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Elizabeth Boyle
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No Marriage of Convenience Mass Market Paperback – Sept. 5 2000

by Elizabeth Boyle (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars 127
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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 wacky Cousin Felicity who suggests that this woman, whom men cannot resist, can work off the rest of her debt by teaching the three wards how to attract worthy husbands. In a bind, Riley, as the Madame is known, agrees. Once the bargain has been struck, Mason finds that he too is falling under the Madame's spell, and it's not long before an additional couple is heading to the altar.

Previous page
  1. Part of series
    Avon Romantic Treasures
  2. Print length
    384 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Avon
  5. Publication date
    Sept. 5 2000
  6. Dimensions
    10.64 x 2.44 x 17.15 cm
  7. ISBN-10
    0380815346
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0380815340
  9. See all details
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Product description

Review

"Inventive, enthralling, with a cast of lively, impulsive and endearing characters, Ms. Boyle's latest is sure to leave you smiling." -- Stephanie Laurens, USA Today bestselling author

"Surprising twists easily bring a smile, laughter and even a tear or two to readers...a sexy, funny, touching romance..." -- --Romantic Times

About the Author

Elizabeth Boyle has always loved romance and now lives it each and every day by writing adventurous and passionate stories that readers from all around the world have described as “page-turners.” Since her first book was published, she’s seen her romances become New York Times and USA Today bestsellers and has won the RWA RITA® and the Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Awards. She resides in Seattle with her family, her garden, and her always-growing collection of yarn. Readers can visit her at www.elizabethboyle.com, or follow her own adventures on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.  www.avonromance.com www.facebook.com/avonromance 

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Avon (Sept. 5 2000)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0380815346
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0380815340
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 186 g
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 10.64 x 2.44 x 17.15 cm
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 127

About the author

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Elizabeth Boyle

Elizabeth Boyle

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Elizabeth Boyle's passions include her husband and two sons (or as she calls them, "her heroes in training"). In between the kids's activities, camping and gardening and trying to keep up on her ever-growing knitting pattern collection, she continues to write new and exciting romances.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
127 global ratings

Top reviews from Canada

Joyously Retired Teacher
5.0 out of 5 stars The earl has to marry an heiress for his family's sake.
Reviewed in Canada on November 26, 2000
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!
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in Canada on September 10, 2000
In 1798 Mason St. Clair, the new Earl of Ashlin knows he should not speak unkindly of the dead. However, the amount and types of debt his predecessor, his older brother Freddie, managed to accumulate simply stuns Mason. Adding to his discomfit, is his three ungainly nieces who he needs to find mates for without giving them dowries.

Actress Madame Riley Fontaine arrives to allegedly pay off a debt that Mason never heard of in his life. To Riley's chagrin and shock, the studious Mason reads the contract instead of ogling her body as she expected. The debt owed the estate by Riley would pay for the three nieces' debut. Instead, his Cousin Felicity works a deal in which Riley trains the nieces into becoming the diamonds of the season. As Riley and Mason work together and begin considering a marriage of convenience, they fall in love. However, she remains a financially strapped actress with a mysterious past and he is an aristocrat facing bankruptcy.

NO MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE is an entertaining Regency romance filled with an assortment of odd, but endearing characters (and a villain). The brazen story line is amusing yet filled with tender feelings that touch the audience. Elizabeth Boyle's witty tale will provide much delight to sub-genre readers.

Harriet Klausner
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Jesse Petersen
5.0 out of 5 stars A spell-binding story
Reviewed in Canada on October 13, 2000
Mason St. Clair, the Earl of Ashlin is out of money, out of time, and out of options. His brother, father, and grandfather before him have all wasted away any monies associated with his newly inherited title and lands. Now he has to find a suitable bride to help him repay his considerable debts and help his ungainly nieces find husbands to boot. When Riley Fontaine walks through his door, he finds none of those things, yet he can't get her out of his mind.
Mason has some really wonderful qualities that make him unique. Whether it's spectacles he doesn't need, an interesting way with a knife, or his ability to make any room become silent with just a word, he is a true hero through and through. Riley has a troubled past, and a man out to murder her... not to mention a play to run. The last thing she needs is love. Yet somehow it all comes together in a nail-biting, grinning-from-ear-to-ear read that will have you turning the pages. Elizabeth comes through with another classic!
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Affaire de Coeur
4.0 out of 5 stars Misleading beginning, but a good read.
Reviewed in Canada on September 20, 2000
Mason St. Clair, Earl of Ashlin, had a title, very little money, and three nieces who were eligible for marriage but needed to be made "suitable" for potential husbands. The woman he finds for this training is Riley Fontaine, an actress and woman of questionable reputation. Though she has little money herself, what she does have is personality and quite a temper. Although this book has its amusing moments, perhaps the story would have been better served if it stuck closer to its chilling prologue. The characters here were rather superficial, and Riley seemed to be the only person of any substance here. We hope Ms. Boyle's next book will be truer to its introduction.
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Tammy Torres
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books I've read this year!!
Reviewed in Canada on October 4, 2000
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.
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GillyScott
5.0 out of 5 stars I guarantee you won't be able to put this one down!
Reviewed in Canada on December 6, 2000
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.
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Maudeen Wachsmith
5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Story - Wonderful Author
Reviewed in Canada on September 4, 2000
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!
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Top reviews from other countries

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Tracie Tulett
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed Reading
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 27, 2021
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Beatrice Berger
4.0 out of 5 stars ganz nett, muß man aber nicht gelesen haben.
Reviewed in Germany on March 18, 2010
Verified Purchase
Dieses Mal ist das Thema keine Spionage, diesmal ist es eine verlorene und wiedergefundene Tochter (bzw. Enkelin). Dadurch allerdings wird die Sache nicht weniger schrill und kurios. Auch Mord und Totschlag sind nicht seltener.

Rileys Mutter brannte vor Jahren mit einem jungen Mann nach Schottland durch, der ihren Eltern nicht gut genug war. Sie heirateten, wurden aber auf der Rückfahrt überfallen, der junge Mann kam zu Tode, die Heiratsurkunde verschwand. Rileys Mutter, schwanger und von ihrer Mutter nach Frankreich verbannt, schlug sich dort als Schauspielerin durch. Irgendwann taucht Riley als Schauspielerin in London auf (wobei es angesichts der damaligen Verhältnisse mehr als unwahrscheinlich ist, daß eine Schauspielerin mit Mitte zwanzig noch über keinerlei sexuelle Erfahrungen verfügt), nimmt ein Darlehen bei Lord Ashlin auf und sieht sich nun vor der Verlegenheit, es bei seinem Erben zurückzuzahlen. Dieser, Professor für Geschichte an der Universität Oxford, ist ein ganz anderer Mann als sein verstorbener leichtlebiger Bruder. Er ist auf jeden Penny angewiesen und hat außerdem noch drei heiratsfähige Nichten ohne gesellschaftlichen Schliff und ohne Mitgift an den Mann zu bringen: da kommt ihm Riley gerade recht: als Ersatz für das Darlehen soll sie die Nichten auf das gesellschaftliche Leben vorbereiten.

Ich habe von Miss Boyle bereits schlechtere und langweiligere Bücher gelesen. Allerdings habe ich von ihr auch noch kein wirklich gutes Buch gelesen. Auch dieses ist: ganz nett, muß man aber nicht gelesen haben.
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Joyously Retired Teacher
5.0 out of 5 stars The earl has to marry an heiress for his family's sake.
Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2000
Verified Purchase
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!
33 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars One good read deserves another
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2013
Verified Purchase
Ms Boyle is one of my favorite authors. She is consistent in story line and the characters almost jump off the page.
One person found this helpful
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C. Spencer
5.0 out of 5 stars Will read again!
Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2023
Verified Purchase
Interesting, and at times witty dialog and delightful characters made this a thoroughly enjoyable read. This story would make an excellent movie.
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