Customer Reviews

How to Engage an Earl

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This was an etertaining read, it has some funny moments and some tender moments. It's just that the storyline itself is somewhat contrived, and bordering on the ridiculous.

I just found the story as a whole to be too unbelievable, especially concering the lineage of Anne's family. She and her sisters (three triplets, each has a different hair color) are all princesses, yes you heard me right, lol. I had to fight the urge to roll my eyes several times while reading this book.

Then after Laird catches Anne sneaking around in his room, and they are discovered by all the party guests, he agrees to Anne's scheme of pretending that he is betrothed to her and to help her search for the missing papers that would prove her heritage. He on the other hand wants Anne to build up his severed reputation (due to the fact that he is a womanizer), since the widow he wanted to marry left him at the alter when she learned about his misdeeds.

So here we have Anne, with Laird's help, searching for the papers that they think Laird's father hid at one of his houses. And also socializing, while Anne makes up stories about Laird and his heriocs. Hence keeping up her end of the bargain.

There was too much concentration on Anne's heritage storyline, causing it to overshadow the romance in several parts of the book, including the ending. The epilogue is not about how Laird and Anne are faring together in their wedded bliss, but about a misterious woman finding the letter that proves the girls' heritage, and hiding it, in hopes of using it later for some sort of scheme or something like that. (I'm assuming in preparation for the third book in this trilogy, lol)

An okay read.

In 1815, reticent and clearly "invisible" next to her vibrant siblings, Anne Royle sneaks into the bedroom of the Earl of MacLaren Laird Allan in search of letters that will prove she and her sisters have royal connections. MacLaren awakens and immediately assumes the beauty is here for a tryst. As he takes advantage of her seduction, his family charges into the room as if the devil is chasing them. They demand an explanation; Anne immediately says they are betrothed as MacLaren begins choking on the felicitations.

His family dives into preparing for a wedding while MacLaren tries to figure a way out of this mess and Anne wonders if marriage is the answer to her woes although she plans to break the engagement for his sake. Still MacLaren realizes she was not in his room for a sexual encounter, but remains in the dark what she sought as she refuses to tell him. As he falls in love with her, he wants to marry his enchanting Anne, but she still feels she must free him from his obligation.

The second "How to ..." Regency romance is a fabulous amusing tale starring two interesting protagonists as Anne makes the attempt to find royal paternal proof while Laird tries to demonstrate the proof that he loves his "invisible Royle. His family provides humor as they seem to always get under foot whenever he tries to steal a kiss. Fans will immensely enjoy this fun historical, seek out the previous triplet's story (see HOW TO SEDUCE A DUKE) and look forward to the final sister's saga (see HOW TO PROPOSE TO A PRINCE).

Harriet Klausner

I really looked forward to the release of this book - but I was quite disappointed when it was all said and done.

Anne Royale, trying to prove to her sister that she in invisible, goes about a ball room "stealing" drinks from the guests. The only one that "sees" her is Laird (our hero). Later, she is caught in Laird's bedroom while looking for evidence of her lineage and forced into an engagement.

But what happend with the romance?! They both declare their love -- but why? Everything just seems so forced. Even the love scene -- and there is only one - and it's almost to the end of the story -- seems contrived.

There is a preview of the next book (How to propose to a prince) at the end -- hopefully the third installment will have more substance.

Kathrine Caskie by her own acknowledgement prides herself in her research for her books. She might do well in finding "cracks" in history to write about but she shows a very big lack of research or knowledge of sexual intereaction in real life, something I believe to be a basic for a Romance novilist to have! She gives just one 2 page love scene for the entire book that is TRULY unbelieveable for the reader to accept. She wishes the readers to believe the heroine is a virgin & yet she writes her having her first introduction to sexual encounter without even the sightest mentioning of her loss of her womanhood or the pain that would naturally be incurred. Rather she has her going right for a full fledged sexual scene as if she was a pro already enjoying all the hard action right from the onset, something all us women know would not be the case in real life. This is not only distracting in unbelievability but takes away from the tenderness of the book & her writing in my opinion.

Triplet Anne Royle has spent her entire life honing one skill - to be invisible. She can be at any tea or ball and blend in with the occupants of a drawing room so easily and effortlessly that she has been known to take drinks out of people's hands without them ever having noticed. Anne views this particular talent of hers as both a curse and a blessing because while it seems as if the ton doesn't think she exists and they ignore her, it also frees her from the constraints of society and gives her a tiny bit more freedom than her two siblings. It is on a night when she puts her talent to the test that the unthinkable happens--she is noticed by Laird Allen, the Earl of MacLaren. What happens next lands Anne in more hot water than she bargained for; a betrothal.

The Earl of MacLaren, Laird Allen, has spent his entire life whimsically going from woman to woman seducing everything in sight. It is when he is given his title that he finally sits back and realizes that he might need to become a bit more responsible. That's all good when he isn't being tempted, and women tempt him daily. For a year he has been responsible and upstanding, but not tonight. Tonight he wants to drown his sorrows and mourn the loss of a brother and the gaining of a title that he never really wanted. Watching the ballroom, an angel passes before his eyes and captures his attention. He watches her free the party goers of drinks without their noticing and when she tries the same with him, he lets her know she isn't invisible. Before he knows it, however, his angel is gone and so is his glass. Looking for her the rest of the night, MacLaren is confounded to find her in his bedroom. With seduction on his mind, he heads that way with the hopes of his angel allowing him to forget for a little while his sadness. His family, on the other hand, has different plans.

I loved the premise of How To Engage An Earl. It is highly romantic to have three young ladies searching for the truth to their parentage. Since this book is the second in the series and I didn't read the first one, I found myself at a loss with the plot at the very beginning, but was soon able to figure out what was going on. Anne's characterization was somewhat plainer than what I think her character actually was. I found her to be intelligent, loyal, and very brazen. As for MacLaren? His naughtiness and almost brassy sensuality made me smile and melted my bones. While he did not want a wife, and I almost could have choked him, he redeemed himself in my eyes with one simple but meaningful statement.

How To Engage An Earl is a magnificent historical, and since reading it, I have gone back and read the first of the series, How To Seduce A Duke. If I had the third installment, How To Propose To A Prince, my life would be complete!

Talia
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

What a useless bit of fluff. I was bored out of my mind within the first 1/3 of the book. I forced myself to finish in the hopes that the book would improve. It did not. Don't waste your time or money on this.

over all this book was a good light read. but i do feel the author missed alot of opportunities to develope her ideas and elongate her story. it almost felt like this book was rushed and that is why the majority of the details are skewed. but the over all encompass of the story was good...i am interested in reading the third and final installment to the Royal sisters trilogy.

The author managed to keep this story from becoming boring, which is good considering the skimpy plot. This is a classic 'light-hearted' romance novel that lacks substance but gives us interesting characters.

How to Engage an Earl by Kathryn Caskie is Anne Royle and Laird Allan, the Earl of MacLaren story. Anne goes to Liard bedroom in search of letter to prove she is a princess. Liard is in the bedroom and they get caught and end up engaged. Just not my favorite - always a bad sign when I am in the middle of a novel and my house gets cleaned....Royle sisters trilogy series How to Seduce a Duke (1), How to Engage an Earl (2) and
How to Propose to a Prince (3) Coming March 2008.

Boring. I had bought 3 books by this author, wont be reading the other 2. Couldnt get through the first one.