SLIGHTLY ENGAGED

Author: Wendy Markham ISBN: 037389564X 2/2006 SUSPENSE Publisher: RED DRESS INK

There are a lot of things worse than being SLIGHTLY ENGAGED... being entirely broke, completely alone and wholly perplexed. It's been a year and a half since Tracey and Jack moved in together, and everything's totally perfect—well, okay, almost perfect. There's still Tracey's mom, who says they're "living in sin," and her friends, who are all smug, married and totally sure that there would already be a ring on Tracey's finger if she hadn't been in such a rush to cosign a lease. Even Tracey is beginning to wonder whether Jack really is looking for a permanent relationship, or whether she's just renting space in his heart. But just when Tracey's doubts are seriously raging out of control, Jack's mom lets her in on a secret—he's just taken an heirloom diamond out of the family's safe-deposit box, which must mean that he's going to propose any day now. Okay, any week now.... Any month now?

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Ms. Markham returns to the wacky world of Tracey Spadolini in SLIGHTLY ENGAGED. Tracey and Jack have been "living in sin" for a year and a half and seem quite happy in their relationship. That is, until Tracey's friends bring up the question of marriage, and Jack's mom lets it slip that Jack has taken a diamond from the family's safety deposit box. Tracey anxiously waits for Jack to pop the question, but when she's still waiting four months later, doubts arise that Jack will ever want marriage.

While I've laughed with, cheered on, and had an all out good time with Tracey and company in the past, I found this latest installment tedious. Unfortunately, Tracey comes across as whiney and irksome, where in the past she's been refreshingly funny. At first, Tracey's fears and insecurities seem normal and ring true. But, after about 50 pages of the same old thing, I was just ready for HER to pop the question to Jack and get it over with! Frankly, Tracey's gay friend, Rafael, and the plans for his wedding were more entertaining than the main characters. Fans of Tracey and Jack will want to read SLIGHTLY ENGAGED, if only to keep up with the characters, but truthfully, I'd recommend reading the first two SLIGHTLY books and skipping this one.

Kendra Patterson