someone from a noble house could marry a girl with no clue as to whom her antecedents are. The Viscount could careless and is prepared to marry Lissa regardless of her background. However, his grandfather whilst he is sympathetic to his grandsons feelings, does not wish any scandal to come to their family name and so goes about making arrangements for Lissa...
This was a really well written story with an engaging plot and likable characters. While it can’t quite compare to Heyer, it’s a good fill when you’re thirsting for a good Regency novel.
I don’t know why I refrained from reading this book sooner. This is, I believe, my third book by Mira Stables I have read and I have enjoyed everyone of them. It’s so hard for me to discover good, wholesome Regency fiction that I enjoy, but I’ve definitely found that in Mira Stables books.
*Spoiler*
In Lissa, we are introduced to an “orphan”, Lissa, who is quickly elevated to that of companion of the local “Lord’s” sister, Mary. While Lissa is young, there is a maturity as well as an innocence and purity of heart that quickly attracts Mary’s Brother to Lissa. Yet it is unheard of that someone from a noble house could marry a girl with no clue as to whom her antecedents are. The Viscount could careless and is prepared to marry Lissa regardless of her background. However, his grandfather whilst he is sympathetic to his grandsons feelings, does not wish any scandal to come to their family name and so goes about making arrangements for Lissa...
This was a really well written story with an engaging plot and likable characters. While it can’t quite compare to Heyer, it’s a good fill when you’re thirsting for a good Regency novel.
April 20, 2018
I love stories featuring a hero or heroine with unknown origins. The hero, Jervase, is an upstanding young man, despite his earlier folly (which happens before the story begins). Lissa, of dubious parentage, is sweet and unaffected. I can't say I'm hugely surprised by the reveal of Lissa's parentage, although the EXACT details were quite interesting. I enjoy Stables' writing style. The long sentences might put off some, though. This is my third Stables book, and plan to read all that Endeavor Media publishes.
August 21, 2018
A lost little girl finds the love of a viscount
Funny in places and written as of the era. Miss Stables provided an endearing account know the secrets of nobility all very often sought to steal an innocent's birth right. Were it not for the belligerence of an unruly but harmless grandson a secret would be long kept.
Lissa and Jervase take on propriety to be with one another.
A good read if a trifle taxing and lacking in depth in places. Nevertheless very enjoyable.
Funny in places and written as of the era. Miss Stables provided an endearing account know the secrets of nobility all very often sought to steal an innocent's birth right. Were it not for the belligerence of an unruly but harmless grandson a secret would be long kept.
Lissa and Jervase take on propriety to be with one another.
A good read if a trifle taxing and lacking in depth in places. Nevertheless very enjoyable.
April 28, 2018
Lissa
This was a very nice and relaxing book which I enjoyed very much .This was very written . You are a wonderful writer
This was a very nice and relaxing book which I enjoyed very much .This was very written . You are a wonderful writer
December 19, 2018
Didn’t like it much.
May 23, 2019
Story and characters are good, villain extra nasty, makes more interesting, depth to a tried and true premise of the missing heiress.
November 5, 2016
Didn't really know what to expect from this one, and was massively put off by the first chapter with its stilted prose and the hero's ridiculous supposed American and French sympathies (during the Napoleonic Wars). But I'm not one to give up before the first fifty pages, and in the end, it won me with over with its old skool charm.
The prose is dated, true, and despite the first chapter, the story goes hook, line, and sinker for class-ism. In modern Regencies, either the concept of social class is (lightly, because its a romance not a political treatise) challenged, or at least treated as somewhat embarrassing. Not here, where pretty much anyone who spends a lot of time with Lissa, Our Heroine, is convinced her unknown parents must have been nobility because she has a respectful personality and refined tastes. The heroine herself sees her questionable parentage as meaning she will never, ever possibly be good enough for the hero. This sounds as if it is so over-the-top that it would ruin the story, and for some readers, the treatment of class probably would be a deal-breaker. For me, at least it was consistent, and was honestly probably more accurate to the way people of the time period would have treated the issue than how most modern authors approach it, and I was able to appreciate the rest of the story.
The thing about this book is that trying to summarize the plot would make it sound all kinds of messed up. But there is such an innocence to this book, both to the writing and the characters, and that it what saves it. I loved, loved, loved that the hero gave him grandfather a firm (but respectful) set-down, when he encourages him to go off and have an affair to get over a heartbreak, as opposed to the Regency genre expecting that any hero has to have at least a mistress or two in his background, and if he's a rake, all the better. I loved that the story took place over several years, and so I had absolutely no doubt that the hero and heroine would have a happy life together, because they had been so close for so long. I loved that the basis of their relationship was respect and acts of service, protection, and caring.
In a lot of ways, this book was SO old skool that I stopped applying my normal romance framework of reading to it, and read it more like a Louisa May Alcott or LMM Montgomery. No, the literary quality is not equivalent, but the style is similar, and so is the appeal of the heroine, who could definitely be called a Mary Sue, but is so legitimately good and plucky that you root for her anyway.
The prose is dated, true, and despite the first chapter, the story goes hook, line, and sinker for class-ism. In modern Regencies, either the concept of social class is (lightly, because its a romance not a political treatise) challenged, or at least treated as somewhat embarrassing. Not here, where pretty much anyone who spends a lot of time with Lissa, Our Heroine, is convinced her unknown parents must have been nobility because she has a respectful personality and refined tastes. The heroine herself sees her questionable parentage as meaning she will never, ever possibly be good enough for the hero. This sounds as if it is so over-the-top that it would ruin the story, and for some readers, the treatment of class probably would be a deal-breaker. For me, at least it was consistent, and was honestly probably more accurate to the way people of the time period would have treated the issue than how most modern authors approach it, and I was able to appreciate the rest of the story.
The thing about this book is that trying to summarize the plot would make it sound all kinds of messed up. But there is such an innocence to this book, both to the writing and the characters, and that it what saves it. I loved, loved, loved that the hero gave him grandfather a firm (but respectful) set-down, when he encourages him to go off and have an affair to get over a heartbreak, as opposed to the Regency genre expecting that any hero has to have at least a mistress or two in his background, and if he's a rake, all the better. I loved that the story took place over several years, and so I had absolutely no doubt that the hero and heroine would have a happy life together, because they had been so close for so long. I loved that the basis of their relationship was respect and acts of service, protection, and caring.
In a lot of ways, this book was SO old skool that I stopped applying my normal romance framework of reading to it, and read it more like a Louisa May Alcott or LMM Montgomery. No, the literary quality is not equivalent, but the style is similar, and so is the appeal of the heroine, who could definitely be called a Mary Sue, but is so legitimately good and plucky that you root for her anyway.
March 30, 2022
Jervase chose Stapleford Place (aka the Place) to rusticate and learn to manage estate property following a romantic contretemps that embroiled him into blackmail because of love letters with seditious contents sent to a deceiving doxy whom he imagined himself to be in love with. The Place's residents were his 14~year~old sister Mary and her governess... it was als0 where he met Lissa, a girl with no past. When he allowed Lissa to be a foil to the sickly Mary, a plan that worked well to Mary's advantage including that of the strict yet fair governess, he started a series of events that brought a different complexion to the rest of the gentry around Stapleford. A very eligible Viscount in the vicinity who does not socialize with his neighbors?!... thus ignoring their daughters and their preparations to welcome him... takes as a companion for his sister a girl of unknown origin... sanctions the firing of an insolent maid who was rude to Lissa, etc... etc... and the tongues did wag. Green as grass was Jervase in his innocence in taking on Lissa for his sister's care and welfare... Green as the coming of spring was Lissa in her adoration~turned~into~love for her hero... and green with Envy and Jealousy were the eyes of the village bigots.
June 19, 2015
At some point in time I gave this 5 stars but it is a weak 2 stars. Boring, predictable, with stilted dialogue. Very dated.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews