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tostita's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I loved this book, absolutely adored it. When I had to put it down I could not wait for the moment I was able to pick it up again and resume reading. At the same time, I have to acknowledge that Balogh does a number of things in this book that I would absolutely hate if any lesser author tried to pull them off. If you are not already a Balogh fan, this book might not be a best place to start.
This is a story about the relationship between Devlin Ware, son of an Earl, and his neighbor Gwyneth Rhys, whose budding young romance was abruptly cut short by crisis and who reconnect years later when he returns from war. But it is also very much the story of Devlin learning to trust and to love again after the devastating event hinted at in the book blurb. (That event occurs about a third of the way through the book.) This is much more Devlin’s book than Gwyneth’s, and the title reflects that. Remembering love—what it means, what it requires, how it feels—is the essential mission that Devlin needs to complete in the text.
The first chapter of the book is devoted to describing in intimate detail the breathtaking estate, the charming community, every member of the Ware family and many of their neighbors. The heroine gets only the briefest of mentions and even the hero is not singled out from his family in his own book, not in the first chapter anyway. Balogh is clearly laying the groundwork for an entire series. With another author I would grumble about getting on with the story already, but because Balogh is so masterful and has earned my trust I’m fully here for this. Part of the reason this works here is because ultimately this is not just the story of two individuals but rather the story of them navigating the competing demands of their families, community and their own consciences. They do not exist in isolation, so their community is absolutely essential to tell the story.
In typical romance hero fashion, Devlin is a bit of a dummy when it comes to navigation emotions, familial as well as romantic. He tends to be an all-or-nothing thinker, and when his family’s facade of perfection crumbles he decides to go scorched earth and never speak to any of them ever again—except his half-brother Ben, who takes that decision out of Devlin’s hands and stays by his side for years whether Devlin wants it or not. (Ben is the stand-out side character is this book and I eagerly await his own story.) Gwyneth, on the other hand, basically has her shit together even if she had never fully gotten over her youthful feelings for Devlin. While seemingly opposites, the two balance each other exquisitely.
One side note—I would dearly love romance authors to quit waxing on and on about how very many meaningless sexual encounters their hero has had before ultimately getting together with the heroine. It does not convince me he’s virile, only that he is irresponsible and treats women like disposable objects. Especially in a historical without reliable contraceptives, that behavior is unjustifiable. While in the army, Devlin could conceivably have fathered dozens of bastard babies by lower-class women trapped in a war zone without knowing or taking responsibility for any of them. I don’t necessarily need or want the characters to be celibate, but I do want them to be considerate and responsible—see Ben’s behavior in this same book for a good example. I glossed over Devlin’s behavior here because I’ve done the same in countless other romance books before so why start drawing the line now, but really I would like authors to just stop this, please.
This is a story about the relationship between Devlin Ware, son of an Earl, and his neighbor Gwyneth Rhys, whose budding young romance was abruptly cut short by crisis and who reconnect years later when he returns from war. But it is also very much the story of Devlin learning to trust and to love again after the devastating event hinted at in the book blurb. (That event occurs about a third of the way through the book.) This is much more Devlin’s book than Gwyneth’s, and the title reflects that. Remembering love—what it means, what it requires, how it feels—is the essential mission that Devlin needs to complete in the text.
The first chapter of the book is devoted to describing in intimate detail the breathtaking estate, the charming community, every member of the Ware family and many of their neighbors. The heroine gets only the briefest of mentions and even the hero is not singled out from his family in his own book, not in the first chapter anyway. Balogh is clearly laying the groundwork for an entire series. With another author I would grumble about getting on with the story already, but because Balogh is so masterful and has earned my trust I’m fully here for this. Part of the reason this works here is because ultimately this is not just the story of two individuals but rather the story of them navigating the competing demands of their families, community and their own consciences. They do not exist in isolation, so their community is absolutely essential to tell the story.
In typical romance hero fashion, Devlin is a bit of a dummy when it comes to navigation emotions, familial as well as romantic. He tends to be an all-or-nothing thinker, and when his family’s facade of perfection crumbles he decides to go scorched earth and never speak to any of them ever again—except his half-brother Ben, who takes that decision out of Devlin’s hands and stays by his side for years whether Devlin wants it or not. (Ben is the stand-out side character is this book and I eagerly await his own story.) Gwyneth, on the other hand, basically has her shit together even if she had never fully gotten over her youthful feelings for Devlin. While seemingly opposites, the two balance each other exquisitely.
One side note—I would dearly love romance authors to quit waxing on and on about how very many meaningless sexual encounters their hero has had before ultimately getting together with the heroine. It does not convince me he’s virile, only that he is irresponsible and treats women like disposable objects. Especially in a historical without reliable contraceptives, that behavior is unjustifiable. While in the army, Devlin could conceivably have fathered dozens of bastard babies by lower-class women trapped in a war zone without knowing or taking responsibility for any of them. I don’t necessarily need or want the characters to be celibate, but I do want them to be considerate and responsible—see Ben’s behavior in this same book for a good example. I glossed over Devlin’s behavior here because I’ve done the same in countless other romance books before so why start drawing the line now, but really I would like authors to just stop this, please.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia, Infidelity, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Pregnancy
molly_wilson's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
whalesounds's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
3.0
slow even for mary balogh
Update two: a slog. Wouldn’t read again.
Update two: a slog. Wouldn’t read again.
writer595's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
thenaptimewriter's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.
Would you believe that I had never read a Mary Balogh book before Remember Love & I’ve been reading historical romance for about 24 or so years & see her books around all the time?
(That’s a rhetorical question since I know we all have authors like that 😆).
But this book really got to me, so much so that I found myself being okay with certain things that might have given me pause if written by someone else.
Because Mary Balogh’s writing is intricately descriptive (please ask me about Ravenswood Manor & one of the leads’s siblings bc this woman has learned so much 🤣), & the story is marvelously told, & it felt very much Wharton-esque to me but with that HEA.
The premise of this book is that “before,” Gwyneth Rhys & Devlin Ware are total opposites & neighbors who have been closely linked throughout their childhoods but only because they’ve been best friends with each other’s siblings.
Secretly they’ve pined for each other, though, & they have *one day* of luxuriating in the fact that their feelings are not unrequited before it comes crashing down in heartrending fashion.
At 40% into the book, we’re fast forwarded six years & Devlin has returned home where he again meets Gwyneth, the woman he “once loved” (ok yeah whatever Devlin).
I mentioned the storytelling, but there’s a lot of other things to commend this one: the bravery of Gwyneth, who is a quiet joy & a bold joy & whom I was cheering on.
There’s introspective Devlin, who, as Gwyneth points out, feels so much even while not recognizing that in himself.
There are well-rounded secondary characters whose happiness I’m also devoted in, & an overall plotline regarding parents and hero worship that feels relatable & heartbreaking to me.
Forcing me to slow down & pay attention, to just really enjoy the immersive story of love & heartbreak & ultimately, always love, Remember Love is lovely.
4.5 ⭐️. Out now.
CWs: Devlin catches his beloved father cheating, he confronts his dad, no one in his family defends Devlin for his public confrontation, & Devlin’s mother makes him leave his home. During the confrontation Devlin calls his father’s mistress a “whore.” War references.
jlee76's review
4.5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Remember Love is a hauntingly beautiful romance. It is a tragic story full of angst, pain, redemption, and unconditional love. This novel is everything I expect from Mary Balogh.
Devlin and Gwyneth share a few moments of young love right before Devlin, and his father’s actions tear his family apart. Devon is exiled. After six years of war, Devlin is broken and is a shadow of the man he once was. This cold, disillusioned version of Devlin returns home to assume the title after his father’s death. Gwyneth has also changed over the years. Unlike Devlin, her emotions have evolved, and she is much wiser than the young girl that was infatuated with Devlin.
This is so much more than a romance. Remember Love is an emotionally charged story that explores the moral conundrums of love. Devlin sees the world in black and white, good and bad. Unfortunately, Devlin’s family lives in the grey. This novel explores the nature of love as it evolves and matures. This is a tale of a broken man returning to a devastated family. Devlin can only be healed by reflection and the support of a kind, intelligent, patient woman.
I was taken on a journey that had me reflecting on how love evolves and how it is expressed. The writing and plot are classic Mary Balogh, drawing the reader in and captivating them through a journey of innocence lost, pain, and redemption. Remember Love is the first book in the new Ravenswood series. Each book focuses on a sibling fundamentally changed when their façade of perfection is destroyed. I look forward to each sibling’s story. I was emotionally drained by the end of this heart-wrenching romance. Mary Balogh has again created a thought-provoking, emotionally charged romance.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book through Netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Remember Love is a hauntingly beautiful romance. It is a tragic story full of angst, pain, redemption, and unconditional love. This novel is everything I expect from Mary Balogh.
Devlin and Gwyneth share a few moments of young love right before Devlin, and his father’s actions tear his family apart. Devon is exiled. After six years of war, Devlin is broken and is a shadow of the man he once was. This cold, disillusioned version of Devlin returns home to assume the title after his father’s death. Gwyneth has also changed over the years. Unlike Devlin, her emotions have evolved, and she is much wiser than the young girl that was infatuated with Devlin.
This is so much more than a romance. Remember Love is an emotionally charged story that explores the moral conundrums of love. Devlin sees the world in black and white, good and bad. Unfortunately, Devlin’s family lives in the grey. This novel explores the nature of love as it evolves and matures. This is a tale of a broken man returning to a devastated family. Devlin can only be healed by reflection and the support of a kind, intelligent, patient woman.
I was taken on a journey that had me reflecting on how love evolves and how it is expressed. The writing and plot are classic Mary Balogh, drawing the reader in and captivating them through a journey of innocence lost, pain, and redemption. Remember Love is the first book in the new Ravenswood series. Each book focuses on a sibling fundamentally changed when their façade of perfection is destroyed. I look forward to each sibling’s story. I was emotionally drained by the end of this heart-wrenching romance. Mary Balogh has again created a thought-provoking, emotionally charged romance.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book through Netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
ssejig's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
While growing up together, everyone thought that Gwyneth Rhys would grow up to marry her next-door neighbor. What no one realized was that she was in love with his older brother, Devlin Ware. One magical night they kissed and promised to be together. That was the same night that Devlin discovered a secret about his family that led to his banishment.
Six years later, after a lifetime of being in the army, Devlin is back and is now the Earl of Stratton. Everything has changed and Gwyn is on the cusp of being engaged. But can old love be rekindled? Or did it never die?
The first part of this book was So Slow. Even slower than most Balogh novels. But in the second part, it picked up and was a better Balogh flow.
Six years later, after a lifetime of being in the army, Devlin is back and is now the Earl of Stratton. Everything has changed and Gwyn is on the cusp of being engaged. But can old love be rekindled? Or did it never die?
The first part of this book was So Slow. Even slower than most Balogh novels. But in the second part, it picked up and was a better Balogh flow.
jennybeastie's review against another edition
3.0
I'm a huge fan of Mary Balogh, and I think part of the reason this book didn't wow me is that it as the set-up for a new series it introduces a lot of good characters and a framing event that impacts all of their lives, and the exposition on those things doesn't leave as much space for the romance. That said, I love the characters and can't wait to read the next book in the series. Trying really hard not to spoil things here for others.
I especially loved that Gwyneth is strong willed about her own needs and wants and takes action in very unladylike ways. I found the framing event problematic -- is Devlin really that naive? Why were there no social repercussions for the family that weren't self-imposed? Is this a likely scenario in-period, or is it a modern drama with modern sensibilities imposed on another time? Why does this cause such a ruction? Anyway, it's a solid story, if a little over-dramatic (Devlin) and it offers a space to wrestle with the demons of needing to be right over protecting the sensibilities of others, and that is an interesting, painful, and worthy topic.
Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss.
I especially loved that Gwyneth is strong willed about her own needs and wants and takes action in very unladylike ways. I found the framing event problematic -- is Devlin really that naive? Why were there no social repercussions for the family that weren't self-imposed? Is this a likely scenario in-period, or is it a modern drama with modern sensibilities imposed on another time? Why does this cause such a ruction? Anyway, it's a solid story, if a little over-dramatic (Devlin) and it offers a space to wrestle with the demons of needing to be right over protecting the sensibilities of others, and that is an interesting, painful, and worthy topic.
Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss.