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avid_reader_96's review
3.0
I liked Riley's character. I liked Mason. But I didn't think they had enough chemistry. Their attraction seemed forced. Overall, not a bad read.
ephedawn's review
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
thebookcoyote's review
2.0
"No Marriage of Convenience" is the story of Mason St. Clair, the Earl of Ashlin and actress Riley Fontaine. At the beginning of the story, Mason finds himself in desperate financial straights, fighting of creditors and saddled down with three totally unmarriageable nieces - the daughters of his deceased brother. Enter Riley Fontaine - an actress and playwright who owes Mason a good deal of money from a loan made to her by his brother, who had been a rather spendthrift patron. Unable to repay the money immediately, it is agreed upon that Riley will instead help train Mason's nieces to be respectable, and hopefully, in so doing, to find husbands. Mason finds himself developing feelings for Riley at the same time that he realizes that he has little other choice than to make a marriage of convenience to a rich but supremely annoying debutante... This book is an enjoyable read. In common with many of Boyle's other books, the plot tends to get in the way and slow down the book. Her plots tend to be overly complicated and overly action-packed, and instead of engaging me, these plots tend to bore me. The love story is fairly good, although I think that perhaps Riley and Mason should have been given a deeper connection. They don't really have a lot in common, and it is difficult to imagine them falling in love. Also, Riley's dark past and its coming to light is a little bit tacky and overdone, as is her realization that she's actually a countess and has plenty of money after all...I actually would have liked the book better if she'd been what she appeared to be all along. It is also rather unrealistic that someone as proper as Mason would hire someone like Riley to train his nieces. Nonetheless, it's rather fun and worth reading.
loverofromance's review
4.0
This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.
First Impressions
No Marriage of Convenience is a standalone by Elizabeth Boyle but it is part of the “Avon Romantic Treasure” line and I have been wanting to explore this line way more and delve into other older historicals. I very quickly grabbed this one up here from Amazon and I was immediately drawn into the story so I definitely have no regrets in reading this one. This is one of the older Elizabeth Boyle books and I really loved seeing her older style of writing and it had a refreshing feel to it. I also found that this one was super easy to get into, with a fun setup between our main characters, it delivered on the fun side characters and plenty of humor to satisfy the historical reader. It was such an easy one to just relax into and I really felt like this one was such a solid read. I was nervous before going into this one because there are a ton of mixed reviews on GoodReads for this one, however, I ended up having a blast with it and was highly entertained all the way through.
Summary
Mason St. Clair, is the Earl of Ashlin, and inherited the title when his brother died. Mason is a scholar and never expected to inherit a title or a pile of debts or three nieces that he needs to find good matches for. And then walks in a lady of mystery and beauty….Riley, an infamous actress and has come to Mason for assistance in keeping her show open and to try to settle the debt that needed to be resolved. Mason’s cousin Felicity suggests that Riley help tutor his nieces to prepare them for society and Riley knows that she has little choice but to accept. There is a chemistry between Mason and Riley but neither of them act on it, as they know the difference of their stations, but they can’t deny that there is something real between them. But as there is a stalker threatening to kill Riley,, Mason is determined to protect a woman he has come to care deeply for, but there are secrets of the past that will come to the forefront, and will Mason and Riley find a way to resolve their bind and a path to a HEA….
What I Loved
No Marriage of Convenience was quite an entertaining ride and I honestly had such a fun time with this one here. I really was so curious to see where the author would take this one here. I was so fascinated to see where this would go and what the author would deliver with this story. I will say that this book is super easy to get into, and I was really drawn into the story all the way through. I really loved how the writing just captivated my interest. There is such fun humor and it was well balanced in the story. I really adored the pairing of an Earl with an Actress, but they are both of scholarly type of minds, so while on paper they may seem like the complete opposite, they are both well-read individuals and that is where they connect first….is on an intellectual level. There is some fun moments of course especially when you had an actor troupe in the mix and three young women that are ill-mannered and learning their way through society. The story is really engaging, as we see the origins of the heroine’s mother, and it was that prologue that pulled me into the story. We see the villain’s true purpose and it was interesting to see how that was built into the climax that was delivered. The heat of this book is tame, there is some well-written chemistry but its a moderate level. The ending was highly satisfying and the way that Mason and Riley find their way together just worked for me and left me thoroughly happy. A solid romance and eager for more of this author’s older work.
What I Struggled With
There wasn’t too much, I could have used a bit more focus on the romance in the first half and a higher level of chemistry but still a solid fun read. And the title is misleading—-there is NO marriage of convenience, I know the blurb makes a prospective reader assume there is but since marriage doesn’t happen until the very end….you won’t see any marriage of convenience.
Overall View
No Marriage of Convenience was a well-balanced story that had a fun premise that ended up delivering in just the right way. It’s a story that will engage the reader, deliver in its witty dialogue, and offer a warm poignant feeling in the end that will bring a smile to your face!
This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.
First Impressions
No Marriage of Convenience is a standalone by Elizabeth Boyle but it is part of the “Avon Romantic Treasure” line and I have been wanting to explore this line way more and delve into other older historicals. I very quickly grabbed this one up here from Amazon and I was immediately drawn into the story so I definitely have no regrets in reading this one. This is one of the older Elizabeth Boyle books and I really loved seeing her older style of writing and it had a refreshing feel to it. I also found that this one was super easy to get into, with a fun setup between our main characters, it delivered on the fun side characters and plenty of humor to satisfy the historical reader. It was such an easy one to just relax into and I really felt like this one was such a solid read. I was nervous before going into this one because there are a ton of mixed reviews on GoodReads for this one, however, I ended up having a blast with it and was highly entertained all the way through.
Summary
Mason St. Clair, is the Earl of Ashlin, and inherited the title when his brother died. Mason is a scholar and never expected to inherit a title or a pile of debts or three nieces that he needs to find good matches for. And then walks in a lady of mystery and beauty….Riley, an infamous actress and has come to Mason for assistance in keeping her show open and to try to settle the debt that needed to be resolved. Mason’s cousin Felicity suggests that Riley help tutor his nieces to prepare them for society and Riley knows that she has little choice but to accept. There is a chemistry between Mason and Riley but neither of them act on it, as they know the difference of their stations, but they can’t deny that there is something real between them. But as there is a stalker threatening to kill Riley,, Mason is determined to protect a woman he has come to care deeply for, but there are secrets of the past that will come to the forefront, and will Mason and Riley find a way to resolve their bind and a path to a HEA….
What I Loved
No Marriage of Convenience was quite an entertaining ride and I honestly had such a fun time with this one here. I really was so curious to see where the author would take this one here. I was so fascinated to see where this would go and what the author would deliver with this story. I will say that this book is super easy to get into, and I was really drawn into the story all the way through. I really loved how the writing just captivated my interest. There is such fun humor and it was well balanced in the story. I really adored the pairing of an Earl with an Actress, but they are both of scholarly type of minds, so while on paper they may seem like the complete opposite, they are both well-read individuals and that is where they connect first….is on an intellectual level. There is some fun moments of course especially when you had an actor troupe in the mix and three young women that are ill-mannered and learning their way through society. The story is really engaging, as we see the origins of the heroine’s mother, and it was that prologue that pulled me into the story. We see the villain’s true purpose and it was interesting to see how that was built into the climax that was delivered. The heat of this book is tame, there is some well-written chemistry but its a moderate level. The ending was highly satisfying and the way that Mason and Riley find their way together just worked for me and left me thoroughly happy. A solid romance and eager for more of this author’s older work.
What I Struggled With
There wasn’t too much, I could have used a bit more focus on the romance in the first half and a higher level of chemistry but still a solid fun read. And the title is misleading—-there is NO marriage of convenience, I know the blurb makes a prospective reader assume there is but since marriage doesn’t happen until the very end….you won’t see any marriage of convenience.
Overall View
No Marriage of Convenience was a well-balanced story that had a fun premise that ended up delivering in just the right way. It’s a story that will engage the reader, deliver in its witty dialogue, and offer a warm poignant feeling in the end that will bring a smile to your face!
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