Lady Mary Mowbrah, daughter of a duke, fell in love with a man beneath her station. When he leaves for war, determined to earn her hand as a hero, she promises to wait for him, never dreaming the man who returns will be different from the man who left.¿Colonel Duncan Starrett returns from war with honors, accolades, and a debilitating injury. As much as he still loves Lady Mary, he fears a … future between them is now impossible. This is the love story of Mary and Duncan as they forge a future from the shadows of the past.
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Wonderful characters. Interesting plot. Vivid descriptions. Simply a GREAT read!
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.
That’s a story that will make you want to scream in frustration as well as laugh out loud. These two have always loved each other, but war and an unjustified self deprecating took them apart for years. Now, he’s back with mighty challenges. Both Mary and Duncan are as hardheaded as can be, desperately wanting to be together, but each facing demons of their own. I loved to see their relationship evolved, the banters, the hardships and how they manage to conquer them all. Will be reading again soon!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Series: The Enchantresses #4
Publication Date: 2/14/20
If you are looking for a wonderful book that will make you smile, cry, and laugh all while warming your heart and letting you fall in love with the most amazing main characters you’ll ever read, this is the book for you. In addition to the story itself, there is an outstanding prologue and epilogue that really starts and finishes the book perfectly. The author has a writing style and word choices that put you right in the scene. Your heart will pound and your breathing will increase as Duncan awakens to discover that he cannot feel his legs, then you’ll rejoice with him at each small step he makes toward his recovery – and throughout it all, your heart will swell when he thinks of ‘his Mary’. This book just resonated with me and I can’t wait to have the time to read it again.
Duncan Starrett and Lady Mary Mowbrah met and fell in love in 1790 when she was sixteen and he was twenty. Lady Mary is the daughter of a duke and Duncan is the youngest son of a retired army colonel. Sounds like a doomed romance doesn’t it? In a way, it is because her mother would never, ever approve a match between the two of them. Lady Mary doesn’t care, she is ready to run away to Gretna Green and marry Duncan anyway, but Duncan is a very honorable young man and wants to prove his worthiness to be her husband. Duncan’s solution is to buy a commission and serve in the army where he can earn rank and perform heroically. Little does he know what that choice will cost him.
Five years later, Duncan returns home a very broken man. Thinking Duncan isn’t long for this world, his parents send word to Lady Mary. Mary dashes to Duncan’s family home – which is adjacent to her family home – and is shocked by Duncan’s condition and the medical care he’s received. Mary refuses to think Duncan might die and does everything in her power to turn things around for him.
Duncan comes from a large, very loving family and Mary has always wanted that for herself. She’d never had any show of human affection in her life until she met Duncan. Her mother was cold, unfeeling and paid absolutely no attention to Mary – well, no good attention anyway. All Mary ever received was criticism and complaint. Oh! How she wanted the family Duncan had – all that love, caring and sharing with each other.
Duncan and Mary have a lot to overcome and their HEA is hard-won. Most of what they have to overcome is themselves and their feelings of inadequacy, but Duncan’s wounds are also a big obstacle. I absolutely fell in love with both Duncan and Mary and it was also wonderful to be able to have visits with Sebastian and Lizbeth (The Earl and The Enchantress), Drake (Mary’s brother) and Charlotte (The Duke and The Enchantress), and Lilith and Walter (The Baron and The Enchantress). Now, I can hardly wait for the next book in the series!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Lady Mary Mowbrah and Duncan Starrett fell in love when they were young. Then Duncan left Mary at 16 and went into the Army and returned five years later as a colonel. Ms. Golden has written a very entertaining book showing how the young couple married and work through the first months of their marriage. She showed how the marriage got stronger even when things are not appearing to go really well. But they work to their problems and Mary convinced Duncan that she loved him regardless of his abilities. I do recommend that you give this book to read and that is enjoyable…
This was fantastically addictive! I never wanted to set this beautiful book aside. The characters were compelling and the plot was sweet. I love when true love wins. And the love between Duncan and Mary was eternal and absolutely captivating. Paullett Golden always paints these vivid scenes and expertly weaves a tale that is heartbreaking but with the best happily ever afters imaginable.
I immediately liked Duncan! He is honorable and determined and so in love that he chases his destiny and dreams these beautiful dreams of a happy future with the one girl who stole his heart. He sets out to endeavor to deserve her and he really does earn his place at her side. Depite different experiences and upbringings he and Mary choose each other again and again. Though there are some misunderstanding between these two, they find a way to make everything work brilliantly.
There were a few times where Mary frustrated me but I think that’s due to being in on the inner musings of Duncan’s mind when she was not. She really just needed to be loved and made a priority. Her family weren’t anything like Duncan’s. She fell in love with the entire family.
The best books gift their readers with a story that will put you through all of the emotions and change you just a bit. This one does indeed fall into the glorious sphere. Well done to this amazingly talented author for giving me something to fall for and I can’t wait to fall for the next book!
Amazing!
real rating 4.5
The colonel and the enchantress is the 4th book in The Enchantress series. And tells the story of Mary and Duncan. She’s the daughter of a Duke and He just a soldier. Could their love be enough to overcome this huge difference?
I loved this book so much! And was so excited to finally read Mary’s story. It didn’t let me down at all.
I really loved the characters because they are wise and not too silly, they’re rational and think clearly. They both listen and that makes them more real and human. Their love is super sweet and honest. So it’s really nice to read about them. Though there are some sex scenes it’s too explicit, so that’s good.
The plot is very interesting and engaging. It has many twists that motives you to keep reading.
Also, I love so much to see the whole family together! It’s super sweet.
You can definitely read this as a stand-alone but highly recommend reading the other books, you’ll not regret it!
It’s safe to say that Paullette Golden did it again. She has an amazing talent to write and does it in a way that doesn’t bore you. On the contrary, you always want more!
‘Lady Mary Mowbrah, daughter of a duke, fell in love with a man beneath her station. When he leaves for war, determined to earn her hand as a hero, she promises to wait for him, never dreaming the man who returns will be different from the man who left.
Colonel Duncan Starrett returns from war with honors, accolades, and a debilitating injury. As much as he still loves Lady Mary, he fears a future between them is now impossible.
This is the love story of Mary and Duncan as they forge a future from the shadows of the past.’
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4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars.
The Colonel and the Enchantress is the fouth book in Paullett Golden’s The Enchantresses series and is a historical romance.
I wasn’t entirely sure about Mary and Duncan at the start of the book as it seemed like perhaps theirs was going to be more of a puppy love in which they were more in love with their memories and the idea of one another coming back together than the actual person. But I quickly became deeply invested in them, how things were unfolding, and his recovery process and they disproved my puppy love assumption with all the worked through together.
Both Duncan and Mary were stubborn characters and as a result infuriating at times. There were some points throughout the book it which they drove me crazy because their stubbornness would prevent them from truly being able to see the other’s perspective(even though they were often under the impression they did and were in the right anyway). However this all served to make their characters seem that much more human and realistic and endeared them to me.
This book can easily serve a a stand-alone. This is now the second book in this series which I have read(having read the first and now the fourth) and I found that my enjoyment of this book didn’t suffer from missing the previous two books. I do think I’ll go back to them though, simply due to how much I have enjoyed what I’ve read from this series so far. I do believe there are to be further books in the series, but I’m curious as to who they would focus on based on the epilogue.
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I would like to thank BookSirens and Paullett Golden for sharing an eARC of The Colonel and the Enchantress with me. This is my honest review.
Sir Duncan Starrett has been in love with Lady Mary, since she was sixteen. Duncan returns home from the war with a debilitating injury to his spine. He is determined and perseveres, because he longs to get back to a normal way of life. Dreaming of the day he will be married to his beloved Mary.
Mary is an extremely focused and persistent Lady, daughter of the Duke of Annick. The tension between Mary and her mother keeps her driven to be with Duncan,regardless of his station.
The authors writing exhibits traits and emotions for a cast of unforgetable engaging characters. A well written driven romance.
Highly recommend.
A wonderful story of Colonel Duncan Starrett and Lady Mary Mowbrah. They met and fell in love as teenagers. She a happy-go-lucky young girl and he looking forward to going into the military. He is gone for six years and only comes home when he is severely injured. He is paralyzed from the waist down but he had been getting off his horse and felt great pain from his back to his legs, this was the second time he had trouble with his back. The Prince Regent gifted him a baronetcy. Mary had gone on with her life but also waited for him to return. She stayed with her brother especially since she and her mother did not get along.
This wonderful tale was intriguing and entertaining. It kept you on your toes begging for more. The characters were warm and engaging. They were a true delight. There are a few twists but most centers on the injury and the problem other veterans have when they come home. It has a strong plot with interesting secondary characters. I highly recommend this book. I loved it.
I received this ARC from Book Sirens and voluntarily reviewed it.
I had to give this book a sitting ovation. Paulette Golden’s book, The Colonel and The Enchantress is a written master piece. Oh how I love this story. Paulette was able to grab ahold of my imagination and take it on a wonderful ride. Duncan and Mary, this couple suffered and over came so many trials in their life and yet, they found a way to be their for each other and beat the odds that where thrown at them.
What a wonderful book. The drama had me at highs and lows. Duncan, if books could have Oscars for leading male book characters? Duncan would win. His character is so powerful and strong.
Mary stands right beside him. This book was written like a well written drama movie. The story plot was well thought out. The plot allows the reader to be engaged in the book. Duncan and Mary had to fight their own demons separately in order to survive and fight theirs together.
The details of the book are carefully explained allowing the reader to visualize the Characters as they flowed through the story. The dialect was simple and not complex. This story didn’t need exuberant words to relay what the writer wanted to tell her readers. Paulette wanted her readers to enjoy the story and that’s what I did. There was drama, action, and steamy romance.
Oh, and there was one cranky mother-in-law. Whew! Duncan certainly didn’t know what he was getting into when he married Mary. That woman, (the mother-in-law) could put a hit out on you and you wouldn’t even know it until you where dead. The mother-in-law’s character, I can tell was written with great thought, because she was a good player in this book.
My fellow readers, I give this book two twist and two snaps. I recommend this book. Until next time my fellow readers… read on!
I voluntary reviewed this ARC after receiving a free gifted copy.
The wonderfully written storyline and the well created characters made this book a very enjoyable and entertaining read! I look forward to reading more from this author!
Lady Mary Mowbrah is the daughter of a Duke and her mom is trying to marry her off to older rich men. Her brother seems to leave her to her own devices. She has had her heart set on Duncan Starrett. Colonel Duncan Starrett starts the story out as a younger son of a younger son so he has no title. To make a name for himself he joins the military and is gone for several years. They meet back up after he is injured and is back home. During the time he was gone they both had changed so when he got back they both had to see if they loved the new person each other had become.
It was a quick read. I liked the story for the most part. It made me think about how injuries were treated in that day and really made me thankful for the generally better treatment we get now.
I liked Lady Mary right up until she had an issue with Robin because of his looks and status; up until then she had not acted like she was better than anybody.
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review. The opinions in this review are 100% my own.
Worthy of a Duke’s daughter.
Duncan Starrett followed the drum in hopes of making himself worthy of marrying a Duke’s daughter. He returns years later as a Colonel, but severely injured. Mary still loves Duncan and she won’t give up until she has him for her husband. A very emotional love story that’s sometimes uplifting, sometimes not, but compelling nonetheless.
The past is the past, only the future remains
Lady Mary was 16 when she fell in love with Duncan Starrett. Then he went to war for five years. Mary grew up and war took it’s toll on Duncan. Now it will ultimately be up to them as to whether or not they have a future together.
I have read and enjoyed the first three books in this series by Paulette Golden. That said, I think The Colonel and the Enchantress is one of her best. This character-driven tale is well written and the story is tightly woven. Both Mary and Duncan are likable, but they each have personality flaws. The supporting characters are also just as well developed and readers of the previous books in this series will recognize recurring characters from the first three books.
Mary and Duncan’s love story is timeless. Although set in the Regency era, it could just as easily have happened today. Even true love takes work to succeed. In the end, their engrossing story has a very happy and satisfying ending.
Content 411: Although there are no vulgarities, there are a few mild swear words as well as a couple of mildly described scenes of marital intimacy.
Disclosure: I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The author took the time needed to develop the characters and guide the story along. Lady Mary Mowbrah has waited five years for Duncan Starrett to return from war. Duncan comes home severely injured and feeling as if he has nothing to offer Mary. Together they must find the courage to overcome all in order to find their HEA. Fourth in the series; will definitely need to read the others as the related characters appear in multiple books. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review.
The heart often knows exactly what it wants and what is meant to be. Such was the case for Duncan and Mary who met when they were young and in their youthful innocence it seemed all would work out as planned. Duncan was enlisting so that he could come back a decorated war hero and be worthy of Mary who was the daughter of a duke. But life is not always that simple.
Five years later he does return having been injured in battle and although much better, still having some effects. When he finally sees Mary again, the connection is still there. There is a long journey ahead with many twist and turns and surprises.
Paullett Golden is such a gifted writer. The characters become real and the emotions she draws out are felt from the heart. This story had so many aspects.. Young love, expectations often not turning out as hoped, dealing with pain of the heart and physical and watching love endure with all the challenges it can throw.
This one truly stole my heart with Duncan and Mary as they tried to find their way and be happy. A truly unexpected treasure that will remain in my thoughts for awhile. Truly do not miss this one or any in this series. I highly recommend.
Book four of An Enchantress Novel series a well written story that kept me turning pages. Lady Mary Mowbrah and Colonel Duncan Starrett’s story is one that had my emotions all over the place. I found myself smiling then crying then laughing out loud. This story has you believing that true love can prevail over everything. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
After three books read from this series, I feel kind of like the dog in Pavlov’s experiment: I open Paullett’s book with happy anticipation.
Here, the author shows not only a beautiful, wealthy couple romance, with all the wonderful (and highly fantastical) qualities.
The characters have flaws like any human. And yes, sometimes when we read we want to hug or hit the characters, but, don’t human beings have this dichotomy too?
We are introduced to the characters, Duncan and Mary, in the previous books.
Mary is Drake’s (duke of Annick) younger sister.
At 16, she was head over heels in love with Duncan Starrett. But Duncan was the youngest son of a youngest son, and although in his family had someone with a noble title, he would never inherit that title.
He also did not have vast wealth. Therefore, to become worthy of marrying a duke’s daughter, Duncan would have to earn that honor.
Like his father, he enlisted and went to war.
With a mind full of fantasy about fame and glory, Duncan would never be prepared for the atrocities he saw and had to do, as His Majesty’s soldier.
For the first few years of service, Duncan and Mary kept exchanging correspondence until he stopped writing to her.
Five years later, Mary, now more mature and even more beautiful, loved Duncan with all her heart.
However, the Duncan who returned was no longer the same.
Oh, he still loved Mary, but he was a man with a broken soul, and he physically carried the pains of war.
Duncan had serious mobility problems. He had a very sensitive surgery (which his father called the doctor a butcher ) and was in chronic pain.
Mary was hurt that he hadn’t told her he was back, but the joy of having him so close overcame the pain.
Until one day, Duncan stopped walking.
Immediately, like the gentleman he was, he wanted to release Mary from the – unofficial – engagement between them. She would be free to marry someone worthy of her, in position and physically.
However, he underestimated the feeling she had for him.
Yes, when they fell in love she was a girl, but she became someone with enough balance to give him the strength to fight.
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The most interesting in this story is the willpower and resilience of each character.
If, at first, Duncan wanted to give up (life and Mary), then he showed an immense inner strength. Doing exercises that would help him get back to moving his legs.
Mary also surprises us.
She could be branded as a spoiled and wealthy girl, who could have any man at her feet (for her wealth, her dowry and her beauty), but she had in mind what she wanted in a husband.
Mary and her mother’s relationship, dowager Catherine, was difficult.
This part of the story could have many parallels to today.
So, pay attention to the scene where Mary and her mother finally have their conversation. It is interesting and profound.
As stated before, the virtues and flaws of each character are demonstrated clearly, without half-truths.
Although Mary and Duncan could be relegated to secondary characters, but their story brings a very personal strength.
I confess that I often thought that Mary was much more mature than Duncan, but I had to take into account that he lived in constant pain, and that undermines any pink fantasy of a better life.
The family’s support was essential mainly to get Duncan out of his comfort zone.
Anyway, once again Paullett was brilliant in this novel so dignified and real, with subtle information – and others not so much – showing us that hope and love must prevail. Always.
5 stars
Beautifully written piece.
Mary waited for years for Duncan to return from war yet now he was back but things are different. They still care for each other, still want a life together but there are some major challenges that they will need to face. The tale is written in a way that shows how hard it was for Duncan to return from war, it shows how acceptance goes a long way toward making a happy life, and it shows how important family and love is. It was a good story, with characters that you will admire and have true feelings for. This is a book I recommend, hope you check it out I am sure you will enjoy it as much as I did. I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
First book that I read in the enchantress series and liked how Lady Mary Mowbrah fought for the man she loved overcoming her doubts and her fears and sharing with him her strength and her love in his dire situation. Armed with her strong and decided character she had to deal not only with Duncan’s but her mother’ issues in a battle of wills and disappointment. I was impressed by Duncan’s struggle with his sense of worthlessness threatening his decisions and his desire to recover from his wounds. Good descriptions and narrations that had me feeling for him following the painful process. A well written novel with family drama, some suspense, tender scenes, strong emotions, prejudice, romance, passion and a deserved HEA for the protagonists.