So I’m to book 5 now of the Survivor’s Club series by Mary Balogh, and there’s only one more so far published. I’m not ready to let these folks go, especially as we’ve had two big wins in a row.
This is the story of Ralph, Earl of Berwick and only heir to the Duke of Worthingham, and Chloe, a woman who’s run from the ton twice due to indiscreet behavior of others. They meet at the Duke of Worthingham where Chloe is a “guest” hiding from society and Ralph visits his grandfather in ill health. Ralph realizes that he’s going to need an heir sooner rather than later so he decides to begin his hunt for a bride. Before that hunt can begin Chloe offers herself up as a candidate, and things quickly progress from there.
First of all, as many of you know I LOVE a marriage of convenience, and this one was pretty great. It was wonderful reading characters who are strangers get to know each other, and over time develop and discuss their relationship into what they wanted it to be. Also, and this is always weirdly appreciated by me, their initial “encounters” were not the end all, be all. Thank you Ms. Balogh for owning up to some real, hard truths. Always appreciated in the genre of “oh, sex, it solves everything”.
The only minor complaint I have is that at the beginning neither character is particularly likable. About 3-4 pages in I found myself annoyed at our heroine and then annoyed when our hero was introduced. Their characters changed and got much better, but I wish they’d been more likable from the start.
Overall, with only 2 to go, I’d say this series is quite a success! The further I go along the more I appreciate previous characters, and the more I’m enjoying Ms. Balogh’s very adult romances.