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Maid to Measure
Everyone saw them as a perfect match!"People aren't chess pieces to be pushed around, Maman," Piers said. "I've no intention of tying myself to a girl I don't love.""You can't be serious!" Amanda's astonishment was clear. "Me, marryPiers Dubray? Why I haven't seen him since I was a kid."With two people so set against even meeting, much less marrying, what could be done? Mothers, friends, even Fate, all had a hand in it--but in the end, Piers and Amanda were simply caught in their own trap. Happily!
192 pages, Paperback
First published July 11, 1986
About the author
Roberta Leigh
113 books66 followersaka Rachel Lindsay, Janey Scott, Rozella Lake
Roberta Leigh was the most frequently used pen name of an author who also published novels as Rachel Lindsay, Rozella Lake, and Janey Scott. Her birth name was Rita Shulman.
Leigh was one of the first romance writers to introduce strong, career-minded heroines who wouldn't be bossed around by the hero.
Leigh had her own film company and wrote and produced 7 TV series for children. She would also "write" the music for her series, although this usually involved her humming or singing the tune into a tape recorder, after which someone else would arrange and write a score.
She studied oil and watercolor painting with Diana Raphael and Michael Chaitow, who her interest in abstract art. Her work has been exhibited at the Podbury Gallery and Finnegan's Gallery in London.
In 1948, she married Michael Lewin and they had a son, Jeremy. Her husband passed away in 1981.
Roberta Leigh was the most frequently used pen name of an author who also published novels as Rachel Lindsay, Rozella Lake, and Janey Scott. Her birth name was Rita Shulman.
Leigh was one of the first romance writers to introduce strong, career-minded heroines who wouldn't be bossed around by the hero.
Leigh had her own film company and wrote and produced 7 TV series for children. She would also "write" the music for her series, although this usually involved her humming or singing the tune into a tape recorder, after which someone else would arrange and write a score.
She studied oil and watercolor painting with Diana Raphael and Michael Chaitow, who her interest in abstract art. Her work has been exhibited at the Podbury Gallery and Finnegan's Gallery in London.
In 1948, she married Michael Lewin and they had a son, Jeremy. Her husband passed away in 1981.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 21, 2016
Re Maid to Measure - RL has a titled h and a womanizer H play a long game of one-upmanship in this one. The h and H's respective mother's want the two to marry. The h's father is an Earl but he has no sons and the entailed family home and title will go to the H when he dies. The mums think pairing the two in marriage would be a good way to keep the house in the immediate family line (I guess they never heard of breaking a property entailment in HPlandia or that British Law invalidated the medieval entail in the 1925 Law of Property Act.)
The problem is that the H met the h when she was 13 and thinks she is ugly, the h has grown up and is now stunningly beautiful. When the H is invited for the weekend, the H overhears him complaining to his friend about how hideous she is and she decides to get even.
The h pretends she has the measles and does herself up to look really horrible. She waves to the H from the window and when he walks off, she changes her disguise to that of a tarty but beautiful maid and meets him in the woods.
He offers the tarty maid £3000 to go with him to his chateau in France where he runs a vineyard and impersonate his fiance to his mum. The h agrees to go and spends the next few weeks acting the beautiful tarty maid with a heart and scoring a lot of shots off the H.
Then the H's best friend falls in love with the h and the H tells her he is really engaged to another woman, but that shouldn't stop the h and H from lurve clubbing together. The h also gets to meet a lot of the ladies the H has slept with and the H's supposed fiance. At first the h thinks the H is lying about his engagement, but the OW convinces her it is for real.
When the h rejects the H's offer of an affair, she tells him it is because she is marrying his best friend. She wants a fiance and husband that isn't a womanizer and the h takes herself off to the OM. The h reveals her deception to the OM and when the H shows up, she tells him too.
The h is a bit worried about hurting the OM, but when he gets an assignment to go to Australia for 6 weeks, the h breaks off the engagement, meanly breaking the friend's heart. She is heartbroken too, cause she has fallen for the H, but tries to get on with her life since he is marrying a woman he can cheat on but who will fit into his social class and not demand fidelity.
The h takes off for a magazine assignment in South America, then goes to the US to visit her wealthy cousins. They are jet setters and take off on a trip with the h and the final trip lands them in Napa Valley where the h and H meet up again. (The H has a vineyard in Napa too.)
The h is still not over the H and he has more sleeping partners hanging all over him, tho he mentions that hesupposedly intends to be faithful after he is married. The h decides to go home and really move on with her life, so she books a flight and has to spend the night in San Francisco. She calls her mum who tells her the H isn't marrying the OW after all, the h is still heartbroken cause the H is obviously too much a womanizer to marry and then she meets him after the leaving the Top of the Mark.
The H shanghai's her to his room and claims he fell in love with her and wants to marry her but thought she was marrying his friend. His mum told him about the h's deception and that is why he said he was engaged to the OW. The fall into bed and decide to marry and HEA.
I was bored with this one, neither the H nor the h was particularly likable and I just did not see anything long term after the lust wore off. RL H's usually have a lot credibility issues for me and the h's tend to devolve into doormats who don't care what they do as long as they can have the H.
Still, that is a personal bias and this may be another reader's total cuppa. It isn't badly written and some of the scenes are sorta funny, so give this one a go if you like RL or like h's who get a few pot shots of their own in.
The problem is that the H met the h when she was 13 and thinks she is ugly, the h has grown up and is now stunningly beautiful. When the H is invited for the weekend, the H overhears him complaining to his friend about how hideous she is and she decides to get even.
The h pretends she has the measles and does herself up to look really horrible. She waves to the H from the window and when he walks off, she changes her disguise to that of a tarty but beautiful maid and meets him in the woods.
He offers the tarty maid £3000 to go with him to his chateau in France where he runs a vineyard and impersonate his fiance to his mum. The h agrees to go and spends the next few weeks acting the beautiful tarty maid with a heart and scoring a lot of shots off the H.
Then the H's best friend falls in love with the h and the H tells her he is really engaged to another woman, but that shouldn't stop the h and H from lurve clubbing together. The h also gets to meet a lot of the ladies the H has slept with and the H's supposed fiance. At first the h thinks the H is lying about his engagement, but the OW convinces her it is for real.
When the h rejects the H's offer of an affair, she tells him it is because she is marrying his best friend. She wants a fiance and husband that isn't a womanizer and the h takes herself off to the OM. The h reveals her deception to the OM and when the H shows up, she tells him too.
The h is a bit worried about hurting the OM, but when he gets an assignment to go to Australia for 6 weeks, the h breaks off the engagement, meanly breaking the friend's heart. She is heartbroken too, cause she has fallen for the H, but tries to get on with her life since he is marrying a woman he can cheat on but who will fit into his social class and not demand fidelity.
The h takes off for a magazine assignment in South America, then goes to the US to visit her wealthy cousins. They are jet setters and take off on a trip with the h and the final trip lands them in Napa Valley where the h and H meet up again. (The H has a vineyard in Napa too.)
The h is still not over the H and he has more sleeping partners hanging all over him, tho he mentions that hesupposedly intends to be faithful after he is married. The h decides to go home and really move on with her life, so she books a flight and has to spend the night in San Francisco. She calls her mum who tells her the H isn't marrying the OW after all, the h is still heartbroken cause the H is obviously too much a womanizer to marry and then she meets him after the leaving the Top of the Mark.
The H shanghai's her to his room and claims he fell in love with her and wants to marry her but thought she was marrying his friend. His mum told him about the h's deception and that is why he said he was engaged to the OW. The fall into bed and decide to marry and HEA.
I was bored with this one, neither the H nor the h was particularly likable and I just did not see anything long term after the lust wore off. RL H's usually have a lot credibility issues for me and the h's tend to devolve into doormats who don't care what they do as long as they can have the H.
Still, that is a personal bias and this may be another reader's total cuppa. It isn't badly written and some of the scenes are sorta funny, so give this one a go if you like RL or like h's who get a few pot shots of their own in.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2021
"Maid to Measure" is the story of Amanda and Piers.
Worst book I've read in the last few months.
Snooty, rich misogynist, body shaming hero is asked by his mother to marry his childhood nemesis. Without seeing her, he makes unkind remarks about her face, body and attitude based on old memory. She overhears the comments and decides to take revenge. Dressing up in a garish makeup and clothes, she pretends to be her own maid, and the hero immediately asks her to be his pretend fiance. He then proceeds to not just poverty shame her, but mock her look, clothes, accent, education, financial status. In the interim, she realizes he's engaged to OW and still wanting to bang her. Nice OM falls for the heroine but ofcourse, she is attracted to this herpes laden piece of absolute dbag of a man. Basically, she spends time sabotaging his relationship, even going as far as to using OM to make him jealous
Disgusting hero, shrewd heroine, baseless plot and unnecessarily mean characters. What was the point of his callous behavior towards her, and her towards the OM? The more mean and unavailable he was- the more she wanted him. And he was so rude and disrespectful. Its not sexy. Confession at the end was underwhelming.
Worst book of 2021 so far.
Unsafe
-1000000/5
Worst book I've read in the last few months.
Snooty, rich misogynist, body shaming hero is asked by his mother to marry his childhood nemesis. Without seeing her, he makes unkind remarks about her face, body and attitude based on old memory. She overhears the comments and decides to take revenge. Dressing up in a garish makeup and clothes, she pretends to be her own maid, and the hero immediately asks her to be his pretend fiance. He then proceeds to not just poverty shame her, but mock her look, clothes, accent, education, financial status. In the interim, she realizes he's engaged to OW and still wanting to bang her. Nice OM falls for the heroine but ofcourse, she is attracted to this herpes laden piece of absolute dbag of a man. Basically, she spends time sabotaging his relationship, even going as far as to using OM to make him jealous
Disgusting hero, shrewd heroine, baseless plot and unnecessarily mean characters. What was the point of his callous behavior towards her, and her towards the OM? The more mean and unavailable he was- the more she wanted him. And he was so rude and disrespectful. Its not sexy. Confession at the end was underwhelming.
Worst book of 2021 so far.
Unsafe
-1000000/5
February 19, 2017
I am not going to judge the characters here , if I do that I will spoil the whole effect . Its the story and little scenes I enjoyed reading , First half of the book , I was laughing loud and rolling on the floor , h drives H through hell , and I quite enjoyed her witty comebacks . Then the story goes all confusing for me , some things are not yet clear , maybe if the book was a little longer , Author could have explained better .
Never the less , I didn't enjoy a HP as much as I did this in a long time . And this is my first Roberta Leigh .
Never the less , I didn't enjoy a HP as much as I did this in a long time . And this is my first Roberta Leigh .
December 31, 2020
HAIKU BOOK REVIEW: Maid to Measure, by Roberta Leigh
Immature liars
fake their way to least likely
HEA EVER!!!
Immature liars
fake their way to least likely
HEA EVER!!!
May 27, 2024
This is a really cute story that keeps you entertained. Piers and Amanda are really strong characters. I enjoyed that Amanda could dish it out, yet take everything that came her way. She sets out to teach the hero a lesson after she overhears a discussion he is having with a friend about how ugly she is..It seems he hasn't seen her in awhile, but remembers her as an ugly duckling. Amanda, is so pisssed off at what she hears, she sets out for revenge, trying to get Piers to fall in love with her, so she can dump him. So instead of dressing up as an enticing alluring woman, she masquerades as an ill educated chamber maid. (not sure I understood the logic on that)
Though, an enjoyable read, I found that I didn't care for either the H or h. He was a manslut, and was more interested in beauty and social status than people's feelings and inner being. To me, he was a very shallow human being, not worth getting to know, yet love.
However, as much as I didn't care for the hero, I found that I liked the heroine even less. The extent in which she takes her revenge went beyond ethical..and I really despised her when she manipulated and used his best friend. I also didn't like it when she realized that Piers was engaged and in love with another woman. After all, she was a "Herbert" and she was going to get him regardless of who she hurt.
I think they both needed to grovel a whole lot more. This review might sound like I didn't like the book. I actually did, it's just that I wish the H/h would have been more likable.
Though, an enjoyable read, I found that I didn't care for either the H or h. He was a manslut, and was more interested in beauty and social status than people's feelings and inner being. To me, he was a very shallow human being, not worth getting to know, yet love.
However, as much as I didn't care for the hero, I found that I liked the heroine even less. The extent in which she takes her revenge went beyond ethical..and I really despised her when she manipulated and used his best friend. I also didn't like it when she realized that Piers was engaged and in love with another woman. After all, she was a "Herbert" and she was going to get him regardless of who she hurt.
I think they both needed to grovel a whole lot more. This review might sound like I didn't like the book. I actually did, it's just that I wish the H/h would have been more likable.
May 30, 2009
Like no other Roberta Leigh I've ever read.
For 3/5 of the story, this was a farce -- a cross between My Fair Lady and an Oscar Wilde play. Lady Amanda and Piers are third cousins and their family would love it if they join their families. However, when Amanda meets Piers again after their initial childhood meeting, she decides to take him down a peg by pretending to be a cockney parlormaid and his pretend fiancee. Huh?
I didnt care for either H/h. Piers is a manslut and you see practically every one of his girlfriends/lovers. Amanda is clever and funny but I didnt care for the way she used Piers's best friend.
An interesting experiment, but a wash for me.
For 3/5 of the story, this was a farce -- a cross between My Fair Lady and an Oscar Wilde play. Lady Amanda and Piers are third cousins and their family would love it if they join their families. However, when Amanda meets Piers again after their initial childhood meeting, she decides to take him down a peg by pretending to be a cockney parlormaid and his pretend fiancee. Huh?
I didnt care for either H/h. Piers is a manslut and you see practically every one of his girlfriends/lovers. Amanda is clever and funny but I didnt care for the way she used Piers's best friend.
An interesting experiment, but a wash for me.
June 21, 2025
I don’t even remember this book!!! (21st June 2025)
*********
I didn’t like the hero at all. I didn’t like the heroine either. They were both snobs. Extremely nasty .. the kind of people who are the creepy other man/other woman in books.
Arrogant. Inordinately proud of their wealth. Selfish. Users of people.
They deserved each other.
The hero looked down on fat people. He spoke in such terrible language about a girl for being fat when he was going to inherit a house that should have gone to her.
The heroine used the love of hero’s best friend for herself to her advantage.
The story was underwhelming and illogical.
Frankly I would give one star but I kept reading in hopes of improvement. Therefore two.
So that’s it.
*********
I didn’t like the hero at all. I didn’t like the heroine either. They were both snobs. Extremely nasty .. the kind of people who are the creepy other man/other woman in books.
Arrogant. Inordinately proud of their wealth. Selfish. Users of people.
They deserved each other.
The hero looked down on fat people. He spoke in such terrible language about a girl for being fat when he was going to inherit a house that should have gone to her.
The heroine used the love of hero’s best friend for herself to her advantage.
The story was underwhelming and illogical.
Frankly I would give one star but I kept reading in hopes of improvement. Therefore two.
So that’s it.
August 2, 2024
Laboured French farce in which neither the H, Piers nor the h Amanda (who masquerades as a "common" maid Mandy) has any endearing qualities. I did finish it, God knows why, as I was mostly skimming to see how he in particular would be redeemed. By the end it was clear that these two were exemplars of the upper class amoral types who may well stay married for dynastic and financial reasons but within years will be bed hopping without thought. One gets the distinct impression, although I know nothing about her, that RL has more than a passing acquaintance with this milieu. It comes out in some of her other stories too. A miss.
March 28, 2011
This was a cute book. She pretends she's an ill educated maid to teach him a lesson. That bit was really well done. The ending after he figures it out could have been better but all in all a cute book and worth the read.
January 17, 2025
This book had alot of laugh out loud moments because of the h, who disguises herself as a maid to teach her prospective groom a lesson.
Never have I misunderstood and therfore disliked an H so much but been so pleased to do so.
Definitely a future re read.
Never have I misunderstood and therfore disliked an H so much but been so pleased to do so.
Definitely a future re read.
September 30, 2024
These people deserved each other 😅
July 7, 2011
I was in a revenge mood so wanted to read a revenge story-thoroughly enjoyed this story I really enjoyed the deceptions,the fights,the bickering and games Amanda-Piers played,both were equal opponents and have big prides which makes them similar in so many ways,yet their plans back fired on each of them and lead to misunderstanding but then everything was sorted and we have the HEA
i cut one star cause i disliked the way Piers reacted to Amanda,he was very brutal n cruel-calling her ugly and even after 8 years he still thinks she will be ugly,he acted very childish there and way he fluants his exes i did'nt like that
The 4 stars are totally for Amanda the ways he plays out the charade makes the story more enjoyable
A Enjoyable read
Recommend it
i cut one star cause i disliked the way Piers reacted to Amanda,he was very brutal n cruel-calling her ugly and even after 8 years he still thinks she will be ugly,he acted very childish there and way he fluants his exes i did'nt like that
The 4 stars are totally for Amanda the ways he plays out the charade makes the story more enjoyable
A Enjoyable read
Recommend it
October 1, 2019
Everyone saw them as a perfect match!
"People aren't chess pieces to be pushed around, Maman," Piers said. "I've no intention of tying myself to a girl I don't love."
"You can't be serious!" Amanda's astonishment was clear. "Me, marry
Piers Dubray? Why I haven't seen him since I was a kid."
With two people so set against even meeting, much less marrying, what could be done? Mothers, friends, even Fate, all had a hand in it--but in the end, Piers and Amanda were simply caught in their own trap. Happily!
"People aren't chess pieces to be pushed around, Maman," Piers said. "I've no intention of tying myself to a girl I don't love."
"You can't be serious!" Amanda's astonishment was clear. "Me, marry
Piers Dubray? Why I haven't seen him since I was a kid."
With two people so set against even meeting, much less marrying, what could be done? Mothers, friends, even Fate, all had a hand in it--but in the end, Piers and Amanda were simply caught in their own trap. Happily!
Want to Read
December 18, 2019I read that in Arabic long time ago and laughed so much, even loved it...I think I will read it again.Glad to find it in its original title.
July 31, 2025
This is fun in a lot of ways (so different from other HPs and HP heroines!), but eventually it’s just too convoluted, her qualities are overdone, and he teeters between downright terrible and just not all that great. So much fuss for not much reward.
2.5 stars
2.5 stars
September 24, 2018
Hilarious!!!
October 22, 2020
I adored this story! The heroine takes on a disguise to teach the hero a lesson. Just a fun read.
May 18, 2016
2008 Review: Pretty entertaining!
MY THOUGHTS: The storyline was certainly entertaining and the verbal fencing and deception between the hero and heroine was definitely amusing - also when Piers tried to one-up Amanda. And of course, I love me some love triangles! So it was cool that Lucien, Pier's friend was there to give Piers a run for his money. As for the character themselves, I thought Piers was an arrogant son of a gun. I didn't like him at first - actually I sorta still dont like compared to all my other favorite Harlequin hero. I guess I can't forgive him for being SO brutal on Amanda when he thought she was ugly (or that she might still be ugly) I mean his words were SO mean, I thought! In a way, I kinda thought Piers was a little childish. In some of my favorite Harlequin hero's they were more manly and controlling/take charge kinda guy. Anyhoo, I didn't like Piers but my dislike didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. I liked Amanda, she was pretty spunky and wily. She was certainly smart in keeping up that charade for sometime and getting Pier's friend to fall for her, haha! Although, I certainly could not see why she fell for Piers so fast - I think Piers was truly dreadful to her during the time Amanda discovers she was in love. But, I guess with limited pages, she had to fall in love with him soon, I guess. But anyway, this book was pretty funny and entertaining and Piers did apologize for his ungentlemanly behaviour/comments. Anyway, enjoyable book!
MY THOUGHTS: The storyline was certainly entertaining and the verbal fencing and deception between the hero and heroine was definitely amusing - also when Piers tried to one-up Amanda. And of course, I love me some love triangles! So it was cool that Lucien, Pier's friend was there to give Piers a run for his money. As for the character themselves, I thought Piers was an arrogant son of a gun. I didn't like him at first - actually I sorta still dont like compared to all my other favorite Harlequin hero. I guess I can't forgive him for being SO brutal on Amanda when he thought she was ugly (or that she might still be ugly) I mean his words were SO mean, I thought! In a way, I kinda thought Piers was a little childish. In some of my favorite Harlequin hero's they were more manly and controlling/take charge kinda guy. Anyhoo, I didn't like Piers but my dislike didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. I liked Amanda, she was pretty spunky and wily. She was certainly smart in keeping up that charade for sometime and getting Pier's friend to fall for her, haha! Although, I certainly could not see why she fell for Piers so fast - I think Piers was truly dreadful to her during the time Amanda discovers she was in love. But, I guess with limited pages, she had to fall in love with him soon, I guess. But anyway, this book was pretty funny and entertaining and Piers did apologize for his ungentlemanly behaviour/comments. Anyway, enjoyable book!
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May 17, 2016لن أكون لك روبرتا ليه
April 21, 2014
An easy read, cute and adorable book.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews