Mary Balogh, My Author of the Month

 This month I am going to feature the books of Mary Balogh.  In this post I will focus on what I call her Slightly Series.  These were my introduction to Balogh's books and since them I have bought all of them and have the audios of a few of them.  I sure wish someone would do the audios for the Slightly series with Simon Prebble as the reader.
I have always loved Mary Balogh's books and always eagerly await her next book.  I have just finished rereading the entire Bedwyn series.  I read them all in order and I am sorry that I have reached the end of the series.  In fact I will have a hard time staying awake today as I read Slightly Dangerous until 1:30 this morning as I could not put it down and that is after having read it several times before.
Each book is the story of one the the six Bedwyns.  It would be hard to say which of the Bedwyns is my favorite but I have to say that I think it is Wulfric, the Duke of Bewcastle.  His influence is woven through all of the books and while he is a tyrant and at first seems to have no emotion but  in each book he plays a major role in securing the happiness of his brothers and sisters.
Each one of the Bedwyns is unique.  Aiden in Slightly Married seems stiff and unbending but honorable and intent on doing the right thing.  Rannaulf in Slightly Wicked, is a devil may care man who has not found his way in life until he finds his love of the land and the love of his life in Judith.  Initially I did not like Freja Bedwyn in Slightly Scandalous.  She was very high in the instep and could be quite rude.  As we learned her story you could understand her anger and the need to protect herself.  But I found myself laughing out loud at some of her antics and then almost crying when I learned the reason that she so protected her heart.
Morgan, the youngest of the Bedwyns, showed that she had real stamina and caring while she waited for her brother to return from a diplomatic mission during the Battle of Waterloo in Slightly Tempted.  Her romance with Gervase, the Earl of Rosthorn had it ups and downs but was fun to read about and see how bitterness and anger can be overcome with the telling of the truth.  Then there is Allyene, in Slightly Sinful, who seemed to have no purpose in life and took a position with the diplomatic corps as a last resort.  When he is wounded while on a mission and loses his memory and is rescued by Rachel he finds himself with a group of very different individuals than he would usually associate he begins to find out who he really is and finds love in the bargain.
Then we come to Wulfric, The Duke of Bewcastle in  Slightly Dangerous.  After reading the previous books I had no hope that he would be able to unbend enough to find love for himself.  His story is  wonderful!  How can he be two men, Wulfric and the Duke of Bewcastle?  It takes a lovely, animated and joyful widow, Christine, to show him how.  This book brings the series to a great conclusion and leaves the reader wanting more.
This has to be one of the best series written.  The characters as so well developed that the reader feels as though they know each one of the characters intimately.  The books are filled with humor, passion, some intrigue and a true caring of members of a family for each other.
I am so lucky to have a complete autographed set that I won in an auction on ebay.  I treasure these books and will surely reread them many times over.  I highly recommend them to anyone who has not read these and I give them all 5 stars.

The Forbidden Rose by Joanna Bourne

Oh No!  I did not want this book to end!  Every once in a while a book comes along that just grabs you.  The Forbidden Rose by Joanna Bourne is one of those books. This is a book that I wanted to hurry through but at the same time wanted to savor every page.  Bourne's writing is beautiful.  She has a wonderful way of putting words together so that they flow naturally making the reader want to read every word and not skip over anything.  Her research is excellent and her plot very well developed.  I loved her characters.  They are strong and  honorable while doing the sometimes dirty work of spies.
The book is set in France during the French revolution and is the story of Marguerite de Fleurignac, also known as Finch, and William Doyle known as Guillaume LeBreton .  Finch is the leader of La Fleche which is a group dedicated to helping those opposed to the French government of Robespierre escape France.  Doyle is an English Spy sent on an important mission for the British.  Maggie and Doyle's developing romance is nicely done with sensuality and tenderness.
The plot moves smoothly and quickly and the sense of intrigue and suspense builds throughout the story.  I was on edge at several points hoping all would work out.
While Maggie and Doyle are the major characters I loved Hawker!  He appeared in Bourne's other novels and it was good to see how he became a major player in the British spy network.  The other secondary characters were all well developed and portrayed.
The ending of this book is touching and quite moving.  There is nothing not to like in this book.  I would give it 5 stars and make it one of my keepers.  I highly recommend her other books The Spymaster's Lady and My Lord and Spymaster.  I have reread these several times while waiting for The Forbidden Rose.
I will anxiously await Joanna's next book!  When, When?

Valentine's Day is Coming

Yes, the big romance day of the year is this Sunday.  While I love to read romance novels I also love to watch romantic movies.  I have my favorites.  What are yours?

My all time favorite is You've Got Mail with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.  I loved the email messages that passed between them perhaps because I am addicted to email also.  I felt so sorry for Kathleen Kelly, played by Meg Ryan, when she had to close her book shop because of the big super bookstore Fox Books.  It reminds me of what Borders and Barnes and Noble have done to so many independent book stores.  Anyway the blooming of their relationship with the finale in the beautiful garden in Central Park brings tears to my eyes every time I watch it and I watch it several times a year!

Next is Sleepless in Seattle with, of course, Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks!  What a good pair.  Sam's son Jonah plays a huge part in getting Sam and Annie together on Valentine's Day at the top of the Empire State Building.  Jonah's calls to a national radio show are quite funny and poignant as he tries to break up a relationship between his father and a woman he can't stand.  The ending is beautiful!

My third favorite is Sarah Plain and Tall.  I love stories set in the West as it developed.  This one takes place on the prairie where a widowed farmer sends for a mail order bride.  Sarah lives in Maine but realizes in order to have any life of her own she needs to break away from family and while,it is a hard decision she answers the advertisement.  Thus begins her journey to go and try to make a life with Jacob and his two young children on the prairie.  This is a beautiful story with great characters.  The children are precious and Glenn Close as Sarah is wonderful.  In fact I think I will go watch it now!