What, if anything, could be better than a Regency romance by Mary Balogh? To be sure, it could only be a LONGER, more in-depth Regency romance by Mary Balogh. This was the first in a new series from Berkley as just such a lavish, extremely fulfilling treat. It is NOT a historical disguised as a Regency, but the very real thing.

From her first greeting to Viscount Rawleigh, Catherine Winters finds herself annoyingly attracted to the man, whom she had initially taken for his twin-brother and her near neighbor, Mr. Adams. The Viscount, on the other hand, makes erroneous suppositions about the lovely widow, and during the whole of this long and lovely book, sparks fly between these two strong and independent characters.

Against his better judgment, the Viscount accompanies his brother back to Bodley-on-the-water, for a change of scenery. His brother's wife is determined to make a match between her younger sister and the handsome Rex, refusing to believe he is not interested in the untried chit. He is equally determined to avoid her snares, protecting his heart from further damage, it having been broken once already.

Catherine is obviously a lady, or at least with some pretensions toward gentility, if a bit young to be a widow at the age of five-and-twenty. Content with her current existence, she has a dog for companionship, and enjoys the society (although knowing it for exactly the condescension that it is) of the occupants of the small village, from the Viscount's brother to the garrulous rector.

Of course, Rawleigh believes the toothsome widow to be eminently beddable, based on little more than a smile or two, and pursues his goal with admirable intent. She must certainly be interested in him, for how else could she so readily tell him apart from his identical brother? No one else ever could! No matter how impregnable any woman believes her fortress to be, the gates may nearly always be opened by the right key. He inadvertently compromises her; they must marry, and all the long-held secrets come tumbling out.

As usual, Mary Balogh does not disappoint the reader; this is truly (to borrow a word coined by her original publisher) a SUPER Regency!

Mary Balogh once again give us characters care about.

Catherine Winters is a woman who has started a life in the country to escape her past. However, when the principal landowner in the area has a house party, she meets Viscount Rawleigh who mistakenly thinks to take her as his mistress. Neither party counts on the intensity of their attraction to each other nor the circumstances that ultimately bring them together.

This book is a must read for anyone who wants to read about well developled characters and an engrossing plot. Mary Balogh does it again!

Catherine Winters smiles and curtsies at a gentleman passing her in the street, thinking him to be her landlord, Mr Adams. Instead, he is her landlord's twin brother, Viscount Rawleigh, who assumes that she's throwing out lures. So he pursues her, and eventually makes an improper proposal, which she rejects angrily. Not that he gives up; he continues to pursue her. Although she is attracted to him, she has no wish to become anyone's mistress and keeps refusing him... until the night when he's careless and she's compromised utterly...

One of the things Balogh does really well in this book is to give us an excellent picture of the nature of English society in the Regency era. First we have the claustrophobic village atmosphere, and the incredibly judgemental inhabitants; it's hard to imagine how people could have coped with that. Later, we have London society: the ton, for whom an eternity would be a short time, and who were not likely to have forgotten Catherine's indiscretion in a mere six years.

Rex was at his best in the scenes after his and Catherine's marriage; up until that point he appeared shallow and uncaring, but it was after they arrived at his estate that I started to like him. And in the end this was a lovely love story.

Can't wait to read the sequel next, to find out why Ken had to hurry off so suddenly!

Who but Mary Balogh could make a prostitute the heroine of a Regency romance, and pull it off? Well, perhaps Carla Kelly, but few others.

Yes, Prissy is really a prostitute, and has been for several months before Gerard becomes her client. He is a shy, not-very-bright young man who quite simply does not know how to relate to women and finds comfort in the routine. He doesn't know how to show love or affection either, and when he finally decides to set her up as his mistress he has to pretend it's all a business transaction; Prissy likewise compartmentalises her life because it's what Gerard wants.

Their love story is beautifully portrayed by an author who has a gift for such angsty relationship tales. The characters' motivations all become clear over time, and Balogh uses introspection to great effect in developing the relationship and the characters' personalities. If you love books which make you want to cry before you smile at the ending, you'll love this one.

I bought this book on the basis of the fabulous reviews it received on this page and was *not* disappointed. I read it straight through in one sitting, and then had to read it again the following day. It captivated me. This is not one of your ordinary "missish" Regencies, this presents real problems and a heroine who courageously (and with a great deal of dignity) overcomes them. At times she is almost too perfect, but the bittersweet quality of the story of Priss and Gerald falling in love put any complaints far into shadow. Mary Balogh is one of my favorite authors, but this has got to be one of the best books I've read by her. Definitely going onto my "keeper" shelf and is sure to be a favorite edition on it. Be sure to give this book a try!

This is one of my all time favorite books that Mary wrote. Only she could write a story and make the heroine a working prostitute and make it believable. Prissy is what I like to referr to as a bloom where you are planted person. Inspite of the ugliness of what she did. She was able to keep a part her that was her own.

Tangled is a beautiful and complex love story that resonates with honesty and poignancy. I never felt I was reading about Rebecca, David and Julian; I felt as if I knew them. Balogh gives a better feeling for the Victorian period than any other writer of the genre. Rebecca leaves you feeling such sadness for what it must have been like for women in that era and David is truly the most magnificent antidote to Victorian repression. We should all have a David in our lives! Balogh does not create black and white characters. The heroine, Rebecca, is flawed and the villain, Julian, does have a heart and a good soul in the end. Truly a tangled, but satisfying love story.

i could not put this one down. The twists and turns were excellent. I can not see anyone not wanting to read this book.

YOU MUST READ IT
wonderful!

Mary Balogh is one of the best writers of nineteenth century characters, and this is certainly among the finest of her books. Her descriptions of relations between married men and women of the "gentry" class are true to life, for the Victorian era.

The book itself is full of unrequited love, infidelity and loyalty beyond the ordinary. A great read;I could not put it down.

'All This And Heaven Too' is based on the true crime story of Henriette Deluzy-Desportes. An ingenue who found herself abruptly the most despised, infamous woman in France circa 1850. Rachel Field here delineates and colors a classic story that's intense and unforgettable. 'All This And Heaven Too' is the bizarre account of the gruesome murder of the Duchess de Praslin. A bloody crime that shocked the European continent and was instrumental in precipitating the downfall of Louis Phillipe. This somewhat pathetic and delicately nuanced narrative tells of a lonely girl joining the imposing Ducal house of Choisel-Praslin, in Paris. Where Henriette soon wins the love of the affection-starved children. Also the admiration of their father, the dashing Duc de Praslin. All eager for distance and solace from their tyrannical and ruthless Duchess de Praslin. A capricious, doomed Corsican heiress with a smoldering temperament. All too prompt Henriette realizes she's fallen into a gnarled web. Of prohibited love, and desperation, and, ultimately, evil. This powerful and heartfelt drama has all the ingredients of a fairy tale, the appalling Wicked Mother, the Duchess, as antagonist. Vis-a-vis an opulent and exquisite ambiance, wistful mise-en-scenes of tenderness, and forbidden Romance. 'All This And Heaven Too' was made a film by Warner Brothers in 1940 with a screenplay by Casey Robinson, in a memorable cinematic production. 'All This..." is a story so vibrant, so filled with sentiment, that it should be brought back to the screen today. Deluzy-Deportes-Field's (Rachel Field the author, is her great grand niece)later years in America are not as interesting but are still good fodder for reading. How much of this historical account is fictionalized, I don't know. Throughout Henriette's inner life rings real and is always finely depicted. I received the book promptly sometime ago, and was happy to read Rachel Field's haunting novel, which I give 5 stars.

Rachel Field's "All This, and Heaven Too" is a delicately nuanced, richly imagined novel from start to finish. Published in 1938 and re-issued in library binding in 1981, it will entrance readers of this generation who are fortunate enough to encounter the book.

Based on the life of Field's great-aunt, Henriette Field, the story will carry the reader along effortlessly. Field's superb description of the inner life and thoughts of Henriette feels authentic; we come to know her very well. We also become well acquainted with the people surrounding her in the household of the French duke where she serves as governess.

Henriette's fate was inextricably linked with a tragic crime which became as well known in her day as the Simpson case in ours. Her later life, in the United States, brought her an extremely happy marriage and a fulfilling intellectual life. She mingled with many of the influential thinkers and political activists of her day.

Field's depiction of the American days does not come alive quite as much as the first part of the book, Henriette's life as a governess. Despite this unevenness, the novel is a work by a master author who is a match for Daphne Du Maurier any day. Highly recommended, richly satisfying!

This is a well written fictionalization of the life of Henriette Deluzy-Desportes, who happens to be the author's great aunt by marriage. In her day, Ms. Deluzy-Desportes was the most notorious woman in France. This is her story, the story of a notorious governess who would leave France under a cloud and emerge triumphant in America.

The author recounts a drama and scandal that beset France in the midst of the nineteenth century. It revolved around the household of the Duc and Duchesse de Praslin, the family who had engaged the services of Ms. Deluzy-Desportes as governess to their young children. Once esconced in the household, she quickly realized that there was a problem between the Duc and Duchesse de Praslin. The Duchess, an impetuous and passionate woman of Corsican descent, was slightly unhinged, perhaps by madness and her passion for the Duc, who clearly was no longer interested in her in the way in which she wished.

Ms. Deluzy-Desportes and the Duc developed a close, though platonic, relationship, because of their mutual interest in the Praslin children, an interest which the Duchesse did not seem to share. She perceived their closeness as a threat and her jealousy knew no bounds. The Duc and Ms. Deluzy-Desportes did not, however, always act circumspectly, and the gossips of France had a field day, attributing to them an affair that had no basis, in fact. This gossip added to the already existing tension in the Praslin household, which was a seething cauldron of emotions, until the day would come when Ms. Deluzy-Desportes would be dismissed with a promise of a letter of recommendation from the Duchesse. When the promised letter never came, the Duc was outraged by the perfidy of the Duchesse. Shortly thereafter, the Duchesse met with a tragic end, and the Duc and governess were under suspicion of murder.

What happens to each of them makes for a gripping narrative. The tragic circumstances with which Ms. Deluzy-Deportes met made her one of the most hated women in France. When her life in France became impossible, like many others she sought refuge in the new world. What was to happen to her in America had the makings of a fairytale. Her life would never be the same. This is a beautifully written story about a woman beset by the vicissitudes of life, but who emerged triumphant when all was said and done. It makes for a marvelous and fascinating story that will keep the reader riveted to the pages.

Anthony Earhart, Marquess of Staunton, desperately wants to spite the father he hates. Summoned home after eight years' absence, he knows that he is expected to marry a chit straight from the schoolroom because she is his father's choice of bride for him; a suitable match for a future duke. Well, he has no intention of conforming. He decides to marry the most unsuitable woman he can find: a mousy nobody. So - as he is determined not to stoop lower than a gentlewoman fallen on hard times - he advertises for a governess, intending to marry the most submissive and plain of the applicants.

Charity Duncan seems to meet Anthony's requirements. Little does he know that her submissive manner is assumed, due to her having lost previous employment because she stood up for the rights of a chambermaid. Dressed in dull brown, she stares at the floor and seems so perfect for Anthony's purpose that he proposes to her.

Charity accepts, because her family is very poor and her brother is struggling to pay off debts so that he can marry his sweetheart. After all, the marquess promises that she will only have to play the part of his wife for a matter of weeks. Then he will give her a home and a pension - six thousand pounds a year! - and she can have her freedom, except for the wedding ring. Anthony himself, he declares, never wants to marry for real, never wants to have children of his own.

So they marry, and Charity accompanies Anthony to Enfield, the Duke of Withingsby's home. There, she finds an apparently cold, unloving family, and realises that her husband wasn't joking when he said he wanted to spite the father he loathed. However, Anthony has seriously underestimated Charity...

Gradually, she breaks down the ice which surrounds her husband's heart and, bit by bit, she becomes his confidant. She, on the other hand, learns that passion doesn't have to have anything to do with love.

While she seems to be making progress in helping Anthony to reconcile with his family, isn't she only hastening the time when he'll inform her that he doesn't need her any more, and thus of her own departure? After all, he did marry a temporary wife...

In Balogh's inimitable style, she gives us a poignant story which examines relationships in all their manifestations, and shows us that love and hate are often closer than we think. And typically in a Balogh novel, the apparent villain is not so evil as he might have initially appeared. This is a wonderful romantic tearjerker, well worth the secondhand price you might have to pay!

Anthony is absent 8 years from his home when he receives the request (order) from his father to return immediately. Anthony is independently wealthy and independent in all other ways, so why would he return to the family he has not set eyes on in 8 years? Well...

Anthony, the heir to a dukedom, marries an impoverished mouse of a gentlewoman below his station. He acquires this "temporary wife" in order to "stick it" to his estranged father (the duke) after he has been summoned home.

His bride, Charity Duncan, seems like the perfect little "mouse" to enrage his father. His plan is to marry her, use her for a few weeks to assert his independence from his father, then separate from her permanently.

Charity agrees to this because her family is in debt and, as the eldest sibling, feels this marriage is the only way to save her family from poverty and hardship. You see, Anthony will make her a wealthy woman for life if she marries him and lets him use her as a pawn for only a few weeks.

Things do not go as planned for either of them. Charity's warm presence in her new husband's stuffy, loveless family causes heartache, enlightenment, healing, love, grief, etc. Anthony learns very quickly that Charity is NOT a mouse. Charity learns quickly that there is more to Anthony than the cold, calculating, rigid man he seems.

The relationship between Anthony and Charity is a unique one and develops with care. This is NOT a case of "First comes love, then comes marriage". The sequence of events in their relationship is unconventional and they all unfold in a very satisfying way.

Great book! Read it!

Lord Anthony Earheart marries an impoverished, mousy woman to upset his father. But he gets more than he bargained for. Charity may be mousy, but she is stronger than she seems.

Charity is a catalyst. Her arrival results in lots of emotional turmoil for the people of this household. But in the end, the results are worth all the pain.

In the hands of the wrong writer, Anthony's father could have been yet another eeevil parent stereotype. But this is a Mary Balogh novel, and life is never so simple in her books.

The characters grow in the course of this book. The best moments are often the most subtle ones.

Anne M. Marble Reviewer, All About Romance

I've become more and more impressed by Mary Balogh's books, and this one is no exception to the rule. Friendship turning to love is a familiar theme in romance novels; in fact, Balogh's Irresistible dealt with a similar subject. However, despite some similarities (the heroine is a young widow who has always been secretly in love with her best friend), the characters are unique and very much attaching. I certainly didn't feel like I was re-reading the same novel again.

Alice Penhallow has been a widow for two years, and she lives a somewhat empty but still enjoyable life in Bath, until her brother requests her presence in London to tend his sick children while his wife deals with the coming-out of their eldest daughter. But by coming to London, Alice finds herself face to face with a childhood friend that is as dear to her as he was to her late husband.

Piers Westhaven has come to London during the Season with the intention to find a bride and marry again. The death of his wife Harriet in childbirth left him haunted by feelings of guilt he can't completely shake off, especially when he's perfectly aware that he never truly loved her. But to please a mother pining for grandchildren and a worried Lord Berringer looking for a secure succession, he agrees to do the reasonable thing and seek a suitable bride.

The future heir of an estate attracts many women, and despite his age, Piers finds himself surrounded by female interest. As he always has in the past, Piers runs to Alice for advice. But despite Alice's warnings to Piers, it's the extremely shy but very pretty Cassandra Borden, niece of a man who made his fortune in trades, who manages to wrap him around her little finger and forces a marriage offer from him.

Mary Balogh once again draws very touching and attaching characters. Piers hides his true persona behind a facade of superficiality and a witty sense of humour. Alice dissimulates her feelings for Piers in their true friendship. And as the likeliness of Piers' wedding to Miss Borden becomes more certain, Alice keeps her sadness in check and doesn't hides her distress from Piers. She reassures herself by pretending that it's Piers' happiness that she has at heart when she fails to rejoice in his upcoming union with Cassandra Borden.

Until the night when Piers knows he has to offer for Cassandra's hand and comes to Alice's house to say goodbye...

This story points out the difference between mutual fondness and that little spark that makes everything different in a relationship. What Alice once describes to Piers as love, the mixture of friendship and physical attraction tainted with that unexplainable something, that "certain magic" that turns a relationship into passion, is what the characters experience in this beautiful and very romantic novel. Alice and Piers' struggle towards happiness is enthralling, and in turns poignant and funny. A wonderful mix to make this book another keeper!

Another wonderful out of print Balogh, worth getting at almost any price. Alice Penhallow has known Piers Westhaven almost all her life. They were children together: she, Webster Penhallow and Piers. At seventeen, she married Web, and not long after Piers himself married. But Piers' wife died in childbirth, and Allie herself is now widowed.

In London to visit her family, she meets Piers again and he confides in her that he has decided to remarry. He has his eye on several young debutantes, and Allie despairs because he's making the same mistake as he did the first time: thinking of marrying a young featherhead he has nothing in common with. Piers jokes at one point that he should marry Allie, but before she can give any kind of embarrassed reply he assures her that he didn't mean it; he tells himself that he wouldn't degrade her like that.

This is one of the earliest clues that Piers and Allie's feelings for each other are not as straightforward as we're led to believe. And soon it's confirmed: she's been in love with him since she was fourteen, and he fell in love with her a year later. But she thought that he would never look twice at her, and he thought that he was too wild and unconventional for her. And anyway, his best friend was also in love with her, so Piers let Web court her instead. And now they're both so used to hiding their real feelings that neither realises the truth.

Piers, having been amusing himself with a young and apparently shy debutante, suddenly discovers one night that he'd been suckered well and truly: baited and hooked and reeled in on a trap which could have been set by a professional. He has compromised Cassandra Borden, and will have to propose marriage to her. Shocked, horrified and very sad, he finds himself outside Allie's house late at night. She sees him and invites him in; he confesses what happened and, in a very poignant scene, they recognise that they have to say goodbye. Once he's married, their friendship cannot continue.

But a hug goodbye turns into something more, and suddenly Piers is in Allie's bed, and they are both discovering lovemaking as neither has ever known before...

In the morning, though, nothing has changed. Piers still has to marry Cassandra, and Allie leaves for Bath; they manage to persuade each other that it meant nothing more than the comfort of old friends for one another. But inwardly, it meant everything to both of them. Must they be separated again, permanently?

This is a very moving, as well as amusing in places, story of best friends who shoud have been lovers long ago, but missed out. It's also a story about how love can sometimes be even better when it comes somewhat later in life. And this book is most definitely a Balogh classic. If you can get your hands on it, don't let it go!

A CERTAIN MAGIC is surely one of the best regencies or historicals I've read so far.

Alice and Piers have known each other since she was fourteen and he was twenty. Piers started falling in love with her when he saw her again at age fifteen. But as Piers was getting up the nerve to admit to his feelings, his best friend Web confessed to Piers that he was in love with Alice and intended to marry her once she was old enough. From that day on, Piers kept his love of Alice to himself as he did not want to have to fight his friend who he loved like a brother over a woman. Furthermore, he was sure Alice would rather have Web. Web didn't get into trouble in his youth like Piers did and was more reliable and stable than Piers. Piers thought Web deserved Alice a thousand times more than he did. To even think he was worthy of Alice would be like reaching for the stars. He kept consoling himself with this fact for the next 15 or so years through his own marriage and Alice and Web's marriage.

This is where the book starts off. Piers is 36 and his Allie (his own nickname for Alice) is 30. They are both widowed with no surviving children. They've continued to remain good "friends" all this time and both are determined that they just remain "friends" since each would rather have some part of the other in their lives instead of admitting to their true feelings in fear of offending the other forever by having crossed the line. Yup, Allie's been in love with Piers since she was fourteen!

Mary Balogh could've taken the low road like I've seen many mediocre romance authors do by making stories like this a weepy "bring out the hankie, oh the poor Hero/Heroine" type of book but instead, she paves her own high road with her excellent writing that's full of fun, laughter, and passion. The conversations between Allie and Piers are so tightly written that you can almost feel the ... tension between these two as they do everything but admit to their true feelings. (yes, this is a regency category novel but it does have mild (but passion filled)sex so be warned to those of you that go crazy at the thought of there being ... in a regency series)(I'd rate the sexual content as PG)

I've read almost all Mary Balogh books and loved them all but A Certain Magic and Silent Melody surely surpasses even her usual high plateau. I paid more for A certain magic than I have for any new Mary Balogh books but now having read the book, I would have paid even more. These used book sellers definitely know the market and I now understand why A Certain Magic is so marketable. If you are a Mary Balogh fan, this book is a definite MUST but A Certain Magic is for anyone who believes in true love and likes to read about it.

This is one of the best stories I have read. Why? The setting, the plot, the main charactors, the love, and the love scenes. All were among the best I have read. This book is written on a mature level which I appreciate being my self up there in years. This was a story that I never wanted to put down and I never wanted it to end. It was touching, moving, sensual, and delightful. Alex was a real man! Thank You, Ms Balogh for your writing talent. I will keep reading Ms Balogh's books. So far, this is her best.

I loved Longing; once I started I was gripped, and could barely put the book down. It is certainly not a typical Regency; in fact, the only feature in common with the Regency genre is that the hero is an aristocrat. Having said that, he has no sympathy with the ton and no desire to live among them. Instead he wants to bring up his daughter in Wales - but to his shock, he finds that country life, and the management of his estates and coal mines, is not what he'd expected. He's an aristocrat with a social conscience, but finds that his fellow land-owners don't share it.

She is a teacher, a widow, and the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy landowner who chooses to live among the mining community; about to become engaged to a miner. Then she meets the Marquess, and becomes governess to his daughter, and attraction flares between them....

But there is far more to this book than romance. It is also a sweeping social history, and Balogh has done her research extremely well here. We see poverty, brutal employers, the early trade unions and the Chartist movement, and the 'Scotch Cattle,' as well as an evocative portrayal of a miners' march. As usual with Balogh's books, though, there are no simple distinctions between good and evil; characters are portrayed as human, with flaws as well as good points.

Definitely a keeper; I gave a copy to a friend shortly after reading mine, and she loved it too.

This was Mary's first book set in Wales. I loved it very much. This one has the feeling of "How Green Was My Valley". I enjoyed her discuss- ion of Chartism, and early unions in Great Britain

Several friends had given me raving reviews of this book, so I was a little afraid to have too many expectations and be disappointed. I shouldn't have! This was no doubt one of the most enthralling novels I've ever read -- I was still up at 4 am last night trying to finish it, because it is impossible to put it down once you start this book.

The story starts with a difficult, raw scene of a man using the services of a prostitute in a seedy London hotel. For the first time since he married, Adam Kent, Duke of Ridgeway, is being unfaithful and giving in to the temptation of needs that his wife doesn't fulfil. He hadn't planned to hire the girl's services, but something beyond his own understanding beckons him to her that night.

Fleur was once a Lady, until dreadful events forced her to run away from her home and left her alone and without resources. That night, selling her body is the last choice she has. She accepts her fate with courage and doesn't even flinch or show her disgust towards her customer's badly scarred body or his emotionless treatment.

It's too late when Adam Kent realises that Fleur was a virgin who is selling her body as the only alternative to starvation. Moved by what poverty can lead to, the Duke orders his secretary to find Fleur and offer her a post as his daughter's governess.

So it is a surprised and suddenly hopeful Fleur who settles in Willoughby a few days later, unaware that her new employer is her one and only customer. And for a couple of weeks, she allows herself to relax and put both the heavy secrets that sent her away from her home and the dreadful night in London to the back of her mind... until the Duke comes home and she discovers the truth of his identity.

It's difficult to put into words what is so exceptional about The Secret Pearl. It's amazing that someone who appears like an anti-hero in the beginning of the book, a careless man who pays the services of a prostitute despite his married state, and treats her with so much contempt at first, turns out to be a vulnerable, tender, loving and romantic hero. We progressively discover a man who has been badly scarred by life, not just physically but also emotionally, and who still puts his loved ones' happiness before his own. We fear for Fleur when she's cornered, caught between what made her run from her home and the secret that links her to Adam. Her fear of him, seen both through her eyes and Adam's, is remarkably real. The change of feelings between Fleur and Adam, whom she sees as the brutal man who took her virginity in her nightmares, then as the only person who can save her from losing herself completely, flows very naturally until it culminates in one of the most poignant love scenes I've ever read.

I had been impressed by several books by Mary Balogh before, but this one is simply outstanding.

If you're a fan of tearjerky romances, The Secret Pearl is a must-read... and must-re-read. :)

I had meant, for a long time, to write a little review of this incredible, seemingly perfect Balogh novel but did not get round to it. WMR-UK has really said everything I would have done so I would just like to say to anyone who loves heart-wrenching, stylishly written, character-driven, immaculately plotted fiction - do not miss this one. Once read, it will stay with you for ever after.

This is a story of two lonely, hurt people reaching out as best they can in the sad circumstances of their lives towards each other in an effort to find love, solace and completeness. The reader gains immense satisfaction in watching them achieve this.

I agree with WMR-UK -- I wouldn't part with my copy either -- it's firmly on the keeper shelf and I've read it more than once.

Mary Balogh is simply one of the very best writers around for the Regency period and she rarely disappoints.

There aren't many writers of historical romances - especially set in the English Regency period - who can make their heroine a prostitute, have the reader know about it right from the start of the book, and not only get away with it, but have the readers on the heroine's side from the beginning. But Balogh's done it, and more than once too. The Secret Pearl opens with Adam, Duke of Raybourne, emerging from the Drury Lane Theatre, parting from his friends, and seeing a sad-looking prostitute standing in the shadows. Something makes him approach her; despite the fact that she isn't throwing out any lures to him at all, he hires her. And, despite the fact that sleeping with prostitutes isn't something he makes a habit of, he takes her to a room in a run-down inn to use her.

This, we find, is Fleur's first night as a prostitute; having gone two days without food and unable to get a job, she has decided to sell the only remaining asset she has: herself. Her client, though, makes the experience almost as bad as it could possibly be: he is clinical and direct about what he wants, and - not knowing that Fleur is a virgin - he hurts her.

Afterwards, Adam does feel some guilt, and he feeds Fleur as well as giving her three times as much money as she asked for. And then he sends his secretary to ensure that she is offered a job - as governess to his daughter. His motives, he assumes, are simply philanthropic: he hates the thought of a gentlewoman down on her luck having to survive on the streets, and he feels guilty for not having realised before it was too late that she wasn't accustomed to her trade.

So Fleur takes up residence in the Duke of Raybourne's estate, delighted to have found a refuge both from her life in London and from the horrors from which she ran in the first place. Until the Duke of Raybourne comes home, and she discovers that he is the same man who fills her nightmares, the man who hurt her, the man who, in her dreams, rapes her nightly. And yet, as the days go by, he is also the man who comforts her, who protects her and who offers her a safe refuge.

And there are many more complications in what is already a complex story: Adam, of course, is married, and he is an honourable man who will not betray his marriage vows, despite his lapse in London - the only time he has ever been unfaithful. And Fleur is running from a murder charge. And her tormentor is even closer than she imagines.

Balogh creates a wonderful, believable portrait of what seems to be an impossible relationship. Adam, appallingly scarred both internally and externally as a result of Waterloo plus private torments, and who was cruelly rough with Fleur when he hired her as a prostitute, does not seem to be the ideal romantic hero - and yet he is, in every way. Fleur, a possible murderer, a prostitute, does not seem to be the ideal heroine, either - and yet she isn't at all what she seems, although she did certainly sell herself on the streets. But how is it possible that she could fall in love with the man who haunts her nightmares? How could a decent, married man fall in love with another woman? But Balogh pulls it off so convincingly that I could barely put the book down.

The Secret Pearl is a classic which will have you reading breathlessly, eager to find out what happens next. It's poignant, heartwrenching and utterly romantic, and it's a classic. I can't for the life of me imagine why Balogh's current publisher hasn't tried to reissue this; it would be yet another best-seller for her. As it is, the best you can do is to buy it second-hand, if you can get hold of it - and that's not easy, because those of us who do have it will NOT let go of it!

I found it very gross that Balogh would not have the heroine state with certainty that she was raped, and indeed almost blurred over, the horrendous way that Anna loses her virginity...It most certainly was rape. Otherwise this was a fairly routine romance novel. Ms. Balogh's writing skills are above-average but I never get "gripped" by her work...this novel was no exception.

Lucas Kendrick reluctantly comes back to England after ten years of exile in France; now Duke of Harndon since his brother's death, he recoils at the idea of becoming reacquainted with a family that rejected him, and marrying is simply out of the question, even though bringing back his Duchess to Bowden Abbey is part of his duty. Bitter and cynical, he has stopped believing in love since his older brother destroyed his happiness, and yet his wedding to Anna Marlowe, barely one week after their first encounter, could easily turn into a love-match.

Anna Marlowe thought she would remain a spinster for the rest of her life. Years of self-sacrifice to take care of her family brought her to the age of twenty-five without the chance to find a husband; besides, it becomes quickly clear that a man of her past made sure in a most dreadful way that she could never marry. But her attraction to the handsome Duke of Harndon leads her to marriage before she could weigh the consequences.

On their wedding night, Luke discovers that his new wife, for whom he was afraid of feeling more than a simple attraction, isn't a virgin. A feeling of intense betrayal pushes him to confront her about it the next morning, and the cold conversation leads them to deny any feeling they might harbour for each other: their marriage is one of duty, and eventually meaningless pleasure. Love never entered the equation. But can their true feelings be hidden forever?

I'm so glad I didn't let myself be put off by the beginning of the book! At first, Luke appeared like such a heartless hero that I wasn't sure I could ever come to like him. I even wondered why he immediately jumped to conclusions when he discovered that Anna wasn't a virgin on their wedding night: given his past history, he could have considered other options than a past lover. But his cynicism explains his reaction, I believe.

But I shouldn't have underestimated Mary Balogh's talent. Her character development is extremely well-done: Luke isn't the heartless man he appears to be, but the face he shows to the world is the only thing that reaches through to the reader at first. This technique allows us to understand why Anna can't and won't confide in him about what terrifies her, but the downside is that it takes some time to see things from Luke's point of view and realise that he's not as cold-hearted as he seems.

As the novel progresses indeed, we discover a man who's hiding under the tough carapace of a rough exterior, who wants to let everyone (and himself) believe that he turned his back on love ten years before, that love is an emotion that only brings deceit and pain. He hardens himself whenever he feels in danger of showing weaknesses or vulnerability. But the influence of his new wife and the demons haunting her too much to confide in him pushes him to open his heart and progressively reveal his true self.

All the characters are masterfully drawn so as to give to the reader the very same feeling as the heroes experiencing the situation. For example, the man terrorising Anna is wrapped in mystery, making his involvement in the story even more frightening. The tension of a relationship that yet appears very easy-going between Anna and Luke is palpable. And last but not least, the secondary characters are very attaching, particularly Anna's deaf-mute sister Emily, whose story I'm looking forward to reading in Silent Melody.

Heartless is an unpredictable story, full of suspense and emotion, and with a steady evolution of the heroes. Yet another fabulous book by Mary Balogh!

This novel is a must read. I finished it in 2 days and could'nt put it down. I think that I'm in love with the hero and the heroine.

I've read hundreds of Regency romances before, but this was my first Mary Balogh. And It has stuck in my head for months. Not only did it take a path I had never seen used before but the writing was clever and well done.

I can't remember the last time a romance touched me to tears, but this one did. The charactarization is superb. Indeed, the halmark of Balogh's books are her charactarizations.

What a wonderful book. Not only do you hope and cheer for Harriet and her love, Tenby, but you find out what has happened to characters from other Mary Balogh books. Finding out how Freddie and Clara are faring (from Dancing With Clara) was such a bonus.

Harriet, in the six years since we last heard of her, married a gentle older man and bore him a beautiful daughter. She is now widowed and wealthy. Although she loved her husband she realizes she never lost the tendre she felt for the Duke of Tenby. Harriet never asked what happened to Tenby after refusing him six years before when he offered her "carte blanche." Now she is London having a "season" and Tenby is bowing to duty and looking for a bride. They meet - both realizing that Harriet would never be an appropriate choice for a duchess - but the attraction to each other is overwhelming.

Tenby, too, has denied his love for her and up until they met again did not know she had married and does not know of her daughter. Without telling the whole story, their love becomes a tangled web of quick liaisons and hurt feelings. Tenby wants to marry her after all but is it too late? He becomes betrothed, and Harriet finds him without honor and begins to hate him. How can a happy ending be achieved?

All the characters in this book are well portrayed. You will love Tenby's great aunt and Harriet's dear friend, Lady Sophia. She is a matchmaker in disguise and delightful. And you will agonize with both hero and heroine as they struggle with their love for each other and moral issues. This book stands alone and is enjoyable even if you have not read the prequel. This is one book that is not to be missed.

I first 'met' Archie and Harriet in DANCING WITH CLARA. Harriet was a naive, young, paid companion to Clara. Archie was an heir to a dukedom and Freddie's rakish friend. He was immediately taken with Harriet and twice offered to make her his mistress. Harriet, although very attracted to Archie, refused because she was a virtuous young woman.

TEMPTING HARRIET begins six years later. Harriet is now Lady Harriet Wingham, a 28-year-old widow and mother. Archie is still a rake, but he is also the Duke of Tenby. He decides, at 32, to do his "duty" and find himself a wife. He goes to London for the Season to check out the marriage mart. At a ball, he sees Harriet dancing and can't beleive his eyes. Neither can Harriet. She is no longer a naive girl with no experience and is again extremely tempted by Archie. She becomes his mistress, despite the fact that it pricks her conscience. He takes her as his mistress, despite the fact that he loves her and wants to offer her marriage. But he knows he cannot 'lower' himself to marry a mere widow of a baron.

I don't want to give anything away. Suffice it to say that what follows is a very emotional, heartbreaking, wonderful, satisfying read. Mary Balogh always writes fleshed-out, 3-dimensional main and secondary characters. This books comes very highly recommended from this reader.