Otherwise Engaged

By: Amanda Quick

Narrated by: Louise Jane Underwood

Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

Miss Amity Doncaster, world traveler, is accustomed to adventure and risk. Benedict Stanbridge, a man of science and a spy for the Crown, has faced danger in the darker corners of foreign lands. But they are about to face a threat that is shockingly close to home . . . One does not expect to be kidnapped on a London street in broad daylight. But Amity Doncaster barely escapes with her life after she is trapped in a carriage with a blade-wielding man in a black silk mask who whispers the most vile taunts and threats into her ear.

Her quick thinking, and her secret weapon, save her … for now. But the monster known in the press as the Bridegroom, who has left a trail of female victims in his wake, has survived the wounds she inflicts and will soon be on his feet again.

He is unwholesomely obsessed by her scandalous connection to Benedict Stanbridge - gossip about their hours alone in a ship’s stateroom seems to have crossed the Atlantic faster than any sailing vessel could. Benedict refuses to let this resourceful, daring woman suffer for her romantic link to him - as tenuous as it may be.

For a man and woman so skilled at disappearing, so at home in the exotic reaches of the globe, escape is always an option. But each intends to end the Bridegroom’s reign of terror in London, and will join forces to do so. And as they prepare to confront an unbalanced criminal in the heart of the city they love, they must also face feelings that neither of them can run away from…

©2014 Jayne Ann Krentz (P)2014 Recorded Books

Meh story. Terrible narration

Not sure what is the matter here. The story Judy did not grip me at all. And the narrator has every voice sounding like a parody of a stuck up upper class Brit. Very annoying. I finished it. I think I’m masochistic. Maybe I need counseling. Read other books by Amanda Quick. Skip this one.

Love

Fast paced very interesting. Intriguing. Great characters. Love this author. Will keep you guessing until the end:

Great story, unnecessary illicit scenes

I really enjoyed the story overall, but was disappointed that there were some illicit scenes. This was my first book from this author, and she writes a good story, but this is not a book I'd feel comfortable listening to with my grandmother or children in the car. The illicit scenes could have easily been removed, and we're unnecessary to the story. I wish they hadn't been there as I really appreciated the rest of the book.

Outstanding!

I have long been a fan of Amanda Quick. From her quirky characters to the plot and dialog. this book delivers it all. I do want to add that I listened to the audio book. The narration was outstanding and actually added to the ambience. Well done!

A great listen! No idea as to who was guilty… Lots of twist and turns.

The surprises, the bold women. The collaborations, and insights between the men. The science of the time which were included.

not jaynes best i listened to it 2x i liked it bet

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

yes i would so they could see what they thought of it

Would you ever listen to anything by Amanda Quick again?

of course

Was Otherwise Engaged worth the listening time?

yes because it's jayne and i've red everybook she';s writen

Love this book!

This is not the first time I have listened to this book. I have to say this is a definite keeper but I'm a huge Amanda Quick fan.

I found the story original and was swept along with Amity and Benedict and their hunt for a killer.

It could have been better

Even though I am an American and no expert of British pronunciation, I'm pretty sure that this was an American narrator doing a bad British accent. I managed to get through it until I got to a character named Warwick, whom she pronounced as she saw it, not as it is pronounced in the UK (I double checked with a British friend just to be sure): Warrick. I don't fault the narrator so much as I fault the producer: help your narrators get it right, for goodness sake! And catch it when they say "irrevelant" instead of "irrelevant." That, and the fact that a female character kept admiring what should be very obvious logic shared by the gentleman that she was interested in, and the fact that she missed very obvious clues herself even though she was supposed to be very intelligent, made this a hard listen. I was disappointed in this offering by the author.

Not so romantic murder mystery

It's nice to see Jayne Anne Krentz take a break from the paranormal theme she's exhausted in her other recent works. The seemingly endless parade of bizarre psychic talents she's been inventing for her heroines was starting to pall.

But apart from that, this is pretty much an Amanda Quick romance by the numbers. The usual elements are all there: unconventional career woman meets rich, scientifically-minded hero and are forced into an engagement of appearances to protect the lady's reputation. They find true love while searching for a mentally unbalanced villain who is killing off the young women of London. Meanwhile, the unconventional heroine's sister is involved in a secondary romance of her own.

After a workmanlike sex scene or two and a few misunderstandings and false starts, the couple declare their love and live happily ever after. They also track down the villain plus accomplices, and save England from foreign threats.

The characters are likable enough, if not quite believable given the historical setting, and there's nothing strictly wrong with the story, but it does feel as though Ms Krentz is losing her interest in the romance genre and wants to focus more on the mystery elements. There is no spark or chemistry between the lovers and the plot surrounding the missing notebook and the murdered women received far more attention.

On the whole it was a formulaic effort but enjoyable enough, and I marked it slightly higher than I perhaps should have, because I'm so happy that there were no mirror talents to be found.

The performance of the narrator is similarly, pretty average. She read competently enough but did not distinguish herself. Perhaps she is new and will improve with time.

Kill the reader

The reader destroyed this book. Her impersonation of a male voice felt like chalk on a blackboard. Every man sounded hoarse and mean with the way she barked. I imagined the males as old men. It was difficult to think that any one of them could be handsome and young. I hoe I never have to sit through listening to this reader ever again. yuck