Title: A Summer to RememberAuthor: Mary Balogh
Published: 2002, Dell
Category: Historical Romance
Rating: 7/10
This is a re-read. I always love Balogh, and I'd nearly forgotten what this one was about. And then I saw it in the bookstore---reissued for the low, low price of $4.99! How was I to resist such a deal?
Cover blurb (because I don't feel like writing a synopsis tonight!):
Kit Butler is cool, dangerous, one of London’s most infamous bachelors—marriage is the last thing on his mind. But Kit’s family has other plans. Desperate to thwart his father’s matchmaking, Kit needs a bride...fast. Enter Miss Lauren Edgeworth.Ah, Balogh. You are so lovely. A fake rake who's just a really nice guy. An ice princess who needs to learn to loosen up and enjoy life. What's not to like? Actually Lauren annoyed me occasionally with her woe-is-me martyrdom, but Kit is a delight. I always call Balogh books "nice" because they just are. I always find them very comforting reads.
A year after being abandoned at the altar, Lauren has determined that marriage is not for her. When these two fiercely independent souls meet, sparks fly—and a deal is hatched. Lauren will masquerade as Kit’s intended if he agrees to provide a passionate, adventurous, unforgettable summer. When summer ends, she will break off the engagement, rendering herself unmarriageable and leaving them both free. Everything is going perfectly—until Kit does the unthinkable: He begins to fall in love. A summer to remember is not enough for him. But how can he convince Lauren to be his...for better, for worse, for the rest of their lives?
This is the book that also introduced the Bedwyns and sent Balogh writing the Slightly [insert adjective] and the Simply [insert romantic sentiment] series.
Okay, that wasn't much of a review. Can I blame the hot weather? It is affecting my attention span, I think. :)
6 comments:
I've never read her books and I've been giving thoughts about it... but then, I don't enjoy historicals that much... In you opinion, with which book should I start?
Hmm, this one might be a good place to start actually. It's sort of the beginning of her Bedwyn series (which is really long). And I think it's one of her better books. :)
I love this one because Lauren is exactly the kind of woman who's always been ditched by the hero in favour of the more "spirited" heroine. And proper, demure young women deserve love, too, damn it!
Agree with what you say to Nath, Jennie. This would be a place to start. This, or One Night For Love, aka the one where Lauren is left at the altar, but I didn't much like that book, so I won't recommend it.
I like the "nice" books. The ones that are the literary equivalent of chicken soup and/or chocolate after a very hectic day.
For some reason, I usually find myself reading "The Bargain," by Mary Jo Putney. I just love the hero in that book. He's very pleasant. It's dramatic, but not angsty. Just... nice.
Rosario--You're so right, and I hadn't really thought of that before. LOL. And she is the one left behind for the more spirited heroine in One Night to Love, isn't she? I haven't read that one yet, but I'm not sure if I want to. The guy (Lauren's cousin, or whatever) came off as a bit of a putz in this one. :)
Kate--Balogh is definitely comfort reading for me. I've been meaning to try Putney, I don't think I've ever read anything by her. I'll put The Bargain on my list.
Rosario said "Agree with what you say to Nath, Jennie. This would be a place to start. This, or One Night For Love, aka the one where Lauren is left at the altar, but I didn't much like that book, so I won't recommend it."
Oh wow! I didn't realize there was a book before AStR!! But I started with AStR and then went on to enjoy the Bedwyns. I remember that I didn't like them much in AStR, but thought they were extremely interesting. Little did I realize just how attached to them I would get!
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