A Regency Match

by Elizabeth Mansfield

A duel of manners

How dare he! Sophia fumed as she recalled the scene at the ball. Ruefully, she admitted to herself that she shouldn't have thrown her arms around him, a total stranger. But it had been an honest mistake, and the stuffy young Earl of Wynwood had given her the cut direct!

She didn't care if he was the handsomest man in London! He deserved a lesson, and she, Sophia Edgerton, was just the teacher to do it...

Genres: Romance, Regency, Historical, Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Fiction

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 1980

About the author

Elizabeth Mansfield is the author of numerous regency romances. She is an intelligent and thoughtful writer, a hidden gem whose novels deserve to be more widely read and enjoyed.

Elizabeth Mansfield is the pen name of the talented Paula Reibel Schwartz. Ms Schwartz also wrote different genres under the pen names Paula Reibel, Paula Reid, and Paula Jonas.

Reviews

[Mary - Buried Under Romance · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am done with ill-behaved, impertinent, vulgar, offensive heroines!

For Pete's sake, this heroine should be locked up for all of her evil spite to ruin a man's betrothal party, when he but says the truth (which she eavesdropped) that she is melodramatic. Yes, so she'll simply be utterly mannerless and prove him right! Because in the real world, that kind of behavior endears one to people, am I right???

Honestly, the only character I liked in this story is the grandmother, because she saw the heroine as a spoiled child and not the "pretty, charming girl" she pretends to others. This sort of behavior isn't much allowed in our current society - people simply won't give a second to you - and neither is it in the Regency world of politeness and masks. Well, I can say that this is NOT the book I expected Elizabeth Mansfield to have written.

P.S. If anyone calls this sort of heroine merely impulsive, then I would heartily recommend you books in which the heroine is not purposefully malicious.

[OLT · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was delighted to see all these inexpensive Elizabeth Mansfield Regencies being offered for Kindle and downloaded five without even thinking, just choosing some I hadn't read before. Mansfield (pen name of the late Paula Schwartz) wrote traditional, clean and wholesome Regency romances in the 1970s and 1980s and I had read several back in the day, and at that time there were several I had enjoyed.

Well, either my taste has changed or these recent downloads are not typical of her books. All I can say is that the writing is good but I cannot like the heroines in any of these books I've read so far. This heroine, in particular, annoyed me throughout the story. What an immature, spoiled, unthinking ninny. Every time I thought she had learned her lesson and would modify her behavior, she would take offense at some minor thing the hero did and start up again with her stupidities.

This is a 1-star book based on the heroine. It's a 3.5-star book based on the writing and my sentimental memory of reading Mansfield back in the day. (Maybe 30 years ago?)

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm afraid on this "re-read" audio version, I agree with the majority of the reviewers about the contemptible stupid behavior of the heroine. Sophia has set about proving that the hero is justified in his bad opinion of her by creating scenes and embarrassing him at his country betrothal party. At first, her purposely behaving like a zany clumsy hysteric was a little amusing. I did get some laughs out of her setting the piano on fire and then her phony inconsolable self-flagellation. But the incident with the horse was way too much. She really crossed the line. Totally unreasonable and foolish.

https://rebekahsreadingsandwatchings....

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

How dare he! Sophia fumed as she recalled the scene at the ball. Ruefully, she admitted to herself that she shouldn't have thrown her arms around him, a total stranger. But it had been an honest mistake, and the stuffy young Earl of Wynwood had given her the cut direct!

She didn't care if he was the handsomest man in London! He deserved a lesson, and she, Sophia Edgerton, was just the teacher to do it.

I'd never marry her - too short tempered and makes decisions without all the facts.

[Patricia Nellas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good grief! This book certainly was a trial to read! I suffered too much secondhand embarrassment from the heroine's foolish antics. I did laugh a couple of times though. I guess what I can say is... this book had the potential to be greater than what it is. The writing is excellent but I found the story overall lacking in many ways. Would've given it 2 stars but as annoying as the heroine is, her over the top silliness did make me laugh a couple of times.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in 1980, near the beginning of the author's career, this is not one of her best. In fact, I can safely say I did not LIKE any of the characters in this book, including the harebrained heroine who acts as if she's a two-year-old and the bloodless hero. Elizabeth Mansfield fans should concentrate on reading her later work.

[Jacquelin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, the description made it sound like fun. Unfortunately I had absolutely no compassion or connection to the two main characters. I had no sympathy for them and I certainly didn't believe that anything that they did warranted them falling in love. I simply didn't believe they loved each other. It's a typical story and one that I love, the man is prim and proper, the woman is a tad flighty and more independent for her own good. He doesn't like her type, but he ends up falling in love with her, she thinks he's a prig, she realizes halfway through that she is falling in love with him too. Well the male lead is just about everything I would expect, the female lead was beyond obnoxious. A willful ability to misunderstand and misinterpret everything, spoiled, irrational, a total brat and, more than once displayed some scary rage issues. Despite a great and loving grandmother trying to constantly put a mirror up to her, and a cousin who plainly tells her what a fool she's being, she refuses to listen to anyone and dives headfirst into this harebrained scheme of embarrassing the male lead as often and as horribly as possible. She repeatedly makes a fool of herself, gets upset after the fact for various reasons, then berates herself and Promises to stop, then something happens that fires her up all over again. This cycle goes on many, many times throughout the story. Then of course he proposes she accepts and they live happily ever after. Didn't believe a word of it

[Kotori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved

Lived this book.
Characters were very well represented and thoroughly enjoyable.
Author excels in believable situations akin to Austen.
Humorous and facial while still believable, a feel good recency romp.

[Donnalee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hmm--heroine does harm just to 'prove' stuff--thumbs down on this one for me, although I like the author sometimes

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF— super annoying heroine

[Kacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite Mansfield book, but was looking for a Regency to re-read. Overall a good story. Sophia is a little annoying but otherwise it’s a fun book.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful story! Yes, the heroine is a bit spoiled and sometimes silly. but she has a good heart! I will read again!

[Katja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Iris.

[Patrizia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Non ho attribuito la valutazione minima (una stella) solo perché fino a metà della storia mi era sembrato che l'autrice avesse scelto il lato brioso, leggero del romance 'storico', cercando a fatica (e con qualche ripresa esplicita) di seguire le orme di Georgette Heyer. Ma uno stucchevole sentimento ha infine avuto la meglio sulla voglia di giocare, e a questo punto le varie incongruenze e i vari anacronismi (che un approccio ironico avrebbe fatto perdonare) son diventati intollerabili.

[Danylle · Rating 1 out of 5]

silly little wanna be pride and prejudice, so unmemorable I can't even remember the character names. The problem is I wanted it to be similar to P&P, because I've been craving that kind of story lately. I'll just have to re-read the original.

I did enjoy the peeping tom storyline though. It was the only bit of action this little book could come up with.

[Muriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was recommended this author by a fellow Georgette Heyer fan and for once I was not disappointed. This was a fun and zippy historical romance and I look forward to reading more from Mansfield.

[Sylvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Regency

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just like this author shes clean, predictable and makes me laugh.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.50 stars - pg13?

Good writing style but couldn't stand tstl, melodramatic, annoying, twit heroine! Why would Hero want her?! Almost did not finish.

[Jinx Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this through Early Bird books. I need to start spending more money on my reading! This was a typical Regency romance with the same storyline as Bridget Jones. It was cute.

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second time, went from ok to quite enjoyable

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars. one of Mansfield's better work. Clean romance with intresting characters