What do you think?
Rate this book
Substitute Engagement
She couldn't win - and she couldn't refuse Lucia was furious.
She'd been hurt, rejected and now she was being compromised. Rob Ballard's sister had stolen her fiance and Lucia was being asked to protect her feelings!
Her instinct was to leave immediately, but Lucia needed a job to earn her ticket out of there. Rob Ballard offered her one - as long as she agreed to pose as someone else's fiancee. Whose? Well, Rob's actually... .
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1998
5 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Jayne Bauling
58 books71 followersJayne was born in England but grew up in South Africa. After many years in Johannesburg and 17 women's fiction novels published in the UK, a move to White River, Mbombela in Mpumalanga, coincided with an exploration of new writing directions - youth fiction, short stories and poetry. Her YA novel E Eights won the 2009 Macmillan Writer's Prize for Africa, Stepping Solo was awarded the 2011 Maskew Miller Longman literature award for novels in English, and Dreaming of Light won the 2012 Gold Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature and was chosen for the 2014 IBBY Honour List. Her youth short story Dineo 658 MP won the 2009 MML silver medal, while This Ubuntu Thing was shortlisted for the inaugural Golden Baobab award and The Saturday Dress was shortlisted for the same award in 2014. In 2011 she also won the inaugural African Writing flash fiction prize for Settling. She has twice been shortlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Another youth novel Our Side of the Wall was shortlisted for the Sanlam Prize. Her adult short stories have appeared in The Bed Book of Short Stories (Modjaji Books), The Edge of Things (Dye Hard Press), African Pens 2011 (Jacana), Feast, Famine & Potluck (Short Story Day Africa), the e-anthology Behind the Shadows, and (the stories An Inappropriate Woman and Witch and Bitch)in the People Opposing Women Abuse Breaking the Silence annual anthologies (Jacana). Rage and Misfortune, her retelling of the OT Samson story was published online by Ludic Press. Poetry: Symbiosis won SAFM's Express Yourself prize, Fist was placed 3rd in the 2008 POWA Women's Writing Project and published in Murmurs of the Girl in Me, while Unschooled was published in POWA's 2010 anthology Stories of the Othere(ed) Woman and The Ladies Take Tea in POWA's 2012 anthology Sisterhood. More poetry in ouroboros review, Markings, poetandgeek, Ons Klyntji, Litnet and the Lowvelder.
Her latest novel is Soccer Secrets (Cover2Cover Books).
Visit her Facebook page Jayne Bauling Writer or follow her on Twitter @JayneBauling
Her latest novel is Soccer Secrets (Cover2Cover Books).
Visit her Facebook page Jayne Bauling Writer or follow her on Twitter @JayneBauling
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 28, 2022
"Substitute Engagement" is the story of Lucia and Rob.
FIRSTLY, the blurb on the GR page is wrong. That is NOT this book.
The heroine is a marine biologist, who travels home to meet her fiancé of 3 years. She soon realizes that not only is he engaged again, but his new fiancé's brother is now trying to warn her off him!
She is strong, but has devoted her life to pleasing the men in her life, hence takes offence to the hero's dictations. But she still goes ahead and pretends to be in a relationship with him to save face.
Parts of the plot are predictable, with the fake relationship turning into much more, the heroine's jealousy with hero's ex and OW, the hero catching the heroine in an innocuous moment- however what I did enjoy was that the heroine was honest with her feelings for the hero. She fell madly in love very soon, and he saw through her strong façade.
I felt the ending was rushed but it was a good one time read.
Safe
3/5
FIRSTLY, the blurb on the GR page is wrong. That is NOT this book.
The heroine is a marine biologist, who travels home to meet her fiancé of 3 years. She soon realizes that not only is he engaged again, but his new fiancé's brother is now trying to warn her off him!
She is strong, but has devoted her life to pleasing the men in her life, hence takes offence to the hero's dictations. But she still goes ahead and pretends to be in a relationship with him to save face.
Parts of the plot are predictable, with the fake relationship turning into much more, the heroine's jealousy with hero's ex and OW, the hero catching the heroine in an innocuous moment- however what I did enjoy was that the heroine was honest with her feelings for the hero. She fell madly in love very soon, and he saw through her strong façade.
I felt the ending was rushed but it was a good one time read.
Safe
3/5
February 9, 2020
Oh dear this was a highly irritating story for me. The heroine Lucia arrives home from university having completed her degree, her fiancé Thierry is not at the airport to meet her neither is he at his home. Next stop the local hotel, when she arrives there’s a party an engagement party to celebrate the engagement her fiancé and his new fiancée, just one slight problem he’s forgotten that he already has a fiancée Lucia. Before she can get any further and challenge what’s happening she’s dragged away the the new fiancées brother Rob the hero in this, who insists she’s not to interfere and blames her for turning up and trying to cause trouble. He can’t force her to leave so he blackmails her into doing what he wants.
Lucia the heroine is portrayed as a strong woman with a backbone. So it didn’t make sense that she did not confront her erstwhile fiancé, in fact she does not confront him at all. She does interact with him but only after he approaches her. The way Lucia almost immediately accepts the situation did not ring true for me. The fact that he’s cheated on Lucia with the hero’s sister which which Rob the hero knows, it was therefore unrealistic that he’d want his sister to marry the this wimp. There’s lots of bickering and temper tantrums mainly from the heroine and I felt it was unreal that the hero Rob expected her to move on immediately that was ridiculous. I wasn’t feeling the chemistry between Lucia and Rob and found them unsympathetic.
Lucia the heroine is portrayed as a strong woman with a backbone. So it didn’t make sense that she did not confront her erstwhile fiancé, in fact she does not confront him at all. She does interact with him but only after he approaches her. The way Lucia almost immediately accepts the situation did not ring true for me. The fact that he’s cheated on Lucia with the hero’s sister which which Rob the hero knows, it was therefore unrealistic that he’d want his sister to marry the this wimp. There’s lots of bickering and temper tantrums mainly from the heroine and I felt it was unreal that the hero Rob expected her to move on immediately that was ridiculous. I wasn’t feeling the chemistry between Lucia and Rob and found them unsympathetic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2018
Surprisingly I liked this book a lot. The heroine returns to her childhood home to finally get married to her fiancé. She has been away for 3 years finishing her degree. Her fiance apparently could not wait for her, nor did he inform her that he has just gotten engaged to another woman. As the heroine enters the hotel to look for him, another man (H) recognises her and greets her as if he has been waiting for her. He ushers her away then delivers the message that he is about to announce the engagement of her (ex) fiancé to his sister.
Naturally the heroine is distressed and angry. The Hero tries to salvage the situation by forcing her to pretend to a relationship with him, thus saving her pride and the happiness of his sister. He is quite harsh with her in the start and practically blackmails her into this.
The heroine transfers all her rage and frustration onto the Hero. Far less so on the weak willed ex and his new girl than should be. Anyway, their fake relationship continues from there since the Hero wants to keep her close to watch that she doesn’t try to get her ex back. The story actually happens within the span of several days. The couple get to know each other and the heroine’s angry enraged attitude towards the Hero slowly shifts. Apart from being harsh with her in the beginning, the Hero is quite understanding and compassionate towards her. He learns of her fears and her childhood relationships that forced her into constantly trying to please her father. Though we don’t get his POV, we see by his actions that he is becoming protective of the heroine.
Their relationship finally culminates in bed, and they have a glorious night together, but then, the next morning, both misunderstand the motives of the other so they break it off. The Hero leaves and doesn’t come back for several weeks? Months? Not clear. But when he finally does, they declare their ILY to each other. He had been giving her time to be sure of her feelings for him, since everything between them happened so fast.
Quite a good read. All the angst is in the emotions of the heroine and her introspection. She had a bit of self doubt but that’s understandable since she had just been dumped.
Naturally the heroine is distressed and angry. The Hero tries to salvage the situation by forcing her to pretend to a relationship with him, thus saving her pride and the happiness of his sister. He is quite harsh with her in the start and practically blackmails her into this.
The heroine transfers all her rage and frustration onto the Hero. Far less so on the weak willed ex and his new girl than should be. Anyway, their fake relationship continues from there since the Hero wants to keep her close to watch that she doesn’t try to get her ex back. The story actually happens within the span of several days. The couple get to know each other and the heroine’s angry enraged attitude towards the Hero slowly shifts. Apart from being harsh with her in the beginning, the Hero is quite understanding and compassionate towards her. He learns of her fears and her childhood relationships that forced her into constantly trying to please her father. Though we don’t get his POV, we see by his actions that he is becoming protective of the heroine.
Their relationship finally culminates in bed, and they have a glorious night together, but then, the next morning, both misunderstand the motives of the other so they break it off. The Hero leaves and doesn’t come back for several weeks? Months? Not clear. But when he finally does, they declare their ILY to each other. He had been giving her time to be sure of her feelings for him, since everything between them happened so fast.
Quite a good read. All the angst is in the emotions of the heroine and her introspection. She had a bit of self doubt but that’s understandable since she had just been dumped.
December 5, 2025
Only 35% in, but the way I am infuriated and flabbergasted that the Hero, is somehow blaming the heroine for having the audacity to be beyond upset and emotional that her current fiancee that she flew out to meet, is having an engagement announcement party to an entirely different woman?!
The hero's sweet, kind, feminine baby sister and the heroine's soon to be former fiancee are CHEATING on the heroine and have been for months. And the hero has the actual audacity to be hateful to the heroine, blame her for her fiancee's cheating, for unknowingly showing up to his engagement party to his affair partner (idc if they're hooking up it's still an affair when you're already engaged), and mocking her for showing her emotions, emotionally blackmailing her into not confronting anyone, straight up stealing her engagement ring, insulting her every chance he got. Like, dude, this woman is entirely innocent. Your own sister is cheating on this woman with the man you want her to now marry. She needs to know that her wannabe future husband is a spineless, cowardly, sniveling cheater without a backbone, which by the way is NOT the heroine's fault at all, Crazy Man of Craziness.
Okay that's all for now. If OM & H'sS (Hero's sis) end up getting hitched I'm going to... I'll... well, I'll be really mad.
By the way, fun book so far. Just pissed at the H and a couple of others. Heroine has zero blame in this situation at all. Sure, maybe she wasn't compatible with her fiancee, but that does not excuse him cheating on her.
The hero's sweet, kind, feminine baby sister and the heroine's soon to be former fiancee are CHEATING on the heroine and have been for months. And the hero has the actual audacity to be hateful to the heroine, blame her for her fiancee's cheating, for unknowingly showing up to his engagement party to his affair partner (idc if they're hooking up it's still an affair when you're already engaged), and mocking her for showing her emotions, emotionally blackmailing her into not confronting anyone, straight up stealing her engagement ring, insulting her every chance he got. Like, dude, this woman is entirely innocent. Your own sister is cheating on this woman with the man you want her to now marry. She needs to know that her wannabe future husband is a spineless, cowardly, sniveling cheater without a backbone, which by the way is NOT the heroine's fault at all, Crazy Man of Craziness.
Okay that's all for now. If OM & H'sS (Hero's sis) end up getting hitched I'm going to... I'll... well, I'll be really mad.
By the way, fun book so far. Just pissed at the H and a couple of others. Heroine has zero blame in this situation at all. Sure, maybe she wasn't compatible with her fiancee, but that does not excuse him cheating on her.
own-but-wont-read-or-wallbanger
July 11, 2020She couldn't win -- and she couldn't refuse.
Lucia was furious. She'd been hurt, reject and now she was being compromised. Rob Ballard's sister had stolen her fiance and Lucia was being asked to protect her feelings! Her instinct was to leave immediately, but Lucia needed a job to earn her ticket out of there.
Rob Ballard offered her one -- as long as she agreed to pose as someone else's fiancee. Whose? Well, Rob's actually.
Lucia was furious. She'd been hurt, reject and now she was being compromised. Rob Ballard's sister had stolen her fiance and Lucia was being asked to protect her feelings! Her instinct was to leave immediately, but Lucia needed a job to earn her ticket out of there.
Rob Ballard offered her one -- as long as she agreed to pose as someone else's fiancee. Whose? Well, Rob's actually.
July 26, 2020
Super boring.
March 15, 2021
Kind of boring. He and she didn't click with me. Didn't finish.
November 26, 2016
No me gustó, no senti el amor.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews