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Thief of Dreams
In an unusual twist of inheritance law, Cassandra Havelock becomes Countess of Worthing in her own right on her father's death, and sole owner of his grand home and vast estates and fortune. However, she is only twenty years old, and her well-meaning relatives and guardians rally around to protect her and run her property for her. Their primary concern is to help her make a brilliant match with a man who can take all the burden of managing her inheritance off her shoulders. But Cassandra is about to turn twenty-one, and she has planned a magnificent birthday ball to celebrate the end of her year of mourning and her independence. She intends to take full charge of her own life, and she can do that only if she remains single.
Nigel Wetherby, Viscount Wroxley, has looked forward to the birthday ball quite as eagerly as Cassandra, though he has never met her, is quite unknown to her, and has not been invited. The occasion represents the fulfilment of all he has dreamed of for years. He introduces himself on the day of the ball as a dear friend of Cassandra's late father and she is delighted to invite him to the ball. It is soon obvious to her alarmed relatives, however, that this handsome, charming stranger, who is fast weaving a seductive spell about their charge, has some mysterious agenda of his own.
Too late Cassandra realizes that in her naivete she may have been duped by a villain. And too late Nigel understands that in breaking her heart he may also be breaking his own.
But…is it ever too late for love to play a hand in this game?
Nigel Wetherby, Viscount Wroxley, has looked forward to the birthday ball quite as eagerly as Cassandra, though he has never met her, is quite unknown to her, and has not been invited. The occasion represents the fulfilment of all he has dreamed of for years. He introduces himself on the day of the ball as a dear friend of Cassandra's late father and she is delighted to invite him to the ball. It is soon obvious to her alarmed relatives, however, that this handsome, charming stranger, who is fast weaving a seductive spell about their charge, has some mysterious agenda of his own.
Too late Cassandra realizes that in her naivete she may have been duped by a villain. And too late Nigel understands that in breaking her heart he may also be breaking his own.
But…is it ever too late for love to play a hand in this game?
431 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 6, 2022
161 people are currently reading
915 people want to read
About the author
Mary Balogh
196 books6,379 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 112 reviews
February 15, 2017
Balogh's best romance -- dreamy, dark, and sensual!
There's a funny story about why this is my favorite of all Mary Balogh's books. Years ago I remember this incredibly gifted author saying in an interview that she didn't like "wallpaper" historicals, historical romances where the setting was deliberately left vague so that it might have been set in almost any time or place.
The irony is, I often enjoy a story more when it has a timeless feel. And THIEF OF DREAMS, more than any of Balogh's other books, feels more like a fairy tale than a historical fiction. Aside from the fact that the hero, Nigel, was transported to the colonies overseas to serve a prison sentence, there's no way to tell if this story is set anywhere from 1710 to 1810. There's no Regent, no Almack's, no Waterloo, nothing but an innocent heroine who owns a vast estate who finds herself drawn to a dark, sensual stranger with a terrifying secret.
Mary Balogh is famous for her tortured heroes, and I really love the way Nigel was both physically tortured (during his prison sentence) and psychologically tortured in the present. His dilemma is how to protect Cassandra when claiming his birthright means destroying her. That's not really a spoiler; he's clear on it halfway through. But I loved the chemistry between his torment and Cassandra's innocent eagerness to rush to her own destruction. That dynamic causes a lot of heat, especially in the marriage bed!
Oh, and one final note. I don't always go for Mary Balogh's humor, but big brute Will Stubbs is a genuinely funny and touching character. If anything, his romance with a kitchen maid who's recovering from abuse was a lot more touching (and sexy) than the "official" secondary romance involving a shy but well to do young couple.
THIEF OF DREAMS is a little different from all the other Mary Balogh classics. It's more dreamy, more of a fairy tale, and less of a work of historical fiction. And that's exactly why I love it the best!
There's a funny story about why this is my favorite of all Mary Balogh's books. Years ago I remember this incredibly gifted author saying in an interview that she didn't like "wallpaper" historicals, historical romances where the setting was deliberately left vague so that it might have been set in almost any time or place.
The irony is, I often enjoy a story more when it has a timeless feel. And THIEF OF DREAMS, more than any of Balogh's other books, feels more like a fairy tale than a historical fiction. Aside from the fact that the hero, Nigel, was transported to the colonies overseas to serve a prison sentence, there's no way to tell if this story is set anywhere from 1710 to 1810. There's no Regent, no Almack's, no Waterloo, nothing but an innocent heroine who owns a vast estate who finds herself drawn to a dark, sensual stranger with a terrifying secret.
Mary Balogh is famous for her tortured heroes, and I really love the way Nigel was both physically tortured (during his prison sentence) and psychologically tortured in the present. His dilemma is how to protect Cassandra when claiming his birthright means destroying her. That's not really a spoiler; he's clear on it halfway through. But I loved the chemistry between his torment and Cassandra's innocent eagerness to rush to her own destruction. That dynamic causes a lot of heat, especially in the marriage bed!
Oh, and one final note. I don't always go for Mary Balogh's humor, but big brute Will Stubbs is a genuinely funny and touching character. If anything, his romance with a kitchen maid who's recovering from abuse was a lot more touching (and sexy) than the "official" secondary romance involving a shy but well to do young couple.
THIEF OF DREAMS is a little different from all the other Mary Balogh classics. It's more dreamy, more of a fairy tale, and less of a work of historical fiction. And that's exactly why I love it the best!
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December 30, 2022The 5 chapters I read couldn’t hold my interest. The characters were boring and the story was dragging. Zounds!
Dnf @ 21%
Dnf @ 21%
April 13, 2022
5 superb stars!
Mary Balogh at her best. I have no idea how she does it. This was a masterpiece. I am so glad I got my hands on actual physical copy of the book.
This was angsty, sweet, dark, sexy and slightly fairytale-ish read.
So many romances try to have mystery tied in to a plot and 90% times it is the boring part. Not this one. I read this like a mystery completely glued to the pages needing to know more and more. But don’t take me wrong, romance is the main element here.
The two MCs are on page almost all the time yet the plot has time to develop 2 side love stories on top of that. It’s so thickly packed. Not one boring or slow moment.
Ok Cassandra is our independent, innocent, sweet beauty. And Nigel is elegant, charming, yet mysterious Viscount of Wroxley. Their love affair begins swiftly but on a wrong footing. There is so much to untangle though in this story it’s unparalleled.
Mary Balogh at her best. I have no idea how she does it. This was a masterpiece. I am so glad I got my hands on actual physical copy of the book.
This was angsty, sweet, dark, sexy and slightly fairytale-ish read.
So many romances try to have mystery tied in to a plot and 90% times it is the boring part. Not this one. I read this like a mystery completely glued to the pages needing to know more and more. But don’t take me wrong, romance is the main element here.
The two MCs are on page almost all the time yet the plot has time to develop 2 side love stories on top of that. It’s so thickly packed. Not one boring or slow moment.
Ok Cassandra is our independent, innocent, sweet beauty. And Nigel is elegant, charming, yet mysterious Viscount of Wroxley. Their love affair begins swiftly but on a wrong footing. There is so much to untangle though in this story it’s unparalleled.
November 4, 2021
5 perfect Georgian fairytale stars
Mary Balogh is one of those authors to whom I can turn with the knowledge that I’ll love their writing.
This book is definitely one of her absolute best works, and I can’t believe I sidelined it for months!! On the other hand, the book itself’s rather hard to come by since, as of yet, there’s no kindle version available (hello, can any publishing deity please remedy that?).
I always enjoy being swept away into the decadent world of the Georgian era, and the descriptions of the gowns worn by the heroine alone deserve their own star. The time period is never explicitly referred to, but one can easily identify it as the second half of the 18th century. The entire story feels timeless and detached from all the London season’s hubbub and intrigues, the action taking place exclusively at the heroine’s estate in Somerset.
The story itself reads like an enchanting fairytale, complete with a cursed prince masquerading as a villain, and a pure-hearted maiden whose love will give him back his humanity. Like every truly gripping story, it did have me doubting in hero’s ability to change for the better. Nigel was fifty shades of damaged by his horrific past, and the fact that deep down he still had a kernel of vulnerability speaks volumes about his emotional strength.
I enjoyed how his backstory was revealed gradually throughout the book, as he gradually showed his true colours, and Balogh certainly keeps the reader guessing his true nature until the very end.
I wanted to shake some sense into Cassandra, our very innocent heroine, in the first quarter of the book, in which she veered very close to TSTL territory, , but she recovered more than nicely in the second half, showing a determined and honourable streak that charmed both the hero and me.
I did guess the big mystery™️ at about 30% of the story, but the hows and wherefores of it made for an intelligent and poetically just explanation and reinforced the poignancy of the HEA.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys MB and her tormented but loving heroes!!
Mary Balogh is one of those authors to whom I can turn with the knowledge that I’ll love their writing.
This book is definitely one of her absolute best works, and I can’t believe I sidelined it for months!! On the other hand, the book itself’s rather hard to come by since, as of yet, there’s no kindle version available (hello, can any publishing deity please remedy that?).
I always enjoy being swept away into the decadent world of the Georgian era, and the descriptions of the gowns worn by the heroine alone deserve their own star. The time period is never explicitly referred to, but one can easily identify it as the second half of the 18th century. The entire story feels timeless and detached from all the London season’s hubbub and intrigues, the action taking place exclusively at the heroine’s estate in Somerset.
The story itself reads like an enchanting fairytale, complete with a cursed prince masquerading as a villain, and a pure-hearted maiden whose love will give him back his humanity. Like every truly gripping story, it did have me doubting in hero’s ability to change for the better. Nigel was fifty shades of damaged by his horrific past, and the fact that deep down he still had a kernel of vulnerability speaks volumes about his emotional strength.
I enjoyed how his backstory was revealed gradually throughout the book, as he gradually showed his true colours, and Balogh certainly keeps the reader guessing his true nature until the very end.
I wanted to shake some sense into Cassandra, our very innocent heroine, in the first quarter of the book, in which she veered very close to TSTL territory, , but she recovered more than nicely in the second half, showing a determined and honourable streak that charmed both the hero and me.
I did guess the big mystery™️ at about 30% of the story, but the hows and wherefores of it made for an intelligent and poetically just explanation and reinforced the poignancy of the HEA.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys MB and her tormented but loving heroes!!
May 8, 2021
“Hoțul de visuri” este un roman intens, plin de răsturnări de situație, cu multe emoții contradictorii. Este o poveste alambicată, ce te prinde în mreje încă de la început.
Cassandra, contesa de Worthing, este stăpâna propriei sale vieți la vârsta de 21 de ani. Fără a fi căsătorită, aceasta are libertatea deplină asupra propriei sale vieți. O libertate pe care marea majoritate a suratelor sale nu o aveau.
Viața ei se schimbă când îl cunoaște pe vicontele Wroxley, Nigel Wetherby. Un bărbat cu un trecut neguros, cinic, care-și ține ascunse sentimentele. Acesta, se prezintă drept prietenul tatălui ei, o seduce și ajunge să se căsătorească cu ea. La doar câteva zile după nuntă, îi spune că domeniul ei fusese pierdut la un joc de cărți de tatăl ei, chiar înainte să moară...
De aici, avem parte de o răsturnare dramatică a emoțiilor, de suferință și durere. În același timp descoperim o Cassandra puternică, curajoasă, care e dispusă să lupte din răsputeri pentru a afla adevarul despre relația dintre tatăl și soțul ei.
Fiecare dintre cei doi tineri are parte de suferințe, arătându-și în societate iubirea și ținând ascunsă în suflet durerea și suferința.
Apoi totul pare a lua o turnură cu totul diferită datorită unui mesaj din trecut ce-i parvine tinerei. Aceasta este singura în măsură să facă dreptate, ultima căreia i se va mai oferi această posibilitate. O decizie ce atârnă greu pe umerii ei, de o importanță covârșitoare.
Dacă Nigel și Cassandra vor fi capabili să își lase în urmă trecutul și să privească cu încredere spre viitor rămâne să descoperiți citind cartea.
Mary Balogh a realizat și de această dată povestea perfectă: plină de emoții, suspans și romantism. O lecție despre onoare și iubire.
Cassandra, contesa de Worthing, este stăpâna propriei sale vieți la vârsta de 21 de ani. Fără a fi căsătorită, aceasta are libertatea deplină asupra propriei sale vieți. O libertate pe care marea majoritate a suratelor sale nu o aveau.
Viața ei se schimbă când îl cunoaște pe vicontele Wroxley, Nigel Wetherby. Un bărbat cu un trecut neguros, cinic, care-și ține ascunse sentimentele. Acesta, se prezintă drept prietenul tatălui ei, o seduce și ajunge să se căsătorească cu ea. La doar câteva zile după nuntă, îi spune că domeniul ei fusese pierdut la un joc de cărți de tatăl ei, chiar înainte să moară...
De aici, avem parte de o răsturnare dramatică a emoțiilor, de suferință și durere. În același timp descoperim o Cassandra puternică, curajoasă, care e dispusă să lupte din răsputeri pentru a afla adevarul despre relația dintre tatăl și soțul ei.
Fiecare dintre cei doi tineri are parte de suferințe, arătându-și în societate iubirea și ținând ascunsă în suflet durerea și suferința.
Apoi totul pare a lua o turnură cu totul diferită datorită unui mesaj din trecut ce-i parvine tinerei. Aceasta este singura în măsură să facă dreptate, ultima căreia i se va mai oferi această posibilitate. O decizie ce atârnă greu pe umerii ei, de o importanță covârșitoare.
Dacă Nigel și Cassandra vor fi capabili să își lase în urmă trecutul și să privească cu încredere spre viitor rămâne să descoperiți citind cartea.
Mary Balogh a realizat și de această dată povestea perfectă: plină de emoții, suspans și romantism. O lecție despre onoare și iubire.
May 6, 2021
I didn't think I would finish this book. The first half is so terribly annoying. Fortunately, the second half turns out to be a little better and skipping through pages I was able to finish it quite smoothly. It also improves my overall rating of this book.
Like most readers, I hate the motif of lying in my books very much. And here from the very beginning it is known that Nigel has some hidden motives. It is also known that this is something that can deeply hurt Cassandra. I don't know why I'm trying to write about it so vaguely as if you didn't know what Nigel's secret was from the beginning, but still I do not want to give spoilers. Just in case.
Anyway. I hate when the main character (regardless of whether it is a hero or a heroine) from the beginning lies to their other half. In this case, it's particularly irritating because Nigel does everything to make Cassandra fall in love with him and doesn't reveal his motives until it's too late. It takes him almost half the book to do so and this part was really hard for me to read. I was angry.
The more I am amazed that I quite enjoyed the second part. Maybe not dreadfully, but at least I was able to read it without much trouble. Nigel finally reveals his secrets and, as he predicted, it hurts Cassandra deeply. To my amazement, although it raises a lot of conflicting emotions in their relationship, I don't feel like there is excess drama here. No endless quarrels, never-ending thrashing between love and hatred from one scene to another, no hysteria or spasms. Cassandra is quite mature with her feelings. That's why reading this part was okay and I didn't roll my eyes all the time.
And if we're talking about Cassandra. She surprised me positively. At first, she seems as such a naive, somewhat silly girl without character, who sees the world in bright colors. I was afraid that when she learns the truth about Nigel it would lead to hysteria, maybe her running away, and certainly to many dramatic gestures. And it turns out that Cassandra grows up pretty quickly and decides to face the problem and the situation in which she is all matured. She is also open to various solutions. Nice surprise.
Nigel is a tortured hero although in my opinion this idea is a bit undeveloped and not fully used considering his really tragic past. There is an inconsistency in it that is not fully explained. On the one hand he is a charming soul of the party and on the other he is completely cold inside. I'm not saying that it can't be patched up, but here it doesn’t really work, there is a lack of well-defined consistency. It doesn't bother me very much, but it annoyed a little sometimes. The truth is that neither Nigel nor Cassandra belong to the characters we will remember.
I've seen opinions that this is Mary Balogh's best book. I do not agree with this. I read it, I can remove it from my TBR pile, but that's about it. She has some better stories. I give this one 2.5 stars.
May 8, 2014
This one is an UNBELIEVABLE gut-wrencher. You absolutely will hate someone during the course of reading this book. Maybe it's the hero, maybe it's the heroine, but it definitely will be one or the other. You will also be terribly confused. You will be shaking the book and screaming, "What the hell are you talking about? Just tell me already!" At first, the frustration was driving me crazy and tempting me to hate the book too, but then I realized that a bad book can't make you feel for the characters the way this one did. A crappy book leaves you feeling nothing, except maybe a little irritated. This doesn't do it.
I have been off Balogh for a few months, reading old Signet regency romances from other authors, and I have to be honest.... I feel like I've been a strict, lean diet, and this book was a very indulgent and very needed bowl of comfort food =D.
I have been off Balogh for a few months, reading old Signet regency romances from other authors, and I have to be honest.... I feel like I've been a strict, lean diet, and this book was a very indulgent and very needed bowl of comfort food =D.
October 30, 2008
Nigel is not really a good guy. He deceives Cassandra and takes advantage of her to get her to marry him. He spends the rest of the book proving that he can be a good husband to her. It was a really good book. Great secondary romance involving Nigel's right-handman, who is quite intimidating.
November 23, 2024
Now THAT was a story.
Brilliant.
Gritty, intense, sexy, emotional, twisty...loved it
Brilliant.
Gritty, intense, sexy, emotional, twisty...loved it
June 25, 2021
I loved this one! It’s an old Mary Balogh, with dark undertones. The hero is a gentleman who was cheated by the heroine’s father and sent to prison, where he endured physical torture and abuse. Now he’s back and plans his revenge: he coldly court the heroine and when she falls in love with him he proposes marriage. Of course this is a means to get back his inheritance. When he reveals the truth she’s shattered. I loved both characters. The hero endured all kinds of tortures, physical and mental. Imagine a young gentleman; pampered and spoiled, suddenly deported in a foreign country, with men who are criminals, cruel and mean. When he’s back he’s a hard an cold man, who doesn’t trust anyone but his friend, an ex con who really was a criminal.
The heroine was a young and happy lady, loved and pampered by everyone, a little bit naive, that is obviously smitten with the hero. When she learns the truth it’s really tragic, but I appreciated that she was strong enough to stand for herself and to try to save her marriage. MB heroines often seem flighty and a little vain, but they are strong inside.
-There’s also much passion between the characters, that is not usual for MB. She’s usually oh so quiet.
- I loved that the secondary characters are not a tribe as in many of her books, so the story is all about H and h.
-I loved the hero’s bf, a giant with a scary face, that is floored by the heroine’s kindness and silently swears he will protect her with his life.
-The hero is not able to remain cruel and unfeeling because he’s only hurt; he will fall in love with the heroine and his revenge won’t matter any longer. Really good book.
Pity it’s not available for kindle reader.
The heroine was a young and happy lady, loved and pampered by everyone, a little bit naive, that is obviously smitten with the hero. When she learns the truth it’s really tragic, but I appreciated that she was strong enough to stand for herself and to try to save her marriage. MB heroines often seem flighty and a little vain, but they are strong inside.
-There’s also much passion between the characters, that is not usual for MB. She’s usually oh so quiet.
- I loved that the secondary characters are not a tribe as in many of her books, so the story is all about H and h.
-I loved the hero’s bf, a giant with a scary face, that is floored by the heroine’s kindness and silently swears he will protect her with his life.
-The hero is not able to remain cruel and unfeeling because he’s only hurt; he will fall in love with the heroine and his revenge won’t matter any longer. Really good book.
Pity it’s not available for kindle reader.
March 24, 2015
Early impression: there is something about the main protagonists that I don't like. I hope they improve with time. Okay. It's an okay story I guess. But there is something about it that I didn't like. The hero is charming supposedly but he just comes off as fake to me. The heroine is too giddy about love for my taste. I guess what really bothered me is that the relationship started with a lie/omission that might have been a deal breaker had it been known at the start. It doesn't sit well with me that even at the start, I can't seem to trust the hero. The heroine seems to be okay with it though even if she did get angry at the beginning. So I guess, in the context of the novel itself, it's a non-issue. The character background is interesting though and is what kept me reading. I wanted to know what started it all and I'm too stubborn to skim ahead and look for the relevant passages. I love the final scene up to the part before they were spewing about sunshine and such. That was when I reached my daily quota of cheesyness and flowery words
July 27, 2018
DNF @ 60%
Nigel is one of rare Balogh's heroes who has truly suffered and had a terrible past; however, I just couldn't continue reading after this:
The woman in question is the heroine, his wife he had married under false pretenses. He didn't actually beat or rape her, but that didn't redeem him in any way, at least to me.
Nigel is one of rare Balogh's heroes who has truly suffered and had a terrible past; however, I just couldn't continue reading after this:
He had been about to - he really was not sure whether he had been about to punch her senseless or rape her. He had been about to do something violent. He, who had always avoided violence even when it was virtually impossible to do so, who had always thought his icy self-control to be his greatest strength. He had wanted to hurt her.
The woman in question is the heroine, his wife he had married under false pretenses. He didn't actually beat or rape her, but that didn't redeem him in any way, at least to me.
January 1, 2025
Totally a case of it’s not the book, it’s me.
Me, during the first half of the book:
It’s Mary Balogh 😍
But, but, it’s Georgian (said in a whiny voice) 😑
The way they speak! 😩 Zounds! 🙄
The men… They wear wigs! 🫣
They wear heels! 🤦♀️ and lace 🤭 and use quizzing glasses 🧐
(Ahh, I’m a Regency/Victorian girl through and through)
Oh sh*t, what’s his game? How can she possibly be so incredibly naïve? This guy’s all dressed up as a lord on the outside, but damn, he’s a freakin antihero. Or a villain? A snake? What. The. Hell. Happened. To. Him??!!
And then the story hit the 50% mark and it’s a whole new ugly day. Wowza.
With a smile on his lips he watched her world collapse about her. He inwardly cursed her very expressive face. He almost hated her. A few times he saw her lips move as if she would speak to him, but no sound came. Even her lips were parchment white. She did not remove her eyes from his own—until suddenly she whipped about to face away from him.
“You were happy before I came. You were happy afterward. You were happy yesterday and this morning. Nothing is different from what it has been for longer than a year. You may continue happy here as you always have been.” She smiled at him. “But there is one small impediment to my happiness, my lord,” she said. “I wed you yesterday.”
It was a nicely woven, twisty tale, but the endless push pull wore me down and I just couldn’t warm up to the era.
Me, during the first half of the book:
It’s Mary Balogh 😍
But, but, it’s Georgian (said in a whiny voice) 😑
The way they speak! 😩 Zounds! 🙄
The men… They wear wigs! 🫣
They wear heels! 🤦♀️ and lace 🤭 and use quizzing glasses 🧐
(Ahh, I’m a Regency/Victorian girl through and through)
Oh sh*t, what’s his game? How can she possibly be so incredibly naïve? This guy’s all dressed up as a lord on the outside, but damn, he’s a freakin antihero. Or a villain? A snake? What. The. Hell. Happened. To. Him??!!
And then the story hit the 50% mark and it’s a whole new ugly day. Wowza.
With a smile on his lips he watched her world collapse about her. He inwardly cursed her very expressive face. He almost hated her. A few times he saw her lips move as if she would speak to him, but no sound came. Even her lips were parchment white. She did not remove her eyes from his own—until suddenly she whipped about to face away from him.
“You were happy before I came. You were happy afterward. You were happy yesterday and this morning. Nothing is different from what it has been for longer than a year. You may continue happy here as you always have been.” She smiled at him. “But there is one small impediment to my happiness, my lord,” she said. “I wed you yesterday.”
It was a nicely woven, twisty tale, but the endless push pull wore me down and I just couldn’t warm up to the era.
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October 29, 2008Notes from the archives:
I finished this one this morning and I found it very very good. It's going to the keepers shelf!
I had my doubts about it at first because it was plain to see the hero was a villain. That is no sploiler as it is implyed in the back blurb... But Balogh begins by letting us see both sides so while we know the heroine's feelings and plainly see she is going to get hurt we also have the hero's side... we just don't know why he is doing it!
I think she created the suspense beautifully, I couldn't wait to read more and learn what had happen to set this course of the action. Even after the truth is disclosed we always know there is more to the hero than just what we see... He is a strong character but so is the heroine. Sh is wonderful in how she deals with him after finding out the truth and her strenght of character goes right till the end when she "heals" him.
I must say I had more or less guessed the final twist that explained all the loose ends, it was the obvious solution.
Oh I also loved the hero's "valet", Will Stubbings. Such a nice character!
Great book!
I finished this one this morning and I found it very very good. It's going to the keepers shelf!
I had my doubts about it at first because it was plain to see the hero was a villain. That is no sploiler as it is implyed in the back blurb... But Balogh begins by letting us see both sides so while we know the heroine's feelings and plainly see she is going to get hurt we also have the hero's side... we just don't know why he is doing it!
I think she created the suspense beautifully, I couldn't wait to read more and learn what had happen to set this course of the action. Even after the truth is disclosed we always know there is more to the hero than just what we see... He is a strong character but so is the heroine. Sh is wonderful in how she deals with him after finding out the truth and her strenght of character goes right till the end when she "heals" him.
I must say I had more or less guessed the final twist that explained all the loose ends, it was the obvious solution.
Oh I also loved the hero's "valet", Will Stubbings. Such a nice character!
Great book!
April 23, 2011
I guess I have a weakness for Balogh. Even when the heroine is insipid and annoying, even when the book is a bit repetitive (how many times do we need to hear she wants to be her own woman, wants to make her own decisions etc), I still lap it up like cream. Good read albeit it a bit predictable.
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November 30, 2010A compelling, emotional story despite a bit of a slow start. I got teary-eyed at the end. The subplot involving the hero's thug/valet is unbearably sweet. Well done early Balogh.
October 14, 2009
Sweet romance. Every romance novel should end with those three little words...Nigel was a good man
July 2, 2019
3,5 - Uh, stavolta mi sono proprio chiesta se fosse un Balogh puro...
C'è una vena di lieve crudeltà in come muove i fili dei suoi personaggi, c'è un lieto fine ma è davvero tirato, alla fine i buoni non erano quelli che apparivano tali, ma neanche i cattivi erano proprio santi.
E c'è questo incastro di segreti un po' da telenovela.
E poi c'è sesso, di solito lei è più contenuta, sublimata. Qui abbiamo un Nigel favolosamente nudo e pieno di ardore, che sia a letto o nello stagno... Questo Nigel che guarda da sotto le ciglia e irretisce vergini con uno sguardo... Ma è la Balogh??
C'è una vena di lieve crudeltà in come muove i fili dei suoi personaggi, c'è un lieto fine ma è davvero tirato, alla fine i buoni non erano quelli che apparivano tali, ma neanche i cattivi erano proprio santi.
E c'è questo incastro di segreti un po' da telenovela.
E poi c'è sesso, di solito lei è più contenuta, sublimata. Qui abbiamo un Nigel favolosamente nudo e pieno di ardore, che sia a letto o nello stagno... Questo Nigel che guarda da sotto le ciglia e irretisce vergini con uno sguardo... Ma è la Balogh??
February 22, 2022
Твърде нелепа развръзка, твърде много недоразумения (сякаш ако героите седнат да си говорят и книгата ще свърши…) и напълно изключени от реалността случайности. Иначе героите са сладки, но при такъв сюжет нямаха шанс.
2,5 звезди
2,5 звезди
September 26, 2021
I have expected this to be angsty alas I was wrong. Both MCs were quite sweet.
September 15, 2022
An older book by Mary Balogh. Not what I am accustomed to from her. Obviously, not crazy about it.
February 8, 2024
4.5 stars
This book did not let up; a top-tier Balogh for me.
This book did not let up; a top-tier Balogh for me.
January 4, 2026
Thief of Dreams (1998) just wasn’t my cup of tea. I’m amazed .., I’ve finally read a Mary Balogh book that for me was boring, way too slow to get going, and with a far fetched storyline. I’m always fine with not liking either the hero or the heroine until near the end of the story but Nigel and Cassandra left me lukewarm.
On the eve of her 21st birthday Cassandra becomes free from her guardian, the year of mourning her father’s death is over, and she becomes Countess of Worthing in her own right. Then the dashing Nigel Wetherby arrives at the ball… an uninvited guest who reveals he was a friend of her father’s. He has plans of his own… that could break her heart.
The mystery of Nigel took about half the book to reveal itself … so much was repetitive: how Cassandra is sweet, sunny and beautiful.. always happy. Then we’re pitched into a gloomy story as Nigel slowly reveals tidbits about his past. The connections at the ending that tie the story together were completely improbable for me. ⭐️⭐️
On the eve of her 21st birthday Cassandra becomes free from her guardian, the year of mourning her father’s death is over, and she becomes Countess of Worthing in her own right. Then the dashing Nigel Wetherby arrives at the ball… an uninvited guest who reveals he was a friend of her father’s. He has plans of his own… that could break her heart.
The mystery of Nigel took about half the book to reveal itself … so much was repetitive: how Cassandra is sweet, sunny and beautiful.. always happy. Then we’re pitched into a gloomy story as Nigel slowly reveals tidbits about his past. The connections at the ending that tie the story together were completely improbable for me. ⭐️⭐️
March 18, 2023
Interesting plot but not the execution. The writer tried to conceal the 'secret' for as long as she can that it took half the book to reveal what the hero is hiding right from the start. And it took another half for both MCs to realize that they really love each other.
There were lots of prosing (mainly fillers) that I just have to skim the pages to get to the actions. And this book feels like an Edith Layton's instead of Mary Balogh's.
There were lots of prosing (mainly fillers) that I just have to skim the pages to get to the actions. And this book feels like an Edith Layton's instead of Mary Balogh's.
November 10, 2022
There was a lot going on in this historical romance.
Main romance between the hero and heroine.
Secondary romance with hero's valet and a woman.
Third romance with heroine's cousin and a stepcousin.
And I didn't like the betrayal from the hero.
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
Heroine is from the very rare title where a woman can inherit the title. So she turns 21 and is now a countess. That day a man arrives from London saying he was a friend of her father's. Even though everyone warns her, she falls in love and agrees to marry a guy she's known a few days.
They have sex before they are married.
Hero then tells her after they are married that he owns the estate. The estate is not entailed and the heroine's father lost it to him in a card game. But he was kind, came to meet her, and decided to marry her so she wouldn't be thrown out of her life long home.
Heroine is very angry.
Then she finds out hero is a convicted felon. He spent 7 years in America and is covered in whip marks.
Hero tells her he is innocent and her father sent him to prison. He still doesn't know why.
Heroine eventually finds out that her grandfather stole the title from his twin. He found false witnesses to claim he was born first and not his brother. She is devastated. Her father also knew and she thinks that is why he changes so much.
She tells the lawyer to find the rightful heir so she can fix things. She doesn't know who the heir is. Of course, it is the hero. So he was the rightful heir all along.
Main romance between the hero and heroine.
Secondary romance with hero's valet and a woman.
Third romance with heroine's cousin and a stepcousin.
And I didn't like the betrayal from the hero.
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
Heroine is from the very rare title where a woman can inherit the title. So she turns 21 and is now a countess. That day a man arrives from London saying he was a friend of her father's. Even though everyone warns her, she falls in love and agrees to marry a guy she's known a few days.
They have sex before they are married.
Hero then tells her after they are married that he owns the estate. The estate is not entailed and the heroine's father lost it to him in a card game. But he was kind, came to meet her, and decided to marry her so she wouldn't be thrown out of her life long home.
Heroine is very angry.
Then she finds out hero is a convicted felon. He spent 7 years in America and is covered in whip marks.
Hero tells her he is innocent and her father sent him to prison. He still doesn't know why.
Heroine eventually finds out that her grandfather stole the title from his twin. He found false witnesses to claim he was born first and not his brother. She is devastated. Her father also knew and she thinks that is why he changes so much.
She tells the lawyer to find the rightful heir so she can fix things. She doesn't know who the heir is. Of course, it is the hero. So he was the rightful heir all along.
December 11, 2012
Well there is a great (though somewhat predictable) mystery in this book and I felt it was really dragged out, and then only revealed in bits and pieces, I guess authors do this to keep us reading but when it took nearly half thr book before we found out anything of the GREAT MYSTERY that is constantly being discussed in the character's internal monologues, I personally found it quite a struggle to get through it. After we start learning thing however the book does redeem itself. Still the first half takes twice as long as it should, it wouldn't be so bad if the author talked about something other than the mystery all the time, there is only so much suspense that can be built before you reach a point of diminishing returns, and that's what I feel has happened here.
July 5, 2020
Thief of Dreams é um daqueles livros que parece ir em uma direção, mas toma outro rumo completamente inesperado na reta final. Nem mesmo o começo meio arrastado e pouco explicativo consegue tirar o brilho dessa história muito bem elaborada e com muitos desdobramentos. A heroína Cassandra, no início, me pareceu encantadora, contudo profundamente ingênua, porquanto no espaço de duas semanas ela se apaixona perdidamente pelo deslumbrante Nigel, visconde de Wroxley, um completo desconhecido e um verdadeiro farsante. O homem simplesmente se apresenta na propriedade de Cassandra no dia do seu aniversário de vinte e um anos, exatamente quando, com a maioridade, Cassandra, condessa de Worthing, se tornaria senhora do condado e do seu destino, sem a necessidade da intervenção de nenhum homem. Seria uma coincidência? O leitor é prontamente convidado a entrar na mente do ambíguo Nigel e conhecer sutilmente as suas intenções. A princípio, Nigel me causou alguns incômodos, muito dissimulado e mentiroso, com um passado obscuro. Logo fica claro que o herói/vilão busca algum tipo de vingança a qualquer preço e Cassandra é sua vítima. Mas, quais são as suas reais motivações? Olha, eu posso afirmar que fiquei verdadeiramente surpreendida. Mary Balogh, como sempre, fazendo a sua mágica. Uma ótima leitura, um tanto dark e bem sensual. Faltou um epílogo para ser perfeito. 4.5 estrelas.
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April 6, 2023I tried to read this twice and just can't get into it. It's not the story or Mary's writing, I think it's just me.
August 5, 2025
The development towards the end made the story worth it. Seeing that breakthrough and character growth was meaningful in light of the pain on both sides.
June 30, 2025
An intriguing and multi-layered plot. But an equally beguiling romance!
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