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A Brilliant Mismatch
A WILLFUL WOMAN
Fiery Moira Pattinger vowed that her domineering father would rue the day he dared interfere with her choice of husband…and so made an impetuous promise to marry the next man to cross her path. Little did Moira realize that the next morning, the first man she laid eyes upon would be a bootless, rugged, and unsightly vagrant sleeping in the Pattinger stables.
Undaunted, the stubborn redhead declared her engagement—while convincing the confused stranger to play along with the charade. But Moira didn't bargain for the discoveries she would make about her mysterious fiancé…or the tender longing he would arouse in her heart…
Fiery Moira Pattinger vowed that her domineering father would rue the day he dared interfere with her choice of husband…and so made an impetuous promise to marry the next man to cross her path. Little did Moira realize that the next morning, the first man she laid eyes upon would be a bootless, rugged, and unsightly vagrant sleeping in the Pattinger stables.
Undaunted, the stubborn redhead declared her engagement—while convincing the confused stranger to play along with the charade. But Moira didn't bargain for the discoveries she would make about her mysterious fiancé…or the tender longing he would arouse in her heart…
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 1991
About the author
Elizabeth Mansfield
59 books63 followersElizabeth Mansfield is the author of numerous regency romances. She is an intelligent and thoughtful writer, a hidden gem whose novels deserve to be more widely read and enjoyed.
Elizabeth Mansfield is the pen name of the talented Paula Reibel Schwartz. Ms Schwartz also wrote different genres under the pen names Paula Reibel, Paula Reid, and Paula Jonas.
Elizabeth Mansfield is the pen name of the talented Paula Reibel Schwartz. Ms Schwartz also wrote different genres under the pen names Paula Reibel, Paula Reid, and Paula Jonas.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 17, 2015
Reading an historical romance for a reading challenge is rather like a Busman’s Holiday for yours truly; the only difficulty being which one to pick from the YOOOGE number I have sitting on my TBR pile. In the end, I closed my eyes, metaphorically stuck a pin in the Paperback Pile of Doom that sits by the side of the bed, and ended up with A Brilliant Mismatch by Elizabeth Mansfield, which was originally published in 1991.
Lady Moira Pattinger is, at twenty-six, the eldest of four sisters and the only one of them to remain unmarried. That is not by design, however. She has in fact been betrothed twice… and jilted twice, each time in favour of one of her sisters thanks to the interference of her father, who offered each suitor a substantial sum of money to give up Moira and marry one of her sisters. Discovering that her latest beau has been “diverted” to her youngest sister by the same means is the last straw. Furious at what she believes are her father’s attempts to keep her from marrying so that she can continue to serve as both housekeeper and secretary, Moira confronts him in a rage and tells him that she intends to go out in the morning and marry the very first man she sees.
The Honourable Oliver Sherrard, brother of the Earl of Lydbury, is a happy-go-lucky, good-natured sort of chap who, having spent most of his twenty-three years doing what other people want, has decided it’s time for him to have a bit of an adventure. As a second son, he is going to have to make his own way in the world, but before he does that, he plans to undertake an extended walking-tour, taking with him only what he can carry in his backpack, the clothes on his back, a sturdy pair of boots and enough money to see him through.
He makes good progress on the first day and stops for the night at a less than salubrious inn, where the fact that he pays for his board and lodging with a gold coin attracts the wrong sort of attention. The next day, he is set upon, robbed and left for dead by the side of the road. Badly beaten, bruised and concussed, he eventually comes to and makes his way to the nearest building in order to shelter from the rain. He collapses, coming round hours later to see the most beautiful young woman he has ever seen staring at him and – here’s where he knows he must be dreaming – asking him to marry her.
Moira has Oliver conveyed to the house and sends for the doctor. Oliver is badly concussed and confined to bed for a couple of weeks, during which time he makes the acquaintance of Moira’s very pregnant sister and her husband, Horatio – with whom he strikes up a firm friendship – Moira’s youngest sister and her beau and Moira herself, to whom he is very much attracted. Recalling the promise he made to his brother before he left home not to do anything to disgrace the family name. Oliver introduces himself as Mr Thomas Oliver and makes no real attempt to correct the family’s assumption that he is some sort of labourer.
When he is well enough, Moira outlines her plan, which is not to actually get married, but to use the threat of marrying so unsuitably to force her father’s hand so that he will allow her to go to London in order to find a more appropriate husband. Realising, from his conversations with Horatio, that there is more to Moira’s situation than meets the eye, Oliver nonetheless agrees to go along with the scheme, all the time wondering how on earth he is going to stop himself falling head-over-heels with the lovely, bewitching young woman who clearly sees him as beneath her, in spite of her friendliness towards him.
The book is a fast-paced, quick read, but a satisfying one nonetheless. The star-turn is Oliver, who is an uncomplicated, honourable, kind and witty young man who bears with the veiled – and not-so-veiled – insults to his supposed low station with good-natured cheer, and whose sunny disposition gradually permeates through the entire household. His natural charm very quickly wins to his side the various members of Moira’s family, even her sister Bertie who was initially horrified at the idea of her sister’s marrying a supposed gardener. That’s not to say he’s perfect or a Mary-Stu; he isn’t above wanting to return the hurt Moira’s rejection inflicts upon him, and he is somewhat unpleasant to her towards the end of the book. But on the whole he’s a real sweetheart, and impossible to dislike.
Moira is a little more problematical, as for much of the book she’s selfish and single-minded in her determination to get the better of her father, and doesn’t much care that she’s using Oliver to do it. That said, I didn’t actively dislike her because she’s not mean-spirited and clearly enjoys Oliver’s company; and in fact, I almost felt sorry for her once or twice towards the end when she believes she has lost him for good.
The author draws a series of swift but clear portraits of the secondary characters, all of whom have their own distinct personalities, and I enjoyed the family dynamic she creates. Lord Pattinger, seen through Moira’s eyes at first, is hard-hearted and calculating; but is gradually revealed, through his interactions with others, not to be either of those things – and his final utterance made me smile.
The only thing about the story that doesn’t ring true is the way in which Moira and Oliver are allowed to spend time together in his room behind closed doors after he’s recovered, but otherwise, A Brilliant Mismatch is a well-written story that, while mostly lighthearted, has something to say about the class divide and that old adage about not judging a book by its cover.
A number of Ms Mansfield’s books have now been made available digitally, but unfortunately, this isn’t one of them. But second-hand copies are cheap and easy to find, and if you like older (clean) Regencies, then this is one you might want to seek out.
Lady Moira Pattinger is, at twenty-six, the eldest of four sisters and the only one of them to remain unmarried. That is not by design, however. She has in fact been betrothed twice… and jilted twice, each time in favour of one of her sisters thanks to the interference of her father, who offered each suitor a substantial sum of money to give up Moira and marry one of her sisters. Discovering that her latest beau has been “diverted” to her youngest sister by the same means is the last straw. Furious at what she believes are her father’s attempts to keep her from marrying so that she can continue to serve as both housekeeper and secretary, Moira confronts him in a rage and tells him that she intends to go out in the morning and marry the very first man she sees.
The Honourable Oliver Sherrard, brother of the Earl of Lydbury, is a happy-go-lucky, good-natured sort of chap who, having spent most of his twenty-three years doing what other people want, has decided it’s time for him to have a bit of an adventure. As a second son, he is going to have to make his own way in the world, but before he does that, he plans to undertake an extended walking-tour, taking with him only what he can carry in his backpack, the clothes on his back, a sturdy pair of boots and enough money to see him through.
He makes good progress on the first day and stops for the night at a less than salubrious inn, where the fact that he pays for his board and lodging with a gold coin attracts the wrong sort of attention. The next day, he is set upon, robbed and left for dead by the side of the road. Badly beaten, bruised and concussed, he eventually comes to and makes his way to the nearest building in order to shelter from the rain. He collapses, coming round hours later to see the most beautiful young woman he has ever seen staring at him and – here’s where he knows he must be dreaming – asking him to marry her.
Moira has Oliver conveyed to the house and sends for the doctor. Oliver is badly concussed and confined to bed for a couple of weeks, during which time he makes the acquaintance of Moira’s very pregnant sister and her husband, Horatio – with whom he strikes up a firm friendship – Moira’s youngest sister and her beau and Moira herself, to whom he is very much attracted. Recalling the promise he made to his brother before he left home not to do anything to disgrace the family name. Oliver introduces himself as Mr Thomas Oliver and makes no real attempt to correct the family’s assumption that he is some sort of labourer.
When he is well enough, Moira outlines her plan, which is not to actually get married, but to use the threat of marrying so unsuitably to force her father’s hand so that he will allow her to go to London in order to find a more appropriate husband. Realising, from his conversations with Horatio, that there is more to Moira’s situation than meets the eye, Oliver nonetheless agrees to go along with the scheme, all the time wondering how on earth he is going to stop himself falling head-over-heels with the lovely, bewitching young woman who clearly sees him as beneath her, in spite of her friendliness towards him.
The book is a fast-paced, quick read, but a satisfying one nonetheless. The star-turn is Oliver, who is an uncomplicated, honourable, kind and witty young man who bears with the veiled – and not-so-veiled – insults to his supposed low station with good-natured cheer, and whose sunny disposition gradually permeates through the entire household. His natural charm very quickly wins to his side the various members of Moira’s family, even her sister Bertie who was initially horrified at the idea of her sister’s marrying a supposed gardener. That’s not to say he’s perfect or a Mary-Stu; he isn’t above wanting to return the hurt Moira’s rejection inflicts upon him, and he is somewhat unpleasant to her towards the end of the book. But on the whole he’s a real sweetheart, and impossible to dislike.
Moira is a little more problematical, as for much of the book she’s selfish and single-minded in her determination to get the better of her father, and doesn’t much care that she’s using Oliver to do it. That said, I didn’t actively dislike her because she’s not mean-spirited and clearly enjoys Oliver’s company; and in fact, I almost felt sorry for her once or twice towards the end when she believes she has lost him for good.
The author draws a series of swift but clear portraits of the secondary characters, all of whom have their own distinct personalities, and I enjoyed the family dynamic she creates. Lord Pattinger, seen through Moira’s eyes at first, is hard-hearted and calculating; but is gradually revealed, through his interactions with others, not to be either of those things – and his final utterance made me smile.
The only thing about the story that doesn’t ring true is the way in which Moira and Oliver are allowed to spend time together in his room behind closed doors after he’s recovered, but otherwise, A Brilliant Mismatch is a well-written story that, while mostly lighthearted, has something to say about the class divide and that old adage about not judging a book by its cover.
A number of Ms Mansfield’s books have now been made available digitally, but unfortunately, this isn’t one of them. But second-hand copies are cheap and easy to find, and if you like older (clean) Regencies, then this is one you might want to seek out.
July 11, 2015
4 stars only because of the hero
Moira Pattinger is a not-quite-so-young lady (at age 26) with beauty, intelligence, and wealth, but for that her father refuses to let her have a London Season and has bought off her past three suitors and convinced them to marry her sisters. Moira, angry, vows to marry the first stranger to cross her path, which turns out to be young Oliver Sherrard, battered and robbed soon after embarking on a walking tour of England. He had a severe concussion, and she nursed him back, but for holding him to join in her charade of a pretend engagement to enrage her father enough to let her have a Season. As one may expect, this does not go as planned.
I greatly admire Oliver's kindhearted nature to endure all the insults to his supposed identity as a "penniless vagrant" from Moira's family, even as he slowly begins to charm all of her sisters and brother-in-laws under his assumed identity of Thomas Oliver, sometime gardener. He did everything with good cheer and aplomb, all because he loved Moira, but Moira had accomplished her deceit, she jilted him immediately.
While I understood Moira's troubles, it was hard for me to like her. For one, she never considered anyone's feelings and just put all the blame on her suitors and her father, even when she hardly cared for them. She even used Oliver for her own machinations and broke his heart, since she was the daughter of a viscount and cannot condescend to marry someone so far beneath her. Even when she found her Oliver's true identity - when she finally came to London and Oliver went home to nurse his injuries and heart - she behaved like a termagant towards him for his deceit. I nearly had to stop reading there for poor Oliver.
So if you like a humorous book with a wonderful hero and an immature, ice-maiden of a heroine, you can look no further.
Moira Pattinger is a not-quite-so-young lady (at age 26) with beauty, intelligence, and wealth, but for that her father refuses to let her have a London Season and has bought off her past three suitors and convinced them to marry her sisters. Moira, angry, vows to marry the first stranger to cross her path, which turns out to be young Oliver Sherrard, battered and robbed soon after embarking on a walking tour of England. He had a severe concussion, and she nursed him back, but for holding him to join in her charade of a pretend engagement to enrage her father enough to let her have a Season. As one may expect, this does not go as planned.
I greatly admire Oliver's kindhearted nature to endure all the insults to his supposed identity as a "penniless vagrant" from Moira's family, even as he slowly begins to charm all of her sisters and brother-in-laws under his assumed identity of Thomas Oliver, sometime gardener. He did everything with good cheer and aplomb, all because he loved Moira, but Moira had accomplished her deceit, she jilted him immediately.
While I understood Moira's troubles, it was hard for me to like her. For one, she never considered anyone's feelings and just put all the blame on her suitors and her father, even when she hardly cared for them. She even used Oliver for her own machinations and broke his heart, since she was the daughter of a viscount and cannot condescend to marry someone so far beneath her. Even when she found her Oliver's true identity - when she finally came to London and Oliver went home to nurse his injuries and heart - she behaved like a termagant towards him for his deceit. I nearly had to stop reading there for poor Oliver.
So if you like a humorous book with a wonderful hero and an immature, ice-maiden of a heroine, you can look no further.
March 29, 2014
Elizabeth Mansfield's "A Brilliant Mismatch"
A really sweet and well-written traditional Regency romance. A pleasant relief after reading a few by Elizabeth Mansfield recently that were quite disappointing.
A really sweet and well-written traditional Regency romance. A pleasant relief after reading a few by Elizabeth Mansfield recently that were quite disappointing.
August 11, 2025
Oliver Sherrard is the second son of an earl whose brother has recently inherited the title. The two are polar opposites in character, yet still fond of each other. Finally free of his father's thumb, Oliver can now choose his own path. He sets off on a walking trip through England, heading first towards Kent. An unfortunate confrontation at an inn leaves him bloodied, penniless, and shoeless. He ends up in the stable of Viscount Pattinger's manor and is discovered there by his eldest daughter, Moira.
Moira's three younger sisters are either married or engaged to men who originally sought her hand. Her father's bribes redirected them towards her sisters. She is outraged and promises to marry the first stranger she comes across. Enter Oliver in the stable. Instantly smitten with Moira, the fiery redhead, he hides his true identity.
The plot is a bit fantastical. Everyone from the titled family to the servants and stable hands believe Oliver to be an itinerant worker and seem oblivious to the fact that he speaks with an upper class, Oxford-educated accent. There are also issues of propriety. Unaccompanied by chaperones, the ladies of the house visit Oliver in his bedroom as he recovers from a concussion.
Fun and cute and clean, although I enjoyed it a little less that others I've read by Elizabeth Mansfield.
Moira's three younger sisters are either married or engaged to men who originally sought her hand. Her father's bribes redirected them towards her sisters. She is outraged and promises to marry the first stranger she comes across. Enter Oliver in the stable. Instantly smitten with Moira, the fiery redhead, he hides his true identity.
The plot is a bit fantastical. Everyone from the titled family to the servants and stable hands believe Oliver to be an itinerant worker and seem oblivious to the fact that he speaks with an upper class, Oxford-educated accent. There are also issues of propriety. Unaccompanied by chaperones, the ladies of the house visit Oliver in his bedroom as he recovers from a concussion.
Fun and cute and clean, although I enjoyed it a little less that others I've read by Elizabeth Mansfield.
February 23, 2021
It reads like a retelling of a fairy tale where the father gives some tests or tasks for suitors of his daughters’ hand (there are four instead of customary three, but mostly we are concerned with three.) I liked Oliver, he must be 3-4 years younger than Moira which was refreshing. I liked Lord Pattinger as well. There were some very funny moments with Henry the footman, Babs the youngest sister, and Mr Ironfist and Mr Louch, minor scoundrels.
December 6, 2023
delightful regency
pulling themes from fairytales like Thrushbeard, a disguised noble is mistaken for a vagrant and plays along with it.
The writing is perfect, light, humorous and tender.
I was entranced.
Whilst social norms are ignored in terms of all the closed doors, other than that it did well keeping to the era.
minor details that don't interfere with the delight of the story.
riveting
pulling themes from fairytales like Thrushbeard, a disguised noble is mistaken for a vagrant and plays along with it.
The writing is perfect, light, humorous and tender.
I was entranced.
Whilst social norms are ignored in terms of all the closed doors, other than that it did well keeping to the era.
minor details that don't interfere with the delight of the story.
riveting
October 25, 2025
Mansfield does it again!
Another fun story. Loved Oliver but wasn't sure of Moira, which cleverly drove this entertaining plot. Mansfield always comes up with unusual ideas on which to base her novels, and it's so refreshing in this trope-ridden genre. I've become a devoted fan.
Another fun story. Loved Oliver but wasn't sure of Moira, which cleverly drove this entertaining plot. Mansfield always comes up with unusual ideas on which to base her novels, and it's so refreshing in this trope-ridden genre. I've become a devoted fan.
February 7, 2022
¡Qué novelita más agradable!
March 31, 2022
More of a 2.5 - it wasn't bad persay, but I kind of grew impatient with the ending where she chased him, he chased her, she rejected him, he rejected her...back and forth the last 30ish pages.
October 2, 2025
Great story.
Must be the most typos I've ever seen in one short novel.
Must be the most typos I've ever seen in one short novel.
December 3, 2025
He fell a bit fast but I liked the twist with the father.
January 14, 2026
I really liked the characters in this one. The premise was interesting and it moved along at a good pace. I know it's fluff, but regency fluff is my favorite kind of fluff.
August 3, 2010
Fiery Moira Pattinger vowed that her domineering father would rue the day he dared interfere with her choice of husband, and so made an impetuous promise to marry the next man to cross her path. Little did Moira realize that the next morning, the first man she laid eyes upon would be a bootless, rugged and unsightly vagrant sleeping in the Pattinger stables.
October 29, 2009
This was a nice quick read although I didn't enjoy it as much as the other Mansfield books I've read and I can't quite put my finger on the reason why.
September 25, 2009
Regency
March 17, 2016
A cute clean romance.
June 14, 2012
I always love her characters. I did have a hard time feeling the connection this time though.
March 13, 2013
3.5 stars. Sweet and clean regency.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews