This first book in The Mismatched Lovets series was a unique and well written romance. This story began with an interesting and sudden predicament that changed the course of lives. It was very entertaining with so much drama, action, past loss, a young boy, a rake with secrets, an intelligent, beautifully young lady with mild complex emotional issues, a secret safe house for children, kidnapping, intrigue, death, and so many emotional issues that kept me very engaged. I really enjoyed the surprising and beautiful love that overcame many complications and the lovely ending. I highly recommend reading!

A Sham Engagement by Fil Reid featured Elenora who is the first of her sisters to make her com-out, is part of the trend these days for fake engagements. It is a little better done than most, however. She is in London with her mother, her aunt, and her jealous cousin, Petunia. Thankfully her aunt was a rich widow as her family was short on blunt and her aunt had paid for much fo her extensive wardrobe. She was not excited about it and became less excited as she danced with less than stellar men. The only interesting man, Lord Broxbourne, she had seen was a little older(40) and accompanied by a very sophisticated woman, Lady Raby. She just wanted to go home, but she settled for the library, where it turned out Lord Broxbourne was hiding as well. He pulled on her skirt to prevent her from leaving and it tore. Since she could not sew, he volunteered to repair it for her and that was how they were found, by her parents, his father, and the most notorious gossip in in the ton. To his father and her mother, a betrothal was obvious, and so it was.

Jack Deveril, Lord Broxbourne, was a rake, and a good one. His reputation would attest to that. It turned out he was so much more. He was a good man, with secrets, and, as it turned out, his reputation was somewhat exaggerated. Elenora has the nasty tendency to blurt out whatever she thinks. It takes some getting used to, but Jack found it charming. Things moved along as they do and they got into a bit of a mix. Elenora was right there, helping, not concerned in the least for her reputation. He was, though. He also discovered he felt something for her. As in all good romances, it all worked itself out. Terrific characters, and Reid managed to make an old trope new again.

I was invited to read A Sham Engagement by Dragonblade. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Dragonblade #FilReid #AShamEngagement

The writing was enjoyable but I didn’t like Jack’s character and I didn’t ever get a sense of chemistry between him and Eleanor. I wasn’t the reader for this one.


Thank you to Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC

Age-Gap Historical Romance

He compromised her, so they must get engaged. However, neither wanted to get married. Jack would convince Elenora to enter into a sham engagement. However, he would soon realize that Elenora was no ordinary lady. She had many quirks, but he found himself liking them and her. One endearing quality about her was that she adored his son. Soon she would trek across the most dangerous parts of London to help him rescue his child. After all that, could he let her go?

I enjoyed this story. I recommend it to those who like Regency romance with a dash of suspense.

A Sham Engagement by Fil Reid had an intriguing premise and a fast-paced plot, but it didn’t fully win me over. I appreciated that the story avoided any glaring anachronisms, and the engagement of convenience trope is one I usually enjoy. The addition of a kidnapping kept the plot moving, but I struggled to connect with the romance. Jack and Elenora’s chemistry felt forced, and Jack’s initial fixation on her looks (and age to a certain extent) bothered me. I also found Elenora’s characterization a little frustrating because she felt like a bag of tropes rather than a well-developed character. I liked that the book explored neurodivergence in a historical setting, but parts of it just didn't ring true. If you love Regency tropes and don’t mind a few over-the-top moments, you might enjoy this one!

This writer takes on a modern day mental health issue and wraps it around a historical romance. Incredibly handled, Asperger's on the Autism spectrum hasn't been identified back in 1800's. This is a hard issue as one of the principles of it is a lack of social queues. Eleanor has this handicap and doesn't fit into societies picture. Jack finds her interesting and has his own issues. Together they plan a fake engagement. The plot is an old one but the characters with modern known issues makes this story a powerful one for all to read. Well developed characters with excellent let depth.

Living with a person who has a neurodevelopmental condition such as Asperger’s Syndrome can be very difficult at the best of times, however, if there is no understanding of the disorder the pressure on a sufferer can be immense as is evident in this novel. Elenora is generally considered odd, and peculiar with quirks that set her apart. Finding the crush of her first ball of the season unbearable has her fleeing to the refuge of the library where she is caught in a compromising situation with the notorious rake, Vsicount Broxbourne. Where her mother and aunt are at their wit's end with Eleanor, Jack Deveril's curiosity about the strange young woman is aroused and he finds himself becoming protective towards her. However, not everyone is as kind as he is. Jack has secrets that he would prefer to keep hidden and avoiding marriage seems his best solution, but when caught kneeling at Eleanor's feet he realizes that a sham engagement will relieve the pressure on both of them. The relationship that develops between the main characters is gentle and a friendship develops, but when Jack's son is kidnapped, Eleanor discovers that she is more invested in the young boy's life than she anticipated, and for his sake, she is willing to suffer through any personal discomfort she may feel. I found the chase to recover the young boy rather far-fetched but there were lighthearted moments that made me laugh. Ultimately, Eleanor and Jack find their way together, resulting in a tenderness and an appreciation of one another. I received a copy of this romance as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Not for me.

The male lead was a prolific rake with an illegitimate son he's raising. He also has a mistress.
The female lead, was half his age, a mere teenager, closer to his son's age.

DNFed at 13%. The writing is fairly good. I just personally don't vibe with distant 3rd where it feels like it is half narrator, half the character's POV. The sheer quantity of low frequency words and regency slang feels a bit shoehorned in. But the MMC is giving me a strong ick by not giving a crap about consent keeping the FMC in a situation he knows is extremely uncomfortable - given the name of the book I imagine it turns out compromising her for his selfish amusement. Not for me but it would likely appeal to others.

This is the beginning of a new series by Fil Reid.
Elenora (19) is the eldest and must get married to someone well off because of her father's gambling debts.
Jack (38) is a bachelor and plans to stay that way. However he ends up being engaged with Eleonora at a ball after they are found in a compromising situation.
Jack has a child, Edward and he rescues a little girl named Josie, who is out in the cold and dark. Honestly, the notable children are the best features of the book. I do love characters who have a soft spot for pets and children. You can tell that they are really good people just by the way they treat the little ones. I look forward to the rest of the series.
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

I didn’t expect pairing a 19 year old girl (her age was not mentioned in the blurb) with 38 year old known rake. And there was no real chemistry between them to make me forgive this egregious age gap.
The FMC was written with “not like the other girls” airs, framed as “mature for her age”.
The MMC barely had any personality, except being a long time rake who is “too hot for his age” so apparently this allows him to pursue a girl 10 years younger than his mistress and rub that in his mistresses face. Mind you, he is older than both. One of the worst MMCs I have read recently.
Using the term “Asperger” to describe someone on the autism spectrum should not pass editing in 2025.
My sincerest apologies, but I did not like this.

With modern knowledge the reader is aware that Elenora has a form of autism, though she is of course more than the sum of this. Luckily from the start Jack is intrigued by this unusual lady and never more so when forced to propose marriage having compromised her, she refuses him. A fake betrothal to suit both of them, leads to a closer relationship and knowledge of each other; whilst a dangerous adventure seals their fate.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for an interesting read. Eleanor is having her first season with her cousin. Now they are at their first ball. Jack's parents want him to find a bride. Jack and Eleanor are caught alone at her first ball in a library. They decide to pretend they are engaged and then the end of the season they would say they don't get along. But as they find out about each other's secrets are having feelings for each other. You need to read this story to find out how they help each other.

A Sham Engagement was a book with an interesting premise, which I felt worked on some levels but not on others. On the plus side, it had an engaging plot that moved at a good pace throughout, and there were no glaring anachronisms to pull me out of the story. I had no issue with the age gap, but I did struggle to feel any chemistry between the characters, so their romance felt a little forced and, from Jack's part, seemed to focus on Elenora's looks a little too much. There were a lot of tropes in this story, too, and sometimes that made it feel a bit trope-heavy and overdone. I was on board for most of the narrative; however, Elenora's actions during the kidnapping seemed, to me, a bit farfetched and I struggled to suspend my disbelief in one or two of those scenes. Still, overall this was an entertaining Regency romance read that was mostly sweet with just a little bit of spice at the end. I am giving it 3.5 stars.

I had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately, it fell short for me. Both the characters and their narrative arcs turned me off from the start. Eleonora, in particular, quickly became a trope I can’t stand—the “not like other girls” type. She prides herself on not wanting to marry, disliking things like novels, and having a preference for history over traditional feminine pursuits. While I understand the intention behind this characterization, it came across as frustrating and contrived.

Then there was Jack. Right at the beginning, he compares Eleonora to his younger mistress, saying she was more attractive because she was 10 years younger. That felt awkward and unnecessary—especially considering Jack himself was older than both of them. I tried to push past these initial missteps, but I couldn’t stop thinking about them as the story went on.

The plot revolves around a mistaken compromise that leads to a sham engagement between Jack, a wealthy but jaded rake, and Ellie, a straightforward, brilliant woman with autism. Ellie’s personality—blunt, curious, and averse to touch—throws Jack off his game, but I didn’t find their dynamic compelling. Jack, who swore never to marry, has baggage from a past relationship with an actress who ultimately deceived him, and this shapes his reluctance to commit.

While the book has a lot of potential with its unique premise, it ended up feeling cliché with unnecessary scenes, including an odd villainous plot involving kidnapping. The romance, though central to the story, didn’t capture me, and by the end, I was left feeling underwhelmed.

Solid 2-star book.

4 1/2*STARS*
In the description of the book, the author explains Elenora's behavior is because she's autistic. An usual romance with a rake twice her age and his patience with Elenora. I thought the plot was interesting and moved at a nice pace. I especially enjoyed the last few chapters. Kisses and mild descriptive sex.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

The narrative really turned me off from both POV. Eleonora quickly takes the narrative of not like Luke other girls which is my least fav for women. She doesn’t want to marry, she doesn’t like things such as novels, she likes history! She turns men down when they ask for her hand, not like other girls! Then at the very beginning he was comparing her to his mistress and said of course she was better looking cause she was 10 years younger…. Dude your older than both of them… I tried let this introduction go as I read but I couldn’t I just kept thinking back to these things. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Really not a fan. The only thing I appreciated about this was that the main character’s autism was depicted well with respect to her not wanting to be touched. An age gap of 19 (her) and 38 (him)? Gross. The insta love? Absolutely not. And the author referring to autism as “Asperger’s” is grossly outdated, having autism myself. Wouldn’t recommend.

A mistaken compromise leads to a sham engagement between Jack, a wealthy older (38) rake, and an autistic but brilliant, kind, and straightforward lady, Ellie. She throws him off his game, his flirtatious do not work on her, she does not like touch, and she is blatantly curious and undiplomatic. Jack swore never to marry. He already had an illegitimate son and was in love with an actress, only for it to later be revealed that the actress was a charlatan taking him for a ride. There is an ow scene that's unnecessary, a villainous plot with kidnapping, and of course, the romance.

Overall, this is a solid 3 in my mind. The characters themselves were compelling enough, but I felt the author threw in too many tropes that were not necessary.

#netgalley #AShamEngagement