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Huxtable Quintet #5
A Secret Affair
This edition contains an excerpt from Mary Balogh's The Secret Mistress.Born a commoner, Hannah Reid has been Duchess of Dunbarton since she was nineteen years old. Now her husband is dead and, more beautiful than ever at thirty, Hannah has her freedom at last. To the shock of a conventional friend, she announces her intention to take a lover—and not just any lover, but the most dangerous and delicious man in all of upper-class Constantine Huxtable. Constantine’s illegitimacy has denied him the title of earl, so now he denies himself nothing. Rumored to be living the easy life of a sensualist on his country estate, he always chooses recent widows for his short-lived affairs. Hannah will fit the bill nicely. But once these two passionate and scandalous figures find each other, they discover that it isn’t so easy to extricate oneself from the fires of desire—without getting singed.
402 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 12, 2010
440 people are currently reading
2519 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 579 reviews
August 17, 2014
How to fill 340 pages with almost nothing: Have a character think a thought, significant or banal. Then modify it. Question or contradict it. Reiterate it. Ad nauseum.
Despite not caring much for the Huxtable series, I had hopes for this final book. The set-up for Constantine was the most interesting part of the previous books. And since this one had a much longer publishing schedule than the other books, I hoped it would be less repetitive and more original.
Instead it may be the most tedious book Balogh has ever written.
There's a pretty good story in here, in parts. Con's secret, though not given a very dramatic reveal, is emotionally satisfying. Hannah has a good backstory too, though part of it is cliched enough to make seasoned romance readers roll their eyes. And though I respect Balogh for writing characters with flaws -- Hannah is vain, imperious and plays games -- I wish she would come up with a more original and meaningful way of redeeming them than secret philanthropy.
There were some emotional moments towards the end that touched me. But I couldn't stop noticing it: even in their most passionate moments of speaking, the characters would use that little trick. Say something. Modify it. Contradict it. Reiterate it. Or variations thereof. It made it very hard to get caught up in the moment and appreciate the story.
Balogh is one of my very favorite writers, and I thoroughly enjoyed her recent novella, A Matter of Class. But I suspect that as far as novels go, this may be the middle of the end.
Despite not caring much for the Huxtable series, I had hopes for this final book. The set-up for Constantine was the most interesting part of the previous books. And since this one had a much longer publishing schedule than the other books, I hoped it would be less repetitive and more original.
Instead it may be the most tedious book Balogh has ever written.
There's a pretty good story in here, in parts. Con's secret, though not given a very dramatic reveal, is emotionally satisfying. Hannah has a good backstory too, though part of it is cliched enough to make seasoned romance readers roll their eyes. And though I respect Balogh for writing characters with flaws -- Hannah is vain, imperious and plays games -- I wish she would come up with a more original and meaningful way of redeeming them than secret philanthropy.
There were some emotional moments towards the end that touched me. But I couldn't stop noticing it: even in their most passionate moments of speaking, the characters would use that little trick. Say something. Modify it. Contradict it. Reiterate it. Or variations thereof. It made it very hard to get caught up in the moment and appreciate the story.
Balogh is one of my very favorite writers, and I thoroughly enjoyed her recent novella, A Matter of Class. But I suspect that as far as novels go, this may be the middle of the end.
June 15, 2017
2017 Update - ★★★★✩ Reread and enjoyed it more this go-around. Then again, I hadn't read all the previous books in the series, so Con wasn't such a big change in character for me (though I do remember his actions in previous books). I've had a cold and Ms. Balogh is always good for a “comfort” re-reading.
Old Review: Really more toward ★★★½ stars, but I conceded the point for one of my favorite “auto-buy” authors. I eagerly anticipated the telling of wicked bad-boy, Constantine Huxtable, and yet Ms. Balogh went for the punt to safely gain a second-base run instead of the “out-of-the-park” home-run she is more than capable of. She is such a talented author, I can’t help believing she could have pulled all this off while leaving some of Con’s deliciously devious side intact. Somehow, he was a changed man by the end of the book; although, I liked that he was .
Unlike others, I liked Hannah Reid, and the twist in her back story with her sister and the reason for her hasty marriage was a nice touch, IMHO.
Old Review: Really more toward ★★★½ stars, but I conceded the point for one of my favorite “auto-buy” authors. I eagerly anticipated the telling of wicked bad-boy, Constantine Huxtable, and yet Ms. Balogh went for the punt to safely gain a second-base run instead of the “out-of-the-park” home-run she is more than capable of. She is such a talented author, I can’t help believing she could have pulled all this off while leaving some of Con’s deliciously devious side intact. Somehow, he was a changed man by the end of the book; although, I liked that he was .
Unlike others, I liked Hannah Reid, and the twist in her back story with her sister and the reason for her hasty marriage was a nice touch, IMHO.
March 16, 2018
I liked this one very much!:)
August 14, 2013
Guess what? A Lady Awakened has a precedent. This novel predates ALA but the seemingly cold, widowed duchess thinks in tight, "one must' constructions and guards her self-control. But I really like this gal. The battle of wills commences at H/h's first meeting, before which she'd determined he would be her lover. He hopes to peel away her layers. Oh yeah, baby. Happy, happy, joy, joy!
She's known to be a cold, grasping female, now widowed, who managed to marry an aging duke and take him for all he was worth in his dotage. He was the eldest but illegitimate son of an earl, who's lived a sybaritic life on his own terms but one final scandal sent him scurrying to the continent to lay low. She's set her sights on taking him as her first lover out of mourning.
This is a peel-the-onion story by a master of the kind. We learn slowly who lives behind the reputations they have each allowed to arise about them. They are not who they seem to be. Each has reasons to have developed an impenetrable facade rather than allow anyone to see their vulnerabilities or exploit them.
Just a great, intense stripping away of armor to reveal the people these two are, did I mention that I loved them both, but esp. him? The best part was the initial and ongoing battle of wills between the woman who knew how to be an imperious duchess and the self-possessed alpha male, Mr. Huxtable. Delicious chemistry crackled between combatants.
Case in point: She's decided to make him her lover. They come to agreement eventually but he tells her to come to his house by eleven for their assignation or he won't receive her. Naturally, she intentionally shows up late and finds his door locked. She's about to leave but he opens it and sweeps her into a bone-melting kiss...The duchess chides:
"If you wished to take a firm stand with me, you ought not to have opened the door."
"And if you had wanted to take a firm stand with me," he said, "you would not have got out of the carriage to creep up the steps and try the door handle."
"I did not creep," she protested, "I swept."
"It still showed how desperate you were to get at me," he said.
"And why exactly," she asked, "were you skulking behind the door, key at the ready? Because you did not want me to get at you? And why did you open the door?"
"I took pity on you," he said.
Rrrowwwwlllllll! They are so well matched this was an incandescent romance.
She's known to be a cold, grasping female, now widowed, who managed to marry an aging duke and take him for all he was worth in his dotage. He was the eldest but illegitimate son of an earl, who's lived a sybaritic life on his own terms but one final scandal sent him scurrying to the continent to lay low. She's set her sights on taking him as her first lover out of mourning.
This is a peel-the-onion story by a master of the kind. We learn slowly who lives behind the reputations they have each allowed to arise about them. They are not who they seem to be. Each has reasons to have developed an impenetrable facade rather than allow anyone to see their vulnerabilities or exploit them.
Just a great, intense stripping away of armor to reveal the people these two are, did I mention that I loved them both, but esp. him? The best part was the initial and ongoing battle of wills between the woman who knew how to be an imperious duchess and the self-possessed alpha male, Mr. Huxtable. Delicious chemistry crackled between combatants.
Case in point: She's decided to make him her lover. They come to agreement eventually but he tells her to come to his house by eleven for their assignation or he won't receive her. Naturally, she intentionally shows up late and finds his door locked. She's about to leave but he opens it and sweeps her into a bone-melting kiss...The duchess chides:
"If you wished to take a firm stand with me, you ought not to have opened the door."
"And if you had wanted to take a firm stand with me," he said, "you would not have got out of the carriage to creep up the steps and try the door handle."
"I did not creep," she protested, "I swept."
"It still showed how desperate you were to get at me," he said.
"And why exactly," she asked, "were you skulking behind the door, key at the ready? Because you did not want me to get at you? And why did you open the door?"
"I took pity on you," he said.
Rrrowwwwlllllll! They are so well matched this was an incandescent romance.
October 9, 2010
If you have been following the Huxtable series by Mary Balogh then you will definitely want to read A Secret Affair. It is the long-awaited story of Con Huxtable, and the final installment in the series...tying up all the loose ends from the other four books.
It stands to reason that the dark, brooding mysterious Con.. nicknamed The Devil by the ton...would have a somewhat unconventional premise for his story. The heroine is the widowed Duchess of Dunbarton, an unrivaled beauty who was married for 10 years to a man 54 years her senior. Surprisingly, she was very happy in her marriage and deeply mourned his passing. But when the mourning period had passed, Hannah returned from her country home to London with the intent of procuring a lover for the Season...and her sights were set on Constantine Huxtable.
Both Con and Hannah began their affair with no thought other than to slake their lust for each other, as often as possible, for the duration of the spring. And they did just that. But who would Balogh be if she didn't weave a beautiful, touching and believable romance into the coupling? It is precisely books like this one that puts her in the elite "cut above" group of romance authors. Reading this book, if you aren't a MB fan you'll become one and if you already are a fan, you'll be reassured as to why. Something about her style of writing exudes such grace and elegance that it's almost a tangible thing...you are drawn into the story and swept away to that time and place 200 years ago.
I'm not going to write a synopsis because the plot isn't so remarkable that it would entice you to want to read the book...but the story telling is. It is by far the best installment in the series; and, if you like audio books, this makes for an excellent choice. I don't, however, recommend A Secret Affair as a stand-alone read because MB does not go into a lot of detail about the other Huxtables (all of whom are major secondary characters) and you might not appreciate the complexity of Con's character or understand exactly who the Huxtables are and Con's unique relationship with each of them. Then again, who am I to keep someone from reading a great book? In fact, it might be that much more appealing because MB doesn't embark on long-winded summaries of the preceding installments in the series.
*sigh* I keep telling myself that what they say about blondes isn't true but...
It stands to reason that the dark, brooding mysterious Con.. nicknamed The Devil by the ton...would have a somewhat unconventional premise for his story. The heroine is the widowed Duchess of Dunbarton, an unrivaled beauty who was married for 10 years to a man 54 years her senior. Surprisingly, she was very happy in her marriage and deeply mourned his passing. But when the mourning period had passed, Hannah returned from her country home to London with the intent of procuring a lover for the Season...and her sights were set on Constantine Huxtable.
Both Con and Hannah began their affair with no thought other than to slake their lust for each other, as often as possible, for the duration of the spring. And they did just that. But who would Balogh be if she didn't weave a beautiful, touching and believable romance into the coupling? It is precisely books like this one that puts her in the elite "cut above" group of romance authors. Reading this book, if you aren't a MB fan you'll become one and if you already are a fan, you'll be reassured as to why. Something about her style of writing exudes such grace and elegance that it's almost a tangible thing...you are drawn into the story and swept away to that time and place 200 years ago.
I'm not going to write a synopsis because the plot isn't so remarkable that it would entice you to want to read the book...but the story telling is. It is by far the best installment in the series; and, if you like audio books, this makes for an excellent choice. I don't, however, recommend A Secret Affair as a stand-alone read because MB does not go into a lot of detail about the other Huxtables (all of whom are major secondary characters) and you might not appreciate the complexity of Con's character or understand exactly who the Huxtables are and Con's unique relationship with each of them. Then again, who am I to keep someone from reading a great book? In fact, it might be that much more appealing because MB doesn't embark on long-winded summaries of the preceding installments in the series.
*sigh* I keep telling myself that what they say about blondes isn't true but...
December 13, 2018
Unfortunately, I had to read this book as a BOOK, not on my ipad, since I got it a long time ago and don't want to also pay again for the Kindle version. It was interesting reading a book and turning actual pages again - it's been a long time since I've done that!!
This is my favorite book by Mary Balogh of all time!! So 5 solid stars!!
I absolutely ADORE the heroine. Normally, I start a review for a romance book raving about the H. The H is why I read these books after all. I want to fall in love with the H of every romance book. But Hannah is PERFECT!! I love her wit, passion, maturity, playfulness! I love how she singled Con out and went after him and how she played the game so very well, even tho he knew exactly what she was doing. I want to be her bff. She's my very favorite MB heroine!!
I am in LUST (and love) with the Hero. Half Greek, Half English, dark and tall, honed and tanned and leanly muscular, my favorite kind of Hero!!!! WHat's not to like?? But more than that, how deeply he loves (tho his stubbornness is beyond ridiculous, the grudge he holds with Eliott his cousin), how much he cares, how he plays along with Hannah's game but also sets his own rules. Constantine is such a MAN!! Sigh....
I love the way they met! Cracked me up and made me swoon! How she purposely snubbed him by not giving him her hand to kiss despite doing so with his 2 companions, how she eyed him very pointedly from his boots to his hard thighs to his... to his face :P Those "..." gave me all sorts of tingles! :) Good lord! I want to BE her! If only I can have my pick of handsome, virile men with just a look and a suggestive glint in my eye :) But Hannah does have her perfect beauty going for her, and her wit and fortune and complete self-possession. Can't match that!
The climactic romantic gesture toward the end was to DIE FOR!! You just have to read it, you have to! Any lover of regency/ victorian historical romance needs to read THIS BOOK
MB displayed a playfulness and humor blended with passion on maturity in this book that surpasses any other I've read by her (and I've read quite a few). I LOVE this side of her writing. I wish she did more like this.
A+!
This is my favorite book by Mary Balogh of all time!! So 5 solid stars!!
I absolutely ADORE the heroine. Normally, I start a review for a romance book raving about the H. The H is why I read these books after all. I want to fall in love with the H of every romance book. But Hannah is PERFECT!! I love her wit, passion, maturity, playfulness! I love how she singled Con out and went after him and how she played the game so very well, even tho he knew exactly what she was doing. I want to be her bff. She's my very favorite MB heroine!!
I am in LUST (and love) with the Hero. Half Greek, Half English, dark and tall, honed and tanned and leanly muscular, my favorite kind of Hero!!!! WHat's not to like?? But more than that, how deeply he loves (tho his stubbornness is beyond ridiculous, the grudge he holds with Eliott his cousin), how much he cares, how he plays along with Hannah's game but also sets his own rules. Constantine is such a MAN!! Sigh....
I love the way they met! Cracked me up and made me swoon! How she purposely snubbed him by not giving him her hand to kiss despite doing so with his 2 companions, how she eyed him very pointedly from his boots to his hard thighs to his... to his face :P Those "..." gave me all sorts of tingles! :) Good lord! I want to BE her! If only I can have my pick of handsome, virile men with just a look and a suggestive glint in my eye :) But Hannah does have her perfect beauty going for her, and her wit and fortune and complete self-possession. Can't match that!
The climactic romantic gesture toward the end was to DIE FOR!! You just have to read it, you have to! Any lover of regency/ victorian historical romance needs to read THIS BOOK
MB displayed a playfulness and humor blended with passion on maturity in this book that surpasses any other I've read by her (and I've read quite a few). I LOVE this side of her writing. I wish she did more like this.
A+!
November 3, 2022
4.5⭐
After the first book, I couldn't have imagined that I would love Constantine Huxtable this much. And Hannah, she is his perfect match... in every sense.
After the first book, I couldn't have imagined that I would love Constantine Huxtable this much. And Hannah, she is his perfect match... in every sense.
February 16, 2012
Five stars means that I thoroughly enjoyed this book -- particularly because I had read its four predecessors. It would be much less enjoyable as a standalone.
What I Liked
Constantine! He's been a looming, sometimes gloomy, presence in the four previous books. Dark, handsome, mysterious. The Duchess of Dunbarton picks him to be her lover for precisely these reasons, but she's in for a surprise.
The Duchess of Dunbarton. She's glamorous, haughty and cold-hearted. And that's why Constantine agrees to be her lover for the Season. Naturally, he's in for a surprise too.
The Duke of Dunbarton (and by the way shouldn't he have been Scottish?) He's already dead before the book begins, but the duchess talks about him constantly. She loved him and truly grieves his passing. He married her, a country nobody, to rescue her from a tragic situation and taught her how to be a Duchess with a capital D. The duke's backstory gradually comes out, and it's quite touching.
The Huxtable family. All of Constantine's cousins, their spouses, and their children play prominent roles in the story. It's nice to catch up with them and learn what's happened over the years.
The inner dialog. Through this we learn how Constantine and Hannah gradually correct their misperceptions of one another and reluctantly fall in love.
What I Didn't Like
The inner dialog. There's WAY too much of it.
The hotness. Or rather lack thereof. Somehow, I just didn't feel the heat. Perhaps it was because of the unromantic nature of the lovers' brief midnight assignations.
The last two chapters. The obligatory wedding was overly orchestrated and wrapped up so many loose ends that it became just too much.
The epilogue. I simply hate, hate, hate the "And Baby Makes Three" epilogues that so many authors seem to feel obligated to add. Oh, and puppies makes it even worse.
What Bugged Me
I don't think that putting "a spin" on some event was part of the Regency vocabulary.
What I Liked
Constantine! He's been a looming, sometimes gloomy, presence in the four previous books. Dark, handsome, mysterious. The Duchess of Dunbarton picks him to be her lover for precisely these reasons, but she's in for a surprise.
The Duchess of Dunbarton. She's glamorous, haughty and cold-hearted. And that's why Constantine agrees to be her lover for the Season. Naturally, he's in for a surprise too.
The Duke of Dunbarton (and by the way shouldn't he have been Scottish?) He's already dead before the book begins, but the duchess talks about him constantly. She loved him and truly grieves his passing. He married her, a country nobody, to rescue her from a tragic situation and taught her how to be a Duchess with a capital D. The duke's backstory gradually comes out, and it's quite touching.
The Huxtable family. All of Constantine's cousins, their spouses, and their children play prominent roles in the story. It's nice to catch up with them and learn what's happened over the years.
The inner dialog. Through this we learn how Constantine and Hannah gradually correct their misperceptions of one another and reluctantly fall in love.
What I Didn't Like
The inner dialog. There's WAY too much of it.
The hotness. Or rather lack thereof. Somehow, I just didn't feel the heat. Perhaps it was because of the unromantic nature of the lovers' brief midnight assignations.
The last two chapters. The obligatory wedding was overly orchestrated and wrapped up so many loose ends that it became just too much.
The epilogue. I simply hate, hate, hate the "And Baby Makes Three" epilogues that so many authors seem to feel obligated to add. Oh, and puppies makes it even worse.
What Bugged Me
I don't think that putting "a spin" on some event was part of the Regency vocabulary.
December 15, 2010
This was another audiobook for me (which is in keeping with this series for me -- I've only listened to the books for this series). It's been an up and down ride, and with the book prior to this one, "Seducing an Angel" being a 2-star book for me, I was hoping MB had recaptured a bit more of her "MB" magic for this one. She'd written this series starting out with Constantine ("Con"), our hero, as one of the "anchors" to the family and series. Then she carried his character throughout the books, shrouding him in mystery and bad boy angst (yum! :). Naturally she was leading us down the path with increasing tension (as all good series are supposed to do), anticipating hearing his story in full. Maybe the plan went awry somewhere (too much expectation building comes to mind). Mary Balogh can't write a "bad" book! That said, she is quite talented enough to write a "phoned in" book that hits all the notes, without being particularly inspiring. That's "A Secret Affair."
Rather than my churning one out, this is a pretty accurate synopsis for our heroine, Hannah, which is from the back blub:
"Her name is Hannah Reid. Born a commoner, she has been Duchess of Dunbarton ever since she was 19 years old, the wife of an elderly duke to whom she has been rumored to be consistently and flagrantly unfaithful. Now the old duke is dead and, more womanly and beautiful than ever at 30, Hannah has her freedom at last.
And she knows just what she wants to do with it. To the shock of a conventional friend, she announces her intention to take a lover - and not just any lover, but the most dangerous and delicious man in all of upper-class England: Constantine Huxtable."
Nice set-up for Hannah's story, and it followed that path exactly. But here's where it fell flat for me: Hannah's character by half-way through had me really straining to experiencing true empathy or feeling. I knew logically by everything provided by MB on her background and heart I should be feeling extremely "touched" (emotional and heart-achey) for her, and being a pretty intuitive and empathetic reader, I should have been really engrossed by that point. I just wasn't! Hannah was just too "matter-of-fact" about her beauty, prestige, and wealth. And yes, I knew that was supposed to be the particular exploration of empathy for the flip-side that her character is supposed to be dealing with (i.e. don't hate me because I'm beautiful; money can't buy happiness; vulnerability beyond the mask, etc., etc., yadda, yadda). Don't get me wrong, I'm ready and willing to look beyond stereotypes and find the vulnerabilities we all suffer. Sometimes I feel better-equipped at withholding judgment than some others, being ready and willing to switch my opinion when presented with an alternative picture. However, even though MB kept "writing" all the psychologically necessary information to truly empathize, it wasn't enough to REALLY erase the niggling mercenary quality that was Hannah's facade. And I even BELIEVED Hannah's was in fact a facade, (Ya - this is where we can all say it together ... MB is guilty of "telling not showing" enough). Consequently, it just didn't inspire "honest emotion" in me. Rather, it was more like a feeling of, "Okay, I agree those facts are self-evident as to Hannah." I should feel bad for her. (Yawn!)
Here's Con's back blub:
"Constantine’s illegitimacy has denied him the title of Earl, so now he denies himself nothing... or so the ton would have it. Rumored to be living the free and easy life of a sensualist in his country estate, he always chooses recent widows for his short-lived affairs. Hannah will fit the bill nicely."
Hannah and Con do meet with the single-minded plan of just having an affair. And that's exactly how they go forward. The experienced romance reader knows it's the set up for a "simple affair with no strings attached" going down the plotline of inconvenient "feelings" popping up for the characters and messing up the plan. And they do. And it does. (Yawn!) And there is the crux of the problem with this story remaining luke-warm instead of sizzling hot! Ironically, the love scenes MB isn't known for generally, were pretty sizzling hot in this book for a change. That was nice, but not nice enough to jack-up the stars. Likewise the mystery contained in Con's "rumored" life versus the realities of his life were also exemplary MB writing ... but, again, somehow turned out to be anticlimatic by the end. One reviewer I read here on GR noted Con has kind of "morphed" in his book, and although MB portrayed him as the typical stoic male with regard to his feelings ... he just didn't seem to match his bad boy angst/"Devil" rep. gathered in the other books. One more time (EVERYBODY sing along now) ... "telling not showing"! It's the only explanation I can come up with for a book that kept me reading, LOGICALLY was well written and plotted, yet left me at the last page thinking ... "What am I going to read next?!" That's about how long this book "lingered."
I can't end this review and leave out one last thought that occurred to me over and over about this book: I'm a big fan of "internal dialogue" writing of the characters. I'd even say I'm partial to it. I'm nothing if not overly psychoanalytical to a fault. That said ... MANY readers absolutely despise tons of internal dialogue going on. Take this as a serious warning - This book is mired in internal dialogue to the point even I had had enough!
I'm thinking "A Secret Affair" is a bit of a cautionary tale for greatly talented authors in general: MB has the writing chops to zip off a romance book and always keep fans and new readers alike acknowledging her talent ... I never once considered DNF'ing this book. That said, it was feeling like most "addictions" to me; it took more and more "concentration" (the drug of choice in this instance) on my part to convince myself I felt the story and characters had "depth." I shouldn't have to work that hard, especially with MB. The ending result was I already knew and loved the characters, but I just ended with a book that felt "middle of the road." Worth the read if you're already invested in the series; just a "middle of the pack" love story in general.
K.
Rather than my churning one out, this is a pretty accurate synopsis for our heroine, Hannah, which is from the back blub:
"Her name is Hannah Reid. Born a commoner, she has been Duchess of Dunbarton ever since she was 19 years old, the wife of an elderly duke to whom she has been rumored to be consistently and flagrantly unfaithful. Now the old duke is dead and, more womanly and beautiful than ever at 30, Hannah has her freedom at last.
And she knows just what she wants to do with it. To the shock of a conventional friend, she announces her intention to take a lover - and not just any lover, but the most dangerous and delicious man in all of upper-class England: Constantine Huxtable."
Nice set-up for Hannah's story, and it followed that path exactly. But here's where it fell flat for me: Hannah's character by half-way through had me really straining to experiencing true empathy or feeling. I knew logically by everything provided by MB on her background and heart I should be feeling extremely "touched" (emotional and heart-achey) for her, and being a pretty intuitive and empathetic reader, I should have been really engrossed by that point. I just wasn't! Hannah was just too "matter-of-fact" about her beauty, prestige, and wealth. And yes, I knew that was supposed to be the particular exploration of empathy for the flip-side that her character is supposed to be dealing with (i.e. don't hate me because I'm beautiful; money can't buy happiness; vulnerability beyond the mask, etc., etc., yadda, yadda). Don't get me wrong, I'm ready and willing to look beyond stereotypes and find the vulnerabilities we all suffer. Sometimes I feel better-equipped at withholding judgment than some others, being ready and willing to switch my opinion when presented with an alternative picture. However, even though MB kept "writing" all the psychologically necessary information to truly empathize, it wasn't enough to REALLY erase the niggling mercenary quality that was Hannah's facade. And I even BELIEVED Hannah's was in fact a facade, (Ya - this is where we can all say it together ... MB is guilty of "telling not showing" enough). Consequently, it just didn't inspire "honest emotion" in me. Rather, it was more like a feeling of, "Okay, I agree those facts are self-evident as to Hannah." I should feel bad for her. (Yawn!)
Here's Con's back blub:
"Constantine’s illegitimacy has denied him the title of Earl, so now he denies himself nothing... or so the ton would have it. Rumored to be living the free and easy life of a sensualist in his country estate, he always chooses recent widows for his short-lived affairs. Hannah will fit the bill nicely."
Hannah and Con do meet with the single-minded plan of just having an affair. And that's exactly how they go forward. The experienced romance reader knows it's the set up for a "simple affair with no strings attached" going down the plotline of inconvenient "feelings" popping up for the characters and messing up the plan. And they do. And it does. (Yawn!) And there is the crux of the problem with this story remaining luke-warm instead of sizzling hot! Ironically, the love scenes MB isn't known for generally, were pretty sizzling hot in this book for a change. That was nice, but not nice enough to jack-up the stars. Likewise the mystery contained in Con's "rumored" life versus the realities of his life were also exemplary MB writing ... but, again, somehow turned out to be anticlimatic by the end. One reviewer I read here on GR noted Con has kind of "morphed" in his book, and although MB portrayed him as the typical stoic male with regard to his feelings ... he just didn't seem to match his bad boy angst/"Devil" rep. gathered in the other books. One more time (EVERYBODY sing along now) ... "telling not showing"! It's the only explanation I can come up with for a book that kept me reading, LOGICALLY was well written and plotted, yet left me at the last page thinking ... "What am I going to read next?!" That's about how long this book "lingered."
I can't end this review and leave out one last thought that occurred to me over and over about this book: I'm a big fan of "internal dialogue" writing of the characters. I'd even say I'm partial to it. I'm nothing if not overly psychoanalytical to a fault. That said ... MANY readers absolutely despise tons of internal dialogue going on. Take this as a serious warning - This book is mired in internal dialogue to the point even I had had enough!
I'm thinking "A Secret Affair" is a bit of a cautionary tale for greatly talented authors in general: MB has the writing chops to zip off a romance book and always keep fans and new readers alike acknowledging her talent ... I never once considered DNF'ing this book. That said, it was feeling like most "addictions" to me; it took more and more "concentration" (the drug of choice in this instance) on my part to convince myself I felt the story and characters had "depth." I shouldn't have to work that hard, especially with MB. The ending result was I already knew and loved the characters, but I just ended with a book that felt "middle of the road." Worth the read if you're already invested in the series; just a "middle of the pack" love story in general.
K.
June 16, 2024
I listened to the audio and wondered what fresh hell I was in for. The narrator made the "banter" between the H and h sound like upper crust sneer I hope it wasn't meant to be. The heroine was arch and cloying, and the hero was arch and dismissive. Oh no Mary Balogh!
Switched to a regular book, and things improved dramatically. Of course, it was about the same time that the two character started to reveal their real selves to each other, so who knows?
Premise:
The heroine at 19 married a 70-something year old Duke and relished in her Duchess-hood as well as the diamonds and duds that came her way. She's a scandal because all of society knows what a floozy she was when the Duke was alive.
The H is a broody bad boy that's reinforced with a dark, swarthy complexion and a broken nose, and we all know that people's interior matches their exterior.
Once we got passed all the smarmy double entendres and got to know the characters, the story sailed. I loved it, and I loved Hannah and Constantine. Yes, there are lots of sexy times, but I truly believe the love story and their romance. Maybe I've read to many BBS, insta-lust KU books, but there doesn't seem to be much romance in them, more insert tab a in slot B.
Switched to a regular book, and things improved dramatically. Of course, it was about the same time that the two character started to reveal their real selves to each other, so who knows?
Premise:
The heroine at 19 married a 70-something year old Duke and relished in her Duchess-hood as well as the diamonds and duds that came her way. She's a scandal because all of society knows what a floozy she was when the Duke was alive.
The H is a broody bad boy that's reinforced with a dark, swarthy complexion and a broken nose, and we all know that people's interior matches their exterior.
Once we got passed all the smarmy double entendres and got to know the characters, the story sailed. I loved it, and I loved Hannah and Constantine. Yes, there are lots of sexy times, but I truly believe the love story and their romance. Maybe I've read to many BBS, insta-lust KU books, but there doesn't seem to be much romance in them, more insert tab a in slot B.
December 21, 2016
At Last Comes Love 3.5 stars [possibly 4]
This is easily the strongest of this series of books. I'm being stingy, I suspect with 3.5 stars rounded down. I'll feel mean later on this evening for not giving four stars. Balogh makes a difficult premise work here. A well-to-do upper class girl bumps into a man at a ball, literally proposes and they wind up engaged and eventally married. Far-fetched, but it really works. The romance builds believably. There's just too much articulation of feelings in these books - I love him, does he love me, I love her, but is my love enough and so on. Balogh has this nice trick of articulating things in this way and then painting subtle changes in the feelings of her characters by layering change upon change, but in this book it was a bit too much. I also found the heroine a bit insipid. Hero was great though and his backstory was very well handled.
Seducing An Angel 2 stars
Weakest in this quintet, I think. I never liked the perfect son and there wasn't too much to redeem him here. Still too perfect and still feeling very young, even though he's not. The reasons the H/h stay apart felt tortured to death and Balogh's ongoing articulation of the whys and why nots of how everyone is feeling exacerbated the problem. Didn't care for the heroine either.
A Secret Affair 2.5 stars
Two words can sum this up: Pffffft rakes.
I was intrigued for Constantine's story and despite the overall, particularly average, nature of this series, I was even a little excited.
But, this felt entirely standard to me. And was a disappointment. I mean, it pootled along. I read it all, but it wasn't very memorable or that well done. Heroine's backstory was nicely handled. Constantine was, ultimately, pretty cookie-cutter as heroes go. And Balogh's tendency to write feelings continues apace here and is simply too excessive, as it was throughout this series.
This is easily the strongest of this series of books. I'm being stingy, I suspect with 3.5 stars rounded down. I'll feel mean later on this evening for not giving four stars. Balogh makes a difficult premise work here. A well-to-do upper class girl bumps into a man at a ball, literally proposes and they wind up engaged and eventally married. Far-fetched, but it really works. The romance builds believably. There's just too much articulation of feelings in these books - I love him, does he love me, I love her, but is my love enough and so on. Balogh has this nice trick of articulating things in this way and then painting subtle changes in the feelings of her characters by layering change upon change, but in this book it was a bit too much. I also found the heroine a bit insipid. Hero was great though and his backstory was very well handled.
Seducing An Angel 2 stars
Weakest in this quintet, I think. I never liked the perfect son and there wasn't too much to redeem him here. Still too perfect and still feeling very young, even though he's not. The reasons the H/h stay apart felt tortured to death and Balogh's ongoing articulation of the whys and why nots of how everyone is feeling exacerbated the problem. Didn't care for the heroine either.
A Secret Affair 2.5 stars
Two words can sum this up: Pffffft rakes.
I was intrigued for Constantine's story and despite the overall, particularly average, nature of this series, I was even a little excited.
But, this felt entirely standard to me. And was a disappointment. I mean, it pootled along. I read it all, but it wasn't very memorable or that well done. Heroine's backstory was nicely handled. Constantine was, ultimately, pretty cookie-cutter as heroes go. And Balogh's tendency to write feelings continues apace here and is simply too excessive, as it was throughout this series.
November 23, 2012
I'm going to make this short: I did not like it.
There is something about the way that Mary Balogh writes that just bores me immensely. The reason I bought this book was because I had already started the series and figured I should finish what I started, but from Chapter 1, I could already feel myself wanting to skip to the end already.
I do admit that some of her books have an appeal to them, I enjoyed to a certain extent reading the Simply series and the Slightly (Bedwyn) series, however I still remain convinced that Mary Balogh's style of writing is simply put - tiresome. When you compare her to Julia Quinn, Lisa Kleypas, or even Julie Garwood when she used to write historicals, then you might just agree with me. Quinn, Kleypas and Garwood have a certain wit about their writing, their characters come to life and I could not begin to keep track of all the laugh out loud moments, or all the heart wrenching moments. With Balogh, I am simply reading a novel, and trying to get to the end of it - sure, there are a few enjoyable moments here and there, but nothing fascinating about it. It's just a novel to purely pass time.
That being said, I've read from several reviewers that her older novels are a lot better than her more recent ones. So maybe there still is hope for her Web and Dark Angel series - which I own, but have not read yet.
To focus on this novel specifically though, I just did not like it at all. With a character like Constantine, you expect so much more - the secrets, the mysteries, the person behind the mask - when it was all revealed, all I could think of was "meh".
Sadly disappointed, but honestly, I cannot say it was unexpected.
There is something about the way that Mary Balogh writes that just bores me immensely. The reason I bought this book was because I had already started the series and figured I should finish what I started, but from Chapter 1, I could already feel myself wanting to skip to the end already.
I do admit that some of her books have an appeal to them, I enjoyed to a certain extent reading the Simply series and the Slightly (Bedwyn) series, however I still remain convinced that Mary Balogh's style of writing is simply put - tiresome. When you compare her to Julia Quinn, Lisa Kleypas, or even Julie Garwood when she used to write historicals, then you might just agree with me. Quinn, Kleypas and Garwood have a certain wit about their writing, their characters come to life and I could not begin to keep track of all the laugh out loud moments, or all the heart wrenching moments. With Balogh, I am simply reading a novel, and trying to get to the end of it - sure, there are a few enjoyable moments here and there, but nothing fascinating about it. It's just a novel to purely pass time.
That being said, I've read from several reviewers that her older novels are a lot better than her more recent ones. So maybe there still is hope for her Web and Dark Angel series - which I own, but have not read yet.
To focus on this novel specifically though, I just did not like it at all. With a character like Constantine, you expect so much more - the secrets, the mysteries, the person behind the mask - when it was all revealed, all I could think of was "meh".
Sadly disappointed, but honestly, I cannot say it was unexpected.
June 16, 2018
I liked Constantine. He is gorgeous. Sexy, too. But somehow I didn't connect much with Hannah. I liked the storyline of her marriage to the duke etc, but she somehow didn't seem as real to me as some of Balogh's other great heroines.
So, an original and interesting plot line, although I don't normally like the HR trope of the assertive woman who deliberately sets out to find a sexual partner (then falls in love with him - duh). But I could 'go with the flow' on this one. It was a sweet romance between two well-matched people who both really deserved their HEAs. But somehow, overall it just didn't fully gel for me and I was left feeling a little 'meh'. Didn't dislike it, but didn't love it either. *shrugs*
So, an original and interesting plot line, although I don't normally like the HR trope of the assertive woman who deliberately sets out to find a sexual partner (then falls in love with him - duh). But I could 'go with the flow' on this one. It was a sweet romance between two well-matched people who both really deserved their HEAs. But somehow, overall it just didn't fully gel for me and I was left feeling a little 'meh'. Didn't dislike it, but didn't love it either. *shrugs*
September 12, 2020
If I had to pick one descriptor for this book, it would be "trying to be posh".
The "elevated" writing style didn't really convey the finger-to-forehead-in-thought mood the author was (i assume) going for. It just served to alienate me from the thought process and feelings of the characters. Both main characters read like psychopaths trying to fake everyday connections and emotions.
I read the book fairly quickly, but i skimmed and lost interest a lot.
The "elevated" writing style didn't really convey the finger-to-forehead-in-thought mood the author was (i assume) going for. It just served to alienate me from the thought process and feelings of the characters. Both main characters read like psychopaths trying to fake everyday connections and emotions.
I read the book fairly quickly, but i skimmed and lost interest a lot.
May 1, 2023
Hannah and Constantine.
It was a fine book but I was expecting more sparks and passion.
It was a fine book but I was expecting more sparks and passion.
June 2, 2018
I was in search of a book like this...where the author tackles the concept of beauty as a curse instead of blessing. I really loved Balogh's approach to this. Lovely read. I also loved the circumstances of Con's life and his struggles of love/hate with his family and cousins. It is so difficult to deal with an injustice...but even harder when you have no one but a fickle chance of fate to blame for it.
August 5, 2020
4.25 stars
This one begins in a similar way to Seducing an Angel. Hannah, a duchess, married a much older, wealthy man when she was still in her teens. She is unbelievably beautiful and her late husband showered her with jewels; nevertheless, she was escorted to social gatherings by younger men and it’s assumed that she took them to her bed while she was still married. Now she’s widowed and London is agog to see who her next lover will be.
Hannah’s childhood friend, Barbara, who is engaged to a vicar, serves as Hannah’s foil in the story. Barbara believes in love and constancy, but Hannah doesn’t have much faith in them. She intends to take a lover and has already chosen the dark, almost sinister-looking Con Huxtable, although he does not know her and at first has no idea she has set her sights on him.
Con has been a mystery figure since book one, but here we learn what he’s been up to. He has opened his house to people who have no means of support—unwed mothers and their illegitimate children, jobless veterans and developmentally disabled people of all ages. Con looks dark and devilish and projects that well, but there’s more to him.
Hannah outmaneuvers Con and he decides to take her as his mistress, though he’s not sure he could ever like her. But when they sleep together, he is shocked to realize she’s a virgin. He presses Barbara for information about Hannah’s past. Barbara lets slip one or two things and then feels that she has betrayed Hannah’s confidence. Hannah, angry at Con for upsetting Barbara, reveals more about her past and in the process, shows a vulnerable side, making Con realize he must do the same. When Hannah invites Con and his cousins to a country house party, her mask slips even further.
Con is a great hero but Hannah was the one I fell in love with. She was such a fascinating and lovely heroine. I loved the beginning of Hannah and Con’s relationship and the unexpected way it progressed. I could really feel them fall in love and I liked the mystery that Hannah presented to Con.
There’s a great scene where Con stands up for Hannah when Meg, his cousin, declines Hannah’s invitation. I loved Hannah’s transformation from a chilly, prickly, armored figure to a warm and open-hearted one, first in Con’s eyes and then in the eyes of the other Huxtables. This was a little bumpy early in the book because of the virgin widow trope (particularly given Hannah’s age; she was thirty). But it smoothed out soon after that and I loved how Hannah saves the day in the last act of the book.
Con has been an interesting figure throughout the series, and he too has walls that take a long time to come down. The truth of his backstory was revealed a little soon. I wanted to discover it over the course of the novel but it was even more important for Hannah’s character to be gradually unveiled and there probably wasn’t room for Con to be explored in a similar way.
One of the things I appreciated was that Hannah and Con’s difficult pasts were given close to equal time and emphasis. Their pasts gave Con and Hannah insight into each other and that allowed them to support one another. It made the relationship feel balanced and it was easy to understand what each saw in the other.
I caught a number of anachronisms in this book: “no strings attached” (1888 and American in origin), “crowd control” (1966), “gold digger” (1826 but American). Most annoying was the name Dawn. I don’t know if it’s anachronistic but I associate it strongly with the second half of the 20th century.
I loved this book, though. The core story in all of Balogh’s books is that appearances can be deceiving and this was one of her best executions of that theme. B+/A-.
This one begins in a similar way to Seducing an Angel. Hannah, a duchess, married a much older, wealthy man when she was still in her teens. She is unbelievably beautiful and her late husband showered her with jewels; nevertheless, she was escorted to social gatherings by younger men and it’s assumed that she took them to her bed while she was still married. Now she’s widowed and London is agog to see who her next lover will be.
Hannah’s childhood friend, Barbara, who is engaged to a vicar, serves as Hannah’s foil in the story. Barbara believes in love and constancy, but Hannah doesn’t have much faith in them. She intends to take a lover and has already chosen the dark, almost sinister-looking Con Huxtable, although he does not know her and at first has no idea she has set her sights on him.
Con has been a mystery figure since book one, but here we learn what he’s been up to. He has opened his house to people who have no means of support—unwed mothers and their illegitimate children, jobless veterans and developmentally disabled people of all ages. Con looks dark and devilish and projects that well, but there’s more to him.
Hannah outmaneuvers Con and he decides to take her as his mistress, though he’s not sure he could ever like her. But when they sleep together, he is shocked to realize she’s a virgin. He presses Barbara for information about Hannah’s past. Barbara lets slip one or two things and then feels that she has betrayed Hannah’s confidence. Hannah, angry at Con for upsetting Barbara, reveals more about her past and in the process, shows a vulnerable side, making Con realize he must do the same. When Hannah invites Con and his cousins to a country house party, her mask slips even further.
Con is a great hero but Hannah was the one I fell in love with. She was such a fascinating and lovely heroine. I loved the beginning of Hannah and Con’s relationship and the unexpected way it progressed. I could really feel them fall in love and I liked the mystery that Hannah presented to Con.
There’s a great scene where Con stands up for Hannah when Meg, his cousin, declines Hannah’s invitation. I loved Hannah’s transformation from a chilly, prickly, armored figure to a warm and open-hearted one, first in Con’s eyes and then in the eyes of the other Huxtables. This was a little bumpy early in the book because of the virgin widow trope (particularly given Hannah’s age; she was thirty). But it smoothed out soon after that and I loved how Hannah saves the day in the last act of the book.
Con has been an interesting figure throughout the series, and he too has walls that take a long time to come down. The truth of his backstory was revealed a little soon. I wanted to discover it over the course of the novel but it was even more important for Hannah’s character to be gradually unveiled and there probably wasn’t room for Con to be explored in a similar way.
One of the things I appreciated was that Hannah and Con’s difficult pasts were given close to equal time and emphasis. Their pasts gave Con and Hannah insight into each other and that allowed them to support one another. It made the relationship feel balanced and it was easy to understand what each saw in the other.
I caught a number of anachronisms in this book: “no strings attached” (1888 and American in origin), “crowd control” (1966), “gold digger” (1826 but American). Most annoying was the name Dawn. I don’t know if it’s anachronistic but I associate it strongly with the second half of the 20th century.
I loved this book, though. The core story in all of Balogh’s books is that appearances can be deceiving and this was one of her best executions of that theme. B+/A-.
August 14, 2011
The 5th and final Huxtable book.
I really didn't think I was going to like this book. I was pretty sure I didn't like the heroine at the beginning and that's a big deal, right? My impression of the Duchess of Dunbarton was the same as that of the ton. I did not think much of her at all and certainly not deserving of Constantine.
I understand WHY it was written in such a way - so the reader could change impressions just as the rest of Hannah's (the Duchess) world did. BUT personally I would have been on side with her faster IF the good parts had been easier to see in private. There is a big difference between what other characters need to know and what readers need to know.
HOWEVER. Once the walls around Hannah start tumbling down, I ADORED her. AND Constantine was just....gah. Constantine made me cry in SEVERAL PLACES. Particularly in a crucial scene that did not even involve Hannah. And again at the end.
The tougher they are, the harder they fall - and Constantine fell big time. It was glorious. Who knew someone referred to as The Devil could be such a romantic and soft touch?
I've given it 4 stars rather than 5 simply because of the opening. I'm really glad I read the whole series and apparently there is a new series on the way...
I really didn't think I was going to like this book. I was pretty sure I didn't like the heroine at the beginning and that's a big deal, right? My impression of the Duchess of Dunbarton was the same as that of the ton. I did not think much of her at all and certainly not deserving of Constantine.
I understand WHY it was written in such a way - so the reader could change impressions just as the rest of Hannah's (the Duchess) world did. BUT personally I would have been on side with her faster IF the good parts had been easier to see in private. There is a big difference between what other characters need to know and what readers need to know.
HOWEVER. Once the walls around Hannah start tumbling down, I ADORED her. AND Constantine was just....gah. Constantine made me cry in SEVERAL PLACES. Particularly in a crucial scene that did not even involve Hannah. And again at the end.
The tougher they are, the harder they fall - and Constantine fell big time. It was glorious. Who knew someone referred to as The Devil could be such a romantic and soft touch?
I've given it 4 stars rather than 5 simply because of the opening. I'm really glad I read the whole series and apparently there is a new series on the way...
March 14, 2015
Un final perfecto para esta gran saga, que me ha encantado, este pasa a ser después de Cásate conmigo mi favorito, me encangan los diáglogos chispeantes de los protagonistas y sus tira y afloja....y cómo poco a poco van dejando caer su disfraz....
December 28, 2017
Leído en Marzo 2012
May 23, 2010
I've been waiting for Con's story since I read the first Huxtable book, and Balogh did not disappoint me. She rarely does. The motif of appearances vs. reality has run through this series, and it receives the fullest treatment in this final book. Both Con and Hannah have suffered from the actions of those close to them making judgments based on appearance, and both have firmly established images within the ton that are distortions of the people they truly are. I liked Balogh's handling of this conflict. I expected Con to be an intriguing hero--and he was. But to my surprise I found Hannah the more interesting character because of her history and her sometimes surprising strength.
I know some readers don't like Balogh's habit of bringing all the characters from a series together in the finale, but I think she manages to accomplish her reunions within the bounds of credibility. The gathering of the Huxtables was one of my favorite parts of the book. Now I want to go back and reread all five books together.
I know some readers don't like Balogh's habit of bringing all the characters from a series together in the finale, but I think she manages to accomplish her reunions within the bounds of credibility. The gathering of the Huxtables was one of my favorite parts of the book. Now I want to go back and reread all five books together.
January 14, 2024
I picked this up from the library, not realising that I had previously read it. Last time I gave it 5 stars, but my enjoyment of A Secret Affair on reread was a lot lower.
May 10, 2022
What a pleasant read!
Edit:
It's refreshing to read about a heroine who is very confident in herself, but I like that there are layers to her, same with the hero, I haven't read the first book but my understanding is he did a really shitty thing towards his cousin but he is very apologetic.
There is some outside drama, but I like as MCs they both supported each other through it. I disliked the heroine's sister but was glad that the FMC held no hard feelings. I loved her friendship with her bestie!
Edit:
It's refreshing to read about a heroine who is very confident in herself, but I like that there are layers to her, same with the hero, I haven't read the first book but my understanding is he did a really shitty thing towards his cousin but he is very apologetic.
There is some outside drama, but I like as MCs they both supported each other through it. I disliked the heroine's sister but was glad that the FMC held no hard feelings. I loved her friendship with her bestie!
January 25, 2024
Mary Balogh at the top of her game.
August 5, 2010
When authors start writing a series there's always one character that stands out and that is usually left for the last books. In the Huxtable series it is Constantine, the illegitimate son whose parents married 2 days too late thus costing him his inheritance. Con has never been bitter about that and the previous books have proven that not only does he not resent Stephen for being the current Earl but he quite likes the whole family and in turn is considered a friend. However we know from book 1 that he is harbouring a secret, a secret that cost him his cousin's (Vanessa Huxtable husband and hero of the first book) respect and friendship as he believes him to have stolen some family jewel and have sired several illegitimate children. There are enough hints that Con is not the guilty one though and Balogh has kept us in suspense of what really happened.
So we knew Con was going to have his HEA in the last book, what we did not know was who his heroine was going to be and what kind of plot we were going to have. She is Hannah Reid, Duchess of Dunbarton, a widow that, after having spent one year in morning, has decided that it is time to rejoin society and find herself a lover. And she has decided that Con will be the one!
Con, who usually takes a new lover every season, isn't too sure that he wants Hannah to be the next one. She is very beautiful but looks like and ice maiden and, it is believed that when her husband was too old to go out she took several lovers who escorted her around town, so she doesn't seem like a nice person. However her continuous pursuit and schemes to gain his attention intrigue him and they do embark in a clandestine relationship. Con is soon forced to review his opinion of Hannah (I thought the little detail that starts changing his opinion was not needed really, I've read too many of those already) and little by little he finds more about who she is and the past that shaped her to be who she is. If the relationship started as purely sexual they soon start caring for the other.
Predictably, in this story, we finally discover what Con was hiding. I thought the whole idea was nice but... a bit too modern? The story has the whole Huxtable clan showing up as secondary characters and Con and Elliott finally settle their differences with Elliott and especially Hannah helping Con solving a problem with his project. I did like to see them all again and this was a nice story to spend an afternoon with. I can't wait to see what Ms Balogh will write about in her next book as it seems the Huxtables are done.
Grade: 4/5
So we knew Con was going to have his HEA in the last book, what we did not know was who his heroine was going to be and what kind of plot we were going to have. She is Hannah Reid, Duchess of Dunbarton, a widow that, after having spent one year in morning, has decided that it is time to rejoin society and find herself a lover. And she has decided that Con will be the one!
Con, who usually takes a new lover every season, isn't too sure that he wants Hannah to be the next one. She is very beautiful but looks like and ice maiden and, it is believed that when her husband was too old to go out she took several lovers who escorted her around town, so she doesn't seem like a nice person. However her continuous pursuit and schemes to gain his attention intrigue him and they do embark in a clandestine relationship. Con is soon forced to review his opinion of Hannah (I thought the little detail that starts changing his opinion was not needed really, I've read too many of those already) and little by little he finds more about who she is and the past that shaped her to be who she is. If the relationship started as purely sexual they soon start caring for the other.
Predictably, in this story, we finally discover what Con was hiding. I thought the whole idea was nice but... a bit too modern? The story has the whole Huxtable clan showing up as secondary characters and Con and Elliott finally settle their differences with Elliott and especially Hannah helping Con solving a problem with his project. I did like to see them all again and this was a nice story to spend an afternoon with. I can't wait to see what Ms Balogh will write about in her next book as it seems the Huxtables are done.
Grade: 4/5
June 18, 2010
From the moment I started the first book in the Huxtable Series I was intrigued by the character Constantine Huxtable. Dark, dangerous, devil, blackguard- these are just some of the words used to describe Con. But in his story, A Secret Affair, a much different side of him was revealed and we find that how people perceive him to be was just a disguise. I was very disappointed to find that we did not see any of these characteristics in his story. Con did not even seem like the same person we've been reading about throughout this entire series, and for that reason alone is what earned this book 3 stars from me.
If this book were a stand alone story it would have earned a higher rating from me. It was a good story, and actually the last several chapters were extremely sweet and romantic... some of the best professions of love were made that I've read about in a book. But because of how Con's character was built up and then to see him in a totally different light in his own story was a let down for me. I was hoping for a huge scandal or pistols at dawn or something other than what was written. But alas, it wasn't!
So, overall for the Huxtable Quintet: sweet series, romantic love stories, mild on the steam and quite enjoyable! I'm glad I spent the time getting to know them all! :)
If this book were a stand alone story it would have earned a higher rating from me. It was a good story, and actually the last several chapters were extremely sweet and romantic... some of the best professions of love were made that I've read about in a book. But because of how Con's character was built up and then to see him in a totally different light in his own story was a let down for me. I was hoping for a huge scandal or pistols at dawn or something other than what was written. But alas, it wasn't!
So, overall for the Huxtable Quintet: sweet series, romantic love stories, mild on the steam and quite enjoyable! I'm glad I spent the time getting to know them all! :)
April 16, 2019
2.5 stars rounded off
A interesting premise of a widowed and titled h who quite deliberately decides to have an affair with handsome H ... she is a virgin (apparently her very, very elderly husband was gay). They start an affair and both are a bit guarded with themselves ... h was portrayed as a very sophisticated woman as was the H ... both are secret philanthropists ...
This would have been better if it was shorter ... both were sophisticated and always reacted as members of the aristocracy were expected to; low key and elegant ... in between the story lagged
With this plot, I would have preferred a bit of drama and flamboyance as well as a shorter story ...
A interesting premise of a widowed and titled h who quite deliberately decides to have an affair with handsome H ... she is a virgin (apparently her very, very elderly husband was gay). They start an affair and both are a bit guarded with themselves ... h was portrayed as a very sophisticated woman as was the H ... both are secret philanthropists ...
This would have been better if it was shorter ... both were sophisticated and always reacted as members of the aristocracy were expected to; low key and elegant ... in between the story lagged
With this plot, I would have preferred a bit of drama and flamboyance as well as a shorter story ...
May 20, 2021
It was a cute story of a virgin widow duchess who wants to take a lover for the first time. She’s the most beautiful woman of the ton, he’s a charming man. They have an affair and they fall in love. I enjoyed the description of the courtship, it’s like a dance where one leads and the other follows, I appreciated the heroine who was married to a much older man (gay) who was her best friend, while everybody thought she was a gold digger ( the hero too). What I didn’t appreciate were the sex scenes, really not an ounce of passion and so much traditional for two people who are lovers. It was all so perfunctory. Anyway I loved it until the end.
November 15, 2020
I have to give Mary Balough props bc both books that I’ve read by her have very unique plots, which can be a little challenging for romance reads. ;) And while I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the other book, it was still a great read.
Constantine missed being legitimate by 2 days and grieves for his deceased younger brother, Jonathan. Hannah is a duchess and a widow from an extreme May-December romance. Both are hiding secrets. They embark on a Season-long affair but don’t plan on developing feelings for each other along the way.
This was an enjoyable read with a huge cast of side characters. Bc it’s #5 in the series, I did feel like I was missing things bc the happy couples from books 1-4 play a large part in this book. This book has characters with disabilities and non-heteronormative characters, which is pretty unusual (but very welcome) for a mainstream historical romance published in 2010.
Read for the November 2020 category of The Unread Shelf: A novel from your favorite genre.
Constantine missed being legitimate by 2 days and grieves for his deceased younger brother, Jonathan. Hannah is a duchess and a widow from an extreme May-December romance. Both are hiding secrets. They embark on a Season-long affair but don’t plan on developing feelings for each other along the way.
This was an enjoyable read with a huge cast of side characters. Bc it’s #5 in the series, I did feel like I was missing things bc the happy couples from books 1-4 play a large part in this book. This book has characters with disabilities and non-heteronormative characters, which is pretty unusual (but very welcome) for a mainstream historical romance published in 2010.
Read for the November 2020 category of The Unread Shelf: A novel from your favorite genre.
August 31, 2024
”How strange that one could be so wrong about another person. She had always called him the devil to herself. He looked dark and dangerous enough to justify the name. He was quite the opposite. He was all light and love and compassion. Oh, and perhaps a little dark and dangerous too. He was a dizzying mix of human qualities, in fact—as most people were.”
I was really looking forward to Constantine’s story and it didn’t disappoint. He is a complex and flawed character, while Hannah who is a recently widowed duchess seeking a mere affair is just outright misunderstood. Constantine was quite unlikable in book one, and yet he really grew on me as the series continued. One kept getting glimpses of a kinder, compassionate side to him over time. It became clear that the horrible allegations dogging him throughout the course of events were wrong so I was curious to find out what the mystery behind it all was. Constantine’s and Hannah’s romance provided a fitting end to the series.
I was really looking forward to Constantine’s story and it didn’t disappoint. He is a complex and flawed character, while Hannah who is a recently widowed duchess seeking a mere affair is just outright misunderstood. Constantine was quite unlikable in book one, and yet he really grew on me as the series continued. One kept getting glimpses of a kinder, compassionate side to him over time. It became clear that the horrible allegations dogging him throughout the course of events were wrong so I was curious to find out what the mystery behind it all was. Constantine’s and Hannah’s romance provided a fitting end to the series.
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