What do you think?
Unexpected Engagement
Book by Jessica Steele
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
About the author
Jessica Steele
350 books114 followersJessica 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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 18, 2017
3 star alone for one dialogue by heroine:
“Once I knew I was in love with you nothing on God's earth would tempt me into any man's bed but yours. Yet, on only my second evening here when you just wanted to hold me and hold me,' she hurled back at him, `you not only invite your girlfriend to dinner but when you took her home you stayed out all night!”
Clearly this woman didn't get the HPLand memo!
However I'm glad she voiced her concern and hero apparently suitably assured her that despite being all over him the OW was in fact a babe and JUST an old uni friend he did NOT spend the night with her, in fact he didn't even leave the house. And the OW was present for the heroine's benefit because hero was not so sure he wouldn't jump her despite the presence of an engagement ring on her finger, therefore a chaperone for the dinner was needed.
Now what that says of the heroes morals or lack thereof, I'll let you draw your own conclusions however, neither MCs at least cheated in ANY way. Which was indeed a relief!
Actually I take that back. They did kiss, that is still cheating but the heroine was kinda emotionally blackmailed into the engagement. But it was still cheating. So I don't know anymore.
I'm still going with 3 stars.
“Once I knew I was in love with you nothing on God's earth would tempt me into any man's bed but yours. Yet, on only my second evening here when you just wanted to hold me and hold me,' she hurled back at him, `you not only invite your girlfriend to dinner but when you took her home you stayed out all night!”
Clearly this woman didn't get the HPLand memo!
However I'm glad she voiced her concern and hero apparently suitably assured her that despite being all over him the OW was in fact a babe and JUST an old uni friend he did NOT spend the night with her, in fact he didn't even leave the house. And the OW was present for the heroine's benefit because hero was not so sure he wouldn't jump her despite the presence of an engagement ring on her finger, therefore a chaperone for the dinner was needed.
Now what that says of the heroes morals or lack thereof, I'll let you draw your own conclusions however, neither MCs at least cheated in ANY way. Which was indeed a relief!
Actually I take that back. They did kiss, that is still cheating but the heroine was kinda emotionally blackmailed into the engagement. But it was still cheating. So I don't know anymore.
I'm still going with 3 stars.
January 5, 2021
This was a fun and pleasant surprise
Only in the world of Harlequin can a woman find herself "accidentally" engaged to a long time friend and wonder why she isn't responding to his amorous ways. The hero was well written and rather delicious (sigh). This was a solid four star HQN rating, but I knocked off one star because the ending didn't stand up to the rest of the book.
Ok, enough with the guilty pleasure, I'm off to read books with a bit more substance.
Only in the world of Harlequin can a woman find herself "accidentally" engaged to a long time friend and wonder why she isn't responding to his amorous ways. The hero was well written and rather delicious (sigh). This was a solid four star HQN rating, but I knocked off one star because the ending didn't stand up to the rest of the book.
Ok, enough with the guilty pleasure, I'm off to read books with a bit more substance.
October 21, 2021
Simple cute stuff. The unexpected engagement in the title is between the heroine and her best buddy OM. Childhood buddies , get engaged in an impulsive moment. His parents have just been killed in an accident you see.
But during the engaged period, the OM , a nice fellow too, tries to get a little cozy. And our girl runs away ! She is embarrassed, cant imagine the OM as a lover. Fair enough.
So where does she run off too !!! Chile !@$$@#@#@# Right, the one in South America !
A young naive 22 year old girl wants to take a holiday. Daddy & Mummy happily let her go unescorted to distant Chile. Does she know anybody there? Just a faint business acquaintance. No points for guessing who the acquaintance is.
So our dark , hot Latino man in the tale is a business man in Chile. Has done business with her father in the past. Wine export , that is.
Our young little miss lands up in Chile and has a beautiful surprise for her waiting at the airport! Daddy has faxed the hero to pick her up and take care of her !
But wait, do they know each other already? Oh yes, during one small business dinner at her home, the hero had met our sweet little English miss. And he took an instant shine to her, so did she.
But as soon as the 'engagement with best buddy' was mentioned, the hero starts fuming.
Now he gets the girl to himself for a good 2 weeks. Sweet build up to their romance with simple, predictable scenes but nevertheless enjoyable.
Every time the fellow kisses or touches second base, the damn engagement ring pops up in their view !! So until the OM comes in the end and the engagement is dissolved, the lead pair are always on tenter hooks. Heavily attracted to one another but feel restrained because of the engagement.
Finally, a marathon HEA confession. It was sweet, but really really long, a chronicle of every moment of their time together!
I liked all the characters. Good fun read.
But during the engaged period, the OM , a nice fellow too, tries to get a little cozy. And our girl runs away ! She is embarrassed, cant imagine the OM as a lover. Fair enough.
So where does she run off too !!! Chile !@$$@#@#@# Right, the one in South America !
A young naive 22 year old girl wants to take a holiday. Daddy & Mummy happily let her go unescorted to distant Chile. Does she know anybody there? Just a faint business acquaintance. No points for guessing who the acquaintance is.
So our dark , hot Latino man in the tale is a business man in Chile. Has done business with her father in the past. Wine export , that is.
Our young little miss lands up in Chile and has a beautiful surprise for her waiting at the airport! Daddy has faxed the hero to pick her up and take care of her !
But wait, do they know each other already? Oh yes, during one small business dinner at her home, the hero had met our sweet little English miss. And he took an instant shine to her, so did she.
But as soon as the 'engagement with best buddy' was mentioned, the hero starts fuming.
Now he gets the girl to himself for a good 2 weeks. Sweet build up to their romance with simple, predictable scenes but nevertheless enjoyable.
Every time the fellow kisses or touches second base, the damn engagement ring pops up in their view !! So until the OM comes in the end and the engagement is dissolved, the lead pair are always on tenter hooks. Heavily attracted to one another but feel restrained because of the engagement.
Finally, a marathon HEA confession. It was sweet, but really really long, a chronicle of every moment of their time together!
I liked all the characters. Good fun read.
October 23, 2010
Words fail me.
abrierto-to-read-hr-other
July 23, 2022HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO
A Christmas surprise!
Lysan was miles away from home at this special time of year. She missed her family and friends, but found it all too easy to forget that she was engaged�to a man she could never love. And the longer she spent with Dante, her Latin host, the more she knew she was marrying the wrong man.
Lysan's dilemma became ever more clear: should she carry out her duty to her fiancé and family, or follow her desire for the only man she had ever truly wanted? One thing was certain�this Christmas would be one to remember!
A Christmas surprise!
Lysan was miles away from home at this special time of year. She missed her family and friends, but found it all too easy to forget that she was engaged�to a man she could never love. And the longer she spent with Dante, her Latin host, the more she knew she was marrying the wrong man.
Lysan's dilemma became ever more clear: should she carry out her duty to her fiancé and family, or follow her desire for the only man she had ever truly wanted? One thing was certain�this Christmas would be one to remember!
October 4, 2025
Cute story of an English heroine (22) who, after meeting the Chilian hero (mid 30s) the month before, flies out to Santiago for a spur of the moment holiday after the family receives a letter from him. She's engaged to her childhood friend, but thinks the hot vineyard owner is just the thing to cure her frigidity ;-)
He's jealous, she's jealous (he brings a 'friend' for dinner twice), and in the space of a month they are engaged for a very HEA.
I really enjoy this author basing stories set in South America, as they are of a better quality than her business setting romances.
He's jealous, she's jealous (he brings a 'friend' for dinner twice), and in the space of a month they are engaged for a very HEA.
I really enjoy this author basing stories set in South America, as they are of a better quality than her business setting romances.
May 12, 2026
I have read a lot of Jessica Steele's books, and this didn't feel like any of her other novels. I don't know if it was because it was requested by her publisher and she didn't have much of a say in how the book went, but this is the first novel I've read of hers that I just had to put down. I couldn't even get through a second chapter. It didn't feel like her writing. It wasn't her normal style, and I really didn't like it.
July 30, 2022
3,5 stars?
A blonde blue-eyed Chilean vineyard owner meets a girl of his dreams only to discover she's engaged to a childhood friend.
A blonde blue-eyed Chilean vineyard owner meets a girl of his dreams only to discover she's engaged to a childhood friend.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews