Brought together by a years long agreement made by their parents, Rhianna and Marc decide to dissolve their betrothal to avoid marrying a stranger. Rhi accepts Marc's offer to help her secure a husband, travelling from Wales to Oldenburg, but will their growing feelings for each other change their minds?

A sweet regency romance, that seems to evoke inspiration from some classic fairy tales. I liked seeing Rhi and Marc get to know and trust each other. Marc is a highly responsible man, with a strong sense of duty towards those under his care. He has a wonderful family, and I really liked getting to know them.

This was a fun read, with great character interaction and charm. It is a highly enjoyable read, with plenty going on, and likable protagonists. Definitely, a wonderful read that is more than the sum of its parts!


I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I just wrapped up 'A Tenuous Betrothal' by Jen Geigle Johnson, and let me tell you, it's a historical romance lover's dream come true!

First off, the characters? Charming. Johnson has a knack for breathing life into her characters, making them feel like old friends by the end of the book. And the chemistry between the leads? Off the charts! You'll root for their love story from the very first page.

Now, let's talk about the setting. Johnson's attention to historical detail is impeccable. From the lavish ballrooms to the picturesque countryside, you'll feel like you've returned to the Regency era.

But what sets this book apart is how Johnson weaves in themes of duty, honour, and love. It adds a layer of depth to the story that'll keep you hooked until the very end.

Now, fair warning, this book isn't all sunshine and roses. Some moments of heartache and drama will have you reaching for the tissues. Isn't that what makes a romance so darn good?

Overall, 'A Tenuous Betrothal' is a captivating read that'll sweep you off your feet and leave you with a warm, fuzzy feeling. So grab yourself a cup of tea and a cozy blanket because once you start, you won't be able to put it down!

DNF at chapter 17. It was not holding my interest unfortunately. I found Mark was very annoying and I hated how he kept saying he wasn’t ready for marriage. I just stayed frustrated with him and Rhi the entire time.

DNF around Chapter 16. Just not loving this one. The plot is centered around a marriage of convenience but they are able to "get out of it" and honestly, for most of the book so far they are resisting getting to truly know each other and trying to not like one another so they don't feel forced to get married because of the reason they were "supposed to". Just not for me personally. A clean regency romance though.

Historically accurate and a sweeping story line. Thank you for the chance to read this one. I plan to read more by this author.

Wow! I am new to this author and will definitely be reading more of their work in the future. While this was a wonderful story, though it was difficult to follow the plot at times. If you are interest in historical romance with a whimsical plot, this is the book for you!

Rihanna is a great character. I loved her Welch background. She is kind, and considerate of all those around her. She was I afraid to fight for the things she valued. I also really liked Prince Mark and his family. While I did fill some parts were a bit repetitive, I enjoyed the story very much.

Rhi is banished from the family estate and under the control of her "evil" uncle, bent on exploiting and misusing the local workers at her family mine. Mark's father made him promise to marry Rhi to save her from her uncle's control; something to do with fathers and and wills and arranged marriages, you know the drill. And even though Rhi and Mark are wildly attracted to one another, they both don't want to get married because they feel like they wouldn't have chosen each other, plus Mark is a spy for his country and doesn't want to involve a wife/family in his line of work and put them in danger or not come home to them someday.

Problems easily overlooked or fixed, in my opinion. You love someone, you make it work. Obviously, the threat of dying or leaving your family to fend for themselves (at least money wouldn't be a consideration, as Mark is a PRINCE) is scary and horrible to consider, but it's still always worth falling in love, getting married, having a family. What else is life for? Obviously, he takes his job and his love for his country seriously, but life is made worth living primarily through our relationships with others; the connections we make, the love we share with friends and family. If you already feel like you love someone, and they also feel the same, and there's no actual reason to stop you from being with them, why wouldn't you weather all storms to be with them?? ANYWAYS.

But the other problem is that Mark has several brothers, all essentially the same. All wonderful, handsome, tall, rich, kind, funny, and most of them, horrifyingly eligible. There is one that is a bit arrogant, but writing him off, there is so little to set Mark apart from his brothers, it's hard to see why Rhi and Mark should end up together, when all his brothers seem like such good options. There just wasn't enough given for me to get invested in their relationship and root for them as a couple. The chemistry wasn't there, or least believable enough for me, and that is the driving plot of the book, so it fell a bit short.

Overall, okay but disappointing.

First off: the cover is what first drew me to the book. The story itself is flawless and kept me glued to the page until the very end. I enjoyed it all and was addicted.

You know I’ve been sucked into the historical romance genre, and I’m quite enjoying reading them – some of them. I will say that A Tenuous Betrothal was not high on my list of favorites, so I’m only going to give it three out of five stars. Usually, my one-and-two stars are reserved for poor grammar as well as poor plot, and the writing in this novel was up to scratch.

Rhianna Davies has just been relegated to a shack in the woods after her uncle takes over her father’s mining business, a huge slight to her. Just when it seems like she’s out of hope for herself and for the wellbeing of “her” workers, her uncle discovers a codicil to the will, borne on the arm of a prince. Rhianna’s father had arranged for her to marry one of the seven sons of the King of Oldenburg upon his death. However, the son that arrives – Prince Marc – is not ready to be married, although he finds Rhianna to be his ideal match. The attraction is definitely reciprocated, and as the pair travel from Wales, to London, to Oldenburg, the question remains: will Prince Marc be able to resist Rhianna?

It wasn’t so much the plot of A Tenuous Betrothal that got me; I quite liked the premise of a surprise codicil that guaranteed Rihanna a handsome prince! Not that it’s believable, but I thought a prince in a will was a neat concept. I also liked the way that they traveled around; they went from Wales, to England, to Oldenburg, and that sold me more on the plot as Rihanna did actually leave her home to go to her new country.

What got me in terms of the negatives about A Tenuous Betrothal was the characters, their thought processes, and some of their decision-making. The combination of these things made the writing seem a little immature and brought down the story for me a bit.

In the beginning of the novel, it sounds like Rihanna is very involved in the welfare of the workers in her father’s mine. She’s very worried about her uncle’s lack of concern about the workers’ quality of life and her inability to do anything about it. However, when thinking of ways to improve the community such as sending the kids to school, she seems unaware that the miners question the point of school when all their kids are going to do is work in the mine in the future. For someone who grew up and is supposedly very heavily involved with her people, she isn’t very aware of their way of life.

I found Marc to be a likable character, but one who wasn’t well-rounded. Similar to Rihanna, I found Marc to have some character holes. My biggest issue with him is that throughout the book, he’s falling for Rihanna, but keeps repeating that he has to stay unattached because of his job in security for Oldenburg. I get that he doesn’t want to put anyone in danger or for someone to worry about him; but from what I gathered, I didn’t get a great sense of urgency or danger about his job. He’s a “spy,” which doesn’t make sense given that he’s the King of Oldenburg’s son and would be recognized instantly. Or, people would know about his job in security and wouldn’t say anything around him. I can’t see him being very effective.

Prince Marc does go on one “mission” in the book to escort diplomats and ends up getting captured. However, we’re not really sure why anyone wanted to capture him and it just seemed like they picked him out of the blue. Supposedly they were going to kill him but, again, we don’t know why. It was very strange.

The final thing I have to say about holes is that at the end of the book, Rihanna finds a clue, calls the guards, and rescues a horse. Naturally, this is all very brave and Marc decides that he can marry her after all. Rihanna tells him that she doesn’t want him to quit his security job as a spy and instead, wants to spy with him. His response is an enthusiastic yes!

Now, I have no problem with lady spies – a lot of the main characters in my historical mystery reads are women – but I do have issues with the fact that Rihanna is a major security and safety risk with no training or understanding of espionage. I thought that after all Marc’s protestations about not wanting anyone to worry about him and not putting anyone at risk, allowing an unfledged person to become a spy was decidedly uncharacteristic of him. It almost defeated the whole plot of the book!

Anyways, I don’t mean to sound whiny; all of these plot and character holes did not do this book any favors for me. If you read it and end up shaking your head by the end, don’t say I didn’t warn you! However, I did like the premise of the book and the writing was good, so we’re landing at three out of five stars.

Jen Geigle Johnson did not disappoint with the third installment of her royal regency series. It's a MUST READ!

Synopsis: Rhianna Davis is heartbroken after the loss of parents. After her Uncle comes to claim his rightful spot, Rhi finds herself banned from her family's home, having to rely on the help and kindness of her Welsh miners.
Marc Wilhelm, Prince of Oldenburg has been sent on an errand; to claim his betrothed. A promise made between fathers years ago. Except Rhi and Marc have one problem; Neither one wants to marry the other.
But with nothing holding her to Wales, Rhi decides to accompany Marc to London. Hoping that they can both choose who they marry, they enter the famous "marriage mart". But as the days go by, a friendship is built. Which then leads them to both realize their true feelings for each other. After heading home to Oldenburg, danger closely follows. Will they have a chance to share those feelings with one another?

Released just a couple of months ago, It's one you won't want to miss. She writes so beautifully and The Tenuous Betrothal is written so well. It keeps your attention with its sweet story and mystery. Another four star rating! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I liked this story. It's got a bit of the damsel in distress, but she is a strong enough figure that she goes about trying to solve her own problem. The princes of Wilhelm are always an enjoyable group to read about and Jen Geigle Johnson does a good job of pulling in past stories with this one. The characters are familiar and fun, the story new and engaging. Definitely worth a read!

This was my first Jen Geigle Johnson story and this will not be my last!

I loved the unique premise of the story and the creative storyline of a royal romance in the regency era. Rhi and Marc were characters that were easy to root for. Rhi's heart is looking out for a way to protect the people on her family's lands and Marc is an all around kind gentleman. At times Rhi can be impetuous, causing problematic events but it's easy for the reader to see what her heart is trying to accomplish. Marc is duty bound to look after Rhi but everything in him is resistant to the idea of getting married. He is willing to do just about anything else to help her out - except give her his last name. These two have to figure out how to look out for those for rely on them while also staying true to their hearts.

This story was entertaining and enjoyable. A bit of a slow start so it took me a little while to get into the story, but I did get into the story and enjoy the romance that slowly developed between Marc and Rhi.

On a side note, I wasn't a fan of the formatting of the ebook. I always read ebooks with a black background and white font to make things easier on my eyes during reading time. This has never been a problem with arcs I've had in the past but the formatting of this arc prevented me from changing the page color to anything other than white or tan. While this isn't the end of the world, it did slow my reading at the beginning and made me reluctant to pick up the book later in the evening close to bedtime. Still, I'm grateful for a chance to read this book and will definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for more of this author's stories!

This is the third installment of the Royal Regency series and my first time reading something by this author. I adore clean and sweet Regency romances, and this one really hit the spot. I am always looking for new authors to follow, so I am glad I picked this up. Once the daughter of a wealthy Welsh mine owner, Rhianna is now living in a small cottage on her father's estate after the devastating loss of her parents. Her dastardly uncle has taken over and banished her from her childhood home. She later learns that her father's will contained a provision that she was to marry Prince Marc Wilhelm of Oldenburg. While indeed a prince, marc is also a spy and does not wish to marry. Neither Rhiannan nor Marc wish to marry a stranger, so when he strikes a bargain with her to help her find an appropriate suitor and adjust their arrangement, as the provision said she was to marry one of the king's sons, Rhianna agrees to this. When Marc takes her to his country and introduces her to his brothers, there is definitely no lack of attraction there. Though jealousy seeps in, Marc is still adamant that he does not want to marry, so what is he to do with the feelings he has growing for Rhianna? If he doesn't amend his commitment to not marry, he could lose her.
This was an enjoyable story with a bit of a unique twist on arranged marriages. The story was well-written and held my interest till the end. Although I have not read the previous books, I had no trouble reading this as a standalone. A lovely, clean, romantic story that I am happy to have had the opportunity to read!
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

I’ve never read a Regency romance involving royalty, and all this time I didn’t know what I was missing! A Tenuous Betrothal features a classic sweet romance, but features the adventurous fairytale aspect that I’ve missed since I stopped reading fantasy! Set at first in Whales, for a period of time in London, and finally the kingdom of Oldenburg, this heartstring pulling novel is not to be missed!
💛Rhianna was a strong and relatable main character, and I loved her dedication to saving her family’s mine.
💛The marriage of convenience set up was so much fun!
💛I loved getting to know all of the side characters and previous main characters throughout this story.
💛Jen Geigle Johnson’s writing is enchanting and told this uncommon fairytale beautifully! I can’t wait to read more from her!
Unfortunately I could not get behind our male lead and what was keeping him from truly loving at first. However I was completely happy with Rihanna’s love story with Marc, and am so excited to see the rest of the Wilhelm brothers stories as this was the first out of this series that I have read! While being the third in the Royal Regency series, A Tenuous Betrothal stood alone marvelously.

Have been unable to review so far do to illness, but am really looking fotward to reading this book. I have several friends that have read it and say that the romance is heart-warming and everything a romance reader wants in a book. Well-written characters and a superb plot keeps you reading into the night!

What a beautiful read! I was absolutely enthralled with the characters, and the story line. This was my first book in this series, and now I must read them all! :)
I loved both the female and male lead characters. They had great strong personalities that drew me to them, wanting them to have the perfect story. But their love story was not easy. Faint in love- that part was easy… but convincing Prince Marc that his happiness was just as important as his duties would take some convincing. 😉
It was clean, it was romantic, it had a little mystery and suspense… it was perfect!

I received an advanced copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book took me by surprise, I did not know it would be a love story. The cover is what did it for me, I love it! I wasn't expecting to love the story as much as I did.

It is historical fiction, but it is more like a fairytale, the prince saves the girl, and the girl saves the prince, so how can there not be a true love match??

Rhianna daughter of Walsh miner becomes an orphan and is thrown out by her uncle who takes over the family mining. Taking shelter in the hunting cabin Rhianna, without her parent's protection her future looks bleak. That is until addendum to her fathers will has a prince coming to her rescue. The King and her father put this together that should he die, she would marry one of his sons. The prince she loves comes with a duty to his country, can she convince him he can have both or will she have to choose one of his other brothers?

This book will take you on adventure, castles, balls and romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Covenant Communications, Inc. for copy of this book for my honest review

Rhianna Davies is living in a barely habitable hunting cabin on the grounds where the home she loves stands. Her parents are recently deceased and the uncle that inherited the property has banished her to the run-down cottage on the edge of their land. She barely has wood for or a fire or food to eat but she still believes "hope is always on the horizon". That hope comes in the form of Marc Wilhelm, Prince of Oldenburg who has come to collect his betrothed--Miss Rhianna Davies.

Oh, these two!! Everyone could see that they suited each other well but Prince Marc wasn't ready to marry. He wasn't ready to relinquish his duties as head of security and didn't want to marry because of the dangers of his job, although he admitted to himself he could've delegated some of the more dangerous aspects of his position.

I liked the forced proximity of Marc and Rhi on the ship from England to Oldenburg and getting to know more about the other Wilhelm brothers as they spent time with Rhi. I liked that the King and Queen didn't force Marc and Rhianna to marry immediately and let them figure things out for themselves. I loved Rhi's kindness and how much she cared about the people who worked the mine in Wales. As always, the author wove some historical facts into the story which I love.

This is definitely a slow burn romance as we wait for Prince Marc to come to his senses. There were so many times I wanted to Gibbs slap some sense into him. This man must have a will of iron to be able to fight the chemistry I could feel between them. Finally Marc admitted his feelings about Rhi to himself (cue REO Speedwagon's "Can't Fight This Feeling") and then everything fell into place. *happy sigh*

Each book in this series is a standalone but trust me, you're going to want to read the others. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher Covenant Communications via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A sweet love story that shows that love does conquer all. Rhi truly finds herself in a tough spot after her father dies. I love the surprise addendum to his will that arrives with a real prince. The story felt like a fairy tale, and I enjoyed being caught up in the magic of it all. The tension was well written and did not drag out too long. Rhi is a strong personality with a big heart and Marc brings a great balance to her character. I really enjoyed Marc’s development as well since he was determined he was not going to marry. The brothers provide some great comedy relief along the way. All in all, a truly sweet romance that I am happy to recommend to others.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own.