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A review by turophile
At Last Comes Love by Mary Balogh
3.0
As mentioned in my review of [b:Then Comes Seduction|3975368|Then Comes Seduction (Huxtable Quintet, #2)|Mary Balogh|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320432687s/3975368.jpg|4021133], it's never a good idea for me to read too many Mary Balogh books, particularly from the same series, in a row. Too many similarities - you forget which book you're reading.
(Ahoy - watch out for spoilers)
So you thought Jasper in Seduction (who married Kate, the sister of our heroine Margaret Huxtable) was a Rakehell. Wait until you meet Duncan. He didn't just sow his wild oats, he left his bride at the altar and ran off with the jilted bride's sister-in-law. Five years later his grandfather's about to cut his funds off unless he marries in two weeks. He literally runs in to Margaret and proposes marriage. Everyone in London, her family, his jilted bride, everyone warns her to stay away from hi. Does she listen? Of course not. As the scandal grows, her family pressures her to back away but she agrees to marry him after learning the true reason for his seemingly bad behavior. So she decides to marry first, then expect her husband to fall in love. (I'll give Ms. Balogh credit, however, Margaret does at least acknowledge how similar it is to her sister's situation - but still).
Let's see what other similaries - in Seduction we had the crotchety old guardian who sees through the evil cousins, here we have the crotchety grandfather who also sees through evil cousin. Did I mention evil cousins plotting against the Huxtables in both books?
And naked swimming - what's a book without the naked swimming? In Seduction we had the sister to protect, here it's the young boy. I'll stop the comparisons.
The other thing that troubled me was that I thought the author went overboard in how the story of Duncan's former lover played out - the contrast of good (Duncan) and bad (jilted bride and brother) was so stark it almost seemed unbelievable.
On the plus side, Balogh does write well and if you don't read her books back to back (or similarities don't drive you crazy) you may love this book. Another strong heroine who can take care of herself but stil finds room in her life for love. Descriptions that paint a vivid picture without going overboard. There is much to admire.
*Rated on my 5 star romance scale
(Ahoy - watch out for spoilers)
So you thought Jasper in Seduction (who married Kate, the sister of our heroine Margaret Huxtable) was a Rakehell. Wait until you meet Duncan. He didn't just sow his wild oats, he left his bride at the altar and ran off with the jilted bride's sister-in-law. Five years later his grandfather's about to cut his funds off unless he marries in two weeks. He literally runs in to Margaret and proposes marriage. Everyone in London, her family, his jilted bride, everyone warns her to stay away from hi. Does she listen? Of course not. As the scandal grows, her family pressures her to back away but she agrees to marry him after learning the true reason for his seemingly bad behavior. So she decides to marry first, then expect her husband to fall in love. (I'll give Ms. Balogh credit, however, Margaret does at least acknowledge how similar it is to her sister's situation - but still).
Let's see what other similaries - in Seduction we had the crotchety old guardian who sees through the evil cousins, here we have the crotchety grandfather who also sees through evil cousin. Did I mention evil cousins plotting against the Huxtables in both books?
And naked swimming - what's a book without the naked swimming? In Seduction we had the sister to protect, here it's the young boy. I'll stop the comparisons.
The other thing that troubled me was that I thought the author went overboard in how the story of Duncan's former lover played out - the contrast of good (Duncan) and bad (jilted bride and brother) was so stark it almost seemed unbelievable.
On the plus side, Balogh does write well and if you don't read her books back to back (or similarities don't drive you crazy) you may love this book. Another strong heroine who can take care of herself but stil finds room in her life for love. Descriptions that paint a vivid picture without going overboard. There is much to admire.
*Rated on my 5 star romance scale