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Ravenswood #2
Remember Me
Can Lady Philippa Ware forgive the man who once shattered all her youthful dreams? Discover the passionate and heartwarming new novel on the redemptive power of love from New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh.
Philippa, elder daughter of the Earl of Stratton, grew up eagerly anticipating a glittering debut and a brilliant marriage. Then her brother caught their father out in a clandestine affair and denounced him publicly. The whole family was disgraced, and Philippa's hopes grew dim, then were fully shattered when she overheard the dashing, handsome Marquess of Roath viciously insult her upon learning of her father's identity. Only years later does Philippa find the courage to go to London at last to meet the ton. She is an instant success and enjoys a close friendship with the granddaughter of a duke. Only one man can spoil everything for her, but surely he will not be in London this year.
The Duke of Wilby is nearing death and has tasked his grandson and heir, Lucas Arden, Marquess of Roath, with marrying and producing a son before it is too late. Lucas, who usually shuns London, goes there early in the Season in the hope of finding an eligible bride before his grandparents come and find one for him. He is instantly attracted to his sister's new friend, until that young lady asks a simple question: "Remember me?" And suddenly he does remember her, as well as the reason why the daughter of the Earl of Stratton is the one woman he can never marry--even if his heart tells him she is the only woman he wants.
Unfortunately for Philippa and Lucas, the autocratic duke and his duchess have other ideas and believe them to be perfect for each other. They will simply not take no for an answer. Telling Philippa the full truth is the hardest thing Lucas has ever faced, and the discovery of it will change them both before they discover the healing power of love.
Philippa, elder daughter of the Earl of Stratton, grew up eagerly anticipating a glittering debut and a brilliant marriage. Then her brother caught their father out in a clandestine affair and denounced him publicly. The whole family was disgraced, and Philippa's hopes grew dim, then were fully shattered when she overheard the dashing, handsome Marquess of Roath viciously insult her upon learning of her father's identity. Only years later does Philippa find the courage to go to London at last to meet the ton. She is an instant success and enjoys a close friendship with the granddaughter of a duke. Only one man can spoil everything for her, but surely he will not be in London this year.
The Duke of Wilby is nearing death and has tasked his grandson and heir, Lucas Arden, Marquess of Roath, with marrying and producing a son before it is too late. Lucas, who usually shuns London, goes there early in the Season in the hope of finding an eligible bride before his grandparents come and find one for him. He is instantly attracted to his sister's new friend, until that young lady asks a simple question: "Remember me?" And suddenly he does remember her, as well as the reason why the daughter of the Earl of Stratton is the one woman he can never marry--even if his heart tells him she is the only woman he wants.
Unfortunately for Philippa and Lucas, the autocratic duke and his duchess have other ideas and believe them to be perfect for each other. They will simply not take no for an answer. Telling Philippa the full truth is the hardest thing Lucas has ever faced, and the discovery of it will change them both before they discover the healing power of love.
12 pages, Audible Audio
First published June 20, 2023
505 people are currently reading
5369 people want to read
About the author
Mary Balogh
200 books6,337 followersMary Jenkins was born in 1944 in Swansea, Wales, UK. After graduating from university, moved to Saskatchewan, Canada, to teach high school English, on a two-year teaching contract in 1967. She married her Canadian husband, Robert Balogh, and had three children, Jacqueline, Christopher and Sian. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading, music and knitting. She also enjoys watching tennis and curling.
Mary Balogh started writing in the evenings as a hobby. Her first book, a Regency love story, was published in 1985 as A Masked Deception under her married name. In 1988, she retired from teaching after 20 years to pursue her dream to write full-time. She has written more than seventy novels and almost thirty novellas since then, including the New York Times bestselling 'Slightly' sextet and 'Simply' quartet. She has won numerous awards, including Bestselling Historical of the Year from the Borders Group, and her novel Simply Magic was a finalist in the Quill Awards. She has won seven Waldenbooks Awards and two B. Dalton Awards for her bestselling novels, as well as a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award.
Mary Balogh started writing in the evenings as a hobby. Her first book, a Regency love story, was published in 1985 as A Masked Deception under her married name. In 1988, she retired from teaching after 20 years to pursue her dream to write full-time. She has written more than seventy novels and almost thirty novellas since then, including the New York Times bestselling 'Slightly' sextet and 'Simply' quartet. She has won numerous awards, including Bestselling Historical of the Year from the Borders Group, and her novel Simply Magic was a finalist in the Quill Awards. She has won seven Waldenbooks Awards and two B. Dalton Awards for her bestselling novels, as well as a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 544 reviews
January 11, 2023
Hmmm. It’s ok but not great, at least for me. I wasn’t a fan of the last book either though so perhaps this series just isn’t my cup of tea. I my just seems like about 40% of Balogh’s books are comprised of… well nothing but endless listings of names of the extended family members of the main characters & everyone they meet. Ad naseum. And then it’s repeated several times, each time someone is reintroduced. And then another 20% is just characters verbally explaining to each other a scene that we literally just read. It honestly feels like maybe the author doesn’t have that much to say about each couple or much character development or relationship development to provide us, because most of the book doesn’t focus on their interactions w each other but rather instead focuses on describing every family member who is in attendance at every party & why those family members would be happy if the main characters just got married already. Very few actual interactions occurred between these two characters at their intentional choice, they were just kind of swept along at the whims of their manipulative families as well as their own ambivalent attraction to each other and lack of wills.
It kind of blows my mind that this is the same author who wrote the strong willed, colorful, & memorable Bedawyn series. This series feels like a Homer-esque epic poem with its use of constant repetitive listing out of family lineages. I noticed Balogh started this trend in Ernest during the westcotts series but still at least half of those books were still pretty good & still focused more on their main characters but this series seems to have really gone even further w the trend of being scene setting & listing of family members, with very little character or relationship development.
It kind of blows my mind that this is the same author who wrote the strong willed, colorful, & memorable Bedawyn series. This series feels like a Homer-esque epic poem with its use of constant repetitive listing out of family lineages. I noticed Balogh started this trend in Ernest during the westcotts series but still at least half of those books were still pretty good & still focused more on their main characters but this series seems to have really gone even further w the trend of being scene setting & listing of family members, with very little character or relationship development.
June 10, 2023
I look forward to a new Mary Balogh book all year. No one writes like her in historical romance today, and falling into one of her books feels like a respite from the world.
I adored Pippa and Luc's story, but I equally enjoyed the story of all the side characters in the family, particularly Jenny and the Duke and Duchess.
This book felt like a family saga in the best way, and the romance was very slow to develop, but I enjoyed that it did that so much.
With the damage Luc's hurtful words did to Pippa, of course, it would take time for the two of them to actually get to love.
This book was so carefully done and full of subtleties and nuance in every single character. If you're looking for a fast-paced read, look elsewhere. But if you're looking for a book to savor with complicated family relationships, this is for you.
I loved the whole thing and can't wait for the next installment.
I received an ARC for review.
I adored Pippa and Luc's story, but I equally enjoyed the story of all the side characters in the family, particularly Jenny and the Duke and Duchess.
This book felt like a family saga in the best way, and the romance was very slow to develop, but I enjoyed that it did that so much.
With the damage Luc's hurtful words did to Pippa, of course, it would take time for the two of them to actually get to love.
This book was so carefully done and full of subtleties and nuance in every single character. If you're looking for a fast-paced read, look elsewhere. But if you're looking for a book to savor with complicated family relationships, this is for you.
I loved the whole thing and can't wait for the next installment.
I received an ARC for review.
January 29, 2023
Remember Me is the second book in a series about the Ware siblings, who had their lives rocked by scandal.
I was really looking forward to this one but it pains me to say this is my least favorite Mary Balogh book.
This book dragged. And not only that but the romance...was non existent.
There was no build up, no interactions that showed them falling in love. Instead we were stuck hearing about everyone else in attendance at parties, every other relative and everything about them and how they wanted our couple to get married instead of our couple.ACTUALLY WANTING TO GET MARRIED.
And then the plot twist in the epilogue. SMH. Just no.
It was maddening. Mainly because this is the author of my beloved Bedawyn series and the Slightly series and the Westcott series. It stumps me really how we got here.
Will I read the next one? Of course, I'm hooked and I really am interested in this family. I really want to see Stephanie's story.
But this one, I won't read again.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
I was really looking forward to this one but it pains me to say this is my least favorite Mary Balogh book.
This book dragged. And not only that but the romance...was non existent.
There was no build up, no interactions that showed them falling in love. Instead we were stuck hearing about everyone else in attendance at parties, every other relative and everything about them and how they wanted our couple to get married instead of our couple.ACTUALLY WANTING TO GET MARRIED.
And then the plot twist in the epilogue. SMH. Just no.
It was maddening. Mainly because this is the author of my beloved Bedawyn series and the Slightly series and the Westcott series. It stumps me really how we got here.
Will I read the next one? Of course, I'm hooked and I really am interested in this family. I really want to see Stephanie's story.
But this one, I won't read again.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
July 26, 2023
Remember Me? Not likely.
It pains me to give a Mary Balogh book a one-star, but it can't be helped.
After the lackluster introduction to Ravenswood with Remember Love, I had high hopes for Lucas and Phillip's story. Unfortunately, I had to force myself to finish.
The premises was interesting, and I enjoyed the slight enemies-to-lovers aspect, but the delivery was flat. Both MCs had no personalities, desires, likes, dislikes, or opinions; their excessive passiveness was their prevailing trait and made it very hard to connect with Phillipa and Lucas. Any opportunity to develop chemistry, attraction, and personality was taken away by the overdone character-building of supporting characters.
So much time was spent on lineage and secondary relations and friends that it left no room for the relationship and romance between the main characters. Phillipa spent more time on the page with Luc's grandparents than with Luc himself. It became a story of two people whose identities and actions are completely determined by third parties.
It was hard to root for or even like Lucas and Phillipa and left me bored.
I am looking forward to Stephanie and Ben's stories, and I hope we get characters that are fully fleshed out and have visible character growth.
It pains me to give a Mary Balogh book a one-star, but it can't be helped.
After the lackluster introduction to Ravenswood with Remember Love, I had high hopes for Lucas and Phillip's story. Unfortunately, I had to force myself to finish.
The premises was interesting, and I enjoyed the slight enemies-to-lovers aspect, but the delivery was flat. Both MCs had no personalities, desires, likes, dislikes, or opinions; their excessive passiveness was their prevailing trait and made it very hard to connect with Phillipa and Lucas. Any opportunity to develop chemistry, attraction, and personality was taken away by the overdone character-building of supporting characters.
So much time was spent on lineage and secondary relations and friends that it left no room for the relationship and romance between the main characters. Phillipa spent more time on the page with Luc's grandparents than with Luc himself. It became a story of two people whose identities and actions are completely determined by third parties.
It was hard to root for or even like Lucas and Phillipa and left me bored.
I am looking forward to Stephanie and Ben's stories, and I hope we get characters that are fully fleshed out and have visible character growth.
June 16, 2023
Lady Phillipa Ware is just about to make long awaited first season in London there has been things that have kept her at home but it is now time, after her talk with her brother Devlin, now the Earl of Stratton and spoken about one thing that did really hurt Pippa, it is now time to put the past behind her and look to the future.
Pippa makes friends easily and one of them is the granddaughter of a Duke, Jenny they become fast friends but sadly she is the brother of the man who hurt her all those years ago with his unthinking comment, she doesn’t want anything to do with The Marquess of Roath, Lucas and he is reluctant to tell her why he made that comment, will they be able to be in the same room?
Soon The Duke of Wilby arrives in London pushing his grandson to marry and give him an heir before it is too late, his first meeting with the beautiful Lady Phillipa Ware sets him on a course to have her as his granddaughter-in-law, Lucas decides that telling Pippa the truth is probably for the best, will it change things with The Duke pushing Pippa the way her does.
Mary Balogh has such a way with her characters in the Regency times, I did thoroughly enjoy this book and getting to now Pippa and Luas, and the Duke and Duchess, nothing was going to stand in his way of have an heir to carry the line, of course there are many characters that add to the story catching up with members of the family from the first book and I do look forward to more. I do recommend this ones if you love a good regency romance.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my digital copy to read and review.
Pippa makes friends easily and one of them is the granddaughter of a Duke, Jenny they become fast friends but sadly she is the brother of the man who hurt her all those years ago with his unthinking comment, she doesn’t want anything to do with The Marquess of Roath, Lucas and he is reluctant to tell her why he made that comment, will they be able to be in the same room?
Soon The Duke of Wilby arrives in London pushing his grandson to marry and give him an heir before it is too late, his first meeting with the beautiful Lady Phillipa Ware sets him on a course to have her as his granddaughter-in-law, Lucas decides that telling Pippa the truth is probably for the best, will it change things with The Duke pushing Pippa the way her does.
Mary Balogh has such a way with her characters in the Regency times, I did thoroughly enjoy this book and getting to now Pippa and Luas, and the Duke and Duchess, nothing was going to stand in his way of have an heir to carry the line, of course there are many characters that add to the story catching up with members of the family from the first book and I do look forward to more. I do recommend this ones if you love a good regency romance.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my digital copy to read and review.
May 30, 2023
Pippa’s conflict!
The fallout from Devlin Ware accosting his father publicly at the village Grand Fete was his sister Lady Phillipa Ware, elder daughter of the late Earl of Stratton, being stunned when she heard herself being referred to as spoiled goods by Lucas Arden, the Marquess of Roath. That rejection decided Pippa about not making her presentation and come out for four years. Other things stood in the way as well, but this was the deciding factor. Pippa could not stand the thought of being given the cut direct by other members of the ton.
Luc’s grandfather, the Duke of Wilby, wants him to marry. It seems the Duke has set his sights on Pippa, whom Luc knows wants nothing to do with him. He’s agonising over his immature response of the past, but might there also be something else going on?
I was somewhat dismayed by the beginning of the novel, it seemed somewhat flat, but by the end I loved it. I also grew to adore Luc’s grandparents the Duke and Duchess of Wilby.
Let me just say the ending had the tears flowing!
A Berkley Group ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
The fallout from Devlin Ware accosting his father publicly at the village Grand Fete was his sister Lady Phillipa Ware, elder daughter of the late Earl of Stratton, being stunned when she heard herself being referred to as spoiled goods by Lucas Arden, the Marquess of Roath. That rejection decided Pippa about not making her presentation and come out for four years. Other things stood in the way as well, but this was the deciding factor. Pippa could not stand the thought of being given the cut direct by other members of the ton.
Luc’s grandfather, the Duke of Wilby, wants him to marry. It seems the Duke has set his sights on Pippa, whom Luc knows wants nothing to do with him. He’s agonising over his immature response of the past, but might there also be something else going on?
I was somewhat dismayed by the beginning of the novel, it seemed somewhat flat, but by the end I loved it. I also grew to adore Luc’s grandparents the Duke and Duchess of Wilby.
Let me just say the ending had the tears flowing!
A Berkley Group ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
July 17, 2023
Several years ago, Lady Philippa Ware overhears the Marquess of Roath, Lucas Arden, say a mean thing about her one whole time. So she spends several years hiding out at home until the absolutely ancient age of 21 when she decides to go to London. Upon arrival in London, she immediately makes a new bff, who just so happens to be the sister of LUCAS THE BASTARD (non-literal). They have several tense, turgid conversations about the mean thing he said one whole time and discover that underneath it all is BONERS.
1. Oh my god the blurb on this is melodramatic af??? Like, I figured that there had to be a REAL REASON why Lucas couldn't marry Philippa but OH NO IT'S JUST HIS GINORMOUS GUILT GETTING IN THE WAY.
2. Honestly, I didn't hate Philippa or Lucas: I liked how they immediately pinged off one another and developed a strange, tense little friendship; I liked how they grew to know one another's families; I liked how they discussed things and learned from those things.
But I'm not sure the sum of its parts really....comes together? I'm not sure what I'm saying beyond a general sense of malaise about the whole thing. I guess I was expecting more of a build to the story and the reconciliation and discovery of feelings between Philippa and Lucas and I didn't get that at all: instead, the plot just bumps along like a little scooter on a badly paved street, chugging along turbulently, struggling around potholes and cracks stodgily and slowly.
3. I also went looking for the next book because I had Inklings and it turns out I was WRONG and therefore ANGRY.
Yeah, I'm still going to read it.
1. Oh my god the blurb on this is melodramatic af??? Like, I figured that there had to be a REAL REASON why Lucas couldn't marry Philippa but OH NO IT'S JUST HIS GINORMOUS GUILT GETTING IN THE WAY.
2. Honestly, I didn't hate Philippa or Lucas: I liked how they immediately pinged off one another and developed a strange, tense little friendship; I liked how they grew to know one another's families; I liked how they discussed things and learned from those things.
But I'm not sure the sum of its parts really....comes together? I'm not sure what I'm saying beyond a general sense of malaise about the whole thing. I guess I was expecting more of a build to the story and the reconciliation and discovery of feelings between Philippa and Lucas and I didn't get that at all: instead, the plot just bumps along like a little scooter on a badly paved street, chugging along turbulently, struggling around potholes and cracks stodgily and slowly.
3. I also went looking for the next book because I had Inklings and it turns out I was WRONG and therefore ANGRY.
Yeah, I'm still going to read it.
June 22, 2023
6/21/23
Full-length review with Kaetrin now up at DA: https://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/o.... Here’s my abbreviated version.
Likes:
Luc (he’s wonderful)
The romance, what there is of it
Fresh backstory
What led up to the wedding
Dislikes:
Way. Too. Many. Relatives.
Fatphobia with Stephanie
Valorizing a disabled character (Luc’s sister Jenny), ugh
Underdeveloped plot
Filler
Weird ending
Final Verdict: 3 stars / 3.25 stars. This should have been a novella.
2/20/23
Hmm. Not sure what I think of the last 20% here. Definitely not Balogh’s best work.
Review and grade to come.
Full-length review with Kaetrin now up at DA: https://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/o.... Here’s my abbreviated version.
Likes:
Luc (he’s wonderful)
The romance, what there is of it
Fresh backstory
What led up to the wedding
Dislikes:
Way. Too. Many. Relatives.
Fatphobia with Stephanie
Valorizing a disabled character (Luc’s sister Jenny), ugh
Underdeveloped plot
Filler
Weird ending
Final Verdict: 3 stars / 3.25 stars. This should have been a novella.
2/20/23
Hmm. Not sure what I think of the last 20% here. Definitely not Balogh’s best work.
Review and grade to come.
July 8, 2023
2.5 stars, rounded down to 2 because of the audiobook aspect. I never see anyone else complain about this but man when I dislike the speaker it really ruins the book. They seem to use this same woman for all Mary Balogh books and her voices are grating, especially the men and small children. Also am I the only one that cringes having to listen to people read sex scenes aloud?
Story wise, well there isn’t much. The barriers are minimal, easily overcome by the 50% mark, and the characters are fine but don’t make up for the lack of anything else.
Story wise, well there isn’t much. The barriers are minimal, easily overcome by the 50% mark, and the characters are fine but don’t make up for the lack of anything else.
June 26, 2024
Bland leading the bland.
This continues with the family from Remember Love where the jolly holiday father turns out to be a serial cheater and is outed by his son. We find out even more depressing things about pops here.
The heroine and hero are about as bland as you can get, and if it weren't for the interfering grandfather of the H, a Duke of course, I doubt anything would have happened. In fact there were more sparks between the h and the grandparent couple.
The ending was sweet so three stars for that.
This continues with the family from Remember Love where the jolly holiday father turns out to be a serial cheater and is outed by his son. We find out even more depressing things about pops here.
The heroine and hero are about as bland as you can get, and if it weren't for the interfering grandfather of the H, a Duke of course, I doubt anything would have happened. In fact there were more sparks between the h and the grandparent couple.
The ending was sweet so three stars for that.
June 21, 2023
Check out all my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com
REMEMBER ME (Ravenswood Book #2) by Mary Balogh is an enchanting Regency historical romance. This is the second book in the Ravenswood series, and it can be read as a standalone, but to get Phillipa’s entire backstory, I suggest you read book #1, Remember Love first.
Lady Phillipa “Pippa” Ware grew up eagerly awaiting her first London season until the public disgrace of her family. After overhearing the handsome Marquess of Roath calling her “soiled goods” when he visited a neighbor, she refused to go to London and isolated herself on her family’s estate.
Four years later, with the encouragement of her brother who is now the Earl, she leaves for her first season in London.
Lucas Arden, Marquess of Roath has been tasked by his grandfather the Duke of Wilby, who is elderly and not well, to find a bride and produce an heir. When he attends his first ton event, he is attracted to his sister’s new friend. When he asks to be introduced, he learns Lady Phillipa overheard his long-ago hurtful words spoken to his friend. Pippa wants to know why he said those words, but Lucas has a terrible secret of his own which involves her dead father that he never wanted to share.
His grandparents like Pippa and believe she would be the perfect match for Lucas, but can they overcome their pasts and discover the healing power of love?
This is another entertaining historical romance from Ms. Balogh. The characters are fully developed, and the dialogue is witty. There is a lot of family interaction and at times, I wish it was more focused on the hero of heroine’s love story. The sex scene was between an experienced man and a virgin which is expected for the time, but it also seemed a bit one sided in execution which I do not expect in a romance written today. Lucas’s grandparents are wonderful characters in this story with a beautiful love story of their own.
Overall, another emotional addition to the Ravenswood series and I am looking forward to following the other Ware family members as they meet their HEA mates.
REMEMBER ME (Ravenswood Book #2) by Mary Balogh is an enchanting Regency historical romance. This is the second book in the Ravenswood series, and it can be read as a standalone, but to get Phillipa’s entire backstory, I suggest you read book #1, Remember Love first.
Lady Phillipa “Pippa” Ware grew up eagerly awaiting her first London season until the public disgrace of her family. After overhearing the handsome Marquess of Roath calling her “soiled goods” when he visited a neighbor, she refused to go to London and isolated herself on her family’s estate.
Four years later, with the encouragement of her brother who is now the Earl, she leaves for her first season in London.
Lucas Arden, Marquess of Roath has been tasked by his grandfather the Duke of Wilby, who is elderly and not well, to find a bride and produce an heir. When he attends his first ton event, he is attracted to his sister’s new friend. When he asks to be introduced, he learns Lady Phillipa overheard his long-ago hurtful words spoken to his friend. Pippa wants to know why he said those words, but Lucas has a terrible secret of his own which involves her dead father that he never wanted to share.
His grandparents like Pippa and believe she would be the perfect match for Lucas, but can they overcome their pasts and discover the healing power of love?
This is another entertaining historical romance from Ms. Balogh. The characters are fully developed, and the dialogue is witty. There is a lot of family interaction and at times, I wish it was more focused on the hero of heroine’s love story. The sex scene was between an experienced man and a virgin which is expected for the time, but it also seemed a bit one sided in execution which I do not expect in a romance written today. Lucas’s grandparents are wonderful characters in this story with a beautiful love story of their own.
Overall, another emotional addition to the Ravenswood series and I am looking forward to following the other Ware family members as they meet their HEA mates.
February 24, 2024
3.5/5. A few cruel dismissive words by the Marquess of Roath traumatised Lady Philippa Ware to such a degree that she refused to have a Season that year and for several more thereafter. She finally makes her debut, her beauty and charms a sure bet for a successful match. She did not expect that one of her would-be suitors would be the very man who vehemently insulted her and her family years ago. No longer the timid young girl who retreated into her shell, she promptly reminds him of his past wrong against her. Lucas is mortified and keen to respect her wishes for him to keep his distance. However his grandparents, the formidable Duke and Duchess of Wilby have matrimonial plans for the heir and Philippa is the perfect candidate. Dirty family secrets are laundered, prejudices overcome and ultimately the will of the Duke of Wilby will be done. Slow-moving but the cunning charms of the duke and duchess elevated the book.
June 26, 2023
I find the most recent Balogh’s totally without the emotional power and complexity of her earlier books. This one is repetitive, tedious, and wooden, with a hero and heroine that are both impossibly perfect and flawless and no real plot to drive it along.
June 20, 2023
Title: Remember Me
Series: Ravenswood, #2
Author: Mary Balogh
Release date: June 20, 2023
Cliffhanger: no
Genre:historical romance
It was the irony of ironies perhaps that he had fallen hard for the very woman he had once insulted quite unforgivably.
Believe it or not, this is my first Mary Balogh read! I've been reading historical romance since I was a teenager, so that's a pretty shocking thing to admit. As one of the more established authors in the genre with a large fan base, I was very excited to finally read one of her novels. The synopsis intrigued me quite a bit as there were several themes that I like to read. Second chance, mysteriously forbidden love, and love-to-hate-to-love. The hero unintentionally caused the heroine emotional distress and suffering in the past, and he has to overcome his hurtful behavior before they can be together. Moreover, even if she were to forgive him, he is hiding a monumental secret that he feels unable to reveal to her. It's because of this secret that he decides they could never join their two families in marriage, despite his growing feelings for her. The conflicts are multi-layered and well-developed and are all woven together in a seamless way. For these reasons, Remember Me was a worthwhile and decent read.
One thing I really enjoyed about this book was the fact that there was no fortune hunting on either side. Maybe it's the fact that a series I recently read was based entirely around that theme, or maybe I've just read it too many times in general, but the absence of it was really refreshing. The protagonists were on common ground financially as well as socially. From the outside looking in, these two seemed to be made to pair together. In addition, Philippa's mother Clarissa is very close friends with Lucas' Aunt Catherine. It would be a dream come true for them to have their families connected.
Lucas' ornery grandfather, the Duke of Stratton has given his emphatic stamp of approval after seeing the two of them together, and that is surely an impossible feat to achieve with him. So it almost seems as if it's a foregone conclusion that Lucas and Philippa will become engaged this season in London. They seem to have a friendly rapport, and even lock eyes across the room on a frequent basis. In everyone's mind, it's only a matter of time before they end up together. What they don't know is that Philippa is putting on a brave face in front of everyone every time she encounters the man whose words once cut her deep to her core. Lucas is ashamed and uncomfortable around her because he shoulders the burden of that terrible, destructive secret. It becomes a dance of sorts, as everyone around them tries nudging them a step closer, and they skittishly back two steps away.
Another unique feature of the plot was the ages of the main characters looking to get married. By Regency period standards, At 22 years old, Philippa is verging on the label of "spinster" by society's standards. She's looking for a husband later than usual because she was too emotionally wounded to enter the marriage mart. Lucas is wife hunting at the age of 26, which is quite early for a man of that time. His grandfather's failing health is a great cause for concern. Both of his grandparents are getting on in age and want to be assured that he is happily married and working on another "spare" heir to pass the title to. If Lucas were to suffer an untimely death like his parents, the estate would pass on to a distant relative whom nobody is particularly fond of. I appreciated this departure from the norm in your average historical romance.
Some cons about the plot were:
•lots of secondary characters taking up page time in book
There was her mother, sister, four brothers, a sister-in-law, his grandparents and aunt, cousins, uncle...etc. I normally like family-centric stories, but their involvement took away from the main couple a bit.
•3rd person POV
My personal preference is to read 1st person POV. Third tends to generally take me outside of the story and make it difficult for me to fully immerse in the story. This is just my own preference, and will not be an issue for many others.
•slow paced
The book dragged for portions where I felt that not enough action was happening to propel the story forward.
•lack of chemistry between characters
As much as I was rooting for the two of them to get together and respected both characters individually flaws and all, I didn't feel any passion or angst in their forbidden love/harmful secret conflict that dragged through most of the book. With themes like these, there was potential to feel some powerful butterflies and thrills, but I was left feeling a little cold. I think Philippa and Lucas resisted each other for a long time, denying themselves the indulgence of even thinking of each other romantically. So when they finally agreed to get engaged, the romance felt stiff, forced, and rushed. Don't get me wrong, they were sweet and caring with one another, but it was like watching two strangers politely navigate their new marriage.
Overall, I appreciated all of the unique aspects of the story, but the romance fell a bit flat in the end while the pace as a whole dragged for longer than I would have liked. I can definitely see why this author has a large fan base, and perhaps I chose the wrong book to introduce myself to her work. I didn't love this one, but there were enough positives that I would like to read another in the future to see if I can mesh with her writing style and a different couple.
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July 5, 2023
Lady Philippa’s family was disgraced when her father’s infidelity was exposed publicly. Philippa had been about to make her debut, thinking the gossip had died down, but changed her mind when she overhears a visitor refer to her as “spoiled goods” at a country dance. Those words hurt and humiliated her, so Philippa withdrew and refused to be presented in London.
However, four years later her beloved brother Devlin, now the Earl of Stratton after her father’s death, has helped her to see that her choice was ruining her chance at happiness because she wants to marry and have a family of her own. Unfortunately, on her first outing she’s introduced to the very man who uttered those cruel words, Lucas Arden, Marquess of Roath. He’s one of the most eligible bachelors out there, now looking for a wife, and it seems his family has their heart set on Philippa to fill those shoes.
Lucas wishes he didn’t utter those careless, cruel words and knows he doesn’t deserve Philippa who he’s come to realize is beautiful both inside and out. He had no idea she heard him, or the effect his words would have on her. At the time he was crushed by grief and bitterness. There’s a backstory there that isn’t hard to figure out.
I absolutely loved Lucas and Philippa’s journey! They were complex, multi-layered characters and I felt their emotions: anger, regret, longing, and joy right along with them. It was clear they were a love match, but they had to figure it out for themselves, and reconcile the past. They had the “help” of Lucas’ bull-headed grandfather. I had to laugh at the old curmudgeon, and it was hard not to be won over by his well-meant scheming. Really, both families were so lovely!
Remember Me is the second book of the Ravenswood series, but I don’t think it’s completely necessary to read the first book as the events from the last book are touched on. However, I think you’d appreciate the story more by starting with the last book. Both are a total recommend!
A copy was kindly provided by Berkley in exchange for an honest review.
However, four years later her beloved brother Devlin, now the Earl of Stratton after her father’s death, has helped her to see that her choice was ruining her chance at happiness because she wants to marry and have a family of her own. Unfortunately, on her first outing she’s introduced to the very man who uttered those cruel words, Lucas Arden, Marquess of Roath. He’s one of the most eligible bachelors out there, now looking for a wife, and it seems his family has their heart set on Philippa to fill those shoes.
Lucas wishes he didn’t utter those careless, cruel words and knows he doesn’t deserve Philippa who he’s come to realize is beautiful both inside and out. He had no idea she heard him, or the effect his words would have on her. At the time he was crushed by grief and bitterness. There’s a backstory there that isn’t hard to figure out.
I absolutely loved Lucas and Philippa’s journey! They were complex, multi-layered characters and I felt their emotions: anger, regret, longing, and joy right along with them. It was clear they were a love match, but they had to figure it out for themselves, and reconcile the past. They had the “help” of Lucas’ bull-headed grandfather. I had to laugh at the old curmudgeon, and it was hard not to be won over by his well-meant scheming. Really, both families were so lovely!
Remember Me is the second book of the Ravenswood series, but I don’t think it’s completely necessary to read the first book as the events from the last book are touched on. However, I think you’d appreciate the story more by starting with the last book. Both are a total recommend!
A copy was kindly provided by Berkley in exchange for an honest review.
July 15, 2023
4.25 stars
March 6, 2024
This is just beautiful writing that pulls me in. Loved all the characters ♥️ I even cried towards the end.
July 27, 2023
Picking up the story of the next Ware sibling after Devlin and Gwyneth got their story in Remember Love, Lady Phillippa ‘Pippa’ Ware has taken her older brother’s words to heart and plans to get on with the challenge of living her life and not hiding away on the country estate. Pippa is determined to find affection and respect in a marital partner and she won’t settle for less.
Lucas Arden, the Marquess of Roath, once delivered an insult that was like a dagger thrust to a young Lady Phillipa, but he is in fact a tender and caring person who spoke hastily and regrettably. His determined grandparents have settled on that very beautiful, charming and intelligent lady for his bride. The secret he carries and her rightful refusal to want anything to do with him are a huge complication.
Like all Mary Balogh books, the surrounding cast of friends and family play a larger role in the story so it feels more family saga than simple historical romance. We meet them all through Pippa and Luc’s alternating narration perspectives. I appreciate how there is an organic flow of encounters and events through Mary Balogh’s writing.
Another great feature of her writing is that she’s not afraid to have characters of different abilities and struggles like Luc’s younger sister Jenny who had a debilitating childhood illness that left her in a wheeled chair or Pippa’s sister Stephanie who is more plump and scholarly than is fashionable at the time. Nor is Mary Balogh shy of presenting the effects of the Napoleonic war or how the culture of the day effects on her characters. Thus the historical background is deep and rich.
Remember Me is not epic in scope and does seem to be lacking a strong impetus that drives the story like in the first book. But, that said, the gentle character-driven plot with the slow burn romance taking them from hostility to friendship and matchmaking machinations of the duke and duchess were still very engaging, humorous, and easily kept my focus from start to finish. It was obvious to everyone this pair were meant for each other, but they had to get past the barriers they both thought prevented them from having a future.
A good time for historical romance fans to jump in on a sparkling Regency-era family-oriented series while there are only the first two books and the much anticipated third coming.
I rec'd a print copy from Berkley to read in exchange for an honest review.
My full review will post at Austenprose July 17th.
Lucas Arden, the Marquess of Roath, once delivered an insult that was like a dagger thrust to a young Lady Phillipa, but he is in fact a tender and caring person who spoke hastily and regrettably. His determined grandparents have settled on that very beautiful, charming and intelligent lady for his bride. The secret he carries and her rightful refusal to want anything to do with him are a huge complication.
Like all Mary Balogh books, the surrounding cast of friends and family play a larger role in the story so it feels more family saga than simple historical romance. We meet them all through Pippa and Luc’s alternating narration perspectives. I appreciate how there is an organic flow of encounters and events through Mary Balogh’s writing.
Another great feature of her writing is that she’s not afraid to have characters of different abilities and struggles like Luc’s younger sister Jenny who had a debilitating childhood illness that left her in a wheeled chair or Pippa’s sister Stephanie who is more plump and scholarly than is fashionable at the time. Nor is Mary Balogh shy of presenting the effects of the Napoleonic war or how the culture of the day effects on her characters. Thus the historical background is deep and rich.
Remember Me is not epic in scope and does seem to be lacking a strong impetus that drives the story like in the first book. But, that said, the gentle character-driven plot with the slow burn romance taking them from hostility to friendship and matchmaking machinations of the duke and duchess were still very engaging, humorous, and easily kept my focus from start to finish. It was obvious to everyone this pair were meant for each other, but they had to get past the barriers they both thought prevented them from having a future.
A good time for historical romance fans to jump in on a sparkling Regency-era family-oriented series while there are only the first two books and the much anticipated third coming.
I rec'd a print copy from Berkley to read in exchange for an honest review.
My full review will post at Austenprose July 17th.
May 12, 2024
* " Почти всяко прегрешение може да бъде простено, освен недискретността. "
October 23, 2023
2-2.5⭐️ The book was a muddle of names at first. Then the MC do meet cute and misunderstanding. Then the 2nd quarter starts and the book picks up and you think good finally we are getting somewhere. The scenes with the MCs and their families show the MCs to be likable and you can see why they might be a good match if only they could sort out these differences and early issues. The families like each other, they are both family oriented and have some common interests. Then as quickly as the reader settles into the development of the relationship and fun of the “season” with balls and acknowledging each other (without much heat or flirting) we are thrust as readers into the 3rd quarter of the book where things fall apart.
The third quarter takes a ridiculous turn and the MCs decide, sure after all this agreeing to not ever marry, and avoiding each other because we don’t want to marry each other due to our early misunderstanding we sort of came to terms with let’s get married! So they do.
Most unbelievable wedding sure let’s get married tomorrow and the FMCS family will be totally fine with it. Sure. The MCs talk very little the whole wedding day despite supposedly secretly liking each other but never talking about it, really? Okay, moving onto the wedding night, it’s one poorly written spice scene. I personally don’t care, spice, no spice, but if you are gonna have spice write it well. The spice, aka wedding night scene, felt disappointing and clinical not just as a reader but for our newly wedded FMC.
My biggest issue was how they rushed past the getting to know you phase after the impromptu/quick marriage. After the MCs marry in haste as a reader you don’t get to see the characters actually get to know each other and fall in love and come to appreciate each other and the choice they made to marry each other. Where is the emotional payout?
More problematic was that without those courting scenes there wasn’t a compelling reason our FMC marries and gives up her independence and family. The author hasn’t built a case for why the MMC is “the one.” Like why would she say yes? For what? And aside from being pretty and a friend why does the MMC want to even marry the FMC… sure, sure his grandad the Duke made him do it. Whatever.
The next thing you know with no scenes really building up their relationship the MCs are declaring love for each other. As a reader I wanted to see that love develop and progress. They went from 20% to 100% in a week. Then the quick pregnancy announcement which was what was expected of the MCs (produce the heir). Why not let the young couple be a couple and fall in love for awhile vs. writing in a pregnancy immediately? Sure an heir is needed and that’s why the grandad forced the grandson to marry but it was SO RUSHED.
After this the FMC is relegated from vibrant and charming and the toast of the season to a two dimensional pregnancy cliche who grumbles about being pregnant. Time wise they skipped from pregnancy announcement to 9months pregnant no build up, no evolving relationship scenes depicting a doting couple, no adjusting to new roles or moving away. Oh also they throw in a lot about the FMCs brothers and fighting Napoleon, but without really tying it all back in.
Then the birth scene and then the Duke dies with his duchess. I’m for an spunky but lovable character but the Duke never achieved spunky or loveable really. So when he died I didn’t really care. That sounds awful but it’s true. Like the whole last quarter of the book was pregnancy announcement to birth to death scene and TBH I didn’t care. Why not a thoughtful epilogue about the death or the birth and spend time on the relationship between MCs in the second and third quarters of the book.
Honestly, I think that all the characters were thought through but not completely fleshed out. The second quarter of the book had the best scenes and it felt more time was spent developing this part of the book and the rest was rushed. The book either needed to be longer and have some scenes during transitional phases in the relationship or a confidant the MCs talked to to see their inner thoughts and conflicts vs being told by the author they are in love for example.
Premise was there, characters were likable and had potential, but then the wheels fell off. Disappointing all around.
The third quarter takes a ridiculous turn and the MCs decide, sure after all this agreeing to not ever marry, and avoiding each other because we don’t want to marry each other due to our early misunderstanding we sort of came to terms with let’s get married! So they do.
Most unbelievable wedding sure let’s get married tomorrow and the FMCS family will be totally fine with it. Sure. The MCs talk very little the whole wedding day despite supposedly secretly liking each other but never talking about it, really? Okay, moving onto the wedding night, it’s one poorly written spice scene. I personally don’t care, spice, no spice, but if you are gonna have spice write it well. The spice, aka wedding night scene, felt disappointing and clinical not just as a reader but for our newly wedded FMC.
My biggest issue was how they rushed past the getting to know you phase after the impromptu/quick marriage. After the MCs marry in haste as a reader you don’t get to see the characters actually get to know each other and fall in love and come to appreciate each other and the choice they made to marry each other. Where is the emotional payout?
More problematic was that without those courting scenes there wasn’t a compelling reason our FMC marries and gives up her independence and family. The author hasn’t built a case for why the MMC is “the one.” Like why would she say yes? For what? And aside from being pretty and a friend why does the MMC want to even marry the FMC… sure, sure his grandad the Duke made him do it. Whatever.
The next thing you know with no scenes really building up their relationship the MCs are declaring love for each other. As a reader I wanted to see that love develop and progress. They went from 20% to 100% in a week. Then the quick pregnancy announcement which was what was expected of the MCs (produce the heir). Why not let the young couple be a couple and fall in love for awhile vs. writing in a pregnancy immediately? Sure an heir is needed and that’s why the grandad forced the grandson to marry but it was SO RUSHED.
After this the FMC is relegated from vibrant and charming and the toast of the season to a two dimensional pregnancy cliche who grumbles about being pregnant. Time wise they skipped from pregnancy announcement to 9months pregnant no build up, no evolving relationship scenes depicting a doting couple, no adjusting to new roles or moving away. Oh also they throw in a lot about the FMCs brothers and fighting Napoleon, but without really tying it all back in.
Then the birth scene and then the Duke dies with his duchess. I’m for an spunky but lovable character but the Duke never achieved spunky or loveable really. So when he died I didn’t really care. That sounds awful but it’s true. Like the whole last quarter of the book was pregnancy announcement to birth to death scene and TBH I didn’t care. Why not a thoughtful epilogue about the death or the birth and spend time on the relationship between MCs in the second and third quarters of the book.
Honestly, I think that all the characters were thought through but not completely fleshed out. The second quarter of the book had the best scenes and it felt more time was spent developing this part of the book and the rest was rushed. The book either needed to be longer and have some scenes during transitional phases in the relationship or a confidant the MCs talked to to see their inner thoughts and conflicts vs being told by the author they are in love for example.
Premise was there, characters were likable and had potential, but then the wheels fell off. Disappointing all around.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2023
I really struggled with Remember Me, because I felt like relatively little of the book was dedicated to the romance between Philippa and Lucas.
We know from Remember Love that they had a terrible first meeting (four years ago, she overheard him calling her "soiled goods"), so at first I expected this one to be more like Someone to Hold, where the heroine finds someone else. Instead, we get the explanation behind why Luc said that, and....yeah, I think the choice of the phrase "soiled goods" was a mistake here, because while we learn why Luc does not like the previous Earl of Stratton, that phrase is very mean and pointed. And that explanation does not even come until 50% of the way through the book!
Remember Me contains way too many meddling family members, and Luc's ducal grandparents end up taking over a fair bit of the plot. There's loads of monologues and interior thoughts, and not a lot of conversations between Phil and Luc. We don't see much of a romance arc, and instead have a rushed wedding due to illness/impending death and then several time jumps forward into their marriage.
In short: The first 2/3's of the book dragged, and then the last third rocketed through plot events--with the end result that the romance felt severely underdeveloped here.
We know from Remember Love that they had a terrible first meeting (four years ago, she overheard him calling her "soiled goods"), so at first I expected this one to be more like Someone to Hold, where the heroine finds someone else. Instead, we get the explanation behind why Luc said that, and....yeah, I think the choice of the phrase "soiled goods" was a mistake here, because while we learn why Luc does not like the previous Earl of Stratton, that phrase is very mean and pointed. And that explanation does not even come until 50% of the way through the book!
Remember Me contains way too many meddling family members, and Luc's ducal grandparents end up taking over a fair bit of the plot. There's loads of monologues and interior thoughts, and not a lot of conversations between Phil and Luc. We don't see much of a romance arc, and instead have a rushed wedding due to illness/impending death and then several time jumps forward into their marriage.
In short: The first 2/3's of the book dragged, and then the last third rocketed through plot events--with the end result that the romance felt severely underdeveloped here.
June 21, 2023
How does Ms. Balogh do it? I have yet to read her books and not fall in love with the story and the characters. This is a gentle romance between two who are made for each other. Luc’s parents, are an intricate part of this enchanting Regency. Their love story is as delightful as the hero and heroine’s. The best aspect of Ms. Balogh’s stories is the authentic sense of the time and place. I cannot wait for the next one in this incredible series. I must mention the stellar performance by the narrator. Her reading tone is just perfect for this and all Ms. Balogh’s books. Happy reading and listening!
July 25, 2023
This is a solid 3.5 stars.
Not the 'hmm, I liked it well enough and it was pleasant' 3 stars but not quite the 'I enjoyed this quite a bit' 4 stars.
Balogh is squarely in her big family, big series phase. If you've read the Wescott series, then you know what I am talking about. It feels like the Wares are the new Westcotts.
To her credit, Balogh always manages to tease out some interesting themes and dilemmas her characters grapple with in her different books. This one is no different. But some of the more interesting stuff gets a bit diluted among the increasingly larger number of family and friends that seem to wander through the drawing rooms and ballrooms in this book. Which is why I don't rate it higher.
The setup of the story is rather simple. Phillipa is headed to London for the season for her come out, a few years later than she should have and Luc is also headed to London because it is imperative he gets married and gets his wife pregnant forthwith or the Dukedom to which he is the heir is in danger of falling into the hands of a terrible cousin. The current Duke is in precarious health and so time is of the essence.
The conflict between Phillipa and Luc is immediately apparent and goes back to the previous book in the series. She overheard him say something that was less than complimentary about her to someone else. What was a snarky throwaway line, soon forgotten in the ensuing years by Luc, has sat with and festered in Phillipa's brain at that same time. It -- in combination with the other things in her family -- had a profound effect on her.
As a result, Phillipa is finally having her season and she is sure she will be a failure because of what Luc said.
But Phillipa soon learns that her perceptions have been terribly skewed and really nobody cares, knows, or thinks like Luc. So she is happily in the clear.
But not so fast, because to her horror, she finds herself thrown immediately into Luc's sphere.
One thing I loved is that now that circumstances permitted, Phillipa is finally able to confront Luc about what she overheard so long ago. And she did not wait. The first chance she got she did. I was so gratified by that.
The rest of the book is a curious thing. Luc and Phillipa have very different perceptions of that old overheard conversation. Yeah, he was an ass for what he said, but like Philipa, he has been carrying his own baggage for years and what he said had nothing to do with her. They talk it out and once that happened I expected a more traditional trajectory toward romance. But I don't feel that is what happened.
I struggle to define how I feel about their romance. It felt kinda typical and yet it felt like a lot of shortcuts happened to get us from point A to point B. I want to say it felt 'bloodless' but with smoke and mirrors to make it seem more romantic than it was. I dunno, I felt both unsatisfied and ok with it at the same time.
Outside of those two, we get a lot of face time with both their families. I would like to mention Luc's sister, Jenny. She has what sounds awful like polio and is in a wheelchair. Balogh over the years has done a lot of disability rep. Her entire Survivors series features MCs with some type of physical or emotional disability. And I thought that series was well done in that sense. But I had a bit of a problem with Jenny in this one. It isn't a huge, in-your-face thing, but I wish the Jenny subplot had been done differently. There is almost a 'you go girl' undertone in most of the interactions with Jenny. Again, I struggle to define what my issues are there, I just know it didn't sit quite right with me. I will say did like her romantic dilemma ad would have liked for Balogh to dig a bit deeper there. I liked that her erstwhile beau was not demonized but his reality was presented as a matter-of-fact thing. I wonder if Jenny will get her own book?
At any rate, we get our HEA and everything works out well for our couple.
So this was fine with some interesting character beats and a romance if not 100% romantic at least it worked well. I may revisit this one in another couple of years to see how it hits me after a re-read because I am still not sure how I feel about it really.
Not the 'hmm, I liked it well enough and it was pleasant' 3 stars but not quite the 'I enjoyed this quite a bit' 4 stars.
Balogh is squarely in her big family, big series phase. If you've read the Wescott series, then you know what I am talking about. It feels like the Wares are the new Westcotts.
To her credit, Balogh always manages to tease out some interesting themes and dilemmas her characters grapple with in her different books. This one is no different. But some of the more interesting stuff gets a bit diluted among the increasingly larger number of family and friends that seem to wander through the drawing rooms and ballrooms in this book. Which is why I don't rate it higher.
The setup of the story is rather simple. Phillipa is headed to London for the season for her come out, a few years later than she should have and Luc is also headed to London because it is imperative he gets married and gets his wife pregnant forthwith or the Dukedom to which he is the heir is in danger of falling into the hands of a terrible cousin. The current Duke is in precarious health and so time is of the essence.
The conflict between Phillipa and Luc is immediately apparent and goes back to the previous book in the series. She overheard him say something that was less than complimentary about her to someone else. What was a snarky throwaway line, soon forgotten in the ensuing years by Luc, has sat with and festered in Phillipa's brain at that same time. It -- in combination with the other things in her family -- had a profound effect on her.
As a result, Phillipa is finally having her season and she is sure she will be a failure because of what Luc said.
But Phillipa soon learns that her perceptions have been terribly skewed and really nobody cares, knows, or thinks like Luc. So she is happily in the clear.
But not so fast, because to her horror, she finds herself thrown immediately into Luc's sphere.
One thing I loved is that now that circumstances permitted, Phillipa is finally able to confront Luc about what she overheard so long ago. And she did not wait. The first chance she got she did. I was so gratified by that.
The rest of the book is a curious thing. Luc and Phillipa have very different perceptions of that old overheard conversation. Yeah, he was an ass for what he said, but like Philipa, he has been carrying his own baggage for years and what he said had nothing to do with her. They talk it out and once that happened I expected a more traditional trajectory toward romance. But I don't feel that is what happened.
I struggle to define how I feel about their romance. It felt kinda typical and yet it felt like a lot of shortcuts happened to get us from point A to point B. I want to say it felt 'bloodless' but with smoke and mirrors to make it seem more romantic than it was. I dunno, I felt both unsatisfied and ok with it at the same time.
Outside of those two, we get a lot of face time with both their families. I would like to mention Luc's sister, Jenny. She has what sounds awful like polio and is in a wheelchair. Balogh over the years has done a lot of disability rep. Her entire Survivors series features MCs with some type of physical or emotional disability. And I thought that series was well done in that sense. But I had a bit of a problem with Jenny in this one. It isn't a huge, in-your-face thing, but I wish the Jenny subplot had been done differently. There is almost a 'you go girl' undertone in most of the interactions with Jenny. Again, I struggle to define what my issues are there, I just know it didn't sit quite right with me. I will say did like her romantic dilemma ad would have liked for Balogh to dig a bit deeper there. I liked that her erstwhile beau was not demonized but his reality was presented as a matter-of-fact thing. I wonder if Jenny will get her own book?
At any rate, we get our HEA and everything works out well for our couple.
So this was fine with some interesting character beats and a romance if not 100% romantic at least it worked well. I may revisit this one in another couple of years to see how it hits me after a re-read because I am still not sure how I feel about it really.
August 8, 2023
Balogh is known for her emotional historical romance, often featuring damaged protagonists - either physically or emotionally often in war. This follows her typical tropes. I liked this enemies to lovers romance, and found their progression toward each other well done. Unfortunately, Phillipa and Lucas's story gets lost in large family scenes and plot tangents. Each comes from large families, all of whom you'll meet at some point in the story, and it makes for a lot of characters the reader needs to track. I liked it enough to keep reading this series. I need a book featuring Jenny, disabled sister to Lucas (probably from polio as a child) ASAP.
March 12, 2023
The book seemed a bit all over the place, but it did have an overarching theme which tied in to "Remember Me" quite a bit. Though what I did like about this book was there is a line where Philippa does say "Remember me?" which worked great in the story.
Philippa had met and was infatuated with Lucas when she was just about to start her Season. He says something rude about her (which he doesn't really think she heard) and it causes her to be so upset that she ends up not having her season due to lack of confidence in herself (and a couple of family deaths). Four years later she has a season, and runs into Lucas again. Philippa had only told her brother Devlin about what happened.
Meanwhile Lucas' grandfather has determined that he will marry this season and give him an heir before hte dies.
Philippa meets the Duke / grandfather and he decides that she is the one to marry Lucas. He pressures her and Lucas into marriage and neither really fight against him, but he also doesn't know their back story., I found that part really frustrating, when it seemed Philippa was being manipulated into marrying Lucas by his family and hers.
Philippa does get to have a true Season, and the mystery of why Lucas said that is revealed, so they are back to being friendly but the grandfather still pressures her. Ultimately due to his poor health she does get pressured to marry Lucas, but by that time the grandfather likes her and has given her an out, if she wishes to take it.
Basically the story was about secrets, affairs, marriage and lasting love. The story of Lucas and Philippa was the true story but it almost paralleled on some level the marriage of the Duke and Duchess and his wish to see his grandson married and with an heir before he dies.
I do think the relationship between Lucas and Philippa could have been a lot more romantic (they only kiss once before they get married, and they take *forever* to tell each other they are in love, and it seems to come out of nowhere) and it was a very slow burn, but on some level it is secondary to the Duke/grandfather's will to see his grandson settled before he dies. Maybe that indicates that Mary Balogh didn't flesh the story out that well, and it was frustrating in the first half, but ultimately I enjoyed the book. I'd give it a 3.5 stars, since I didn't *love* it but the ending moved it up about a half star. It's more character than plot driven, and I enjoyed the characters so I'll keep reading the series. I hope Jenny gets her HEA someday too :)
I received an advanced copy and am giving an honest review.
Philippa had met and was infatuated with Lucas when she was just about to start her Season. He says something rude about her (which he doesn't really think she heard) and it causes her to be so upset that she ends up not having her season due to lack of confidence in herself (and a couple of family deaths). Four years later she has a season, and runs into Lucas again. Philippa had only told her brother Devlin about what happened.
Meanwhile Lucas' grandfather has determined that he will marry this season and give him an heir before hte dies.
Philippa meets the Duke / grandfather and he decides that she is the one to marry Lucas. He pressures her and Lucas into marriage and neither really fight against him, but he also doesn't know their back story., I found that part really frustrating, when it seemed Philippa was being manipulated into marrying Lucas by his family and hers.
Philippa does get to have a true Season, and the mystery of why Lucas said that is revealed, so they are back to being friendly but the grandfather still pressures her. Ultimately due to his poor health she does get pressured to marry Lucas, but by that time the grandfather likes her and has given her an out, if she wishes to take it.
Basically the story was about secrets, affairs, marriage and lasting love. The story of Lucas and Philippa was the true story but it almost paralleled on some level the marriage of the Duke and Duchess and his wish to see his grandson married and with an heir before he dies.
I do think the relationship between Lucas and Philippa could have been a lot more romantic (they only kiss once before they get married, and they take *forever* to tell each other they are in love, and it seems to come out of nowhere) and it was a very slow burn, but on some level it is secondary to the Duke/grandfather's will to see his grandson settled before he dies. Maybe that indicates that Mary Balogh didn't flesh the story out that well, and it was frustrating in the first half, but ultimately I enjoyed the book. I'd give it a 3.5 stars, since I didn't *love* it but the ending moved it up about a half star. It's more character than plot driven, and I enjoyed the characters so I'll keep reading the series. I hope Jenny gets her HEA someday too :)
I received an advanced copy and am giving an honest review.
January 4, 2024
This was majorly disappointing and boring for a variety of reasons.
•The characters had no character and no flaws they were all paragons of virtue (and never passed up an opportunity to virtue signal) even the grandparents who were accused of “harassing” her.
•A good third of the book (if I’m being kind) was superfluous. Most of it was repetitive, like previous events being repeated every time a new character came on the scene or an old one was mentioned or the same sentiments and thoughts repeated over and over.
•The writing and dialogue did not hold up to her previous series. Like most historical novels it was a mix of historical and modern but in this case it came across as stilted, awkward, and frankly unbelievable. Like a 5 year old girl in 1815 saying “I bet…” maybe I’m wrong but it just rubbed to wrong way for me.
•For a romance there’s was hardly any actual romance and like next to nonexistent spice. I think there was like 2 recorded kisses in the entire book.
This is my perspective of how the romance went in this book:
Her “oh I hate u and will never forgive u for saying that”
Him “totally understandable .. but my grandfather wants me to marry before he dies, would you maybe…..”
Her “never!”
Him “will it help if u told u why I said it?” *kisses her*
Her “Well maybe….”
*grandfather has a heart attack*
Her “ok fine I agree to get married tomorrow”
Him “I think I like u”
Her “me too”
Him “I love u”
Her “me too”
*twin babies born, everyone coos over them, grandparents die, HEA the end*
•The characters had no character and no flaws they were all paragons of virtue (and never passed up an opportunity to virtue signal) even the grandparents who were accused of “harassing” her.
•A good third of the book (if I’m being kind) was superfluous. Most of it was repetitive, like previous events being repeated every time a new character came on the scene or an old one was mentioned or the same sentiments and thoughts repeated over and over.
•The writing and dialogue did not hold up to her previous series. Like most historical novels it was a mix of historical and modern but in this case it came across as stilted, awkward, and frankly unbelievable. Like a 5 year old girl in 1815 saying “I bet…” maybe I’m wrong but it just rubbed to wrong way for me.
•For a romance there’s was hardly any actual romance and like next to nonexistent spice. I think there was like 2 recorded kisses in the entire book.
This is my perspective of how the romance went in this book:
Her “oh I hate u and will never forgive u for saying that”
Him “totally understandable .. but my grandfather wants me to marry before he dies, would you maybe…..”
Her “never!”
Him “will it help if u told u why I said it?” *kisses her*
Her “Well maybe….”
*grandfather has a heart attack*
Her “ok fine I agree to get married tomorrow”
Him “I think I like u”
Her “me too”
Him “I love u”
Her “me too”
*twin babies born, everyone coos over them, grandparents die, HEA the end*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2023
BEWARE—VAGUE SPOILER IN LAST PARAGRAPH
Not for me. Certainly, Mary Balogh’s writing is skillful *takes deep breath* and yet, what was with all the repetition? Couldn’t she trust readers to remember the bone of contention between the MCs from chapter to chapter? It was brought up approximately 15 times almost word for word. This happened with minor items too.
I liked Pippa, but Lucas? Toast. Milquetoast. The character with charisma was none other than Lucas’s grandpapa. The Duke of Wilby was a scene stealer. His interactions with Pippa popped [insert, “Ew!”]
So, here is the thing. Nothing really happened. By the end, the story seemed like a variation of The Lion King with its circle of life. Except, lions living in Africa are truly noble. Usually, HRs mix a little social conscience into the mix. I was struck by how little value Balogh’s characters contributed to society. Pippa socialized and went shopping. Lucas fenced, boxed, galloped down Rotten Row, and bowed to his grandparents’ wishes for an heir. The practice to be repeated in the next generation. I found the hollow process equivalent to a breeding program bent on preserving power and property. Quite sad.
Not for me. Certainly, Mary Balogh’s writing is skillful *takes deep breath* and yet, what was with all the repetition? Couldn’t she trust readers to remember the bone of contention between the MCs from chapter to chapter? It was brought up approximately 15 times almost word for word. This happened with minor items too.
I liked Pippa, but Lucas? Toast. Milquetoast. The character with charisma was none other than Lucas’s grandpapa. The Duke of Wilby was a scene stealer. His interactions with Pippa popped [insert, “Ew!”]
So, here is the thing. Nothing really happened. By the end, the story seemed like a variation of The Lion King with its circle of life. Except, lions living in Africa are truly noble. Usually, HRs mix a little social conscience into the mix. I was struck by how little value Balogh’s characters contributed to society. Pippa socialized and went shopping. Lucas fenced, boxed, galloped down Rotten Row, and bowed to his grandparents’ wishes for an heir. The practice to be repeated in the next generation. I found the hollow process equivalent to a breeding program bent on preserving power and property. Quite sad.
November 7, 2023
I really enjoyed this not-quite-enemies-to-lovers romance. Ms. Balogh does a great job of showing the attraction between the two despite the insult Lucas dealt Philippa in her youth. It's so clear that the hurtful words Lucas uttered in Philippa's hearing when she was young were out of character, at least for the man he has become. It was a joy to see them find their way to a loving marriage, both helped and hindered by the autocratic, high-handed, but well-intentioned dictates of Lucas's grandfather. Full review to come.
October 1, 2023
Reviewed with Janine for Dear Author. 3.5 stars
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March 28, 2024
“They had satisfactory sex.”
This is almost where I quit, I made it a few pages farther and I just… CANNOT. This regency book seemed like a good time, and yet I’ve never been so confused on my feelings while reading this. It’s easy to read, but the characters spend all this time reflecting on something that happened FOUR YEARS ago and people grow up and mature but she couldn’t seem to move on, and then says she loves him? When did they fall in love? They weren’t dating, they were not courting, they spent time together in groups as families do, but the lack of romance and the lack of ROMANCE AND INTIMACY AFTER SEX?! Begone. I’m done. You can’t just say, “they had satisfactory sex” and then he leaves to ride a horse cause he doesn’t want to bother her the morning after. I like regency romance for the predictability, but this was a huge miss when you’re in their heads for so long repeating the same stuff all book with no real growth or chemistry or connection.
This is almost where I quit, I made it a few pages farther and I just… CANNOT. This regency book seemed like a good time, and yet I’ve never been so confused on my feelings while reading this. It’s easy to read, but the characters spend all this time reflecting on something that happened FOUR YEARS ago and people grow up and mature but she couldn’t seem to move on, and then says she loves him? When did they fall in love? They weren’t dating, they were not courting, they spent time together in groups as families do, but the lack of romance and the lack of ROMANCE AND INTIMACY AFTER SEX?! Begone. I’m done. You can’t just say, “they had satisfactory sex” and then he leaves to ride a horse cause he doesn’t want to bother her the morning after. I like regency romance for the predictability, but this was a huge miss when you’re in their heads for so long repeating the same stuff all book with no real growth or chemistry or connection.
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