How to Engage an Earl by Kathryn Caskie
What if histories are always fun. How to Engage an Earl is the second in a series about three sisters who could possibly be the illegitimate daughters of the Prince of Wales and his illegal first wife Maria Fitzhubert.
The first in the series is How to Seduce a Duke about Mary and the next is called How to Propose to a Prince about the third sister, Elizabeth. This book is about the middle sister, Anne Royle.
Anne is at the “at home” of the newly belted Earl of MacLaren in the hopes of searching his bedroom for secret letters that could prove or disprove who the Royle sisters parents truly are. Anne is caught in her search by the Earl himself, Laird Allen and does what any poor, unsuspecting girl would do. She screams.
Anne suddenly finds herself betrothed to Laird, the Earl, and she has to explain this to those who helped her plan the search of the Earl’s townhome. Though the letters aren’t there, she then searches his country estate and in the process realizes that Laird is a very decent person and maybe marrying him won’t be so bad after all.
Laird is having his own crisis. After his father and brother die he feels he’s not worthy of much and is setting out to prove he’s worth the title and not to embarrass his mother any more. Laird had a bad habit of setting out to do the wrong thing and sleep with as many married women as possible. Laird also, thinks that using Anne may help bring back his first fiancee who told him that she didn’t want to marry someone with such a black reputation.
Laird and Anne have some great dialogue, which leads to sexy results. The story is fast paced, the characters have some depth, but there’s something there that leaves you wanting. Though there’s not alot of deception on the part of the characters, there’s just not alot there that gives the story substance. Laird and Anne are cute, the secondary characters give some great additions to the scenes, but maybe it moves a bit too fast.
Or maybe I was enjoying it so much I wanted it to be much longer than it was. Hmmm.
It’s a good lighter summer read and the what if history it is nice and the details are rather accurate.
Grade: B-
