Books › An Engagement of Convenience
An Engagement of Convenience
First published 2000 · 288 pages
A sun-drenched, high-stakes romantic escape built on a house of cards and simmering tension.
What it feels like
Reading this classic category romance feels like stepping into a sun-drenched, high-stakes fantasy where every glance is loaded with tension. The narrative moves at a brisk, engaging clip, driven by the delicious anxiety of a secret identity and the inevitable collision of duty and desire. Set against the lush, romantic backdrop of Tuscany, the atmosphere is both escapist and emotionally charged, wrapping the reader in a world of wealthy patriarchs, sprawling estates, and simmering, unspoken attraction. The prose is accessible and emotionally heightened, leaning into the melodrama of the fake-relationship trope while maintaining a core of earnest vulnerability. It is a perfect, bite-sized indulgence for readers who love the classic dynamic of a commanding hero and an innocent heroine caught in a web of her own making, delivering a satisfying, swoony resolution.
- Mood
- sun-drenched
- tense
- escapist
- swoony
- Tone
- dramatic
- earnest
- romantic
- melodramatic
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- the burden of deception · awakening desire · family duty · vulnerability of innocence
- The writing
- Accessible and emotionally heightened, focusing heavily on internal anxiety and the sensory details of a lush Italian backdrop.
- The arc
- Moves from anxious, high-stakes deception to a simmering, undeniable attraction that culminates in vulnerable honesty.
- Who it's for
- Fans of classic, trope-heavy category romance who crave high emotional stakes, secret identities, and wealthy, commanding heroes.
Content notes
- deception
- mild sexual content
About the book
The fake fiancee... Harriet had been pursuaded to impersonate her friend Rosa. But wealthy Italian Leo Fortinari appeared fooled by Harriet's pretense, and a powerful attraction soon simmered between them. Now he was proposing an engagement of convenience to please his frail grandmother! Harriet didn't dare confess she was visiting Tuscany in her friend's place - and she had no intention of deceiving an old lady...An engagement to Leo would be disastrous. Such desire was dangerous: Leo was bound to realize Harriet was a fake, once he discovered she was a virgin!
Description from Open Library.
Books like An Engagement of Convenience
See why they match
The Millionaire's Convenient BrideCatherine GeorgeA sun-drenched, escapist romance where practical boundaries melt under the Tuscan sun.
Lorenzo's RewardCatherine GeorgeA whirlwind of passionate promises and hidden agendas set against a backdrop of glamorous European romance.
The Mediterranean Husband (Promotional Presents Brides of Convenience)Catherine SpencerA sun-drenched, high-stakes dance of temptation and secrets on the glamorous Amalfi coast.
The Italian's convenient wifeCatherine SpencerA sweeping, trope-tastic marriage of convenience where old flames and hidden secrets collide under the Italian sun.
A Wife of ConvenienceKim LawrenceA high-drama, trope-tastic marriage of convenience where mistaken identity leads to a battle of wills and inevitable surrender.
Italian marriage, in name onlyKathryn RossA sun-drenched, high-stakes marriage of convenience where pragmatic contracts melt under the heat of undeniable Italian passion.