Otherwise Engaged

Reissued 2017 by Suzanne Brockmann Books
Originally published by Bantam Loveswept, February 1997
Reissued 2009 by Bantam Books
210 pages, 50K words
HERO: Preston Seaholm, Billionaire and owner of the Seaholm Resort
HEROINE: Molly Cassidy, new heir of the ramshackle Kirk Estate and mother of Zander Cassidy, age ten and hearing impaired.
LOCATION: Sunrise Key, Florida
Read an excerpt

A fresh, new start…

When young widow Molly Cassidy inherits a crumbling estate on small-town Sunrise Key, she packs up her ten-year-old son, Zander, and sets off for a new beginning, determined to turn the old mansion into a bed-and-breakfast. The roof leaks like a sieve and the decay is intense, but Molly’s undaunted and unafraid of hard work.

But Sunrise Key’s resident billionaire, Preston Seaholm, has coveted the property for years, and even though Molly has repeatedly turned down his offers for the estate, he’s convinced that everyone has their price and it’s just a matter of time before he discovers exactly what Molly wants.

Engagement of convenience…

Meanwhile, Pres has just tried to diffuse the discomfort of being named Fantasy Man magazine’s “Most Eligible Bachelor of the Year” by announcing that he’s newly engaged. And when the press immediately leaps upon a photo of Preston with Molly, and assumes she’s his mysterious fiancée, all hell breaks loose.

Molly and Pres soon realize that their only option is to pretend that they’re actually engaged—in hopes that the media will soon move on to the next distraction and leave them alone. But playing at lovers causes sparks to fly, and Molly is faced with the realization that what she really wants is Pres…

Awards:

  • Romantic Times WISH Award for Preston Seaholm

Reviews

“Always count on Ms. Brockmann for something wonderfully different.” 4 and 1/2 stars and WISH Award. Melinda Helfer, Romantic Times.

Trivia

  • My friend, Patricia, came up with the title for this book!
  • OTHERWISE ENGAGED is the last of three books featuring characters from Sunrise Key, Florida. The other two books are: KISS AND TELL (featuring Dr. Marsh Devlin and Leila Hunt) and THE KISSING GAME (featuring Simon Hunt and Frankie Paresky).
  • Zander Cassidy was inspired by my son, Jason, who is also hearing impaired — but whose hearing is NOT deteriorating, thank goodness!
  • I’d hoped to write two more Sunrise Key books — one featuring Pres’s right hand man, Dom, and the other featuring life guard extraordinaire, Hayden Young. Somewhere, I’ve got Dom’s story completely sketched out….
  • Sunrise Key is a perfect mixture of my two favorite Florida locations: Siesta Key, off Sarasota, and Sanibel Island, near Ft. Meyers.
  • I love the beach and visit Siesta Key at least twice a year!