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An Eccentric Engagement
Sorrow Marchand has patiently endured the taunts of London society for her bold speech and curious ways, yet it was those very qualities of the sparkling young beauty that caught the eye of the Honorable Bertram Carlyle and ultimately elicited an offer of marriage from him. But the usually candid Sorrow has kept her ludicrously madcap family a well-hidden secret from her betrothed—and now he is coming to visit!
Bertram was an exceedingly suitable suitor, but for all his many fine traits he had been harshly schooled under the oppressive thumb of his father and had meekly embraced many of the man’s conventional attitudes. Upon meeting Sorrow’s family and becoming swept up in the endless swirl of silly chaos, he senses a conflict of epic proportions on the horizon—both within himself and with his father.
As Sorrow grows more concerned that her outrageous relatives will damn her only chance at happiness with a man she truly loves, Bertram must find the courage to defy his very traditional father and become part of a family that’s anything but—and become the man Sorrow always knew he could be.
This novella was originally published as “Sorrow’s Wedding” in the anthology With This Ring.
Bertram was an exceedingly suitable suitor, but for all his many fine traits he had been harshly schooled under the oppressive thumb of his father and had meekly embraced many of the man’s conventional attitudes. Upon meeting Sorrow’s family and becoming swept up in the endless swirl of silly chaos, he senses a conflict of epic proportions on the horizon—both within himself and with his father.
As Sorrow grows more concerned that her outrageous relatives will damn her only chance at happiness with a man she truly loves, Bertram must find the courage to defy his very traditional father and become part of a family that’s anything but—and become the man Sorrow always knew he could be.
This novella was originally published as “Sorrow’s Wedding” in the anthology With This Ring.
121 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 14, 2017
5 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
Donna Lea Simpson
45 books113 followersDonna Lea Simpson is a nationally bestselling romance and mystery novelist with over twenty titles published in the last ten years. An early love for the novels of Jane Austen and Agatha Christie was a portent of things to come; Donna believes that a dash of mystery adds piquancy to a romantic tale, and a hint of romance adds humanity to a mystery story. Besides writing romance and mystery novels and reading the same, Donna has a long list of passions: cats and tea, cooking and vintage cookware, cross-stitching and watercolor painting among them. Karaoke offers her the chance to warble Dionne Warwick tunes, and nature is a constant source of comfort and inspiration. A long walk is her favorite exercise, and a fruity merlot is her drink of choice when the tea is all gone. Donna lives in Canada.
The best writing advice, Donna believes, comes from the letters of Jane Austen. The author wrote, in an October 26th, 1813 letter to her sister, Cassandra, “I am not at all in a humor for writing; I must write on till I am.”
The best writing advice, Donna believes, comes from the letters of Jane Austen. The author wrote, in an October 26th, 1813 letter to her sister, Cassandra, “I am not at all in a humor for writing; I must write on till I am.”
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 22, 2017
Unusual!
I thought about the word 'charming', but that's not quite right. Sorrow Marchand is not charming, she's spirited and insightful and attuned to others. Her world is not 'charming.' It is however forthright, kind and true. We really don't see much of Sorrow's interaction with the ton. What we do see is her interaction with her very unusual family--one that is certainly far from any family her fiancé, the Honorable Bertram Carlyle, has envisioned. We do see is the growth of Bertram and Sorrow's relationship into one of true understanding and appreciation, and for Bertram the coming into being his own man. Until now he's been at the beck and call of his domineering father, Lord Newton. The early arrival of Bertram's father, does put Sorrow through her paces. He's a very overbearing man who's completely thrown by the menagerie that comprises Sorrow's family. There's a lot to unpack in this interesting novella about love and worth and acceptance. Again I come back to the word unusual!
A NetGalley ARC
I thought about the word 'charming', but that's not quite right. Sorrow Marchand is not charming, she's spirited and insightful and attuned to others. Her world is not 'charming.' It is however forthright, kind and true. We really don't see much of Sorrow's interaction with the ton. What we do see is her interaction with her very unusual family--one that is certainly far from any family her fiancé, the Honorable Bertram Carlyle, has envisioned. We do see is the growth of Bertram and Sorrow's relationship into one of true understanding and appreciation, and for Bertram the coming into being his own man. Until now he's been at the beck and call of his domineering father, Lord Newton. The early arrival of Bertram's father, does put Sorrow through her paces. He's a very overbearing man who's completely thrown by the menagerie that comprises Sorrow's family. There's a lot to unpack in this interesting novella about love and worth and acceptance. Again I come back to the word unusual!
A NetGalley ARC
May 26, 2017
3.5 Stars
An Eccentric Engagement by Donna Lea Simpson. This is the story of Sorrow Marchand and Bertram Carlyle.
This story starts after Sorrow and Bertram already engaged and about to marry in three weeks.
Both are so different from the other where Bertram has a strict dominating father. Sorrow is from a very loving family but they have allot of things going on that Bertram father might not be so happy with. Sorrow knows that Bertram won't judge her family and will except them. This was a fun quick read.
"My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read."
An Eccentric Engagement by Donna Lea Simpson. This is the story of Sorrow Marchand and Bertram Carlyle.
This story starts after Sorrow and Bertram already engaged and about to marry in three weeks.
Both are so different from the other where Bertram has a strict dominating father. Sorrow is from a very loving family but they have allot of things going on that Bertram father might not be so happy with. Sorrow knows that Bertram won't judge her family and will except them. This was a fun quick read.
"My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read."
June 2, 2017
This was a sweet story and a very quick read. Sorrow Marchand is engaged to Bertram Carlyle and invites him to her family home for the month before the wedding. All should be well except for how her parents live their lives giving back to others in need. Can the stuffy Bertram look past society's norm and embrace the chaotic mess that is the Marchand home.
When I first started reading the story, I thought I'd been dropped into the middle of the story. There was no usual courtship scenes that are found in most Regency romances, but the more I read, the more I realized that the focus of the story was really Bertram's character. Is he the man that Sorrow believes he can be or will he run away and break the engagement? While I found the plot to be enjoyable, I didn't feel enough time had passed for Bertram and then his snobby father to forget the ton's thinking of what is proper and really embrace the Marchand way of life.
I received a copy of this story in exchange for a fair and honest review.
When I first started reading the story, I thought I'd been dropped into the middle of the story. There was no usual courtship scenes that are found in most Regency romances, but the more I read, the more I realized that the focus of the story was really Bertram's character. Is he the man that Sorrow believes he can be or will he run away and break the engagement? While I found the plot to be enjoyable, I didn't feel enough time had passed for Bertram and then his snobby father to forget the ton's thinking of what is proper and really embrace the Marchand way of life.
I received a copy of this story in exchange for a fair and honest review.
June 4, 2017
Sorrow believes that her betrothed, Bertram, will have no difficulty in accepting the household she's come from. Bertram has been under the thumb of his father his entire life and is intrigued by Sorrow's freedom. Will this pair find love together?
The story is sweet. and I especially liked the fact that when they are first engaged, this pair isn't sure they love each other. They like each other well enough, and in the course of the story, they come to love each other.for who they are.
Due to being a novella, there wasn't a lot of time to develop the side characters as much as I would have liked. Sorrow is done well, as is Bertram, but Sorrow's family seems merely in place to be eccentric and that's all. Bertram's father is disagreeable, as I expected, but the story doesn't allow much time to explain why he is as he was. Or to make the ending really satisfactory.
Still, for a quick, short read, it was enjoyable.
The story is sweet. and I especially liked the fact that when they are first engaged, this pair isn't sure they love each other. They like each other well enough, and in the course of the story, they come to love each other.for who they are.
Due to being a novella, there wasn't a lot of time to develop the side characters as much as I would have liked. Sorrow is done well, as is Bertram, but Sorrow's family seems merely in place to be eccentric and that's all. Bertram's father is disagreeable, as I expected, but the story doesn't allow much time to explain why he is as he was. Or to make the ending really satisfactory.
Still, for a quick, short read, it was enjoyable.
June 10, 2017
I must admit that this book and I, we needed some time to really hit it off. This wasn't my first book by Donna Lea Simpson, I've read others by her that went straight on my "to read again and again"-list but I'm not sure that this book will become a part of that list as well.
The story is sweet and promising and I enjoyed it on the whole but it took me some time. Even though the characters are nice and interesting, they remained somewhat distant and even though I was very happy to see people change and become better men, it happened too quickly and couldn't fully convince me. Nevertheless, I loved to see our hero and our heroine embark on their life together. It was obvious that they were in love and that they belonged together but considering Bertram and his father's attitude, I wasn't completely convinced that love would have conquered it all and so on.
Despite that, it is a sweet story, nice to read and easy to enjoy.
The story is sweet and promising and I enjoyed it on the whole but it took me some time. Even though the characters are nice and interesting, they remained somewhat distant and even though I was very happy to see people change and become better men, it happened too quickly and couldn't fully convince me. Nevertheless, I loved to see our hero and our heroine embark on their life together. It was obvious that they were in love and that they belonged together but considering Bertram and his father's attitude, I wasn't completely convinced that love would have conquered it all and so on.
Despite that, it is a sweet story, nice to read and easy to enjoy.
May 21, 2017
3.5 stars
Sorrow Marchand has caught the eye of the Honorable Bertram Carlyle and ultimately elicited an offer of marriage from him. But the usually candid Sorrow has kept her ludicrously madcap family a well-hidden secret from her betrothed—and now he is coming to visit!
Bertram was an exceedingly suitable suitor, but for all his many fine traits he had been harshly schooled under the oppressive thumb of his father and had meekly embraced many of the man’s conventional attitudes.
I enjoyed this short, sweet clean novella. It was well written & the characters are charming & are well portrayed. The plot is straight forward with the only surprise being Bert’s father’s attitudes. I read the story in one sitting & was a really pleasant way to pass an afternoon. I look forward to reading more from the author
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
Sorrow Marchand has caught the eye of the Honorable Bertram Carlyle and ultimately elicited an offer of marriage from him. But the usually candid Sorrow has kept her ludicrously madcap family a well-hidden secret from her betrothed—and now he is coming to visit!
Bertram was an exceedingly suitable suitor, but for all his many fine traits he had been harshly schooled under the oppressive thumb of his father and had meekly embraced many of the man’s conventional attitudes.
I enjoyed this short, sweet clean novella. It was well written & the characters are charming & are well portrayed. The plot is straight forward with the only surprise being Bert’s father’s attitudes. I read the story in one sitting & was a really pleasant way to pass an afternoon. I look forward to reading more from the author
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
June 4, 2017
Story with a Moral 3.5*
An unusual "Regency" novel and a pleasant enough tale. Sorrow's adoptive parents are philanthropists to the nth degree, taking the elderly and the mentally and physically disabled into their own home. I'm not surprised that this would have made Sorrow unmarriageable but only amazed that it was not the talk of the Ton. Well written story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.
An unusual "Regency" novel and a pleasant enough tale. Sorrow's adoptive parents are philanthropists to the nth degree, taking the elderly and the mentally and physically disabled into their own home. I'm not surprised that this would have made Sorrow unmarriageable but only amazed that it was not the talk of the Ton. Well written story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.
July 12, 2017
A very nice novella that starts with Sorrow and Bertram already engaged, but having to learn about each other and their very different families and up bringings. Enjoyable and well written.
I received an ARC copy of this book from netgalley.
I received an ARC copy of this book from netgalley.
May 18, 2017
Sweet story.
June 2, 2017
I have enjoyed every Donna Lea Simpson novel I have read so far and this novel is no different. Interesting characters with an adorable couple you want a happy ending for.
September 7, 2024
So this was a bit of a non-traditional romance as it takes place after the courtship. Sorrow and Bertram are engaged to be married and the two return to Sorrow’s country home for the wedding. The two are are in the early stages of excitement over a new relationship, stealing kisses and admiring each other — the “puppy love” stage. The actual romance was more told than shown and it unfortunately didn’t work for me.
The romantic aspect seemed to take a back seat to the other two major plot lines: Sorrow’s altruistic family and Bert’s difficult relationship with his overbearing father. Both are decent, but woefully underdeveloped. All conflict was resolved in a few pages with barely any resistance and a lot of moralizing. Not that the message was bad, I appreciated the way that the author chose to approach topics about mental health and the elderly. I liked the Marchand’s way of life, but I think it could have been delivered better.
It also didn’t help that Sorrow annoyed me. Every time she talked to other people to try and explain her views turned into a pretentious lecture. Her insistence on absolute harmony and her willingness to throw everything out of the window if she doesn’t get her way was extremely grating. Creating needless drama for the sake of drama is not a good way to fill pages. Overall its not bad, it’s a cute and clean love story that will appeal to readers with a strong sense of social justice. It was a fluffy and pleasant way to pass the time, but I didn’t feel much of anything while reading it and found it quickly forgettable.
The romantic aspect seemed to take a back seat to the other two major plot lines: Sorrow’s altruistic family and Bert’s difficult relationship with his overbearing father. Both are decent, but woefully underdeveloped. All conflict was resolved in a few pages with barely any resistance and a lot of moralizing. Not that the message was bad, I appreciated the way that the author chose to approach topics about mental health and the elderly. I liked the Marchand’s way of life, but I think it could have been delivered better.
It also didn’t help that Sorrow annoyed me. Every time she talked to other people to try and explain her views turned into a pretentious lecture. Her insistence on absolute harmony and her willingness to throw everything out of the window if she doesn’t get her way was extremely grating. Creating needless drama for the sake of drama is not a good way to fill pages. Overall its not bad, it’s a cute and clean love story that will appeal to readers with a strong sense of social justice. It was a fluffy and pleasant way to pass the time, but I didn’t feel much of anything while reading it and found it quickly forgettable.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews