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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
DNF at 75%. This is just an "Its not you, it me situation"
Really sweet story about a blind man and a waifish woman. Vincent, Lord Darleigh, just wants independence and freedom from the well meaning women in his life. Sophia just wants independence from being the mousy, poor relation. They reach an agreement to give each other what they think they need. Of course, nothing is so simple. Love complicates things and leads to a happy ending. Super cute, fun read.
lighthearted
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
I am a puddle on the floor right now; this was so gentle, tender and fun.
An extra star for Martin Fisk.
An extra star for Martin Fisk.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Sexual content, Death of parent, Abandonment
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
This is one of the quietest love stories I've read - and, perhaps, the most faithful to its Cinderella inspiration. Our female main character, Sophia, is overlooked and unloved, taken in by neglectful relatives and pushed into the shadows of her home and small town, a "mouse" quietly observing as village life unfolds around her. When the male main character, Vincent, blinded at a young age in battle and now in possession of a title, returns to his childhood home, he is almost immediately caught in a wedding scheme concocted by Sophia's title-chasing relatives. The "mouse" saves him from a marriage trap, and he repays her kindness with a marriage proposal of his own. What begins as a marriage of convenience - one that will save her from destitution and one that will afford him greater independence from his family - slowly becomes more.
This is a story where two people take tender care of each other, where they respect each other's independence and agency, where they fall in love through small conversations and gestures and confidences. It's quiet and earnest from start to finish. Historical romance has a complicated history with disabled main characters, and I was so pleased that this wasn't built as a "scarred hero" story, and that our blind main character is ultimately not the one in need of true rescue. Where it does stray into frustrating commentary on "overcoming" disability and resisting "being a victim" in one encounter, it challenges elsewhere ideas of blindness and disability and champions the ways in which disabled people live full and independent lives (and the ways they've done so throughout history). I love how important accessibility is to this story, as they renovate the estate to better suit his physical needs, and how these modifications are treated, appropriately, not as "gifts" to him - accessibility in his own home is something he deserves to have, full stop. While he is often infantilized by other characters in the story - including his own family members - he is never condescended to by the narrative or his partner, and I appreciated seeing ableism challenged consistently on page.
This was my first by Balogh, and I look forward to reading the other installments in the Survivors Club series now!
This is a story where two people take tender care of each other, where they respect each other's independence and agency, where they fall in love through small conversations and gestures and confidences. It's quiet and earnest from start to finish. Historical romance has a complicated history with disabled main characters, and I was so pleased that this wasn't built as a "scarred hero" story, and that our blind main character is ultimately not the one in need of true rescue. Where it does stray into frustrating commentary on "overcoming" disability and resisting "being a victim" in one encounter, it challenges elsewhere ideas of blindness and disability and champions the ways in which disabled people live full and independent lives (and the ways they've done so throughout history). I love how important accessibility is to this story, as they renovate the estate to better suit his physical needs, and how these modifications are treated, appropriately, not as "gifts" to him - accessibility in his own home is something he deserves to have, full stop. While he is often infantilized by other characters in the story - including his own family members - he is never condescended to by the narrative or his partner, and I appreciated seeing ableism challenged consistently on page.
This was my first by Balogh, and I look forward to reading the other installments in the Survivors Club series now!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: War
Minor: Sexual content
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Just a little too repetitive and uneventful for me
No Mary Balogh book should have a shirtless man cover - and this one least of all. But this is such a sweet book! It doesn't have much of a plot, but Vincent and Sophia are so precious. Just two kind and gentle people being kind and gentle to each other. It's a story about two young people finding purpose and independence together.
There is a little bit of an inspiration porn undertone, which is bit frustrating.
There is a little bit of an inspiration porn undertone, which is bit frustrating.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes