Ehrenhaft verlobt: Eine zuckersüße historische Regency Romance (Die Bradwell Brüder 3)

Bradwell Brothers #3

by Kasey Stockton

Henry Bradwell hat ein Geheimnis, und Marianne Hutton ist die Einzige, die davon weiß.Henry hat hart daran gearbeitet, seine geheime Identität zu bewahren und seine Tätigkeit vor allen zu verbergen – sogar vor seiner Familie. Doch eine zufällige Begegnung mit einer Familienfreundin, Marianne, enthüllt weit mehr, als ihm lieb ist. Nun ist er nicht mehr der Einzige, der Bescheid weiß … und Mariannes Diskretion hat ihren Preis.

In einem Berufsfeld, das Frauen wenig Wertschätzung entgegenbringt, kämpft Marianne darum, erfolgreich zu sein. Sie braucht selbst ein wenig Hilfe und entwickelt einen Plan, der ihnen beiden Ihr Schweigen im Austausch für Henrys Unterstützung bei ihrer Karriere. Ein paar Monate vorgetäuschter Hofmacherei geben ihnen die Gelegenheit, eng zusammenzuarbeiten – danach gehen sie getrennte Wege. Doch was passiert, wenn das Geheimnis zu schwer zu tragen ist und die falsche Beziehung sich plötzlich gar nicht mehr so falsch anfühlt?

Der dritte Band der Honorably Engaged ist eine Regency-Romanze mit Fake-Dating und sauberer Romantik.

Genres: Romance, Regency, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Historical Romance, Fiction, Historical

351 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 10, 2023

Reviews

[Sydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my highest anticipated books for this year, and it did not disappoint! It had everything I was hoping for and a little more... I was certainly ready for Henry’s story after reading the first 2 books. Though he's quieter and more reserved than his brothers, he is equally as charming and I really enjoyed his story. Marianne was such a delightful character to add to the cast! She was the perfect compliment to Henry; sweet and bookish with a little bit of spunk. There was plenty of witty banter and sweet moments between the two that had me smiling so much. I love how seemingly simple moments are significant in the development of their relationship; the romantic tension was *chefs kiss.* Marianne’s mother made me laugh because my mom is the exact same way when it comes to potential suitors. There are balls, a house party, and plenty of nods to Jane Austen.☺️ And I, of course, loved seeing James and Felicity again!

I just adore this whole series… they’re going to be some of my go-to’s for cozy, low-angst romance reads for a long time.♡

[Tasha (the_clean_read_book_club) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can we take a moment to stop and savor this moment. Honorably Engaged is without a doubt one of THE best books I have read all year. I know we are only coming into April, but this book will definitely be part of my 2023 favorites list! Not to mention my all-time favorite list!

Most readers are of the bookish sort, and these two main characters are as bookish as they get. Happiness for these two is getting lost in their own stories-it's amazing! There is this great rivalry between the two that creates amazing tension and opportunities for witty banter and hilarious inner thoughts.

'It was with great dismay that I discovered what an excellent writer Mr. Bradwell was. I had been prepared to loathe him for eternity on principle, but such would be impossible now that I had an appreciation for his talent.'

Henry is romance challenged and as a writer who is asked to write romance into his books this presents a challenge. I have loved the snippets we see of his character in books 1 and 2 of this series and knew his story would be one of my favorites! His character is so much fun!

'I did not understand women. Not their motives, desires, or what induced them to blink incessantly while lowering their chins. I presumed it was a form of coquetry. What I did not comprehend was the alleged appeal.'

Fake dating has got to be one of the most fun tropes! I loved the bookish references to Jane Austen works and every tutoring session both planned and unplanned as this romance developed! Again, that underlying tension from these rivals was top notch!

"Do you intent to educate me?"
"Yes. I shall tutor you in all things love." I grinned. "We will begin with Pride and Prejudice."
...
'Henry had made it clear that we were friends and friends alone. He was perhaps the first gentleman of my acquaintance whom I would like to pursue a courtship with, and the first who wanted to do so under false pretenses.'

Kasey does such a great job with her character development. I loved being fully entertained while learning more about these two characters. What made them tick, what drove them to follow their dreams, finding out what their hopes were, and watching them discover things they never knew they wanted. The romantic tension is incredible - you will feel all of the feels and you will want to be turning the pages faster than you can read them to get to the ending!

ALL OF THE STARS, ALL OF THE POSITIVE ADJECTIVES, TWO THUMBS UP AND YES, THIS BOOK IS WORTHY OF THE CAPS LOCK!!!

Thanks to the author for the copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Honorably Engaged will be available April 10, 2023!

[Cait | GoodeyReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOOKISH.

BLOG || INSTAGRAM

I always think it’s kind of fun when a book is about books. And these two writers had me pretty smitten with their romance.

The fake dating/engagement worked well here and I liked all of the forced proximity moments it added. It was sweet seeing both Henry and Marianne realize their feelings towards one another and how the mutual pining turned into love.

It was a fantastic audiobook with dual POV narration that I loved. I’m very grateful that the author is able to have the audio release so close to the book release.

There was good tension and I loved seeing the Bradwell family again. The Pride and Prejudice references made me smile and I loved seeing Henry and Marianne work together. The whole story flowed beautifully between them.

Overall audience notes:
- Historical Romance
- Language: none
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: low-moderate
- Trigger/Content Warnings: kidnapping, carriage accident, loss of life, recounting loss of a father

[Meagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great story for Henry! I’ve been wondering how he gets an HEA since Sensibly Wed! This book does not disappoint. I love the bookish hero and heroine, the theme of trust, and getting a glimpse of James and Felicity.

I recommend to those who love historical romance, Jane Austen, and love the previous Bradwell books.You can read this book by itself, but might as well read the other books while you wait. 🤓

Thanks to the author for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

[Julie Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love when I finish a book and I can't stop thinking about it. When I'm still giggling to myself over different scenes and conversations between the characters. Or when I find myself smiling over the sweet relationship and romance. *Happy Sigh* Yes, this book did that to me! I loved it so much!!! There were so many times when I would be reading along and would laugh out loud or giggle and my family would stop and look at me, wondering what was going on. Hee Hee! I'd just shrug, grin and say, "You have to read this book!" That's definitely the mark of a great book for me!

Marianne and Henry are delightful together. They are both authors...secretly. As in, their family and friends have no knowledge of their writings. But when Marianne confronts the publisher over not printing her book yet, she stumbles upon Henry's secret. And she's going to use that secret to help get her book back or printed. She knows what she wants and she's going after it! Poor Henry doesn't know what he's getting into when she offers him a ride home in her carriage (don't worry, her maid is there).

I loved all of the bookish and writing aspects in this story. It was truly delightful. I loved how their paths aligned and created opportunities for them to exchange manuscripts and help each other out, in their rivalry. And of course their rivalry develops to friendship and then on to something more. But the struggle is can they overcome trying to hide their secrets from family? And can they overcome the doubts and uncertainties to step out of their comfort zones and take a chance?

Seriously loved this one so much! I'm sitting here grinning just thinking about so many of these scenes!!! This is the third book in the Bradwell Brothers series but not the first time we've met Henry. I was so excited that he got his own story and it lived up to all the hope I had for it and more!

Grab your copy and settle in for a deliciously fun Regency romantic comedy about all the bookish stuff you could dream of!

Content: Clean. No language or explicit material. Only sweet kisses.

I received a copy from the author. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

[Kristalyne, love.lovely.books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honorably Engaged by Kasey Stockton, book 3 in the Bradwell Brothers series:

“He picked up my hand and placed a kiss on my bent knuckles. “What was that for?” I asked. “Practice?” His blue eyes bore into mine. “I was wondering if I could believably court a woman.”

This book is incredible. What a wonderful romance, with fake dating, bookish main characters, secrets, Jane Austen, family, suspense, and so much swoon. This book has it all! I fell in love with the characters, and I didn’t want to stop reading!

Marianne and Henry enter into a deal that will benefit them both. They start a fake courtship and I loved watching their fake relationship turn to a friendship and so much more! They have so much in common and it was very easy to relate to their bookish ways! Plus there’s a cat named Mr. Darcy and references to Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice! Yes please!

Henry is absolutely swoony, and I want to be Marianne’s bff! The witty banter, pining, sweet moments, and kisses between these two melted me! I loved getting to know them, and I also enjoyed getting to know Marianne’s family! Revisiting the Bradwell family made me so happy because they’re just my favorite!

Read for:
📖Two bookish MC’s that you will fall in love with
📖Fake dating and a deal
📖Dual POV
📖London and a country house party
📖Plot twists and turns that took me by surprise
📖Wonderful family relationships
📖Returning characters from previous books(Eeeee!!!)
📖 The sweetest slow burn romance
📖A touching happily ever after that gave me tears

My favorite part of this story is the character growth Henry and Mari go through and the way they help each other reach their dreams! A truly touching and beautiful story!!! This book deserves all the hearts and all the stars! Thank you for writing this wonderful book and series Kasey Stockton! The Bradwell family has my heart!🥹

Thank you to the author for the arc copy. All opinions are my own.

*Content: some danger and a suspenseful situation, death

[Jeanine Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Let us get you home.”

“In your arms, I am already there.”

*Cue* long drawn out SIGH!!!

Dear sweet Henry, how I have longed for your story. Was it worth the wait? That’s a most definite yes! I knew when I read Properly Kissed last year I needed Henry’s story. He was such a quiet, sweet bookish soul. Then when James swooped in a married Felicity, my heart ached for him. He was so downcast and wounded, but he responded to the shock with the utmost grace and brotherly love. He took his mistake and used that situation to help Ben to pursue his desire of a relationship with Thea. Telling him that he should not wait and risk losing the woman he cared for. So when James and Ben find happiness, Henry was resigned to his lot of single life and his secret occupation. Until a chance encounter with Marianne Hutton.

I loved the dynamic between Henry and Mari. They were wary of each other and determined to keep their secrets, secret. But found that they could serve each other well in order to obtain certain goals. So a fake courtship was begun, with no danger of anyone losing their heart. That’s is until they realize just how compatible and perfectly matched they are. But a surprise suitor and dangerous encounter stand in their way of a happily ever after.

I’m curious if there is a story waiting to be told about Daniel Palmer???

Read this one if you love fake dating, slow burn romance, loving and supportive families, and bookish characters with a little danger thrown in the mix.

[Rebecca Lange · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful in many ways…

A love story with humor, suspense, drama, a villain who gets what he deserves and the perfect happy ending. ❤️❤️❤️

[Kami S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my favorite Bradwell brother book for sure!! It was fun, a page turner, sweet romance and overall good story.

[Roma Cordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely read!

[Brooke Losee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marianne Hutton is determined to see her novel put into print, but when her publisher has spent years sitting on her manuscript, she attempts to purchase it back. The man refuses, but matters become even worse when she runs into a family friend. Now he knows her secret, and she's desperate to keep her writing from her family's knowledge.

Henry Bradwell is no stranger to secrets, and when Miss Hutton offers to help him with the romantic elements of his novel in exchange for both keeping her secret and assisting her in finding a new publisher, he readily accepts. In order to achieve private time together to discuss his manuscript, however, the two of them must enter a false courtship to avoid gossip.

An illusion of courtship has a way of not lasting, though, and what began as pretend quickly turns genuine. But the road to an honorable engagement is fraught with twists and turns that even the most immersive of novels cannot compete with.

OH HENRY! I love him. I really do. So smooth and charming and absolutely the perfect match for Marianne. I adored the premise of this book. Perhaps it is the author in me, but I connected with the characters right away. It was so fun to watch Marianne instruct Henry in the ways of writing romance. Every moment they spent together had me smiling and/or laughing (esp in Henry's POV XD) Having James and Felicity back was FANTASTIC. James is such a goober. I live him, too. And the TWISTS! The twists were so good. Seriously gripping the edge of my chair. Probably wasn't breathing. This was such a great finish to this series, which I hate to even say because I don't want it to be over! Love them Bradwell brothers.

[Anne-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. I liked the other books in the series but this one was slow, kinda boring, and I didn’t believe that Henry and Marianne were in love, even at the end.
The kidnapping seemed very extreme, since there was zero indication that Neal was crazy till that very chapter, and no hint that he presented any danger, even mild, to anyone until 2 chapters before the kidnapping. Like, what?
Daniel was inserted awkwardly at the end, and it was obviously just a set up for another story. I’m all for introducing characters for the next book, but that was jarring. Maybe it would have been better if I had read the prequel??
Otherwise, the premise was cute but I really just wish I could have seen more gradual inspiration in Henry’s writing. One thing was well done, in that I fully believed that Henry didn’t know a thing about romance.

[Melynne (mels_booknook) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh how I love this series and this one was no exception. Such a great story. Loved Henry and Marianne and all they had in common that brought them together. Such a good story.

[Jami Pruitt (My.lovely_readingcorner) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite parts: 
- Ride through Hyde Park
- The Hamilton's ball
- Discussing pirates and kisses, and Pride and Prejudice
- Mrs. Hutton's opera glass
- Rescue at the lake
- Playing chess
- Retrieving the book and note
- In the kitchen
- The baby duck
- Blind man's bluff
- First kiss
- The Epilogue

What a sweet story! I love that Kasey added parts of Jane Austin's history with Publishing as Marianne's story.

I love how Henry and Marianne work together to write and publish their books. I love how they interact with each other and how their relationship grows and depends because of those interactions.

This is the third book in The Bradley Brothers series. It can be read as a stand-alone.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book by Kasey Stockton, even though it is too light in the romance department for my taste. Marianne and Henry are the best couple together so far...although I still love James from the first book. They both love books and are secretly writing books and the best part is that they each tell the other to do things that they themselves won't do - something I think we often do. Captain Neil's abduction is a little absurd, but it's over quickly and things move on ok. It's still

[RD · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars for this engaging story! Marianne and Henry discover they have a secret in common. They join forces to help each other accomplish their goals and in doing so form a friendship. Their tender relationship blooms — with a little prodding. An unexpected twist adds a bit of drama I didn’t see coming.

I really love the honorable characters of Marianne and Henry. I can relate to their love of books, writing, and playing the “puppeteer” behind the characters they create. I like the sweet way their relationship slowly progresses — until, one evening it’s forever changed (that was a surprise).

This is the third book in the Bradwell Brothers series and it is nice to read them in order but not necessary to enjoy this book. For a reader who has read them all, it is delightful to see James and Felicity from book 1 again. I recommend this book to fans of clean Regency romance.

I also recommend reading the Author’s Note at the end of the book for a fascinating bit of Jane Austen history that served as inspiration for a part of the story.


I received a digital copy of this story to review. This is my honest opinion.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stop the presses! Henry’s book is here!!
After waiting so long, we finally get to experience Henry’s story: the lovable, quiet, bookish, but mysterious Bradwell brother whom we met in all the previous books.

Henry has a secret, but so does Marianne. They both end up in a bit of a bind and decide that helping each other out is the best solution. If you enjoy a fake-relationship trope, with a peppering of a love triangle, sprinkled with a ode to book lovers, you will love this entertaining but squeaky clean love story. I love finding stories that I can recommend to my teenage niece!

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one! The ending did seem to go on a little too long, but this book finally got me out of a reading slump. If you haven't read the first in this series, I highly recommend that one!

Happy I picked this up!

[Kelly Quiroz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane Austen's Kindred Spirit

Jane Austen's books are full of romance, yes, but also intrigue, coincidences, and tangled webs of connection. Few modern writers seem capable of this level of storytelling, but Kasey Stockton is the happy exception. I think Miss Austen would be heartily impressed, and would find a kindred spirit in Ms. Stockton. Brava, indeed!

[Liza Buddenhagen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely Delightful

The characters are so likeable, even lovable! Henry is a dream. The adventure and drama was unexpected but certainly enjoyed. I recommend reading the entire series.

[Zoë Ann Book Queen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 magical little stars

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the first 2 books in the series, I was looking forward to read Henry's story. It was sweet, and I imagine it was fun for the author to write a bookish storyline. It was a sweet romance.

[Elevetha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll be honest, I'm getting a little tired of the "forced engagement/marriage" trope. It's a good trope, but I've now stumbled upon dozens of them in this genre and it's getting old.

[Book of the Universe · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐

[Madison Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite of the series, but it was still a fun story!

[Susanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een mooie afsluiter van de serie en het is erg leuk dat Henry's verhaal helemaal over boeken ging. Was weer een hele leuke read!

[MK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honorably Engaged is the book in the series I’ve been waiting for. We met Henry Bradwell in the first book, and I know I was so disappointed when he didn’t get a happily every after, yet I also loved how the first book turned out. In each book (and novella) I’ve observed Henry wondering if he was happy and how his story would end.

I was not disappointed! I loved the closure he found in this book as he chases his dreams and meets someone that shares his dreams with him. Add into his story a fake relationship and a little enemies to lovers for an absolutely compelling story I couldn’t put down.

I loved all the bookish references for these two book lovers. I loved their character development as they learn and grow together and as their pasts are slowly revealed for a more complete understanding of who they are and why they act the way they do. The turning point of recognizing their feelings for love was beautiful! What a fantastic addition to this beautiful series!

[Kiri Dawn]

Started but didn't make it very far. This is the book/series that convinced me to figure out what tropes do and do not work for me with regency romance.

[Amanda Morrill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I completely fell in love with this story! I love the nod to Jane Austen and I feel like Marianne was a little bit like Jo from Little Women. She is trying to publish her book but it was hard for women to do so. Henry was an accomplished writer, although he hid it with a pen name, but his editor wants more romance that Henry can’t write. Marianne and Henry come together to help each other out in the form of a fake relationship. All this time spent together made them realize their true feelings. All I can do is sigh. I have loved this whole series!!

[Sarah Woodrome · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a hot minute but I finally finished. I realized, some of these characters also blend into Stockton’s other novels. It was a pleasant surprise but I had also realized that I read one out of order. Haha.

Once I got into the book, I enjoyed Henry and Marianne’s story. There was an underlying story with Felicity and James which I’m curious is Stockton will consider writing on but only time will tell.