by Mary Balogh
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Product Description
Set against the seductive backdrop of Regency England, New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh’s latest novel sweeps us into the sensual, enthralling world of an elite academy for young ladies. Here, amid music lessons and garden parties, whispered confessions and secret yearnings, one of the school’s teachers—headmistress Claudia Martin—will find her well-ordered world jolted by love when she meets a man who would make the perfect husband…for somebody else.
Tall, dark, and exquisitely sensual, he is the epitome of male perfection. Not that Claudia Martin is looking for a lover. Or a husband. As owner and headmistress of Miss Martin’s School for Girls in Bath, she long ago resigned herself to a life without love. Until Joseph, Marquess of Attingsborough, arrives unannounced and tempts her to toss away a lifetime of propriety for an affair that can only lead to ruin.
Joseph has his own reasons for seeking Claudia out. Instantly, irresistibly attracted to the dedicated teacher, he embarks on a plan of seduction that leaves them both yearning for more. But as heir to a prestigious dukedom, Joseph is expected to carry on his family’s legacy. And Claudia knows she has no place in his world.
Now that world is about to be rocked by scandal. An arranged marriage, a secret that will shock the ton, and a man from Claudia’s past conspire to drive the lovers apart. But Joseph is determined to make Claudia his at any cost. Even if that means defying convention and breaking every rule for a love that is everything he has ever wanted—a love that is perfection itself…
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Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Simply Outstanding!!, 2008-07-04
If you enjoy romantic historicals, you can't go wrong here. Just happen to be looking for another historical and another author, I picked up several of Mary Balogh's. I will not synopsize any of the books, it's been done and done well. Ms. Balogh, your writing and story telling ability is simply wonderful! I also enjoyed reading about the lives of your people from other books. I always wondered when I'm done with a series of what happened to so and so. Rarely are you able to find out. You have another fan. I'll be looking forward (I hope) to hearing of the lives involved in this series, i.e., will Lizzie grow up as I hope and Davey be a great artist in his own right? I am hopeful you read these reviews and I will continue to search out your books. Thank you.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 Good, but with a few too many flashbacks..., 2008-06-16
I have not read all of the "Simply" series, and after reading Claudia's story, I found I don't have to. As a few other reviewers have mentioned, all the former teachers as well as the Bedwyns, not to mention Ravensburg and Lauren (the gang's all here!) make appearances in this novel, and as each makes their appearance, there is a recap of their background. Flying off on these tangents took away from the main storyline, and when the focus would be returned to Claudia, it was like shifting gears and someone holding up a little sign that said, "And now back to our story". I found Claudia's story entertaining enough, but entire portions of this novel could have been cut and not be missed at all (just how many scenes of Portia being snotty and condescending do we need? I was getting more than a little tired of Claudia's childhood friend/love as well ).
I enjoyed this book, but will deduct a star from the rating for all the filler. All the recaps (and there are a LOT of them) do not add to this story. From time to time it was like watching a TV show that was having a flashback episode. I would have "5 Star" enjoyed it if it had stuck to Claudia and Joseph's story.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 Simply Disappointing, 2008-05-25
Mary Balogh is one of my favorite Rengency/historical romance writers. If you have never read any of her other books, including her older rengencies, don't start with this one. This book does not do her justice. After reading about Claudia Martin (the heroine in this book) in the "Slightly" series, I found it difficult to view her as a romantic heroine because Balogh describes her as such an unattractive, prudish spinster in her Bedwyn stories.
This plot has been done before, particularly in all of the "Simply" books. The hero and heroine did not suite each other. I thought the match was far-fetched. Balogh also does too much name dropping, so that readers will buy sequels--she usually doesn't do so much of this, perhaps her publisher insisted. That being said, I found the name dropping to be very distracting and annoying.
Overall, the character development, witty dialogue, and stirriing romance were missing from this book. I did not really enjoy any of the "Simply" installments. I found all of the teachers to be okay secondary characters but none of them were strong enough, or interesting enough to carry a novel as a main character. Two stars.
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Not perfect; simply mature and tender love, 2008-05-25
This is the final novel in Balogh's "Simply" quartet, and having read it a couple of weeks ago, I delayed reviewing it because I was unsure how I felt about it. After a second reading, however, I've decided I liked this book. I didn't love it, but it does engender an engaging warmth and Balogh does seem to understand the conventions of the Regency, which for me helps make her writing credible.
Other reviewers have maintained "Simply Perfect" is flawed, and I cannot argue with this. Many of the supporting characters are insufficiently explored in this book, and therefore to anyone who hasn't read Balogh's previous series, might seem one-dimensional. The denouement introduces a bit of a jarring note, and scenes with Attingborough's daughter can be cloying.
Nevertheless, for me these faults are outweighed by Balogh's portrayal of the main protagonists and their burgeoning love. Miss Martin, entrenched in duty and her prejudice of the upper classes, is rather inflexible; Attingsborough, overshadowed by his father, is hidebound by duty and convention. Their flaws don't suddenly disappear overnight, but provide continuity with earlier portrayals of these characters in the Simply and Slightly series. The hero and heroine are no longer in the first flush of youth - in fact at 35, Claudia would have been considered to have taken root on the shelf - so there is no immediate "coup de foudre", no epiphany. Instead, Balogh describes the tender unfolding of a mature and considered love between two flawed and duty-bound characters.
The four stars I've given this novel do, however,come with the two caveats. Firstly, unless you've read at least some of the Ballogh's Slightly series or the Simply books, Simply Perfect might seem confusing, since it definitely relies on characters more fully described in other books. Secondly, if you are looking for an adrenaline pumping first love, then this is probably not for you.
Personally I found it charming, and Balogh's writing style carried it as always.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Simply Perfect, 2008-05-22
This book is a 'Simply Perfect' finale to Mary's Simply series. Once again she gives us a romance with unexpected twists and deep emotions. I sent to the USA for a copy of this book (it arrived within the week from Germany) but it was well worth the extra expense as unfortunately it would seem it is not available in the UK until next year. How can anyone wait that long?!!! Since it's been in my possession, approximately a month, I've read it twice what more can I say. Keep writing Mary.
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