An Accidental Engagement

by Jessica Steele

While she was sleeping...

Claire Farley wakes in hospital to find her memory has deserted her. Yet the biggest shock is her discovery that she's wearing a diamond engagement ring! Claire's fiance is the wonderful Tye Kershaw--he's perfect husband material: caring, kind, not to mention handsome!

She accidentally got engaged

But when Claire's memory floods back there's one piece of the jigsaw that doesn't slot into place--she's never, ever laid eyes on Tye before. So why is she now living in his house, wearing his ring--and sharing his bed...?

Genres: Harlequin, Romance, Hqn, Harlequin Romance, Contemporary Romance

Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 2003

About the author

Jessica Steele was born on May 9, 1933 in the elegant Warwickshire town of Royal Leamington Spa. She has two super brothers, Colin and George, and a lovely sister, Elizabeth. She was a delicate child and missed a lot of school. In fact, she left school at aged 14, when she was diagnosed as having tuberculosis. At 16, she started work as a junior clerk. In 1967, Jessica married with her husband, Peter and within a very short space of time they had moved from her hometown to the lovely area where they now live. Their house is built into the side of a hill, and has beautiful views over more hills and valleys. Her brothers and her sister are very close and she has plenty of nephews and nieces to make up for the fact that she and her husband have no children of their own. Both she and her husband are more than a little dog-oriented, and their current dog is a Staffordshire bull terrier named Florence. Florence is gorgeous. She loves everybody but, since she is 40 pounds of dynamite and would hurl her boisterous self at everyone she meets - given half a chance - she has to be restrained (as much as possible). She is fun.

Her husband spurred Jessica on to her writing career, giving her every support while she did what she considers her five-year apprenticeship (the rejection years) while learning how to write. She published her first books in 1979. Jessica has tried using a typewriter, but it just doesn't work for her. She is much happier writing in longhand, and in actual fact has a dozen or so fountain pens filled and ready to go at the start of any one session. A friend has a secretarial agency and, after deciphering Jessica's writing, returns an immaculately typed manuscript. To gain authentic background for her books, she has travelled and researched in Greece, Russia, Egypt, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Hong Kong, China and Japan.

Reviews

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars ~ From the start, I knew that this romance was going to draw me in, even though I could see knew exactly where Ms. Steele was leading. Our heroine wakes up in hospital with amnesia and unknown to her, no one knows her real identity, so they've named her Claire. She draws an obvious conclusion that the engagement ring on her finger means she's engaged and as she's only had one visitor, a rather dreamy young man, she asks him if they're engaged. He introduces himself as Tye, and admits that he's the one who put the ring on her finger. But when her amnesia doesn't resolve and she's physically well enough to leave the hospital, there's no place for her to go, but Tye assures her that she belongs with him and he whisks her off to his home in outside of London. It turns out the specialist that is her doctor, happens to by Tye's step-brother, and Tye claims that the orders are that their engagement is to be platonic until she's gotten a clean bill of health. Claire wonders about her life and why Tye keeps evading her questions about her family and about their past together, and after a few weeks, she starts to have deja vu moments and night terrors begin. One disturbing night she flees her own bed and begs Tye to let her sleep with him, and only in his arms does she finally find peace. Waking in the morning, the fog in her brain has lifted and now she's alarmed because she knows that before waking in the hospital, she'd never seen Tye before.

Ms. Steele loves her innocent heroines that charm her white knight heroes. Larch (I much prefer Claire) wakes with all her memories and also with the realization that she's fallen in love with Tye. But she doesn't understand why a complete stranger would take such good care of her. Tye is a hero who was smitten from the moment he'd seen her as an accident victim in his step-brother's hospital. While in her coma, he visits her, and can't seem to stay away. There is a bit of a trauma twist that contributed to Larch's amnesia that gives some angsty moments. Mostly though the story revolves on innocent Larch hiding her feelings and Tye afraid to rush her. Sweet, cheesy at times, but seems I'm a sucker for Ms. Steele's brand of romance.

[Trenchologist · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one put me much in mind of JS' "The Girl From Honeysuckle Farm," from the outlier status of the plot tropes, to wondering if JS felt more comfortable in "contained" worlds as she was farther and farther from the modern workplace, to my assertions that if it's a JS it's an old skool / vintage harlequin in style, theme, heat level, etc, and should be too for reader expectation, regardless the pub date (this one, 2003).

So, here's my review for Honeysuckle--including the yes-it's-from-the-aughts-but-it's-definitely-a-throwback thoughts: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The lead in this one (also named Tye, lol) is sweeter and gentler. But he's also given far less reason to confront and snarl while feeling irrational jealousy and all-at-sea longing than in Honeysuckle, because the heroine hardly interacts with anyone and sticks close to home.

The heroine goes through a lot but has that certain kind of JS backbone of not wanting to be idle or a burden, and despite all the trauma, she's less of a muddle than the heroine from the first 'surprise inheritance' book I read a few days ago. Points to her.

This one flows along without any rapids. I was a bit blink-blink at how bluntly JS treats the brother-in-law's cruelty; JS doesn't shy away from anything, but the details are all dispensed in her signature quick handling, and it was kinda jarring to learn everything, wipe our hands of him, and move on.

But move on we do, and I was relieved the heroine had good reason to leave the hero's home other than "misunderstanding and she flees." And that they got to have their Final Chapter Grovel (more reveals, confirmations, and explanations) somewhere private and lovely, rather than an airport lounge or hotel lobby.

I liked the hero's moment of unguarded whim to try the ring on her finger. (I mean, why not; many a romance has far odder or more strained credulity contrivances and moments.) And you get the impression that once he saw it there he was like well that's that, then, and how I want things for always. And in true JS hero fashion, worked like heck to make it so in the end. She fit with him as perfectly as the ring fit her finger, and needs and has earned having shelter and cossetting and loving, just as he needs more than work and chasing ambition--so a very HEA to them indeed.

-- Adding: JS continues to leave some things to be desired when it comes to scene geography.

-- This is a really great phrase: "Then, while she was feeling pink, red, all colours, he had taken a hold of her right hand and was preventing her from going anywhere."

// this also called to mind Stanford's "A Stranger's Kiss," most certainly as it's one of my fave-of-fave vintage harlequins. In Kiss the heroine doesn't have amnesia, but she does get into an accident, winds up in hospital, and the hero rescues her and then is compelled to take care of her in a swamped by love at first sight encounter that builds as she takes necessary shelter--and a 'fake' marriage--with him in recovery. Definitely give it a read if you can track it down.

[ABookAddictHere · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read, sweet story.

[Last Chance Saloon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inoffensive, but insipid.
Heroine (23) gets hit by a car - which is about the only exciting thing that has ever happened to her. She’s been looking after her sick mum since the dad said she should aged 16, as had never even been kissed/been on dates/done anything. As a result, she is boring. Now dad and mum are dead and she lives with her managing sister and her pervy husband.
The hero (37ish) calls her “my dear” in that dull Sara Seale older man way, but you can tell he is smitten (but without the old school Jessica Steele artic looks and smouldering jealousy -the best bits). Yet, he is also boring, despite having had several affairs, is running his own business and travelling places.
There is zero chemistry between them, just tender love better suited to an elderly couple falling in love in their twilight years. The amnesia plot (a vintage trope I love) was wasted.
2 1/2 stars.

[Natha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aku tidak pernah (atau jarang sekali) menemukan seorang hero yang manisnya bikin meleleh dari ujung kepala sampai ujung kaki kaya begini. :P Biasanya, dalam buku-buku HQ, selalu tokoh heronya punya sifat seperti banteng binal yang mabuk, yang ini sama sekali tidak. So cute. :))) Yah, tapi too good to be true, unfortunately. Tapi semua buku juga begitu khan? Jadi tidak apa-apa deh, sekali-sekali menyenangkan diri sendiri dengan membaca buku yang auranya slow dan tenang seperti ini. Kekurangan satu bintang, karena aku tidak terlalu suka dengan plot 'kebetulan' yang melibatkan kedua tokoh utama kita di sini, rasanya agak weird, aku butuh lebih banyak drama. :)))
Overall, buku ini bagus untuk dibaca. xD

[E Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite possibly my favourite JS ever (I know I've said that before but I mean it this time).

Somewhat unethical behaviour from the doctor surely, even though he knew his step brother was 100% decent (maybe he could have got away with in the 1960s but when this was written ?)however a lovely love story with a super hero. Why aren't men like him IRL?

I actually cried at the end of this. It's a keeper, just like Tye.

[Rizqiana N. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meskipun versi terjemahan, ceritanya tetap mudah dipahami. Tema dan alur tidak pasaran. Penyampaiannya detail tapi tidak membosankan. Romantis tapi tidak berlebihan. Keseluruhan cerita, aku suka sekali ✨

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's weird. Trus si ML double standard parah. Tau FL trauma sama kejadian terakhir, tapi ya begitulah. Ugh the ML frustrates me. Bentak2 trus tiba2 baik. FL nya juga malah cinta lagi 😭 apaan coba iniii

[Nadia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh my! It was such a promising beginning and then this... It was much better when she didn't remember anything. Sister's cheating and abusive husband was such a cliché.

[Davinia Vicente · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tirando a malo.

[Aishi Lely · Rating 2 out of 5]

awalnya cerita terlihat menarik, baca bukunya nyantai. tapi karena terlalu berkutat cerita tentang kehidupan larc sebagai clair saat hilang ingatan jadi monoton dan membosankan. larch cewek yang terpaksa putus sekolah di usia 16 tahun untuk merawat ibunya yang sakit dan diprediksikan akan meninggal dalam waktu dekat.sesaat setelah kematian kedua orang tuanya.kakak iparnya mencoba memperkosanya. untungnya larc dapat melarikan diri.tapi dasarnya apes jadi kecelakakn,akibatnya hilang ingatan. gak sengaja karena kesalah pahaman perawat seorang laki2 dikira tunangannya. tapi laki2 ini karena ingin menolong, larc dirawat sampe sembuh dan saling jatuh cinta.
jadi beneran ni..pepatah bilang cinta karena terbiasa..??? dan tiap orang ceenderung ingin melupakan hal buruk yng menimpa.sikap larc yang benar2 setia ke keluarga patut dibanggakan.

[Noah Oanh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too bad to read it again, especially today! Illogical, heroine with weak character shows the way to run away from love completely crazy. I just dun like to read this book again!

Truyện này lằng nhằng quá, thể hiện phẹt ra luôn tình cảm đi cho rồi. Hai người cứ vật vờ kiểu này người đọc cũng thấy mệt :-< Cho 1 sao vì cái ý tưởng của cốt truyện nhưng cách thể hiện không mới. Nói chung đọc lần nữa vì không nhớ đã đọc quyển này chưa, đúng là phí thời gian :-S

[Marimarime · Rating 1 out of 5]

No idea why I read this one,some mistake researching books and ratings,probably mistaken title. This is utterly boring,no sex,no angst, no talking,no kissing,no plot-what the heck have I put effort to read? Oh yes it¨s amnesia themed. So they dance round eachother for 200 pages keeping attraction secretive to prevent being hurt... And they are living in the same house trough the story and she accepst proposal... Sorry, I havent taken in the fact that I finished it yet!

[Ridez Meiriza · Rating 2 out of 5]

percintaannya agak g masuk akal :(

[Gwen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lire si on a rien d'autre à lire ou à faire....
J'ai relu le début et je dois dire que le ça m'a gonflé....du moins le peu que j'ai lu...

[Titi Sanaria]

Memang tidak punya ekspektasi lebih untuk genre ini tapi sedikit kecewa dengan alurnya yang luambaaattt....