What a delight to find yet another "new favourite" author to me! While Joanna Barker is a popular author (she was a finalist in our Book of the Year awards last year), I have never read one of her books. I can honestly say it won't be my last.

I loved the inner dialogue of Rebecca Rowley. Her humour and impulsiveness reminded me of Jane Austen's Emma. It was quite a treat to peek inside her thoughts. Her friendship with Nicolas Avery was also reminiscent of Emma. She feels perfectly safe to call him a friend because she is "otherwise engaged" (perfect title by the way). Nicolas, for his part, accepts this new friendship, agreeing to keep Rebecca's engagement secret. The quick and witty banter between them was so realistic I felt like I was watching a movie. Filled with hilarity, romance, a mystery we are in on and misunderstandings, this is a story you will want to place on your "keeper" shelf. I will miss these characters.

If you love Jane Austen and Regency Romances, you will love this book. I highly recommend it.
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I received a copy courtesy of Covenant Communications through NetGalley for my honest opinion.

This was a charming story, Rebecca and Nicholas were wonderful characters. Their journey of friendship to love was a delight to read and to be a part of so thank you to Joanna Barker for making this so authentic.

Very well written, page after page kept you captivated, it just kept getting better and better. The scenes with Nicholas and Rebecca towards the latter of the story and the end were restrained but so full of emotion.

Otherwise Engaged by Joanna Barker is an excellent historical romance set in the 1820s England.

I will leave the plot synopsis for the reader, and will go ahead and start talking about how much I love this book!

This is the first book I have read by this author, and I have decided I am now a huge fan. I loved the two main characters: Rebecca and Nicholas.
I loved that both were realistic, imperfect, human, complex, and have strong moral compasses. I loved seeing their respective paths, growth, and their relationship blossom as the novel goes along. A sweet, romantic journey on the path to finding who we are meant for, and our greater purpose. I enjoyed this story so much and am so glad to see their happy ending. So wonderful!

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Covenant for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR, Bookbub, and Instagram accounts immediately, and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

A wonderful romance! A must read for lovers of clean and intriguing regency romance.

Otherwise Engaged absolutely thrilled me. I enjoyed the plot of it, starting from her first meeting with the Lieutenant and Olivia. The realism in her finidng it difficult to go with Nicholas because of Edward and her love for family make for a great heroine. It's a real and sweet book.

I would definitely recommend.

This book was absolutely charming! I'm torn between what I loved most: The author's writing voice or that perfect, swoony first kiss scene. :) I love books where I'm able to just immediately settle in to the story and the characters and that was this one to a T. A perfect summer evening read on the patio with just the right mix of humor and romance.