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kzimm2024 's review for:
A Summer to Remember
by Mary Balogh
Good story, 4 stars. I enjoy the premise of the book and after what felt like some initial cheesiness I was feeling from our introduction to Kit and the overwhelming names and titles for all the characters, I found some good depth and humor.
Lauren was victim to Fate, denying her the husband she thought she was going to have. She has a loving family but a bit too much:
"It seemed that her family, concerned that she might be a wallflower at her first ball in over a year, had spent the few days since she had agreed to attend lining up prospective partners for her—and prospective suitors too?
Just a little over a year ago she had danced at her wedding eve ball, secure in her own attractiveness, the cynosure of all eyes, the admired and envied bride of the Earl of Kilbourne.
Tonight she was an aging, faded beauty, unable to attract her own partners, in dire danger of declining into a permanent and irrevocable spinsterhood. Or so her family made her feel."
When Kit shows up, after taking the bet to make her his wife, she finds herself drawn to him because he:
"Lord Ravensberg had not been coerced. He had complimented her eyes, however foolish the flattery. And he was undeniably attractive."
Kit makes traction with Lauren simply due to everyone having objections about him :)
After several encounters, she goes straight to the heart of the matter. If she had pursued him, he would have fled:
“Good Lord, yes,” he agreed. Perceptive of her.
“I would thank you not to take the Lord’s name in vain,” she said so primly that he was momentarily enchanted. “I see that I have behaved in quite the wrong manner with you. I should have encouraged you.”
“There is always time,” he suggested, moving his chair half an inch closer to hers, “to mend your ways, Miss Edgeworth.”
I appreciate he came clean to her and they were able to have a (mostly) open, honest relationship:
“No,” he said. “You do yourself an injustice. And it was not just a game. I really did—do—need a bride. Someone like you. But I should not have courted you with such . . . insensitivity.
With such careless disregard for you as a person. I should not have allowed you, or any other lady, to become the object of a wager. You may be the perfect wife for me, but I would be just the worst possible husband for you.”
When they went to his estate to carry out the fake betrothal, he was kind to her as he fulfilled his promise to make her summer unforgettable:
“Please,” she said quietly, “let me go.” Would he really toss her in, fully clothed? Probably not, he decided. Undoubtedly not, in fact.
“You wanted an adventure, Lauren,” he said. “You wanted a summer quite different from any other you have ever known. You wanted to know what it feels like to live as other people live—people who do not have to earn the respect and love of those who nurture them. You wanted to know exuberance and happiness and freedom from restraint. You cannot have it both ways. You cannot expect these things to drop into your lap if you do not reach out to embrace them. I cannot keep my side of our bargain if you will not allow me to.”
“I do not know how to swim,” she said.
“I will teach you,” he told her.
She is perfect, handling snobs and charming everyone. And falls in love with them in turn. I tell you I hated Freyja- did she not know how to talk? Calling Kit "foolish" like over and over??
They get their HEA and I enjoyed this tender bit at the end:
"How is your grandmama?”
“Busy setting out the family christening robes.”
“Oh.”
“I am to marry you before Christmas, get you with child by Christmas, and be pacing the floors of Alvesley by this time next year, tearing out my hair in clumps and wearing out my boot leather while you deliver our first boy. Strict orders. Why do you think I really came? Just to tell you that I love you?”
“Foolish of me.”
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Spoiler: could have done without the 3rd act break-up but I understand how Lauren needed to understand what being free felt like.
Lauren was victim to Fate, denying her the husband she thought she was going to have. She has a loving family but a bit too much:
"It seemed that her family, concerned that she might be a wallflower at her first ball in over a year, had spent the few days since she had agreed to attend lining up prospective partners for her—and prospective suitors too?
Just a little over a year ago she had danced at her wedding eve ball, secure in her own attractiveness, the cynosure of all eyes, the admired and envied bride of the Earl of Kilbourne.
Tonight she was an aging, faded beauty, unable to attract her own partners, in dire danger of declining into a permanent and irrevocable spinsterhood. Or so her family made her feel."
When Kit shows up, after taking the bet to make her his wife, she finds herself drawn to him because he:
"Lord Ravensberg had not been coerced. He had complimented her eyes, however foolish the flattery. And he was undeniably attractive."
Kit makes traction with Lauren simply due to everyone having objections about him :)
After several encounters, she goes straight to the heart of the matter. If she had pursued him, he would have fled:
“Good Lord, yes,” he agreed. Perceptive of her.
“I would thank you not to take the Lord’s name in vain,” she said so primly that he was momentarily enchanted. “I see that I have behaved in quite the wrong manner with you. I should have encouraged you.”
“There is always time,” he suggested, moving his chair half an inch closer to hers, “to mend your ways, Miss Edgeworth.”
I appreciate he came clean to her and they were able to have a (mostly) open, honest relationship:
“No,” he said. “You do yourself an injustice. And it was not just a game. I really did—do—need a bride. Someone like you. But I should not have courted you with such . . . insensitivity.
With such careless disregard for you as a person. I should not have allowed you, or any other lady, to become the object of a wager. You may be the perfect wife for me, but I would be just the worst possible husband for you.”
When they went to his estate to carry out the fake betrothal, he was kind to her as he fulfilled his promise to make her summer unforgettable:
“Please,” she said quietly, “let me go.” Would he really toss her in, fully clothed? Probably not, he decided. Undoubtedly not, in fact.
“You wanted an adventure, Lauren,” he said. “You wanted a summer quite different from any other you have ever known. You wanted to know what it feels like to live as other people live—people who do not have to earn the respect and love of those who nurture them. You wanted to know exuberance and happiness and freedom from restraint. You cannot have it both ways. You cannot expect these things to drop into your lap if you do not reach out to embrace them. I cannot keep my side of our bargain if you will not allow me to.”
“I do not know how to swim,” she said.
“I will teach you,” he told her.
She is perfect, handling snobs and charming everyone. And falls in love with them in turn. I tell you I hated Freyja- did she not know how to talk? Calling Kit "foolish" like over and over??
They get their HEA and I enjoyed this tender bit at the end:
"How is your grandmama?”
“Busy setting out the family christening robes.”
“Oh.”
“I am to marry you before Christmas, get you with child by Christmas, and be pacing the floors of Alvesley by this time next year, tearing out my hair in clumps and wearing out my boot leather while you deliver our first boy. Strict orders. Why do you think I really came? Just to tell you that I love you?”
“Foolish of me.”
-
-
-
-
-
-
Spoiler: could have done without the 3rd act break-up but I understand how Lauren needed to understand what being free felt like.