A Rather Curious Engagement

Penny Nichols #2

by C.A. Belmond

Penny Nichols has the London apartment, the classic cat, the villa in France, the fabulous bank account, and the great guy to share them all with. So everything's perfect, right? Er, well... Pursued by gigolos, gold diggers, an ex-wife, and highly aggressive salesmen, all chasing after their millions, freelancer-turned-heiress Penny Nichols and her boyfriend, Jeremy, decide to take a whole summer off and sock away most of their inheritance. But they allow themselves one big splurge from their wish list--and that's where all the trouble begins. At an auction on the French Riviera, Penny and Jeremy win much more then they bargain for, as they uncover a centuries-old rivalry involving the theft of a strange priceless treasure linked to Beethoven's Germany. Investigating everything from a 1920s yacht on the Mediterranean, to the legendary superstitions of the island of Corsica, right up to a castle on Lake Como, Italy, Penny and Jeremy track down a mysterious elderly count whose fractured memory may hold the piece of this fascinating historical puzzle.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit, Audiobook, France, Cozy Mystery

384 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2008

About the author

C.A. (Camille Aubray) Belmond is an Edward Albee Foundation Fellowship winner.

A member of the Writers Guild of America, Belmond has written, directed and produced award-winning television drama and documentary, for CBS, PBS, ABC and A&E.

Belmond has taught writing at New York University. She is also a featured blogger for The Huffington Post.

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

*sigh* I just love these. They are my favorite kinds of stories. I can very much imagine watching them all unfold as old movies, akin to my favorite old Hayley Mills films. I wish they still made movies like that. I'm pleased someone out there still writes stories in this manner. I can't decide which book is my favorite. I absolutely adore them all!

[Katie(babs) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Rather Curious Engagement by C.A. Belmond is the total opposite of Promise the Moon. This is one delicious book about an American television freelancer researcher named Penny Nichols who came into a great deal of money from her great aunt in England. I didn’t have the chance to read A Rather Lovely Inheritance, which is the first book in this series. Belmont did a fine job of bringing the reader up to speed about Penny and her very distant English cousin and boyfriend Jeremy Laidley who also has a piece of this pricey inheritance. Penny and Jeremy have decided to pool both their inheritances together.

These two realize they have to be careful on how they spend their money and try to invest wisely. Their financial advisor must be the coolest guy around because he gives them great advice. He recommends they should given themselves one big personal splurge before they sock their money away. Jeremy is quick to agree with this plan and the one thing he wants to purchase is a 1920’s classic motor yacht. He spends a few hundred thousand pretty easy at an auction for this yacht. But, as soon as Jeremy acquires his toy, that is where the real adventure begins!

The yacht, called Liesl’s Dream is quickly stolen. Liesl’s Dream was originally owned by a German Count. Penny and Jeremy first assume the Count may have tried to steal his yacht back and even though the authorities are able to find Liesl’s Dream, both Penny and Jeremy decide to vacation at Lake Como in the Alps where the Count lives. Perhaps by meeting this Count, they can find out who stole their yacht and why.

Penny and Jeremy do meet the Count and find out that the theft of the yacht may be linked to the theft of another priceless artifact called the Beethoven Lion. The Beethoven Lion is an aquamanilia, which is a piece of pottery used as a ewer for washing hands. This lion was commissioned by a German family as a birthday gift of the composer himself. But the lion was never given to Beethoven and has been missing for hundreds of years. The Count has an extensive collection of aquamanilia animals and had been searching for years to find his priceless piece. He never was able to and now his son hires Penny and Jeremy to investigate the whereabouts of this small lion.

Soon Penny and Jeremy are sent on a wild adventure where they travel all over, from London to the coast of Corsica and back to Lake Como. A Rather Curious Engagement is a high seas adventure with a wonderful little mystery and some nice laughs as Penny and Jeremy try to outwit some thieves along with his crazy ex-wife and a cousin who steals anything that is not tied down.

If you haven’t read C.A. Belmond, I certainly recommend you start with, A Rather Lovely Inheritance and then A Rather Curious Engagement. I found both Penny and Jeremy to be a very endearing and sweet couple that I wouldn’t mind reading more about in future books to come.

[Renee M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this series is like taking the loveliest vacation. Good food. Beautiful vistas. Exciting experiences. And just enough drama to keep one from falling asleep in the sun for too long.

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

2020 bk 185. Belmond's does it again. She gently leads us through the days following Penny and Jeremy's windfall - during the time when their account urges them to purchase one big splash while investing the rest of the amount for a year to consider what charities and business they want in their future. Part of the splash is the purchase of the other flats in Penny's new London home. For Jeremy - he has a dream - Liesl's Dream - a beautiful historical yacht based in the Rivera. When he wins the yacht at auction, the pair learns that it comes with a mystery attached, a missing lion figure. Laidley and Nichols are on their first official case and it leads them to the shores of Lake Como, the island of Corsica, to London and back again in this fun adventure.

[Misti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penny Nichols, now an heiress with a London flat, a classic car, and co-ownership of a villa on the Riviera with her boyfriend Jeremy, sets out for a summer of relaxation and deliberation: the two have agreed to take the summer to think about future enterprises, investments, and what they want their lives to look like in the years ahead. In service to this goal, they decide to purchase a vintage yacht. In the course of events, they get caught up in the search for a missing family heirloom, a search which could turn deadly if they get too close to facts that certain individuals may wish not to disclose.

Another lovely little audiobook, pleasant to listen to (Kellgren again, of course) with a light, engaging plot. I listened to this mostly while feeling under the weather, and it was just right for those circumstances.

[Kristi Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book and was reminded *again* that I really need to go see Lake Como, Italy in person. Really, I look at a beautiful photo of Lake Como, Italy every single day in my dining room. This book was a oerfect Sunday morning read. I will have to check out more of C.A. Belmond's work. She does excellent character development. And, the theme of a historical romance suspence genre is a great page turner combo! And there's the author's note at the end where she gives props to Margaret Atwood...an a-m-a-z-i-n-g author!

Hate it when I don't read books in order...still need to read the first once in this series...

[Kimberly Fields · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Rather Curious Engagement was an enjoyable sequel to the first Penny Nichols mystery. This book was able to continue the charm and with of the original, without so much profanity (hooray!) I enjoyed following Penny and Jeremy as they followed the trail of a musical mystery, sparked by their purchase of a beautiful old-fashioned yacht. I really liked this sequel and look forward to the rest of the series.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always nice when the second book in a series is just as good as the first. That's what happened here.

I liked a lot about this book:

-I like the way the story continues from the first book, but has it's own self-contained plot in each book.

-I like the fun international locations we get to visit as Penny and Jeremy have their adventure.

-I like that the relationship between Penny and Jeremy is fun and romantic, but they still have their hurdles to climb over, and that the romance is not the main or only focus of the story; just a nice added feature.

-I like that as in the first book, there is a historical parallel story that connects into the present-day treasure hunt Penny and Jeremy go on.

-I like that the supporting characters are as well-written and charming/quirky/troublesome as the main characters, adding dimension and enjoyment to the book.

-I like that this is a fast, easy-reading book that is entertaining without demanding too much of the reader.

-I like that the narrator [I listened to this as an audio book] has the perfect voice and ability to bring the characters to life so the reader feels like they are really THERE with actual people.

If you like light, fun, international-caper-type stories with just a little romance, I highly recommend this series!

[Laura Steinert · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm fine with dragons. Vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, witches, aliens, all fun to read about. I should have like this book but I didn't. I get that this is a fantasy , but I can’t stand the discrepancy or maybe it’s the math that annoys me. The woman who has lived hand to mouth in an underpaid job for several years is given an inheritance. She agonizes about buying a designer dress for an amount “that would feed a family for a year,” but doesn’t blink at spending 800,000 Euro on a yacht and taking on a crew of five whose wages she now has to pay (probably underpay) for years to come. She has a London apartment and a French summer house, but when she wants to buy out her elderly neighbors to own her whole London building she niggles them down to under market price; then embarks on a remodeling project in the hundreds of thousands of Euros range on the building plus another remodel on the French house and garage in addition to a complete overhaul and revamp on the yacht. All this is supposedly within the “spend the principle only “ rule for her inheritance. Somehow her couple million inheritance from the previous book has grown exponentially and now provides her with a couple million Euros per year.

[Kathryn Class · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m sad to have to give this a poor review. I liked he first boom and had high hopes for this one. This book turned out to be the mystery that wasn’t and the love triangle that wasn’t. Technically there was a mystery in the sense of where is the artifact, but the answer to that, though creative, was not very exciting. There was a lot of talk about the history of the artifact and the genealogy of the story’s characters so you know why the artifact is important. That’s about it. There were times while I was listening to this book, while out on my walks, that I would lose focus but I didn’t ever feel the need to rewind. It was easy to feel like even though I half checked out of listening for a few minutes, I still knew what was going on.
I’m so sad to say that this book was boring.
Now I don’t know whether to try the third book in this series or not.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second in the Penny Nichols series. The books are very light, no true perils, romance is understated, but the mystery is somewhat unique. Penny and Jeremy want to have a splurge of their new fortune, so they end up buying a vintage yacht, which leads to the theft of the yacht which leads to figuring out why the yacht might have been stolen. They end up meeting an elderly count who is missing a precious object, a lion made by a special metal working process. The same object is also connected to a family history in Corsica. And it all involves a rare Beethoven manuscript! The families end up being connected and Penny and Jeremy find the object and figure out a way that everyone involved can share the important artifact.

[Colleen Sehy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Rather Curious Engagement brings us the further adventures of Penny Nichols and Jeremy Laidley, the unexpected heirs to a fortune from Penny's Great Aunt Penelope. First encountered in A Rather Lovely Inheritance, Penny and Jeremy are now settling into their new life together. When they use some of their new-found fortune to purchase a 1920s yacht, they soon find themselves sailing the Mediterranean in a race to solve a decades-old mystery linked to the elegant vessel. This is a great book for fans of cozy mysteries. I highly recommend reading A Rather Lovely Inheritance first.

[Maggie Shanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would rate this one a 3.5 if I could. It is the second Penny Nichols story and I would recommend reading this series in order. Penny and Jeremy decide to splurge on an old yacht with their grand inheritance from the first book. Lawyer Jeremy has to decide if he will hang up his shingle or if he will join a new venture with Penny. In the meantime his ex has returned and is raising all kinds of drama. This is a sweet story that totally keeps your interest without anything tawdry or graphic.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Rather Curious Engagement I s a rather delightful distraction from pandemic news bites and sheltering in place. If we can’t go off on vacation, much less take to the Mediterranean Sea on a private yacht, we can at least do it, in spirit, with Penny and Jeremy. Once again, our lovebirds are chasing down a rare art piece. This time it is an aquamanile. There’s a bit of romance between the couple, some romantic tension when Lydia, Jeremy’s ex shows up, and a teeny bit of suspense while they do their research on Corsica.

[Laura Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5. This was just as pleasant of a read as the first book. These are fun mystery books that deals in antiques and rediscovering them. While including a romance that is a huge aspect of the story. Which I personally love. Definitely has a fun set of characters and charming story. Great for when you are wanting a light fun read with mystery, intrigue, romance, familiarity of characters (assuming you read the first book, which you definitely should before reading this one) and comedy. Highly enjoyed!

[Tara Carpenter · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun follow-up on a very charming first novel. I didn't enjoy this one as much but I liked reading more about the characters and how they decide to spend their money and their new lives. I will for sure read the next one but after this installment, I was a little glad there are only 4 books. Hopefully the next one will have the draw of the first.

Almost PG with little language, sex, or violence. Feels very old fashioned even though it takes place rather recently, with cell phones and laptops mentioned.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5

I found this book at a library sale without knowing a single thing about it, I picked it up. I'm so glad I did though! This was a super fun read. It provided enough information that I didn't need to read the first book in order to understand the characters (I didn't know it was part of a series till I looked it up on Goodreads). I could really relate to Penny's curiousity as I too am extremely curious. I really loved the cultural information that was added into the novel.

[Do_81 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Soooo many descriptions of food, dresses, room designs! Yes, we get it: being rich is fun. It is even fun to dream a little when seeing rich people in a movie or magazine. But this novel was at its best describing rich people being mean and snobbish, not when describing in detail another three course dinner. At the yacht when the cook says something about the fish dying a solution is found within two sentences: let's give money to an ocean charity! No more guilty feeling! So easy.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another light, fluffy romantic mystery. Although this is definitely in the realm of "cozy mystery", it's got more in common with historical romances than the usual type of cozy mystery. There's no mysterious dead bodies, and the traveling and lovely venues (Lake Como, Corsica, etc) definitely reminds you of a classy 1930s movie (which the book recognizes and lampshades, a bit).

Another fun beach read!

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second in the series but not quite what I was hoping for. There really was no growth in the writing or the characters—what seemed light in the first book felt shallow in the second. I can’t rate this any better or worse than the first book because it felt exactly the same. Skimming other reviews of subsequent books in the series suggests nothing new to come so I won’t be reading any more.

3/5 stars (I guess).

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pleasant continuation of the series, with Penny and her fiance Jeremy, coming into lots of money and exploring being together. A lovely yacht forms the background to a fun story and the characters we enjoyed in the first book rejoin us here. If you haven't read the first book, go back and read that before reading this. If you enjoyed the first book, you'll enjoy this.

[Dianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is #2 in the series. It's light reading but the story and the writing were solid enough to keep me reading. There were a couple of weak spots where the dialogue was a cheesy, but as long as you aren't expecting literature it's a fun way to pass a bit of time.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Utterly delightful and charming, for me this second tale of Penny and Jeremy was even better than the first. Featuring more travels around Europe, a sweet little mystery, and a gaggle of new (and old) characters to enjoy.

[Laurel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of Penny Nichols and Jeremy on the case again was once again a reliable escape. When life is busy and you have a lot going on, this book is a wonderful escape. It is fun and relaxing story that doesn't make you think to deep. Just go with it.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kindle

[Ellyn (Mrs. Darcy in my Dreams) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Not as good as first, but continuation of same romance often aren’t.

[Melanie Vidrine · Rating 2 out of 5]

A rather silly story!

[Alison Eichler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute. Silly

[Cathy Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second installment of this series is just as good as the first. It adds depth and drama, with that classic, vintage international homage. More fun, more to love!

[Anita Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining with good characters.