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Stella Riley
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The Mésalliance (Rockliffe Book 2) Kindle Edition

by Stella Riley (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 1,089 ratings
ROCKLIFFE SERIES recommended by Hilary Rose of THE TIMES
B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree
Reluctantly, the Duke of Rockliffe is in the market for a wife. His requirements are simple; a lady who will occupy her position with well-bred grace and chaperone his sister, Nell – but who will not bore him to distraction. Whilst accompanying Nell to what he speedily comes to regard as the house-party from hell, he meets Adeline Kendrick - acid-tongued and by no means beautiful, yet somehow alluring. Worse still, her relatives are quite deplorable - from Cousin Diana, a spoiled and ill-natured beauty, to manipulative and sadistic Uncle Richard. As a prospective bride, therefore, Adeline is out of the question. Until, that is, a bizarre turn of events cause the Duke to do the unthinkable and make what the Polite World will call a mésalliance.

2019 Readers' Favorite Gold Medallist (Cadenza) and proud holder of fourteen B.R.A.G. Medallions.
“I love this series. Ms. Riley is a fine author, and I can see more sleepless nights ahead as this is a six-book series!” (Vine Voice Reviewer)
“Everything a historical romance should be.”
“Pride and Prejudice meets Jane Eyre in the fabulous historical romance. I loved this book! It was easy to get lost in. The writing style and phraseology were delightfully reminiscent of an Austen or Bronte novel. I recommend this book to fans of historical novels containing sharp wit, sinister plots, and hard-won love.” (Readers’ Favorite 5 star review)
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  1. Book 2 of 7
    Rockliffe
  2. Print length
    312 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    September 24, 2012
  5. File size
    1.8 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

5 star review from Readers' Favourite
A rushed marriage creates havoc in the lives of an eighteenth-century town in the stunning novel, The Mesalliance (Rockliffe Book Two) by Stella Riley. Tracey Rockliffe may claim he only wants to marry a proper Duchess, but until he meets Adeline Kendrick, he is simply fooling himself. Inexplicably drawn to Adeline, Rock finds himself in an uncomfortable situation. On a whim, he proposes marriage to the girl he fell in love with eight years ago. Only, the girl he met briefly so long ago has been hurt and hides her inner beauty behind sarcasm and sharp wit. When faced with possible tragedy and disaster, Rock and Adeline must choose to stay loyal to each other or risk losing everything. Can Rock's tender understanding and compassion uncover Adeline's love? Or will Adeline's constant rebuffs prove to be too much for the indomitable Tracey Rockliffe?

Pride and Prejudice meets Jane Eyre in the fabulous historical romance, The Mesalliance. In a story fraught with misunderstandings and secrets, one is not certain whether the couple will have a happy ending. Aside from troubles with Adeline, Rock must find a suitable companion for his younger sister, Nell. Vetting possible suitors, while becoming acquainted with his new bride, may be too much for Rock. I appreciated how the characters were so well rounded, and commend the author for keeping to the tone and pace of the chosen time period. I loved this book! It was easy to get lost in. The writing style and phraseology were delightfully reminiscent of anAusten or Bronte novel. I recommend this book to fans of historical novels containing sharp wit, sinister plots, and hard-won love.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B009G8SFVI
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ ; 2nd edition (September 24, 2012)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 24, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.8 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 312 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 1,089 ratings

About the author

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Stella Riley

Stella Riley

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Winner of 4 gold medals (Readers' Favourite 2019, Book Excellence Awards 2020, Global Book Awards 2022, Book Excellence Awards 2023) and 14 B.R.A.G. Medallions, Stella Riley lives in the beautiful medieval town of Sandwich in Kent.

She is fascinated by the English Civil Wars and has written six books set in that period. These, like the 7 book Rockliffe series (recommended in The Times newspaper!) and the Brandon Brothers trilogy, are all available in audio, narrated by Alex Wyndham.

Stella enjoys travel, reading, theatre, Baroque music and playing the harpsichord. She also has a fondness for men with long hair - hence her 17th and 18th century heroes.

Visit Stella at https://stellarileybooks.co.uk for all the latest information on her books and her 'Who's Who' and Extras pages.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
1,089 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers praise this well-written historical romance for its beautiful love story and great plot, with one review noting particularly thrilling final scenes. The book features wonderful characters, with one customer highlighting how the author gives each character their unique voice. Customers appreciate the witty dialogue and intelligence in the writing, with one review mentioning the author's superhuman powers of deduction. While customers enjoy the book, one finds it exasperating.

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38 customers mention "Story quality"27 positive11 negative

Customers enjoy this historical romance, describing it as a beautiful love story with a great plot, and one customer notes the thrilling final scenes.

"...At this point, my breath stopped, as well. The story was so well written, so beautifully depicted and so incredibly moving that I am hard pressed to..." Read more

"...All I can say is the end quarter of the book drove me nuts. The story was great up until then, but when she kept hiding the truth and it got worse..." Read more

"...There was this really big climactic scene where a lot of secrets come out publicly and i thought it felt overdone and out of place for a book that..." Read more

"...I understood the protagonists' concerns. If you want a good story, great characters, crisp dialogue, and all-round good prose,...here..." Read more

25 customers mention "Character development"25 positive0 negative

Customers love the characters in the book, particularly the hero and heroine, and find the villains sufficiently evil. One customer notes that each character has their unique voice, while another appreciates the interaction between the hero and heroine.

"...thank this author for crafting such a beautiful book and creating characters so compelling as to stop my breath. I am incredibly awed by such talent...." Read more

"...and sensitive, the plot arrow-straight and defined, and I 'knew' the characters, even the secondary ones...." Read more

"...He gives each character their unique voice until the listener is seduced into the story as if it was a movie playing before the eyes and ears...." Read more

"...But the witty dialogue, relatively fleshed out characters, with *plausible* motives for keeping the secrets they keep seriously helped bump this..." Read more

25 customers mention "Enjoyment"25 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable and satisfying, with one mentioning they read it nonstop.

"...Not only was this the kind of book you truly are compelled to keep reading, you will not skip a word...." Read more

"This book was so good, until... Oh my goodness misunderstanding upon misunderstanding, hiding information, argh it totally frustrated me...." Read more

"...This lovely Georgian romance was pure pleasure to read...." Read more

"...I was not disappointed. His match though unexpected by him was thoroughly enjoyable...." Read more

21 customers mention "Writing style"21 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing style of the book, particularly its witty dialogue and clever repartee.

"...The story was so well written, so beautifully depicted and so incredibly moving that I am hard pressed to say much beyond by all means, don't..." Read more

"...I loved Adeline's quick wit, sometimes acid tongue, and sense of honor; the duke's sangfroid, sharp intelligence, sly wit, clever ripostes, and his..." Read more

"...But the witty dialogue, relatively fleshed out characters, with *plausible* motives for keeping the secrets they keep seriously helped bump this..." Read more

"...Once again, I was taken up by the beautiful prose in this story...." Read more

8 customers mention "Intelligence"8 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's intelligence, with one noting its well-researched content and another highlighting its superhuman powers of deduction.

"...acid tongue, and sense of honor; the duke's sangfroid, sharp intelligence, sly wit, clever ripostes, and his protectiveness The malevolent..." Read more

"...And I was underwhelmed. Rockliffe is given almost superhuman powers of deduction, insight and far-sightedness to name a few characteristics...." Read more

"...As any good historical author does, she piqued my curiosity and sent me on my own research journey to discover why certain customs existed during..." Read more

"...He has integrity, force of will, intelligence, and character...." Read more

4 customers mention "Boredom"0 positive4 negative

Customers find the book boring.

"...the truth and it got worse and worse, it just seemed stupid and frustrating and felt like the story was just being drug on...." Read more

"...It got tiresome and I just wanted to finish the book. This one is less of a traditional HR because of the added graphic love scene at the end...." Read more

"...He should not have let her get away with her behavior. Exasperating...." Read more

"Not as good as I expected, the story was attractive but after while got boring . It's hard to find good traditional regency romances today." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Linda Jean
    5.0 out of 5 stars "You stop my breath. You always have."
    Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    "You stop my breath. You always have." said the heroine to her hero. At this point, my breath stopped, as well. The story was so well written, so beautifully depicted and so incredibly moving that I am hard pressed to say much beyond by all means, don't hesitate to read this book.

    I hate it when reviewers say that an author is `like' Heyer, because invariably I am disappointed. So, I won't say that, precisely. What I will say is that if you like Heyer, you will, without doubt, like this book. This author's voice is her own, beautifully so, but the style of the hero is the caliber of Heyer's memorable, powerful and totally sure of themselves heroes. Equally impressive is the heroine of this book, who, like Heyer's heroines, gives as good as she gets.

    The hero might have intended his marriage to be one of convenience, and the heroine might have agreed to it, but what really happened was a wonderful thing to read. Not only was this the kind of book you truly are compelled to keep reading, you will not skip a word.

    If the only negative thing a reviewer can find is that the author changed a character's name from Denzil - to the point of requesting an apology from the author - well, it speaks for itself, one would think. I would prefer to thank this author for crafting such a beautiful book and creating characters so compelling as to stop my breath. I am incredibly awed by such talent. In summary, just read this book - it's a treasure.
    10 people found this helpful
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  • Crazygirl
    4.0 out of 5 stars Almost clean read and too many misunderstandings
    Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This book was so good, until... Oh my goodness misunderstanding upon misunderstanding, hiding information, argh it totally frustrated me. Her not telling her husband she's being blackmailed!!! The author painted the heroine as very smart and a quick thinker and then had her pay a blackmailer 3 times in the hopes her husband won't find out. She claimed to trust him, yet not know he could take care of the situation.

    All I can say is the end quarter of the book drove me nuts. The story was great up until then, but when she kept hiding the truth and it got worse and worse, it just seemed stupid and frustrating and felt like the story was just being drug on. I would have loved to see the heroine call her uncle's bluff and tell her husband. All the drama was annoying. For that I gave it 4 stars.

    Also, the love scene at the end was too explicit. Yes the author tried to keep it vague. But it still has more details than I want to read about. Moved Ott too an "R" rating for me.
    It just was more than needed. Not quite clean. However they were married at least.
    11 people found this helpful
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  • lark
    5.0 out of 5 stars This has all the elements of a satisfying Georgian romance
    Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Another reviewer, Danker, led me to Ms. Riley, and I'm so glad. This lovely Georgian romance was pure pleasure to read.

    The story was interesting and sensitive, the plot arrow-straight and defined, and I 'knew' the characters, even the secondary ones. Ms Riley certainly knows the Georgian era, but didn't bury us in minutiae, thank goodness.

    I loved Adeline's quick wit, sometimes acid tongue, and sense of honor; the duke's sangfroid, sharp intelligence, sly wit, clever ripostes, and his protectiveness The malevolent characters were entirely believable, as were the good guys.

    The path to an HEA for Adeline and Tracey (the duke) was rocky, and the author accomplished this beautifully ~ nothing contrived, no clichés. There were misunderstandings, but they were written so they were believable; they didn't make me gnash my teeth (as many do.) I understood the protagonists' concerns.

    If you want a good story, great characters, crisp dialogue, and all-round good prose,...here you go.

    I seem to always read books in the wrong order, so now I'm preparing to embark on The Parfit Knight. I'm already in love with Amberley.

    Enjoy your reading! :)
    4 people found this helpful
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  • D. Salvagin, La Deetda Reads
    5.0 out of 5 stars Secrets and Lucious Romance
    Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Stella Riley has made me a huge fan of Georgian Historical Romance. I “read” this book on digital audio with the seductive baritone voice of Alex Wyndham narrating the story of our favorite duke from THE PARFIT KNIGHT, Tracy Winstanton, The Duke of Rockliffe. This starts as a marriage of convenience, convenient for Adeline since it helps her escape from the home of relatives who take advantage of her and
    convenient for Tracy since he needs a wife and he is drawn to Adeline.

    This is a recent release of this wonderful book on digital audio that I received free for review from the author. Alex Wyndham does not just read the words of Ms Riley, he performs this story. He gives each character their unique voice until the listener is seduced into the story as if it was a movie playing before the eyes and ears.

    Stella Riley is the author behind the lusciously romantic and sublimely sensual love story. Adeline falls in love with her husband but there are secrets she is keeping. Secrets that she believes will threaten her marriage. Tracy is trying to give his new wife time to get to know him, but he becomes frustrated with her inability to trust him. Adeline is on the road to ruining her marriage with her secrets.

    This reader loved Rockliffe in THE PARFIT KNIGHT and since he is the familiar one to me I naturally took his side in the rift between him and Adeline. Adeline and her subterfuge was at times annoying but I longed for her to confess all to her loyal, loving husband before it was too late. Rockliffe’s sister Nell also had her own romance although she nearly destroyed her own chances at happiness. There are Adeline’s infuriating, evil relatives, cousin Diane and an Uncle, whose interference causes even more disruption. There are surprises and the secrets revealed, some that nearly destroy our hero and heroine.
    I highly recommend this enthralling audiobook.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Shi66
    4.0 out of 5 stars Well-written for the persistent reader
    Reviewed in India on April 15, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Delicately drawn characters, true to their period and milieu, engaging storyline and plot, even if not very original. Enjoyed the author’s work thoroughly.

    Found the language a bit dense to penetrate easily, but considering that much of what the author has chosen is typical of the period in which the story is set, I guess it’s understandable. If the readers are not put off completely by the first few pages, and plots through with the novel, they will find it rewarding.
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  • Maura Cerioli
    5.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining and lovely regency novel
    Reviewed in Italy on July 27, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I immensely enjoyed reading The Mésalliance. The characters are well mixed, and their interactions offer several opportunities for misunderstandings and challenging situations that pose problems to our heroes and, especially, heroines. The plot, settings, and characters are reminiscent of other novels. But they fit well together and produce an entertaining book that keeps its readers focused from the first to the last page.
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  • Carol Cork
    5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful story with unforgettable characters and a deeply emotional romance.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 30, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This is the second book in Stella Riley ‘s Georgian Rockliffe series and the hero, the Duke of Rockliffe (Rock), played a significant secondary role in The Parfit Knight . He was such a fascinating character that I was intrigued to meet the woman who would capture his heart.

    Handsome, elegant, sophisticated and assured, with a wry sense of humour, Rock is a hero to set any woman’s heart aflutter. He is aware of his duty to marry and provide an heir but has postponed the inevitable, hoping to find genuine love. Having reached the age of 36, he realises the truth of the situation.

    …if, in all this time, you had not found what you sought, it was probably because it did not exist.

    Since being orphaned, Adeline, now 24 years old, has lived a life of drudgery with her uncle and aunt, Sir Roland and Lady Franklin. Treated with indifference and resentment by her aunt, despised by her beautiful cousin, Diana, and mistreated by her aunt’s brother, Richard Horton, Adeline built a defensive wall around herself. Gradually, she discovered ways of fighting back.

    …she had swiftly progressed to the discovery that it was also possible to fight back in small ways –if one was subtle. And the result was a now flawless technique for combining apparent docility with an under-current of clever, hard to combat acidity.

    Rock and Adeline first met briefly eight years earlier and I like how the Prologue offers a glimpse of their younger selves. Rock was still unburdened by the responsibilities of being a duke and Adeline was a wild, sensitive 16 year old. It is obvious that the meeting left an impression on each of them. When they meet again at the Franklin’s ball, Rock now sees a cold-eyed woman with a barbed tongue but is still drawn to her like a moth to a flame. She has a rare quality he can only describe as allure. Of course, although Adeline is everything Rock is looking for in a prospective bride – attractive, intelligent, desirable and won’t bore him to distraction – she is totally unsuitable both in social standing and family connections. However, when Adeline’s cousin Diana’s scheme to compromise Rock into marriage is thwarted, there are unforeseen consequences as Rock and Adeline are caught in a compromising situation and Rock proposes marriage, something he doesn’t appear too upset about.

    My difficulty has been that, among all the young ladies of birth, breeding and beauty, I cannot find one who wouldn’t bore me to death in a week – and that, as you know, is the one thing I can’t tolerate. You, on the other hand, don’t bore me at all; moreover … if you will pardon the indelicacy … I find myself experiencing an increasing desire to take you to bed.’

    Adeline welcomes the marriage of convenience as a way of escaping her dreadful relatives.

    I love the scene where Rock shows his protectiveness when he makes veiled threats to Lady Franklin about treating Adeline with the respect due to her as a duchess. Desperate to win his wife’s love, he is even willing to do something he has never done before – woo a woman. He also shows patience and consideration by allowing Adeline time to adjust to her new circumstances before consummating the marriage. However, I could sense his frustration as time goes on.

    It was heart-breaking to see the marriage slowly deteriorate beneath the weight of Adeline’s secrets and her unwillingness to trust and confide in Rock. While I understood Adeline’s fear of losing Rock and her desire to protect him and his family from scandal, it was frustrating watching two people who obviously love each other descend into “a chilly state of impersonal courtesy”. The scenes between Rock and Adeline are so powerfully written and Ms Riley captures all the raw emotions of anger, fear, hurt and frustration.

    The scene at the Queensbury Ball, where everything finally comes to a head, is a real tour-de-force and seeing the unflappable Rock finally lose control was definitely a highlight for me!!

    Ms Riley always gathers a colourful cast of secondary characters who are all essential to the story. Rock’s friends, Amberley, Harry Caversham and Jack Ingram are only too ready to provide unwanted advice and some much-needed humour; the Franklin family could be described as the family from hell, particularly the malicious, scheming Diana and sly, sadistic Richard Horton.

    I enjoyed the secondary romances between Harry Caversham and Rock’s sister, Nell and Jack Ingram and Althea Franklin, the only likeable member of the family. They played out in the background and never overshadowed the main romance.

    Every time I listen to Alex Wyndham narrating a book, I close my eyes and it’s as if I’m listening to a radio play performed by several performers rather than just one. Each character has a distinctive and easily identifiable voice and Alex slips between the different characters so effortlessly that I am never in doubt as to who is speaking. It must be hard for a male narrator to voice female characters realistically but Alex succeeds brilliantly.

    MY VERDICT: An intelligently and well-written story with unforgettable characters and a deeply emotional romance.
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  • Kiwi19
    5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written!
    Reviewed in Germany on January 10, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I really do like her style and I am looking forward to reading the other books in the series!
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  • Marguerite
    4.0 out of 5 stars Classic, feel-good Regency romance
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 24, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    The second in a series, and one of those books that makes you go ahh, at the end. This is good old-fashioned Regency romance in the style of Georgette Heyer, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Adeline is a brilliant heroine, and Rockcliffe her perfect hero. Yes, there were a million comparisons that could be made to Heyer, not least of which was the similarities between the characters of Rockcliffe and Monsiegneur, the Duke of Avon, but I didn’t mind that. I’m assuming it was a deliberate tribute, and it worked. But don’t get me wrong, Stella Riley is no plagiarist. Her writing is fresh, and the romance is much more centre stage and emotional than any of Heyer’s. A totally feel good book, and a series I will definitely be going back to.
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