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A review by emmanadine
Silent Melody by Mary Balogh
4.0
I liked this story as a whole better than the first one, though Luke, the hero from the first book, was still one of my favorite characters in this book, too.
Emily, or Emmy, as she's called, is a deaf-mute, which makes for a different take on the standard heroine. I enjoyed Balogh's treatment of her as a character, making her loss of hearing a challenge for her in coping with the rest of the world, but not a deficit to her as a person. I also really admired the way the hero, Ashley, recognized that she had things she could teach him and that she was a woman and not a child or just a bauble to be shown off.
Emily does a few stupid things in this book, but her actions come out of a place of strength rather than fear, which is important for her. She knows what she wants, who she loves, and how she deserves to be treated, and won't settle for anything less. Also, she loves wholeheartedly, which is a beautiful characteristic, and fearless in its own right.
Ashley as a hero was quite lovely. He is deeply flawed, carrying a load of guilt - both deserved and not - and determined to make things right. And, when it comes down to it, his fierce sense of honor and protectiveness is pretty damn sexy.
Also, I loved that when she had the facts, she went straight to Ashley about it. She hadn't told him earlier because she wasn't sure she understood the cultural context of what had happened, but once she knew all the details, she told. Yay for talking to each other like adults! My bigger problem was Ashley's repressed memories of important details. Plot-convenient repressed memories are not my favorite.
Emily, or Emmy, as she's called, is a deaf-mute, which makes for a different take on the standard heroine. I enjoyed Balogh's treatment of her as a character, making her loss of hearing a challenge for her in coping with the rest of the world, but not a deficit to her as a person. I also really admired the way the hero, Ashley, recognized that she had things she could teach him and that she was a woman and not a child or just a bauble to be shown off.
Emily does a few stupid things in this book, but her actions come out of a place of strength rather than fear, which is important for her. She knows what she wants, who she loves, and how she deserves to be treated, and won't settle for anything less. Also, she loves wholeheartedly, which is a beautiful characteristic, and fearless in its own right.
Ashley as a hero was quite lovely. He is deeply flawed, carrying a load of guilt - both deserved and not - and determined to make things right. And, when it comes down to it, his fierce sense of honor and protectiveness is pretty damn sexy.
Spoiler
That duel at the end? Dang! He actually killed him. I was not expecting that. I'm used to Regency romances where maybe someone gets wounded or there's a delopement, but nope. Dead. On the floor. Wow. Also, Luke threatening to horsewhip his brother made me love Luke even more than I already did.Also, I loved that when she had the facts, she went straight to Ashley about it. She hadn't told him earlier because she wasn't sure she understood the cultural context of what had happened, but once she knew all the details, she told. Yay for talking to each other like adults! My bigger problem was Ashley's repressed memories of important details.