AN EARLY ENGAGEMENT [Mass Market Paperback]

Barbara Metzger is one of the best in this genre, easy to read, great fun with the characters and a fairly believable storyline.

Getting engaged by the fathers at age six and 1 is a nice touch, getting disengaged due to a falling out by the fathers later and then promises by Smokey to "marry you anyway" was a nice touch. I absolutely loved the story having them grow up together but then become estranged due to the usual differences in schooling and boys vs. girls of that era.

I loved Sparrow's character, independant and firery. Smokey was fun too, but Uncle Matthew and his wife were the really fun characters. And unlike the other review, those accidents were quite funny and added a nice sideshow to Smokey and Sparrow's attempts at becoming friends again.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes good clean historical romance novels.

Barbara Metzger books always deliver a lively fun romp. This one follows that pattern but it just isn't as good as some of her other books.

The storyline: Engaged from her christening day to "Smokey" Lord Stokely (age 6 at the time), Emilyann is cared for & loved by him and his quirky family. Emilyanne (or Sparrow as Lord Stokely calls her) is virtually ignored by her wealthy father (a duke) who never really recovered from the loss of his wife in childbirth. The child is left to follow her own headstrong ways growing up wild and adventurous. Most of the childhood adventures are shared by Smokey. After some scandalous behavior by Smokey's father, Emilyanne's father dissolves the engagement - but ten year old Emilyanne gets a reply to her smuggled letter to Smokey saying "Dear Sparrow, Don't worry. I'll marry you anyway." This early part of the book is very heart warming and fun. You do get inside "Miss Meadow's Academy" which was mentioned in another Metzger book.

The remaining bulk of the book is after both parents are dead and Emilyanne's wealth is held in trust by her ne'er do well uncle and her father's man of business until her marriage. The will also provides some bulk of the wealth to whoever has an heir first (the uncle or Emilyanne). Uncle Morgan gets it in his head to marry Emilyanne (now 17) to his rather lumpish stepson. To avoid that, a quick trip to London disguised as a boy and a reminder to now Major Lord Stokely of his promise to marry her results in a quick wedding and a marriage of convenience.

While Smokey soldiers his way through major battles and dangerous campaigns, the newly married Lady Em holds down the home front becoming an excellent manager, hostess and companion to Smokey's younger siblings. In the rest of the book, the now angry Uncle schemes to kill his barren wife, his niece or her husband. Stokley on some home leave tries to make his marriage a real one but is staved off by a reluctant Emilyanne who is now surrounded by various men but only has eyes for her Smokey. When he returns to war again and is injured, she nurses him back to health and in the end happiness and love is professed by both of them.

What I found annoying was the various accidents the uncle set up. No one seemed to think anything of it as they were nearly killed dozens of times. If it was supposed to be funny, it wasn't. Also, Smokey could only harp about the fact he was penniless and didn't want to live off Emilyanne, all the while ignoring his estate or any management of it or concern for his younger siblings. He sent letters dictating what she should do with only his selfish motives as a guide. He was very remote and hurtful when Emilyanne was nursing him and I never got over the fact he didn't really apologize for his behavior. I guess his declaration of love took care of all that. The introduction of a little pug dog was nice and the beginning of the book was very sweet.

Anyway, I did get a book that was light reading though I had a hard time finishing it.

› Go to Amazon U.S. to see both reviews  4.0 out of 5 stars