- TItle: A Return Engagement
- Author: Stephanie Laurens
- Genre: Historical Romance novella
- Published: August 2013 – Avon Impulse
- Source: Publisher
Synopsis: Previously appeared in the anthology Royal Bridesmaids.
Everyone’s eyes are on a royal couple, but there is more behind the scenes than they’ll ever know.
Lady Nell Daughtry is certain her sister will be a perfect princess, if only she gets the reluctant bride safely to the church to marry Prince Frederick of Lautenberg.
But what she doesn’t know is that, in the wedding party, she’s been paired with her former fiancé, Robert Knightly … and now she’ll be face-to-face with the man who walked away. (publisher)
My take: In this delightful novella Stephanie Laurens begins with the arrival of the wedding party but quickly shifts the spotlight to the bride’s sister Nell and the groom’s confidant Robert – a British diplomat. They share an unresolved past from nine years earlier.
Since many years have gone by the two are now more mature and confident so they quickly get to the point of figuring out what happened. They spend a good deal of time alone – made possible by trying to prevent a family curse from making the panicky bride-to-be call off the wedding. Nell and Robert soon discover they still have feelings for each other.
A Return Engagement has a fairytale-like quality that made the novella a charming and quick read. I’d love to read more about Nell and Robert!
Bookfan 