#140 ~ A Secret Affair

A Secret Affair by Mary Balogh

My rating: 5 of 5 stars














This proved to be a 5 Star read, and has now cleared up the questions that I had about Constantine Huxtable very nicely.

Through a twist of fate, and even though his parents were married, Constantine was not considered legitimate and the Earldom went to his handicapped brother Jonathan, who sadly died at the age of 16 - the Earldom then passed to a distant Cousin, Stephen and a feud began with his other Cousin the Duke of Moreland.

Meanwhile, the stunningly beautiful 19 year old Hannah Reid married the Duke of Dunbarton, who was elderly and lived a lot longer than anyone could predict. Throughout her marriage there were rumours of her persistent and flagrant affairs.

After a year of mourning, she arrives back in London for the Season at the age of thirty determined to live up to her reputation, and take a lover, but not just any old lover, the darkly handsome, delicious and dangerous Constantine.

Surely a Season's worth of fun with Constantine will do her good, and give her a chance the following Season to find the one thing the old Duke promised her she would eventually find .... the love of her life.

Secrets uncovered, and a love that neither of them were expecting makes this a highly readable tale.

Buy it at Amazon HERE.

Happy reading.

Kay

#80 (#16) - Seducing an Angel ~ Mary Balogh

ISBN: 978-0-7499-4296-0

I haven't got much time for saying too much about this one .... actually, not too much to say about it really .... not one of her best - it lacked passion and depth and not up to her usual standard.

Another in the Huxtable family series, this time the younger brother  Stephen, Earl of Merton and the axe-murdering widow Lady Cassandra Padget.

After the mysterious death of her husband, she is cast off without the pension and other provisions that she should have been entitled to, and given to believe that she is lucky that she has not met the hangman's noose.  Desperate therefore, and with her old governess and a unmarried mother cook/housekeeper to also care for she sets out to find a Protector, gate crashes a ball and snares Stephen on the first night of trying.

That single night alters her whole view on ever giving her self body and soul to another man in marriage, and also sets her on the path to undoing the evil self-doubt that being in an abusive relationship had built up .... alll in all a 3 *** star read.

Kay

#42 - First Comes Marriage ~ Mary Balogh

ISBN:  978-0-440-24422-6

I seem to be getting a few of these read in the wrong order.  This was actually the first in the Huxtable series.  The very young Stephen Huxtable is informed by Elliott Wallace, Viscount Lyngate that he has by twists and turns of fate become the new Earl of Merton.

Viscount Lyngate takes Stephen and his three sisters Miss Huxtable (Margaret), Miss Katherine Huxtable and the widowed Miss Vanessa Dew to to their new home.  Margaret and Katherine and undisputed beauties, but Vanessa is always considered plain.

Viscount Lyngate needs a wife and decides to offer for Margaret, but Vanessa steps in to save her sister and offers herself.

Will they find love, will it all turn out OK in the end?

I have to say, I did not like Elliott at all well until very near the end of the book.  Actually, I found the whole book rather sad, and felt so sorry for Vanessa, not that she would probably want to see it that way.  Angry actually, that people could have undermined her self-esteem so badly.  This is not an all consuming fire and fireworks kind of love though, but a steady burn to a glorious and cozy fire for the long nights.

I had though I would give it a 3 star rating, but thinking it over walking the dog, that really would not be fair.  Is not the mark of a good author to make you feel for their characters, empathise or sympathise, and some how want to correct mistakes made by their fictional counterparts?  Therefore a 4.5 **** read should be more the mark.

Definitely read it, and let me know how you felt.

Happy reading.

Kay xoxo

#37 - At Last Comes Love ~ Mary Balogh

ISBN:  978-0-+7499-4291-5

I've just finished reading the second book in the Huxtable series.  Actually, I wrote a long post about it ........ so long in fact that I then decided to submit the review to Love~Passions~Romance and see if Kiera liked it enough to publish it.

So I won't say anymore about this one for now, except that Margaret (Meg) Huxtable literally runs into Duncan Pennethorn (Earl of Sherringham) at a ball ........ oh what a tangled web we weave, when at first we at first we practice to deceive......

a 4.5 read, and I will post when/if it is accepted on the site.

Happy reading.

Hugs


Kay xoxoxo

#33 - Then Comes Seduction ~ Mary Balogh

ISBN:  978-0-7499-4286-1

This is the first time that I have flirted with this new author, and as with all new friendships/loves there is a certain amount of steps back and forth and round and round to assess whether you will both suit.

In the end I think that we suited very well indeed.  Certainly less raunchy than the other ladies work recently, but charming and entertaining no less.

Another series of works based around a family, the Huxtables', but not the first book in the particular series.

After a night of drunken revelry to celebrate his 25th birthday, notorious gamester and womaniser Jasper Finlay (Baron Mountford) gambles that he can seduce an innocent and virtuous woman into full intercourse within a fortnight.  The poor unfortunate woman named in White's gambling book is Miss Katherine Huxtable.

He engineers a meeting with them, and sets to seduce her fully against a tree, but for some reason gets cold feet and withdraws, and takes the consequences at the club.  He then retires to his estate to lick his wounds for a year of so.

Meanwhile, whilst avoiding the possible scandal, Katherine retires from public life for three years.

They eventually meet again in London and they decide on a joint only wager to make the other fall in love with them.  All goes sadly awry and Katherine's reputation is ruined when the original bet becomes very public knowledge.

To avoid the scandal they are forced to marry and the prizes becomes nothing less than both of their hearts.

Exceedingly well written and thoroughly enjoyable.

4 stars ****.

I had a happy weekend watching Pride & Prejudice, and am now sadly behind with my reading, but have just started Miss Wonderful by Loretta Chase.  Hopefully I can get a good way through it tonight.

33 books so far since September is not a bad tally is it?

Happy reading.

Hugs

Kay