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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
3,5 ☆
This was my very first Mary Balogh book, and I very much enjoyed reading it! It did start out slow, and I was already expecting a very slow burn. I didn't mind it, because the storytelling is so beautiful that I was easily immersed into the book and its characters, even when the romance was barely present.
Colonel Aiden Bedwyn, grim, reserved and cold, is driven by his unfaltering sense of duty and honor. Which ends with him offering marriage to our lovely Eve, after having promised her dying brother to protect her. Eve is sweet and has a big heart (a bleeding heart, as Aiden would say), she's strong and indepedant, but finds herself having to accept Aiden's proposal as her estate is threatened to move to her cousin, leaving her and everyone who depends on her left with nothing.
I liked the respect they both had for each other, agreeing to this deal and promising to never see each other again. Until the duke, Aiden's brother, comes in and changes things. Aiden was still very closed off, but I waited around patiently, waiting for the first smile he would crack. I wanted to see beyond his granite heart. And I admit, it was a tiring wait at times. As fascinating as the whole story was, it was difficult to find any spark between Aiden and Eve at first. I could not be convinved of their growing affections. It was barely there, and their "bedroom" scenes lacked any passion that could compensate for that. I would have loved the book better without any of those scenes, to be honest.
But, the last chapters completely saved this book for me! The scenes after they both realize their love are, to me, them falling in love. The family scenes, with the two precious orphans Eve has taken in were so beautiful. And those were very heartwarming to read, with just enough angst and they had me cry 10 pages straight. So I suppose that does make up for the lack of any emotion during the whole book. I honestly love the slowest of slow burns, and this one was sweet, but it wasn't really doing for me. So, I was very surprised and happy at the end! It was full of so much love, I had to stop and dry my tears bc I couldn't read anymore.
"And so you came to save me," he said, "You made me your newest lame duck."
I know the rest of the series follows the Bedwyn siblings, and I'm tempted to read more of them. I didn't think it was possible, but I ended up really liking Freyja, and... Even Wulf whom I swore to dislike til the very end, but Mary Balogh worked her magic, she had me feeling for him and now I want to see him fall in love.
This was my very first Mary Balogh book, and I very much enjoyed reading it! It did start out slow, and I was already expecting a very slow burn. I didn't mind it, because the storytelling is so beautiful that I was easily immersed into the book and its characters, even when the romance was barely present.
Colonel Aiden Bedwyn, grim, reserved and cold, is driven by his unfaltering sense of duty and honor. Which ends with him offering marriage to our lovely Eve, after having promised her dying brother to protect her. Eve is sweet and has a big heart (a bleeding heart, as Aiden would say), she's strong and indepedant, but finds herself having to accept Aiden's proposal as her estate is threatened to move to her cousin, leaving her and everyone who depends on her left with nothing.
I liked the respect they both had for each other, agreeing to this deal and promising to never see each other again. Until the duke, Aiden's brother, comes in and changes things. Aiden was still very closed off, but I waited around patiently, waiting for the first smile he would crack. I wanted to see beyond his granite heart. And I admit, it was a tiring wait at times. As fascinating as the whole story was, it was difficult to find any spark between Aiden and Eve at first. I could not be convinved of their growing affections. It was barely there, and their "bedroom" scenes lacked any passion that could compensate for that. I would have loved the book better without any of those scenes, to be honest.
But, the last chapters completely saved this book for me! The scenes after they both realize their love are, to me, them falling in love. The family scenes, with the two precious orphans Eve has taken in were so beautiful. And those were very heartwarming to read, with just enough angst and they had me cry 10 pages straight. So I suppose that does make up for the lack of any emotion during the whole book. I honestly love the slowest of slow burns, and this one was sweet, but it wasn't really doing for me. So, I was very surprised and happy at the end! It was full of so much love, I had to stop and dry my tears bc I couldn't read anymore.
"And so you came to save me," he said, "You made me your newest lame duck."
I know the rest of the series follows the Bedwyn siblings, and I'm tempted to read more of them. I didn't think it was possible, but I ended up really liking Freyja, and... Even Wulf whom I swore to dislike til the very end, but Mary Balogh worked her magic, she had me feeling for him and now I want to see him fall in love.
emotional
lighthearted
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:
Yes
Fairly repetitive as far as the "he/she is leaving tomorrow and I don't want him/her to go but I won't say anything because I'm scared" bullshit. I did like the ending though. Not my favorite from Queen Mary Balogh, but I still liked it and am going to read the rest of the Bedwyn Saga! Gotta get to the broody duke's book which is 6th lol.
Looking for something similar to Julia Quinn books and this missed the mark on whit and humor.
Mary Balogh is a beautiful writer, and I think does the best of the current writers at capturing the feel of a Jane Austen novel. I can see the BBC miniseries of her books playing in my head while I read them, and the characters do a better job of depicting the mindsets of people actually living in that period than anyone else's writing in the Regency. These are not modern individuals in costume. And so, if you're looking for graphic sex and crazy antics, you are not going to be finding them in Balogh. What you will find are two characters (and an entire set of supporting characters) that face problems and each other from a sympathetic but realistic point of view.
If that is what you want, you will love this book. He's the second son of a duke and a colonel in the cavalry. She's the daughter of a socially climbing landowner with aspirations to marrying her into the peerage. All she wants is her brother to come home from the war against Napoleon and to keep the crew of castoff employees and foundlings safe.
So, let me explain why I love this book. Marriage of convenience and then they fall in love? Check! I love romance novels where the marriage happens at the beginning and then they have to figure it out. That's my favorite trope, and I'll never get tired of reading it. Large and opinionated group of siblings? Check. Adorable children running around being adorable? Check. Also, a pet dog for good measure. This is book one of a series, and I'm very excited to read the rest of them, because I know I'm going to be in good hands with Mary.
Also, the hero is not a jerkface. He's honorable, and stupid sometimes, but he's a good man and I needed that after the last few romances I've read.
If that is what you want, you will love this book. He's the second son of a duke and a colonel in the cavalry. She's the daughter of a socially climbing landowner with aspirations to marrying her into the peerage. All she wants is her brother to come home from the war against Napoleon and to keep the crew of castoff employees and foundlings safe.
So, let me explain why I love this book. Marriage of convenience and then they fall in love? Check! I love romance novels where the marriage happens at the beginning and then they have to figure it out. That's my favorite trope, and I'll never get tired of reading it. Large and opinionated group of siblings? Check. Adorable children running around being adorable? Check. Also, a pet dog for good measure. This is book one of a series, and I'm very excited to read the rest of them, because I know I'm going to be in good hands with Mary.
Also, the hero is not a jerkface. He's honorable, and stupid sometimes, but he's a good man and I needed that after the last few romances I've read.
Per quanto ci siano, senza ombra di dubbio, delle falle nella narrazione (vedi la ripetizione continua, in eterno, di "ho promesso che l'avrei aiutata, a qualsiasi costoooo"), quasi mi sento offesa da tanti congiuntivi azzeccati. Anche i punti e le virgole stanno al loro posto. Non c'è più religione.
Per fortuna esiste il colonnello Aidan Bedwyn, che in un mare di smielate giornate mondane inglesi stile Jane-Austen-dei-poveri (ma molto poveri), percula tutti con quel velo di snobismo irresistibile. Applausi da parte del nostro trio
Per fortuna esiste il colonnello Aidan Bedwyn, che in un mare di smielate giornate mondane inglesi stile Jane-Austen-dei-poveri (ma molto poveri), percula tutti con quel velo di snobismo irresistibile. Applausi da parte del nostro trio
I'll admit, I usually place Pretend Dating/Marrieds over Marriage of Convenience on my list of favorite tropes, but this was done so well. This was steadily, expertly paced so that I felt like I was truly witnessing Aidan and Eve fall in love in real time. It certainly doesn't hurt that they have more than slight Darcy/Lizzie vibes about them. AND SO MUCH DOMESTICITY. They fall squarely into the category of Marriage Goals. So, so wonderful. I also sensed there was a lot of ground to cover since we'll be with the Bedwyns for an entire series, but it felt organic for the most part. Looking forward to reading more!!
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
It was a warm story. A breath of fresh air after unsuccessful attempts at reading other historical romances, which played into all the negative assumptions about the genre.
Marriage of convenience romances are my favorite things. The terrifying moment of "oh shit, I fell in love with my husband"? I WILL TAKE EIGHT.
Oh how I love a good marriage of convenience trope.