Engaging Sir Isaac (Inglewood, # 4)
By: Sally Britton
Publication: February 26th 2020 by Blue Water Books
280 pages
Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction, Regency
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Goodreads description--She swore she would win the baronet’s heart in order to break it, never dreaming she would lose her own in the process.
Millicent Wedgwood will never obtain her rightful place in Society, which means she will never have an advantageous reputation, marriage, or fortune. All because Millie's sister eloped years before. But there is a chance to rise above that disgrace if Millie will take part in a dare. If she can win the baronet who insulted Lady Olivia, and then shatter his heart, she will earn back her position in Society with Lady Olivia’s sponsorship.
Sir Isaac Fox returned from war with one less arm and a weight upon his soul. Where once he easily charmed Society, he now prefers to remain quietly alone at home. With a failing estate to manage, Isaac is determined to be more responsible and less foolhardy, which leaves no time for romance. Certainly no time for the infuriatingly enchanting Miss Wedgwood.
When Millie realizes her game has put her own heart in jeopardy, she risks losing everything she has so desperately sought to replace in her life. And though Isaac refuses Millie's advances, he cannot deny her charm. But falling for Miss Wedgwood would mean reentering society and losing the peace he has found since the war. Can they find a way to heal their hearts together? Or will Millie's deception ruin them both?
Isaac was introduced as a character in book one, as all of the other characters that have ended up with their own books in this series. Through the previous three books he has been morose at worst and merely happy for his friends and family at best. He's been sad and down. And well, that's understandable given the state he returned home from the war in. He was a happy guy before the war and was often engaged in society with parties, dinners, and balls. And apparently he enjoyed them. But he doesn't see much joy in them anymore.
Millie's family has faced society's scorn since her sister broke off an engagement with a duke's son to run off and marry a solicitor. Millie's mother has been pushing her to find a way back into society's good graces by concocting a scheme for Millie to become friends with a daughter of a Marques. Only this young lady has drama and hate in her heart, it seems--most of which is directed towards Sir Isaac, who once spurned her advances. She wants revenge and tasks Millie with finding out any means of ruining Sir Isaac.
I liked that Millie actually confides in Sir Isaac much sooner than I expected about the predicament that she's in. Their relationship was fun to read as it developed. I did find the excuse about using Edith's help to launch Millie back into good society a bit flimsy. But I'm no expert on the ins and outs of regency society. It just felt like an excuse to keep the conflict resolution from being too easy.
I wasn't sure I liked the way the climax was leading. But ultimately, Sally Britton handled the situation differently than I was expecting which I appreciate. And that kept it from being too obvious.
Favorite quotes:
-Millie was used to facing life's difficulties alone. She would manage. She had no other choice.
-"Misery seeks its own, miss," Sarah had said when Millie voiced her confusion. "People can't accept that they're the only ones unhappy. They're jealous, and waste their time trying to make others feel the same, when really they ought to put their energy into fixing their own problems."
Engaging Sir Isaac hasn't been my favorite of the Inglewood series, but I did enjoy it and didn't want to stop reading. I read it quickly given everything that was going on in real life. I liked Isaac from the moment he was introduced back in Rescuing Lord Inglewood, and Millie was a good match for him. She brought out all of his good sides. Engaging Sir Isaac gets 3.5 Stars. Have you read Engaging Sir Issac? What did you think? Let me know!
