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Mischief: A Novel
Imogen Waterstone has always prided herself on being a thoroughly independent young woman, but now she needs a man of implacable will and nerves of iron. That's why she invited Matthias Marshall, infamous Earl of Colchester, to her home in Upper Strickland. Who better than the legendary explorer to help her lay the perfect trap?
Her scheme is simple, She plans to let it be known that when she inherited her uncle's collection of antiquities, she also inherited a map to a fabulous ancient treasure. She's sure that her enemy would risk financial ruin in pursuit of the mythical artifact. And to make doubly sure the scoundrel took the bait, she wants Colchester to pretend that he's out to seduce Imogene so that he, too, could get his hands on her map.
Yet in all of her plotting, Imogene never anticipates Colchester's violent reaction to her request or her own electrifying reaction to him. Neither does she expect that a malevolent threat would emerge from the labyrinth of London--sinister enough to endanger her and Colchester's lives.
Her scheme is simple, She plans to let it be known that when she inherited her uncle's collection of antiquities, she also inherited a map to a fabulous ancient treasure. She's sure that her enemy would risk financial ruin in pursuit of the mythical artifact. And to make doubly sure the scoundrel took the bait, she wants Colchester to pretend that he's out to seduce Imogene so that he, too, could get his hands on her map.
Yet in all of her plotting, Imogene never anticipates Colchester's violent reaction to her request or her own electrifying reaction to him. Neither does she expect that a malevolent threat would emerge from the labyrinth of London--sinister enough to endanger her and Colchester's lives.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1996
346 people are currently reading
1796 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Quick
94 books5,504 followersPseudonym of Jayne Ann Krentz
The author of over 40 consecutive New York Times bestsellers, JAYNE ANN KRENTZ writes romantic-suspense, often with a psychic and paranormal twist, in three different worlds: Contemporary (as Jayne Ann Krentz), historical (as Amanda Quick) and futuristic (as Jayne Castle). There are over 30 million copies of her books in print.
She earned a B.A. in History from the University of California at Santa Cruz and went on to obtain a Masters degree in Library Science from San Jose State University in California. Before she began writing full time she worked as a librarian in both academic and corporate libraries.
Ms. Krentz is married and lives with her husband, Frank, in Seattle, Washington.
Pseudonym(s):
Jayne Ann Krentz
Jayne Castle
Stephanie James
Jayne Bentley
Jayne Taylor
Amanda Glass
The author of over 40 consecutive New York Times bestsellers, JAYNE ANN KRENTZ writes romantic-suspense, often with a psychic and paranormal twist, in three different worlds: Contemporary (as Jayne Ann Krentz), historical (as Amanda Quick) and futuristic (as Jayne Castle). There are over 30 million copies of her books in print.
She earned a B.A. in History from the University of California at Santa Cruz and went on to obtain a Masters degree in Library Science from San Jose State University in California. Before she began writing full time she worked as a librarian in both academic and corporate libraries.
Ms. Krentz is married and lives with her husband, Frank, in Seattle, Washington.
Pseudonym(s):
Jayne Ann Krentz
Jayne Castle
Stephanie James
Jayne Bentley
Jayne Taylor
Amanda Glass
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 298 reviews
August 12, 2024
One star because I will forever remember this book as the book which Zamared too much.
Let me explain: Lord Colchester of Zamar discovered the lost (and dead) kingdom of Zamar, where he found Zamarian artifacts which he brought to London. Imogen Waterstone is a Zamar enthusiast who delves into Zamar scholarship, wears Zamar-themed dresses and has a plot regarding... Zamar.
She involves Colchester in her Zamarian plan, which is to get someone into an expedition to Zamar, where he'll waste all his money because Zamar is a money-hungry place. Then *she* gets involved with Colchester, and they use secret Zamarian love-making techniques to have Zamarian sex, which they feel the need to mention, to make sure you know she thinks everything good comes from Zamar. So the two dream of each other as the two deities of Zamar: Zamaris and Anizarnara.
But other people use Zamar for mischief with the aid of a 'Zamarian tablet', which turns out to be just a Zamarian receipt. Imogen discovers their ploy instantly because she reads Zamarian as easily as English.
All ends well when he says he loves her the way he does Zamar and will Zamar the Zamar out of her for the Zamar of their days. Zamar.
If I never hear of "Zamar" again, it will be too soon.
Let me explain: Lord Colchester of Zamar discovered the lost (and dead) kingdom of Zamar, where he found Zamarian artifacts which he brought to London. Imogen Waterstone is a Zamar enthusiast who delves into Zamar scholarship, wears Zamar-themed dresses and has a plot regarding... Zamar.
She involves Colchester in her Zamarian plan, which is to get someone into an expedition to Zamar, where he'll waste all his money because Zamar is a money-hungry place. Then *she* gets involved with Colchester, and they use secret Zamarian love-making techniques to have Zamarian sex, which they feel the need to mention, to make sure you know she thinks everything good comes from Zamar. So the two dream of each other as the two deities of Zamar: Zamaris and Anizarnara.
But other people use Zamar for mischief with the aid of a 'Zamarian tablet', which turns out to be just a Zamarian receipt. Imogen discovers their ploy instantly because she reads Zamarian as easily as English.
All ends well when he says he loves her the way he does Zamar and will Zamar the Zamar out of her for the Zamar of their days. Zamar.
If I never hear of "Zamar" again, it will be too soon.
August 5, 2015
My least favorite Amanda Quick to date. The heroine was naive to the point of stupidity at times ! While the story dragged and lacked the captivating factors her other books like Ravished and Dangerous contained.
Dissapointed.
Dissapointed.
December 3, 2025
Thiz waz not it
I love Amanda Quick. As long as you don't read her too often because she's very formulaic, there's no reason not to enjoy her, since I like her formula so much.
This is the first one I disliked by the time I was done.
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I love Amanda Quick. As long as you don't read her too often because she's very formulaic, there's no reason not to enjoy her, since I like her formula so much.
This is the first one I disliked by the time I was done.
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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July 30, 2011
I think my brain must have turned to candy floss because I'm enjoying this book. It's nonsense but it's literate nonsense. I am listening to it as an unabridged audiobook and it's very good at reminding me of what has just happened in case I'm half asleep, which I usually am. If I were just a bit more intelligent I might be able to ride a horse, phone my boyfriend and complete a sudoku puzzle without missing any of the story. As it is, my boyfriend will have to wait. Actually there are some delicious sex scenes in it which make the boyfriend redundant anyway.
January 26, 2025
Imogen Waterstone has inherited her uncle's estate which includes a treasure map and other collectables from the ancient island of Zamar. She is a scholar of anything Zamarian and she is enamored by Matthias Marshall, the Earl of Colchester, who is the person who discovered the ancient island. Imogen asks Matthias to help her. She has concocted a plan of revenge. She believes her best friend Lucy, Lady Vanneck, was murdered by her husband, Lord Vanneck. Imogen asks Matthias to pretend to romance her while letting it be known that she has inherited a priceless treasure she is sure Vanneck wants. This plan leads to the discovery of a body and a murder mystery for the hero and heroine to figure out.
I found this story humorous and the characters fun. Not only do we have Amanda Quick's usual naive heroine and brooding hero, but we also have Matthias' younger sister, her latest suitor, and Imogen's aunt Horatia who acts as chaperone. I loved some of the conversations between Imogen and Matthias, especially when she believes he is a man of delicate sensibilities. The one thing I really didn't like about this book was the constant talk about Zamar and everything Zamarian. I thought my eyes would roll back in my head every time they brought it up. My rating: 3.5 Stars.
I found this story humorous and the characters fun. Not only do we have Amanda Quick's usual naive heroine and brooding hero, but we also have Matthias' younger sister, her latest suitor, and Imogen's aunt Horatia who acts as chaperone. I loved some of the conversations between Imogen and Matthias, especially when she believes he is a man of delicate sensibilities. The one thing I really didn't like about this book was the constant talk about Zamar and everything Zamarian. I thought my eyes would roll back in my head every time they brought it up. My rating: 3.5 Stars.
March 31, 2020
"Mischief" is the story of Imogen and Matthias.
Join Ms Quick on an adventure filled ride, where a book loving spinster propositions an infamous rake to help her solve a murder she suspects!
The book begins on a dark and stormy night, where the H sneaks into the h's house and falls asleep in a sarcophagus bed. He wakes up scaring the maid, and soon introduces himself to the intriguing h and her scandalized aunt. The h then asks his help with a personal vendetta, as he had owed her late uncle an IOU. He is reluctant, yet cannot pull himself away from this engaging creature..
A super smart and witty strong h and an utterly smitten and supposedly dark but a traumatized H made this a thoroughly fascinating read! Noteworthy moments
-When the H discovers the h's identity
-The h's knowledge about the Zamarian culture, rivaling the H's
-The h mistaking the H to be a milksop time and again
-Her relentless trust in the H despite the society doubting him at every turn
-Their sexy innuendos about the Zamarian lovemaking techniques
The murder mystery forms the secondary plot, which is laden with loads of bloodshed, some gore and a lot of whodunnit moments. The H's flighty sister, her vengeful suitor and her aunt, along with various secondary characters add a lot of substance to the story.
The love scenes are smoking and the angst is minimal yet sweet. The h's nightmares give the book an ominous feel but ends on a lovely note.
Enjoyed it!
Safe
4/5
Join Ms Quick on an adventure filled ride, where a book loving spinster propositions an infamous rake to help her solve a murder she suspects!
The book begins on a dark and stormy night, where the H sneaks into the h's house and falls asleep in a sarcophagus bed. He wakes up scaring the maid, and soon introduces himself to the intriguing h and her scandalized aunt. The h then asks his help with a personal vendetta, as he had owed her late uncle an IOU. He is reluctant, yet cannot pull himself away from this engaging creature..
A super smart and witty strong h and an utterly smitten and supposedly dark but a traumatized H made this a thoroughly fascinating read! Noteworthy moments
-When the H discovers the h's identity
-The h's knowledge about the Zamarian culture, rivaling the H's
-The h mistaking the H to be a milksop time and again
-Her relentless trust in the H despite the society doubting him at every turn
-Their sexy innuendos about the Zamarian lovemaking techniques
The murder mystery forms the secondary plot, which is laden with loads of bloodshed, some gore and a lot of whodunnit moments. The H's flighty sister, her vengeful suitor and her aunt, along with various secondary characters add a lot of substance to the story.
The love scenes are smoking and the angst is minimal yet sweet. The h's nightmares give the book an ominous feel but ends on a lovely note.
Enjoyed it!
Safe
4/5
April 3, 2017
This book would have been better served if it was about half as long. It was 10 CDs in audiobook format and I had to force myself to finish it. There were a lot of things about the story that were irritating and in a shorter book these would have been only passing annoyances, but in a book this long they became major issues.
For example, the heroine, Imogen was very annoying. She dominated every scene by just never shutting up and running roughshod over everyone else in the discussion with her (usually completely incorrect) view of things. Also, about 1/4 of the way through the story she suddenly developed the habit of being unbelievably clumsy so every scene included at least one instance where she knocked over some priceless artifact or vase. Her speech was also very repetitive. I lost count of the number of times she said that things were "nonsense" or "rubbish" before inserting her own personal view of the situation. And the business of her thinking the hero was using "ancient Zamarian lovemaking techniques" on her was just ridiculous.
As for the plot, it was very predictable. The villain was easy to spot right from the beginning, partially because there were very few characters in this extremely long book. And because it was so easy to figure out the "mystery" it made the reading kind of a slog as I waited for the hero and heroine to catch up to what I'd known since practically the first chapter.
For example, the heroine, Imogen was very annoying. She dominated every scene by just never shutting up and running roughshod over everyone else in the discussion with her (usually completely incorrect) view of things. Also, about 1/4 of the way through the story she suddenly developed the habit of being unbelievably clumsy so every scene included at least one instance where she knocked over some priceless artifact or vase. Her speech was also very repetitive. I lost count of the number of times she said that things were "nonsense" or "rubbish" before inserting her own personal view of the situation. And the business of her thinking the hero was using "ancient Zamarian lovemaking techniques" on her was just ridiculous.
As for the plot, it was very predictable. The villain was easy to spot right from the beginning, partially because there were very few characters in this extremely long book. And because it was so easy to figure out the "mystery" it made the reading kind of a slog as I waited for the hero and heroine to catch up to what I'd known since practically the first chapter.
August 13, 2020
Loved everything about this. I could do without Imogen's dream sequences but Mischief is one of my favourite Amanda Quick novels! I'm really in the mood right now for witty banter and murder mysteries tinged with the supernatural occult.
This has one of the most harebrained schemes dreamed by a Quick heroine on par with Reckless. Imogen Waterstone has decided to avenge the death of her friend, Lucy, Lady Vanneck, who she believes was killed by her abusive husband, Lord Vanneck. She has written to Mathias Colchester, an Englishman who came across the ruins of an ancient island kingdom, Zamar, for his help in the scheme. First off, I loved the creation of Zamar. It was so fascinating to see how Zamar was a trend in English society from fashion dyes (dresses with Zamarian green) to salons to house decor (purchasing tablets). It was a really interesting perspective to see how English society was in the grip of a fashion craze that parallels Egyptomania. Imogen wants Mathias to pretend to be interested in her because she is in the possession of the Great Queen's Seal, bequeathed to her upon her uncle's recent death.
Imogen does not believe that Mathias earned his nickname, Cold-blooded Colchester, but believes he is a victim of rumours similar to herself. In fact, she thinks of him as a man of delicate sensibilities. This was hilarious. It reminds me of Quick's novel, Mistress, where the heroine went on and on about the hero's intelligence. It was very funny how also Mathias subverts this perception to his advantage, something that Imogen even notes at the end.
Imogen is a delightfully intelligent but naive heroine, while Mathias is a stuffy hero who is quite old-fashioned and overbearing. I feel like this is very couple pairing I've read from Amanda Quick and I'm in the mood for it. The mystery was also fun and had some twists and turns.
This has one of the most harebrained schemes dreamed by a Quick heroine on par with Reckless. Imogen Waterstone has decided to avenge the death of her friend, Lucy, Lady Vanneck, who she believes was killed by her abusive husband, Lord Vanneck. She has written to Mathias Colchester, an Englishman who came across the ruins of an ancient island kingdom, Zamar, for his help in the scheme. First off, I loved the creation of Zamar. It was so fascinating to see how Zamar was a trend in English society from fashion dyes (dresses with Zamarian green) to salons to house decor (purchasing tablets). It was a really interesting perspective to see how English society was in the grip of a fashion craze that parallels Egyptomania. Imogen wants Mathias to pretend to be interested in her because she is in the possession of the Great Queen's Seal, bequeathed to her upon her uncle's recent death.
Imogen does not believe that Mathias earned his nickname, Cold-blooded Colchester, but believes he is a victim of rumours similar to herself. In fact, she thinks of him as a man of delicate sensibilities. This was hilarious. It reminds me of Quick's novel, Mistress, where the heroine went on and on about the hero's intelligence. It was very funny how also Mathias subverts this perception to his advantage, something that Imogen even notes at the end.
Imogen is a delightfully intelligent but naive heroine, while Mathias is a stuffy hero who is quite old-fashioned and overbearing. I feel like this is very couple pairing I've read from Amanda Quick and I'm in the mood for it. The mystery was also fun and had some twists and turns.
June 5, 2010
Couldn't put it down- it's hilarious and I'm sorry to see it end-
May 1, 2024
Entertaining, Regency, romantic-suspense novel from 1996
Imogen Waterstone is a 25-year-old member of the lower aristocracy who very recently inherited her rich uncle's entire estate, including a huge, valuable collection of memorabilia from Zamar, a fictional, ancient civilization on an island near Greece. She is utterly fascinated with Zamar and, over many years, has turned herself into an authority on its language and customs. She frequently publishes articles about it in a small scholarly journal under a male pseudonym, and her knowledge is only exceeded by that of the ultimate Zamar expert, 34-year-old Matthias Marshall, Earl of Colchester, who has engaged in multiple archaeological digs on that mysterious island.
Imogen has issued an invitation to Colchester to her home in Upper Strickland, which is in the same village as her uncle's estate. She did not give prior notice to her companion, her widowed Aunt Horatia, about this decision, and her aunt is shocked when she and Imogen encounter Colchester in the dead uncle's mansion, because the earl has had a reputation for the past 10 years as a very dangerous man. Imogen pooh-poohs his ill-repute as merely silly society gossip and, very soon after meeting him, forms the humorously erroneous impression that Colchester has "delicate sensibilities," because he does not instantly agree to assist her with a wild scheme that she is absolutely determined to carry out.
Imogen is hellbent on obtaining revenge upon a titled aristocrat, whom she believes murdered his wife, a woman who was her best friend. Imogen insists that Colchester owes her his help in this potentially dangerous venture because he owed a favor to her uncle, which favor her uncle bequeathed to her in his will. She is absolutely confident that Colchester will ultimately comply, in spite of his misgivings, because it is well known throughout the ton that he never breaks a promise.
In addition to the main romantic plot between Imogen and Matthias, there is also an amusing romantic subplot between Matthias's 17-year-old half-sister and a young aristocrat in his early twenties, who wrongly assumes that Matthias is responsible for his father's suicide and initially approaches him seeking revenge.
Imogen is a classic Amanda Quick (AKA Jayne Ann Krentz) historical-romance FMC. In an era when women of the gentry and aristocracy were barely literate, Imogen is intelligent and highly educated. She also has a take-charge personality, and it requires a man who is very secure in his masculinity to be capable of holding his own with her and actually falling in love with her. Right from the start, it is obvious that Matthias is that man. He is instantly drawn to Imogen, and the intensity of his attraction sets her free to express her emotional and physical attraction to him in equal measure.
That is not to say that this is one of those erotic historical romances in which the FMC and MMC, with anachronistic fervor, leap into bed instantly. As is also typical with JAK, both in her contemporary and historical novels, this is a slowburn romance. Her sex scenes are never crude and, even though virtually every MMC in the historical-romance genre is a virtuoso of sexual techniques that the vast majority of even modern males have never employed in their lives, JAK does an excellent job of actually motivating Matthias's expertise in the sack.
Matthias is also a classic Amanda Quick, historical-romance MMC. He is an extremely wealthy, D and D (dark and dangerous) Alpha but, due to his intense attraction to Imogen, he is more than willing to be domestically tamed by her. Imogen's optimistic, extroverted outlook on life is the perfect antidote to his cynical, introverted personality.
The action-adventure portion of this novel is well done and kept my interest throughout. One can always count on a JAK FMC both getting herself into trouble and getting herself out of it, sometimes on her own, and sometimes jointly with the MMC, but never by being entirely rescued by the MMC.
I obtained access to the audiobook version of this novel for free through Hoopla. It is narrated by the utterly brilliant voice talent, Barbara Rosenblat. She does a fabulous job at both acting out the entire book, and portraying all ages and all backgrounds of the many characters in this novel. Her performance elevated a novel that I was already enjoying to a peak experience. I rate her performance 5 stars and the novel 3.5 stars, rounded to 4 stars.
Imogen Waterstone is a 25-year-old member of the lower aristocracy who very recently inherited her rich uncle's entire estate, including a huge, valuable collection of memorabilia from Zamar, a fictional, ancient civilization on an island near Greece. She is utterly fascinated with Zamar and, over many years, has turned herself into an authority on its language and customs. She frequently publishes articles about it in a small scholarly journal under a male pseudonym, and her knowledge is only exceeded by that of the ultimate Zamar expert, 34-year-old Matthias Marshall, Earl of Colchester, who has engaged in multiple archaeological digs on that mysterious island.
Imogen has issued an invitation to Colchester to her home in Upper Strickland, which is in the same village as her uncle's estate. She did not give prior notice to her companion, her widowed Aunt Horatia, about this decision, and her aunt is shocked when she and Imogen encounter Colchester in the dead uncle's mansion, because the earl has had a reputation for the past 10 years as a very dangerous man. Imogen pooh-poohs his ill-repute as merely silly society gossip and, very soon after meeting him, forms the humorously erroneous impression that Colchester has "delicate sensibilities," because he does not instantly agree to assist her with a wild scheme that she is absolutely determined to carry out.
Imogen is hellbent on obtaining revenge upon a titled aristocrat, whom she believes murdered his wife, a woman who was her best friend. Imogen insists that Colchester owes her his help in this potentially dangerous venture because he owed a favor to her uncle, which favor her uncle bequeathed to her in his will. She is absolutely confident that Colchester will ultimately comply, in spite of his misgivings, because it is well known throughout the ton that he never breaks a promise.
In addition to the main romantic plot between Imogen and Matthias, there is also an amusing romantic subplot between Matthias's 17-year-old half-sister and a young aristocrat in his early twenties, who wrongly assumes that Matthias is responsible for his father's suicide and initially approaches him seeking revenge.
Imogen is a classic Amanda Quick (AKA Jayne Ann Krentz) historical-romance FMC. In an era when women of the gentry and aristocracy were barely literate, Imogen is intelligent and highly educated. She also has a take-charge personality, and it requires a man who is very secure in his masculinity to be capable of holding his own with her and actually falling in love with her. Right from the start, it is obvious that Matthias is that man. He is instantly drawn to Imogen, and the intensity of his attraction sets her free to express her emotional and physical attraction to him in equal measure.
That is not to say that this is one of those erotic historical romances in which the FMC and MMC, with anachronistic fervor, leap into bed instantly. As is also typical with JAK, both in her contemporary and historical novels, this is a slowburn romance. Her sex scenes are never crude and, even though virtually every MMC in the historical-romance genre is a virtuoso of sexual techniques that the vast majority of even modern males have never employed in their lives, JAK does an excellent job of actually motivating Matthias's expertise in the sack.
Matthias is also a classic Amanda Quick, historical-romance MMC. He is an extremely wealthy, D and D (dark and dangerous) Alpha but, due to his intense attraction to Imogen, he is more than willing to be domestically tamed by her. Imogen's optimistic, extroverted outlook on life is the perfect antidote to his cynical, introverted personality.
The action-adventure portion of this novel is well done and kept my interest throughout. One can always count on a JAK FMC both getting herself into trouble and getting herself out of it, sometimes on her own, and sometimes jointly with the MMC, but never by being entirely rescued by the MMC.
I obtained access to the audiobook version of this novel for free through Hoopla. It is narrated by the utterly brilliant voice talent, Barbara Rosenblat. She does a fabulous job at both acting out the entire book, and portraying all ages and all backgrounds of the many characters in this novel. Her performance elevated a novel that I was already enjoying to a peak experience. I rate her performance 5 stars and the novel 3.5 stars, rounded to 4 stars.
July 12, 2010
Imogen Waterstone has come up with a plan to avenge her friend’s murder, however, it involves collecting a promise she has inherited from her uncle from the Earl of Colchester, more commonly known as “Coldblooded Colchester” or “Colchester of Zamar”. When Matthias (the aforementioned Colchester) arrives after his letter from Imogen, he is both irritated, amused, and aroused by her no nonsense attitude and commanding personality, and against his better judgement decides to help her with her ridiculous scheme. However, when they arrive in London things start to get more complicated as they realize that there may be more to her friend’s death then meets the eye.
This was another enjoyable read by Amanda Quick, I loved both the main characters, Imogen and Matthias, and the mystery kept the story very interesting until the very end. Imogen was a strong self assured woman with nerves of steel, and was a very fun and likable character. She was under the false assumption through most of the book that Matthias had weak nerves and delicate sensibilities, which was completely untrue but was very funny to read about, especially when Matthias used her misconception to his advantage. Matthias was also a good character, he had a haunted past that made him seem “coldblooded” and I liked that you could see this facade melt in Imogen’s warmth as the two come closer together.
The romance between the two had a natural progression through the book and I enjoyed reading the interplay between the two characters, especially when they were discussing ancient Zamarian love making techniques (Zamar being an island that Matthias has discovered, which in real life doesn’t exist), and Matthias’ questionable nerves.
The mystery of the murders was also very interesting and kept me reading, although it became apparent towards the middle what was happening, I still wanted to read on. Although it does fall into the trap of the villain explaining everything at the end as they (think) they have the heroes cornered, from a readers point of view it is nice as it explains everything in detail, but it isn’t very realistic, however, I could suspend my disbelief enough so that it didn’t bother me.
I really enjoyed this book; it was funny and romantic with a hint of mystery and likeable main characters. I would recommend reading this if you are a fan of historical romance and want to read something a bit different from the usual, and also if you are looking for some humour with your romance.
This was another enjoyable read by Amanda Quick, I loved both the main characters, Imogen and Matthias, and the mystery kept the story very interesting until the very end. Imogen was a strong self assured woman with nerves of steel, and was a very fun and likable character. She was under the false assumption through most of the book that Matthias had weak nerves and delicate sensibilities, which was completely untrue but was very funny to read about, especially when Matthias used her misconception to his advantage. Matthias was also a good character, he had a haunted past that made him seem “coldblooded” and I liked that you could see this facade melt in Imogen’s warmth as the two come closer together.
The romance between the two had a natural progression through the book and I enjoyed reading the interplay between the two characters, especially when they were discussing ancient Zamarian love making techniques (Zamar being an island that Matthias has discovered, which in real life doesn’t exist), and Matthias’ questionable nerves.
The mystery of the murders was also very interesting and kept me reading, although it became apparent towards the middle what was happening, I still wanted to read on. Although it does fall into the trap of the villain explaining everything at the end as they (think) they have the heroes cornered, from a readers point of view it is nice as it explains everything in detail, but it isn’t very realistic, however, I could suspend my disbelief enough so that it didn’t bother me.
I really enjoyed this book; it was funny and romantic with a hint of mystery and likeable main characters. I would recommend reading this if you are a fan of historical romance and want to read something a bit different from the usual, and also if you are looking for some humour with your romance.
May 20, 2020
The h is a blue-stocking, believes the H has nervous delicacy. He's an alpha male, aghast at her audacity at first, then charmed and finally decides he's in love. It was all very silly, with premonitions, a dead friend, an evil uncle, missing diaries and they have no idea who is trying to kill them both and it's silly OTT fun. I really liked that they married quickly and then deepened their relationship. Loved it.
May 22, 2021
Imogen Waterstone is obsessed with Zamar, a legendary lost civilization (think Atlantis) that has been recently rediscovered by Matthias, the Earl of Colchester. Imogen's uncle has recently died and left his estate to her. It includes many ancient artifacts, some Zamarian in origin. She writes Colchester and asks him to come help her identify them.
A few years previously, Imogen's reputation was ruined in Society when she was found in a bedchamber with Lord Vanneck, the husband of Imogen's best friend, Lucy. Lucy was found dead the next day. Society believes she committed suicide over the betrayal of her husband and best friend, but Imogen believes Vanneck had been abusive to her and murdered her. Imogen has a scheme to get revenge on Vanneck and this is the true reason for involving Colchester.
The scheme is ridiculous, and to be fair, Colchester tells her so, but he goes with it and so must we. Of course, this is just a plot device to bring our H/h together.
I do enjoy the banter between them. And I do particularly like one of the secondary characters, Mrs. Vine, Imogen's landlady/ housekeeper and her matter-of-fact tales of scandalous former tenants. Those made me LOL.
Of course, Imogen and Colchester marry and fall in love and will live HEA. The thing that spoils it for me is Imogen's naïveté. I think AQ herself realized this late in the writing process, because she has Imogen tell Colchester something like, perhaps I'm not as naive as you think; I just choose to look at things from a different perspective. Perhaps, but I prefer a heroine who is more - not cynical, but realistic in her views of the world.
Anyway, not my favorite AQ (too much Zamar and far too much "exotic Zamarian lovemaking techniques - LOL!) but still fun.
A few years previously, Imogen's reputation was ruined in Society when she was found in a bedchamber with Lord Vanneck, the husband of Imogen's best friend, Lucy. Lucy was found dead the next day. Society believes she committed suicide over the betrayal of her husband and best friend, but Imogen believes Vanneck had been abusive to her and murdered her. Imogen has a scheme to get revenge on Vanneck and this is the true reason for involving Colchester.
The scheme is ridiculous, and to be fair, Colchester tells her so, but he goes with it and so must we. Of course, this is just a plot device to bring our H/h together.
I do enjoy the banter between them. And I do particularly like one of the secondary characters, Mrs. Vine, Imogen's landlady/ housekeeper and her matter-of-fact tales of scandalous former tenants. Those made me LOL.
Of course, Imogen and Colchester marry and fall in love and will live HEA. The thing that spoils it for me is Imogen's naïveté. I think AQ herself realized this late in the writing process, because she has Imogen tell Colchester something like, perhaps I'm not as naive as you think; I just choose to look at things from a different perspective. Perhaps, but I prefer a heroine who is more - not cynical, but realistic in her views of the world.
Anyway, not my favorite AQ (too much Zamar and far too much "exotic Zamarian lovemaking techniques - LOL!) but still fun.
July 11, 2020
3 stars - this book is very meh. It had some funny moments but overall, it was a little too ridiculous.
The hero, Colchester, and the heroine, Imogen, are both fascinated by the lost civilization of “Zamaria”, which seems to be their main commonality in this story. Imogen summons Colchester to help her get revenge on a man who she thinks murdered her friend. Her idea is to ruin him financially and embarrass him in front of the ton using a lost Zamaria artifact as bait. The hero doesn’t want to go along with her plan, but ends up going with it to keep her out of trouble. Imogen is an interesting heroine in that she’s very smart in some ways, but she’s very naive in others. She’s totally clueless in the ways of society and acts like a bull in a china shop for much of the story. She acts like a moron so often that I was left wondering why the hero was interested in her at all. She seemed like too much effort to keep up with. Frankly, for every one funny or silly thing that happened, two would follow that made me cringe and wonder what the author was thinking.
Beyond the revenge, a murder mystery evolves. However, I felt this book had a lot less action then any other Amanda Quick novel I’ve read. Most of it was spent on conversation and and some social interactions. Truly, the last 20% of the book went downhill pretty fast. Things got too ridiculous. The heroine’s aunt was blaming the hero for dumb shit. The hero was being all introspective and gloomy for no reason. And then the murder storyline became way too convoluted to be believed. On top of that, the heroine was too hyperactive to finish a single conversation to a point of completion; she’s always running off to some other task instead. 😩🙄 I guess Imogen wasn’t written for the likes of me.
Safe
The hero, Colchester, and the heroine, Imogen, are both fascinated by the lost civilization of “Zamaria”, which seems to be their main commonality in this story. Imogen summons Colchester to help her get revenge on a man who she thinks murdered her friend. Her idea is to ruin him financially and embarrass him in front of the ton using a lost Zamaria artifact as bait. The hero doesn’t want to go along with her plan, but ends up going with it to keep her out of trouble. Imogen is an interesting heroine in that she’s very smart in some ways, but she’s very naive in others. She’s totally clueless in the ways of society and acts like a bull in a china shop for much of the story. She acts like a moron so often that I was left wondering why the hero was interested in her at all. She seemed like too much effort to keep up with. Frankly, for every one funny or silly thing that happened, two would follow that made me cringe and wonder what the author was thinking.
Beyond the revenge, a murder mystery evolves. However, I felt this book had a lot less action then any other Amanda Quick novel I’ve read. Most of it was spent on conversation and and some social interactions. Truly, the last 20% of the book went downhill pretty fast. Things got too ridiculous. The heroine’s aunt was blaming the hero for dumb shit. The hero was being all introspective and gloomy for no reason. And then the murder storyline became way too convoluted to be believed. On top of that, the heroine was too hyperactive to finish a single conversation to a point of completion; she’s always running off to some other task instead. 😩🙄 I guess Imogen wasn’t written for the likes of me.
Safe
February 10, 2023
The nerves thing really started to pluck my last nerve
July 10, 2012
This was complete crap. I was going to rationalize the fact that I finished this by explaining that it was a)offered on Kindle by my library and b)checked in, making it a very rare commodity indeed. But then I realized that every time I actually bother finishing something that I know to be without redeeming qualities I make some type of excuse. Because somehow I'll be absolved of the guilt and embarrassment of finishing utter trash if you think that perhaps I had no choice in the matter. Please look for flimsier and more extravagant excuses in the future.
So why did I find this to be a waste of time?
There are those that can swallow tripe involving a poorly imagined ancient civilization (ahem, Zamar) and there are those that find it both ridiculous and distracting. I fall soundly in the later group. I just DID NOT CARE. And I couldn't focus every time she invoked this ridiculous place. Which was approximately every other page.
Quick was quite quick to dispense with the romance. By halfway through she'd pretty much run through it all and was on to the flimsy murder mystery she'd concocted. Again, I didn't care.
The romance was poorly written, with far too many references to Zamar and well, he was rather zealous about sniffing her. It was like he was a dog.
So why did I find this to be a waste of time?
There are those that can swallow tripe involving a poorly imagined ancient civilization (ahem, Zamar) and there are those that find it both ridiculous and distracting. I fall soundly in the later group. I just DID NOT CARE. And I couldn't focus every time she invoked this ridiculous place. Which was approximately every other page.
Quick was quite quick to dispense with the romance. By halfway through she'd pretty much run through it all and was on to the flimsy murder mystery she'd concocted. Again, I didn't care.
The romance was poorly written, with far too many references to Zamar and well, he was rather zealous about sniffing her. It was like he was a dog.
May 9, 2024
Mischief
3 Stars
Imogen Waterson has a plan to punish the man she hold responsible for the death of her best friend. All she needs is the assistance of Matthias Marshal, the infamous Earl of Colchester renowned not only for his legendary expedition to the mythical city of Zamar but also for his cold-blooded and sinister nature. Has Imogen bitten off more than she can chew?
Similar characterization and romance to With This Ring. Although the mystery itself is different, it is, nevertheless, just as predictable, but then, one does not read Quick's books for their originality.
Like most of Quick's heroines, Imogen is an innocent bluestocking in over her head. Considering her past experiences with the ton her naiveté when it comes to Matthias's personality is both ridiculous and charming at the same time.
Readers of Quick's books will also be familiar with Matthias's hero-type. Dark and misanthropic, He is pulled into Imogen's adventures against his better judgment but finds himself drawn to her passion and enthusiasm.
The main problem with the book and the reason it rates only 3 stars is the Zamar theme (Vanza in later books), which is repeated over and over ad nauseam.
Overall, light and fluffy fun as expected.
3 Stars
Imogen Waterson has a plan to punish the man she hold responsible for the death of her best friend. All she needs is the assistance of Matthias Marshal, the infamous Earl of Colchester renowned not only for his legendary expedition to the mythical city of Zamar but also for his cold-blooded and sinister nature. Has Imogen bitten off more than she can chew?
Similar characterization and romance to With This Ring. Although the mystery itself is different, it is, nevertheless, just as predictable, but then, one does not read Quick's books for their originality.
Like most of Quick's heroines, Imogen is an innocent bluestocking in over her head. Considering her past experiences with the ton her naiveté when it comes to Matthias's personality is both ridiculous and charming at the same time.
Readers of Quick's books will also be familiar with Matthias's hero-type. Dark and misanthropic, He is pulled into Imogen's adventures against his better judgment but finds himself drawn to her passion and enthusiasm.
The main problem with the book and the reason it rates only 3 stars is the Zamar theme (Vanza in later books), which is repeated over and over ad nauseam.
Overall, light and fluffy fun as expected.
July 3, 2020
I have a drinking game for you. Only,be sure you don't have to drive. Take a shot of your favorite adult beverage anytime you read (or the narrated says) Zamar/ian. Where was the editor here?? Also, it was beyond my ability to suspend disbelief that Matthias could fall for such a clueless and willfully ignorant person as Imogen. The author must have thought Imogen's naivete was humorous and charming, but after a while her arrogant assurance that she best understood everything was just grating.
The plot was actually entertaining, and if Quick had toned down both Imogen's steamroller ways and the overuse of "Zamar" it would have been a good read. I've read many Amanda Quick/Jane Ann Krentz books, and I though most of them were decent fun. This one was not her best effort.
The plot was actually entertaining, and if Quick had toned down both Imogen's steamroller ways and the overuse of "Zamar" it would have been a good read. I've read many Amanda Quick/Jane Ann Krentz books, and I though most of them were decent fun. This one was not her best effort.
June 21, 2012
I had to talk myself into finishing this. The heroine Imogen is a clever scholar but so headstrong in her naiveté that it tips over into stupidity.
November 11, 2017
Best book ever!!! Loveddd!!! Matthias..... Awww
May 15, 2010
Mischief by Amanda Quick is a fun book and I suggest you read it if you're looking for humor and romance interlaced, plus a little suspense and mystery on the side, because this is exactly what you would get once you read this book.
Imogen Waterstone, the heroine, is old (considering England's standards in the past) and has a tarnished reputation (being seen in a bedchamber with Vanneck, the husband of her so-called best friend Lucy). So she's been shunned by "polite society" because of her disgrace and opted to discovering the mysteries of a lost civilization, "ZAMAR". Also, not being entirely convinced that her best friend Lucy commited suicide (after her being seen with Vanneck), she ultimately believed the notion that Lucy was murdered by no other than Vanneck. Imogen had concocted a silly plan of avenging Lucy with the help of Matthias Colchester, another devout of the Zamar civilization.
So with this, an entanglement of intrigue, lies and mischief will suffice, because everything is not as it seems.
The question is, will Imogen Waterstone survive? Or would her attraction to Matthias Colchester prove to be more deadly than she ever imagined? ♥
Imogen Waterstone, the heroine, is old (considering England's standards in the past) and has a tarnished reputation (being seen in a bedchamber with Vanneck, the husband of her so-called best friend Lucy). So she's been shunned by "polite society" because of her disgrace and opted to discovering the mysteries of a lost civilization, "ZAMAR". Also, not being entirely convinced that her best friend Lucy commited suicide (after her being seen with Vanneck), she ultimately believed the notion that Lucy was murdered by no other than Vanneck. Imogen had concocted a silly plan of avenging Lucy with the help of Matthias Colchester, another devout of the Zamar civilization.
So with this, an entanglement of intrigue, lies and mischief will suffice, because everything is not as it seems.
The question is, will Imogen Waterstone survive? Or would her attraction to Matthias Colchester prove to be more deadly than she ever imagined? ♥
August 1, 2023
My least favorite Amanda Quicks are the ones that refer to Zamar and Vanza. This one is Zamar. I have learned over many readings, however, to ignore the references to Zamar and enjoy the rest of the story. Imogen is a bit Amazonian for my taste in that she always takes the lead, whether in a waltz or in her search for vengeance, but otherwise, she and Colchester are fun to follow through their adventures together. There were a few spots where I was confused by the timing. When I thought several days had passed, it turned out that not even one day had, which was a bit disconcerting. I still re-read this one, however. Any JAK is better than none.
August 10, 2016
Stopping after 6 chapters. I need to accept that my fond memories of Amanda Quick novels are just that...memories. I've outgrown her & find her plots repetitive, her characters cliched, and her writing really nowhere near as good as I remember it being. Maybe I've just read too many Courtney Milan's & Sarah McLean's and Quick then suffers in comparison.
June 6, 2022
This author currently writes well plotted, action packed, noir-ish mysteries. Since her latest isn’t out yet, I tried this earlier work. The positive take away from the experience is that she’s grown tremendously over the years as an author.
February 4, 2018
2.50 / 2 Stars
I've read other AQ books, and this is my least favorite. I got so tired of Zamar being in the majority of their comments, thought processes and even sex. It got old real fast. I stuck to the story just to find out who was murder was.
I've read other AQ books, and this is my least favorite. I got so tired of Zamar being in the majority of their comments, thought processes and even sex. It got old real fast. I stuck to the story just to find out who was murder was.
June 16, 2008
Hmmmm, let me see how many times I can repeat the word Zamar? Oh just about a million times according to Amanda Quick. Other than that I liked the characters and the story itself.
March 15, 2019
This was a reread (as were "Scandal" and "Ravished") and I remember now that I didn't like it as much. I didn't like Imogen. Like Emily in "Scandal" and Prudence in "Dangerous", Imogen likes to interpret things in her own way and attribute characteristics to Matthias which he doesn't possess or doesn't demonstrate. But she was more annoying than Emily and Prudence because Simon and Sebastian both do have an honourable bent, so when their wives kept insisting that they are honourable and will do the right thing, there was some truth in it. They just had to be persuaded to overcome their anger and bitterness first. With Matthias, though, Imogen's reading of him as "susceptible to nerves" is laughable and ridiculous and rather irritating... especially as it is repeated numerous times throughout the book!
I like strong heroines but I don't like bull-headed ones, and Imogen just seems like she's living in self-delusion all the time. She manufactures excuses for her friend Lucy who, by all accounts, was self-centred and had used Imogen for her own ends. Imogen finds her own interpretations for Matthias' actions and clings to them, and it was very annoying how she kept trying to be the dominant one in the relationship. She's brash and she always fancies herself in charge and is telling Matthias to calm down because she has a plan and has everything under control. I really did not like her.
Imogen is also portrayed as totally unladylike -- she leads during dances, instead of letting the man lead; when she accepts a dance, she turns and strides onto the dance floor immediately, leaving the man behind, instead of taking his arm and walking with him to the dance floor; she is careless with her hand gestures and movements, with the result that she's always crashing into things and causing accidents and spills. It had the effect of making her a laughingstock, nothing that we can identify with.
As for Cold-Blooded Colchester, as Matthias is known in the ton, I couldn't figure out why he'd been given that name. For the duel where he has been rumoured to kill someone? Seems rather excessive. And they fall in love? I don't quite know what Matthias saw in her other than her eccentricity and energy. And she, being so strong, ought to have been contemptuous of Matthias' so-called weak nerves instead of falling for him. A fail in the romance department.
I like strong heroines but I don't like bull-headed ones, and Imogen just seems like she's living in self-delusion all the time. She manufactures excuses for her friend Lucy who, by all accounts, was self-centred and had used Imogen for her own ends. Imogen finds her own interpretations for Matthias' actions and clings to them, and it was very annoying how she kept trying to be the dominant one in the relationship. She's brash and she always fancies herself in charge and is telling Matthias to calm down because she has a plan and has everything under control. I really did not like her.
Imogen is also portrayed as totally unladylike -- she leads during dances, instead of letting the man lead; when she accepts a dance, she turns and strides onto the dance floor immediately, leaving the man behind, instead of taking his arm and walking with him to the dance floor; she is careless with her hand gestures and movements, with the result that she's always crashing into things and causing accidents and spills. It had the effect of making her a laughingstock, nothing that we can identify with.
As for Cold-Blooded Colchester, as Matthias is known in the ton, I couldn't figure out why he'd been given that name. For the duel where he has been rumoured to kill someone? Seems rather excessive. And they fall in love? I don't quite know what Matthias saw in her other than her eccentricity and energy. And she, being so strong, ought to have been contemptuous of Matthias' so-called weak nerves instead of falling for him. A fail in the romance department.
August 16, 2021
I love Amanda Quick's formula for writing historical romances. I know all her heroines will be quirky and her heroes will be cold. I know the h will be managing, aloof, and a bit of an outsider. The H will be appropriately exasperated by the heroine, rich, and have a dark past. And I don't care that it is always the same in all her books, because the delivery is great.
Mischief is no exception to the rule. Imogen and Matthias are just like every other Quick couple, and that's what makes it so great.
Mischief is no exception to the rule. Imogen and Matthias are just like every other Quick couple, and that's what makes it so great.
February 20, 2018
Ok, a little bit different regency romance ... but something was missing ...
April 5, 2018
I love this. though I couldn't fathom a person by the name imogen. why...lol
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