Engaged to the Earl

January 1, 2020

Aggrieved by his family's expectations, Christopher Beck escapes England to spend several years abroad, working in unconventional positions before returning to London. Swept up into society by an acquaintance of the Penhallow brothers, he encounters Gwendolyn Penhallow, whom he hasn't seen since they were children. Gwendolyn is engaged to the faultless Earl of Westenbury, but Christopher's adventurous lifestyle awakens her free-spirited nature. The two spend more time together, until Gwendolyn realizes she prefers a maverick to the snobbery of the earl. There are several entertaining side characters central to the plot, but Gwendolyn's newfound friend Lady Helen FitzClarence is petulant, and her behavior tends to subvert the romance. VERDICT Although Berne's (The Bride Takes a Groom) dialog for female characters is often melodramatic and may not appeal to every reader, followers of the series will enjoy seeing a prodigal son returning home to find his match.--Eve Stano, Ball State Univ. Muncie, IN

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January 15, 2020
After landing one of Regency London's most eligible bachelors, a debutante begins to question her decision when a childhood friend returns to England after years of self-imposed exile. Years ago, when she was 14 and her family was frightfully poor, Gwendolyn Penhallow asked her 17-year-old neighbor, Christopher Beck--who'd inherited a fortune from his uncle--to run away and marry her, saving her family financially and helping Christopher escape his complicated relationship with his father. Unfortunately, he wouldn't come into the money until he was 21, so the plan wouldn't work. Instead, Gwendolyn's older brother Hugo married an heiress (The Bride Takes a Groom, 2018), and Christopher ran away to make his way in the world. He returns to London just as Gwendolyn is enjoying her first season and has accepted the hand of the Earl of Westenbury after they saw each other from across the room at Almack's and fell in love at first sight. Gwendolyn is blissfully happy until Christopher comes back to town, and then she meets her future mother-in-law. Christopher is composed and comfortable in his own skin. Meanwhile, the more time Gwendolyn spends with her fiance, the more she realizes they won't suit: "Perhaps that might sustain him for a lifetime--that kind of superficial adoration--but it wouldn't me." Berne's latest Penhallow title is another sophisticated, elegantly written study on character and love, slightly undermined by a romantic misunderstanding with a secondary character that feels far-fetched given the otherwise exemplary intelligence and insight of the main couple. Nevertheless, the subtle comparison of the quick "love at first sight" romance versus the slow-building, deep-rooted love between characters is lovely and satisfying. Graceful, lyrical, and charming.

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December 2, 2019
The beguiling fourth installment of Berne’s Penhallow Dynasty series (after The Bride Takes a Groom) is full of witty banter and sweet romance. While staying with the Duchess of Egremont in 1818 London, Gwendolyn Penhallow meets and becomes engaged to Julian, the handsome Earl of Westenbury, believing him to be “the most wonderful man in the world.” Gwendolyn and Julian enjoy balls and outings together as a betrothed couple, but when Julian first kisses her, Gwendolyn is left oddly cold, and hilariously analyzes the mechanics of the moment (“Tongues were rather odd, once you started thinking about them”) rather than giving into it. When Christopher Beck, Gwendolyn’s childhood neighbor, arrives in London, they rekindle their friendship, and Gwendolyn asks Christopher to kiss her as a point of comparison. Despite Christopher’s attraction to Gwendolyn, his sense of honor prevents him from complying. But as Gwendolyn questions her relationship with Julian, she and Christopher grow ever closer. This expertly plotted love story is a must-read for Regency fans. Agent: Cheryl Pientka, Jill Grinberg Literary Management.

Starred review from March 1, 2020
Gwendolyn Penhallow is the luckiest woman in England. With just one glimpse of Julien, earl of Westenbury, across the dance floor at Almack's, Gwendolyn knew she was in love, and now, after a whirlwind courtship, she is engaged to the most sought-after bachelor in society. So it only makes sense, given her own good, romantic fortune, that when Gwendolyn's old friend Christopher Beck turns up in London after spending several years abroad, she will want him to find his own true love. There is just one problem. Soon after Gwendolyn begins spending more time with Christopher, she begins to wonder if she is marrying the right man. Readers who crave romances written with style and substance will cherish Berne's (The Bride Takes a Groom, 2018) latest entrancing addition to the Penhallow Dynasty series. The author's effortlessly elegant writing and impeccably rendered Regency setting are perfectly paired with a full cadre of exquisitely realized characters and a delightfully done friends-to-lovers love story that is fueled by equal measures of sweet charm, sharp wit, and heart-melting sexual chemistry.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)