Otherwise Engaged
*Starred Review* There is nothing Londoners  love more than a good scandal, and Amity Doncaster has given the city’s residents plenty to talk about. While en route home to London, Amity’s Good-Samaritan efforts to take care of Benedict Stanbridge, a wounded fellow passenger on the Northern Star, are transformed into a tawdry shipboard tryst by scandalmongers. When Amity finally arrives in London, she has the misfortune to be abducted by the serial killer known as the Bridegroom for his attacks on women. Thanks to her cool head and a cleverly weaponized lady’s fan, Amity escapes the killer’s clutches, only to find herself once again fodder for gossip. Fortunately, Benedict has the perfect solution. If they pretend to become engaged, not only will it diffuse any of the rumors about their shipboard relationship, it will also allow Benedict to stick close to Amity’s side until the Bridegroom can be stopped once and for all. Neatly complemented by equal measures of smoldering chemistry and lively banter, the action-packed plot is served up with plenty of dramatic flair and just the right dash of dry wit, making this a first-rate addition to Quick’s canon of classic historical romances. --John Charles