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Marlow Family #2
恋のクランクイン
A nice, sensible maiden aunt with a schoolmarm air... Being pressganged into chaperoning her seventeen-year-old niece wasn't Joanna's idea of a holiday, and she was even more outraged to discover Richard Marlow's mistaken ideas about her.Since he'd chosen Becky to star in his new film, Joanna didn't really have much choice, and past experience of actors made her determined not to be misled by the superficial emotions they could generate.
Paperback Shinsho
First published May 1, 1987
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About the author
Susan Napier
141 books153 followersPerhaps being born on Valentine’s Day was an omen that Susan Napier would become a romance writer. This New Zealand author has written over 30 Mills & Boon category romances since 1984. Napier and her husband Tony Potter met when they both worked at the Auckland Star newspaper. After they married, she left the newspaper to work for a film company where she learned the art of dialogue. After the birth of her sons, Simon and Ben, she was a freelance scriptwriter for documentaries. It was soon after that she decided to try her hand at writing the romance fiction she dearly loved.
She and her husband still live in the home they bought in Auckland shortly after their marriage.
She and her husband still live in the home they bought in Auckland shortly after their marriage.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
November 21, 2019
Hero is an actor-turned-director. Heroine is a high school teacher. Their relationship begins when she tutors her niece on the set of the hero's latest movie.
Hero is smitten. He loves her long, lanky body, small breasts and cropped silver hair. I add these details because the hero is obsessed with how she looks. He calls her his little owl. It would be beyond annoying in real life but this hero is so flamboyant and secure in his own tastes and judgment that it comes across as endearing.
Heroine is equally smitten but she is prickly because of the differences in age and social status. She just doesn't know how to handle his teasing.
It's all very entertaining. Boogenhagen has all the details in her excellent review.
Hero is smitten. He loves her long, lanky body, small breasts and cropped silver hair. I add these details because the hero is obsessed with how she looks. He calls her his little owl. It would be beyond annoying in real life but this hero is so flamboyant and secure in his own tastes and judgment that it comes across as endearing.
Heroine is equally smitten but she is prickly because of the differences in age and social status. She just doesn't know how to handle his teasing.
It's all very entertaining. Boogenhagen has all the details in her excellent review.
August 25, 2016
Re True Enchanter - SN brings us the second book of her Marlow series (there are four in this one starting with the HR Love in the Valley, then we move to HPlandia with True Enchanter, Winter of Dreams, and ending with A Lesson in Seduction). The Marlows are an acting family, with the exception of the adopted oldest son in Love in the Valley who is a lawyer, and I like the subtle irony of having Shakespearean actors (they do movies too,) being named Marlow (they left off the e, so it isn't totally obvious,) who was Will's biggest rival.
This one starts with a 23 yr old teacher h, who is chaperoning her niece as the 17 yr old leading lady on the H's film. The H is 28 or so and was an actor, but got into a bad wreck and now limps. He has a hard time with the physical stress of acting and has moved into directing, this will be his second film. SN gives us two people with unusual hair colors, the H is a redhead and that is rare in HPlandia. She can't let her h be outdone by the H's uniqueness, so the h has silver hair and the cover on the HP reflects that. The h's hair color and tall thin build is also very attractive to the H, he calls her his little downy owl - which is a bit unusual for a pet name, but I guess SN liked it.
The h is chaperoning her niece at the behest of her overbearing older sister, who agreed to let her daughter act in the movie when the H approached them. There is all kinds of rivalry and jealousy between the mother and daughter and they both tend to take it out on the h, but eventually this sub plot sorta peeters out.
Then there is the H, who is very charming but manipulative and most of the book consists of the h and H on the film set, swapping witty banter and various Shakespeare quotes. The banter is amusing, but nothing much really happens. The h watches a movie being filmed, the h's niece has a bit of a crush on the H and the H splits his time between directing, coaching the niece and flirting with the h who reluctantly flirts back. The H keeps declaring his deep affection for the h, but that contrasts with the hothouse cloister effect of the film set and the h's knowledge that the H is a bit a womanizer.
There are some other secondary tensions too, with the lead actor being a borderline alcoholic and incidentally his wife was engaged to the H when they ran off together and got married. There is the obligatory nod to HP convention where the H assumes the h is angling for a part when he hears how exceptional the h was at acting in university, but for the majority of the story, these little tensions seem fairly tame and not quite as tension producing as SN probably meant them to be.
Until we get to the last third of the book, all of the sudden the H gets serious about the h being launched into acting - which she adamantly DOES NOT want to do. By this point the H has decided he is in love with her. (SN put in a lot of H POV, but even with that, his fits and starts were abrupt and sorta out of left field.) There are some dramatics and the h winds up getting a bit drunk with the leading man, whose wife wasn't really the H's fiancee after all - it was just an assumption by the press. This leads to an almost passionate lurve clubbing with the H that is interrupted by a phone call from his mum.
The interruption proves very timely for the h, as she realizes that she is really in love with the H. However the publicity that surrounds him is completely appalling to her and she realizes that she would have to give up teaching, which she dearly loves, plus all her thoughts of a nice husband and 2.4 kids with a picket fence in the suburbs if she were to be with the H. He has told her she will be moving in with him and the h takes that as he is offering an affair. The H confirms that he loves her in his own POV, but he is so wildly extravagant in his emotional and dramatic expressions that is hard to believe that he isn't just reacting to propinquity and an excess of lust, for both the h and the reader.
The h reluctantly decides that she and the H are incompatible and that perception is only heightened when she sees the H later swooning over a blonde femme fatale and the overheard conversation between them sounds like they are in a serious relationship. The H and h part at the airport the next day and the h is having a mopey moment that gets even worse when a week later there is a picture of the H kissing the h and an announcement of their engagement in all the papers. The h is hounded by the press, her position at school is threatened, and it all seems to be a big publicity stunt for his film on the part of the H. The h manages to get the press distracted by announcing that she and the H are no longer a couple and that he is seeing someone else.
Then the H maneuvers her into meeting his blonde femme fatale at a local restaurant when he goes to her school and then takes her class out for lunch. The blonde turns out to be his sister in law (the h from Love in the Valley) and the H continues to make these dramatic assumptions. The h is fed up by this point, and dumps his lunch in his lap. She is tired of the big outbursts and frustrated cause she does love him, but can't have him and then he carries her out of the restaurant.
The H swears he really does love the h and the h expresses her concerns over his flamboyant behavior. He swears that they are compatible and SN goes the route that the h is being silly over her own insecurities. Finally, after the H makes some over the top declarations of love and swears he is rich, the h admits she loves him and they are lurvin it up for the HEA, after he calls his mother.
This one isn't bad, and it is a fast read. I wasn't too keen on the whole publicity and the h's teaching career problems being dismissed as the h's insecurity. That would have worked had SN not shown the negative effects on the h when the H announced their engagement, and the whole issue of her continuing to teach is just brushed aside. If extravagant words and kisses are believable as evidence of true love, then the H was a winner there, but I did not actually question the validity of his and the h's feelings. It is more a lingering question of the h being able to adapt to the H's lifestyle at the expense of her own that leaves a big question mark over the ultimate HEA of this one.
Still it has some very funny moments and the banter is truly witty and not bickering, so give this one a go if you run into it and I can recommend series as a whole. It is one of the better ones in HPlandia and all the books are worth a read if you can find them.
This one starts with a 23 yr old teacher h, who is chaperoning her niece as the 17 yr old leading lady on the H's film. The H is 28 or so and was an actor, but got into a bad wreck and now limps. He has a hard time with the physical stress of acting and has moved into directing, this will be his second film. SN gives us two people with unusual hair colors, the H is a redhead and that is rare in HPlandia. She can't let her h be outdone by the H's uniqueness, so the h has silver hair and the cover on the HP reflects that. The h's hair color and tall thin build is also very attractive to the H, he calls her his little downy owl - which is a bit unusual for a pet name, but I guess SN liked it.
The h is chaperoning her niece at the behest of her overbearing older sister, who agreed to let her daughter act in the movie when the H approached them. There is all kinds of rivalry and jealousy between the mother and daughter and they both tend to take it out on the h, but eventually this sub plot sorta peeters out.
Then there is the H, who is very charming but manipulative and most of the book consists of the h and H on the film set, swapping witty banter and various Shakespeare quotes. The banter is amusing, but nothing much really happens. The h watches a movie being filmed, the h's niece has a bit of a crush on the H and the H splits his time between directing, coaching the niece and flirting with the h who reluctantly flirts back. The H keeps declaring his deep affection for the h, but that contrasts with the hothouse cloister effect of the film set and the h's knowledge that the H is a bit a womanizer.
There are some other secondary tensions too, with the lead actor being a borderline alcoholic and incidentally his wife was engaged to the H when they ran off together and got married. There is the obligatory nod to HP convention where the H assumes the h is angling for a part when he hears how exceptional the h was at acting in university, but for the majority of the story, these little tensions seem fairly tame and not quite as tension producing as SN probably meant them to be.
Until we get to the last third of the book, all of the sudden the H gets serious about the h being launched into acting - which she adamantly DOES NOT want to do. By this point the H has decided he is in love with her. (SN put in a lot of H POV, but even with that, his fits and starts were abrupt and sorta out of left field.) There are some dramatics and the h winds up getting a bit drunk with the leading man, whose wife wasn't really the H's fiancee after all - it was just an assumption by the press. This leads to an almost passionate lurve clubbing with the H that is interrupted by a phone call from his mum.
The interruption proves very timely for the h, as she realizes that she is really in love with the H. However the publicity that surrounds him is completely appalling to her and she realizes that she would have to give up teaching, which she dearly loves, plus all her thoughts of a nice husband and 2.4 kids with a picket fence in the suburbs if she were to be with the H. He has told her she will be moving in with him and the h takes that as he is offering an affair. The H confirms that he loves her in his own POV, but he is so wildly extravagant in his emotional and dramatic expressions that is hard to believe that he isn't just reacting to propinquity and an excess of lust, for both the h and the reader.
The h reluctantly decides that she and the H are incompatible and that perception is only heightened when she sees the H later swooning over a blonde femme fatale and the overheard conversation between them sounds like they are in a serious relationship. The H and h part at the airport the next day and the h is having a mopey moment that gets even worse when a week later there is a picture of the H kissing the h and an announcement of their engagement in all the papers. The h is hounded by the press, her position at school is threatened, and it all seems to be a big publicity stunt for his film on the part of the H. The h manages to get the press distracted by announcing that she and the H are no longer a couple and that he is seeing someone else.
Then the H maneuvers her into meeting his blonde femme fatale at a local restaurant when he goes to her school and then takes her class out for lunch. The blonde turns out to be his sister in law (the h from Love in the Valley) and the H continues to make these dramatic assumptions. The h is fed up by this point, and dumps his lunch in his lap. She is tired of the big outbursts and frustrated cause she does love him, but can't have him and then he carries her out of the restaurant.
The H swears he really does love the h and the h expresses her concerns over his flamboyant behavior. He swears that they are compatible and SN goes the route that the h is being silly over her own insecurities. Finally, after the H makes some over the top declarations of love and swears he is rich, the h admits she loves him and they are lurvin it up for the HEA, after he calls his mother.
This one isn't bad, and it is a fast read. I wasn't too keen on the whole publicity and the h's teaching career problems being dismissed as the h's insecurity. That would have worked had SN not shown the negative effects on the h when the H announced their engagement, and the whole issue of her continuing to teach is just brushed aside. If extravagant words and kisses are believable as evidence of true love, then the H was a winner there, but I did not actually question the validity of his and the h's feelings. It is more a lingering question of the h being able to adapt to the H's lifestyle at the expense of her own that leaves a big question mark over the ultimate HEA of this one.
Still it has some very funny moments and the banter is truly witty and not bickering, so give this one a go if you run into it and I can recommend series as a whole. It is one of the better ones in HPlandia and all the books are worth a read if you can find them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2019
'You're a virgin? My owl is still a fledgling?'
LMAO.
"True Enchanter" is the story of Joanna and Richard.
Our h Joanna is a special ed school teacher who is as fierce as she is loyal. Slim with a boyish figure, and silver hair that are chopped haphazardly to her ears, she has no qualms about her attractiveness. Her monotonous life takes a turn, when her sister employs her help to chaperone her niece Becky who is shooting for her debut film.
Her boss: the famous actor turned director Richard Marlow, who is as notorious for his work as he is for his exploits. They have a chance meeting at her school, where he mistakes her for a fan, and gives her a autograph and a kiss! They meet again at the film set, where sparks ignite, and do not extinguish..
If you like books with a spunky, independent heroine and a confident, overbearing hero this would definitely be for you. The couple banter throughout the book- the heroine throws the gauntlet, the hero responds and vice versa. He calls her "owl", she calls him every other name in the dictionary. They chemistry is off the charts, they do not let misunderstandings deter them, and the hero is hooked on her since he witnesses her wit.
Comedy of errors with minimal angst, maximum passion, and enough to make you smile, especially with their antics. No jealousy OW/OM in this one, just ends in a big fat HEA.
Really enjoyed it!
Safe/SWME for some
4.75/5
LMAO.
"True Enchanter" is the story of Joanna and Richard.
Our h Joanna is a special ed school teacher who is as fierce as she is loyal. Slim with a boyish figure, and silver hair that are chopped haphazardly to her ears, she has no qualms about her attractiveness. Her monotonous life takes a turn, when her sister employs her help to chaperone her niece Becky who is shooting for her debut film.
Her boss: the famous actor turned director Richard Marlow, who is as notorious for his work as he is for his exploits. They have a chance meeting at her school, where he mistakes her for a fan, and gives her a autograph and a kiss! They meet again at the film set, where sparks ignite, and do not extinguish..
If you like books with a spunky, independent heroine and a confident, overbearing hero this would definitely be for you. The couple banter throughout the book- the heroine throws the gauntlet, the hero responds and vice versa. He calls her "owl", she calls him every other name in the dictionary. They chemistry is off the charts, they do not let misunderstandings deter them, and the hero is hooked on her since he witnesses her wit.
Comedy of errors with minimal angst, maximum passion, and enough to make you smile, especially with their antics. No jealousy OW/OM in this one, just ends in a big fat HEA.
Really enjoyed it!
Safe/SWME for some
4.75/5
January 2, 2021
True Enchanter wasn't really. Much of it was great but I'm not sure how to balance my fondness for the h, the humor and the overall excellent writing with my unease about H's use of his acting skills to manipulate everyone and my loathing for the last chapter.
The main characters are well drawn: they both have unusual coloring, Joanna has silvery hair and Richard is a redhead with very pale skin, she's a teacher, he's a Hollywood star turned director. They're well matched and witty and enjoy each other's company. And wow! They have non-abusive families, and the ability to lob Shakespeare quotes at each other. This last is not an ability I take lightly!
What nearly ruins it for me is how Joanna's lack of sexual experience becomes the comic element around which the penultimate scene is built. This won't bother everyone obviously but virginity isn't a trait I appreciate in a heroine, I mean why HP? Why so ahistorical? She's 23, there's no traumatic past, she's not lacking in confidence or socially awkward—but ok one of HPland's favorite tricks is pulling virginity out the hat so whatever. Except that here all the H's negative characteristics seem to coalesce around the issue, severely diluting what had already been my tepid sympathy for Richard.
This book is extremely readable but it left me feeling sour. By the end I was just too tired and wary of Richard and I resent how he and Napier collude to turn a strong h into one who seems destined for a rocky HEA
The main characters are well drawn: they both have unusual coloring, Joanna has silvery hair and Richard is a redhead with very pale skin, she's a teacher, he's a Hollywood star turned director. They're well matched and witty and enjoy each other's company. And wow! They have non-abusive families, and the ability to lob Shakespeare quotes at each other. This last is not an ability I take lightly!
What nearly ruins it for me is how Joanna's lack of sexual experience becomes the comic element around which the penultimate scene is built. This won't bother everyone obviously but virginity isn't a trait I appreciate in a heroine, I mean why HP? Why so ahistorical? She's 23, there's no traumatic past, she's not lacking in confidence or socially awkward—but ok one of HPland's favorite tricks is pulling virginity out the hat so whatever. Except that here all the H's negative characteristics seem to coalesce around the issue, severely diluting what had already been my tepid sympathy for Richard.
This book is extremely readable but it left me feeling sour. By the end I was just too tired and wary of Richard and I resent how he and Napier collude to turn a strong h into one who seems destined for a rocky HEA
August 25, 2021
Not as funny or angsty as I hope!
March 28, 2015
This romance is about a self-absorbed hero and a doormat heroine. He can't hear what she tells him about her life or her opinions. He manipulates her into situations in which she has to do what he wants. He doesn't ask what she wants or how she feels even when telling her he loves her. It's as if he only sees what the mirror reflects back. Eventually, the heroine accepts his reality.
Joanna is chaperoning her 17 year old niece during her first acting shoot. The hero, Richard, was once a huge box office draw, but as a result of an accident now directs. He's super charming, has charisma to spare, and enough arrogance to fill a stadium. All through the book he is always "on". No action is real. Every emotion, movement, and response is calculated to manipulate someone into something. Richard spends his time throwing temper tantrums and making suggestive comments to Joanna. Joanna is told by a crew member that he falls vaguely in love with all his costars and even Richard's best friend says that Richard has made lots of women desperately happy. This is supposed to be an inducement for Joanna to accept Richard.
The niece, Becky, has a huge crush on Richard. They rehearse her lines in his hotel room every night. Richard explains that he doesn't want to slap down the fragile beginnings of Becky's confidence in herself as a woman so he doesn't turn her away. The rehearsing includes intense kissing and a secretly inserted nude bedroom scene. Joanna takes one look at her 17 year old niece after the sex scene session and confronts him. Richard answers his door dressed only in jeans and doesn't understand the problem. I live in LA and I know it's tough to feel sexy on set with a zillion people around, but this was just the two of them in a hotel room. It is a huge ick factor for me. Not for Joanna, however. She and Richard nearly have sex, but he gets an idea about the movie and forgets she's in the room.
Various other events happen with Richard throwing tantrums, being insulting and manipulating Joanna into situations she would have otherwise avoided. He declares his love, (but doesn't ask how she feels), and tells her that they will live together. Because even his close friends says he's fickle, Joanna has no reason to believe Richard's feelings will last longer for her than for anyone else. She also loves her job (which Richard has insulted). He makes her feel like a joke by starting an over the top public courtship with the entire cast and crew as his audience. Joanna finds Richard, who should be at the wrap party, at a bar talking suggestively with an attractive blond. When asked about it later, Richard explains that he was once vaguely in love with the blond, but that was long ago. This fits in with his fickle history.
While everyone is leaving the shoot for home Richard kisses her in front of reporters without any thought to the trouble it causes her at her job. He then announces to the press that they are engaged, although he hasn't asked Joanna. She calls a press conference to say the engagement has been called off. When confronted over the phone, Richard admits he planted the story about the engagement to teach her the lesson that she would fit into his world. He says "You may as well marry me and have done with it!" Joanna hangs up on him.
Richard manipulates her into having lunch with him during a school trip and tells her he was impulsive and high-handed because he was desperate for Joanna to give him a chance. The blond from the bar turns up and is Richard's sister-in-law. Apparently Richard was once again trying to manipulate Joanna for some reason instead of just telling her his sister-in-law was visiting. Joanna gets mad, dumps his food in his lap, and then goes up to a hotel room with him.
Joanna is chaperoning her 17 year old niece during her first acting shoot. The hero, Richard, was once a huge box office draw, but as a result of an accident now directs. He's super charming, has charisma to spare, and enough arrogance to fill a stadium. All through the book he is always "on". No action is real. Every emotion, movement, and response is calculated to manipulate someone into something. Richard spends his time throwing temper tantrums and making suggestive comments to Joanna. Joanna is told by a crew member that he falls vaguely in love with all his costars and even Richard's best friend says that Richard has made lots of women desperately happy. This is supposed to be an inducement for Joanna to accept Richard.
The niece, Becky, has a huge crush on Richard. They rehearse her lines in his hotel room every night. Richard explains that he doesn't want to slap down the fragile beginnings of Becky's confidence in herself as a woman so he doesn't turn her away. The rehearsing includes intense kissing and a secretly inserted nude bedroom scene. Joanna takes one look at her 17 year old niece after the sex scene session and confronts him. Richard answers his door dressed only in jeans and doesn't understand the problem. I live in LA and I know it's tough to feel sexy on set with a zillion people around, but this was just the two of them in a hotel room. It is a huge ick factor for me. Not for Joanna, however. She and Richard nearly have sex, but he gets an idea about the movie and forgets she's in the room.
Various other events happen with Richard throwing tantrums, being insulting and manipulating Joanna into situations she would have otherwise avoided. He declares his love, (but doesn't ask how she feels), and tells her that they will live together. Because even his close friends says he's fickle, Joanna has no reason to believe Richard's feelings will last longer for her than for anyone else. She also loves her job (which Richard has insulted). He makes her feel like a joke by starting an over the top public courtship with the entire cast and crew as his audience. Joanna finds Richard, who should be at the wrap party, at a bar talking suggestively with an attractive blond. When asked about it later, Richard explains that he was once vaguely in love with the blond, but that was long ago. This fits in with his fickle history.
While everyone is leaving the shoot for home Richard kisses her in front of reporters without any thought to the trouble it causes her at her job. He then announces to the press that they are engaged, although he hasn't asked Joanna. She calls a press conference to say the engagement has been called off. When confronted over the phone, Richard admits he planted the story about the engagement to teach her the lesson that she would fit into his world. He says "You may as well marry me and have done with it!" Joanna hangs up on him.
Richard manipulates her into having lunch with him during a school trip and tells her he was impulsive and high-handed because he was desperate for Joanna to give him a chance. The blond from the bar turns up and is Richard's sister-in-law. Apparently Richard was once again trying to manipulate Joanna for some reason instead of just telling her his sister-in-law was visiting. Joanna gets mad, dumps his food in his lap, and then goes up to a hotel room with him.
April 11, 2012
Not one of my favorite Susan Napier, but still very good. Lots of funny dialogue and characters that I loved! Have to say, while the ending was good ...this bothered me the whole time I was reading the HEA...very destracting
August 30, 2010
I loved this book - so....tender and lovely with wonderful funny moments! The hero knows what he wants and he woos the heroine instead of using brute force. The heroine is really forceful too and they are well-matched
=)
=)
July 12, 2025
4.5 stars I think
Within the context of the category romance this was excellent. I loved the first book of the series as well. The banter of this was great - I loved our heroine especially. She Go her!
This was a lot of fun - loved the banter and the romance. It was funny and charming.
Within the context of the category romance this was excellent. I loved the first book of the series as well. The banter of this was great - I loved our heroine especially. She Go her!
This was a lot of fun - loved the banter and the romance. It was funny and charming.
May 20, 2017
2.5
Joanna follows her 17-year-old niece as a chaperon when she earns a starring role in a movie as a leading lady. The niece is far too innocent to go alone, so Joanna goes to protect her. Richard Marlow is the director and takes on the mentor role for Joanna's niece - which becomes a bit troublesome when the niece develops a rather huge crush on Richard. But Richard has eyes only for Joanna. But Richard is too much the manipulator for Joanna to trust him and his intentions. She has no intention of becoming a Hollywood director's mistress and she can't see Richard giving it all up to settle down and marry her. So she does her best to resist him and he does his best to break down her resistance.
For the first 80% or so, this was a pretty good story. I liked the adversarial relationship between Joanna and Richard, how Joanna periodically did get the upper hand in their little competition and how it really did appear that Richard was totally smitten with Joanna from the start. He pretty much fell in love straight off the bat, but the conflict came about because Joanna could not trust him at all. And that made complete sense because, even though Richard seemed straight forward he was written well as having a underlying and subtly manipulative personality. It wasn't overt, but I could never really tell if he was being honest or if he was cleverly lying to get his way. And I admit I was a little skeeved at the implications of Richard's relationship with the niece...although he never did seduce her, there were some truly inappropriate moments. . And it irked me that he didn't want to discourage the niece's crush, to build her self-esteem, when if the niece had taken it more seriously it could have resulted in a broken heart. But even still, I enjoyed the story as it played out on the set of the movie.
Afterwards, all hell broke loose and I really stopped liking Richard. When Joanna leaves, believing what she did about Richard, instead of just following her and convincing her they have a future, he goes batshit crazy manipulative and reports their engagement to the press. Instead of Joanna. So Joanna tries to fight that. Then he involves his family and he still hasn't spoken to Joanna. Then he arranges to pretty much corner her to have his say and only when she starts crying does he start getting serious. I just couldn't see the point of his acting like that when he hadn't simply tried talking to her and all that manipulation and drama certainly didn't help his case in my book.
Joanna follows her 17-year-old niece as a chaperon when she earns a starring role in a movie as a leading lady. The niece is far too innocent to go alone, so Joanna goes to protect her. Richard Marlow is the director and takes on the mentor role for Joanna's niece - which becomes a bit troublesome when the niece develops a rather huge crush on Richard. But Richard has eyes only for Joanna. But Richard is too much the manipulator for Joanna to trust him and his intentions. She has no intention of becoming a Hollywood director's mistress and she can't see Richard giving it all up to settle down and marry her. So she does her best to resist him and he does his best to break down her resistance.
For the first 80% or so, this was a pretty good story. I liked the adversarial relationship between Joanna and Richard, how Joanna periodically did get the upper hand in their little competition and how it really did appear that Richard was totally smitten with Joanna from the start. He pretty much fell in love straight off the bat, but the conflict came about because Joanna could not trust him at all. And that made complete sense because, even though Richard seemed straight forward he was written well as having a underlying and subtly manipulative personality. It wasn't overt, but I could never really tell if he was being honest or if he was cleverly lying to get his way. And I admit I was a little skeeved at the implications of Richard's relationship with the niece...although he never did seduce her, there were some truly inappropriate moments. . And it irked me that he didn't want to discourage the niece's crush, to build her self-esteem, when if the niece had taken it more seriously it could have resulted in a broken heart. But even still, I enjoyed the story as it played out on the set of the movie.
Afterwards, all hell broke loose and I really stopped liking Richard. When Joanna leaves, believing what she did about Richard, instead of just following her and convincing her they have a future, he goes batshit crazy manipulative and reports their engagement to the press. Instead of Joanna. So Joanna tries to fight that. Then he involves his family and he still hasn't spoken to Joanna. Then he arranges to pretty much corner her to have his say and only when she starts crying does he start getting serious. I just couldn't see the point of his acting like that when he hadn't simply tried talking to her and all that manipulation and drama certainly didn't help his case in my book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2016
Since his auto accident, Richard Marlow no longer played the sexy leading man in front of the camera. He was now the demanding and tremendously inspired director behind it and he had several hugely successful films to his credit. High school special ed teacher, Joanna Carson, had a talent for inspiring delinquent teenagers, and part of that was through coaching in the drama department. Richard’s next female lead is seventeen-year-old Becky, who happens to be Joanna’s niece, and it’s fallen to Joanna to be Becky’s on location tutor and chaperone. From the first moment their eyes met, Richard and Joanna had a connection. Richard has finally found a woman who isn’t star struck and who doesn’t hesitate to let him know she disapproves of him. Joanna finds Richard’s attentions confusing, is he just playing with her to discourage Becky’s obvious crush.
Since his accident, Richard’s life had become more serious and he’d buried the fun loving prankster. Joanna makes him want to have fun again and he knows he has to keep her in his life. Though Joanna admires the filmmaker that Richard is, it’s the private man that she’s come to love and want to be with. But the huge difference in their lifestyles terrifies Joanna and she pushes Richard away. So it takes a desperate Richard to win her over! And wow does he ever! It was fun watching the irreverent playboy we were introduced to in “Love in the Valley” meet his match!
Since his accident, Richard’s life had become more serious and he’d buried the fun loving prankster. Joanna makes him want to have fun again and he knows he has to keep her in his life. Though Joanna admires the filmmaker that Richard is, it’s the private man that she’s come to love and want to be with. But the huge difference in their lifestyles terrifies Joanna and she pushes Richard away. So it takes a desperate Richard to win her over! And wow does he ever! It was fun watching the irreverent playboy we were introduced to in “Love in the Valley” meet his match!
August 13, 2021
A nice, sensible maiden aunt with a schoolmarm air... Being pressganged into chaperoning her seventeen-year-old niece wasn't Joanna's idea of a holiday, and she was even more outraged to discover Richard Marlow's mistaken ideas about her.
Since he'd chosen Becky to star in his new film, Joanna didn't really have much choice, and past experience of actors made her determined not to be misled by the superficial emotions they could generate.
Since he'd chosen Becky to star in his new film, Joanna didn't really have much choice, and past experience of actors made her determined not to be misled by the superficial emotions they could generate.
May 15, 2010
amaaaaaaaaaazing book!!
totally laugh out loud funny!!
absolutely worth the time !!
totally laugh out loud funny!!
absolutely worth the time !!
June 12, 2021
I thought this book was a fun read. It is number 2 in a series. I read number 3 a couple of months ago and liked it but for some reason I didn’t go straight to the rest of the books in the series. (I own #4 but for some reason I haven’t been able to get into it) Anyhoo, Thanks to the forums I sought this book out because it sounded interesting. It did not disappoint.
Heroine: Joanna(virgin) is a 23 year old theater teacher. She has spiky silvery hair, and a lean boyish body. She also has a serious case of myopia and when not wearing contact lenses she needs to wear thick eyeglasses. She is a talented actress in her own right, but her eyesight, and issues with make up forced her to give it up. However, she is very happy doing what she does and has no desire to be in the limelight. When her 17 year old niece gets a part in a film being directed by the hero, the h is employed to be her chaperone and tutor. This is how she meets the hero.
Hero: (28)Richard Marlow comes from a family of successful people, his own parents are famous actors. He too was an academy award winning actor but a serious car accident waylaid his career(secretly he made his recovery longer, because he really didn’t want to act anymore). He is now a director. Of course, he has quite a reputation as a ladies man, so he is hardly going to appeal to the heroine and her quiet existence.
The hero and heroine have seen and/or met at least 2 times before the movie set. First, at a movie premiere where the h was attending it with her vanilla sort of boyfriend. She locked eyes disapprovingly with the H when he was brushing off a very enthusiastic actress. He was actually escorting her niece at the time. The H openly smirked and winked at the h while his eyes roamed her body in contrast to the overzealous actress with the bust. (The hero doesn’t forget this random interaction which means the h stayed in his brain.)
The next time he met the h he thought she was a high schooler(she was dressed in sports gear). He was trying to avoid the “teen” and she ended up knocking him down. He quickly gave her an autograph and a kiss, never letting her explain that she was the tutor for his film. This interaction will bother the H for most of the book, because he doesn’t find out til near the end that she was the “teenager”.
I want to try and keep this spoiler free. So, what I liked about this book is that there is a lot of fiery, funny bantering that goes on between the h and H. Not typical of most of the HP heroes, this hero states his love and intention for the h pretty early on. He is turned on and fascinated by her. She is unlike any woman he has ever met. He pursues her incessantly and isn’t put off by possible OM’s because he knows that she responds to him as well. Our h is convinced that he isn’t looking for anything permanent so she spends most of the book pushing back at the H. The one time she came very close to going “all the way”, the H’s mom called. She left the hotel room with the impression that he had a girl on the side(or was she the girl on the side?) They do eventually come together in the end. In my opinion the ending was done very well with our H being once again OTT fun! We do not get an epilogue, but we do see snippets of their future in the remaining 2 books.
These 2 are going to be great for each other. They will challenge each other, make each other laugh, and I’m pretty sure they will have no issues in the bedroom. The H seems pretty enthralled with the h, so I feel like he will want her with him on most shoots. This H will not have a wandering eye. (His parents, both in the limelight, have had a great marriage). IF there are potential wannabe ow’s, (aside from him not being interested) I am pretty sure his “snowy owl” will use her talons and tear them apart.
Heroine: Joanna(virgin) is a 23 year old theater teacher. She has spiky silvery hair, and a lean boyish body. She also has a serious case of myopia and when not wearing contact lenses she needs to wear thick eyeglasses. She is a talented actress in her own right, but her eyesight, and issues with make up forced her to give it up. However, she is very happy doing what she does and has no desire to be in the limelight. When her 17 year old niece gets a part in a film being directed by the hero, the h is employed to be her chaperone and tutor. This is how she meets the hero.
Hero: (28)Richard Marlow comes from a family of successful people, his own parents are famous actors. He too was an academy award winning actor but a serious car accident waylaid his career(secretly he made his recovery longer, because he really didn’t want to act anymore). He is now a director. Of course, he has quite a reputation as a ladies man, so he is hardly going to appeal to the heroine and her quiet existence.
The hero and heroine have seen and/or met at least 2 times before the movie set. First, at a movie premiere where the h was attending it with her vanilla sort of boyfriend. She locked eyes disapprovingly with the H when he was brushing off a very enthusiastic actress. He was actually escorting her niece at the time. The H openly smirked and winked at the h while his eyes roamed her body in contrast to the overzealous actress with the bust. (The hero doesn’t forget this random interaction which means the h stayed in his brain.)
The next time he met the h he thought she was a high schooler(she was dressed in sports gear). He was trying to avoid the “teen” and she ended up knocking him down. He quickly gave her an autograph and a kiss, never letting her explain that she was the tutor for his film. This interaction will bother the H for most of the book, because he doesn’t find out til near the end that she was the “teenager”.
I want to try and keep this spoiler free. So, what I liked about this book is that there is a lot of fiery, funny bantering that goes on between the h and H. Not typical of most of the HP heroes, this hero states his love and intention for the h pretty early on. He is turned on and fascinated by her. She is unlike any woman he has ever met. He pursues her incessantly and isn’t put off by possible OM’s because he knows that she responds to him as well. Our h is convinced that he isn’t looking for anything permanent so she spends most of the book pushing back at the H. The one time she came very close to going “all the way”, the H’s mom called. She left the hotel room with the impression that he had a girl on the side(or was she the girl on the side?) They do eventually come together in the end. In my opinion the ending was done very well with our H being once again OTT fun! We do not get an epilogue, but we do see snippets of their future in the remaining 2 books.
These 2 are going to be great for each other. They will challenge each other, make each other laugh, and I’m pretty sure they will have no issues in the bedroom. The H seems pretty enthralled with the h, so I feel like he will want her with him on most shoots. This H will not have a wandering eye. (His parents, both in the limelight, have had a great marriage). IF there are potential wannabe ow’s, (aside from him not being interested) I am pretty sure his “snowy owl” will use her talons and tear them apart.
December 27, 2018
After the high of my previous read, The Sister Swap by Susan Napier, I decided that one more Susan Napier was in order to continue riding the high.
Story begins with Joanna Carson, aunt to one talented and quite young Rebecca, acting as a chaperone to her niece on a movie set, where Rebecca was as one of the lead roles. This is how Joanna starts to spend time, albeit reluctantly, with Richard Marlow, the director of the said movie, a man she believes to be too egoistic and arrogant for his own good.
Richard had been a promising actor himself, who at the peak of his stardom, went out of the spotlight owing to a life changing accident, which saw him return as a movie director.
True Enchanter, despite all elements that should have made it work, was a tough story to care about. I liked the hero a bit, and disliked the heroine intensely. In my opinion, she is one of those heroines whom you want to see as someone who was pushing the boundaries on the gender equality agenda, but somehow ends up being annoying about everything. But in all honesty, I just found her tiresome and thought to myself good riddance when I skipped bits and pieces to get to the ending.
Susan Napier writes strong heroines, and pushes the accepted norms in her books. Feminism as an evolving concept has always been challenged by romance authors to different extents. But then there are the heroines who grate on your nerves because of their “strong ideals” and end up giving the story a bad vibe rather than being an empowering figure to the reader.
Recommended if you like heroines who come off too strong.
Final Verdict: Tiresome in a way that had me skipping parts of the story to get to the ending. It is my faith in Napier’s abilities as a writer that made me even try.
Rating = 2/5
For more reviews and quotes, please visit www.maldivianbookreviewer.com
Story begins with Joanna Carson, aunt to one talented and quite young Rebecca, acting as a chaperone to her niece on a movie set, where Rebecca was as one of the lead roles. This is how Joanna starts to spend time, albeit reluctantly, with Richard Marlow, the director of the said movie, a man she believes to be too egoistic and arrogant for his own good.
Richard had been a promising actor himself, who at the peak of his stardom, went out of the spotlight owing to a life changing accident, which saw him return as a movie director.
True Enchanter, despite all elements that should have made it work, was a tough story to care about. I liked the hero a bit, and disliked the heroine intensely. In my opinion, she is one of those heroines whom you want to see as someone who was pushing the boundaries on the gender equality agenda, but somehow ends up being annoying about everything. But in all honesty, I just found her tiresome and thought to myself good riddance when I skipped bits and pieces to get to the ending.
Susan Napier writes strong heroines, and pushes the accepted norms in her books. Feminism as an evolving concept has always been challenged by romance authors to different extents. But then there are the heroines who grate on your nerves because of their “strong ideals” and end up giving the story a bad vibe rather than being an empowering figure to the reader.
Recommended if you like heroines who come off too strong.
Final Verdict: Tiresome in a way that had me skipping parts of the story to get to the ending. It is my faith in Napier’s abilities as a writer that made me even try.
Rating = 2/5
For more reviews and quotes, please visit www.maldivianbookreviewer.com
December 1, 2025
Joanna didn't like the red-headed actor-became-director Richard Marlow! Not only he looked at her slim figure disdainfully in a movie premiere's party and embarrassed her, but he was also playing on her niece's emotions to trigger her acting abilities - or so he said! Joanna though herself immune to his rugged charm, but to her shock she discovered she was wrong when she accompanied her niece to be her private tutor to his movie set! Not even her sharp tongue and strong character stopped him from relentlessly pursuing her!
I loved the story and the characters and it's an enough pleasurable read, but I must say it is not as brilliant as Susan Napier's later books like Reckless Conduct, Secret Seduction, The Love Conspiracy and Winter of Dreams which is one of the Marlow series.
I loved the story and the characters and it's an enough pleasurable read, but I must say it is not as brilliant as Susan Napier's later books like Reckless Conduct, Secret Seduction, The Love Conspiracy and Winter of Dreams which is one of the Marlow series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2023
1.5 stars. The heroine was too annoying for words. Her "we could never be happy", was overdone to the point of ridiculous. If I were the hero, I would have run.
Also, the author waffled between making the heroine's students delinquents or emotionally challenged. I found that offensive.
Also, the author waffled between making the heroine's students delinquents or emotionally challenged. I found that offensive.
June 4, 2025
A wonderful read! I especially love the uniqueness of the heroines appearance and how, in the heros perspective, we see how much he adores her appearances. It is also one of my first books where the heroine is severely myopic and it's accurately described.
December 28, 2021
Best one of the Marlows...delightful and witty.
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August 1, 2024
Just ok or a bit better. I had a hard time sticking with it, slow and H seemed to play a role.
October 11, 2021
Another homerun for me from Susan Napier's Marlow series. I loved the first one and this was hugely entertaining too. Lots of funny and fun moments.
I was pretty sceptical that the hero in this one would be worthy of an HP hero, having come across him the first book. He seemed likeable enough then, but a bit of an immature, extrovert/ womanizer, who seemed to fall in love at the drop of a hat.
But somehow SN managed to make him into an alpha in this story - being a film director helped of course, his bossiness, charisma, humour and leadership on set were quite appealing. Maybe his accident and change of career matured him.
There were a few dodgy moments - the way he seemed to dish out kisses to all and sundry, and also expected the 17 year old star to do a nude love scene (is that even legal?), but fortunately that never happened.
Well done to the author for her research on film making. It added to the interest of the romance to have the technical aspects of movie-making as a backdrop.
The hero wasn't my type but he seemed well matched with the likeable heroine. Their flamboyance, spiritedness and charm worked for the two of them.
Let's see if it is a hat-trick (I am mixing my sporting metaphors) with the next one in the Marlow series.
I was pretty sceptical that the hero in this one would be worthy of an HP hero, having come across him the first book. He seemed likeable enough then, but a bit of an immature, extrovert/ womanizer, who seemed to fall in love at the drop of a hat.
But somehow SN managed to make him into an alpha in this story - being a film director helped of course, his bossiness, charisma, humour and leadership on set were quite appealing. Maybe his accident and change of career matured him.
There were a few dodgy moments - the way he seemed to dish out kisses to all and sundry, and also expected the 17 year old star to do a nude love scene (is that even legal?), but fortunately that never happened.
Well done to the author for her research on film making. It added to the interest of the romance to have the technical aspects of movie-making as a backdrop.
The hero wasn't my type but he seemed well matched with the likeable heroine. Their flamboyance, spiritedness and charm worked for the two of them.
Let's see if it is a hat-trick (I am mixing my sporting metaphors) with the next one in the Marlow series.
January 3, 2012
Very good book, as always, by Napier. I've read them all and may start on them all again for a 2nd time.
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