DNF at 25%
I am not a fan of an extremely modern voice in a historical fiction, particularly a regency. I'll blame my absolute adoration for Jane Austen. I want proper language and as close to historical accuracy as possible. Reading things like a maid "passing gas" was a huge turn off for me and took me outside of the potential charm of the story. I think those phrases are best suited for a different audience than I and that was my straw that broke the proverbial camel's back.
From the quarter I did read, I was interested in the premise and foundation that was built surrounding a somewhat independent and willful heroine. I can relate to a girl who likes to participate in more adventurous activities.
Utlimately though, I like my regencies to take me back in time to a much more proper terminology and phrasing. Otherwise, I would gladly stick to contemporaries where the crude and crass is expected.
TW: attempted rape, parental neglect
Thanks to Covenant and NetGalley for the arc. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Oh my heavens this book is everything! I started it late at night (stupid me) and had to force myself to put it down so I could get some kind of sleep. Debut author Wecker has written a captivating story that was almost impossible to put down! I had to know what would happen with Anne! She was feisty, passionate, and headstrong; I loved her personality and wit. She was quick on her feet and I could not get enough of this book. The banter was witty and romantic and I laughed out loud so many times and found myself smiling. The chemistry between Anne and Thomas was sizzling while still remaining clean. All of the crazy situations that she continued to find herself in just made me laugh and at the same time I was rooting for her to find her way and realize how amazing she was! Wecker has hit it out of the park with An Engagement of Sorts! I eagerly await what she will write next! I received a copy of this book for free; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Anne Fletcher is a young woman with ideas on how her life should be led, but society, with all its strictures, doesn't agree. Anne has a hard time finding anyone who sees and accepts the real her, and her thoughts and opinions are often cast aside. Her mother is ready for Anne to be out of her hair and decides its time for Anne to be married off. Her father has agreed to let Will, the local vicar, court her, even though Anne thinks of Will as her brother. Anne is headstrong enough to want to choose her own husband, so she is allowed the chance to go to London in order to find one, but if she can't, she'll marry Will. While in London, Anne does her very best to try and fit in, but nothing seems to go as planned. Renewing her acquaintance with Mr. Thomas Paling, who is so infuriating and fascinating at the same time, complicates Anne's feelings even more. Can she trust what her heart is telling her?

I really enjoyed the scenes between Thomas and Anne. They were both dealing with incidents in their pasts that had affected them and their behavior. Thomas was such a great hero, and there were some laugh out loud moments when he'd aggravated Anne. I liked his wit and willingness to help and accept Anne and I really enjoyed watching their romance unfold. Anne has had a lot to deal with in her life. She is quite passionate, but also young and her actions show that lack of maturity when she often gets herself into scrapes that could have been avoided. I thought she did begin to find her footing, though, that showed her growth as a person and made her more endearing. I also liked the little intrigue to try and catch a villain and that kept me turning pages. The setting was described with just enough detail for the reader to be able to imagine it, and the secondary cast added depth to the story. I thought this debut novel was well-done and will definitely be looking for more by this author!

I adored this debut novel. The spirited heroine, the dashing hero. I found the storyline unique and refreshing. It had me laughing, cringing, and swooning in all the right places. I look forward to seeing what Alene comes up with next. Thanks to Covenant Communications and Netgalley for sending me a copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

For debut read this is great.
It's concept is not different but it certainly is not a bit possible for imagining all that fake relationship to happe in that century

My opinion she should've acted carefully when troubles come her way rather wanting to face them without much of thought

It's an nice read but not favourite

I loved this engaging and heartfelt story. The characters were wonderful and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

This was a fun debut novel. I enjoyed the relationship of convenience trope going on and I loved the theme of accepting oneself and living true to one’s character, even if one doesn’t fit “the mold” of societal—or familial—standards. I loved that Anne grew to appreciate and respect herself, learning to stand up for herself to others. I would have loved more growth in her character, as her continued impulsivity did cause problems that could have been avoided if she’d learned to think before she acted. But I did love that she ultimately decided she didn’t need to be what society deemed “right” for young ladies. I know it’s 21st century of me, but I applauded her choice.

Sometimes the historical books I read unleash the feminist within me and she goes on tangent after tangent to anyone who will listen (usually my husband) about how angry she feels over the treatment of women some 200 years ago.

This book was one of those.

But the thing that made me so angry is it was the mother of our heroine, Anne, who was the worst! Just makes my blood boil, especially seeing family members be so awful to the people they should love and support the most. Shouldn’t a mother believe her daughter rather than blame her? Grrrr.

The best character (in my opinion) by far was Thomas. I loved him the moment he entered the story to the very end. He is dashing and charming and, though he maintains a convincing facade to the contrary, he is not shallow and self-serving. I love when a character has multiple layers that have to be carefully peeled back to reveal the truth on what is within. I loved that he listened to and believed Anne’s story. It’s sad to me that the only person to listen to and believe her (I don’t like Will guys; sorry. He’s kind of a jerk) is a veritable stranger. But I love how he helped her and taught her to value herself for who she was.

Something I loved was the historical notes at the end, where Alene shares some of her inspiration and explains what is true and some things that actually happened. That was cool.

Overall a good book. It does feel like there is a more modern voice in the narrative. But the romance scenes are sooo good! I see a lot of promise from Alene. I think she’d write killer RomCom or contemporary and I look forward to reading what she writes in the future.

*Note: attempted sexual assault; lots of talk of male nobility and gentry taking advantage of female servants and impregnating them

An Engagement of Sorts is a great debut from a new author. This Regency Romance has a spirited heroine who is not shy to speak her mind. Anne Fletcher has wit and liveliness that is challenged and matched by the good-looking and humorous Thomas Paling. Together they work to right some wrongs committed by irritating and villainous characters, including Anne's mother. I think I despised her the most out of all of the flawed characters.

Anne at times seems a bit immature but I think she did that to protect herself against her mother's scheming. Thomas seemed a bit too giddy but I loved the way his story and heart were shown to the readers as the story progressed. The most uncomfortable male character (who will remain unnamed) is shady and does questionable things behind closed doors. Thank goodness he gets what he deserves in the end. The best part of this novel is the unending and entertaining banter between Anne and Thomas. The author truly hit a home run when it came to this captivating couple.

Honestly this book wasn't my favorite. It kind of felt like it was going in circles. I did like the character development and how the characters grew closer together, but I personally feel there wasn't any growth beyond that.

Sad to say this one wasn't my cup of tea. I was aggravated by the plot and annoyed by the characters, including the heroine, and since the entire story was from her perspective, it was difficult to enjoy. I really wanted to, but had to move on at about 75%.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

An Engagement of Sorts
by Alene Wecker
Rating: 4.5/5

I love finding new authors who write beautiful and witty stories about love and its many mishaps. Alene Wecker does it all with hilarious aplomb and I can't wait to read more from her. As someone who enjoys reading about strong female leads, especially in times where women were regarded as the "weaker sex", I was pleasantly surprised to find that the main character, Anne Fletcher, was so relatable and passionate and never felt like she fit in the way her mother wanted her to. She preferred to ride and hunt with her father and brother. When Anne is sent to London for her first "season" she must do her best to find a fiancé to prevent herself from marrying her best friend (who she loves as a brother), Will Skinner, the local country vicar. When the flirtatious Mr. Thomas Paling continues to call on her and frustrate her, she must learn to hide her feelings about him. When faced with past trauma, Anne must find a way to rescue her friends from an evil man and Mr. Paling offers to help her. Can she and Mr. Paling work together to obtain the evidence to put an evil man behind bars? Can Anne continue to deny what's in her heart?

The author weaves a clever and hilarious story about two people who are flashy and passionate and don't fit the mold that society dictates. I feel like everyone has felt like they didn't fit the mold at one time in their lives. The characters are so relatable and adorable and I just loved this romantic comedy. Though predictable, I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of the story and would love to read more. Anne's vibrant personality was so lively and endearing. I found Mr. Paling to be so endearing and passionate. The way that he believed in Anne was so inspiring and beautiful.

"Do not change who you are because of me. You are a rushing waterfall so loud it deafens all else. Your beauty is in your raw power. Stop trying to tame yourself into a tinkling fountain."

Highly recommend if you enjoy Jen Turano and Esther Hatch's writing with feisty heroines and hilarious banter and happenings.

Content: Clean read but some instances of predatory behavior toward women.

My thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

This is a debut novel for Alene. She give a realistic view of someone firmly in the middle, but not content to be there.

Her characters were a little more fluid and less defined, but she had very clever dialogue.

Though there were a few character inconsistencies, I thought Alene did an incredible job of showing the difference between naivety and cleverness. I loved that Alene showed Anne’s unique cleverness, while still possessing the naivety of one who had not spent time in society, it was really well done.

I loved the overall relationship between Thomas and Anne. Their banter and pining was a fun part of the story. The story line left me intrigued and reading, but not quite enchanted. Alene has incredible potential and I’m really looking forward to what comes next from her, especially if we get a story about the colonel.

The first note I made about An Engagement of Sorts was that the language used was unnatural. I told my husband that I felt like I was reading a dictionary in the beginning. Most of the words she used were ones that I knew but don't use in typical conversation. I'm sure Alene Wecker was trying to be historically accurate in her word choices, but for me, there needs to be a balance between historically accurate speech and modern day language. What I mean is that there's no need to write in thee, thou, thoust, thy, etc. In the same vein, Alene Wecker fell into the adverb trap that new authors often fall into.

Given that the language sometimes pulled me out of the story, I have to applaud Alene Wecker for writing characters that were so real they overcame these vocabulary struggles. Anne is unique. She struggles to curb her tongue. And I guess she is clumsy or doesn't think things through so she often finds herself in these situations that no one else would find themselves in. Because she's not what society says she should be or behave the way others would like, she finds herself excluded. Her mother treats her with disdain. But she's caught the eye of a couple of men. One is a predator. One is a vicar. And one has sworn himself against love.

Thomas can't help but be drawn to Anne. He loves the fiery spirit she has. And he finds that he enjoys fanning her flame. But he's determined not to fall in love. Yet, he wants to help her bring down the man who has tried to attack her and has threatened her friends and family. Even with writing off love, Thomas is a huge flirt. I think anyone can relate to finding themselves in love with someone who flirts so naturally that it is almost impossible to determine when they are specifically flirting with you for real, because they are interested, or because that's just their personality. My own past haunted me a little bit while reading about these two trying to find their way.

Even though I struggled with the language Alene Wecker used in the beginning, I did find some quote-worthy highlights. Here are my favorites:

-I had no desire to trade a mother who ruled over me until I reached my majority for a husband who would lord over me for life.

-“I do not want someone to love me against their better judgment.”

-“You are hardly old enough to know your own mind. How could I be expected to know it?” Listening to me would make a good start.

-“I imagine I would enjoy it more than an amputation of the foot but less than being drained dry by a score of leeches."

-No matter how wild the flower, it must rankle to be thus used and discarded. A wildflower is no plaything.”

-I had come to expect flippancy and outrageous flattery from him, which was as painless for him to deliver as it was for me to cast aside. But I could not laugh away the flattery of being heard. Of being seen. Of being thought of.

-The image of my favorite stuffed rabbit, which I had adored into oblivion, came to mind. It would lose its tail, the beans spilling out while I shrieked and cried. Nurse would fix it, and I would love it again until I loved it with too much vigor and a seam would rip.

-"You may have penned them, but they are my words now.”

-"You’ve egg in your hair, though, dear.”

An Engagement of Sorts ended up being such a pleasant experience once I got past the excessive adverbs and unnatural language in an attempt to be more historically accurate. Anne and Thomas came alive for me and I didn't want to put the book down when I needed to. I essentially read it in one day. I think almost everyone can relate to finding themselves in love with a flirt despite attempting to remain unaffected by the flattery of someone else. I would be interested in reading some books based off of some of the side characters if Alene Wecker ever chose to write them. An Engagement of Sorts gets 4 Stars despite the language used. Have you read An Engagement of Sorts? What did you think? Let me know!

Side note: I love how in the acknowledgments Alene Wecker says she chose to write the book she wanted to read because she wasn't seeing the book she wanted to read on the market.

I also love that she writes characters that are distantly related to her even if their stories aren't real.

I truly enjoyed this book! I fell in close with the Hero! The author made him so likable and perfectly swoony. The Heroine made me want to reach through the book and shake her. I actually liked that! Great storytelling to me! Enjoy!!

Thank you NetGalley, author Alene Wecker, and Covenant Communications publishing for giving me a free arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
4.5 stars
This book was such a delightful read! I could really feel the regency era throughout the story. The author did a wonderful job developing the characters, the setting, and the plot. I found Anna a little bit immature. at times due to her impulsivity. I did not like the way her family set out to mold her into the ideal debutant. Also they seemed to lack compassion and awareness for Anna's opinions and desires for her life. The pacing and the writing kept the story moving as well as interesting that I was able to fly right through this book. The wit and banter between Thomas and Anna were some of the best scenes. I felt both characters were well suited and had amazing chemistry. While the ending wrapped up everything nicely, it had a lot of echoes of Austen's book endings. Overall, this was a great debut novel and would recommend this book to those who are fans of Regency Romances. I can't wait to read more books by this author in the future.

I had a really hard time with this one. Unfortunately, the main character drove me nuts. She is very immature and so dramatic it makes me roll my eyes. The plot left me wanting as well. I did not find this romance book very romantic, which is a bummer.

My biggest Hangul on this book though, was that there is an attempted sexual assault scene. And while not graphic in nature, the book did not come with any type of trigger or content warning. The book also had quite a few innuendos and I am literally FLOORED that Covenant (the publisher) has these things in this book. I have never seen anything like it in a book from them. Not that it bothers me, I am just so surprised to see it from a Christian publisher when I’ve never seen them publish anything else with the same content.

The only things that ended up redeeming this book a bit for me, is that her writing style is pretty good (Easy to read, and good paced), and I actually really enjoyed the main male character Thomas. I really wish that we would have gotten alternating POV’s between him and Anne. I believe that it would have elevated the book a bit more for me.

3.5 stars rounded up for this is debut book.

My heart felt so much for Anne. To say her mother is unloving would be an understatement. Her mother does nothing but find fault with her and wants Anne married off as soon as possible. To that end, her father has agreed to let Will Skinner, the local Vicar, court Anne although she has no romantic feelings towards Will at all. In fact, she tells Will that she thinks of him as a brother--lets just say Will didn't understand how that could be possible since he loves her. Anne is able to talk her mother into letting her go to London as a last attempt to find a suitor and this will also get her away from the creepy, Mr. Smith. Before going to London Anne meets Thomas Paling, who comes across initially as a dandy in his brightly colored waistcoats, but we soon find out there's more to Thomas than meets the eye.

Can I say how much I loved Thomas? He's the best!! He and Anne have the best banter and I loved how he didn't mind Anne's fiesty spirit. He didn't want to tamp it down and tame her like Will and her family did. Thomas was also the only person who believed Anne when she told him about the evil doings of Mr. Smith. Will, the man that supposedly "loved" her, and her own family laid the blame for Mr. Smith's actions towards Anne at her feet!! But not Thomas, who helped her in her attempt to find proof of Mr. Smith's misdeeds. I love when characters turn out to be more than they are at first glance.

Anne is young and hasn't yet learned to control her impulses and this tends to make matters worse. She didn't grow much in the course of the book but then the book probably takes place in just a few months time. I'd like to think that she learns a lot from her time in London and gains some impulse control.

This book shows a promising future for the author. I liked that the author put in an epilogue some author notes concerning the families in the book. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher Covenant Communications via NetGalley. All thoughts expressed in this review are my own.

*Note: there is a short scene of an attempted sexual assault (nothing graphic), and talk of male nobility taking advantage of female servants and impregnating them.

This was a great debut by Alene Wecker! I loved Anne and Thomas! I loved how they interacted with each other and how they found love even though they didn’t want to. I loved how Thomas loved Anne for being the outspoken young woman that she is. I loved how the romance developed. I thought Alene did a great job at making us care about the characters and making us want to know what would happen next. I hope that she continues to write because I think she did a great job!

I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

Yes - read it. I received an ARC and then forgot to write my review. I remembered I enjoyed it but not the entire plot so I read it again. Enjoyed it as much the second time as well!

Lovely story line. A few unexpected things, good characters you could get into and a HEA. Kind of think there's second book coming out of this - at least I hope so!

I received an advanced reader copy from Netgalley and Convenant Communication to prepare for my honest review.

I had a hard time with how harsh some of the characters were to Anne. By the end of the story many had apologized for their harsh behavior but their excuses were kind of weak. I liked this story more by the end than I did at the beginning and I am glad I stuck with it. I felt like the story wasn’t really true to the time period it was set in. It would have worked better in a more modern time period. I think the writer had some good ideas and I looked forward to see what else she writes.