This final installment in the Regency Spies series did not disappoint! I loved the action, the suspense, and the romance that abounded in the story. Felicity is a great main character and I loved that she was willing to aid in spying, which was so uncommon in the regency era. Dickerson definitely takes you on ride of twists and turns. From heart-pounding moments and suspense like you cannot believe, A Dangerous Engagement will have you engaged until the very end! I received a copy of this book for free; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Dangerous Engagement is a classic Dickerson book. Melanie Dickerson may not write books that would be considered great American novels, but she consistently writes books that are just plain fun. She beautifully straddles the line between Christian and secular fiction by making faith important to the characters but not preaching to the readers.
A Dangerous Engagement follows Felicity as she visits her aunt's ccountry home. While there she discovers that her host and her recent fiance are plotting to overthrow the government. Thankfully there is already a goverenment agent at the estate. Philip has been trying to infiltrate the group of revolutionaries. Together they must stop the rebellion from taking place.

An illegal reformists´s secret circle - and a girl in the midst of the dangerous engagement.

Felicity falls for an interesting man - yet the man is not what he seems to be. But for the sake of catching the traitors, Felicity needs to stay in the engagement which is not safe for her anymore.

This third novel in The regency Spies of London is somehow inspired by the Jane Austen´s Northanger Abbey - but the plot is unfortunately much weaker. While I think that Ms Dickerson is going in the right direction with the more mature themes of her novels, a certain naivete still stays within her books.
So while I love the appealing Regency period, I would wish for even more maturity of the main characters.

About this book:

“Just as merchant’s daughter Felicity Mayson is spurned once again because of her meager dowry, she receives an unexpected invitation to Lady Blackstone’s country home. Being introduced to the wealthy Oliver Ratley is an admitted delight, as is his rather heedless yet inviting proposal of marriage. Only when another of Lady Blackstone’s handsome guests catches Felicity’s attention does she realize that nothing is what it seems at Doverton Hall.
Government agent Philip McDowell is infiltrating a group of cutthroat revolutionaries led by none other than Lady Blackstone and Ratley. Their devious plot is to overthrow the monarchy, and their unwitting pawn is Felicity. Now Philip needs Felicity’s help in discovering the rebels’ secrets—by asking her to maintain cover as Ratley’s innocent bride-to-be.
Philip is duty bound. Felicity is game. Together they’re risking their lives—and gambling their hearts—to undo a traitorous conspiracy before their dangerous masquerade is exposed.”


Series: Book #3 in “The Regency Spies of London” series. Review of #1 Here! and #2 Here!


Spiritual Content- Scriptures are quoted & mentioned; Many Prayers & Thanking God; Church going; Talks about God; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God; Mentions of thanking & praising God; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of those & events in the Bible; Mentions of Christians, their duties, & faiths; Mentions of missionaries & the possibilities of becoming one; Mentions of churches, church going, clergymen/rectors, & sermons; Mentions of a book of prayers; A few mentions of Providence; A couple mentions of Bibles; A couple mentions of blessings & being blessed; A couple mentions of angels; A couple mentions of saints; A mention of Heaven; A mention of biblical beliefs; A mention of a miracle; A mention of monks;
*Note: A few mentions of pagan rituals & an altar; A mention of damning information.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a form of ‘idiot’, and two forms of ‘stupid’; A bit of sarcasm; Some eye rolling; Finding a murdered body & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Fighting, being hit/punch/slapped, pain, injuries, blood/bleeding, held at gunpoint, tied-up, & searched (up to semi-detailed); Being poisoned (barely-above-not-detailed); Passing out; All about mentions of wars, spies, traitors, rebellions/revolutions, treason, arrests, unlawful activities, violence, arguments, bloodshed, fighting, injuries, & deaths; Many mention of the possibility of being murdered/killed, stabbed, or poisoned (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a murdered body, coming upon it, blood/bleeding, how it happened, the murderer, & screams (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of fighting, being held at gunpoint, someone being hit, being poisoned, pain, injuries, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of killing; Mentions of hangings, beheadings, & the possibility; Mentions of planned assassinations & murders; Mentions of thieves & stealing; Mentions of hunting & hunts; Mentions of alcohol, drinking, & drunks; Mentions of lies, lying, liars, & deceit; Mentions of gossip & rumors; A few mentions of a wife killing her husband (up to semi-detailed); A few mentions of card games, gambling, & debts; A couple mentions of a pregnant woman who was beaten & starved by her husband (she lost the baby as a result); A couple mentions of a work accident & death (barely-above-not-detailed); A couple mentions of prejudice & insensitive comments; A couple mentions of wanting to punch someone’s nose & it bleeding; A couple mentions of enemies.


Sexual Content- four hand kisses, seven cheek kisses, three forehead kisses, two almost kisses, five not-detailed kisses, eight barely-above-not-detailed kisses, and three semi-detailed kisses; Wanting to kiss someone (barely-above-not-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Dancing, Nearness, & Warmth/Heat (up to semi-detailed); Blushes; Noticing, Staring, & Smelling; Many mentions of kisses, almost kissing/kisses, kissing, & seeing couples kissing; Mentions of Philip’s brother who got a maidservant pregnant; Mentions of a wedding night, the marriage bed, & a physical relationship (no details); Mentions of touches, wanting to touch, & seeing couples touching; Mentions of men taking advantage of/liberties with women; Mentions of noticing & staring at lips; Mentions of reputations, impropriety, & scandals; Mentions of flirting & flirts; A few mentions of loose morals; A few mentions of blushes; Love, falling in love & the emotions.

-Felicity Mayson
-Philip McDowell
P.O.V. switches between them
Set in 1815
297 pages

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars
Ooooh, Felicity is a spy as well in this novel like Julia was in the first book of this series! While I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the second book, I did still really enjoy it! I was for sure hooked into the plot about two pages in because Felicity had already won me over completely due to that fact she’s learn Chinese and is thinking about the idea of becoming a missionary in China. Love her! I also thought it was interesting that she’s number 12 of 13 children in her family. The whole plot had adrenaline running throughout it, which kept me fully involved in the story. It was a bit kissy-er than other books by this author, but that was because of the dangerous engagement. ;)
I’m so sad that this series is over now, but it was such a pleasant and enjoyable series by Melanie Dickerson!


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Author for this honest review.

I'm quite new to the writings of Melanie Dickerson. I read the first book in this series and really enjoyed it. When I saw that the last book in the series was being offered, I jumped at the opportunity. I'm always up to read a regency or historical romance.

The heroine is this book is Felicity Mason. Felicity has been continually shunned by the opposite sex (in regards to proposals) because she is of little fortune. She is asked by her Aunt Lady Blackstone to a stay at Doverton Hall not knowing the coup that is transpiring there. Felicity and her Aunt Agnes go for a stay. In no time she accepts the proposal from Oliver Ratley. A weasel of a man that Lady Blackstone has coerced to marry Felicity for her own agenda.

Soon there after, Felicity meets Phillip who is trying to upend the wayward and dangerous rebels. Philip sees Felicity for all she is and wants to help her and her Aunt, but can't jeopardize his mission.
Felicity is all over the place in this book. One reviewer mentions she goes from skittish to brave back to skittish and I completely agree. She's so taken by Ratley's non judgmental view of her dowry that she immediately says yes to his proposal without knowing much about him. All the fainting.....

I enjoyed the read. Phillip was my favorite character. The reader was able to watch him fall in love with Felicity. I wish Felicity's character wasn't so bumbled because, when we see her progression at the end, she backslides so much I didn't know how to feel about it, I should've been cheering.

I was provided an eArc by Waterfall Press via Netgalley.

I enjoyed this book, but I don't think it really stands out for any great reason. The author does a really nice job continuing with setting/characters established in the first two books of this series, but I don't think I'll go out of my way to read it again. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the story, and I genuinely enjoyed it.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.

Felicity Mayson’s marriage prospects are grim. Though from a well-respected family, she is one of thirteen children, and as such cannot expect much as a marriage settlement. When her relative Lady Blackstone invites her and her Aunt Agnes to come and stay with her, Felicity and Agnes gladly accept. But when they arrive there are very few women, and Lady Blackstone seems intent on making match between Felicity and Mr. Ratley.

But when someone is murdered on the premises, Felicity begins to wonder if there is more to this social gathering then at first appeared. And can she trust Phillip Merrick the man who seems intent on thwarting Lady Blackstone and Mr. Ratley’s plans?

If you have read the companion books to this one, you will instantly recognize Felicity, faithful and kind-hearted, friend to Julia and Leorah. Though the third in a series, this book stands well on its own, full of intrigue, conspiracy, romance, and revolution.

Felicity is kind and thoughtful, which can be mistaken by others for malleability, but she is stronger than others see. She stands strong for her convictions and faith, refuses to be complacent, and fights for what is right. I like her quick thinking, and daring, she takes her faith and living it out very seriously.

I think that Aunt Agnes surprised me the most, under her bookish exterior is an excellent actress and daring heroine.

Phillip comes to Lady Blackstone’s party with a mission on his mind, he wants to do everything he can to keep the innocent safe while bringing the conspirator’s to justice. He is honorable, daring, and respectful, ever the gentleman in a world of intrigue and questionable standards.

Overall, a fun regency era read, rife with conspiracy. Felicity faces her biggest challenge and must use her wits to survive Lady Blackstone’s party. I’ll admit that it wasn’t my favorite of the series, but I did find Felicity to be one of the more relatable heroines of the series due to how she didn’t have a big dowry, and how difficult it was for her to make a match despite being part of society. Great conclusion to a fun series. Perfect for teen girls, especially because of how it deals wisely with relationships, courage, and doing the right thing.

A wonderful conclusion to a fabulous series. Melanie Dickerson is an amazing storyteller...with a limitless imagination. Love her work...I know you will too.

Our favorite regency ladies have been weighing the cost of waiting for love against the benefits of marrying for financial security since Lizzy and Jane. Unfortunately, not all gentlemen are Darcys and Bingleys, reader friends!

Felicity Mason is just about the sweetest girl-next-door y’all can imagine. She’s also a tad bit naive, bless her heart. Phillip McDowell is our resident undercover spy but he’s no James Bond. He’s a natural at keeping his cool, highly trained, and completely devoted to his monarch and country.

Dickerson draws readers into the suspenseful plot and softens the edges with a sweet romance. This is an excellent conclusion to a wonderful series!

I borrowed this title. The opinions expressed are my own.

Award-winning author Melanie Dickerson pens a conclusion to her Regency suspense series.

In A Dangerous Engagement, Felicity Mayson receives an invitation to Lady Blackstone’s country manor, Doverton Hall. She is flattered by the attention of wealthy Oliver Ratley and his marriage proposal. She doesn’t realize the political undercurrents among her aunt’s guests until she meets Government agent Philip McDowell. Philip is undercover as a guest at Lady Blackstone’s party. Lady Blackstone and Ratley are the leaders of a revolutionaries and Felicity is their pawn. Philip convinces Felicity to maintain his cover. Both are risking their lives to uncover the conspiracy before their government is overthrown.

Dickerson is known for her historical detail and rich characters. The plot is typical of a Regency romance, but Dickerson weaves in plot twists and turns. The romance is wholesome, and the faith element is clear but not preachy, making this is a good choice for teen and adult readers.

All the feels! I loved this book. It started a bit slow for me but it quickly picked up speed (and tension and adventure!). I loved the natural progression of the relationship between Philip and Felicity, and the wrap up is so romantic!

Just the right amount of romance and danger as Philip and Felicity team up to try to stop an attempt to takeover the government. I enjoyed this book from beginning to end.

I love a good Regency Romance but this one didn't do anything for me. In fact, I didn't even finish it. The cover is absolutely stunning but it's contents were not. I just couldn't get into it. The story sounded good but I found it to be not very engaging and the writing seemed 'Middle school'.

Felicity is in search of a husband. Her parents send her to her aunt’s home, Lady Blackstone for a party and she meets Ratley. She find out she is caught up in a conspiracy and Philip McDowell is there to spy on them and turn them in. He enlists Felicity’s help to get more information. A book filled with mystery, spying, danger and some romance!

With her small dowry, Felicity Mayson begins to despair of ever making a good match. When her aunt, Lady Blackstone, sends her an invitation to a house party and introduces her to the charming and affluent Oliver Ratley, Felicity begins to believe she may have finally found a man who does not mind her lack of fortune. She accepts Ratley's abrupt proposal only to discover the alarming purpose of the house party and its guests. Rather than a country getaway, Lady Blackstone has convened a meeting of a radical group of men and women bent on a violent overthrow of the British government.

Government agent Phillip McDowell has infiltrated the group, and soon discovers Felicity's dangerous position. In order to gather necessary evidence against the group, Phillip convinces Felicity to continue her engagement with Ratley. Will they each be capable of playing this dangerous game without any of the guests discovering their true intentions? Will Felicity be forced into a hasty marriage to a terrifying revolutionary? Will the respect and admiration Phillip and Felicity develop for one another ever have a chance to grow amid such intrigue?

Melanie Dickerson takes readers of a thrilling adventure in A Dangerous Engagement. This was my first experience with Dickerson's Regency Spies of London series, and I found that the strengths and weaknesses in her various medieval series have followed her to this one. Her historical descriptions and overall storytelling is, once again, excellent. Character development? Still flawed. As always, I admire her male characters, and continually wonder what they see in the female love interest. While Felicity manages to be function as a spy in a dangerous situation, she still makes stupid decisions (that of course require her to be rescued) and often faints. Why can't one of Dickerson's female leads be strong and independent for once? My inner feminist wants more to cheer for. Overall, though, Dickerson's latest is a fun, entertaining story with a satisfying conclusion.

Thoughts:

In A DANGEROUS ENGAGEMENT (The Regency Spies of London Book 3), Melanie Dickerson transports her readers back to the Regency Era in London and douses us with mystery, intrigue, and suspense!

This time in history encompasses war and tumult, from the Civil War in America to the French Revolution, but England is just beginning to face its own dangerous unrest!

The calls sound for revolution from many sites near and far and the streets of London show poverty surrounding wealth as the Season begins. Felicity Mayson is used to being overlooked for both dances and marriage. She’s from a family with thirteen children and would have a little dowry. The young men during this time want a marriage of money, leaving her and others nearly excluded from the competition. Felicity studies another language to become a Missionary, but an invitation arrives requesting her presence at a distant relative’s estate. Apparently, she thinks, they do not have enough women to turn down. However, this is far from the case upon her arrival as the meetings with those of means are far from difficult.

In fact, one already is showing interest despite her dismal financing. Being viewed as other than flawed is a heady experience, and Felicity soon swoons from romance while a new arrival is bringing back memories of her home in London.

Philip McDowell implants himself into a group of well-financed and well-stocked revolutionaries. Although he is an undercover government agent, he arrives with a problem. One beautiful woman who is here is someone he has seen in London. In fact, she is a friend to people higher up in both military and Parliament. With fighters planning to take control of the monarchy, he needs to know if she is friend or foe to the Crown. Between his portraying to be one of the henchmen and learning all he can about the others, he may have to find a way to alert the Home Office about Miss Mayson.

Her access to these friends puts them in jeopardy, but it doesn’t take him long to understand that Felicity Mayson is the one in danger. It is easy to understand she knew nothing about these things before coming here, and she is now considered a problem if she does not go along with their marriage plans.

How can he follow leads, keep her safe, and contact Home Office when more are due to arrive? Philip’s only choice is to come clean about his identity, and this will triple her chances for being caught.

Behind these scenes, we readers are falling for Philip McDowell, but we are wondering about how these two can survive.

More than one person may nurse a broken heart.

***This opinion is my own.***

Preview:

A DANGEROUS ENGAGEMENT (The Regency Spies of London Book 3) by Melanie Dickerson brings Felicity Mayson an invitation to Doverton Hall. As it is often in the Season, Felicity receives dismissal at such events due to her family situation and little dowry. Though she is dubious of the invite, she accepts it as it comes from distant family.

After meeting wealthy gentlemen not objecting about her, she is being seen by Mr. Oliver Ratley.

His over-the-top pursuit brings her flattery that none other has before, and she is enjoying herself. His quick marriage proposal delights her until she sees someone from London. Will everyone know more about her depressing money situation? Are these men actually this wealthy?

Meanwhile, Philip McDowell arrives later than most in part due to happenstance and partly not. Philip knows these faces and these traitorous hearts as those out to overthrow the government. His career as a government agent takes him into situations, but this is dangerous indeed. He intends to take down this band of revolutionaries, but he runs into an unexpected reunion of sorts supplying even more problems.

Their soft touch has high-reaching friends, and while he has been around Felicity Mayson, he does not know her well. The implications of her presence here are magnifying all factors of which she is a danger to, to whom poses a threat to her, and for that matter to him.

The likelihood that she knows more about him than most of these people do is great, as he is undercover on this assignment. Out of options and with more to lose, he must reach out to Felicity, as it seems clear that she is in more danger than he is!

However, he will put her in an even more dire position because he is duty bound to his assignment despite needing her trust.

What is he to do?

A Dangerous Engagement is a great read. Love this series.

Very enjoyable addition to the series! Felicia Mayson thinks she's just off to get better acquainted with an aunt she barely knows and hoping this will be a respite from a society resistant to accept her because of her lack of fortune... but little does she know the cuffuffle she's about to get herself into.
I adored the historical facts woven into this story and was completely clueless how the characters would find their way out from their predicament. Also, the characters' growth and interaction were very endearing.

This was a delightfully suspenseful story. For a reader who doesn't usually enjoy mysteries, I have loved every one of Melanie Dickerson's, including this one! The story was well told, with this reader sitting on the edge of my chair, wondering HOW they're going to get out of this one. I love the Christian element. I felt truly sorry for Felicity having to kiss that slime bucket so often - yuck!! The story was a bit too well tied up in the end; it would have been okay for them to both remain poor together, but it was sweet that they were rewarded handsomely for their service to king and country.

This book made me curious about the true history of insurrections of the time. I also was fascinated by the Shell Grotto - that would be a delightful place to visit - and it's real, and still there, fun!!

Dangerous engagement indeed!

I found it difficult to relate to Felicity Mayson for all her heroic efforts.
I know, a merchant's daughter with a smallish dowry, who is railroaded into an engagement when she finds herself at a little known aunt's house party, can be pretty heady stuff. The man Felicity finds herself engaged to is Oliver Ratley, a wealthy young gentleman that Felicity's aunt, Lady Blackstone, has taken under her wing. Mr. Ratley seems quite taken with Felicity. His attention is almost to the point of strange. He definitely doesn't know quite how to behave properly, as Felicity reflects on when he squeezes her hand when they are introduced. That's just not right but then Felicity was trying to make allowances for him.
I still don't quite know why a woman of Felicity's supposed strong views acquiesced to the engagement, but I can understand her dilemma. This blip in Felicity's character was really out of place for the person I'd first thought she was.
The fact that it was mostly men at the house party and that treason and sedition is on the menu does give the story an extra dash of interest.
And yes, I know the aunt, Lady Blackstone turns out to be a pretty lose screw. So what do you do if you're a politely brought up regency young woman? Well eventually Felicity tried to get out word for help, but it turned out that could have been a very dangerous move.
Things became more dangerous and less lonely with the appearance of Government agent Philip McDowell as a house guest incognito. Felicity and Philip endeavour to to uncover the treacherous plots being set in motion.
There is adventure, intrigue and romance, however the characters just didn't jell for me. At times I found the prose somewhat stilted, affecting the natural flow of the story.

A NetGalley ARC
(September 2017)