Reviews

A Secret Affair by Mary Balogh

isotope_s's review

I just think Mary Balough isn’t for me. I don’t enjoy her story telling style or voice. I don’t really connect with her characters emotionally. 

shawniebooks's review

4.0

This was one of my favorite Regency romances so far. I loved the focus on family and friendship.

yellowjellyfish's review

emotional lighthearted 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

4.0

lorbach's review

4.0

Though this was a romance novel, it did not read like one. It was more like a historical novel and was quite enjoyable.

iskanderjonesiv's review

4.0

Beloved New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh has written her most beguiling novel yet, in which the black sheep of the scandalous Huxtable family finally meets his match—in a woman of even more wicked reputation.

 

“The Devil was about to be tamed.” Her name is Hannah Reid. Born a commoner, she has been Duchess of Dunbarton ever since she was nineteen years old, the wife of an elderly duke to whom she has been rumored to be consistently and flagrantly unfaithful. Now the old duke is dead and, more womanly and beautiful than ever at thirty, Hannah has her freedom at last.

And she knows just what she wants to do with it. To the shock of a conventional friend, she announces her intention to take a lover—and not just any lover, but the most dangerous and delicious man in all of upper-class England: Constantine Huxtable.

Constantine’s illegitimacy has denied him the title of Earl, so now he denies himself nothing . . . or so the ton would have it. Rumored to be living the free and easy life of a sensualist in his country estate, he always chooses recent widows for his short-lived affairs. Hannah will fit the bill nicely.



But once these two passionate and scandalous figures find each other, they discover that it isn’t so easy to extricate oneself from the fires of desire—without getting singed. For the duchess and the dark lord each have startling secrets to reveal, and when all is said and done, neither will be able to say which one fell in love first, who tamed whom, and who has emerged from this game of hearts with the stronger hand.

**

chandelierskies's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted 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? No

3.5

blodeuedd's review

3.0

Plot:
The Duchess of Dunbarton decides to take a lover after her year of mourning is over. The man intended is Constantine Huxtable, known as the devil. But neither of them is what they seem to be.

My thoughts:
Oh, book 5, it seems I missed some but then it does not really matter. This book stands alone, and it's not like you do not know that all the previous couple would get HEAs anyway. The book was rather fun so I could see myself starting from the beginning.

I think what I liked the most was that nothing was it seemed to be. Hannah is notorious, she married at 19 a man well over his 70s. People called her a gold digger behind her back and her husband gave her everything she wanted. She also has escorts taking her to balls so she has quite the reputation. But no, she hides behind this mask that is The Duchess and behind it is a sad vulnerable girl who does not believe in love any more. I liked her from the start, even when I also had the wrong ideas about her, but I soon learnt the truth.

Constantine was the same. He was born before his parents got married so that meant he could not become the earl, which lead to a distant cousin become earl (all the previous books was about that family). But he is not upset, he likes them. He also has this reputation as a rake and that is actually true, he does take a new mistress every season. But this season his starts to fall in love, and he shows sides of him no one knew about.

Therefore I liked the book, the people with secrets, falling in love even though this is only a affair for one season. The book was easy to read, and there was some drama too at the end.

Recommendation and final thoughts:
Sure, cute and nice enough. So easy to read, and quick. It felt light and I enjoyed that so I could recommend it. And it was so lovely to finally get a HEA. I have missed that.

Reason for reading:
Since this is the 2nd ever HR book the library has bought so of course I read it

Cover:
I like it

jgilge's review

4.0

I think that this is my favorite in the series, just because it was Con's book. I have been waiting for his story ever since the first book. I am glad that it lived up to what I thought it was going to be.

lostinaskyofdreams's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I adored their romance! The slow unraveling of both the masks they wear in public was a joy to read.

falulatonks's review

4.0

I loooooved this. I had a very good review mostly written when I accidentally hit refresh and lost everything so! In summary:

a) I LOVED THESE LEADS. Hannah and Con are spectacular. Hannah in particular hits the ice-queen-outside-but-not-REALLY character-type that I have a fondness for when done well, but it's very rarely done well; it's very rarely about someone deciding they have appearances to keep, who wants to survive in an otherwise merciless society (I know, I know, I'm talking about the ton, but still). It's not about getting her to "thaw" because she's been so miserable being this one person she decides she must be - it's about her finding a friend she trusts will take it in the right spirit without getting schmoopy or silly about it, and I loved that very much.

b) I LOVED THESE LEADS TOGETHER! Hannah and Con are so lovely. They keep talking about how they're not even certain they're friends, because they're totally dense. they are friends, and the joy they get from talking to each other and settling things is so, so nice to see. so many parts of this book didn't even feel like I was seeing a romance happen: I was watching a relationship settle, something you know will work in the long haul. just wonderful. it was definitely rather fast, but I think there was something so smart about the way Balogh handled just how much they were on each other's level.

c) My one negative thing - the main reason this is 4 and not 5 stars - is how much this book felt like the last book of a series. not just because of plot- and other-relationship-heavy this book got by the last few chapters (not in a bad way, but definitely very conspicuously), but also because I felt like there were aspects of these characters that would've felt so much more satisfying with the context of a few books of "cold, aloof, and unbothered". It's obviously my fault for picking this book up without reading the others first, but it left me feeling like I wasn't getting the full effect of these characters' reveals. I was looking at other people's reviews, and one of them called Hannah and Con "so weirdly good", and I totally understand that - I don't have anything against good people, obviously, look at me; but it did seem like it was laid on a little thickly. I didn't need the scenes of their respective "secret lives". but I think people who've been keeping track of this series from the beginning would need those scenes, and I respect that.

I probably won't bother with the rest of this series, because I've heard they're not great, and I didn't really feel inclined towards any of the Huxtables I saw here.

I did really love this one, though. Hannah was the un-melodramatic "cold but secretly wonderful" story I've wanted to be seen told well for a long time.