by Mary Balogh
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Product Description
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 knows: 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 thing: 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 Hardcover edition.
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Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Simply Outstanding!! I'm just repeating myself...., 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.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Night Owl Romance Review - 3.5 / 5 by Julia, 2008-06-17
23-year-old Susanna Osbourne was a charity pupil at Miss Martin's School for Girls, before becoming one of the teachers there. Claudia Martin and the other inhabitants of the school are the only family Susanna has had since the untimely deaths of her mother and her father, and she treasures them.
Peter Edgeworth, Viscount Whitleaf, is entranced with the beautiful but highly disapproving Miss Osbourne when they meet at the estate of a mutual friend. Though normally an easy-going, flirtatious young man who is content to live the lifestyle to which he was born, Susanna makes him want more--both of her, and from life. Unfortunately, she harbors a secret in her past that threatens any chance for a long-term, meaningful relationship. Can he earn her trust, and will they find the fortitude to face down a society sure to disapprove their association?
Mary Balogh's ability to continue creating characters who are unique in both their circumstances, their personalities, and their "emotional baggage" is one of the reasons I read everything she writes. Not for the first time, she steps away from the standard (and expected) alpha hero, with years and experience on his side, and plenty of angst to darken his countenance. Peter Edgeworth has certainly had difficulties and obstacles to overcome, but he would freely admit that his existence has been for the most part, a charmed one. He finds himself faced with a challenge--gaining the regard of a young woman who seems to see straight through him, finding him lacking true purpose and depth. Susanna, on the other hand, has known the terror of abandonment, of an uncertain and potentially hostile future, and the meaning of working to establish a safe place for herself. The two must come to terms with each other's strengths and weaknesses, as Peter learns to assert himself, and Susanna learns to trust someone who could devastate her hard-won security, while facing the social mores of the day, which are certain to be hostile toward any chance of marriage between the two.
This is the third of four books about the ladies of Miss Martin's School for Girls, and was a good read, though not my favorite. While I enjoyed the break from the raging testosterone and angst of a more traditional alpha male, Peter felt a little...unformed, or untried. Susanna had enough seriousness for both of them, except when they gave into their passions--repeatedly, with a somewhat puzzling lack of concern on her part for the potential consequences.
As always, though, Ms. Balogh's story telling drew me in, and I found Simply Magic to be a thoroughly enjoyable read. I may just be holding her to a higher standard, because of her longstanding reputation for delivering difficult, complex characters in truly unique situations. I would recommend this as a good read for any lover of Regencies.
© Night Owl Romance 2008
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Love, secrets and mystery leads to a good read, 2008-06-02
Susanna is a teacher in Miss Martin's school for Girls and is very pretty for such a life. When she is visiting her former colleague and close friend Frances the wife of Viscount Lucius Marshall, she meets with handsome Peter Edgeworth. Peter falls in love with her and tries to get her affections one way or another. However, there are some barriers between them that Peter doesn't know. Susanna's past holds the truths that are too difficult to avoid indeed.
Nice story, which starts pretty fast, develop into mystery nicely which reveals itself gradually. The reason I don't give 5 stars is because at the end, some of the very well described issues are underestimated and simply avoided. The closure of the issues did not convince me completely. Other than this very nice read, I personally like it better than the first book of this series, Simply Unforgettable.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Expect a mild hero and friendship-first romance , 2008-05-12
I haven't read other books by Mary Balogh, so I can only review this book as I see it alone and not in comparison to the writer's previous body of work.
Quick review: an unexpectedly mild-mannered hero and a friendship-first love affair make for an unusual, and well-written, romance novel. An open mind and willingness to sample a new flavor of romance will assist your enjoyment.
Summary: In Regency England, an orphaned schoolteacher struggles with her love for a viscount (1) whom she believes likes her only as a friend, (2) who has trouble asserting himself against his class-conscious family, and (3) whose family is intertwined with the sad death of the heroine's family.
High Points:
*The book is well-written and the characters, especially the hero, Peter, well-developed. Peter will come as a surprise to those long-time readers in the Romance genre who expect heroes to be "alpha males" full of bluster, dominance, and native authority. While these types are certainly appealing in their own way, they have "dominated" the genre for quite some time, and Balogh's friendly, eager-to-please, and still untested young hero is a not unwelcome change. Others reviewers have scoffed at a hero who, like Peter, admits that his "knees were shaking" the first time he asserted himself against his own employee, but I was quite impressed with this admission--very unusual in a romantic hero, but realistic for a rich young man of 26 who has been managed and controlled all of his adult life by mother and advisors.
*There is little in the way of fiery banter between the two leads (something most readers look forward to), however, Balogh has given us compensations: after the uncomfortable first meeting, there is a slowly-developing and warm friendship marked by finely tuned, heartfelt, and realistic dialogue.
*Many historical romance plots capitalize on the myriad external sources of tension of times past--arranged marriages, dynastic feuds, and the like. Although there is an external tension here--the circumstances of the heroine's father's inappropriate marriage and mysterious death--Balogh focuses more on the internal sources of conflict, such as the hero's need to learn to assert himself to his family, and the heroine's fear of giving up her independence for a man she believes may not love her as much as she him. Downplaying the usual historical, social impediments to relationships in service of the internal ones can be tricky, but Balogh manages to pull it off most of the time.
Less successful points:
*Others have remarked on the family history drama that would likely prove a permanent obstacle "in real life" to a union between Peter and Susanna. Although I can allow that Susanna might overlook this history because of her love for Peter, the whole issue still could have been handled better.
*Most jarring was Balogh's treatment of the physical relationship between the two leads. The two have a warm friendship marked by sexual attraction, but the otherwise sensible-to-a-fault Susanna's repeated choices to risk losing her hard-won livelihood due to pregnancy were not adequately explained or justified. Further, Susanna's reactions to her own choices to flout society's sexual rules are barely existent; it's hard to believe she would not dwell on her actions at least a little, and try to make sense of them. Even worse, and more bizarrely, each time the two become intimate, they meet again at a later date and resume their warm friendship without the natural embarrassment or tortured emotions of two lovers who know they cannot be together. If Balogh could not have delivered convincing interior monologues reflecting just how fraught a choice this was for Susanna, and realistic "aftermath" scenes between the two leads, she would have done better to just chuck the sex scenes altogether, or defer them `till after the happily ever after.
In the main, though, I do think the book will be enjoyable for any Romance reader who is ready to move beyond tried-and-true plot contrivances and assertive, aggressive heroes of the sort we've grown to love. If you're a reader who absolutely must have a hot-and-bothered sexual attraction, fiery banter between leads, and a wolf-pack leader hero, you may well find yourself disappointed by Simply Magic.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Simply Magic, 2008-05-09
Item received on on time, in good condition. A passable Balogh book, not as good as some.
Linda Sheean
Price is accurate as of the date/time indicated. Prices and product availability are subject to change. Any price displayed on the Amazon website at the time of purchase will govern the sale of this product.
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