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Westcott #8
Someone to Cherish
Is love worth the loss of one's freedom and independence? This is what Mrs. Tavernor must decide in the new novel in the Westcott series from New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh.
When Harry Westcott lost the title Earl of Riverdale after the discovery of his father's bigamy, he shipped off to fight in the Napoleonic Wars, where he was near-fatally wounded. After a harrowing recovery, the once cheery, light-hearted boy has become a reclusive, somber man. Though Harry insists he enjoys the solitude, he does wonder sometimes if he is lonely.
Lydia Tavernor, recently widowed, dreams of taking a lover. Her marriage to Reverend Isaiah Tavernor was one of service and obedience, and she has secretly enjoyed her freedom since his death. She doesn't want to shackle herself to another man in marriage, but sometimes, she wonders if she is lonely.
Both are unwilling to face the truth until they find themselves alone together one night, and Lydia surprises even herself with a simple question: "Are you ever lonely?" Harry's answer leads them down a path neither could ever have imagined...
When Harry Westcott lost the title Earl of Riverdale after the discovery of his father's bigamy, he shipped off to fight in the Napoleonic Wars, where he was near-fatally wounded. After a harrowing recovery, the once cheery, light-hearted boy has become a reclusive, somber man. Though Harry insists he enjoys the solitude, he does wonder sometimes if he is lonely.
Lydia Tavernor, recently widowed, dreams of taking a lover. Her marriage to Reverend Isaiah Tavernor was one of service and obedience, and she has secretly enjoyed her freedom since his death. She doesn't want to shackle herself to another man in marriage, but sometimes, she wonders if she is lonely.
Both are unwilling to face the truth until they find themselves alone together one night, and Lydia surprises even herself with a simple question: "Are you ever lonely?" Harry's answer leads them down a path neither could ever have imagined...
368 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 29, 2021
541 people are currently reading
1962 people want to read
About the author
Mary Balogh
200 books6,341 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 460 reviews
October 16, 2020
You don't read Mary Balogh for the sex scenes. You read her for sweet, old fashioned stories with loveable, memorable characters.
January 23, 2022
Someone to Cherish by Mary Balogh is a 2021 Berkley publication.
This eighth installment in the Wescott series is centered around Harry, the man who lost his title, his inheritance and social standing all in one felled swoop when it came to light, after his father’s death, that he and his sisters were born illegitimately. From there, he nearly lost his life in the Napoleonic Wars.
Now, nearing the age of thirty, he finds himself living a very secluded, but contented life.
Lately, though, he has become a bit restless,. Though he would flatly deny that his eminent birthday has him thinking about finding a woman to spend his life with.
Lydia Tavernor, recently widowed, has discovered a new lease on life. Once married to a reverend, she was expected to live a life of service. Now, she has found a refreshing feeling of independence, and has no plans to ever marry again.
Instead, she dreams of having a lover, and Harry Wescott has crossed her mind as a possible prospect…
Another lovely story from Mary Balogh!
Harry’s story comes late in the series, but it was definitely worth waiting for. Though I must say, that while Harry is one of the main characters the series is based around, it is Lydia’s story that takes center stage here.
Harry has endured much in the past, but at this point it seems he is more amenable to looking for a wife than he led on, so his role is more of a supportive one here, while Lydia struggles with social appearances, her forceful brothers, and her developing feelings for Harry.
Overall, the story moved just a tiny bit too slowly at times, but of course, as always, Mary Balogh brings together two wonderful, well- deserving characters who find ‘someone to cherish’, to trust, and to love…
I enjoyed the reminiscences in the final chapters and felt this was most likely the series’ swan song… but I am happy to see that there is at least one more installment to enjoy! Yay!
4 stars
This eighth installment in the Wescott series is centered around Harry, the man who lost his title, his inheritance and social standing all in one felled swoop when it came to light, after his father’s death, that he and his sisters were born illegitimately. From there, he nearly lost his life in the Napoleonic Wars.
Now, nearing the age of thirty, he finds himself living a very secluded, but contented life.
Lately, though, he has become a bit restless,. Though he would flatly deny that his eminent birthday has him thinking about finding a woman to spend his life with.
Lydia Tavernor, recently widowed, has discovered a new lease on life. Once married to a reverend, she was expected to live a life of service. Now, she has found a refreshing feeling of independence, and has no plans to ever marry again.
Instead, she dreams of having a lover, and Harry Wescott has crossed her mind as a possible prospect…
Another lovely story from Mary Balogh!
Harry’s story comes late in the series, but it was definitely worth waiting for. Though I must say, that while Harry is one of the main characters the series is based around, it is Lydia’s story that takes center stage here.
Harry has endured much in the past, but at this point it seems he is more amenable to looking for a wife than he led on, so his role is more of a supportive one here, while Lydia struggles with social appearances, her forceful brothers, and her developing feelings for Harry.
Overall, the story moved just a tiny bit too slowly at times, but of course, as always, Mary Balogh brings together two wonderful, well- deserving characters who find ‘someone to cherish’, to trust, and to love…
I enjoyed the reminiscences in the final chapters and felt this was most likely the series’ swan song… but I am happy to see that there is at least one more installment to enjoy! Yay!
4 stars
June 25, 2024
I know, we all love a man who falls first. However there’s something admirable in an endearing kind of way in a woman who notices a man first and goes for it.
It required a lot of courage of Lydia to let Harry know that she was interested in him and I loved that she did it. She was a little awkward at the beginning, but it worked. I liked that she just said what she had to say and didn’t push him. She just made him notice her, and once he noticed, he noticed😏
I adored both MCs, Lydia for her fearlessness and tenacity, Harry for being a perfect cinnamon roll. Harry was never a villain, but he needed to grow up a little and, like his sisters, come to terms with his family situation. There were moments of honesty in this book and even though it was not all easy it made me respect and adore Harry even more. Lydia had lived in a gilded cage for most of her life and was desperate for independence and freedom. It took time for her to warm up to the idea of marriage but it was a wonderful journey.
I need more stars, five is not enough😭
——-
Buddy read with my favorite buddy Kristina🫶
It required a lot of courage of Lydia to let Harry know that she was interested in him and I loved that she did it. She was a little awkward at the beginning, but it worked. I liked that she just said what she had to say and didn’t push him. She just made him notice her, and once he noticed, he noticed😏
I adored both MCs, Lydia for her fearlessness and tenacity, Harry for being a perfect cinnamon roll. Harry was never a villain, but he needed to grow up a little and, like his sisters, come to terms with his family situation. There were moments of honesty in this book and even though it was not all easy it made me respect and adore Harry even more. Lydia had lived in a gilded cage for most of her life and was desperate for independence and freedom. It took time for her to warm up to the idea of marriage but it was a wonderful journey.
I need more stars, five is not enough😭
——-
Buddy read with my favorite buddy Kristina🫶
November 12, 2021
This had all the explosive passion of a tepid cup of weak tea.
The heroine is a widow who stood in the shadow of her charismatic, zealous Vicar of a husband who died saving a boy. The H is the son of the Westcott family who lost his title and fortune when they found out his worthless father was a bigamist. Going to war kept him busy for a while, but now he has intimations of guilt over the French he killed as well as the boys he led into war.
The heroine is lonely. He’s lonely. She offers a up an indistinct offer of an affair basically because there is nobody else. I’m bored all over again.
They both have back stories (particularly the heroine) that Mary Balogh touches on, but doesn’t flesh out which is too bad. Given this is the eight in the Westcott series maybe she lost steam.
Read Mary Balogh, just not this one.
The heroine is a widow who stood in the shadow of her charismatic, zealous Vicar of a husband who died saving a boy. The H is the son of the Westcott family who lost his title and fortune when they found out his worthless father was a bigamist. Going to war kept him busy for a while, but now he has intimations of guilt over the French he killed as well as the boys he led into war.
The heroine is lonely. He’s lonely. She offers a up an indistinct offer of an affair basically because there is nobody else. I’m bored all over again.
They both have back stories (particularly the heroine) that Mary Balogh touches on, but doesn’t flesh out which is too bad. Given this is the eight in the Westcott series maybe she lost steam.
Read Mary Balogh, just not this one.
July 13, 2021
3 to 3.5 stars. I liked this one at first, but the later part of the book unfortunately dragged a little for me, and my potential four-star read dropped down in star values in the end.
There were some ideas and tropes I've seen used before in some of Ms Balogh's older books. I don't mind that, if it's an author using/revamping ideas of their own that they've successfully used in the past. That's OK by me.
Unfortunately, the issues I've had with most of the books in this series started to rear their heads. Way too many secondary characters - confusing and unnecessary. Too much trivial detail about some everyday events and occurrences. A little bit repetitive in parts. And overall, the romance felt a little flat. At first I was hooked in and thought, yeah, this is gonna be good. But then the romance kind of fizzled out and lost its chemistry. I would have liked a bit more heat as well.
So in the end, I just couldn't give that 4 star rating. I so want to like this series. The blurbs always sound good. But on the whole, it's turned out to be one of Ms Balogh's more mediocre series for me.
There were some ideas and tropes I've seen used before in some of Ms Balogh's older books. I don't mind that, if it's an author using/revamping ideas of their own that they've successfully used in the past. That's OK by me.
Unfortunately, the issues I've had with most of the books in this series started to rear their heads. Way too many secondary characters - confusing and unnecessary. Too much trivial detail about some everyday events and occurrences. A little bit repetitive in parts. And overall, the romance felt a little flat. At first I was hooked in and thought, yeah, this is gonna be good. But then the romance kind of fizzled out and lost its chemistry. I would have liked a bit more heat as well.
So in the end, I just couldn't give that 4 star rating. I so want to like this series. The blurbs always sound good. But on the whole, it's turned out to be one of Ms Balogh's more mediocre series for me.
June 29, 2021
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*
I have loved the Wescott series from its very beginning, and it was such a pleasure to now be a book reviewer and be able to share my great love for this family and all the books included in their saga. Though my reading tastes have grown and evolved over the years, I still Cherish (no pun intended) reading a sweeping, calm, lovely romance by Mary Balogh.
Getting to finally read about Harry Wescott getting his HEA was a joy and I was smiling the whole way though. I loved Lydia too, and she really needed the kindness, sweetness, and dash of a scoundrel that is Harry Wescott. He has been through so much since the beginning of the series, where he has his whole life changed at 20 years old. He had to pivot and join the army and go through so much to get here.
Lydia has had her own struggles and heartbreaks and she is ready to live a little. When she finally makes her move towards Harry, it is scary and thrilling and a bit more than she can handle. The way the feelings grow between them is just lovely.
I cannot express how full my heart feels after reading the last page. Seeing this huge extended family all there and loving each other and accepting everyone into the fold makes my heart so happy. Truly a beautiful experience. This book is so special and I enjoyed it completely.
5/5 stars.
I have loved the Wescott series from its very beginning, and it was such a pleasure to now be a book reviewer and be able to share my great love for this family and all the books included in their saga. Though my reading tastes have grown and evolved over the years, I still Cherish (no pun intended) reading a sweeping, calm, lovely romance by Mary Balogh.
Getting to finally read about Harry Wescott getting his HEA was a joy and I was smiling the whole way though. I loved Lydia too, and she really needed the kindness, sweetness, and dash of a scoundrel that is Harry Wescott. He has been through so much since the beginning of the series, where he has his whole life changed at 20 years old. He had to pivot and join the army and go through so much to get here.
Lydia has had her own struggles and heartbreaks and she is ready to live a little. When she finally makes her move towards Harry, it is scary and thrilling and a bit more than she can handle. The way the feelings grow between them is just lovely.
I cannot express how full my heart feels after reading the last page. Seeing this huge extended family all there and loving each other and accepting everyone into the fold makes my heart so happy. Truly a beautiful experience. This book is so special and I enjoyed it completely.
5/5 stars.
January 3, 2022
This is eighth in a series with overlapping characters. It's actually fairly well self-contained, but there is lots of depth that you'll miss if you've skipped until this one. I recommend reading in order.
Aaaaaigh! I totally thought I had reviewed this!!! And no, this isn't a GoodReads screw up eating my review. I just didn't write the things I thought about to post on GoodReads. Wait. No. This is totally a GoodReads screw up and my very lovely review, so carefully written and that said truly profound things, got eaten by the evil empire.
Obviously. Sigh.
I liked this one nearly as much as the others. Both protagonists are fundamentally quiet people, though with Harry that's a maturity thing brought on by his rocky past. Come to think of it, that's probably true for Lydia, too. I actually really liked seeing how he chose to learn from all he had been through. And I liked even more Lydia's backstory. Her husband (now dead) was a real piece of work and having everybody lauding his memory was such a trial to her when she was pretty much the only one who knew what a wanker he was. Oh, he was all the things they thought. And I like that. Indeed, the only one he didn't treat with value and care was his wife. In a believable way, mind. Which was fascinating, and not least for being able to see it so vividly drawn that I still remember it literally months after finishing it.
Anyway, this is a bit wobbly five stars. The wobbly is some of the late story developments that delayed things and Lydia's family was all over the map (with the semi-forced happy endings at the end that Balogh likes to engineer so much).
A note about Steamy: There's steam. Middle of my steam tolerance. Probably.
Aaaaaigh! I totally thought I had reviewed this!!! And no, this isn't a GoodReads screw up eating my review. I just didn't write the things I thought about to post on GoodReads. Wait. No. This is totally a GoodReads screw up and my very lovely review, so carefully written and that said truly profound things, got eaten by the evil empire.
Obviously. Sigh.
I liked this one nearly as much as the others. Both protagonists are fundamentally quiet people, though with Harry that's a maturity thing brought on by his rocky past. Come to think of it, that's probably true for Lydia, too. I actually really liked seeing how he chose to learn from all he had been through. And I liked even more Lydia's backstory. Her husband (now dead) was a real piece of work and having everybody lauding his memory was such a trial to her when she was pretty much the only one who knew what a wanker he was. Oh, he was all the things they thought. And I like that. Indeed, the only one he didn't treat with value and care was his wife. In a believable way, mind. Which was fascinating, and not least for being able to see it so vividly drawn that I still remember it literally months after finishing it.
Anyway, this is a bit wobbly five stars. The wobbly is some of the late story developments that delayed things and Lydia's family was all over the map (with the semi-forced happy endings at the end that Balogh likes to engineer so much).
A note about Steamy: There's steam. Middle of my steam tolerance. Probably.
June 29, 2021
Harry Westcott lost everything, title and fortune, ten years back when his parent’s marriage was found to be bigamous which they all refer to as The Great Disaster. Harry went off to war and barely came back, but his sisters and mother have moved on and are happier than ever. Maybe even happier than they would’ve been if The Great Disaster didn’t happen, but Harry even though content finds himself a bit lonely sometimes. Especially after spending Christmas with his sisters, mother and all the extended family and seeing them overflowing with joy.
Harry goes back home and finds himself thrown together with the late Reverend’s widow, Lydia, and realizes he never really noticed her before. While walking her home from a gathering Lydia asks if he’s ever lonely which I guess in that time was sort of forward. More like an invitation to not be so lonely together.
Lydia has no interest in remarrying since losing her husband. Lydia was swept off her feet by her charismatic husband and found herself in a completely different union that she was bargaining for. Lydia just about lost her identity and she had basically no say in anything that went on. While it wasn’t outright abuse, her husband presented himself in a false light, and I felt so bad for her. Lydia never wants to be at the mercy of another again, but she wouldn’t mind taking a lover as she does get lonely.
Of course, things aren’t as simple as that, but it was a sweet, enjoyable journey, nonetheless. Harry and Lydia were both very likeable with realistic, relatable feelings. I love all the emotion Ms. Balogh pours into her characters, and I was rooting for them as a couple!
It’s not necessary to read the previous books since there’s enough of an explanation of past events to catch you up, but you would miss some of the enjoyment “seeing” previous couples well into their HEA.
Someone to Cherish seems like it may be the last of the Westcott series? Not sure, but I’ve loved all the romances from the beginning, and Harry’s was a long time coming! I hope there’s more planned, but if not the series ended in a beautiful, satisfying way!
A copy was kindly provided by Berkley in exchange for an honest review.
Harry goes back home and finds himself thrown together with the late Reverend’s widow, Lydia, and realizes he never really noticed her before. While walking her home from a gathering Lydia asks if he’s ever lonely which I guess in that time was sort of forward. More like an invitation to not be so lonely together.
Lydia has no interest in remarrying since losing her husband. Lydia was swept off her feet by her charismatic husband and found herself in a completely different union that she was bargaining for. Lydia just about lost her identity and she had basically no say in anything that went on. While it wasn’t outright abuse, her husband presented himself in a false light, and I felt so bad for her. Lydia never wants to be at the mercy of another again, but she wouldn’t mind taking a lover as she does get lonely.
Of course, things aren’t as simple as that, but it was a sweet, enjoyable journey, nonetheless. Harry and Lydia were both very likeable with realistic, relatable feelings. I love all the emotion Ms. Balogh pours into her characters, and I was rooting for them as a couple!
It’s not necessary to read the previous books since there’s enough of an explanation of past events to catch you up, but you would miss some of the enjoyment “seeing” previous couples well into their HEA.
Someone to Cherish seems like it may be the last of the Westcott series? Not sure, but I’ve loved all the romances from the beginning, and Harry’s was a long time coming! I hope there’s more planned, but if not the series ended in a beautiful, satisfying way!
A copy was kindly provided by Berkley in exchange for an honest review.
July 4, 2021
Village opinions and romance!
Major Harry Westcott was once the Earl of Riverdale until he and his family fell apart when they discovered their father had in fact married their mother bigamously. That left Harry and his sisters as illegitimate offspring. Imagine the shock and distress. Harry was no longer the Earl, no longer able to support his mother and sisters. Their place in society was gone. The life they knew was in tatters. Stripped of title, lands and funds this was the Great Disaster. Previous novels in the series give us the background to events up to now.
Harry, anguished and lost, joined the army, off to the Peninsula to fight Bonaparte. Thanks to Avery Archer the Duke of Netherby—his guardian, and his half sister Anna’s husband, he didn’t end up taking the king’s shilling. Avery purchased a commission for him with the same regiment he’d signed up for.
After fighting his way across the continent, Harry was badly wounded at Waterloo. He eventually came back to England, a wreck suffering from the memories of all he’d seen and endured. He now lives on one of Anna’s properties and his former childhood home—Hinsford Manor in Hampshire.
Within the village of Hinsford lives a widow, Lydia Tavernor, wife and ‘helpmeet’ of the former dedicated and charismatic vicar. A young woman who throughout her time has been overwhelmed by the men in her life. Lydia shocked her brothers and father by refusing to move home with them. Instead she bought a small house in the village at the end of Harry’s driveway. The two meet at a local dinner. The innocent action of Harry escorting the seemingly bland Lydia home leads to a situation!
Lydia is rather a fascinating woman hiding who she really is in plain sight. Still waters run deep!
Meanwhile the Westcott women have decided that Harry needs a wife and are planning to bring him to London to celebrate his thirtieth birthday and introduce him to potential partners. And if Harry doesn’t come to London they have a Plan B.
Harry’s mother just wants him to find someone he can ‘cherish.’
A gentle story that takes two people with secrets and ghosts and gives them another chance, albeit it in a rather unusual way.
A Berkley Group ARC via NetGalley
Major Harry Westcott was once the Earl of Riverdale until he and his family fell apart when they discovered their father had in fact married their mother bigamously. That left Harry and his sisters as illegitimate offspring. Imagine the shock and distress. Harry was no longer the Earl, no longer able to support his mother and sisters. Their place in society was gone. The life they knew was in tatters. Stripped of title, lands and funds this was the Great Disaster. Previous novels in the series give us the background to events up to now.
Harry, anguished and lost, joined the army, off to the Peninsula to fight Bonaparte. Thanks to Avery Archer the Duke of Netherby—his guardian, and his half sister Anna’s husband, he didn’t end up taking the king’s shilling. Avery purchased a commission for him with the same regiment he’d signed up for.
After fighting his way across the continent, Harry was badly wounded at Waterloo. He eventually came back to England, a wreck suffering from the memories of all he’d seen and endured. He now lives on one of Anna’s properties and his former childhood home—Hinsford Manor in Hampshire.
Within the village of Hinsford lives a widow, Lydia Tavernor, wife and ‘helpmeet’ of the former dedicated and charismatic vicar. A young woman who throughout her time has been overwhelmed by the men in her life. Lydia shocked her brothers and father by refusing to move home with them. Instead she bought a small house in the village at the end of Harry’s driveway. The two meet at a local dinner. The innocent action of Harry escorting the seemingly bland Lydia home leads to a situation!
Lydia is rather a fascinating woman hiding who she really is in plain sight. Still waters run deep!
Meanwhile the Westcott women have decided that Harry needs a wife and are planning to bring him to London to celebrate his thirtieth birthday and introduce him to potential partners. And if Harry doesn’t come to London they have a Plan B.
Harry’s mother just wants him to find someone he can ‘cherish.’
A gentle story that takes two people with secrets and ghosts and gives them another chance, albeit it in a rather unusual way.
A Berkley Group ARC via NetGalley
June 20, 2024
A little bit fluffier than some of the others but this hit the spot.
This one had two golden retrievers who were surrounded by dobermans and terriers (and a couple of rats) but still managed to stay sweet and loyal. Little angst, but great character growth and fun villains to hate. None of the villains died a fiery death though, but we can’t have everything.
This one had two golden retrievers who were surrounded by dobermans and terriers (and a couple of rats) but still managed to stay sweet and loyal. Little angst, but great character growth and fun villains to hate. None of the villains died a fiery death though, but we can’t have everything.
June 30, 2021
The last of the younger generations of Westcotts to get his romance and one I’ve anticipated since the very first book when his life went to pieces and he slowly put himself back together. A powerful series seems to be coming to a close and I’ve enjoyed the long romantic and sometimes painful journey with this endearing family.
Someone to Cherish is the eighth book in the Westcott series and reads best in order so all those family names and relationships and mentions of the past make more sense.
Harry Westcott started out the only son of an earl and anticipated a future of a title and wealth surrounded by family in the upper crust of English society. Then the unthinkable happens. He learns his father was already married and Harry’s mother was never married to the earl meaning he and his two sisters aren’t even legitimate. What’s more, they have nothing- no family title, wealth, or home. While it turned out that his newly discovered half-sister is ready to share and embrace family, Harry wanted far away from the debacle so joined the army. War seasoned and matured him, but peace and coming home have left him somewhat adrift- lonely, in truth. But, he has no desire to have his earnest and well-meaning relations setting him up for marriage. Harry wants love, but he suspects, for him, that it is not to be found in London society. And, he would be right.
Recently widowed former vicar’s wife, Lydia Tavernor, is done being controlled by the men in her life. None were cruel, but that doesn’t change her wish to retain control of her own life. Thus, moving back to her father’s house or even entering a second marriage are not options she will consider. But, that doesn’t mean she isn’t lonely for relations with a man. Lydia looks about her and the friendly, kind smiles of Major Westcott have her settling on this single gentleman for her choice.
This pair are both damaged in their own ways and this slow-burn, gently paced romance tells their tale of slipping into romance without wishing to and overcoming their reservations about matrimony even while well-meaning friends and family insist on ‘helping’.
Someone to Cherish is low angst and, I confess, missing a little sparkle and tension like previous series books. I liked the pair, but I guess I wanted more to challenge them. In the end, I was moderately pleased and hope for maybe Marcel’s twins to get their story before the series closes for good. It’s a heartwarming, thoughtful, mildly spicy and well-developed historical romance that I’d describe as ‘old school’ in a good way and part of a series I can highly recommend.
My thanks to Berkley for providing the eARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Someone to Cherish is the eighth book in the Westcott series and reads best in order so all those family names and relationships and mentions of the past make more sense.
Harry Westcott started out the only son of an earl and anticipated a future of a title and wealth surrounded by family in the upper crust of English society. Then the unthinkable happens. He learns his father was already married and Harry’s mother was never married to the earl meaning he and his two sisters aren’t even legitimate. What’s more, they have nothing- no family title, wealth, or home. While it turned out that his newly discovered half-sister is ready to share and embrace family, Harry wanted far away from the debacle so joined the army. War seasoned and matured him, but peace and coming home have left him somewhat adrift- lonely, in truth. But, he has no desire to have his earnest and well-meaning relations setting him up for marriage. Harry wants love, but he suspects, for him, that it is not to be found in London society. And, he would be right.
Recently widowed former vicar’s wife, Lydia Tavernor, is done being controlled by the men in her life. None were cruel, but that doesn’t change her wish to retain control of her own life. Thus, moving back to her father’s house or even entering a second marriage are not options she will consider. But, that doesn’t mean she isn’t lonely for relations with a man. Lydia looks about her and the friendly, kind smiles of Major Westcott have her settling on this single gentleman for her choice.
This pair are both damaged in their own ways and this slow-burn, gently paced romance tells their tale of slipping into romance without wishing to and overcoming their reservations about matrimony even while well-meaning friends and family insist on ‘helping’.
Someone to Cherish is low angst and, I confess, missing a little sparkle and tension like previous series books. I liked the pair, but I guess I wanted more to challenge them. In the end, I was moderately pleased and hope for maybe Marcel’s twins to get their story before the series closes for good. It’s a heartwarming, thoughtful, mildly spicy and well-developed historical romance that I’d describe as ‘old school’ in a good way and part of a series I can highly recommend.
My thanks to Berkley for providing the eARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
August 31, 2021
Someone to Cherish by Mary Balogh is book #8 in the Wescott series that I was anticipating because I wanted to see if the Earl of Riverdale (Harry) find his true love. This was an audiobook listen and I thought he story was well written and enjoyable. I love Roslyn Landor as a narrator and she did a wonderful job of narrating his story.
July 12, 2021
For those who follow this series, this was the Harry book. At last. Everyone else in the Westcott clan have already gotten their books by now. I suspect, Harry is the last. For everyone else, it was a quiet and charming regency romance.
A little bit of a spiteful gossip in a small village added piquancy to the story, while a little bit of family unity added security to the protagonists. Both of them have their vulnerabilities. Both struggle to overcome their bitter pasts while growing into their affection for each other. Fortunately, the happy ending was never in question, and there wasn't much of a conflict either.
Despite the professional quality of writing, this novel suffered from the same malady as every other novel in this series: each member of this prolific fictional family (and there are dozens of them) makes an appearance. Everyone from the previous 7 books is named. Everyone and their children and their haircuts are described in details. A good editor should've removed them all, leave only one or two characters relevant to the story, but then this novel would've lost half of its text and become a novella. It would've been better for it too.
A little bit of a spiteful gossip in a small village added piquancy to the story, while a little bit of family unity added security to the protagonists. Both of them have their vulnerabilities. Both struggle to overcome their bitter pasts while growing into their affection for each other. Fortunately, the happy ending was never in question, and there wasn't much of a conflict either.
Despite the professional quality of writing, this novel suffered from the same malady as every other novel in this series: each member of this prolific fictional family (and there are dozens of them) makes an appearance. Everyone from the previous 7 books is named. Everyone and their children and their haircuts are described in details. A good editor should've removed them all, leave only one or two characters relevant to the story, but then this novel would've lost half of its text and become a novella. It would've been better for it too.
April 20, 2024
Harry finally gets his book! I was surprised it took us this long to get to one of the original Westcott siblings. It was worth the wait. Harry and Lydia share a common feeling of loneliness with Harry living alone at the families country home, and Lydia, living in a small cottage after being widowed. Lydia’s husband and decided that they were devoting their lives to the church and therefore would not really be living as men and wife. We have a virgin widow and a lonely soldier who come together in a sweet story.
And now the first two generations of the Westcotts have their happily ever afters.
And now the first two generations of the Westcotts have their happily ever afters.
November 22, 2022
Harry and Lydia's story was absolutely mesmerizing and emotional. I can't believe how consistently awesome all the Westcott books have been and how thoroughly I've enjoyed each one. Lydia's story was really interesting as it delved in deeply to her struggle as a woman of her times to remain independent and individual. Harry was brilliant and supportive as the seemingly content but lonely former soldier with much depth. They were a wonderful pair. This series is a treasure.
October 13, 2020
Someone to Cherish is book 8 of the Westcott series and I really liked the way Mary Balogh wrote this book. It was different from the most recent Westcott books where usually she would immerse the reader into a family gathering and start with many of the cast of characters that make up the extended Westcott family. It could be overwhelming. In Someone to Cherish you are getting the same information but in a more narrative way, so you don’t have to try to follow a conversation along with placing who is who. The opening narrative tells Harry’s history and how it interacts with the other characters. With this type of format, Someone to Cherish could be read by someone new to the series or by someone who has stopped reading along the way and wants to pick up with the Westcott family again.
I have been waiting for Harry’s story since the first Westcott book. His life was completely and irrevocably changed when his father died and the late Earl’s secret was exposed. Harry has gone through the most growth and the longest journey to get to his HEA.
I liked Lydia, Harry’s neighbor and a recent widow. Lydia’s quest for independence and to be able to make her own decisions was admirable for the times and a relatable goal for all of us today. Lydia’s hesitancy to trust after enduring over protective male relatives and her overzealous husband seemed understandable.
Harry and Lydia’s romance developed authentically from barely acquaintances, to friendship, then onto love.
I also liked how Balogh used the last chapter to give the opportunity for all the couples in this series to have a moment to reminisce about their own love affairs.
Someone to Cherish was one of the best in the series for me. I couldn’t put it down.
An aside. If I never hear the work helpmeet again, it will be too soon. Lydia’s former husband always referred to her as that, rather than wife. It was annoying to read and would have been annoying to live with.
Thank you Edelweiss+ and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I have been waiting for Harry’s story since the first Westcott book. His life was completely and irrevocably changed when his father died and the late Earl’s secret was exposed. Harry has gone through the most growth and the longest journey to get to his HEA.
I liked Lydia, Harry’s neighbor and a recent widow. Lydia’s quest for independence and to be able to make her own decisions was admirable for the times and a relatable goal for all of us today. Lydia’s hesitancy to trust after enduring over protective male relatives and her overzealous husband seemed understandable.
Harry and Lydia’s romance developed authentically from barely acquaintances, to friendship, then onto love.
I also liked how Balogh used the last chapter to give the opportunity for all the couples in this series to have a moment to reminisce about their own love affairs.
Someone to Cherish was one of the best in the series for me. I couldn’t put it down.
An aside. If I never hear the work helpmeet again, it will be too soon. Lydia’s former husband always referred to her as that, rather than wife. It was annoying to read and would have been annoying to live with.
Thank you Edelweiss+ and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 27, 2021
Originally published at Reading Reality
There should be a truly hot place in hell for the late, unlamented Humphrey Westcott, Earl of Riverdale. But, and it is now a huge, 8 marvelous books and counting BUT, the results of his metaphorical bastardy, to whit, the legal and actual bastardy he inflicted on his three children who believed they were legitimate, have been glorious.
So maybe an exceptionally hot place in hell with a few occasional luxuries. Because it’s all his fault, including some of the surprisingly good things. Like this series which began with Someone to Love and doesn’t seem to be over yet.
Thank goodness. Or perhaps I should be thanking Humphrey’s badness. Maybe a bit of both?
As big of a factor as Humphrey’s badness has been in this entire series, a more fitting summation of the issues in this entry might be this particular paraphrase of Thoreau, the one that goes, “If you see someone coming towards you with the obvious intent of doing you good – run like hell.” with the added codicil that it goes double if that someone – or many someones in the case of Major Harry Westcott, are family.
There are an awful lot of well-meaning, good intentioned families in fiction who have, let’s call them, boundary issues. As in entirely too many of them ignore any boundaries set by other members of the family. They’re just sure they know best. And maybe, sometimes, they do. But even when they might, even if they do, they can be a bit much and more than a bit annoying and extremely frustrating when the boundaries they are riding roughshod over belong to adults who might, equally and with much better justification, know what they do and don’t want for themselves.
The story in Someone to Cherish centers around two people, both adults nearing 30, so really, really actual adults mostly adulting, whose families are both firmly convinced that neither of these adults could possibly know what they want for themselves, or really mean anything they say about what they want for themselves, and that other people in the family, older if not wiser, know best.
Ironically, or paradoxically, it’s the women of the Westcott family who are certain that Harry doesn’t know what’s good for him, while it’s the men of Lydia Winterbourne Tavernor’s family who are just as certain that she can’t possibly know her own mind or truly desire her own independence.
But there’s a critical difference. When Harry’s family invades his country home to give him a huge 30th birthday party whether he wants one or not, he goes along with their plans because he loves them, because they are already there, and because it would be horribly rude not to. However, that they brought along three young ladies as possible brides for him, all he has to be is polite. No more, no less. His family can’t make him marry or even make him consider one of those young ladies as a possible bride. Even with all of his wealth and titles stripped from him by his illegitimacy, as a man he is still free to live his life as he pleases.
Lydia’s experience is completely the opposite. During her girlhood, her father and brothers did their best to wrap her in cotton wool and protect her from everything she might worry her little head about. Her father refused to allow her a season because London “wasn’t safe” and she wouldn’t be properly protected from the rakehells of the ton. When she married, she went straight from her father’s loving but demeaning protection to her husband’s dictatorial pronouncements about every single facet of her life. As a woman, she has no recourse, the men in her life, who actually do love her, control her very being and expect her to acquiesce. It’s only as a widow with enough money to support herself that she has the freedom to be who and what she wants to be.
A freedom that she will lose if she trusts herself to another man – no matter how much that man claims to love her. After growing up in an environment designed to keep her childlike, and marrying a man she loved but who dictated her every move and thought, the first person whose judgement she questions is always herself.
And yes, this is a personal soapbox that I’ve climbed on and now can’t quite figure out how to get down from. Pardon me a moment while I search for a very tall metaphorical ladder to use for a descent.
All of that being said – and yes, I know I said a LOT – what eventually becomes the romance between Harry and Lydia is very much of a slow burn kind of romance, because they are both slowly burning kind of people. Both have experienced tragedy, both have hidden their true selves behind masks that they are having a difficult time pulling off, and both are very uncertain about trust.
They are also both prominent people in the tiny village of Hinsford, a circumstance that comes to bite both of them in the ass – but also forces them to decide who they are and who they want to be.
It takes them more than a bit of time to figure out that what they want to be is together, because together they have that trust that both of them have lacked.
Escape Rating B: This one turned out to be kind of a mixed bag for me as a reader. I got up on that really tall soapbox because there were a lot of elements of the setup that obviously drove me utterly bananas. It has felt like every other book that I’ve read in the last couple of months has been chock-full of families with boundary issues and generally heroines who have trouble saying “NO” and setting and maintaining boundaries with their well-meaning but annoyingly intrusive families.
The power dynamics of Lydia’s relationship with her birth family AND her late husband add fuel to that fire, as she has no agency until she becomes a widow – and even then her birth family is eager, insistent and downright smothering in their attempts to snatch that agency away from her.
I see that soapbox looming again so I’ll move on.
Lydia has been self-effacing to the point of disappearing in plain sight for most of her life. A huge and lovely part of this story is watching her stretch, grow, and STOP HIDING. Her two steps forward, half step back progress feels real.
At the same time, one of her first steps forward is to ask Harry, in an extremely roundabout and circuitous way, if he’d be interested in starting what we would call a “friends with benefits” relationship. With her.
And every single thing that both of them expect, along with a passion that neither of them knew to expect, happens. Especially all the bad things. It’s their response to those bad things that forms the heart of the romance in this story, but it takes a bit too much of the book to get off the ground – even though they’ve already gotten off. So to speak.
Ahem.
So as much as I’ve enjoyed this series as a whole, the book in the series that this one most reminds me of is Someone to Care, the story I liked the least so far. In that one, the first half was lovely and the second half drove me bananas. With this one its the other way around. The first half was a slog but the second half worked itself out into a lovely HEA.
I’m glad I read this, both to see how the rest of Harry’s large and boisterous family are doing and to see one of the original “victims” of Humphrey’s bastardy finally get his own life fully together and happy.
I’m still fascinated with the Westcott family, so I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series, Someone Perfect – we’ll see about that! – coming just in time for the holiday season.
There should be a truly hot place in hell for the late, unlamented Humphrey Westcott, Earl of Riverdale. But, and it is now a huge, 8 marvelous books and counting BUT, the results of his metaphorical bastardy, to whit, the legal and actual bastardy he inflicted on his three children who believed they were legitimate, have been glorious.
So maybe an exceptionally hot place in hell with a few occasional luxuries. Because it’s all his fault, including some of the surprisingly good things. Like this series which began with Someone to Love and doesn’t seem to be over yet.
Thank goodness. Or perhaps I should be thanking Humphrey’s badness. Maybe a bit of both?
As big of a factor as Humphrey’s badness has been in this entire series, a more fitting summation of the issues in this entry might be this particular paraphrase of Thoreau, the one that goes, “If you see someone coming towards you with the obvious intent of doing you good – run like hell.” with the added codicil that it goes double if that someone – or many someones in the case of Major Harry Westcott, are family.
There are an awful lot of well-meaning, good intentioned families in fiction who have, let’s call them, boundary issues. As in entirely too many of them ignore any boundaries set by other members of the family. They’re just sure they know best. And maybe, sometimes, they do. But even when they might, even if they do, they can be a bit much and more than a bit annoying and extremely frustrating when the boundaries they are riding roughshod over belong to adults who might, equally and with much better justification, know what they do and don’t want for themselves.
The story in Someone to Cherish centers around two people, both adults nearing 30, so really, really actual adults mostly adulting, whose families are both firmly convinced that neither of these adults could possibly know what they want for themselves, or really mean anything they say about what they want for themselves, and that other people in the family, older if not wiser, know best.
Ironically, or paradoxically, it’s the women of the Westcott family who are certain that Harry doesn’t know what’s good for him, while it’s the men of Lydia Winterbourne Tavernor’s family who are just as certain that she can’t possibly know her own mind or truly desire her own independence.
But there’s a critical difference. When Harry’s family invades his country home to give him a huge 30th birthday party whether he wants one or not, he goes along with their plans because he loves them, because they are already there, and because it would be horribly rude not to. However, that they brought along three young ladies as possible brides for him, all he has to be is polite. No more, no less. His family can’t make him marry or even make him consider one of those young ladies as a possible bride. Even with all of his wealth and titles stripped from him by his illegitimacy, as a man he is still free to live his life as he pleases.
Lydia’s experience is completely the opposite. During her girlhood, her father and brothers did their best to wrap her in cotton wool and protect her from everything she might worry her little head about. Her father refused to allow her a season because London “wasn’t safe” and she wouldn’t be properly protected from the rakehells of the ton. When she married, she went straight from her father’s loving but demeaning protection to her husband’s dictatorial pronouncements about every single facet of her life. As a woman, she has no recourse, the men in her life, who actually do love her, control her very being and expect her to acquiesce. It’s only as a widow with enough money to support herself that she has the freedom to be who and what she wants to be.
A freedom that she will lose if she trusts herself to another man – no matter how much that man claims to love her. After growing up in an environment designed to keep her childlike, and marrying a man she loved but who dictated her every move and thought, the first person whose judgement she questions is always herself.
And yes, this is a personal soapbox that I’ve climbed on and now can’t quite figure out how to get down from. Pardon me a moment while I search for a very tall metaphorical ladder to use for a descent.
All of that being said – and yes, I know I said a LOT – what eventually becomes the romance between Harry and Lydia is very much of a slow burn kind of romance, because they are both slowly burning kind of people. Both have experienced tragedy, both have hidden their true selves behind masks that they are having a difficult time pulling off, and both are very uncertain about trust.
They are also both prominent people in the tiny village of Hinsford, a circumstance that comes to bite both of them in the ass – but also forces them to decide who they are and who they want to be.
It takes them more than a bit of time to figure out that what they want to be is together, because together they have that trust that both of them have lacked.
Escape Rating B: This one turned out to be kind of a mixed bag for me as a reader. I got up on that really tall soapbox because there were a lot of elements of the setup that obviously drove me utterly bananas. It has felt like every other book that I’ve read in the last couple of months has been chock-full of families with boundary issues and generally heroines who have trouble saying “NO” and setting and maintaining boundaries with their well-meaning but annoyingly intrusive families.
The power dynamics of Lydia’s relationship with her birth family AND her late husband add fuel to that fire, as she has no agency until she becomes a widow – and even then her birth family is eager, insistent and downright smothering in their attempts to snatch that agency away from her.
I see that soapbox looming again so I’ll move on.
Lydia has been self-effacing to the point of disappearing in plain sight for most of her life. A huge and lovely part of this story is watching her stretch, grow, and STOP HIDING. Her two steps forward, half step back progress feels real.
At the same time, one of her first steps forward is to ask Harry, in an extremely roundabout and circuitous way, if he’d be interested in starting what we would call a “friends with benefits” relationship. With her.
And every single thing that both of them expect, along with a passion that neither of them knew to expect, happens. Especially all the bad things. It’s their response to those bad things that forms the heart of the romance in this story, but it takes a bit too much of the book to get off the ground – even though they’ve already gotten off. So to speak.
Ahem.
So as much as I’ve enjoyed this series as a whole, the book in the series that this one most reminds me of is Someone to Care, the story I liked the least so far. In that one, the first half was lovely and the second half drove me bananas. With this one its the other way around. The first half was a slog but the second half worked itself out into a lovely HEA.
I’m glad I read this, both to see how the rest of Harry’s large and boisterous family are doing and to see one of the original “victims” of Humphrey’s bastardy finally get his own life fully together and happy.
I’m still fascinated with the Westcott family, so I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series, Someone Perfect – we’ll see about that! – coming just in time for the holiday season.
July 25, 2021
Sweet romance in days gone by…
I’ve loved this series since turning the first page of book one. The misfortune of the Westcott family meant a journey of discovery, loyalty and love. Looking back, the worst time of their life was the catalyst for amazing adventures and relationships strengthened and found…
Harry may have been jolted the hardest as his well-laid out future went up in a puff of smoke. The military almost killed him and it certainly changed who he was. Now, he was content. Until a neighbour his mind… Lydia lost her husband but she realized now she had lost herself well before that. Creating a future of her own making meant tough choices and standing her ground when society judged her. Forging their own way meant dealing with the fallout of their choices. Together they were going to face anything…
I loved this story about staying true to yourself when others, no matter how well-meaning (or not), tried to interfere. Sweet and funny, full of gut-wrenching soul-searching guaranteed to touch the heart, this family-centric world makes for great romance. My new favourite in the series! ~Diane, 5 stars
I’ve loved this series since turning the first page of book one. The misfortune of the Westcott family meant a journey of discovery, loyalty and love. Looking back, the worst time of their life was the catalyst for amazing adventures and relationships strengthened and found…
Harry may have been jolted the hardest as his well-laid out future went up in a puff of smoke. The military almost killed him and it certainly changed who he was. Now, he was content. Until a neighbour his mind… Lydia lost her husband but she realized now she had lost herself well before that. Creating a future of her own making meant tough choices and standing her ground when society judged her. Forging their own way meant dealing with the fallout of their choices. Together they were going to face anything…
I loved this story about staying true to yourself when others, no matter how well-meaning (or not), tried to interfere. Sweet and funny, full of gut-wrenching soul-searching guaranteed to touch the heart, this family-centric world makes for great romance. My new favourite in the series! ~Diane, 5 stars
July 4, 2021
A nice bounce back from a middling offering of the last book.
This is the long awaited Harry's romance. And I think Balogh stuck the landing here.
In the first book of the series, Harry was 21 and had just become the Earl of Riverdale upon the death of his father. He was a little wild, but he had a massive fortune and now he also had the title.
Except.... not so fast, we learned that his father was bigamously married to his mother. So Harry and his two sisters are now illegitimate. He can't inherit the title. And since his father did not leave a will, the vast fortune that is not part of the entail goes to his only legitimate child, the newly discovered Anna. This sent Harry into a tailspin and he ended up enlisting in the Army to run away from his disappointments and resentments.
This all happened in the first book (my favorite because it was such a soapy and delicious plot and Balogh did it justice).
Now ten years later, Harry is retired and lives on one of his father's estates at his half sister Anna's insistence in a village outside London. He has made a quiet life for himself after his years in the Army as Captain Westcott.
Also in the village is Lydia Taverner the widow of the previous vicar who had an almost cult like following amongst some of the people of the village due to his good looks and charisma. But as we learn (and it a hallmark of Balogh's books) things weren't always what they seemed. Lydia is enjoying her freedom and, now a year after her husbands death, wants to flex a little. She's been held up as a paragon virtue and that is all well and good, but she wants a lover and Harry catches her eye.
This is a low conflict somewhat slow burn romance. Lydia and Harry navigate social niceties in this village where he is a highly visible person and she has a certain reputation and stati0n herself. An affair would be somewhat difficult to navigate and not a little disastrous is hey are found out.
And yet... they are attracted to each other so they continue to circle. And in typical small town fashion their circling gets noticed and gossip happens. And even as outside forces complicate their already complicated stew of feelings, they both grapple with figuring it what is is they really want. Lydia is adamant that she never wants to be married again. And in what I have seen as a recurring theme in some of these books, Lydia is also grappling with issues of wanting to be seen and figuring out who she really is.
Since this a Westcott book, it would not be complete without the machinations and involvement of that entire humongous clan. It is going to be Harry's 30th birthday and even though he would like it to pass unnoticed as just another day, his family has other ideas. There are couple of amusing running jokes that get revisited here: how abysmal the family is at matchmaking (none of their proposed matches have ever proven successful over the course of the series), the tendency for the main players to marry in secret without the family present -- I like the way that played out here.
This reads like a conclusion to the series, especially the last chapter where all the previous couples are on page and we get little reminiscences of how they got together.
Overall I enjoyed Harry and Lydia's quiet romance and the way it fit into the rest of the series.
This is the long awaited Harry's romance. And I think Balogh stuck the landing here.
In the first book of the series, Harry was 21 and had just become the Earl of Riverdale upon the death of his father. He was a little wild, but he had a massive fortune and now he also had the title.
Except.... not so fast, we learned that his father was bigamously married to his mother. So Harry and his two sisters are now illegitimate. He can't inherit the title. And since his father did not leave a will, the vast fortune that is not part of the entail goes to his only legitimate child, the newly discovered Anna. This sent Harry into a tailspin and he ended up enlisting in the Army to run away from his disappointments and resentments.
This all happened in the first book (my favorite because it was such a soapy and delicious plot and Balogh did it justice).
Now ten years later, Harry is retired and lives on one of his father's estates at his half sister Anna's insistence in a village outside London. He has made a quiet life for himself after his years in the Army as Captain Westcott.
Also in the village is Lydia Taverner the widow of the previous vicar who had an almost cult like following amongst some of the people of the village due to his good looks and charisma. But as we learn (and it a hallmark of Balogh's books) things weren't always what they seemed. Lydia is enjoying her freedom and, now a year after her husbands death, wants to flex a little. She's been held up as a paragon virtue and that is all well and good, but she wants a lover and Harry catches her eye.
This is a low conflict somewhat slow burn romance. Lydia and Harry navigate social niceties in this village where he is a highly visible person and she has a certain reputation and stati0n herself. An affair would be somewhat difficult to navigate and not a little disastrous is hey are found out.
And yet... they are attracted to each other so they continue to circle. And in typical small town fashion their circling gets noticed and gossip happens. And even as outside forces complicate their already complicated stew of feelings, they both grapple with figuring it what is is they really want. Lydia is adamant that she never wants to be married again. And in what I have seen as a recurring theme in some of these books, Lydia is also grappling with issues of wanting to be seen and figuring out who she really is.
Since this a Westcott book, it would not be complete without the machinations and involvement of that entire humongous clan. It is going to be Harry's 30th birthday and even though he would like it to pass unnoticed as just another day, his family has other ideas. There are couple of amusing running jokes that get revisited here: how abysmal the family is at matchmaking (none of their proposed matches have ever proven successful over the course of the series), the tendency for the main players to marry in secret without the family present -- I like the way that played out here.
This reads like a conclusion to the series, especially the last chapter where all the previous couples are on page and we get little reminiscences of how they got together.
Overall I enjoyed Harry and Lydia's quiet romance and the way it fit into the rest of the series.
June 29, 2021
I've been reading Mary Balogh books since forever and I'm in awe of how consistently she manages to tell stories about relatable people falling in love. In her latest, we find Harry Westcott, the former golden boy of the ton until his father's bigamy was revealed and Harry lost his title, content with his simple life in the country. Until he meets a local vicar's widow and, like all Balogh heroes do, falls in love. Lydia Tavernor has had quite enough of being bossed around by the men in her life and is enjoying the freedom her widowhood has afforded her. But there's one thing she'd like to try: an affair. Of course romance readers know how that will turn out! But as always the journey to happy ever after is a delight.
May 13, 2022
When I read the blurb on this one, I was uncertain. I have always liked Mary Balogh books so I bought it based on that and good reviews but I went in thinking it might turn tedious. I challenged Mary Balogh to make me like a book about two main characters who are contentedly unmarried and determined to stay that way. She delivered.
No dead bodies, explosions, mysteries, or espionage here, just a very interesting, detailed portrait of two people who begin to fit each other in all the right ways, in spite of problematic personal histories, problematic family dynamics, and mutual risk aversion. The reader is along on their journey, intimately involved in their shifting thoughts and feelings, and I, for one, felt like I had a personal stake in the outcome. That is the mark of excellent writing.
No dead bodies, explosions, mysteries, or espionage here, just a very interesting, detailed portrait of two people who begin to fit each other in all the right ways, in spite of problematic personal histories, problematic family dynamics, and mutual risk aversion. The reader is along on their journey, intimately involved in their shifting thoughts and feelings, and I, for one, felt like I had a personal stake in the outcome. That is the mark of excellent writing.
August 5, 2021
This doesn’t really do anything new and this family is getting too unwieldy. There must be at least 15 full pages scattered throughout designed to remind you who’s married to who and which kids are whose and what everyone’s story is. And except for Avery, who remains the series’ best character, no one seems to have much of a personality at this point.
If you want some extra fun with your read, take a drink every time you encounter the word “helpmeet.” Good lord, we get it.
If you want some extra fun with your read, take a drink every time you encounter the word “helpmeet.” Good lord, we get it.
August 7, 2021
Even if you've been a fan of Balogh for decades like I have been, do yourself a favor and skip this one. Let me sum up what I've read so far :
Woman : my life is so boring I think I'll look for a lover
Man : my life is so boring I think I'll look for a lover
Me : I don't even care enough to read to see if you both get together....
What a disappointment.
Woman : my life is so boring I think I'll look for a lover
Man : my life is so boring I think I'll look for a lover
Me : I don't even care enough to read to see if you both get together....
What a disappointment.
November 10, 2022
4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this quiet, relatively un-angsty romance. Review to come.
June 29, 2021
Harry's story. And, it is wonderful!
July 26, 2021
I didn't love it but I didn't hate it either. I really liked that we finally got to Harry's story and I think he and Lydia were quite good together. I liked their dynamic. A solid four stars.
Despite me having read all the previous seven novels in this series, I still got widely confused once the whole family showed up especially once the various children were introduced. Thank goodness for the family tree at the beginning. I am not certain if I will read more in this series, it seems like Harry's twin stepsiblings were being set up to continue this series and if that's the case, I will just pass on them. I like them but not enough to read their stories. But we will see if Balogh will continue. I feel like this book is a solid place to end on, ten years after the events of the first. It's a good wrap up with everyone happy and in love.
Despite me having read all the previous seven novels in this series, I still got widely confused once the whole family showed up especially once the various children were introduced. Thank goodness for the family tree at the beginning. I am not certain if I will read more in this series, it seems like Harry's twin stepsiblings were being set up to continue this series and if that's the case, I will just pass on them. I like them but not enough to read their stories. But we will see if Balogh will continue. I feel like this book is a solid place to end on, ten years after the events of the first. It's a good wrap up with everyone happy and in love.
July 5, 2021
The plot is very similar to Indiscreet, but here Ms Balogh deals with the rumors differently. I really liked both books, for different reasons :)
June 30, 2021
Someone to Cherish is the much-anticipated story and it was better than I could have imagined. Harry Westcott’s life changed irrevocably 10 years ago when he found out his parents’ marriage was bigamous and he and his sisters were illegitimate. He lost it all. With no title and the fortune gone, Harry goes off to fight in the Napoleonic wars and barely makes it back alive. He’s brought back to England to recover and to his childhood home, Hinsford Manor. Not only did he need to physically heal but he also came to terms with the changes that happened in the fallout of the Great Disaster. Thinking he’s at peace with things, he’s taken by surprise when the widow of the late Reverend Tavernor, Lydia, propositions him to become her lover. He’s barely noticed her until she ask him a simple question. Now he’s intrigued and wonders how this woman has been hiding in plain sight.
The author has once again created a wonderful story and developed a romance between two deserving individuals. Lydia did not want to give up her freedom and independence, or ever marry again, and go back to being a man’s helpmeet. She made known her desires to Harry and figured out after one brief encounter that it wouldn’t work living in a small village. When rumors start anyway, she had to deal with it with a brave face. Harry insisted on marriage but refuses. It was so important to Lydia to keep her independence since her first marriage didn’t turn out the way she hoped. What confuses her is her feelings for Harry and to see Harry as really being a genuine person. What she needed to learn is to trust again, in herself, and in Harry. I liked how their relationship developed softly from a friendship into love.
I loved how this 8th book in the Westcott series felt fresh and inviting to read. I liked how the whole family together again to show how they are better off today than if the Great Disaster hadn’t happened. Can something good come out of a bad situation? I think so, especially in Harry’s case. He’s a better man and found himself a partner he can share his life with. Harry was able to confide in Lydia with things he’s never told another soul and she felt she could share with him as well. She may not have been looking for love but she found it again when she knew she could trust Harry. I love how both Harry and Lydia found their someone special to share their life with. I would even say they found someone to cherish.
Review copy provided for a voluntary review.
The author has once again created a wonderful story and developed a romance between two deserving individuals. Lydia did not want to give up her freedom and independence, or ever marry again, and go back to being a man’s helpmeet. She made known her desires to Harry and figured out after one brief encounter that it wouldn’t work living in a small village. When rumors start anyway, she had to deal with it with a brave face. Harry insisted on marriage but refuses. It was so important to Lydia to keep her independence since her first marriage didn’t turn out the way she hoped. What confuses her is her feelings for Harry and to see Harry as really being a genuine person. What she needed to learn is to trust again, in herself, and in Harry. I liked how their relationship developed softly from a friendship into love.
I loved how this 8th book in the Westcott series felt fresh and inviting to read. I liked how the whole family together again to show how they are better off today than if the Great Disaster hadn’t happened. Can something good come out of a bad situation? I think so, especially in Harry’s case. He’s a better man and found himself a partner he can share his life with. Harry was able to confide in Lydia with things he’s never told another soul and she felt she could share with him as well. She may not have been looking for love but she found it again when she knew she could trust Harry. I love how both Harry and Lydia found their someone special to share their life with. I would even say they found someone to cherish.
Review copy provided for a voluntary review.
August 29, 2021
So, the bones of this book are okay—she’s the widow of a vicar, he’s a war hero who’s had a long physical and mental health recovery from the Napoleonic war. Her first marriage wasn’t great; he’s still not totally over the war. Neither of them is particularly interested in marriage but they like each other. Fine. Harry’s approaching 30 and his family thinks he should be getting on and married. Lydia’s family is massively overbearing. This premise could work! However.
A few problems:
SO MANY WESTCOTTS. Not every person from every other novel in the series needs to show up. It gets very “And so do his sisters, and his cousins, and his aunts! His sisters and his cousins, whom he reckons up by dozens, and his aunts!” I gave up consulting the family tree at the front of the book and was like, “Whatever. If they do something important, I’ll know they’re a relevant character.”
Lydia’s family. She keeps INSISTING that they love her but they are overbearing, controlling assholes. I really wanted her to recognize the fact that they may love her in their own way, but that their love is deeply limited and stifling. Nope.
But the major problem I have is that the villain in this book is a child. (He’s spying on Lydia and Harry and spreading gossip to his mother, who’s a horrible, sanctimonious busybody who tries to turn the village against Lydia.) Harry threatens to beat the shit out of him in a scene that I found utterly alarming for its lack of self awareness. It’s upsetting and gross and Lydia LIKES IT and praises Harry for his toughness. At this point, I gave up and skimmed to the end which is also rather unsatisfying in terms of tying up the meddling family plot lines.
(Oh, and Avery’s random misogyny—his wife is pregnant with their fifth child and there’s this gross back and forth between him and Harry about how he wants a second boy, but will make do if he has another girl. There were several other comments about gender that almost made me wonder if Balogh was trolling.)
I often like Balogh’s books for their slower pace and more inward conflicts, but I think I may be done.
A few problems:
SO MANY WESTCOTTS. Not every person from every other novel in the series needs to show up. It gets very “And so do his sisters, and his cousins, and his aunts! His sisters and his cousins, whom he reckons up by dozens, and his aunts!” I gave up consulting the family tree at the front of the book and was like, “Whatever. If they do something important, I’ll know they’re a relevant character.”
Lydia’s family. She keeps INSISTING that they love her but they are overbearing, controlling assholes. I really wanted her to recognize the fact that they may love her in their own way, but that their love is deeply limited and stifling. Nope.
But the major problem I have is that the villain in this book is a child. (He’s spying on Lydia and Harry and spreading gossip to his mother, who’s a horrible, sanctimonious busybody who tries to turn the village against Lydia.) Harry threatens to beat the shit out of him in a scene that I found utterly alarming for its lack of self awareness. It’s upsetting and gross and Lydia LIKES IT and praises Harry for his toughness. At this point, I gave up and skimmed to the end which is also rather unsatisfying in terms of tying up the meddling family plot lines.
(Oh, and Avery’s random misogyny—his wife is pregnant with their fifth child and there’s this gross back and forth between him and Harry about how he wants a second boy, but will make do if he has another girl. There were several other comments about gender that almost made me wonder if Balogh was trolling.)
I often like Balogh’s books for their slower pace and more inward conflicts, but I think I may be done.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2021
This was book 8 in the series. Harry, who finds out that he’s the illegitimate son of the Earl of Westcott on his death, has grown a lot through the series. He was 20 and now about to celebrate his thirtieth birthday with his family. Lydia is a nondescript widow in the village where Harry has decided to spend his years after suffering injuries in the Napoleonic wars. The romance was sweet and I liked Lydia and Harry in this book. The problem I had was with the innumerable backstories and relatives thoroughly taking over the book. I ended up skipping pages. At some point, anything new by MB always falls short of her glory days. The stories and scenes feel repetitive especially when an ardent fan like me has read all her books.
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