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Miss Westlake's Windfall
For Love...or Money?
Miss Ada Westlake doesn't consider herself a fool...but everyone else seems to. Though her family is nearly destitute, she has just turned down another proposal from the best catch in the county. Chas--otherwise known as Viscount Ashmead--has asked many times before and Ada, fearful of ruining their friendship with a marriage of convenience, has made him swear never to ask again. Ada also refuses to hang on to a bag of coins she found in the family orchard, convinced the money is ill-gotten. She appears determined to defeat the possibility of financial salvation at every turn. But Ada doesn't mean to be foolish--only to uphold her principles...
Now, Chas must convince "Addled Ada" to see reason--about the money, and most importantly, about him. Because the greatest treasure of all is true love...
Miss Ada Westlake doesn't consider herself a fool...but everyone else seems to. Though her family is nearly destitute, she has just turned down another proposal from the best catch in the county. Chas--otherwise known as Viscount Ashmead--has asked many times before and Ada, fearful of ruining their friendship with a marriage of convenience, has made him swear never to ask again. Ada also refuses to hang on to a bag of coins she found in the family orchard, convinced the money is ill-gotten. She appears determined to defeat the possibility of financial salvation at every turn. But Ada doesn't mean to be foolish--only to uphold her principles...
Now, Chas must convince "Addled Ada" to see reason--about the money, and most importantly, about him. Because the greatest treasure of all is true love...
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
About the author
Barbara Metzger
103 books201 followersBarbara Metzger is the author of over three dozen books and a dozen novellas. She has also been an editor, a proof-reader, a greeting card verse-writer, and an artist. When not painting, writing romances or reading them, she volunteers at the local library, gardens and goes beach-combing and yard-saling.
Her novels, mostly set in Regency-era England, have won numerous awards, including the Romance Writers of America RITA, the National Reader's Choice Award, and the Madcap award for humor in romance writing. In addition, Barbara has won two Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times Magazine.
Source: http://www.barbarametzger.com/about_b...
Her novels, mostly set in Regency-era England, have won numerous awards, including the Romance Writers of America RITA, the National Reader's Choice Award, and the Madcap award for humor in romance writing. In addition, Barbara has won two Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times Magazine.
Source: http://www.barbarametzger.com/about_b...
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
December 19, 2024
Miss Westlake made some stupid crazy choices, but Chas is worth the time it took me to finish 216 pages.
October 23, 2017
My kind of hero.
.
.
Enough said haha
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Enough said haha
November 14, 2013
This story is Barbara Metzger at her best. If you love her other novels, you will love this one. If you enjoy screwball comedies, you'll like this novel. It requires some suspension of disbelief because the action is so zany, but I laughed and laughed through the whole thing. My favorite character is Tess. She is a hopeless romantic living in a dream world but she proves to be shrewd and awake on all suits. I liked Chas a lot for his devotion to Ada and Tally and his kindness towards his brother. I didn't really like Ada that much. I thought she was a bit crazy not to marry Chas since they were so close, but the real reason I didn't like her so much is that she didn't like dogs. I understand her reason why but it's not a good reason not to like dogs. Hate the hunt and the human who hunt but don't blame the dogs! I loved this story so much, I plan to keep it and read it again when I'm feeling down.
September 6, 2008
Another fun Regency romance! The complete overuse of a few middle-English (is it middle-English? or later?) words was VERY distracting (such as "chit", especially. On one page, she used "chit" more than 5 times. We get it. You are trying to sound like you are in merry old England. Enough.) Despite the vocabulary annoyances, I rather enjoyed this book. It is a fun story, with (of course) the tall, dark hottie trying to woo the local take-care-of-it-all-herself plain-jane. And if you ask me, that is a good enough plot when you are looking for something mindlessly entertaining to read!!! I will look for more of these Regency romances at the library.
September 7, 2021
Lord Chas wants to marry his impoverished childhood friend Ada, who refuses him because she doesn't want his pity. He thinks of a way to alleviate her troubles - gift her a bag of money, hidden on a tree so she doesn't know it's for her. He doesn't reckon with his honest sweetheart wanting to retun the bag to whoever it belongs to.
What happens to this money bag is pretty much the premise of the story, with a POTC-type stage play, dimunitive heiresses, a vicar with a roving eye, French smugglers, a sexy dowager looking for her next love, spies and a returning soldier hero - all playing their part in this zany comedy!
What happens to this money bag is pretty much the premise of the story, with a POTC-type stage play, dimunitive heiresses, a vicar with a roving eye, French smugglers, a sexy dowager looking for her next love, spies and a returning soldier hero - all playing their part in this zany comedy!
April 18, 2014
Delightful!
July 30, 2015
I've been reading too much Metzger lately, so it is hard for me to give this a higher rating. The stories are starting to become too similar. I'd rate this between it was okay and I liked it. 2.5/3
October 4, 2015
hilarious ! funny witty romance novel, made me laugh out loud :D
barbara metzger's books always entertain me .
barbara metzger's books always entertain me .
November 29, 2018
Miss.........
Not one of her best. Stupid from beginning to end. Glad I have a library card instead of Kindle unlimited.
Not one of her best. Stupid from beginning to end. Glad I have a library card instead of Kindle unlimited.
April 18, 2021
the heroine is a bit annoying but Chas is the MAN!
June 14, 2023
2.5 stars. I've been reading a lot of mystery lately, and needed a change of pace, so I reached for my Signet shelf and pulled this book. This author is known to have a light-hearted comedic touch, which is just what I was in need of. She is certainly true to her talents here, but this story - or, that is to say the main characters - wore thin very quickly with me.
This is exactly what it says on the tin. Ada Westlake is the younger daughter in a destitute family. Her eldest brother, Rodney, gambled away all their money and got himself killed in some sort of accident, so now the baronetcy has fallen to younger brother Emery, who's off fighting Napoleon's army on the continent. Elder sister Tess is considered...er, the family eccentric, so Ada is the only one left who has anything resembling brains. She works the land along with a handful of elderly servants, trying to avoid Rodney's widow Jane and her pestering extended family who have taken up rooms in the old Hall but do nothing to contribute to the family coffers or paying down Rodney's debt.
Ada considers herself practical and principled, but she is actually dumb as a box of rocks and stubborn as a mule. She absolutely refuses to marry life-long friend and neighbor Viscount Ashmead, one of the wealthiest men in the country, because she doesn't want to ~hold him back~ and ~deny him the chance for true love~. When she finds a bag of money in the orchard, she immediately thinks that its the proceeds of smuggling and as such, she can't keep it. Isn't her brother off fighting a war against the French? Taking the money would be tantamount to treason in her eyes. She's determined to give it back to the local leader of the smugglers, one Leo Tobin, and actually does that.
Leo is actually Ashmead's bastard-born brother, so of course he knows that the money in the orchard was actually left there by Charles, in his own dunderheaded attempt to give Ada some funds to get out from under the crippling family debt. He can't tell her that, because Reasons, just like he can't tell her he (romantically) loves her, especially not when she turns down his proposal for the umpteenth time and makes him swear never to ask her again.
When Leo gives Ada the money back, she finds new and even more stupid ways to attempt to rid herself of it. Never once does her supposedly practical nature allow her to just accept the windfall for what it is and use it as would best suit her. This drove me nuts. Ada truly is addlepated and I couldn't figure out why Charles was so gaga over her.
Mercifully, this book has a wealth of interesting secondary characters, including quirky Tess (who has her own ideas of how to regain the family fortune, which is to stage a lavish opera/play in London to great acclaim). Leo immediately falls head over heels for Tess and does everything in his power to make her opera/play/book a success. There's also Ashmead's mother, the dowager viscountess, who's playing matchmaker for her son with a bunch of idiotic debutantes fresh from London; the various townspeople; a mysterious Frenchman; and scads of improbable romances. The pace is very swift and comedic, and honestly, wanting to find out how Tess's play turns out was the only reason I kept reading this.
I enjoyed the author's writing way more than the central romance here, so this one is likely not a keeper.
This is exactly what it says on the tin. Ada Westlake is the younger daughter in a destitute family. Her eldest brother, Rodney, gambled away all their money and got himself killed in some sort of accident, so now the baronetcy has fallen to younger brother Emery, who's off fighting Napoleon's army on the continent. Elder sister Tess is considered...er, the family eccentric, so Ada is the only one left who has anything resembling brains. She works the land along with a handful of elderly servants, trying to avoid Rodney's widow Jane and her pestering extended family who have taken up rooms in the old Hall but do nothing to contribute to the family coffers or paying down Rodney's debt.
Ada considers herself practical and principled, but she is actually dumb as a box of rocks and stubborn as a mule. She absolutely refuses to marry life-long friend and neighbor Viscount Ashmead, one of the wealthiest men in the country, because she doesn't want to ~hold him back~ and ~deny him the chance for true love~. When she finds a bag of money in the orchard, she immediately thinks that its the proceeds of smuggling and as such, she can't keep it. Isn't her brother off fighting a war against the French? Taking the money would be tantamount to treason in her eyes. She's determined to give it back to the local leader of the smugglers, one Leo Tobin, and actually does that.
Leo is actually Ashmead's bastard-born brother, so of course he knows that the money in the orchard was actually left there by Charles, in his own dunderheaded attempt to give Ada some funds to get out from under the crippling family debt. He can't tell her that, because Reasons, just like he can't tell her he (romantically) loves her, especially not when she turns down his proposal for the umpteenth time and makes him swear never to ask her again.
When Leo gives Ada the money back, she finds new and even more stupid ways to attempt to rid herself of it. Never once does her supposedly practical nature allow her to just accept the windfall for what it is and use it as would best suit her. This drove me nuts. Ada truly is addlepated and I couldn't figure out why Charles was so gaga over her.
Mercifully, this book has a wealth of interesting secondary characters, including quirky Tess (who has her own ideas of how to regain the family fortune, which is to stage a lavish opera/play in London to great acclaim). Leo immediately falls head over heels for Tess and does everything in his power to make her opera/play/book a success. There's also Ashmead's mother, the dowager viscountess, who's playing matchmaker for her son with a bunch of idiotic debutantes fresh from London; the various townspeople; a mysterious Frenchman; and scads of improbable romances. The pace is very swift and comedic, and honestly, wanting to find out how Tess's play turns out was the only reason I kept reading this.
I enjoyed the author's writing way more than the central romance here, so this one is likely not a keeper.
December 1, 2017
Lovely and sweet story but kindle version has A LOT of typos...
If you liked Heyer's Cotillion, then you would like this one. Characters are likable and Metzger makes some pertinent observations about how many women (and society) under value their worth. I find that the author often throws in some really astute observations in her works for those who are careful readers. For instance, rakes may be dashing but for every mistress is a woman underneath with few options if any. In this story, it is the observation that women are seen and treated more as a commodity than something of value in its own right. It's subtle and doesn't overtake the story which was filled with likable characters.
If you liked Heyer's Cotillion, then you would like this one. Characters are likable and Metzger makes some pertinent observations about how many women (and society) under value their worth. I find that the author often throws in some really astute observations in her works for those who are careful readers. For instance, rakes may be dashing but for every mistress is a woman underneath with few options if any. In this story, it is the observation that women are seen and treated more as a commodity than something of value in its own right. It's subtle and doesn't overtake the story which was filled with likable characters.
May 1, 2019
Ada Westlake is a woman of principles. When Viscount Ashmead asks Ada to marry him for the umpteenth time (and she refuses again), Chas gets drunk and decides to deposit a bagful of money in her trees for Ada to find. Ada is nearly destitute, with a cadre of leeches living with her. They will do nothing to improve the situation (like getting a job) but lean on Ada heavily when she admits that she found money.
Ada spends much of the book trying to find the rightful owner of the funds. This is a rollicking good book, with lots of humor. It is surprising that the author is able to clearly define each character in such a thin tome. Delightful.
Ada spends much of the book trying to find the rightful owner of the funds. This is a rollicking good book, with lots of humor. It is surprising that the author is able to clearly define each character in such a thin tome. Delightful.
January 13, 2020
This book had me laughing out loud at times, along with the frustrated hero and wonderfully natural heroine. Yes, some of the plot twists were ridiculous, but they were so much fun that I didn't care if they could have happened in Regency England. The cast of characters were so eccentric and unique that they were as much fun to follow as the H and h in their "friendship". Even the dog, Tally, was fun to read about. I have to go now to revisit more Barbara Metzger books that I have and see about getting more.
April 19, 2026
Ada is penniless and just turned down yet another proposal from her childhood friend, Chas, thinking he’s proposing out of pity but the Viscount truly loves her. She also turned a treasure in gold she found in her orchard, thinking it was part of a smuggling plot. Meanwhile, Leo - Chas’s illegitimate brother - is falling for Tess, Ada’s artistic sister.
Barbara Metzger always writes solid books, she’s very reliable. I enjoy my books wittier and more fun but this was super cosy with a lovely hero and swoon-worthy declarations of love.
Barbara Metzger always writes solid books, she’s very reliable. I enjoy my books wittier and more fun but this was super cosy with a lovely hero and swoon-worthy declarations of love.
May 7, 2019
Uno dei più divertenti della Metzger, scritto in modo scoppiettante e pieno di trovate. Amo poco le conclusioni alla 'liberi tutti', dove ognuno dei personaggi (i 'buoni' come i 'cattivi') godono di un 'happy end' più o meno meritato, ma stavolta mi son divertita a sufficienza da poter essere un po' più tollerante.
November 7, 2022
This was adorable. We knew our romantic story arc from the beginning, but I doubt any reader could have anticipated the twists and turns of the plot as happenstances continued to plague our protagonists throughout. It was comical and sweet.
February 17, 2018
Wonderful hero, didn’t like the heroine much.
June 27, 2024
I gave this four stars because there were situations that made me laugh, but there were also a lot of idiots in this story.
May 19, 2025
⭐⭐⭐.5
October 19, 2025
Entertaining fluff
October 1, 2013
"It is an unfortunate reality that one cannot live without one's heart. As you possess mine, I have no choice but to remain in your life. I love you, Claire; I will not give up on you, on us." loc.1896
Author: Barbara Metzger
First published: 2001
Length: 2270 locations
Setting: Rural England, Regency-ish
Sex: clean
Heroine: "medium height and medium build, and her hair was of medium light brown" loc.82
For what it is, it's a lot of fun. Silly, sweet, and with characters with spine and plenty of HEA.
Memorable, thoughtful, light, fun.
A good read.
References:
Author's website: http://www.barbarametzger.com/
(ISBN 0451202791)
-CR-
Author: Barbara Metzger
First published: 2001
Length: 2270 locations
Setting: Rural England, Regency-ish
Sex: clean
Heroine: "medium height and medium build, and her hair was of medium light brown" loc.82
For what it is, it's a lot of fun. Silly, sweet, and with characters with spine and plenty of HEA.
Memorable, thoughtful, light, fun.
A good read.
References:
Author's website: http://www.barbarametzger.com/
(ISBN 0451202791)
-CR-
April 3, 2014
Cute, clean, and a fun read. I chuckled quite a few times here and there.
Glad to have an immensely likable hero with his addled but charming lady rather than some tortured souls hellbent on revenge :p
Glad to have an immensely likable hero with his addled but charming lady rather than some tortured souls hellbent on revenge :p
July 30, 2013
LOL joy to read!
May 1, 2014
Nice Barbara Metzger classic with a quirky family, a strong, independent heroine, and more than one romance.
February 17, 2017
Laugh out loud funny. One of the best of Metzger's farcical romantic comedies.
January 31, 2016
3.5 One of Metzger's crazy works, but not a very compelling read. Absence of over the top villains was nice. Also enjoyed the presence of artful Lady Esther.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews