A Sham Betrothal

A Georgian Era Romance Novella Set in Paris (Georgians in Paris)

By: Jennie Goutet

Narrated by: Stevie Zimmerman

All's fair in love and peace…

Paris, 1774. He can win her freedom, but can she win his heart?

With Sophie Twisden’s grandmother laid up with an illness, causing them to withdraw from the Paris social scene, the pompous Sheldon Cholmsley appoints himself as Sophie’s “protector.” Protector? Ha! More like tormentor. So when her new friend Basile Gervain offers her the protection of his name and promises he will not allow harm to come to her reputation when she breaks their sham betrothal and returns to London, she has little hesitation in accepting.

What once was an unthinkable notion—to align herself with a foreigner—becomes more and more the desire of her heart as she discovers how closely shared are their thoughts and sentiments. Now that it is time to leave Paris and put an end to their act, she wishes she might remain and become Madame Gervain in earnest. But what use is it to harbor a secret hope that he will declare his undying love, when he only proposed out of convenience in the first place?

©2024 Jennie Goutet (P)2025 Millefeuille Press

Entertaining enough

This is smooth and well written, but lacking anything to really set it apart. It’s a standard fake-betrothal trope and felt a little cookie-cutter and predictable to me. It also felt quite slow, but that could be for the same reason in that I’ve read the plot enough times that I was waiting for something else to happen.

Entertaining enough, and the audiobook narrator is excellent, but it’s nothing to write home about.

Content:
There is no foul language, sex, or violence. The romance is limited to lightly descriptive kisses. There is no mention of faith or God.