Engaging The Enemy

The Wild Randalls #1

by Heather Boyd

A lady should be the image of elegance and calm, but those words have never applied to Mercy, Duchess of Romsey. A widow and mother, Mercy is lonely and floundering to keep the estate afloat. When she discovers the existence of Leopold Randall, her husband’s estranged cousin, Mercy immediately offers to help him locate his missing siblings if he helps her return the estate to order.

Leopold has returned to Hampshire for only one purpose—to learn the fate of his missing siblings. Unfortunately, the current duchess is clueless and out of her depth. Her struggle tugs at Leopold’s sense of duty and her bold nature tempts him unbearably. When Leopold discovers their lives are forever entwined, he vows to protect Mercy and her innocent son.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Amazon, Regency, Regency Romance

250 pages, Paperback

First published February 9, 2012

About the author

USA Today Bestselling Author Heather Boyd believes every character she creates deserves their own happily-ever-after—no matter how much trouble she puts them through. With that goal in mind, she writes steamy romances that skirt the boundaries of propriety to keep readers enthralled until the wee hours of the morning. Heather has published over sixty regency romance novels and shorter works full of daring seductions and distinguished rogues. She lives north of Sydney, Australia, with her trio of rogues and a four-legged overlord. To learn more visit www.Heather-Boyd.com

Reviews

[Georgie-who-is-Sarah-Drew · Rating 2 out of 5]

OTT plot, further let down by 2-D inconsistent characterisation. Dubious period detail. Fluently enough written, but this just didn't grab me.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging the Enemy is the first book I have had the pleasure to read by Heather Boyd. Oh my what a first book I choose to read. I thoroughly enjoyed this lovely historical romance.

Mercy, Duchess of Romsey is such a fun character. I loved her spunk and her devotion to her son. She has a lot of responsibility taking care of things for her son until he is able to take charge of the estate. Mercy is in desperate need of some assistance with the estate and also has a problem that she needs some help with. She is so excited when she finds out her husband's cousin is in town. She ask for his assistance with the estate and also confides her problem to him.

Leopold Randall has returned home to locate his siblings. He enlist the help of Mercy to assist him with his search for clues. He is determined to find his siblings that he was forced to separate from. I really liked Leopold too, he is a determined, loyal gentleman that is just what Mercy and her son Edwin need in their life.

I truly enjoyed reading Mercy & Leopold's story. They are such compelling couple that I just could not put this book down. They had so many trials to over come in their path together.

There is a lot of drama, some really hot romance scenes, and some moments that are quite humorous. This story really kept me guessing who was causing the problems for Mercy and Edwin. I had several suspects. The plot is a page turner. I enjoyed this book so much that the next book in the series has moved to next in my to be read pile.

If you enjoy a good historical romance with some mystery, drama, and romance I think you will enjoy this one.

[Sapphyria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about Mercy and Leopold. Mercy is the widow of the Duke of Romsey and mother to current Duke, 4-year-old Edwin. Leopold is the cousin of the deceased Duke and 2nd cousin to Edwin.

Enter the historical world and prepare to be deceived! Someone is out to usurp young Edwin from his rightful position as Duke and Leopold has taken it upon himself to help protect the Duchess, Mercy, and the Duke, Edwin from those who seek to harm them; All while trying to find his siblings, who were dispersed across the world by the old Duke (not the former husband of Mercy, but Mercy's father-in-law). Add in a little bit of romance and you have one great little novel.

I liked Leopold as a hero, even though his appearance after many years of absence could be seen as anything but sincere. He is very tender and caring. Mercy is likable and not at all what Leopold was expecting when he returned to the family home.

You discover that the old Duke was disgraceful and the actions that he forced others to go through were less than honorable and not just by separating Leopold from his siblings. The back history is explained well and I never felt like anything was unclear.

(Book provided at no cost in exchange for an honest review).

[Patti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poorly written. Characters were two dimensional and the major plot twist, while unbelievable, would have captured my interest more if written better. It was revealed without much fanfare when it should have been much more explosive, and the MCs should have talked about it more. Also, the heroine was like an oversexed teenager throwing herself at the Hero right from the start. She had no respect for boundaries, and if the roles had been reversed, it would have come off as very predatory.

Once again, I am left wondering how such poorly written claptrap can get so many 4 and 5 star reviews. Why does this happen so much???

[Eugenea Pollock · Rating 1 out of 5]

After reading several glowing reviews of this book by other members of the Goodreads community, I cannot believe that we are actually referring to the same novel. Why? Because this is the worst-written book that I have ever read. The grammar is, at times, atrocious, as when Leopold says that he made a bargain “to keep his brother’s and sister safe.” The dialogue is often strained and sounds unlikely, sometimes even cluelessly funny. Characterizations are inept, and the relationship between Leopold and Mercy lacks romance—it is just plain clumsy. I have to abandon this because I cannot take it any longer.

[Sharyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book that is one part romance and one part mystery, and the mysteries will continue in the next book. Mercy, the Duchess is a widow trying to protect her son, the baby Duke. Someone has been writing her threatening letters. Her husband died young, and when the old Duke died, she was left alone.The old Duke was a mean old man who terrorized his brother's children, and Mercy did not know them. When Mr. Randall, (and the reason I dislike reading on a kindle is because I can't look up his name while I am writing this), returns to England from 10 years in India to find his missing siblings. Many twists and turns ensue.

[Eve · Rating 4 out of 5]

The chemistry!! I really enjoyed this read. Both of our main characters had so much charm and their dynamic really was to die for. We don’t often find a FL who chases the ML so outrightly without feeling pathetic. And as much as Leopold tried to distance himself, there was never any way that he’d actually leave, he will always succumb to Mercy.

This was a nice and easy read. I was hoping for a more rounded ending but I did not realise this series would have a rolling plot. I would very much like to continue with this and see where it ends up.

(I haven’t looked yet but I suspect all of the Randall’s will fall in love with each of Mercy’s siblings which is really strange and unnecessary but I suppose I get it. It will make for one hell of a messy family tree)

[Chrissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I read about halfway and decided, for right now, that I just couldn't finish this book, I'm not saying it's the worst historical romance I've read (and I definitely don't mind provocative scandals) but the main female character was quite literally throwing herself at her deceased husband's cousin, which I would have no problem with if it was done with the slightest bit of tact, maybe? Like I said, this is not enough to throw me off this author completely, and I did like parts of the storyline it was just poorly executed, her other book "Wicked Mourning" was good so I'll investigate the other books before rendering complete judgement.

[Liberty Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging the Enemy is a good story. The hero and heroine are both interesting and believable.

[Andria Potter · Rating 3 out of 5]

It started out strong but then I just found myself loosing interest. Nothing against the writing or characters I just wasn't in the mood. I'll definitely try again later!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first time reading a novel by Heather Boyd and I am definitely a fan now. Engaging the Enemy is the first book in a series (that I must now look for!) and a great introduction to what seems like a very entertaining family.

I will admit I rarely like books where there is a child heavily in the story (I get that in real life, lol) but I liked Mercy and young Edwin and the way she was with her son. The hero was likeable and I enjoyed how was the one to try and be the principled and resist instead of the other way around.

The introduction of other family members are hopefully a prelude to the other novels and I look forward to reading more about Mercy and Leopold in the future novels. I won't spoil any plot but the mystery throughout the novel was very entertaining as well.

I definitely recommend this novel for those looking for a nice regency novel.

[Jeanne Johnston · Rating 2 out of 5]

A pretty good story but I was annoyed by Mercy's inexplicable sexual freedom (sheltered girl married off to a duke-to-be who hardly touched her, then left her a widow). Mostly, I was incredulous that a "writer" should be so thoroughly ignorant of how to use an apostrophe. Those little bastards were tacked onto every plural noun like all the world's a possessive. WTAF? I would've gone three stars, if not for that. Shame.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't like that the heroine couldn't seem to get her hands off the hero. She kept trying to seduce him while he was the 1 trying to be restrained & honorable.

[Jules Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one's part historical romance and part mystery, doing a good job of weaving them together. Leopold Randall was forced by his uncle, a very wicked duke indeed, to do his bidding with the whereabouts of Leopold's kidnapped siblings as ransom for his obedience. Now Leopold is back to look for clues after the death of his uncle. It's all he wants, but he finds his cousin's widow in need of help to protect her young son, the current Duke of Romsey - and Leopold holds no grudge against a young child.

Mercy has no good reason to have liked her father-in-law, but after his death she's at her wit's end trying to keep the estate running without help, and that's without the anonymous threats she's been receiving. Her late husband's cousin might be the help she needs. She readily gives him permission to look through the old man's papers in exchange for help sorting those papers out.

I liked this a lot, particularly the way that Leopold and Mercy have both been manipulated and used by the old duke, giving them a shared interest in working together to solve past and present mysteries. I'm not entirely convinced by Mercy chasing after Leopold quite so brazenly in a setting with serious consequences for her if she's caught, but I can certainly see why she wants him after even a short acquaintance, and why he wants her. It's a pity that the book had a very bad case of greengrocer's apostrophe - "whoops, there's an s coming up!". It was so distracting that I very nearly gave up reading a few chapters in, and it would have been a shame if I had.

The book's the first in a series, but can be read as a standlone.

[Vani · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Leopold's story. He's back in England at his ancestral estate in Hampshire after 10 years in search of his siblings, who were separated and thrown to the four winds by his cruel and calculating uncle, the Duke of Romsey. He believes the estate holds clues to their whereabouts and needs to convince the current Duchess---Mercy, his cousin's wife---to allow him to search for this information.

On the other hand, Mercy is struggling to manage the estate after the steward left. In addition, she's been getting threatening letters and gifts that make her worry for the safety of her 4-year old son. So they strike a deal: he can stay at Romsey to search for the info if he helps her with the estate.

Leopold is a hero with his back to the wall from the start. His family is missing, and he has complicated feelings related to what the old duke blackmailed him to do to ensure their safety. But his growing love for Mercy and her child makes his plans to just find the information and leave the estate shaky.

Mercy is a modern heroine; she's accepting of so many family secrets that people of the time generally didn't tolerate and she enjoys intimacy.

There are some descriptions of India and Indians that I frowned upon (the cloying smell of Indian spices, a reference to an Indian prince doll as an infidel, and a reference to Leopold's mistress in India as exotic), but I'm going to go on good faith and trust this is because these are terms generally used to describe Indians and India in the 19th century. I'm not sure if these descriptions were necessary though.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

The main characters in this novel finally have given me faith that all heroines are not stubborn and that the heroes can be honest about how they feel and not let the past get in the way of the future. Leopold Randall has returned to Hampshire and the home of the Duke of Romsey after five years in India, seeking the truth of the whereabouts of his brothers and sister. He has much to hate the old Duke of Romsey for, but realizes that the current Duke, a four year old boy, and his mother, Mercy, the Duchess of Romsey, have nothing to do with the devious plans of the old Duke. He is given carte blanche by the Duchess to go through all the papers of the old Duke to see if he can somehow locate where his siblings have been sent to. All he wants is to find them and move on with his life. However, he doesn't expect to fall in love with the Duchess and be captivated by her son. Mercy is sensible and doesn't pull any punches when it comes to dealing with how she is immediately taken by Leopold. Thank goodness! Although at times she is frustrated and angry with Leopold's actions, she sees beyond that and knows that what she wants is Leopold. How these two get their happily ever after is an excellent story and has a few twists and turns and a surprise or two. If you want the historical romances you read to not frustrate you by the characters who fight their feelings every step of the way, read this novel and enjoy Leopold and Mercy's story.

[Didi]

An easy read with a mix of convoluted characters, that everybody’s been hurt and went through injustice and not really over it. Thus the slightly bonker way of thinking.
I’m a newbie to Boyd’s writing. This first to “The Wild Randalls” is rather intriguing as an intro to lead (and secondary) characters, paving the way of what to expect on the following books to the series.

I guess what vexed me was the backstory of the late Dukes of Romsey being dickhead for no reason… just because. But there were plenty stories with nobilities acting the way the pair did so this reader just grin and bear it.

Then there was the heroine who just couldn’t help to always (and I mean ALWAYS) throw herself to the hero because… he’s just so irresistible. Power to the girl who knew her own mine and went after what she wanted. But, damn. Could she probably tone it down a bit??
Then there were the supposedly friend and sister who just talked, talked, talked and never bother to reason!! I mean, the heroine couldn’t choose her own sister, but just ditch the bitch of a friend already!

The mystery within the story wasn’t fully resolved - perhaps to amped the suspense for the next pair characters to come. And sorry to say, the hero of the hour in this book didn’t really do much besides hemming and hawing, fretting over what people would think and debating with himself on every. bloody. issues.

End of rants.

[Tisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mercy, Duchess of Romsey a widow & mother to the future to the Duke of Romsey. is lonely & barely keeping the estate afloat. Mercy discovers her husband’s estranged cousins' Leopold Randall, who she seems familiar to her. Mercy immediately offers to help him locate his missing siblings if he help bring the estate profitable.

Leopold came back to the Hampshire on a mission. To find out the fate & whereabouts of his missing siblings. What he realizes is that the Duchess is unaware of what is needed to handle the responsibility of the Romsey Abbey. Unfortunately, that is what the suspect wants when it comes to murdering Mercy & the future Duke of Romsey.
Mercy's fears tug at Leopold’s sense of duty. He is determined, focus & a true gentleman, which is exactly what the Duchess & her son Edwin need in their lives'. Leopold is attracted to Mercy's bold character. Which he finds quite distracting. Especially when he is determined to protect the Romsey heir. The big secret within the walls of the Romsey Abbey is what Leopold finally discovers from the ultimatum that the Old Duke forced upon Leopold several years ago. This secret affects the lives of the entire Romsey family. Which also holds & entwined their lives forever. Leopold vows to protect Mercy and their innocent future Duke.

The entire series, is intriguing, suspenseful. There is heart, logic & emotion within each characters added to the series. Read the remaining saga of the Wild Randall family.

[Cozzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging the Enemy

I really enjoyed this book!
Leopold returns to England after hearing that his uncle and his cousin are dead. He needs to find his missing family, hidden by his uncle - The Old Duke.
Mercy is the widowed Duchess. Her late husband died of a weak heart, months after his father died, leaving her and their young son to manage without any guidance.
Leopold arrives at the country seat to ask questions regarding his siblings. He finds secrets, untruths and hostility around every corner. He also finds a very young Duke (aged 4), who looks remarkably similar to himself, with a mother who knows what she wants and has her sights set on him.
A steamy historical read, which keeps you hooked!

[Heidi Meaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wronged by his uncle Leopald returns to Romsey to find much more than he bargained for.

He finds Mercy, the wife of his cousin and with more relation to himself than he'd ever thought.
Leopard had returned to find his family. All wronged by Mercy's father in law, the old duke.
He needed clues to find his family, kept from him whilst he had done the file's bidding.
What he found was not what he expected,feared but longer for at the same time.
God, he was in trouble.
Secrets, lies, deception, threats and surprises. Far too many of the latter for either Leopald or Mercy to have anticipated. But, also passion, love and family. Lots of it.
Enjoy!

[D.L. Boyles · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I am giving it three stars, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book and absolutely LOVE the series. The reason I'm not giving it more than three stars is because I really cannot get past the one-time rendezvous between Leopold and Mercy and how they didn't know one another...yeah. It was just too far-fetched for me. It could have been made believable, honestly, but the author didn't do the situation the right kind of attention to make it believable for me.
Overall, however, this story has the right amount of intrigue and romance, leaving me curious for the second book (which I read, and I am happy to report is my favorite book of the series).

[Madlenka · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 / I never thought I'd say this about a book that I only got because it is free on Amazon -- but I really enjoyed this! The main romance was way too instant for me and I wasn't really buying the 'physical connection' thing. Also, the main character Mercy was likeable but she was obviously written for a 21st century reader. Nothing she did would fare well in 1800s. However, unlike many (regency) romance books, this one actually has an interesting plot besides the romance! First, the threats to the Duke and second, looking for the Randall siblings. That will span over the whole series. I think I will continue reading to see what happens!

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have given this 5 stars had I not gotten to the end. I guess this is what happens when you have a cliffhanger at the end to make you read the next book, but I felt there was no partial resolution here--at least not enough to make it satisfying for me. You still don't know who left the bloody rabbits in the house, the sister is in a comatose state and you don't know if she's a psycho or not, and the brother who was part of the threat got forgiven and trusted a little too easily. Still, it was well-written and enjoyable to read. The hero and heroine literally could not keep their hands off each other, so that was fun, too.

[Rosemarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the heroine and hero. Although I could see who the antagonist was from very early on, I quite liked that the heroine realized the individuals were ignorant or sick and need help, instead of the villain being killed or carted off at the end like most stories. My one criticism is how quickly the hero and heroine fell into a sexual relationship. I realize this was rushed for plot reasons, but I wish there had been a little more build up and that the couple spent more time getting to know one another.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read

The author has a great affinity for pulling a reader into the story. The characters come alive and you feel as if you are a bystander looking in. You want to take Edwin into your arms & hold him tight, he is so adorable. You want to take Mercy's sister Blythe & throttle her til she comes alive again. You want to kick Lady Anne & her slimy brother Lord Shaw far far away from Mercy & her son. Bravo for wanting me to intervene knowing I cannot, for it is only a story, yet a well written one.

[Tuakana Toka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it

My introduction to author Heather Boyd and the first of The Wild Randall's series. Leopold Randall's return to England brings him back in search of his family abducted and scattered by the late Duke Romsey his cousin. Freedom was his but he lands himself in the midst of the young heir and his mother who not only need his assistance in all things estate related but to catch the threat to the young Duke. A bargain is dealt but in so doing secrets of the past beckon to be revealed and desires are appeased.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you truly didn't have a happy marriage, why would you decide to romantically pursue the cousin of your deceased husband? True, he is a better prospect than the pesky want-to-be suitor who is annoying in his lecherous regard. What kept me from giving up on the main character in disgust is that she is a wonderful mom and her husband's family harbors a number of secrets. In time and over the series, these secrets should be revealed. I admit to being curious to know how things unfold.

[Betty Sotherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Family at its worst of finest.

Truly enjoyed this book. It was not the usual plot, and the twists and turns were very enjoyable. Didn't guess the solution to the puzzle till the very end. So well written that although I had my suspicions I was only part right. The book truly engaged me enough that I did not cheat and go to the of the story to find out how it would end. Thanks Ms Boys for a very enjoyable read. Can't wait to start another!!

[Theresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nope

An utterly ridiculous, neither logical nor credible, plot point soured my enjoyment of this book very early on. Added to the fact that there is very little attention paid to the manners and mores of the Regency period and you have a book that seems merely anxious to get to the sex scenes without much plot or character development to make them meaningful. I stopped reading at the 30% mark.

[Laila · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit of a bore for the first 1/4 of the book then it started to get rather interesting and I couldn't put it down. I was persuaded by the mystery and the drama than the "trysts" between the protagonist and antagonist. Need some work there. The author stealthily introduced a new character for the next installment while maintaining the cohesion for this installment unlike the previous book I'd read recently (The Wicked Harlot - Georgette Brown). Overall an entertaining read.