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An Encounter with Venus
Unable to forget the image of his sister's best friend emerging from the bathtub many years ago, the Earl of Chadleigh once again encounters the beautiful lady who has plagued his thoughts and vows to win her heart. Original.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 2, 2003
About the author
Elizabeth Mansfield
60 books65 followersElizabeth 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 7, 2021
This book was such a toss-up: the primary romance was delightful. George, from whose perspective it is mostly told, is twenty-seven and a fundamentally decent sort of guy; he'd developed a crush on his sister's friend Olivia years ago, and then lost track of her for years, and is super-excited to be reintroduced, only to find that Livy - now age thirty-five - is - gasp! - an elderly, crotchety spinster. (Actually, this part is a little over-the-top; George gets indignant at one point because she is so old and crotchety, unlike the vision he remembered from ten years before. I consoled myself with the thought that 35 actually was pretty old back in Ye Day.) Needless to say she's nothing of the sort, although she is far too nice to a crotchety uncle who raised her, and their love story is very sweet.
No, the problem here is with the secondary romance. George's best friend, Bernard, was seriously injured years before and now is confined to a wheelchair/crutches at all times, and as a result is wildly self-pitying and dependent on George. He won't go anywhere without George, he whines and cries when George is not there to support him, he is furious when George breaks a promise to accompany him to a ball (because George was caught in a blizzard while spending time with his sister's family). He has a crush on a young lady named Harriet but despite the fact that she does everything but dance naked in an effort to get his attention, he reads everything she does as a denunciation of him and lapses into self-pity again (e.g. when she arranges for all of her friends to hang out with him at a ball, he decides it is because she wants him to propose to one of her friends and herself dislikes him). He is a mopey whiner in a wheelchair. That is literally his entire personality. It's both problematic representation and unpleasant to read. I haven't the slightest idea why we're supposed to be rooting for Harriet to capture his hand in marriage.
You'll note that I haven't addressed historical accuracy here. That's because frankly there isn't much. This is of the pseudo-Heyer genre of regency romance, when everyone was careful to make sure their heroes were driving the right type of conveyance (is it a wagon or a barouche?) and drop a few words of (not actually accurate) regency slang, but also had people addressing each other by their first names on brief acquaintance, finding excuses to let unmarried couples hang out in rooms alone, etc. For whatever reason the historical accuracy police have not come for these books, although they'll come for anyone who dares to include a character of color or progressive politics, but that silence doesn't actually mean they're historically accurate. Just something for readers to note.
In conclusion: Mansfield's decent for what this is (as I said, pseudo-Heyer chaste regency romance) but this book is a catastrophic failure due to fricking Bernard and his constant whining.
No, the problem here is with the secondary romance. George's best friend, Bernard, was seriously injured years before and now is confined to a wheelchair/crutches at all times, and as a result is wildly self-pitying and dependent on George. He won't go anywhere without George, he whines and cries when George is not there to support him, he is furious when George breaks a promise to accompany him to a ball (because George was caught in a blizzard while spending time with his sister's family). He has a crush on a young lady named Harriet but despite the fact that she does everything but dance naked in an effort to get his attention, he reads everything she does as a denunciation of him and lapses into self-pity again (e.g. when she arranges for all of her friends to hang out with him at a ball, he decides it is because she wants him to propose to one of her friends and herself dislikes him). He is a mopey whiner in a wheelchair. That is literally his entire personality. It's both problematic representation and unpleasant to read. I haven't the slightest idea why we're supposed to be rooting for Harriet to capture his hand in marriage.
You'll note that I haven't addressed historical accuracy here. That's because frankly there isn't much. This is of the pseudo-Heyer genre of regency romance, when everyone was careful to make sure their heroes were driving the right type of conveyance (is it a wagon or a barouche?) and drop a few words of (not actually accurate) regency slang, but also had people addressing each other by their first names on brief acquaintance, finding excuses to let unmarried couples hang out in rooms alone, etc. For whatever reason the historical accuracy police have not come for these books, although they'll come for anyone who dares to include a character of color or progressive politics, but that silence doesn't actually mean they're historically accurate. Just something for readers to note.
In conclusion: Mansfield's decent for what this is (as I said, pseudo-Heyer chaste regency romance) but this book is a catastrophic failure due to fricking Bernard and his constant whining.
December 26, 2016
Why does one writer "work" and another not? Why should a competently written book, no better or worse than many another RegRom, just not set the world on fire for me?
To be fair, the first line does eveything to lure the reader in -
Ten years earlier, when he was seventeen, George Frobisher had caught a glimpse of Miss Olivia Henshaw naked. It was a moment he never forgot.
But then subsequent lines - fatally - allow the word "plodding" to take root in the mind: from there it's surprising difficult for a book to make a comeback.
He’d been granted leave from Cambridge to attend his sister’s wedding, which was to be held at Leyton Abbey, the groom’s country estate in Yorkshire. He did not usually enjoy attending weddings, nor did he like having to leave school so close to examination week, but Felicia, six years older than he, was his only sibling, and he was very fond of her. He therefore tried to make the best of it for her sake.
While dressing for the ceremony, he realized he was missing a stud for his shirtfront. Since the valet his host had provided for him was elderly and slow, he decided to go himself to find his father’s bedroom and borrow a stud. And so on.
Maybe on a different day, when I was willing to make allowances?
To be fair, the first line does eveything to lure the reader in -
Ten years earlier, when he was seventeen, George Frobisher had caught a glimpse of Miss Olivia Henshaw naked. It was a moment he never forgot.
But then subsequent lines - fatally - allow the word "plodding" to take root in the mind: from there it's surprising difficult for a book to make a comeback.
He’d been granted leave from Cambridge to attend his sister’s wedding, which was to be held at Leyton Abbey, the groom’s country estate in Yorkshire. He did not usually enjoy attending weddings, nor did he like having to leave school so close to examination week, but Felicia, six years older than he, was his only sibling, and he was very fond of her. He therefore tried to make the best of it for her sake.
While dressing for the ceremony, he realized he was missing a stud for his shirtfront. Since the valet his host had provided for him was elderly and slow, he decided to go himself to find his father’s bedroom and borrow a stud. And so on.
Maybe on a different day, when I was willing to make allowances?
May 13, 2021
Another surprisingly enjoyable freebie. At this rate I'm never going to get my Kindle cleared out.
Since no one but me cares about that, here's the useful part of my review: this is a clean romance.
Since no one but me cares about that, here's the useful part of my review: this is a clean romance.
July 21, 2017
another okay
December 29, 2017
Super easy, fun read. Highly enjoyable.
March 19, 2020
What a delightful story! Loved the characters!
April 28, 2020
Kind of creepy, and I think the author needed a sensitivity reader. Other then that it's not bad, characters are interesting and such.
June 17, 2020
Feels like early effort; prickly PTSD woman for too much of book for my taste--others fine, but woman too stressful
July 24, 2020
Divertente, ben scritto, senza pretese, coerente... Stavolta Elizabeth Mansfield non mi ha deluso.
October 17, 2024
I'm glad there was a happy ending, but getting there was painful.
February 11, 2016
Venus in the Eyes of the Beholder
Best friend of the Earl's sister, Olivia thinks that she's a over the hill spinster and can't believe that the Earl is actually attracted to her. George, who could have any woman he wants due to his charming personality, title and wealth, can't forget seeing Olivia when he was 17 at his sister's wedding. They meet at another of his sister's parties many years later and George realizes that he is still strongly attracted, but Olivia is not cooperating. Absolutely major male - female miscommunication. Translators needed.
Best friend of the Earl's sister, Olivia thinks that she's a over the hill spinster and can't believe that the Earl is actually attracted to her. George, who could have any woman he wants due to his charming personality, title and wealth, can't forget seeing Olivia when he was 17 at his sister's wedding. They meet at another of his sister's parties many years later and George realizes that he is still strongly attracted, but Olivia is not cooperating. Absolutely major male - female miscommunication. Translators needed.
November 12, 2011
: Hero saw heroine getting out of her bath when he was 17 and she was 25 at his sister’s wedding. Ten years later, he finally gets the opportunity to meet her. They strike sparks, but he comes to enjoy her wit and kindness and falls in love with her. Only she won’t believe he’s anything but fond. A couple of sweet romances in this one. Nice story.
Want to Read
February 15, 2016187pgs, the future Earl, was thunderstruck when, at the age of seventeen, he accidentally glimpsed her emerging naked from her bath the day of his sister's wedding. That vision of a her, would fuel his fantasies for years to come. 10 yrs later she is caring for her uncle, and gets invited to a party. Reality meets fantasy when they meet again.
June 12, 2013
I rather liked this book. However, the way the heroine continued to treat the hero badly was quite frustrating. I do like the occasional older woman/younger man romance, though. And the secondary romance with the hero's crippled friend was cute.
September 5, 2019
This story has some really great characters. Much of the story is told from the Male perspective, which is rather refreshing in a romantic novel.
Content: innuendo, a couple dozen mild swear words
Content: innuendo, a couple dozen mild swear words
September 13, 2012
This is free on kindle today. It's a different historical novel and one that was a quick read.
November 8, 2014
3 1/2 stars... not the best but a keeper to reread someday.
April 28, 2015
3.5/5
July 20, 2015
An Encounter with Venus
This is probably the best of her stories but I don't know for sure because I have not read them all. I'm going to try to read them all.
This is probably the best of her stories but I don't know for sure because I have not read them all. I'm going to try to read them all.
June 20, 2019
3.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews