March 1, 2023
Just as Lady Philippa Ware decided to set aside the scandal that delayed her debut season, a scathing social snub renewed her disgrace. In the years since, Philippa has found her inner strength and is now ready to face the ton. Her resolve is immediately tested, however, when one of the first men she meets is Lucas Arden, the Marquess of Roath, the very one who insulted her all those years ago. Luc is also newly on the marriage mart, there by the ducal decree of his grandfather to find a wife and produce an heir. Though Luc and Philippa feel an instant attraction, they'll have to overcome the incidents that inspired their enmity so long ago. Balogh crafts a compelling, character-driven historical romance. This second installment of the "Ravenswood" series (following Remember Love) is spared the weighty exposition of the first but remains intricate and engaging. The romance is more emotional than physical, with scant sex scenes overshadowed by a tenderness that tugs at the heartstrings. VERDICT This book will appeal to readers seeking a moving Regency romance with a complex cast of characters. Recommended for fans of Lisa Kleypas and Stephanie Laurens.--Lauren Hackert
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April 3, 2023
Bestseller Balogh’s memorable second Ravenswood Regency romance (after Remember Love) finds 22-year-old Philippa Ware, eldest daughter of the deceased Earl of Stratton, finally making her London debut. Her entrance into society was delayed by scandal: six years before the start of the book, her brother publicly revealed their father’s infidelity. She was not about to let his misdeeds deter her, until she overheard Lucas Arden, Marquess of Roath, describing her as “soiled goods.” Now she worries that lingering rumors will derail her chance of finding a husband, only to learn that no one in London even remembers her family’s notoriety—save, perhaps, for Lucas himself. Lucas’s grandfather, the Duke of Wilby, wants Lucas to wed soon and get an heir. Impressed by her poise and successful debut, the duke is convinced that Philippa would make the perfect bride and sets about playing imperious matchmaker. Balogh effortlessly captures the Regency era and the high stakes of the marriage market while instilling the narrative with the timeless reality of the impact of thoughtless words. Readers will be enchanted. Agent: Maria Carvainis, Maria Carvainis Agency.
Starred review from May 1, 2023
Lucas Arden, marquess of Roath, may have forgotten Lady Philippa Ware, but Philippa has never forgiven Lucas for nearly ruining her life. Four years ago, while eagerly awaiting her first season in London, Philippa attended a May Day event in her village, where she overheard Lucas informing another gentleman that she was "soiled goods" because of a past scandal involving her father. A mortified Philippa immediately went into social seclusion. Now, just as she is ready to finally make her London debut, who does she encounter at her very first social event but Lucas. After launching her Ravenswood series with Remember Love (2022), Balogh continues in splendid fashion with another impeccably written love story that is the perfect recommendation for romance readers who cherish achingly real, multilayered characters, exquisitely crafted prose enhanced with just the right touch of delicately restrained wit, and a brilliantly realized historical setting imbued with a surfeit of carefully delineated details of the Regency world
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