No Marriage of Convenience

by Elizabeth Boyle

Book Overview

Mason St. Clair, the new Earl of Ashlin, has inherited a title for which there is no longer a fortune, thanks to his elder brother. Steeped in debt, with three ungainly nieces to marry off, Mason is desperate for relief. Only he doesn't expect it in the form of Madame Fontaine, a woman of questionable reputation. She arrives on his doorstep with partial payment on a debt owed to the former earl. When Mason demands full payment, she is at a loss. It's...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0380815346
• ISBN13: 9780380815340
• Release Date: September 2000
• Publisher: Avon Books
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Written with absolutely no intentions for sequel(s), author met her goal

I loved this book! I hated to see it end. I loved all the characters, and I can see why the author intentionally did not want to write sequels, and accomplished the task by being sure that every character in the book who was eligible (not to mention 'straight') for marriage got married in this book. The result: 3 marriages at Gretna Green. This may not appeal to some readers, but it was so well done and a perfect ending to the book. Usually, I tend to find at least 3 or 4 favorite characters in a book, but in this one, I liked nearly all of them equally. I do wish we had seen just a bit more of Captain Hardy, but I wasn't unhappy with the way he was written in for Maggie. I loved how everyone got married off, especially the nieces. This book had humor on nearly every page. It was not what I would call rib-breaking funny, although there were occassional laugh-out-loud moments throught the book. Mostly, I sat reading it with a grin/smirk on my face and chuckles throught. I am not sure who to compare the humor to, possibly Sabrina Jeffries? I'm not really sure. As far as the 'playing' goes, they didn't till the last 100 pages of the book, and then, only twice. If you want a spicy read, you do not want this book. It was more about friendship & love than about the physical aspects. In fact, I would put the physical aspects on par with the Suzanne Enoch books I've read. In other words, pretty basic stuff, no graphic details. You won't find this to be like a Nicole Jordan book. Now, the matter other reviewers were complaining about, the use of modern day language between the young ladies in the book. I did see a couple of short, blink & you'll miss them, lines on this order. I do agree that "Oh, Great!" and "As if!!!" don't belong in historical romance, but I do not let this stop me from giving the book a rating of 10 on the 1-10 rating scale. Will most definitely look forward to reading more of Elizabeth Boyle's works in the future.

I guarantee you won't be able to put this one down!

I picked up Ms. Boyle's newest book, NO MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE, when I had a little time, thinking I would just read a chapter. One chapter became two. Two became four. Soon I was halfway through and so engrossed I couldn't put it down. Mason and Riley were a dynamic duo and I found myself laughing out loud as I read their adventures. Don't miss this wonderful love story. Or believe me, you'll regret it.

The earl has to marry an heiress for his family's sake.

No matter how hard he tries to make ends meet, Mason St. Clair can't see any way out of his financial difficulties that doesn't involve marrying an heiress. His father and older brother before him devastated the estate with their mistresses and frivolities; now it was up to Mason--the Oxford college professor--to sacrifice himself to save the family honor. But it isn't until he meets Riley Fontaine, an actress of questionable reputation, that he realizes just how much a sacrifice it will be.Riley's theatre troupe owes the earl a large sum of money, and she's prepared to pay part of it back by working with his three out-of-control nieces in order to prepare them for marriage. (The idea of hiring an actress to train young women is an unlikely scenario in this period, but I'm willing to suspend belief because this book is just SO MUCH FUN!)Mason's courtship of the heiress goes rather slowly, because he finds himself constantly distracted by the beautiful, seductive, and talented Madame Fontaine. He discovers that not only is she not what she seems, but it appears that someone is trying to kill her. At this point, the heiress thing gets put on the back burner as Mason determinedly installs her in his home for protection while he sets about trying to discover the killer.Riley never thought she would fall for a college professor, but after the fact, she can't bear the thought of losing him to the heiress. She herself went through some very tough times after being abandoned by her mother and sold on the streets of Paris, but somehow she always found a way to survive without selling herself or her integrity. But Mason has to put the family honor first...or does he?A truly riveting read for any fan of historical romance...especially if you like a touch of humor applied liberally to the sexual tension. The final scene had me choking with laughter. If only every book were as entertaining as this one!

One of the best books I've read this year!!

I'm a big fan of romance novels that contain humor.So it was a real treat to discover Elizabeth Boyle.I can't say enough about this novel, it made me laugh out loud (more than once)and even brought a tear to my eye.The characters are wonderful,I absolutely loved the hero's cousin Felicity,she's a riot!!!As a matter of fact I liked all the secondary characters.Mason and Riley's story will warm your heart as well as tickle your funny bone.I hated to see the end.Well now i'm just going to have to buy all of Elizabeth Boyle's previous books and wait patiently for her next.

Terrific Story - Wonderful Author

Elizabeth Boyle has penned a terrific story with NO MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE. Her compelling plot and interesting characters will have the reader turning pages at a nearly frentic pace trying to find out if Mason ever discovers the truth about the mysterious Mistress Fontaine. Highly recommended!