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Simply Quartet #3
Simply Magic
On a splendid August afternoon Susanna Osbourne is introduced to the most handsome man she has ever seen . . . and instantly feels the icy chill of recognition. Peter Edgeworth, Viscount Whitleaf, is utterly charming—and seemingly unaware that they have met before. With his knowing smile and seductive gaze, Peter acts the rake; but he stirs something in Susanna she has never felt before, a yearning that both frightens and dazzles her. Instantly she this brash nobleman poses a threat to her heart . . . and to the secrets she guards so desperately.
From the moment they meet, Peter is drawn to Susanna’s independence, dazzled by her sharp wit—he simply must have her. But the more he pursues, the more Susanna withdraws . . . until a sensual game of thrust-and-parry culminates in a glorious afternoon of passion. Now more determined than ever to keep her by his side, Peter begins to suspect that a tragic history still haunts Susanna. And as he moves closer to the truth, Peter is certain of one he will defy the mysteries of her past for a future with this exquisite creature—all Susanna must do is trust him with the most precious secret of all. . . .
From the moment they meet, Peter is drawn to Susanna’s independence, dazzled by her sharp wit—he simply must have her. But the more he pursues, the more Susanna withdraws . . . until a sensual game of thrust-and-parry culminates in a glorious afternoon of passion. Now more determined than ever to keep her by his side, Peter begins to suspect that a tragic history still haunts Susanna. And as he moves closer to the truth, Peter is certain of one he will defy the mysteries of her past for a future with this exquisite creature—all Susanna must do is trust him with the most precious secret of all. . . .
336 pages, Hardcover
Published March 27, 2007
394 people are currently reading
1712 people want to read
About the author
Mary Balogh
200 books6,337 followersMary Jenkins was born in 1944 in Swansea, Wales, UK. After graduating from university, moved to Saskatchewan, Canada, to teach high school English, on a two-year teaching contract in 1967. She married her Canadian husband, Robert Balogh, and had three children, Jacqueline, Christopher and Sian. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading, music and knitting. She also enjoys watching tennis and curling.
Mary Balogh started writing in the evenings as a hobby. Her first book, a Regency love story, was published in 1985 as A Masked Deception under her married name. In 1988, she retired from teaching after 20 years to pursue her dream to write full-time. She has written more than seventy novels and almost thirty novellas since then, including the New York Times bestselling 'Slightly' sextet and 'Simply' quartet. She has won numerous awards, including Bestselling Historical of the Year from the Borders Group, and her novel Simply Magic was a finalist in the Quill Awards. She has won seven Waldenbooks Awards and two B. Dalton Awards for her bestselling novels, as well as a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award.
Mary Balogh started writing in the evenings as a hobby. Her first book, a Regency love story, was published in 1985 as A Masked Deception under her married name. In 1988, she retired from teaching after 20 years to pursue her dream to write full-time. She has written more than seventy novels and almost thirty novellas since then, including the New York Times bestselling 'Slightly' sextet and 'Simply' quartet. She has won numerous awards, including Bestselling Historical of the Year from the Borders Group, and her novel Simply Magic was a finalist in the Quill Awards. She has won seven Waldenbooks Awards and two B. Dalton Awards for her bestselling novels, as well as a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 401 reviews
February 7, 2017
Susanna Osbourne meets Peter Edgeworth, Viscount of Whitleaf and thinks him a flirt. She's not wrong. Peter decides to befriend her because the voice in his head compels him. They fall into a light friendship that resolves in a quickie on a hilltop. Which resolves into them meeting up again and again and again until everyone is exhausted and they can be married.
1. HERE'S THE THING: this was fucking great, except that it wasn't.
2. What I mean by THAT is that it is so well-written and Peter and Susanna's courtship was handled so deftly that I was infuriated by how much I didn't like it. Because Balogh knows her shit. And she has a very unique approach to Love. And I respect the HELL outta her. EXCEPT...
3. Except, I take issue with the fact that Peter and Susanna are so resigned to their separate fates. I take issue with the fact that it takes a gross 'coincidence' to get them in the same room together. I take issue with the fact that it isn't until the last 2-3 chapters that Peter--not Susanna, never her heroines--are willing to fight for love. But only in a very passive, resigned way.
And I get that there's probably some reaction to the horrid alpha-male stereotyping going on, and that there may be some other commentary that I'm missing but--that doesn't cut it, for me. Especially when the characters are separated again and again and again. While either denying their attraction/feelings or acknowledging their feelings in a very 'oh, it will never come to pass' sort of way. I need my hero/ine to acknowledge and (eventually) embrace their love, rush into it, rush at it. Glory in it. Not shrug and move on.
4. And i see my flaws in the argument above: how Balogh's books are about loving yourself and finding love, choosing love, but... It's just not enough.
5. AND to add to my already grievous distaste, Balogh DOES IT AGAIN and pulls AN ENTIRE LOST FAMILY out of the fucking woods for Susanna to embrace and find ~happiness with and what-have-you. And I'm just so tired of it. Why must all her heroines have a closet full of secrets than when shaken resolve into doting family, waiting in the wings? The moment it was announced that an entire gaggle of grandparents was descending to sweep the "lost" Susanna into their loving embrace, I literally threw down the book. And as it was on my phone, it made quite the clatter.
6. I think I need to distance myself from Balogh's novels for at least a little while: they exhaust me and frustrate me and make me cranky because she is SO DAMNED TALENTED but her story beats just emphatically do NOTHING for me except inspire rage and eyerolls.
1. HERE'S THE THING: this was fucking great, except that it wasn't.
2. What I mean by THAT is that it is so well-written and Peter and Susanna's courtship was handled so deftly that I was infuriated by how much I didn't like it. Because Balogh knows her shit. And she has a very unique approach to Love. And I respect the HELL outta her. EXCEPT...
3. Except, I take issue with the fact that Peter and Susanna are so resigned to their separate fates. I take issue with the fact that it takes a gross 'coincidence' to get them in the same room together. I take issue with the fact that it isn't until the last 2-3 chapters that Peter--not Susanna, never her heroines--are willing to fight for love. But only in a very passive, resigned way.
And I get that there's probably some reaction to the horrid alpha-male stereotyping going on, and that there may be some other commentary that I'm missing but--that doesn't cut it, for me. Especially when the characters are separated again and again and again. While either denying their attraction/feelings or acknowledging their feelings in a very 'oh, it will never come to pass' sort of way. I need my hero/ine to acknowledge and (eventually) embrace their love, rush into it, rush at it. Glory in it. Not shrug and move on.
4. And i see my flaws in the argument above: how Balogh's books are about loving yourself and finding love, choosing love, but... It's just not enough.
5. AND to add to my already grievous distaste, Balogh DOES IT AGAIN and pulls AN ENTIRE LOST FAMILY out of the fucking woods for Susanna to embrace and find ~happiness with and what-have-you. And I'm just so tired of it. Why must all her heroines have a closet full of secrets than when shaken resolve into doting family, waiting in the wings? The moment it was announced that an entire gaggle of grandparents was descending to sweep the "lost" Susanna into their loving embrace, I literally threw down the book. And as it was on my phone, it made quite the clatter.
6. I think I need to distance myself from Balogh's novels for at least a little while: they exhaust me and frustrate me and make me cranky because she is SO DAMNED TALENTED but her story beats just emphatically do NOTHING for me except inspire rage and eyerolls.
August 17, 2009
Loved Peter--what a kind, wonderful character.
But: It is a mistake to listen to three Mary Balogh's in a row. The parallel elements from book to book get grating:
-- the heroine's belief that each encounter will be the last time she sees the man so she'll store it away to pull out later when she's old and still a spinster;
-- her steadfast belief that she can't marry the man and her repeated refusals because of that;
-- the belief that Fate keeps throwing people together until their love works out.
The second--the woman refuses to see how she can marry the man who loves her--was especially irksome in this book.
In this book, I was also disappointed that Suzanna's lovely accent, which was apparent in the last two audiobooks, suddenly disappeared.
Having said all that, I will definitely read the fourth book in the set to see who Claudia Martin, who runs the school where all three of the previous heroines have worked as teachers, will get for HER man.
At the Romance Writers of America conference, Jane Ann Krentz talked about people having the story they tell over and over, just with different characters and various plots. Susan Elizabeth Phillips says hers is having a character stripped of all support systems. Based on these "Simply" books, I'd guess that Balogh's is that Fate brings people together.
But: It is a mistake to listen to three Mary Balogh's in a row. The parallel elements from book to book get grating:
-- the heroine's belief that each encounter will be the last time she sees the man so she'll store it away to pull out later when she's old and still a spinster;
-- her steadfast belief that she can't marry the man and her repeated refusals because of that;
-- the belief that Fate keeps throwing people together until their love works out.
The second--the woman refuses to see how she can marry the man who loves her--was especially irksome in this book.
In this book, I was also disappointed that Suzanna's lovely accent, which was apparent in the last two audiobooks, suddenly disappeared.
Having said all that, I will definitely read the fourth book in the set to see who Claudia Martin, who runs the school where all three of the previous heroines have worked as teachers, will get for HER man.
At the Romance Writers of America conference, Jane Ann Krentz talked about people having the story they tell over and over, just with different characters and various plots. Susan Elizabeth Phillips says hers is having a character stripped of all support systems. Based on these "Simply" books, I'd guess that Balogh's is that Fate brings people together.
July 11, 2024
Review from 2016
A for narration; A- for content - 4.5 stars rounded up.
While I’ve enjoyed the previous two books in this series, Simply Magic is my favourite so far. It’s the story of Susanna Osbourne, another of the group of friends who are teachers at Miss Martin’s School for Girls in Bath, and Peter Edgeworth, Viscount Whitleaf, who met each other briefly – once – when they were children, but whose lives have taken them in very different directions since then.
While on a visit to Frances, Countess of Edgecombe (Simply Unforgettable), Susanna is introduced to Viscount Whitleaf and his name sends a chill of recognition through her. He, however, does not recognise Susanna from that long-ago summer afternoon when they met and played together, and she does not welcome his devastating smile and his flirtatious compliments. Her family and the viscount’s are linked by tragedy and she has no wish to become further acquainted with a man who seems to have been able to brush off the past so easily.
Peter is an open-hearted, kind young man with a sunny disposition, whose only problem seems to be that he isn’t quite sure what to do with his life. He knows what his overbearing mother and five older sisters would like him to do – get married to a young woman of his mother’s choice and start populating his nursery, but Peter isn’t prepared to go down that road again. Five years ago, at the age of twenty-one, he dutifully fell in love with and proposed to the young lady that had been chosen for him, only to break things off shortly before the wedding, earning himself a reputation as a callous jilt in the process. Now, he wants to make his own choice – and it’s clear to the listener that he needs to assert himself more in other areas, too – but isn’t ready to do so just yet.
Susanna was orphaned by the age of twelve, and was taken in at Miss Martin’s School as a Charity Girl. Having completed her education, she stayed on as a teacher. She’s happy with her life, but seeing Peter again stirs up old wounds and memories of things she’d rather forget. Yet in spite of her determination to dislike him, she soon finds herself unbending towards the young viscount and the pair strikes up a deep and genuine friendship that is very quickly on the verge of being more.
Even though Peter keeps telling himself that he needs to keep away from Susanna and that he must not seem to be singling her out, he is drawn to her intelligence and spirit and can’t stop thinking about her. On the last afternoon of Susanna’s holiday, they end up making love – and he is stunned when she refuses his later offer of marriage. But Susanna knows he has made it out of obligation only, and even though her heart is breaking, is determined to return to her life in Bath, never expecting to see Peter again.
But life has a way of tripping one up with the unexpected. In Simply Love, the Duchess of Bewcastle organises a belated wedding party for Anne and Sydnam Butler, and it’s at this party that Susanna and Peter meet again. After this, we begin to discover the truth about the death of Susanna’s father and about shared history of the Osborne and Edgeworth families.
It’s clear early on that Peter, as the single male child and heir, was wrapped up in cotton wool and sheltered from anything unpleasant by his mother and five older sisters. His mother has continued to be a strong presence in his life; and while I wouldn’t exactly call him a “mummy’s boy”, he hasn’t yet bothered to cut the apron strings, preferring instead to stay away from home as much as possible. He grows up during the course of the story, finally discovering the truth about his family’s connection to the Osbornes and some shocking revelations about the death of Susanna’s father, all of which was previously deliberately concealed from him by his mother.
Some reviews I’ve read call her an absolute monster, and say that she should have been subjected to a harsher fate; but Mary Balogh is far more subtle than that and the solution she arrives at far more realistic. The fact that Peter doesn’t cast off Lady Whitleaf and refuse to ever speak to her again is a sign of his newly acquired maturity and shows that he has gained enough self-esteem and self-assurance to be able to find it in him to forgive her and to see her for what she really is – a selfish, lonely woman. In my review of Simply Love, I said that one of this author’s great strengths is her ability to write complicated relationships – especially familial ones – in a way that feels true to life, because things don’t always get tied up in easy solutions and neat bows. That remains true here.
But what makes Simply Magic my favourite of this series so far is the beautiful way in which the romance between Susanna and Peter develops, and the character of Peter himself. The sense of longing that permeates the love story in the later stages of their first two weeks together is so strong that it just leaps off the page; and their parting after their final, idyllic afternoon together is utterly heartbreaking. And Peter is such a lovely, lovely man. He’s handsome and charming, as all romantic heroes are (of course!), but he’s a truly kind and compassionate person who genuinely likes people and wants to help them, regardless of who they are or their station in life.
Rosalyn Landor’s performance is excellent once again, although I have to note that the Scottish accent she gives Susanna in the previous two books has disappeared in this one. Things like this are not uncommon continuity errors in series books, but it’s very unusual on the part of this particular narrator, which is why I was a bit surprised. That said, Susanna’s role in the previous books was small – I suppose that had I not listened to all three books within as many months, I might not have realised the change, and it’s really the only thing I can find to criticise about this narration which is otherwise flawless. I especially liked Ms. Landor’s characterisation of Peter, which immediately conveys the impression of a good-natured and very likeable young man with a smile in his voice; and in the more romantic scenes, she gives him a quiet intensity that works very well for the intimate moments between the couple. She portrays Susanna very well, also – her initial disapproval of Peter is very clear in her voice, which softens slightly and relaxes as she gets to know him. All the secondary characters are clearly differentiated; there are a number of ladies who appear several times – Claudia Martin, Frances (Countess of Edgecombe), the Duchess of Bewcastle and Lady Whitleaf – and even though they don’t appear in scenes together, they all sound completely different to one another so that the listener never has to rely on textual indicators to work out who is speaking. Ms. Landor’s pacing, expression and acting choices are all spot on as usual, her instinctive affinity for the material really shining through to make Simply Magic a perfect marriage of author and performer in an audiobook I’m sure I will return to again and again.
A for narration; A- for content - 4.5 stars rounded up.
While I’ve enjoyed the previous two books in this series, Simply Magic is my favourite so far. It’s the story of Susanna Osbourne, another of the group of friends who are teachers at Miss Martin’s School for Girls in Bath, and Peter Edgeworth, Viscount Whitleaf, who met each other briefly – once – when they were children, but whose lives have taken them in very different directions since then.
While on a visit to Frances, Countess of Edgecombe (Simply Unforgettable), Susanna is introduced to Viscount Whitleaf and his name sends a chill of recognition through her. He, however, does not recognise Susanna from that long-ago summer afternoon when they met and played together, and she does not welcome his devastating smile and his flirtatious compliments. Her family and the viscount’s are linked by tragedy and she has no wish to become further acquainted with a man who seems to have been able to brush off the past so easily.
Peter is an open-hearted, kind young man with a sunny disposition, whose only problem seems to be that he isn’t quite sure what to do with his life. He knows what his overbearing mother and five older sisters would like him to do – get married to a young woman of his mother’s choice and start populating his nursery, but Peter isn’t prepared to go down that road again. Five years ago, at the age of twenty-one, he dutifully fell in love with and proposed to the young lady that had been chosen for him, only to break things off shortly before the wedding, earning himself a reputation as a callous jilt in the process. Now, he wants to make his own choice – and it’s clear to the listener that he needs to assert himself more in other areas, too – but isn’t ready to do so just yet.
Susanna was orphaned by the age of twelve, and was taken in at Miss Martin’s School as a Charity Girl. Having completed her education, she stayed on as a teacher. She’s happy with her life, but seeing Peter again stirs up old wounds and memories of things she’d rather forget. Yet in spite of her determination to dislike him, she soon finds herself unbending towards the young viscount and the pair strikes up a deep and genuine friendship that is very quickly on the verge of being more.
Even though Peter keeps telling himself that he needs to keep away from Susanna and that he must not seem to be singling her out, he is drawn to her intelligence and spirit and can’t stop thinking about her. On the last afternoon of Susanna’s holiday, they end up making love – and he is stunned when she refuses his later offer of marriage. But Susanna knows he has made it out of obligation only, and even though her heart is breaking, is determined to return to her life in Bath, never expecting to see Peter again.
But life has a way of tripping one up with the unexpected. In Simply Love, the Duchess of Bewcastle organises a belated wedding party for Anne and Sydnam Butler, and it’s at this party that Susanna and Peter meet again. After this, we begin to discover the truth about the death of Susanna’s father and about shared history of the Osborne and Edgeworth families.
It’s clear early on that Peter, as the single male child and heir, was wrapped up in cotton wool and sheltered from anything unpleasant by his mother and five older sisters. His mother has continued to be a strong presence in his life; and while I wouldn’t exactly call him a “mummy’s boy”, he hasn’t yet bothered to cut the apron strings, preferring instead to stay away from home as much as possible. He grows up during the course of the story, finally discovering the truth about his family’s connection to the Osbornes and some shocking revelations about the death of Susanna’s father, all of which was previously deliberately concealed from him by his mother.
Some reviews I’ve read call her an absolute monster, and say that she should have been subjected to a harsher fate; but Mary Balogh is far more subtle than that and the solution she arrives at far more realistic. The fact that Peter doesn’t cast off Lady Whitleaf and refuse to ever speak to her again is a sign of his newly acquired maturity and shows that he has gained enough self-esteem and self-assurance to be able to find it in him to forgive her and to see her for what she really is – a selfish, lonely woman. In my review of Simply Love, I said that one of this author’s great strengths is her ability to write complicated relationships – especially familial ones – in a way that feels true to life, because things don’t always get tied up in easy solutions and neat bows. That remains true here.
But what makes Simply Magic my favourite of this series so far is the beautiful way in which the romance between Susanna and Peter develops, and the character of Peter himself. The sense of longing that permeates the love story in the later stages of their first two weeks together is so strong that it just leaps off the page; and their parting after their final, idyllic afternoon together is utterly heartbreaking. And Peter is such a lovely, lovely man. He’s handsome and charming, as all romantic heroes are (of course!), but he’s a truly kind and compassionate person who genuinely likes people and wants to help them, regardless of who they are or their station in life.
Rosalyn Landor’s performance is excellent once again, although I have to note that the Scottish accent she gives Susanna in the previous two books has disappeared in this one. Things like this are not uncommon continuity errors in series books, but it’s very unusual on the part of this particular narrator, which is why I was a bit surprised. That said, Susanna’s role in the previous books was small – I suppose that had I not listened to all three books within as many months, I might not have realised the change, and it’s really the only thing I can find to criticise about this narration which is otherwise flawless. I especially liked Ms. Landor’s characterisation of Peter, which immediately conveys the impression of a good-natured and very likeable young man with a smile in his voice; and in the more romantic scenes, she gives him a quiet intensity that works very well for the intimate moments between the couple. She portrays Susanna very well, also – her initial disapproval of Peter is very clear in her voice, which softens slightly and relaxes as she gets to know him. All the secondary characters are clearly differentiated; there are a number of ladies who appear several times – Claudia Martin, Frances (Countess of Edgecombe), the Duchess of Bewcastle and Lady Whitleaf – and even though they don’t appear in scenes together, they all sound completely different to one another so that the listener never has to rely on textual indicators to work out who is speaking. Ms. Landor’s pacing, expression and acting choices are all spot on as usual, her instinctive affinity for the material really shining through to make Simply Magic a perfect marriage of author and performer in an audiobook I’m sure I will return to again and again.
January 10, 2018
This is third in a series, and unfortunately, lots of developments from the previous books are evident here. So I recommend reading the others first. Though that's kind of a slog and the payoff isn't that great.
This story had lots of potential. Peter is pretty awesome and I love what Balogh does with him. It isn't often that you see a man so kind and willing to please. I love that he knows he likes making others happy and that he takes care with the people around him. And not just the pretty ladies who he enjoys careful (i.e. non-attaching) flirtations with. No, he's truly kind to the indigent widows and clueless kids and even the boors and nonsensical dorks. Knowing that he likes people, he's very sociable and eager to arrange entertainments and things he knows others will enjoy. He's not all win, and I'll get to that, but this was an interesting character and I found him very engaging.
Susanna, on the other hand, is prickly and off-putting and judgmental. Which was a lot less engaging. Yeah, she has a whole tragic backstory and she's very brave and stiff upper-lip and a teacher (as she reminds everybody endlessly). Frankly, I'm not sure what Peter saw in her. She did have the virtue of treating him like a person and not merely a font o' fun. So there's that. I can't help feeling like Peter likes her pretty much just because he's supposed to for the story. It's kind of magic (like the title), but not in the good way I think the story was hoping for.
Still. Peter is all kinds of awesome and this was cruising in four star territory. Until Peter became a weak idiot with a sudden inability to speak his mind/heart. I almost stopped reading entirely when . Gads. I did not like this aspect of his character and the drop in my engagement with him dropped my enjoyment of the story along with it. Which is when I began noticing all the other accumulated dumbnesses I'd been ignoring.
Chief of the dumbnesses was the eventual Tragic Past™ that came out (after dribbling along way, waaaaay too long). Man that turned out to be a convoluted crappile. And I really don't get Peter's statements about
So this ends up a weak three stars. Which is better than the first two books in the series. But I'd still skip them all if I were to do this over.
A note about Steamy: There are two explicit sex scenes (though the second is a two-fer) so the middle of my steam tolerance. This was another weak area of the story, though, since neither made emotional sense. It's like the characters realized they were alone and starring in a romance so "we might as well do it"...
This story had lots of potential. Peter is pretty awesome and I love what Balogh does with him. It isn't often that you see a man so kind and willing to please. I love that he knows he likes making others happy and that he takes care with the people around him. And not just the pretty ladies who he enjoys careful (i.e. non-attaching) flirtations with. No, he's truly kind to the indigent widows and clueless kids and even the boors and nonsensical dorks. Knowing that he likes people, he's very sociable and eager to arrange entertainments and things he knows others will enjoy. He's not all win, and I'll get to that, but this was an interesting character and I found him very engaging.
Susanna, on the other hand, is prickly and off-putting and judgmental. Which was a lot less engaging. Yeah, she has a whole tragic backstory and she's very brave and stiff upper-lip and a teacher (as she reminds everybody endlessly). Frankly, I'm not sure what Peter saw in her. She did have the virtue of treating him like a person and not merely a font o' fun. So there's that. I can't help feeling like Peter likes her pretty much just because he's supposed to for the story. It's kind of magic (like the title), but not in the good way I think the story was hoping for.
Still. Peter is all kinds of awesome and this was cruising in four star territory. Until Peter became a weak idiot with a sudden inability to speak his mind/heart. I almost stopped reading entirely when . Gads. I did not like this aspect of his character and the drop in my engagement with him dropped my enjoyment of the story along with it. Which is when I began noticing all the other accumulated dumbnesses I'd been ignoring.
Chief of the dumbnesses was the eventual Tragic Past™ that came out (after dribbling along way, waaaaay too long). Man that turned out to be a convoluted crappile. And I really don't get Peter's statements about
So this ends up a weak three stars. Which is better than the first two books in the series. But I'd still skip them all if I were to do this over.
A note about Steamy: There are two explicit sex scenes (though the second is a two-fer) so the middle of my steam tolerance. This was another weak area of the story, though, since neither made emotional sense. It's like the characters realized they were alone and starring in a romance so "we might as well do it"...
December 19, 2014
I liked the first part much more than the second.
The first half was a sweet, tender love story. Old-fashioned, but still nice. In the second part, the shadow of the heroine's past, concerning her father's death, is cast and darkens the mood considerably. Little by little we learn the secrets behind his death, but though a huge tragedy is always hinted, it seems rather mudane to the reader (at least this one). When the truth comes out, it is indeed more shocking than expected, but by then I had already classified the heroine as overdramatic and bitter (wrongly as it proved) and a large portion of the story had already been ruined for me. Had the writer made the truth known to her readers early on, I would have been more sympathetic towards the heroine and her actions. Also, the hero is a beta male, which is not my favorite kind anyway and few times have I been persuaded to leave this prejudice of mine behind; this was not one of them. He was not bad, but he was far from interesting as well.
Even thus I might have rated it with 3 stars, had it not been for one obnoxious detail: the narrator, keeps mentioning "he said or she said" in every other sentence. For example, "It is cold here, she said. I'll light the fire, he said.<<...>>I'm sorry, she said. Did you know I was here? I did, he said. Why do you think I came? T said something about an invitation, she said. For all of you, he said." One in every two sentences is just like that. After a while, this repetition became very tiring to my ears. I noticed the exact same thing in Then Comes Seduction, which I also read in audio format. I'm wondering whether the books are written like this, or did the narrator took the initiave to add those phrases, that have shred my nerves to pieces?
The first half was a sweet, tender love story. Old-fashioned, but still nice. In the second part, the shadow of the heroine's past, concerning her father's death, is cast and darkens the mood considerably. Little by little we learn the secrets behind his death, but though a huge tragedy is always hinted, it seems rather mudane to the reader (at least this one). When the truth comes out, it is indeed more shocking than expected, but by then I had already classified the heroine as overdramatic and bitter (wrongly as it proved) and a large portion of the story had already been ruined for me. Had the writer made the truth known to her readers early on, I would have been more sympathetic towards the heroine and her actions. Also, the hero is a beta male, which is not my favorite kind anyway and few times have I been persuaded to leave this prejudice of mine behind; this was not one of them. He was not bad, but he was far from interesting as well.
Even thus I might have rated it with 3 stars, had it not been for one obnoxious detail: the narrator, keeps mentioning "he said or she said" in every other sentence. For example, "It is cold here, she said. I'll light the fire, he said.<<...>>I'm sorry, she said. Did you know I was here? I did, he said. Why do you think I came? T said something about an invitation, she said. For all of you, he said." One in every two sentences is just like that. After a while, this repetition became very tiring to my ears. I noticed the exact same thing in Then Comes Seduction, which I also read in audio format. I'm wondering whether the books are written like this, or did the narrator took the initiave to add those phrases, that have shred my nerves to pieces?
November 18, 2018
Not since "One Night for Love" have I so disliked a book by this author. And it's not so much dislike as it was mostly boredom and frustration. I get that Peter was supposed to be amiable but potentially lacking depth early on but nothing ever progressed to make me feel like he developed stronger by the end. He might be nice as a real life person, but as a character, he was incredibly dull. I can't even remember much of the plot or character development. It's one of those books that is almost immediately forgotten at the end.
November 29, 2021
"Sácame de esta incertidumbre. Dime que me amas, o que no me amas. Dime que te casarás conmigo, o que no te casarás conmigo. Por favor, amor mío. No me siento nada seguro de mí".
La historia de Susanna Osbourne y Peter Whitleaf me ha parecido muy bonita, un romance que surge de una amistad corta pero honesta. Me gustó que Peter luchara para ganarse el respeto y aprecio de Susanna, él tiene una personalidad capaz de conquistar a cualquier persona a su alrededor y ella no fue capaz de resistirse a pesar de tener un secreto doloroso en su pasado que involucra a la familia de él.
Susanna es una maestra de la Escuela de Miss Martín para señoritas y cuando pasa sus vacaciones con la Condesa de Edgecombe conoce a varias personas en el lugar donde se están quedando, entre esos conocidos se encuentra con el Vizonde Whitleaf y tan solo al escuchar su titulo siente recelo hacía él por un pasado doloroso para ella, sin embargo, ella causa una gran impresión en él y está decidido a conseguir que ella sea su amiga, así que, después de varias situaciones en las que se ven en la compañía del otro, logran un acercamiento que los hace descubrir que el otro tiene cualidades que les parecen interesantes y admirables logrando forjar una amistad que los hace sentir felices.
La amistad de Susanna y Peter solo puede durar las dos semanas que ella pasará allí, así que, cuando se ven obligados a separarse, en sus memorias quedan los recuerdos hermosos que compartieron y un interludio romántico que compartieron la última vez que se vieron. Pero el destino seguirá interviniendo para que se vuelvan a encontrar y ambos reconozcan que sus sentimientos por el otro va más allá de la amistad, sin embargo, en el pasado de ambos hay un secreto que los acecha y termina saliendo a la luz llevándolos a decidir si la pasión y amor que sienten es más fuerte que ese secreto.
En general fue una historia que disfruté, me encantó la manera en que se da la relación de los protagonistas, los giros que se fueron presentando en la historia y reencontrarme con personajes de los libros anteriores.
La historia de Susanna Osbourne y Peter Whitleaf me ha parecido muy bonita, un romance que surge de una amistad corta pero honesta. Me gustó que Peter luchara para ganarse el respeto y aprecio de Susanna, él tiene una personalidad capaz de conquistar a cualquier persona a su alrededor y ella no fue capaz de resistirse a pesar de tener un secreto doloroso en su pasado que involucra a la familia de él.
Susanna es una maestra de la Escuela de Miss Martín para señoritas y cuando pasa sus vacaciones con la Condesa de Edgecombe conoce a varias personas en el lugar donde se están quedando, entre esos conocidos se encuentra con el Vizonde Whitleaf y tan solo al escuchar su titulo siente recelo hacía él por un pasado doloroso para ella, sin embargo, ella causa una gran impresión en él y está decidido a conseguir que ella sea su amiga, así que, después de varias situaciones en las que se ven en la compañía del otro, logran un acercamiento que los hace descubrir que el otro tiene cualidades que les parecen interesantes y admirables logrando forjar una amistad que los hace sentir felices.
La amistad de Susanna y Peter solo puede durar las dos semanas que ella pasará allí, así que, cuando se ven obligados a separarse, en sus memorias quedan los recuerdos hermosos que compartieron y un interludio romántico que compartieron la última vez que se vieron. Pero el destino seguirá interviniendo para que se vuelvan a encontrar y ambos reconozcan que sus sentimientos por el otro va más allá de la amistad, sin embargo, en el pasado de ambos hay un secreto que los acecha y termina saliendo a la luz llevándolos a decidir si la pasión y amor que sienten es más fuerte que ese secreto.
En general fue una historia que disfruté, me encantó la manera en que se da la relación de los protagonistas, los giros que se fueron presentando en la historia y reencontrarme con personajes de los libros anteriores.
February 14, 2020
3.5 stars. A sweet story, but a bit longish and slow burn. I did enjoy it, but felt it could have been trimmed a little for a tighter, more engrossing book.
Susanna became a charity student at a girls' school in Bath at age 12, and when she grew up became a teacher there. She enjoys her work.
When Susanna meets Peter, Viscount Whitleaf, the horrid events of her childhood come back to her. Peter lives near her childhood home, and their two families were involved in some murky events that take most of the book to be revealed. The plot is fine, but, yes, a bit slow-moving.
The romance is enjoyable. Peter and Susanna are well-suited to each other, but both of them have a few issues to work through. I did get a little tired of the number of occasions when Susanna was sad over this being 'the last time' they would ever be together. And then it wasn't. LOL.
They eventually get their HEA at a Christmas ball. The last few chapters of the book did pick up a bit and made me give 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars rather than rounded down to 3 stars as I was thinking for a while.
There were brief mentions and scenes with some secondary characters from other books of Balogh's, which I quite enjoyed because I happen to have read those books. But it doesn't matter if you haven't. The book would work fine as a standalone.
This book partly runs parallel with the events of another book in the quartet, Simply Love.
Susanna became a charity student at a girls' school in Bath at age 12, and when she grew up became a teacher there. She enjoys her work.
When Susanna meets Peter, Viscount Whitleaf, the horrid events of her childhood come back to her. Peter lives near her childhood home, and their two families were involved in some murky events that take most of the book to be revealed. The plot is fine, but, yes, a bit slow-moving.
The romance is enjoyable. Peter and Susanna are well-suited to each other, but both of them have a few issues to work through. I did get a little tired of the number of occasions when Susanna was sad over this being 'the last time' they would ever be together. And then it wasn't. LOL.
They eventually get their HEA at a Christmas ball. The last few chapters of the book did pick up a bit and made me give 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars rather than rounded down to 3 stars as I was thinking for a while.
There were brief mentions and scenes with some secondary characters from other books of Balogh's, which I quite enjoyed because I happen to have read those books. But it doesn't matter if you haven't. The book would work fine as a standalone.
This book partly runs parallel with the events of another book in the quartet, Simply Love.
April 2, 2021
Despite the title I found no magic in this. Susanna was so vibrant in the first 2 books but some how she lost all of her exuberance in her own story. Peter was boring and only caught my attention at the 90% mark, not really what I want or like in a hero. Although I really enjoy Mary Balogh's books I don't really like how passive her heroines are, they never stand up for themselves or reach out for what they want.
I did have a minor annoyance with the audio book. Rosalyn Landor's narration is always top notch and her voice for Susanna in the first books was fabulous, I'm not sure why it was changed for book 3 but it was disappointing and bland.
I did have a minor annoyance with the audio book. Rosalyn Landor's narration is always top notch and her voice for Susanna in the first books was fabulous, I'm not sure why it was changed for book 3 but it was disappointing and bland.
April 1, 2022
Simple Magic was just that in this series. I love Mary Balogh as an author and this story was enjoyable, although it was a bit lengthy and slow burn. What made the listen for me is the excellent performance by Rosalyn Landor as narrator. She does this audiobook well and makes the major characters so likeable. 5-Stars
August 1, 2025
Me ha gustado mucho pero menos que los anteriores de la saga. Susana me gustaba mucho como personaje secundario y aquí se me ha hecho cabezota son los dos un poco niños el tiene 26 años y ha sido criado por su madre y sus hermanas y eso de que estuviera un poco amadrado me echaba para atrás y los protagonistas no les he visto tanta química como otras parejas de la autora. Y la historia no me ha llenado tanto como otras de la autora. No obstante es un Balogh y para mí siempre es zona de confort le doy 4 estrellitas.
April 28, 2012
5+ stars!
I like Mary Balogh, so I expected to enjoy this book; but I was surprised that I absolutely loved it!
Susanna Osbourne is a teacher at Miss Martin's school in Bath. She has no family, since her mother died in childbirth and her father died when she was twelve. She was sent to Miss Martin's by an anonymous benefactor as a charity student, and she remained to become a teacher. She is quite happy and content with her life.
While visiting a former teacher, who is now Countess of Edgecombe (see Simply Unforgettable), she happens to meet Peter Edgeworth, Viscount Whitleaf. He is handsome and charming, and seems to feel it's his mission in life to flirt with all the ladies, even the elderly spinster Miss Honeydew. Susanna is immediately on her guard, not just because she thinks he's shallow and frivolous, but because she met him once as a child and his presence brings up unhappy memories. During their two weeks in one another's company, however, they strike up a genuine friendship, which culminates in an afternoon of lovemaking before they part.
Susanna expects never to see Peter again, but when he comes to Bath for a wedding of yet another teacher (see Simply Love), Susanna realizes that she has indeed lost her heart to Peter. (And may I just add right here that being a teacher at Miss Martin's school looks to be a better way of finding a titled husband than attending dozens of balls in London.) Peter proposes, but Susanna turns him down, feeling that he has made the offer out of guilt and obligation rather than love. She also has strong feelings about remaining independent, and she truly loves her life at the school. Again, Peter leaves, and they don't expect to meet again.
I won't go into detail about the rest of their story, but their pasts turn out to be more complicated, and intertwined, than first suspected. Peter has a lot of maturing to do, and he needs to get out from under his mother's domination.
Peter is not a rake or an alpha hero; he's really more of an overgrown boy, but he truly wants to live a meaningful, productive life, having a family and running his estate successfully. At the same time, Susanna has to stop ignoring terrible events from her past, and with help from Peter (and sometimes a little interference from him), she comes to envision a future much different from that which she had long thought was inevitable.
The obstacles to their HEA are serious and real and don't seem contrived. This is just a really sweet story that will leave you feeling happy at the end.
I like Mary Balogh, so I expected to enjoy this book; but I was surprised that I absolutely loved it!
Susanna Osbourne is a teacher at Miss Martin's school in Bath. She has no family, since her mother died in childbirth and her father died when she was twelve. She was sent to Miss Martin's by an anonymous benefactor as a charity student, and she remained to become a teacher. She is quite happy and content with her life.
While visiting a former teacher, who is now Countess of Edgecombe (see Simply Unforgettable), she happens to meet Peter Edgeworth, Viscount Whitleaf. He is handsome and charming, and seems to feel it's his mission in life to flirt with all the ladies, even the elderly spinster Miss Honeydew. Susanna is immediately on her guard, not just because she thinks he's shallow and frivolous, but because she met him once as a child and his presence brings up unhappy memories. During their two weeks in one another's company, however, they strike up a genuine friendship, which culminates in an afternoon of lovemaking before they part.
Susanna expects never to see Peter again, but when he comes to Bath for a wedding of yet another teacher (see Simply Love), Susanna realizes that she has indeed lost her heart to Peter. (And may I just add right here that being a teacher at Miss Martin's school looks to be a better way of finding a titled husband than attending dozens of balls in London.) Peter proposes, but Susanna turns him down, feeling that he has made the offer out of guilt and obligation rather than love. She also has strong feelings about remaining independent, and she truly loves her life at the school. Again, Peter leaves, and they don't expect to meet again.
I won't go into detail about the rest of their story, but their pasts turn out to be more complicated, and intertwined, than first suspected. Peter has a lot of maturing to do, and he needs to get out from under his mother's domination.
Peter is not a rake or an alpha hero; he's really more of an overgrown boy, but he truly wants to live a meaningful, productive life, having a family and running his estate successfully. At the same time, Susanna has to stop ignoring terrible events from her past, and with help from Peter (and sometimes a little interference from him), she comes to envision a future much different from that which she had long thought was inevitable.
The obstacles to their HEA are serious and real and don't seem contrived. This is just a really sweet story that will leave you feeling happy at the end.
March 8, 2020
Reviewed for THC Reviews
"4.5 stars" Simply Magic is the third book in Mary Balogh’s Simply Quartet that follows the teachers at Miss Martin’s School for Girls in Bath. In this one, we have Susanna, the youngest teacher, who started out as a student at the school. She’s paired with Peter, a viscount she met once as a child when he briefly visited the family for whom her father worked. The two chance to meet up once again while visiting mutual friends over a magical summer holiday. During that time, they become close friends, and by the time they both must return home, they’ve also become lovers. But the differences in social station loom between them, as well as Susanna’s desire to remain independent and her love for her job, keeping them from making any further commitment. But fate has other plans in store for them as it brings them together again and again, until it becomes clear that they’re meant for each other. There’s a great deal of beauty in the subtle simplicity of this story. The two week summer holiday that Peter and Susanna spend together truly is magical and I could feel deeper emotions passing between them. However, their respective difficulties in identifying and admitting those feelings could become just a tad tedious at times. This knocked my rating down just a bit, but I did still enjoy the story overall.
Susanna’s mother died when she was born and her father passed when she was twelve. Her father had been a secretary to a titled gentleman and she’d become close with the family. But after her father’s death, she overhead remarks by the lady of the house that made her suspect she would be a burden on them, so she ran off to London and applied for a job with an employment agency. Unable to find work in spite of lying about her age, Susanna faced an uncertain future until someone offered her a spot as one of the charity pupils at Miss Martin’s School where she’s lived ever since. She was a star student and eagerly took up a position as a teacher when she was of age, a job which she loves. When Susanna visits her friend and former teacher, Frances, and her titled husband over the summer, she chances to meet Peter while out walking with her friends. Upon hearing his title, she instantly remembers him, and although she only briefly met him once before, she has a rather sordid and tangled history with his family, making her instantly dislike him. But Peter is nothing is not persistent, charming his way into a friendship with her that makes her realize her preconceived notions about him were wrong. However, in spite of her growing feelings for him and their status changing to that of lovers before their summer sojourn is over, she can’t bring herself to even entertain any kind of future with him. I admired Susanna for her dedication to the girls she teaches and for not being in any way influenced by Peter’s title and wealth. Still, I don’t think I could have made the same choices she did when up against his considerable charm, especially after admitting to herself that she loved him. I did understand, though, that she wanted his love in return, and perhaps more importantly that she was a young woman still suffering from past wounds that hadn’t quite healed and that needed to be confronted before she would be ready to share her life with someone else.
Peter was the youngest child in his family, the surprise son finally born after five daughters. His father died when he was only three, so he was raised by his mother and all his older sisters, who coddled him as the heir. His uncles and other male relatives stepped in to teach him his duty, but rarely allowed him to make his own decisions until he finally tossed them all out upon reaching his majority. However, because of his gentle temperament and how he was brought up, he has a serious aversion to conflict and has a hard time standing up for himself even when his mother is redecorating the sitting room of his estate in frothy pink lace that he abhors. Perhaps because he’s been surrounded by women all his life, he genuinely adores them and is an outgoing, consummate flirt, although refreshingly not a rake. When he meets Susanna, he’s instantly smitten, but she presents a challenge in that she’s completely inured to his charms. Therefore, he must work hard to gain her trust, but is rewarded with a beautiful friendship that turns into something more. Despite that, though, Peter struggles with exactly what his feelings for Susanna are. At first, he thinks it’s mere infatuation and let’s her get away, believing they’ll never see each other again, but as fate brings them together once more, he slowly gains insight into the true nature of his emotions where she’s concerned and gradually comes around to being more proactive. Peter is definitely a sweet, beta hero, unerringly kind and gentle, but sometimes a bit of a pushover, particularly where his mother is concerned. I enjoyed watching him grow and come into his own, while learning to like himself, and in doing so, he became totally worthy of Susanna. When he finally stands up for what he wants, I was cheering for him, and yet he somehow does it while still maintaining his good-hearted nature which I loved.
Simply Magic has a number of supporting characters that are seen in other books of the Simply Quartet, and since it’s also a spin-off of the Bedwyn Saga, we see a few of those characters as well. I believe that Peter was first introduced in the Bedwyn Prequel, A Summer to Remember, as he’s a cousin to the heroine of that book. Parts of Simply Magic take place concurrently with the previous book, Simply Love, so we get to see Anne immediately after her return from her summer holiday in Wales, as well as her and Sydnam’s wedding breakfast through Susanna’s eyes. Since both Peter and Susanna are in attendance at the celebration, we also get to see a few of the Bedwyns, namely Wulfric and Christine (Slightly Dangerous), as well as Freya and Joshua (Slightly Scandalous). When she was a girl, Susanna unsuccessfully sought employment with Freya, who she believes may have had a hand in getting her accepted to Miss Martin’s School. During Susanna’s summer holiday, she visits with Frances and Lucius (Simply Unforgettable), and of course, the head teacher at Miss Martin’s, Claudia Martin, herself is seen in a number of scenes. Her book is the final one of the series, Simply Perfect. I’ll be eagerly looking forward to seeing what type of man it takes to catch this independent lady’s eye and finally pin her down.
Throughout her books that I’ve read so far, I’ve come to realize that Mary Balogh is masterful at creating subtle romantic entanglements, and such is the case in Simply Magic. Readers who are looking for something grand and audacious won’t find it here. This is a story that is heavily reliant on past secrets and habits that have to be overcome in order to make room for an HEA ending between our hero and heroine, as well as their individual hang-ups regarding a possible permanent relationship. Stories like this can be dicey for me, because I often find myself becoming frustrated by the various excuses and perceived stubbornness of the characters. But here, it was done well enough that I remained nicely engaged in the story. Even when Peter and Susanna parted ways on more than one occasion, leaving me slightly irritated each time, it didn’t last for long before they were thrown back together again. Each time that happened, their connection deepened, and during their time apart, they seemed to learn things about themselves, making the separations more worthwhile. Although my emotions never reached the soaring highs and lows while reading this book that they have with others, I still very much enjoyed it. I knew that Peter and Susanna loved one another and it merely took time and patience for them to realize it themselves and finally come together once and for all. For readers who can appreciate a more artful, nuanced romance with delicate and refined undertones, Simply Magic is most definitely worth the read and one that I can certainly recommend. It has left me very much looking forward to reading the final book of the series.
"4.5 stars" Simply Magic is the third book in Mary Balogh’s Simply Quartet that follows the teachers at Miss Martin’s School for Girls in Bath. In this one, we have Susanna, the youngest teacher, who started out as a student at the school. She’s paired with Peter, a viscount she met once as a child when he briefly visited the family for whom her father worked. The two chance to meet up once again while visiting mutual friends over a magical summer holiday. During that time, they become close friends, and by the time they both must return home, they’ve also become lovers. But the differences in social station loom between them, as well as Susanna’s desire to remain independent and her love for her job, keeping them from making any further commitment. But fate has other plans in store for them as it brings them together again and again, until it becomes clear that they’re meant for each other. There’s a great deal of beauty in the subtle simplicity of this story. The two week summer holiday that Peter and Susanna spend together truly is magical and I could feel deeper emotions passing between them. However, their respective difficulties in identifying and admitting those feelings could become just a tad tedious at times. This knocked my rating down just a bit, but I did still enjoy the story overall.
Susanna’s mother died when she was born and her father passed when she was twelve. Her father had been a secretary to a titled gentleman and she’d become close with the family. But after her father’s death, she overhead remarks by the lady of the house that made her suspect she would be a burden on them, so she ran off to London and applied for a job with an employment agency. Unable to find work in spite of lying about her age, Susanna faced an uncertain future until someone offered her a spot as one of the charity pupils at Miss Martin’s School where she’s lived ever since. She was a star student and eagerly took up a position as a teacher when she was of age, a job which she loves. When Susanna visits her friend and former teacher, Frances, and her titled husband over the summer, she chances to meet Peter while out walking with her friends. Upon hearing his title, she instantly remembers him, and although she only briefly met him once before, she has a rather sordid and tangled history with his family, making her instantly dislike him. But Peter is nothing is not persistent, charming his way into a friendship with her that makes her realize her preconceived notions about him were wrong. However, in spite of her growing feelings for him and their status changing to that of lovers before their summer sojourn is over, she can’t bring herself to even entertain any kind of future with him. I admired Susanna for her dedication to the girls she teaches and for not being in any way influenced by Peter’s title and wealth. Still, I don’t think I could have made the same choices she did when up against his considerable charm, especially after admitting to herself that she loved him. I did understand, though, that she wanted his love in return, and perhaps more importantly that she was a young woman still suffering from past wounds that hadn’t quite healed and that needed to be confronted before she would be ready to share her life with someone else.
Peter was the youngest child in his family, the surprise son finally born after five daughters. His father died when he was only three, so he was raised by his mother and all his older sisters, who coddled him as the heir. His uncles and other male relatives stepped in to teach him his duty, but rarely allowed him to make his own decisions until he finally tossed them all out upon reaching his majority. However, because of his gentle temperament and how he was brought up, he has a serious aversion to conflict and has a hard time standing up for himself even when his mother is redecorating the sitting room of his estate in frothy pink lace that he abhors. Perhaps because he’s been surrounded by women all his life, he genuinely adores them and is an outgoing, consummate flirt, although refreshingly not a rake. When he meets Susanna, he’s instantly smitten, but she presents a challenge in that she’s completely inured to his charms. Therefore, he must work hard to gain her trust, but is rewarded with a beautiful friendship that turns into something more. Despite that, though, Peter struggles with exactly what his feelings for Susanna are. At first, he thinks it’s mere infatuation and let’s her get away, believing they’ll never see each other again, but as fate brings them together once more, he slowly gains insight into the true nature of his emotions where she’s concerned and gradually comes around to being more proactive. Peter is definitely a sweet, beta hero, unerringly kind and gentle, but sometimes a bit of a pushover, particularly where his mother is concerned. I enjoyed watching him grow and come into his own, while learning to like himself, and in doing so, he became totally worthy of Susanna. When he finally stands up for what he wants, I was cheering for him, and yet he somehow does it while still maintaining his good-hearted nature which I loved.
Simply Magic has a number of supporting characters that are seen in other books of the Simply Quartet, and since it’s also a spin-off of the Bedwyn Saga, we see a few of those characters as well. I believe that Peter was first introduced in the Bedwyn Prequel, A Summer to Remember, as he’s a cousin to the heroine of that book. Parts of Simply Magic take place concurrently with the previous book, Simply Love, so we get to see Anne immediately after her return from her summer holiday in Wales, as well as her and Sydnam’s wedding breakfast through Susanna’s eyes. Since both Peter and Susanna are in attendance at the celebration, we also get to see a few of the Bedwyns, namely Wulfric and Christine (Slightly Dangerous), as well as Freya and Joshua (Slightly Scandalous). When she was a girl, Susanna unsuccessfully sought employment with Freya, who she believes may have had a hand in getting her accepted to Miss Martin’s School. During Susanna’s summer holiday, she visits with Frances and Lucius (Simply Unforgettable), and of course, the head teacher at Miss Martin’s, Claudia Martin, herself is seen in a number of scenes. Her book is the final one of the series, Simply Perfect. I’ll be eagerly looking forward to seeing what type of man it takes to catch this independent lady’s eye and finally pin her down.
Throughout her books that I’ve read so far, I’ve come to realize that Mary Balogh is masterful at creating subtle romantic entanglements, and such is the case in Simply Magic. Readers who are looking for something grand and audacious won’t find it here. This is a story that is heavily reliant on past secrets and habits that have to be overcome in order to make room for an HEA ending between our hero and heroine, as well as their individual hang-ups regarding a possible permanent relationship. Stories like this can be dicey for me, because I often find myself becoming frustrated by the various excuses and perceived stubbornness of the characters. But here, it was done well enough that I remained nicely engaged in the story. Even when Peter and Susanna parted ways on more than one occasion, leaving me slightly irritated each time, it didn’t last for long before they were thrown back together again. Each time that happened, their connection deepened, and during their time apart, they seemed to learn things about themselves, making the separations more worthwhile. Although my emotions never reached the soaring highs and lows while reading this book that they have with others, I still very much enjoyed it. I knew that Peter and Susanna loved one another and it merely took time and patience for them to realize it themselves and finally come together once and for all. For readers who can appreciate a more artful, nuanced romance with delicate and refined undertones, Simply Magic is most definitely worth the read and one that I can certainly recommend. It has left me very much looking forward to reading the final book of the series.
October 6, 2019
Simply Magic was not quite as magical as I was expecting, simply put. I adored the last book and have enjoyed Susanna's bit role in the previous Simply Quartet stories, but her own story turned out to be something of a mixed bag for me. If one likes beta heroes, and I do, that was the bright spot of this story for me.
Simply Magic is book three in the Simply Quartet spinoff from the original Bedwyns series. It can standalone with references back to previous couples and parts of the second story taking place in parallel time frame.
Susanna Osborne is a teacher at a girls' school in Bath where she was once a charity student. She was sent there at the age of twelve after being found on the streets of London by good people. Now, her life is quiet and sheltered and she harbors a secret which she keeps tucked close until well into this story.
The story begins with the intro to the happy go lucky hero, Peter Edgeworth, Viscount Whitleaf, choosing to stay some extra time with his friend in the country. He had decided to stop his aimless life that he has been living since five years before when he called off a courtship just shy of engagement because he wasn't feeling it with the woman and wasn't going to marry so young just because it was expected. He gets labeled for it even if he hadn't made any promises and it was both their families that raised expectations. He's got five older sisters and mother along with extended family who see him as the family hope since his birth just before his father's death keeps the title and fortune in the family. Peter has decided to stop avoiding his responsibilities to title and estate, but he still wants nothing to do with his mother's matchmaking- hence the extended stay with a friend that allows him to encounter Susanna.
So, this story got rolling slowly which was no real issue until it never really picked up in some ways. I was ready to DNF this one a few times. First, it was Susanna getting one glimpse of Peter with pretty girls around him and offering pleasantries to them and her. Her glimpse had her starching up all primness and prunes to label him a shallow flirt and not bothering to hide this. She hears his family name and dooms him to her frosty disdain even though she knows he was just a kid when her secret issue with his family went down.
Ah yes... Susanna's secret. It carried on waaaaay tooo lonnng. If the author was trying to build suspense, she missed the mark in my case. I was well over any suspense by the time the truth came out. It was a dark secret indeed, I'll give her that. And, I'll be generous enough to say that it explained the issue she had upon hearing Peter's family name. What it doesn't really cover is her constant attitude to him and condescension when he proved through words and deeds that he wasn't what she made him out to be and he was not even the slightest responsible for the past, her hiding it from friends, her continued martyr attitude about being a teacher and a charity girl when all along simple communication with a few people would have changed everything.
Now, Peter, our hero, was a pleasant, lovely soul. He had a light way about things and he wasn't a strong confronter. He liked to please people by doing for them and making them smile and he liked being around people. He enjoyed fun. When he decided to take responsibility for his duties, there ended any fault one might have picked with him. He bent over backwards trying to gain Susanna's approbation. He was a gentle soul and struggled going into the bosom of his family and turning things upside down because his mother (oh man I detested this woman) steamrolled things and did whatever the heck she pleased even knowing his wishes.
What was a high point was when the pair of them challenged each other to face up to their issues- Peter's was his mother and Susanna's was people from her past. I love when I see partnering and understanding in a romance pair. I was somewhat indifferent to this pair after being tired of Susanna's issues and ignoring the truth of her feelings for... I still don't know, to be honest even though there were reasons given.
So, in the end, I liked Peter and was glad he got his life sorted and saw the truth of the past with Susanna. Now, I'm looking forward to our final member of the teaching quartet still single and very resistant to love. While this wasn't a favorite of mine, the author's writing is superb and I can recommend oodles of her books including others in this series to historical romance fans.
Simply Magic is book three in the Simply Quartet spinoff from the original Bedwyns series. It can standalone with references back to previous couples and parts of the second story taking place in parallel time frame.
Susanna Osborne is a teacher at a girls' school in Bath where she was once a charity student. She was sent there at the age of twelve after being found on the streets of London by good people. Now, her life is quiet and sheltered and she harbors a secret which she keeps tucked close until well into this story.
The story begins with the intro to the happy go lucky hero, Peter Edgeworth, Viscount Whitleaf, choosing to stay some extra time with his friend in the country. He had decided to stop his aimless life that he has been living since five years before when he called off a courtship just shy of engagement because he wasn't feeling it with the woman and wasn't going to marry so young just because it was expected. He gets labeled for it even if he hadn't made any promises and it was both their families that raised expectations. He's got five older sisters and mother along with extended family who see him as the family hope since his birth just before his father's death keeps the title and fortune in the family. Peter has decided to stop avoiding his responsibilities to title and estate, but he still wants nothing to do with his mother's matchmaking- hence the extended stay with a friend that allows him to encounter Susanna.
So, this story got rolling slowly which was no real issue until it never really picked up in some ways. I was ready to DNF this one a few times. First, it was Susanna getting one glimpse of Peter with pretty girls around him and offering pleasantries to them and her. Her glimpse had her starching up all primness and prunes to label him a shallow flirt and not bothering to hide this. She hears his family name and dooms him to her frosty disdain even though she knows he was just a kid when her secret issue with his family went down.
Ah yes... Susanna's secret. It carried on waaaaay tooo lonnng. If the author was trying to build suspense, she missed the mark in my case. I was well over any suspense by the time the truth came out. It was a dark secret indeed, I'll give her that. And, I'll be generous enough to say that it explained the issue she had upon hearing Peter's family name. What it doesn't really cover is her constant attitude to him and condescension when he proved through words and deeds that he wasn't what she made him out to be and he was not even the slightest responsible for the past, her hiding it from friends, her continued martyr attitude about being a teacher and a charity girl when all along simple communication with a few people would have changed everything.
Now, Peter, our hero, was a pleasant, lovely soul. He had a light way about things and he wasn't a strong confronter. He liked to please people by doing for them and making them smile and he liked being around people. He enjoyed fun. When he decided to take responsibility for his duties, there ended any fault one might have picked with him. He bent over backwards trying to gain Susanna's approbation. He was a gentle soul and struggled going into the bosom of his family and turning things upside down because his mother (oh man I detested this woman) steamrolled things and did whatever the heck she pleased even knowing his wishes.
What was a high point was when the pair of them challenged each other to face up to their issues- Peter's was his mother and Susanna's was people from her past. I love when I see partnering and understanding in a romance pair. I was somewhat indifferent to this pair after being tired of Susanna's issues and ignoring the truth of her feelings for... I still don't know, to be honest even though there were reasons given.
So, in the end, I liked Peter and was glad he got his life sorted and saw the truth of the past with Susanna. Now, I'm looking forward to our final member of the teaching quartet still single and very resistant to love. While this wasn't a favorite of mine, the author's writing is superb and I can recommend oodles of her books including others in this series to historical romance fans.
August 6, 2024
Vincent is a viscount with an electric charm, somehow avoids marriage and maintains the nice guy image. Susanna is a charity school teacher with a secret connection to the H’s family. They connect on mental and physical levels, maybe love at first sight. Side characters are weaved in such a way that brings some good mystery. BUT there were two main problems that kept this from being 5 star. First the word Buttocks then the H has monologue deep thoughts about romantic love when they are doing the deed. 🤣🙉
April 5, 2017
2.5 stars
My biggest problem was that the narrator changed her voice for the heroine after using it for the first 2 books. It was like she was another character.
My biggest problem was that the narrator changed her voice for the heroine after using it for the first 2 books. It was like she was another character.
June 7, 2025
3.5 stars rounded up
A middling Balogh. Not much particularly wrong with it, but overall forgettable. Susannah had such an immediate distaste for him, their transition into deep friendship didn’t quite make sense. Once established, however, I did like seeing that friendship.
How many of Balogh’s books have an isolated MC discover they have a heretofore unknown large and caring family??
When a man says, even if forced to choose, he couldn’t pick between you and his mother 🚩🚩🚩
19 uses of magic/magical, including 4 “simply magic” ? A slip or two of the title can be charming, but tbh this was distracting.
A middling Balogh. Not much particularly wrong with it, but overall forgettable. Susannah had such an immediate distaste for him, their transition into deep friendship didn’t quite make sense. Once established, however, I did like seeing that friendship.
How many of Balogh’s books have an isolated MC discover they have a heretofore unknown large and caring family??
When a man says, even if forced to choose, he couldn’t pick between you and his mother 🚩🚩🚩
19 uses of magic/magical, including 4 “simply magic” ? A slip or two of the title can be charming, but tbh this was distracting.
December 29, 2018
Sweetness: 5/5
Hotness: 3/5
Suspense: 3/5
Plot: 4,5/5
Hero: Sweet alpha
Heroine: Working/ independent
Such a lovely story. Susanna is a school teacher, previously a charity student at the same school after running from home in consequence of a tragedy. Peter is a Viscount since age 3, overprotected by his mother, a person in search of himself.
First social standing and then family secrets stand on their way to love each other fully, but relentlessly Peter fights all dragons for his princess.
Peter is a sweet hero. Not a typical alpha, but also not a typical beta. He is strong but not roguish, he is honorable and supportive. But at the same time he is not available, he keeps his feelings to himself until he realizes that what he found is the only true love of his life.
Hotness: 3/5
Suspense: 3/5
Plot: 4,5/5
Hero: Sweet alpha
Heroine: Working/ independent
Such a lovely story. Susanna is a school teacher, previously a charity student at the same school after running from home in consequence of a tragedy. Peter is a Viscount since age 3, overprotected by his mother, a person in search of himself.
First social standing and then family secrets stand on their way to love each other fully, but relentlessly Peter fights all dragons for his princess.
Peter is a sweet hero. Not a typical alpha, but also not a typical beta. He is strong but not roguish, he is honorable and supportive. But at the same time he is not available, he keeps his feelings to himself until he realizes that what he found is the only true love of his life.
April 28, 2016
I always feel like Lucy Honeychurch from "A Room with a View" when I'm reading Mary Balogh.
I feel the same when I'm reading Mary Balogh, which is a testament to her writing.
That said, I absolutely loved this one. I stayed up far too late reading it because I just couldn't put it down. This one gave me ALL THE EMOTIONS. The character development was really well done. It was really nice to read about a genuinely nice guy, even though he had his own problems. I did want to shake Susanna a bit and get her to stop being so stubborn. Overall, it was a lovely story.
"Mother doesn't like me playing Beethoven. She says I'm always peevish afterwards."
I feel the same when I'm reading Mary Balogh, which is a testament to her writing.
That said, I absolutely loved this one. I stayed up far too late reading it because I just couldn't put it down. This one gave me ALL THE EMOTIONS. The character development was really well done. It was really nice to read about a genuinely nice guy, even though he had his own problems. I did want to shake Susanna a bit and get her to stop being so stubborn. Overall, it was a lovely story.
November 1, 2018
3.5 stars
August 5, 2017
It started great but kinda flopped for me halfway..
February 22, 2016
The first half of this book was a bit of a bore to just alright. The characters depth were pretty shallow and well, it wasn't terribly interesting. The book really picked up on the second half though after they separated. Peter was coming to terms with not forgetting her and contriving reasons to see her. It was love in slow motion. Meanwhile, Susanna had been disappointed and falling out of love with him. He redeems himself in her eyes though and they get together. In it, Peter makes the discovery of working hard to get his happy ending and Susanna faces her demons. Her past surfaces and they urge each other on to take that extra mile and not be complacent. Peter asserts himself in his household and Susanna meets past people and introduces herself to estranged relatives. Both people were not even certain she lived when she left.
Anyways, I feel really bad for Susanna's father. I thought Peter's mother was a bitch and I think he should be understanding if Susanna didn't want anything to do with her, rightfully. I think that issue was swept under the rug honestly. His last proposal was a bit of an ambush and they settled with the statement that they will work through their future issues.
The story revolved around Peter and Susanna. Susanna hated him the moment she heard his name, Viscount Whitleaf. He was a jovial fellow and was really charming, which is why he was puzzled at how she acted around him. He didn't know the reasons but he sought to befriend her. He needed company that wasn't frivolous and by all accounts, she was that. The more they got to know each other, the more they liked the other. Her hatred turned to friendship and soon, they moved past friendship to become one time lovers. They left to go back to their lives and separated for a while. He thought of her often and he became a fantasy to her. When they reunited, he crushed that fantasy with his clumsy attempts to see her again. He acted like his charming and indifferent self, which she interpreted as his shallow persona, which they should have moved past.
He continually found excuses to see her again. One of their conversations led to the other asking promises to improve their lives. She asked him to assert himself with his mother and he asked her to meet the people who cared for her when she was young.
The story was that Peter was to marry this girl. He found his mother with his fiancee's father, who was married. They had a fight and had a falling out. He promised his intended that he would be faithful and she replied with derision to his idealism. She enlightened him when she bluntly told him that she wouldn't be devoted to him and would only meet her duty of one or two children. When he brought up the issue with the family, he was told to grow up. He had been really sheltered growing up and he was really idealistic. He grew up that day and kicked his uncles out. He broke the engagement and was known as a scoundrel thereafter.
The story with Susanna was that she overheard the family talking about what a burden the whole issue with her father was. She took it to mean that she was not welcome to the home after her father died. Her father committed suicide, she believed because of heartbreak. She found out later that the viscountess, Peter's mother, threatened to ruin his reputation. She was a spurned lover and sought revenge. She would accuse him of rape and ruin his name. The only way out for him was suicide, not for himself but for his daughter. He wanted to give Susanna a chance at a good life. He provided for her by making arrangements to send her to her grandparents. The only way he could see to give her that life was to get the viscountess to drop the charges and it wouldn't be brought up if he was dead. He killed himself and Susanna ran away after she thought she was unwelcome. She ran to London and applied to be a governess. She was sent away and was then approached to be a charity student. She grew up at the school and then became a teacher.
Anyways, Peter found out about her past and confronted his mother. He was a bit mild about it but he loved her. He made arrangements for her to live at another house as he was reclaiming the manor. He asked for Susanna's grandparents' permission. She told him that she couldn't leave her responsibilities as a teacher and he moved the wedding date to after the school term ended. They married with her close friends and families.
I liked this book but it was far from magical. It was just alright in the beginning and it really picked up in the second half.
Anyways, I feel really bad for Susanna's father. I thought Peter's mother was a bitch and I think he should be understanding if Susanna didn't want anything to do with her, rightfully. I think that issue was swept under the rug honestly. His last proposal was a bit of an ambush and they settled with the statement that they will work through their future issues.
The story revolved around Peter and Susanna. Susanna hated him the moment she heard his name, Viscount Whitleaf. He was a jovial fellow and was really charming, which is why he was puzzled at how she acted around him. He didn't know the reasons but he sought to befriend her. He needed company that wasn't frivolous and by all accounts, she was that. The more they got to know each other, the more they liked the other. Her hatred turned to friendship and soon, they moved past friendship to become one time lovers. They left to go back to their lives and separated for a while. He thought of her often and he became a fantasy to her. When they reunited, he crushed that fantasy with his clumsy attempts to see her again. He acted like his charming and indifferent self, which she interpreted as his shallow persona, which they should have moved past.
He continually found excuses to see her again. One of their conversations led to the other asking promises to improve their lives. She asked him to assert himself with his mother and he asked her to meet the people who cared for her when she was young.
The story was that Peter was to marry this girl. He found his mother with his fiancee's father, who was married. They had a fight and had a falling out. He promised his intended that he would be faithful and she replied with derision to his idealism. She enlightened him when she bluntly told him that she wouldn't be devoted to him and would only meet her duty of one or two children. When he brought up the issue with the family, he was told to grow up. He had been really sheltered growing up and he was really idealistic. He grew up that day and kicked his uncles out. He broke the engagement and was known as a scoundrel thereafter.
The story with Susanna was that she overheard the family talking about what a burden the whole issue with her father was. She took it to mean that she was not welcome to the home after her father died. Her father committed suicide, she believed because of heartbreak. She found out later that the viscountess, Peter's mother, threatened to ruin his reputation. She was a spurned lover and sought revenge. She would accuse him of rape and ruin his name. The only way out for him was suicide, not for himself but for his daughter. He wanted to give Susanna a chance at a good life. He provided for her by making arrangements to send her to her grandparents. The only way he could see to give her that life was to get the viscountess to drop the charges and it wouldn't be brought up if he was dead. He killed himself and Susanna ran away after she thought she was unwelcome. She ran to London and applied to be a governess. She was sent away and was then approached to be a charity student. She grew up at the school and then became a teacher.
Anyways, Peter found out about her past and confronted his mother. He was a bit mild about it but he loved her. He made arrangements for her to live at another house as he was reclaiming the manor. He asked for Susanna's grandparents' permission. She told him that she couldn't leave her responsibilities as a teacher and he moved the wedding date to after the school term ended. They married with her close friends and families.
I liked this book but it was far from magical. It was just alright in the beginning and it really picked up in the second half.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2016
SIMPLY MAGIC: Girl, Interrupted
http://fangswandsandfairydust.com/201...
Of course they love each other. She remembers him from childhood and, subconsciously, he recalls her. They belong together. Except there is a huge tragedy, HUGE, keeping them apart.
I have pretty much loved everything I’ve read or listened to, by Mary Balogh. This is not my favorite book in this series, nor in her opus.
SIMPLY MAGIC depends on the “jumping to conclusions” and “tragic history” trope causing an enormous change in fortune for Susanna. In the previous books in this quartet we learn that Susanna was found on the streets of London as a girl of twelve applying for a job as ladies maid. She was fortunate to have been found by the right people who quite nicely sent her to the school where she learned and, eventually, began teaching. She effectively has her lovely childhood altered severely by the event and action of her past. Her development, as it should have been, was completely altered when she was twelve.
She has kept her story, and her true self and ability to fully engage in friendship, to herself.
This is her coming of age, coming to truth and coming to peace with her past, story. As such it is effective and more realistic than many romance novels in that she doesn’t just forgive and forget and the past will, to some degree, continue to haunt her.
There is not a lot I can say here without spoiling the story; Mary Balogh writes nice, tight tales without a lot of extra verbiage. I did like the continuity of the series and glimpses of the lives of the two other former teachers at Miss Martin’s school.
I just didn’t like the plot where ONE THING, one small thing done as a child, changes one’s destiny. There is a big thing that would have changed her life anyway, but the small thing she does in reaction has a bigger impact on her life. But, it is the truth in how things can happen; in this case the truth is what brings magic into the lives of the two love interests. And, who is to say what one’s destiny would be?
As to the narration,when I began listening to audiobooks I did not like Rosalyn Lander’s narration at all. I believe I may have quite vehement in my dislike. But, she has grown on me and has become the voice of this, and other series. Her sound is deep and sonorous, if still a little sing-song. But her accents are good, her men aren’t played as too masculine, and she sounds as if she actually enjoys reading the story.
This story lacks the impact and immediacy of the first two stories in this series. Perhaps because we’ve been hearing about the mysterious past Susanna has never revealed, even to her three closest friends. If she had been less rash as a child (however traumatized), or more trusting as an adult, she might have been less tortured. But alas, “would have, could have, should have” is always a harsh comeuppance. Of course fans of Marry Balogh in general, and this series in particular, will want to dive in.
http://fangswandsandfairydust.com/201...
Of course they love each other. She remembers him from childhood and, subconsciously, he recalls her. They belong together. Except there is a huge tragedy, HUGE, keeping them apart.
I have pretty much loved everything I’ve read or listened to, by Mary Balogh. This is not my favorite book in this series, nor in her opus.
SIMPLY MAGIC depends on the “jumping to conclusions” and “tragic history” trope causing an enormous change in fortune for Susanna. In the previous books in this quartet we learn that Susanna was found on the streets of London as a girl of twelve applying for a job as ladies maid. She was fortunate to have been found by the right people who quite nicely sent her to the school where she learned and, eventually, began teaching. She effectively has her lovely childhood altered severely by the event and action of her past. Her development, as it should have been, was completely altered when she was twelve.
She has kept her story, and her true self and ability to fully engage in friendship, to herself.
This is her coming of age, coming to truth and coming to peace with her past, story. As such it is effective and more realistic than many romance novels in that she doesn’t just forgive and forget and the past will, to some degree, continue to haunt her.
There is not a lot I can say here without spoiling the story; Mary Balogh writes nice, tight tales without a lot of extra verbiage. I did like the continuity of the series and glimpses of the lives of the two other former teachers at Miss Martin’s school.
I just didn’t like the plot where ONE THING, one small thing done as a child, changes one’s destiny. There is a big thing that would have changed her life anyway, but the small thing she does in reaction has a bigger impact on her life. But, it is the truth in how things can happen; in this case the truth is what brings magic into the lives of the two love interests. And, who is to say what one’s destiny would be?
As to the narration,when I began listening to audiobooks I did not like Rosalyn Lander’s narration at all. I believe I may have quite vehement in my dislike. But, she has grown on me and has become the voice of this, and other series. Her sound is deep and sonorous, if still a little sing-song. But her accents are good, her men aren’t played as too masculine, and she sounds as if she actually enjoys reading the story.
This story lacks the impact and immediacy of the first two stories in this series. Perhaps because we’ve been hearing about the mysterious past Susanna has never revealed, even to her three closest friends. If she had been less rash as a child (however traumatized), or more trusting as an adult, she might have been less tortured. But alas, “would have, could have, should have” is always a harsh comeuppance. Of course fans of Marry Balogh in general, and this series in particular, will want to dive in.
Read
December 17, 2020Like the rest of the Simply books thus far, Simply Magic is on the quiet, low drama end of the spectrum of Mary Balogh's books. They go almost too quiet, even for me, who likes her fiction low on melodrama and high on fluff. The start of Simply Magic was definitely a slow one for me, but I found myself drawn in and held by the slowly building friendship and feelings between Susanna and Peter.
One thing that I love about Balogh's books is her willingness to write a soft hero. Peter, Viscount Whitleaf, is such a sweet cinnamon roll of a man. He's kind to everyone and flirty, not out of expectation or aim to seduce, but because he merely wishes to make others feel good. He's equally sweet and flirty with young ladies and old women in their dotage. He is, in fact, a man who is more comfortable around women than men. This isn't the kind of man who is traditionally the hero in a romance, and I adore him. And the fact that his emotional arc is him learning to stand up for himself and voice his opinions rather than allowing himself to go along with the wants of others to avoid confrontation? *chef's kiss*
This is not a particularly passionate romance, as, indeed, Balogh's romances tend not to be, though, for a Balogh novel, particularly a fluffy one, there's a decent amount of sex (three whole scenes). Rather than sexual passion, this is a romance driven by emotional and intellectual connection. Susanna initially judges Peter as a shallow flirt, and he wants to earn her good opinion. He finds himself attempting to make a true friend the way he has not in a long time, and they have amusing discussions about philosophy and open up to one another about secrets long held. This is a true friendship and, while they do have physical attraction, I like that that feels like the least important aspect.
The plot does dovetail in theme a bit too closely with the prior book, hitting the same plot beats and relationship development, but this one clicked for me in a way that one did not. I don't know if I would reread this one, but I did end up enjoying it quite a bit.
One thing that I love about Balogh's books is her willingness to write a soft hero. Peter, Viscount Whitleaf, is such a sweet cinnamon roll of a man. He's kind to everyone and flirty, not out of expectation or aim to seduce, but because he merely wishes to make others feel good. He's equally sweet and flirty with young ladies and old women in their dotage. He is, in fact, a man who is more comfortable around women than men. This isn't the kind of man who is traditionally the hero in a romance, and I adore him. And the fact that his emotional arc is him learning to stand up for himself and voice his opinions rather than allowing himself to go along with the wants of others to avoid confrontation? *chef's kiss*
This is not a particularly passionate romance, as, indeed, Balogh's romances tend not to be, though, for a Balogh novel, particularly a fluffy one, there's a decent amount of sex (three whole scenes). Rather than sexual passion, this is a romance driven by emotional and intellectual connection. Susanna initially judges Peter as a shallow flirt, and he wants to earn her good opinion. He finds himself attempting to make a true friend the way he has not in a long time, and they have amusing discussions about philosophy and open up to one another about secrets long held. This is a true friendship and, while they do have physical attraction, I like that that feels like the least important aspect.
The plot does dovetail in theme a bit too closely with the prior book, hitting the same plot beats and relationship development, but this one clicked for me in a way that one did not. I don't know if I would reread this one, but I did end up enjoying it quite a bit.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2015
Si poteva scegliere un titolo più azzeccato per questo romanzo? Non credo, perché anche io l'ho trovato semplicemente magico.
La serie Simply, a cui appartiene essendone il terzo, è meravigliosa, all'altezza di quella dei Bedwin per me. I personaggi bucano le pagine e diventano vivi, con le loro storie toccanti e drammatiche, con i loro dubbi e incertezze, che li rendono imperfetti e intensi. Peter e Susanna hanno lasciato il segno nel mio cuore per questo amore che cresce piano, si confonde nell'amicizia e nella passione, parole che nascondono ben altro. Peter è un uomo di mondo, nobile e gentiluomo di lignaggio ma anche di spirito, simpatico e arguto, gentile con tutti e disponibile, in cerca del suo posto nel mondo, in cerca di sogni da realizzare, piccoli sogni che nulla hanno a che fare con il ton, di cui però è esemplare esponente. E poi c'è Susanna, una ragazza che nasconde un terribile segreto che le ha condizionato la vita, la sua forza interiore l'ha portata comunque a costruirsi un presente di cui va fiera e di cui si sente appagata, fino a che non conosce il visconte e tutto il suo mondo collassa su se stesso, mentre nuove paure e un nuovo sentimento la travolgono.
Lo sviluppo della trama è come sempre impeccabile, come anche la costruzione dei personaggi e delle ambientazioni. Ed è sempre bellissimo per me ritrovare i riferimenti ad altri personaggi da me tanto amati, facendo sì che la Balogh costruisca un universo coerente in cui i beniamini degli altri romanzi vivono e sono felici.
Un piccolo sogno per una lettrice e fan come me.
Ora aspetto la storia di Claudia Martin, non vedo l'ora!
La serie Simply, a cui appartiene essendone il terzo, è meravigliosa, all'altezza di quella dei Bedwin per me. I personaggi bucano le pagine e diventano vivi, con le loro storie toccanti e drammatiche, con i loro dubbi e incertezze, che li rendono imperfetti e intensi. Peter e Susanna hanno lasciato il segno nel mio cuore per questo amore che cresce piano, si confonde nell'amicizia e nella passione, parole che nascondono ben altro. Peter è un uomo di mondo, nobile e gentiluomo di lignaggio ma anche di spirito, simpatico e arguto, gentile con tutti e disponibile, in cerca del suo posto nel mondo, in cerca di sogni da realizzare, piccoli sogni che nulla hanno a che fare con il ton, di cui però è esemplare esponente. E poi c'è Susanna, una ragazza che nasconde un terribile segreto che le ha condizionato la vita, la sua forza interiore l'ha portata comunque a costruirsi un presente di cui va fiera e di cui si sente appagata, fino a che non conosce il visconte e tutto il suo mondo collassa su se stesso, mentre nuove paure e un nuovo sentimento la travolgono.
Lo sviluppo della trama è come sempre impeccabile, come anche la costruzione dei personaggi e delle ambientazioni. Ed è sempre bellissimo per me ritrovare i riferimenti ad altri personaggi da me tanto amati, facendo sì che la Balogh costruisca un universo coerente in cui i beniamini degli altri romanzi vivono e sono felici.
Un piccolo sogno per una lettrice e fan come me.
Ora aspetto la storia di Claudia Martin, non vedo l'ora!
January 2, 2020
2.5 stars. I was disappointed in this book. It dragged on forever with so may times the two main characters thought this is the last time they would see each other again, so...many...times... Secondly the main male character's mother is truly a horrible person and her actions directly hurt the main female character personally. Yet the man tells his "love" that he will keep his mother in his life forever and expects the woman to accept that if they get married. I would have told him where he could go if I got a proposal like that! Mostly boring to read. I kept expecting it to get better but it never did and I usually love Mary Balogh books.
June 24, 2016
Third in the Simply Quartet Regency romance series which carries on from Balogh's Bedwyn Saga and revolving around four teachers at Miss Martin's School for Girls in Bath, England. The couple focus is on Susanna Osbourne and Peter Edgeworth.
The action takes place while Anne Jewell and her son, David, are in Wales ( Simply Love , 2 (8)). It's been two years since events in Simply Unforgettable , 1 (7).
My Take
Poor Peter had done everything expected of him, including fall in love. Who knew he could have such a backbone nor that he would stoop to such menial tasks with such enthusiasm. He's simply too kind, the wretch.
I understand why Balogh had the lovemaking scene, but the lead-up was poorly done. It didn't make sense for Susanna to fall into it as she did. I guess Balogh was simply running out of time. Nor could I buy into Susanna's later reactions to Peter. She knows what that world is like. Sure, Peter's offer was dishonorable, but what did she expect? And, then again, he sure is a dimwit when it comes to his heart.
I like pink, but Viscountess Whitleaf's “destruction” of the drawing room… You'll just shake your head when you hear her say that this refurbishment is for him. Oh. Yeah. ‘Cause what young man doesn't adore pink and lots of frilly, ruffly pillows…?
While I did enjoy Miss Osbourne's determined shunning of Peter, her reasons, when we finally learn what they are, are annoying. Then again, as Balogh dribbles out more and more bits, it does become more understandable…and still annoying. I would have liked an explanation of the tremendous contrast between what Lady Markham said about Susanna back when her father died and what the Markhams are saying now. Was that initial comment out of context or…?
Balogh never does mention what his uncles and guardians did that was so horrible that he's shunned them for the past six years. It's rather surprising since he's so very tolerant of his mother, especially when he finds out how guilty she is of so much.
Jesus, Balogh goes on and on about Susanna's father being a servant, making him sound like he mucked out stables or worked in the gardens. He was Sir Charles' secretary for godsakes. It's a step way above servant.
I do wish Balogh had played off Peter's “There she is” more. Made it more poignant, more emotional and heart-rending.
The Story
Peter should never have mentioned coming home to his earnest mother. Now he'll have to put that trip off…of course, if he hadn't, he'd never have met Miss Osbourne.
The Miss Osbourne who sets Peter a Herculean task.
The Characters
Miss Susanna Osbourne, a former charity student, teaches at Miss Martin's School for Girls in Bath. Her father, William Osbourne, was Sir Charles Markham's secretary. Colonel Clarence and Mrs. Sadie Osbourne and the Reverend Ambrose Clapton are Susanna's long-estranged grandparents.
Miss Martin's School for Girls is…
…in Bath and was created by Claudia Martin who is its headmistress. Miss Lila Walton, a former charity girl, has become a junior teacher. Mr. Keeble is the elderly school porter. Mr.Huckerby is the dancing master. Mademoiselle Étienne is the French teacher. Cecile Pierre. Mr. Upton is the drawing master. Mr. Blake is the physician who attends the school when someone is ill. Mr. Hatchard is Miss Martin's solicitor and London agent. Agnes Ryde is a new charity girl having great difficulties. Betsy Reynolds is a day pupil. Mary Fisher is a middle school boarder.
The twenty-six-year-old Peter Edgeworth, Viscount Whitleaf, loves the ladies, just not that much. His country estate is Sidley Park. His mother is the nasty, mean-minded, hypocritical bitch, Viscountess Whitleaf, with lots and lots of nasty secrets. His sisters included Barbara (married to Clarence), Doris, Amy (married to Bertie Lamb, Peter's favorite brother-in-law), Belinda, and Josephine. Millingsworth is his condescending steward.
Lauren, Viscountess Ravensberg, is Peter's cousin. She's married to Kit ( A Summer to Remember , 0.6), and they have children: Andrew and Sophia. The Earl and Countess of Ravensburg are Kit's parents, and they all live at Alvesley. Sydnam Butler is Kit's younger brother who just married Anne Jewell, another former teacher from Miss Martin's.
The Duke and Duchess of Bewcastle ( Slightly Dangerous , 6 & last) are their neighbors. Mrs. and Miss Eleanor Thompson are the duchess' mother and sister. The Bedwyns and Ravensbergs are heading back to Bath for a surprise celebration of Sydnam and Anne's marriage. Lady Freyja Bedwyn is the sister of the Duke of Bewcastle and married to Joshua Moore, Marquess of Hallmere ( Slightly Scandalous , 3). Lady Potford is Joshua's grandmother. More siblings include Lord and Lady Aidan Bedwyn ( Slightly Married , 1) and Lord and Lady Alleyne Bedwyn ( Slightly Sinful , 5) who are in Bath.
Fincham Manor is the home of the Markhams. Theo Markham is the head of the house and brother to Edith Markham with whom Susanna grew up. Edith has married Lawrence Morley and lives in Gloucestershire. They have a newborn son, Jamie. Lady Markham is their mother.
Other neighbors near Sidley Park include the Harrises, the Mummerts, and the Poles.
Somerset is…
…where Hareford House, the Raycroft family home, is located. John Raycroft is Peter's friend and betrothed to Alice Hickmore who has gone off to Vienna. His sisters include Miss Rosamond.
Lucius and Frances Marshall, the Earl and Countess of Edgecombe ( Simply Unforgettable ) who live at Barclay Court, are their traveling neighbors — she's a famous opera signer. Frances had been a teacher at Miss Martin's. Smothers is their butler. Gertrude, Jane, and Mary Calvert are neighbors of the Raycrofts. Mr. Finn, another neighbor, a gentleman farmer, and the earl's tenant has two left feet. More neighbors include Mr. Birney, the local vicar; Mr. Dannen does love his monologues; Miss Krebbs; Miss Honeydew is a sister of the newly deceased vicar; Mrs. and Miss Moss; and, Mr. Crossley is a widower.
Miss Rose Larchwell is but the latest of the young hopefuls Peter's mother is trying to thrust down his throat. Bertha Grantham is a young lady from whom Peter withdrew his unspoken suit. Arabella Flynn-Posy is the Christmas hopeful.
The Cover and Title
The cover is the cheerful green of a garden with a stone birdbath resting in the center with its sculpture of two loving children on top and surrounded by blooming flowers around it and blooming bushes in the distant background. The author's name is in an embossed white while the title is in an embossed metallic red.
The title is what each feels when s/he see the other, a moment that was Simply Magic.
The action takes place while Anne Jewell and her son, David, are in Wales ( Simply Love , 2 (8)). It's been two years since events in Simply Unforgettable , 1 (7).
My Take
Poor Peter had done everything expected of him, including fall in love. Who knew he could have such a backbone nor that he would stoop to such menial tasks with such enthusiasm. He's simply too kind, the wretch.
I understand why Balogh had the lovemaking scene, but the lead-up was poorly done. It didn't make sense for Susanna to fall into it as she did. I guess Balogh was simply running out of time. Nor could I buy into Susanna's later reactions to Peter. She knows what that world is like. Sure, Peter's offer was dishonorable, but what did she expect? And, then again, he sure is a dimwit when it comes to his heart.
I like pink, but Viscountess Whitleaf's “destruction” of the drawing room… You'll just shake your head when you hear her say that this refurbishment is for him. Oh. Yeah. ‘Cause what young man doesn't adore pink and lots of frilly, ruffly pillows…?
While I did enjoy Miss Osbourne's determined shunning of Peter, her reasons, when we finally learn what they are, are annoying. Then again, as Balogh dribbles out more and more bits, it does become more understandable…and still annoying. I would have liked an explanation of the tremendous contrast between what Lady Markham said about Susanna back when her father died and what the Markhams are saying now. Was that initial comment out of context or…?
Balogh never does mention what his uncles and guardians did that was so horrible that he's shunned them for the past six years. It's rather surprising since he's so very tolerant of his mother, especially when he finds out how guilty she is of so much.
Jesus, Balogh goes on and on about Susanna's father being a servant, making him sound like he mucked out stables or worked in the gardens. He was Sir Charles' secretary for godsakes. It's a step way above servant.
I do wish Balogh had played off Peter's “There she is” more. Made it more poignant, more emotional and heart-rending.
The Story
Peter should never have mentioned coming home to his earnest mother. Now he'll have to put that trip off…of course, if he hadn't, he'd never have met Miss Osbourne.
The Miss Osbourne who sets Peter a Herculean task.
The Characters
Miss Susanna Osbourne, a former charity student, teaches at Miss Martin's School for Girls in Bath. Her father, William Osbourne, was Sir Charles Markham's secretary. Colonel Clarence and Mrs. Sadie Osbourne and the Reverend Ambrose Clapton are Susanna's long-estranged grandparents.
Miss Martin's School for Girls is…
…in Bath and was created by Claudia Martin who is its headmistress. Miss Lila Walton, a former charity girl, has become a junior teacher. Mr. Keeble is the elderly school porter. Mr.Huckerby is the dancing master. Mademoiselle Étienne is the French teacher. Cecile Pierre. Mr. Upton is the drawing master. Mr. Blake is the physician who attends the school when someone is ill. Mr. Hatchard is Miss Martin's solicitor and London agent. Agnes Ryde is a new charity girl having great difficulties. Betsy Reynolds is a day pupil. Mary Fisher is a middle school boarder.
The twenty-six-year-old Peter Edgeworth, Viscount Whitleaf, loves the ladies, just not that much. His country estate is Sidley Park. His mother is the nasty, mean-minded, hypocritical bitch, Viscountess Whitleaf, with lots and lots of nasty secrets. His sisters included Barbara (married to Clarence), Doris, Amy (married to Bertie Lamb, Peter's favorite brother-in-law), Belinda, and Josephine. Millingsworth is his condescending steward.
Lauren, Viscountess Ravensberg, is Peter's cousin. She's married to Kit ( A Summer to Remember , 0.6), and they have children: Andrew and Sophia. The Earl and Countess of Ravensburg are Kit's parents, and they all live at Alvesley. Sydnam Butler is Kit's younger brother who just married Anne Jewell, another former teacher from Miss Martin's.
The Duke and Duchess of Bewcastle ( Slightly Dangerous , 6 & last) are their neighbors. Mrs. and Miss Eleanor Thompson are the duchess' mother and sister. The Bedwyns and Ravensbergs are heading back to Bath for a surprise celebration of Sydnam and Anne's marriage. Lady Freyja Bedwyn is the sister of the Duke of Bewcastle and married to Joshua Moore, Marquess of Hallmere ( Slightly Scandalous , 3). Lady Potford is Joshua's grandmother. More siblings include Lord and Lady Aidan Bedwyn ( Slightly Married , 1) and Lord and Lady Alleyne Bedwyn ( Slightly Sinful , 5) who are in Bath.
Fincham Manor is the home of the Markhams. Theo Markham is the head of the house and brother to Edith Markham with whom Susanna grew up. Edith has married Lawrence Morley and lives in Gloucestershire. They have a newborn son, Jamie. Lady Markham is their mother.
Other neighbors near Sidley Park include the Harrises, the Mummerts, and the Poles.
Somerset is…
…where Hareford House, the Raycroft family home, is located. John Raycroft is Peter's friend and betrothed to Alice Hickmore who has gone off to Vienna. His sisters include Miss Rosamond.
Lucius and Frances Marshall, the Earl and Countess of Edgecombe ( Simply Unforgettable ) who live at Barclay Court, are their traveling neighbors — she's a famous opera signer. Frances had been a teacher at Miss Martin's. Smothers is their butler. Gertrude, Jane, and Mary Calvert are neighbors of the Raycrofts. Mr. Finn, another neighbor, a gentleman farmer, and the earl's tenant has two left feet. More neighbors include Mr. Birney, the local vicar; Mr. Dannen does love his monologues; Miss Krebbs; Miss Honeydew is a sister of the newly deceased vicar; Mrs. and Miss Moss; and, Mr. Crossley is a widower.
Miss Rose Larchwell is but the latest of the young hopefuls Peter's mother is trying to thrust down his throat. Bertha Grantham is a young lady from whom Peter withdrew his unspoken suit. Arabella Flynn-Posy is the Christmas hopeful.
The Cover and Title
The cover is the cheerful green of a garden with a stone birdbath resting in the center with its sculpture of two loving children on top and surrounded by blooming flowers around it and blooming bushes in the distant background. The author's name is in an embossed white while the title is in an embossed metallic red.
The title is what each feels when s/he see the other, a moment that was Simply Magic.
December 17, 2024
**Most of my reviews contain detailed Content Notes (including CW/TW) sections, which may include spoilers and general tags. I have tried to mark them appropriately, but please use caution.**
4/5
Audio (Rosalyn Landor)
* Summary: Schoolteacher hiding a secret from her childhood meets a flirty nobleman who brings back painful memories.
* Stats: HR (Regency), M/F, open door, part of a series but could stand alone.
* Notes: I really enjoyed this one - not my favourite Balogh but up there, although the ultimate reveal/secret/conflict is a bit odd and both characters somewhat strange martyrdom and resignation got a bit… boring? I liked both main characters, found their interactions believable as friendship, and as attraction, and liked the way that the sex scenes worked out in this one. The whole crew are bouncing around in the background, but not too loudly. Look, it’s a bit of a repetitive formula - but it’s been a while since I’ve read one of her books, so it worked for me here. The first half is definitely the stronger half as the plot does come off the rails a bit in the end.
OTT and Spoilery Content Notes:
4/5
Audio (Rosalyn Landor)
* Summary: Schoolteacher hiding a secret from her childhood meets a flirty nobleman who brings back painful memories.
* Stats: HR (Regency), M/F, open door, part of a series but could stand alone.
* Notes: I really enjoyed this one - not my favourite Balogh but up there, although the ultimate reveal/secret/conflict is a bit odd and both characters somewhat strange martyrdom and resignation got a bit… boring? I liked both main characters, found their interactions believable as friendship, and as attraction, and liked the way that the sex scenes worked out in this one. The whole crew are bouncing around in the background, but not too loudly. Look, it’s a bit of a repetitive formula - but it’s been a while since I’ve read one of her books, so it worked for me here. The first half is definitely the stronger half as the plot does come off the rails a bit in the end.
OTT and Spoilery Content Notes:
July 19, 2020
Trata de engañarnos con esa portada ardiente, pero nada más lejos de la realidad. Un romance sumamente clásico, al estilo de Jane Austen y las series de la BBC. Modales exquisitos, paseos por la campiña inglesa, tardes de té y veladas entre familias vecinas.
Todo se rige por una etiqueta elitista y proteccionista, aunque priman las conexiones familiares y las relaciones amistosas. Por ello se cruzan los caminos del vizconde de Whitleaf y la maestra de escuela Susanna Osbourne. Resulta gracioso que al principio el afable y guapo vizconde le caiga mal a la maestra. Claro que hay un drama soterrado que marca la relación fortuita entre dos personas de tan dispar clase social.
La lectura es parsimoniosa, bucólica. Conocemos al detalle el paisaje, las costumbres y las invitaciones entre gentiles damas y caballeros, mientras se desarrolla la amistad respetuosa entre Susanna y Peter. Me ha llenado de contento y paz porque necesitaba esta clase de historia tan ceremoniosa y con un lenguaje educado. Ella es una mujer práctica, con un pasado duro y un presente dedicado al deber. No se deja llevar por romanticismos y la tendencia inofensiva al flirteo, además de su superficialidad, del vizconde.
De ahí nacerá un reto mutuo que los cambia imperceptiblemente al principio hasta que los secretos del pasado y las decisiones del presente se cruzan en un final de profundas emociones y bellos sentimientos.
Qué inglés y qué bonito ha sido todo.
Todo se rige por una etiqueta elitista y proteccionista, aunque priman las conexiones familiares y las relaciones amistosas. Por ello se cruzan los caminos del vizconde de Whitleaf y la maestra de escuela Susanna Osbourne. Resulta gracioso que al principio el afable y guapo vizconde le caiga mal a la maestra. Claro que hay un drama soterrado que marca la relación fortuita entre dos personas de tan dispar clase social.
La lectura es parsimoniosa, bucólica. Conocemos al detalle el paisaje, las costumbres y las invitaciones entre gentiles damas y caballeros, mientras se desarrolla la amistad respetuosa entre Susanna y Peter. Me ha llenado de contento y paz porque necesitaba esta clase de historia tan ceremoniosa y con un lenguaje educado. Ella es una mujer práctica, con un pasado duro y un presente dedicado al deber. No se deja llevar por romanticismos y la tendencia inofensiva al flirteo, además de su superficialidad, del vizconde.
De ahí nacerá un reto mutuo que los cambia imperceptiblemente al principio hasta que los secretos del pasado y las decisiones del presente se cruzan en un final de profundas emociones y bellos sentimientos.
Qué inglés y qué bonito ha sido todo.
November 1, 2023
Simply Magic: ★ ★ ★ . 5
Mary Balogh (Simply Quartet, #3)
“Miss Osbourne,” he said, “would you do me the honor of waltzing with me?”
Another half audiobook half Kindle read for Peter and Susanna's story! I liked this story and the characters–the shameless flirt Peter and the strict-ish teacher with a past, Susanna–and the emotional connection is definitely there but it really was only the shining light for me in the first half of the book.
Once we got to the second half, it became to muddled with the side plot of Susanna's father and how to orchestrate all these chance meetings between them. Not to mention, the classic Mary Balogh heroine constantly believing that there is just no earthly way she will ever be able to marry the hero and therefore she must be resigned to be a spinster forevermore who had a lovely, passionate tryst with a viscount/earl/duke that one time.
Still a good book that I enjoyed, especially all their dances!
Mary Balogh (Simply Quartet, #3)
“Miss Osbourne,” he said, “would you do me the honor of waltzing with me?”
Another half audiobook half Kindle read for Peter and Susanna's story! I liked this story and the characters–the shameless flirt Peter and the strict-ish teacher with a past, Susanna–and the emotional connection is definitely there but it really was only the shining light for me in the first half of the book.
Once we got to the second half, it became to muddled with the side plot of Susanna's father and how to orchestrate all these chance meetings between them. Not to mention, the classic Mary Balogh heroine constantly believing that there is just no earthly way she will ever be able to marry the hero and therefore she must be resigned to be a spinster forevermore who had a lovely, passionate tryst with a viscount/earl/duke that one time.
Still a good book that I enjoyed, especially all their dances!
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