Mary Balogh
Balogh, Mary - BEYOND THE SUNRISE (1992) (4)
A ripping good adventure about peninsular campaigns in Spain. Interesting characters and lots of sex scenes. Very different from Balogh's Regencies. Readers with little interest in history should pass on this one, but it's a must for Balogh devotees. I enjoyed it tremendously. ~Kathy G. (kathy@cs.utexas.edu)
Balogh, Mary - CHRISTMAS BRIDE, THE (Signet - 1997) (4)
Older-than-average heroine is a beautiful, intelligent, independent, aristocratic widow with a painful past that haunts her. Hero is an immensely wealthy "cit" with marriage on his mind. It's lust at first sight and they have a close encounter of the carnal kind. They can't abide each other, but their attraction is too strong. So is her past. Don't miss this Regency—it's fabulous. ~Kathy G. (kathy@cs.utexas.edu)
Balogh, Mary - HEARTLESS (1995) (4+)
Despite an overly melodramatic villain and a heroine whose failure to confess true situations begins to border on absurd, this is one of Balogh's steamiest, most compelling romances. Her creation of what might be the ideal Georgian hero, completely masculine while at the same time something of a peacock, is a real tour de force. ~Elena P.
Balogh, Mary - HEARTLESS (1995) (3)
Estranged from his family, the hero must return to England to his newly inherited title and estate after years abroad. He marries for the sake of expediency (so he won't be tempted by his brother's widow) and to his surprise falls in love...with his wife! The hero is a dandified wonder (he uses cosmetics and dresses like a rainbow), but a hunk. He's one of Balogh's more memorable heroes. The ending is a bit weak and there is some nonsensical thinking on the heroine's part, but Balogh pulls it all together. ~Kathy G. (kathy@cs.utexas.edu)
Balogh, Mary - INDISCREET (1997) (3)
A visiting nobleman pursues a lovely village widow despite her attempts to protect her reputation and her past. When they are seen together in a questionable situation, village gossip forces the hero to marry the heroine to save her reputation. The hero gets more than he bargains for, much more. He was rather stubborn, but he redeems himself nicely. Good villain and high angst level. Several scenes were quite touching. ~Kathy G. (kathy@cs.utexas.edu)
Balogh, Mary - IRRESISTIBLE (Jove - 1998) (4)
The popular and prolific Mary Balogh turns in another seamless read with what I believe is the final installment in the series focusing on four war-veteran friends nicknamed the "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse." IRRESISTIBLE, which follows INDISCREET and UNFORGIVEN, focuses on the romance of Sir Nathaniel Gascoigne and the now widowed Sophia Armitage, whom Nathaniel and the other horsemen knew back in their days as part of Wellington's Peninsular campaign. In passing, it also covers the romance of the fourth horseman, Eden.
While the plot of this book is highly predictable and bears traces of other Balogh efforts, the heroine's transformation from "good old Sophie," who was "one of the boys" back in Spain, to Nathaniel's surprising and passionate new lover is well handled and absorbing. My one quibble about IRRESISTIBLE is the price—$6.99 for only about 300 pages. For that price, I would have preferred a longer book that included more of the secondary romance of Eden and Lavinia, which seemed worthy of further development. ~Elena P.
Balogh, Mary - LONGING (1994) (5)
Unquestionably Balogh's meatiest book, LONGING is something that turns up all too rarely—a historical romance with some actual history in it! Far from being boring, the turbulent times make for fascinating reading. Set in the author's native Wales, LONGING traces the social friction between Welsh miners and British mine owners in early Victorian days. The heroine is realistically torn between two lovers representing the two camps, and she herself is something of a product of both. Fans of Celtic music and culture will also be interested in the background information on Welsh choirs and eisteddfods. Balogh is a prolific writer, but of all her books (and I've read all but one), this book is a clear standout for me. ~Elena P.
Balogh, Mary - LONGING (1994) (4+)
Mary Balogh brings to life a Welsh community and its class differences in this historical romance. A handsome widowed nobleman takes up residence in a mining village and hires an illegitimate, but educated woman of a local peer to teach his young daughter. The heroine is caught between two worlds—she must choose between loyalty to her family or the love of a man who's not of her class. Passionate main characters. Beautifully told story. My favorite Balogh novel and one of her best, in my opinion. ~Kathy G. (kathy@cs.utexas.edu)
Balogh, Mary - LORD CAREW'S BRIDE (Signet - 1995) (4+)
This Regency romance is a beauty-and-the-beast story that warmed my heart. The "beast" in this case walked with a limp and had a deformed hand, but he was anything but beastly. Samantha Newman is the "beauty," and she is that, both inside and out. I would think it would be difficult to rewrite a classic tale and keep it interesting when the plot is so well known. Balogh certainly was up to the task, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. ~Connie (C1rams@aol.com)
Balogh, Mary - ONE NIGHT FOR LOVE (Dell - 7/99) (4+)
Neville Wyatt, Earl of Kilbourne, is about to marry his childhood friend, Lauren Edgeworth, when the ceremony is interrupted by the sudden appearance of Lily Doyle, whom the guests mistake for a beggar. Neville is shocked to see her. He believed Lily had been killed in an ambush after their marriage in Portugal!
As the illiterate daughter of a soldier, Lily realizes how wide the gap is between her and the Earl. Knowing he was titled hadn't been a reality in Portugal, where the drama of war made men comrades in arms; but upon her arrival at his home, she is overwhelmed by the size and grandeur of it. No less intimidating are her husband's numerous relatives and friends, all of whom are titled, wealthy, ton elite. As the couple reunites, she accepts the fact that she is not of his world.
On her subsequent early-morning roams across the estate, Lily begins to realize she is being followed, and she fears someone wants to kill her. A timely piece of news soon gives her a reason to leave; and certain her husband is better off without her, although he tries to change her mind, she accepts a job in London as a paid companion to Neville's spinster aunt, Elizabeth. It is in London where Lily learns to become a lady, at which time she is nearly able to meet the Earl on his own social level. The plot takes a twist, however, with yet another attempt on Lily's life and a shocking revelation about her past.
To the seasoned romance reader, the happily-ever-after ending is a given, and the revelation about Lily's birth (which may be a bit too cliché coming from the magnificent Ms. Balogh) is no surprise. However, ONE NIGHT FOR LOVE shows a classic defining of the lines drawn between the haves and have-nots, from Lily's common background to Neville's privileged life, and we are shown how love can overcome even these obstacles. Neville and Lily are a couple destined for one another—from the battlefields of Portugal, to the Earl's magnificent estate in Dorsetshire, to the grand ballrooms of London. I've been a Mary Balogh fan for more than a dozen years and I found this book to be one of her most lyrical. It was a joy to read about fey Lily and her strong, handsome soldier, along with all the secondary characters who loved Lily for herself. ONE NIGHT FOR LOVE is a wonderful Regency romance, and I hope readers enjoy it as much as I did! ~Gail Brodeur for Bookbug on the Web
Balogh, Mary - PRECIOUS JEWEL, A (Signet - 1993) (5)
Prissy was forced to work as a high-class prostitute, so becoming Gerald's mistress is a great relief—until she falls in love, that is. These characters aren't perfect, but they are real and absolutely compelling. A vivid portrait of the "other side" of the Regency world. ~Karen W. (kwheless@rockland.net)
Balogh, Mary - SECRET PEARL, THE (Signet - 1991) (4+)
One of my favorites by Balogh. There is a bit too much predictable convenience at the end, but the journey from raw, loveless sex to a deep and poignant love—in which the hero and heroine merely need to touch pinkies to set off sparks—is beautifully and movingly traced. ~Elena P.
Balogh, Mary - THIEF OF DREAMS (Jove - 1998) (4)
On the day of her twenty-first birthday, Lady Cassandra Havelock, Countess of Worthing, inherits her father's vast unentailed estate, Kedleston. This is the happiest day of her life. The only wrinkle is the unexpected arrival of a mysterious gentleman, Nigel Wetherby, Viscount Wroxley, who claims to be a friend of Cassandra's late father. She is dazzled by the enigmatic Nigel, who smoothly ingratiates himself at Kedleston. To her family's horror, Cassandra quickly accepts his marriage proposal and loses herself in her handsome husband's sexual haze. Her bliss, however, abruptly ends when Nigel's past is exposed. The old adage of "marry in haste, repent is leisure" aptly applies.
In a compelling story that reveals itself in layers, which are slowly and exactingly peeled away, readers run the same gamut of emotions that Cassandra does. THIEF OF DREAMS is all about betrayal and honor, guilt and innocence, revenge and love. This is a complex story told in Balogh's patented character-driven style. The protagonists are revealed in exquisitely precise ways that draw the reader in, then wring them out emotionally. Cassandra and Nigel are well-drawn and sympathetic. The secondary characters enrich the narrative, and the villains are unexpected. To say more would give it away, but this book is very cleverly done. I am reminded, once again, of why Mary Balogh is one of my very favorite authors. In my opinion, this is certainly one of her best novels. ~Kathy G. (kathy@cs.utexas.edu)
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