Customer Reviews

A Pressing Engagement (Signet Regency Romance)

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Jared, Earl of Burnleigh, despite having his wallet stolen by a woman in the pub finds himself rescuing that same women later that night from some thugs but when she passes out in his arms he decides to take advantage of her by taking her home to play the role of his fiancee to his dying grandfather. Diana St. Aubin in A Pressing Engagement by Anne Barbour finds herself unable to explain to Jared how she ended up with the men who abducted her and, since he threatens to send her to jail for theft, finds herself agreeing to pretend to be his fiancee to his family. Life with Jared is very different from the retired life as a ladies school teacher Diana normally leads. While Diana is concerned because she was unable to meet up with her missing brother, she is even more confused as to why she keeps getting attacked and why she finds herself relying more and more on Jared.

Jared, having been burned in the past by money-grubbing women, finds himself disbelieving the sob story Diana relates to him about how she got where she was. But as time passes and Jared watches Diana interact with his family, he starts to realize that maybe her story is true. When Diana is attacked again, Jared finds himself upset and wanting to protect her, whatever it takes.

This was a reread for me but it has been many years since I read the novel. I loved Jared's grandfather, a loving gruff despot who worries about his family. Jared's actions in blackmailing Diana to relieve his grandfather's mind while he is ill, made me like him from the beginning despite the blackmail. Barbour's descriptions of the habits of the characters were well done, Ninian, Lord Stedford is constantly smoothing his hands over his hair. It is rare that an author is able to portray physical ticks and mannerisms in a way that feels uncontrived, Barbour achieves this. I enjoyed the novel as much the second time as I did the first time. The mystery of Diana's abduction and what happened to her brother was fairly predictable but that might be because I remembered who the villain was from reading it before. Regardless, it is a good, clean fun read and watching Jared's transformation from cynic and the shock he received from Diana's actions were fabulous!