A review by tostita
Always Remember by Mary Balogh

emotional 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

1.5

I wanted to like this book, so much, but ultimately it was tedious, with a generous splash of ableism for added spice. By halfway through I was rolling my eyes and groaning every time the text mentioned that Lady Jennifer was unable to walk but never complained, and was always cheery and pleasant, never whiny. That’s a standard no able-bodied person would ever be held to. Frankly, I dearly wanted to see Jenny throw a fit and tell her family to get wrecked and stop infantilizing her. I was also very displeased with Ben’s “loving” family who made sure he knew he wasn’t good enough for any well-bred lady because of his illegitimate birth, but couched in nice words and implied meanings so he couldn’t outright object to their actions. And speaking of action, not a whole lot happens in this book, at least not relative to the number of words written. There is so much reiteration of previous events in every chapter. Very often, dialog felt more like the author expounding on her theories of human nature and relationships rather than a genuine exchange between characters. The pace was so slow that I repeatedly found my attention wandering, which was not helped by the narrator’s soporific style. There is a precocious, ostensibly charming child character, and frequent use of the word

cripple

, which might be historically accurate but was jarring to this modern reader. I found the previous book disappointing, too, and I’m not sure I’ll be continuing the series at this rate.