Barbara Metzger: An Early Engagement

MARRY HER VILE COUSIN, AND LOSE HER INHERITANCE AS WELL AS HER INDEPENDENCE? NEVER!

Thus Lady Emilyann, a hellion with a nose for trouble, tracked down her childhood friend and insisted he honor the betrothal arrangement their fathers had made years before. As for Major Lord Stokely, anxious to return to Bonaparte’s battlefields, he saw no reason not to marry the scrawny, wide-eyed chit, settle her at his estate with a list of mandates that, being an officer, he expected her to follow.

Lady Em, however, never one to be leg-shackled, took to running the estate with her usual spirit and independence, blossoming from ragamuffin to beauty and becoming the toast of the town.

So upon his return from the wars, her husband discovered he had yet another battle to win: the heart of his lovely wife!

This was a really fast read and funny, but one I have mixed feelings about and can’t really articulate why. There are large passages of time, starting with the birth of the heroine. The childhood scenes are adorable and endearing, but I expected the book to “settle down” a bit into a more traditional cadence. However, the whole book seems like an ensemble of scenes told across significant time periods. These scenes do a great job at exploring the characters and giving more texture, but they also felt lacking a depth or depth of feeling.

H/H are neighbors. Lord Stokely was a rake who was army mad, and has made himself a career out of the Napoleanic wars and acts of heroism. Meanwhile, Lady Em has lived the life of a Duke’s daughter, privileged and with a fair amount of country freedoms that come crashing to an end and leave her future looking pretty bleak, indeed.

A quickie marriage of convenience between the formerly betrothed H/H is off to an auspicious start when he immediately returns to the battlefields.

There is a lot more action, but it would ruin the plot and make the book pointless so I will stop.

Needless to say, this felt more like an outline (or the way I write an outline) than an actual novel. It was funny and charming in parts, and the ensemble of characters are entertaining and give that Regency feel. We also get to see a good amount of growth from Lady Em in the little snippets we are afforded.

I think some traditional Reg Reader will love this one, enjoying the quick, bruising clip for all its sweet, humorous characterizations and light romance. I think others, particularly those well versed in more mass market Regency or historical romance will be utterly confused a few chapters in (which is pretty well near to the middle of the book).

Clean, kisses only, the romance focused on a friends to lovers/marriage of convenience trope.

5 Stars 3.75 out of 6 Marriage of convenience quickie