Book Review: Slightly Married - by Mary Balogh

Synopsis: Slightly Married is the first novel in the Bedwyn family series by Mary Balogh. Set in regency England, this book tells the story of Aidan Bedwyn, brother to the Duke of Bewcastle and member of the mighty Bedwyn family. Aidan is the second son, the one destined for military service. He did his duty and has spent most of his life fighting in the peninsula, rising in rank over the years to Colonel. At the open of the novel, one Percy Morris, having once saved Aidan's life in battle, lay dying on the battlefield. His final request is that Aidan find his sister and protect her "no matter what." Aidan, a man of his word, takes a two month leave and journeys to England to bring the sad news of the young man's death to his sister. Eve Morris is devastated to learn of her brother's death. Just as devastating is the realization that Eve and her entire household (including her two young adopted children) will all be turned out of their house in a few days' time due to a quirk in her father's will. Aidan, ever bound by his promise, decides to marry the woman in order to save her from her fate. Both of them assume it will be a simple marriage of convenience, neither of them expecting to see the other again after the wedding. Of course, they don't count on the fact that they are falling in love.

This was an enjoyable novel. I really liked Aidan. He was so stoic. He thinks that love is a bunch of nonsense and that duty and honor are all. Eve is a sensitive, loving, bleeding-heart who cannot bear to allow others to suffer injustice. This might be an almost annoying trait in a heroine, but Balogh paints her as a warm, living, breathing woman and I found myself liking her immensely. She is not weak, nor is she tragic. She is practical and determined to do what is right. I suppose this is one reason why she and Aidan fit together so well. They are both so honorable.

I loved how Aidan kept trying to leave her and kept not doing it. At first, after he does his duty by telling her about her brother's death and offering to help her, he figures he's done his bit and prepares to leave. But circumstances conspire to keep him around a few extra days until he realizes that, in all honor, he must stay and help her. Then, after they are married and he has no more obligation to stay with her, he keeps finding reasons to stick around a little longer. He eventually allows himself to love Eve, her children, and her home.

I really like how the Bedwyns have these big noses and sort of harsh features - they are not traditionally good-looking, and yet they have a certain appeal. They are not perfect. I also liked how Aidan just didn't give a damn about the fact that Eve Morris was essentially a "nobody." She worries about it a good bit, but this is not the essential obstacle to their romance for Aidan. For him, the real hurdle is accepting that it really is ok to have feelings beyond those of duty.

My favorite parts: When Eve wears black to her court presentation (it was so satisfying to see her throwing it in all their faces!) and then when Aidan smiles for the first time.

I can't wait to read about the other Bedwyns now. Especially Wulfric. He's so stodgy and wound up. His story is the final one in the series, so it will be a while yet.

I gave this book 4 stars.

Book Review: A Summer To Remember - by Mary Balogh

Synopsis: A Summer To Remember is the second (and primary prequel) to Mary Balogh's Bedwyn family series. It is in this book that we first meet several of the Bedwyns. Lauren Edgeworth, the jilted bride from One Night for Love, has pretty much soured on the whole marriage thing after being left at the altar a year ago. Having lived her entire life feeling bound to be stolid and dutiful to her family, she has never allowed herself to have any adventure, any passion. Now she has some vague plans of spending a few weeks with her aunt Elizabeth in London for the season and then hightailing it off to Bath to set up house and settle in for a long, boring spinsterhood. Kit Butler, the new Viscount Ravensburg, is being manipulated by his family into a betrothal to a woman he does not wish to wed. There's a good deal of bad blood between him and his family, and he's decided to thwart them by finding a bride on his own and presenting her to them all at his grandmother's birthday party back home in a few weeks. He sets his sights on the beautiful Lauren and begins a thorough wooing. However, he comes to respect her as a person and finds that he cannot in good conscience continue to court her. Just as he tries to set her free from his attentions, she stays his hand and strikes a bargain with him: She will pose as his betrothed so that he can foil his father's plans if Kit will agree to give her a little adventure.

Needless to say, there's a great deal of potential for "adventure" in any romance novel. Kit doesn't disappoint. He is sexy, charming, masculine, and truly honorable. He has a wonderful sense of humor and uses it to help bring Lauren out of her shell. Through her adventures with Kit, she discovers that she has the freedom to be whomever she wants to be - that it is ok to be herself. Then, after finding that freedom, she goes on to discover just who that person is. She also falls in love with her hero as he, in turn, falls in love with her. She guides him gently into facing his past. With her help, he learns to let go of the painful responsibility and self-recrimination that he has carried with him for years. At last, he is able to accept the love of his family.

I absolutely loved this book. I enjoyed One Night for Love and admired the character depth and storytelling ability of the author in that book. However, I think A Summer To Remember is a truly wonderful love story. Balogh's writing is superb. The characters are very real and you really do understand why they feel the way they do - about themselves, their lives, and each other.

This one is definitely worth 5 stars in my LibraryThing catalog!

Book Review: One Night for Love - by Mary Balogh

Synopsis: I consider One Night for Love to be the first of two prequels to Mary Balogh's Bedwyn family series of regency romances. Neville Wyatt, Earl of Kilbourne, is literally moments from marrying his lifelong friend and adopted cousin, Lauren Edgeworth, WHEN the woman he married and left for dead two years before comes rushing down the aisle to stop the wedding. Our heroine, Lily Doyle, is a mess, having traveled across the peninsula, over the channel, and through the English countryside to make her way back to her beloved husband. Poor Lauren, the jilted bride, and the rest of Neville's family are shocked and appalled to learn of his marriage to a virtual nobody on a battlefield in Portugal. What follows is a long and heart-rending story of how the two long-lost lovers truly find one another and are able to allow themselves to love each other again.

It is very difficult to describe this book. It is the first Balogh novel I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, thorough is a good word to describe Balogh's writing. She weaves myriad characters into the story as well as providing a rich setting for the action of the story. And yet, you don't ever feel as though you've been mired in too much flowery language or bored with a detailed account of every leaf and twig the characters pass along the way.

The central plot involving the hero and heroine is very, very simple. Their marriage and subsequent joining were an affirmation of life in the midst of the war and death surrounding them. I found the back-story of their time in Portugal very moving. They are torn apart by death, only to be reunited again unexpectedly. Their feelings for one another didn't change, but Lily must still struggle with finding her place in an English society that judges harshly those with no blue blood and formal education. She has to leave Neville, the one thing she loves the most, in order to grow into the woman who can truly be his wife. If that makes sense. Like I said, it is a very difficult book to describe.

Interestingly, one of my favorite things about this novel was the cast of secondary characters. I especially liked Elizabeth, Neville's 36 year old spinster aunt. She made a wonderful champion for Lily among the vicious members of the ton. I also enjoyed the little romance between her and the Duke. I also really liked Gwendoline and Lauren, who didn't want to like Lily, but were strong enough to admit that she really was a good person. They come to like and accept her over time.

I gave this book 4 stars.