Regency romance with a nod to Austen.

Although there were times it felt this book strayed a little from the time period (to my knowledge, matchmaking parties were not so obvious/named as such!), it is still an enjoyable and entertaining read.

I loved the hints at Austen's Pride and Prejudice throughout; the lake scenes, the haughtiness of the male protagonist, etc.

Margaret is stubborn, much like Lizzy Bennett. However unlike Lizzy, Margaret is determined NOT to marry for love. I feel like this point could have been made far more succinctly by showing exactly what happened with the broken engagement in the present, rather than through flashbacks.

An entertaining if not completely factually accurate novel, with enough nods to Austen to send you straight to your well worn copy of Pride and Prejudice after.

After calling off her engagement when she realized the true character of the man she was to marry, Margaret Brinton has decided the best path for her is to marry someone she will never love--that way she'll have safety and security and not have to risk her heart again. When she attends a matchmaking house party, she meets Mr. Northam, a rake who will suit her purposes perfectly. However, his cousin, arrogant Lord Williams, intentionally undermines her chances, and when Margaret returns home, she finds that her father has agreed to her engagement to Lord Williams! Margaret is adamant about not marrying him, and yet, as Lord Williams visits her family's home, she finds that maybe she misjudged him and might be the type of man she could love--which makes him precisely the wrong sort of man for her.

Fun story! Margaret cracked me up--she was totally blunt with Lord Williams and said things that would have had society matrons fainting right and left if they had heard. I loved it, how she didn't pretend with Lord Williams but said what she really thought. The plot was unique and kept me reading, wanting to figure out what Lord Williams' true intentions were and why he had rushed off to arrange an engagement to Margaret. Good addition to the Proper Romance line!

4 stars.

I read an ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Oh my goodness, I loved this book so much!! It was an adventure that I didn’t want to end. The tension between Gregory and Margaret was palpable! It gave me the chills! I can’t wait to reread it and go for the ride again. Such a great romance ❤️ #netgalley #promised