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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.
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.
digitlchic's review
5.0
{Happy sigh} the end of this book is sheer perfection for me ❤️ and a beautiful conclusion for this wonderful series
funnydog321's review
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
jemcam's review
5.0
A Secret Affair by Mary Balogh is the fifth book in the Huxtables series, so if you haven’t read any before, start with First Comes Marriage. In A Secret Affair we get to find out about all the secrets that Balogh has hinted at in the previous books as the story follows Constantine, the cousin who missed out on the Huxtable inheritance by being born two days before his parents’ marriage.
In my opinion, all of the books in this series are good, but the first and last are the best. Constantine is an interesting hero, and his love interest, the Duchess of Dunbarton is fascinating. This book looks at image versus identity, rumour versus reality, and the two main characters have to come to terms with the public personas that they play and the vulnerability that comes with letting another person in on their personal secrets.
One thing I love about Mary Balogh is that she excels at character development. I grow very tired of romance novels that make ridiculous generalizations about characters and expect the reader to just accept them as character development. I have set aside so many romance novels where the hero notices something about the colour of the heroine’s dress or the way she holds her spoon, and essentially says "this means she is independent" or some other character trait. Balogh would never insult her reader this way, and instead lets the personalities of her characters slowly unfold and even evolve. So, if you are looking for quality writing and intriguing storylines, Mary Balogh is the writer for you.
In my opinion, all of the books in this series are good, but the first and last are the best. Constantine is an interesting hero, and his love interest, the Duchess of Dunbarton is fascinating. This book looks at image versus identity, rumour versus reality, and the two main characters have to come to terms with the public personas that they play and the vulnerability that comes with letting another person in on their personal secrets.
One thing I love about Mary Balogh is that she excels at character development. I grow very tired of romance novels that make ridiculous generalizations about characters and expect the reader to just accept them as character development. I have set aside so many romance novels where the hero notices something about the colour of the heroine’s dress or the way she holds her spoon, and essentially says "this means she is independent" or some other character trait. Balogh would never insult her reader this way, and instead lets the personalities of her characters slowly unfold and even evolve. So, if you are looking for quality writing and intriguing storylines, Mary Balogh is the writer for you.
elenajohansen's review against another edition
2.0
What started off with an interesting and original-to-me premise became bogged down in stilted repetition and the stifling confines of Regency propriety, the endless litany of who is where and who is riding in whose carriage and who is attending what ball and who is related to whom.
This is my third Balogh novel and definitely my last. They've all gotten two stars from me, and despite how much this author has been recommended to me in the past, clearly we're not gelling.
I did have higher hopes for this one, based on concept. I've never really seen the "it's just a fling" trope in a Regency setting before. But once the lovers hop into bed together, it all goes downhill, and I'm not saying that as a sex-starved reader who just wants smut and should probably be reading NA romances instead of Regency.
I'm saying it because all the sex scenes after that were either short and summarized, or glossed over with a fade-out from the scene, or in one case, interrupted. If the primary vehicle that these two lovers have to get to know each other is lust, because they're lovers but not in love, why isn't there much lust?
So of course, with this trope, the point is that eventually they realize they've caught feelings. That definitely happens here. But the banter it should be happening through also gets less present and less interesting as the novel slowly wends its way along. It takes both characters multiple chapters and repeated internal monologue to convince themselves/admit to themselves that they're falling in love. Both characters use precisely the same language in the process, both suffer the same doubts, and both have the same qualms about admitting their growing feelings to each other.
Essentially, for all their seeming differences of gender, power, social standing, and personality, the narrative treats them for a good chunk of the book like they're the exact same person.
That isn't the only place where the story suffers from excessive repetition, either. During the climax, when the fate of the romance hinges (seemingly) on the outcome of a judge's ruling on the sentence for a mentally handicapped thief, the story of what the thief did is told by one character to another several times in a chain of "I know this but now I'm telling it to you," and the story is almost word-for-word each time. They should be similar, yes, but not exact, not when one factors in things like character voice, and the Telephone effect of words or small details changing. The author is clearly aware of how a tale can grow and change in the telling--it's referenced in gossip among the ton but not in this little tale, which everyone has memorized word-perfect, and I have to read about six times over ten pages.
I KNOW! I KNOW WHAT HE DID! STOP TELLING ME BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO INFORM OTHER CHARACTERS! SUMMARIZE IT OR GLOSS OVER IT OR SOMETHING!
Thanks to used book sales and the number of times Balogh was recommended to me, I do actually own one more book of hers, but I'll be donating it back to my library's book sale room unread, because after three bland and mediocre reads, I think it's safe to say I'm unimpressed with this author.
This is my third Balogh novel and definitely my last. They've all gotten two stars from me, and despite how much this author has been recommended to me in the past, clearly we're not gelling.
I did have higher hopes for this one, based on concept. I've never really seen the "it's just a fling" trope in a Regency setting before. But once the lovers hop into bed together, it all goes downhill, and I'm not saying that as a sex-starved reader who just wants smut and should probably be reading NA romances instead of Regency.
I'm saying it because all the sex scenes after that were either short and summarized, or glossed over with a fade-out from the scene, or in one case, interrupted. If the primary vehicle that these two lovers have to get to know each other is lust, because they're lovers but not in love, why isn't there much lust?
So of course, with this trope, the point is that eventually they realize they've caught feelings. That definitely happens here. But the banter it should be happening through also gets less present and less interesting as the novel slowly wends its way along. It takes both characters multiple chapters and repeated internal monologue to convince themselves/admit to themselves that they're falling in love. Both characters use precisely the same language in the process, both suffer the same doubts, and both have the same qualms about admitting their growing feelings to each other.
Essentially, for all their seeming differences of gender, power, social standing, and personality, the narrative treats them for a good chunk of the book like they're the exact same person.
That isn't the only place where the story suffers from excessive repetition, either. During the climax, when the fate of the romance hinges (seemingly) on the outcome of a judge's ruling on the sentence for a mentally handicapped thief, the story of what the thief did is told by one character to another several times in a chain of "I know this but now I'm telling it to you," and the story is almost word-for-word each time. They should be similar, yes, but not exact, not when one factors in things like character voice, and the Telephone effect of words or small details changing. The author is clearly aware of how a tale can grow and change in the telling--it's referenced in gossip among the ton but not in this little tale, which everyone has memorized word-perfect, and I have to read about six times over ten pages.
I KNOW! I KNOW WHAT HE DID! STOP TELLING ME BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO INFORM OTHER CHARACTERS! SUMMARIZE IT OR GLOSS OVER IT OR SOMETHING!
Thanks to used book sales and the number of times Balogh was recommended to me, I do actually own one more book of hers, but I'll be donating it back to my library's book sale room unread, because after three bland and mediocre reads, I think it's safe to say I'm unimpressed with this author.
mateyy's review
Haven’t been in the mood for Hetero-romance lately. Might come back for it later.
meroller's review against another edition
5.0
This, Stephen's, and Kate's are my favorite of this series. I like Vanessa's and Meg's but to me the other 3 draw me.
I like Hannah and her Higher than Thou attitude and how she wields her power. She has basically the maximum amount of power a woman can have that isn't a princess or a queen. I love Con for her and I love that we learn what the tiff is in the family and Hannah is the healer for them among with other people. Con and Hannah are perfect for each other.
I like Hannah and her Higher than Thou attitude and how she wields her power. She has basically the maximum amount of power a woman can have that isn't a princess or a queen. I love Con for her and I love that we learn what the tiff is in the family and Hannah is the healer for them among with other people. Con and Hannah are perfect for each other.
patsycathcart's review
5.0
My favorite, I always love when the author saves the bad boy for last. This was a lovely story.
nicolesa's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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? No
3.0
helenephoebe's review against another edition
3.0
Review - I really liked both Hannah and Constantine, it seemed that they just connected together, and that they had a lot in common. That's all anyone asks for in a relationship. With these books, you always know that the man and woman will end up together, but what you don't know is how they'll get there. Balogh seems to always create different obstacles in each of her books I've read and I look forward to reading more.
Genre - Historical Fiction / Romance
Characters - Hannah / Constantine / Vanessa / Katherine / Margaret / Merton
Setting - London (England)
Series - Huxtable #5
Recommend - Yes
My Rating - 16/20
Genre - Historical Fiction / Romance
Characters - Hannah / Constantine / Vanessa / Katherine / Margaret / Merton
Setting - London (England)
Series - Huxtable #5
Recommend - Yes
My Rating - 16/20