58 reviews for:

Silent Melody

Mary Balogh

3.59 AVERAGE

booksnarks's review against another edition

2.0

Ah this was such a disappointment.

It started our really great. The romance had a great setup and both the heroine and hero was well written. And then the middle of the book happened, in which nothing happened. And then we had the last couple of chapters to wrap the story. It just really fizzled out.

So much potential!

seacrab1's review against another edition

3.0

Started out very strangely, but redeemed itself a bit. Not my fave of hers.

fariha_mou's review against another edition

2.0

Truly a Disappointing Read!
Not in a mood of writing a review after this disaster read so please check Vintage Review- 👇
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2191219524?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

jrkrell's review against another edition

4.0

Maybe just a 3.5, but an interesting twist having a deaf, mute protagonist. The portrayal that hearing people do not truly understand a deaf person's world and vice versa is worth considering. I found the Ashley's brother much more appealing than Ashley himself and the star-crossed lovers wasn't new.

martyomenko's review against another edition

3.0

It was interesting reading about a deaf individual in the 1700's, but I disliked many other things about the book. It was so focused on some of the other components of the relationship, and made things a bit, I don't know, odd.

classicallyzo's review

hopeful mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

I really wanted to love this book but it really dragged on. The first third I enjoyed but it lacked a lot of the romance and chemistry the first book had. The mystery unfurled at a really odd pace. I still had a third left and was confused about what could possibly happen. It was a shocking twist though.

Also all the comments about Emily as a child and the kiss was super weird and not for me. I found it rather off-putting.

annerollins's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

dirtycharmed's review against another edition

5.0

Excellent book. I did not know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. For the time period, the female characters were shown as quite strong & respected, though they kept true to the manners of polite society at the time. Murder, suspense, and even a bit of dime store trashy romance novel thrown in.

katie_the_reader's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

jackiehorne's review against another edition

4.0

More gothic (plot-wise, not tone-wise) than most Balogh books, with

Spoiler

incest, murder, adultery, and male and female romantic obsession

. Still an enjoyable read, for Balogh still is primarily interested in how people recover from emotional hurt by making romantic and familial connections with others.

Would be interested to read what a disability scholar would have to say about the portrayal of the female protagonist, a woman who lost her hearing at the age of four; the story portrays her as strong and appreciative of her different sensory experience, but also a bit of a woodland sprite, a savior/healer for the male protagonist, who returns from India with deep emotional scars.