An Unsuitable Engagement

I’ll admit, I was skeptical when I started *An Unsuitable Engagement*—another Regency romance with a May-December dynamic? But Lisa H. Catmull won me over in the first thirty minutes. Virtual Voice’s narration is a standout, with a crisp, slightly clipped delivery that nails Lionel’s aristocratic reserve and Clara’s impatient, modern-sounding wit. The production is clean, though at times the audio levels dip just enough to make me lean in, which might frustrate listeners prone to multitasking. The story’s real triumph is its refusal to soften Clara’s edges; she’s not a proto-feminist martyr but a messy, flawed teenager who acts impulsively and learns (sometimes the hard way) what consequences feel like. That authenticity makes Lionel’s slow thawing more compelling—he’s not just a grumpy love interest but a man whose rigid worldview is genuinely challenged. My biggest critique? A few side characters feel underdeveloped, particularly Clara’s mother, whose quiet suffering could have added more emotional weight if given space. The romance itself is steamy without veering into melodrama, and the ending lands with a satisfying jolt of realism. If you crave historical fiction that’s as clever as it is sensual, this is your audiobook.