Jul
The Survivors’ Club: Six men and one woman, all wounded
in the Napoleonic Wars, their friendship forged during their recovery at
Penderris Hall in Cornwall. Now, for one of them, striking a most unusual
bargain will change his life forever . . .
Enter the world of New York Times bestselling author Mary
Balogh, where the magic, romance and mystery of Regency England come vibrantly
to life . . .
Ralph Stockwood prides himself on being a leader, but
when he convinced his friends to fight in the Napoleonic Wars, he never
envisioned being the sole survivor. Racked with guilt over their deaths, Ralph
must move on . . . and find a wife to secure an heir to his family’s title and
fortune.
Since her Seasons in London ended in disaster, Chloe Muirhead is resigned to
spinsterhood. Driven by the need to escape her family, she takes refuge at the
home of her mother’s godmother, where she meets Ralph. He needs a wife. She
wants a husband. So Chloe makes the outrageous suggestion to strike a bargain
and get married. One condition: Ralph has to promise that he will never take her back to London. But
circumstances change. And to Ralph, it was only a promise.
My Review:
I’ve been a fan of historical romance for a while now. So
when I received ‘Only a Promise’, I couldn’t wait to start reading. The cover
by Piatkus looked very beautiful, and it definitely made me want to pick it up
even more.
seven year old woman with not a lot going for her. Ever since her seasons in
London went terribly wrong, Chloe is convinced she will live the rest of her days
as a spinster. But when Chloe meets Ralph Stockwood and hears his conversation
with his grandmother about his need to find a wife she decides to make him an
offer: a marriage without emotion a romance. This seems to be a great plan for
both Chloe and Ralph. But when everything changes they begin to realize that maybe
this plan isn’t so good.
you start, you won’t be able to stop’. This is a quote that fits this book
perfectly. From the moment I started reading ‘Only a Promise’ I just didn’t want
to stop. Although this is a historical romance and the author definitely uses
words fitting for the era she writes about, the writing is good to follow and
there aren’t any words I didn’t understand. The author also did a wonderful job
with the beginning. I soon felt like I’d known the characters for years. That
made this book a very nice, romantic and fun read.
from the very first page. The main characters Chloe and Ralph are definitely
characters I liked. Especially Ralph, even though he seemed to be a very unkind
man in the beginning, I liked him from the start. The war where he lost his
friends changed him forever, and he just doesn’t know how to go on. He knows he
needs to find a wife, since he needs an heir, but he just doesn’t want to burden
someone with his history. He just was so broken that it really made me want to
go give him a hug.
it’s coming, but you still get excited. It was sweet, fitted the story
perfectly and it definitely makes you want to read the book again. I loved the
way the characters interacted with each other and I could definitely imagine
myself sitting beside them.
My Rating:
About the Author:
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.
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Maureen is a mom, wife, nurse, and Ravenclaw living in the Netherlands. She spends her days juggling mom-life, reading, blogging, planning date nights with her husband and working as a nurse. Maureen also is a big Anglophile, loves cooking, Gilmore Girls, Bridgerton and Harry Potter.. Always! Facebook | Instagram
