Heartless

By: Mary Balogh

Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor

Length: 14 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

From New York Times best-selling legend Mary Balogh - the beloved author of Longing, Silent Melody, and Beyond the Sunrise - comes a ravishing novel of passion and duty, love, and menace....

Life has taught Lucas Kendrick, duke of Harndon, that a heart is a decided liability. Betrayed by his elder brother, rejected by his fiancée, banished by his father, and shunned by his mother, Luke fled to Paris, where he became the most sought-after bachelor in fashionable society. Ten years later fate has brought him back home to England as head of the family who rejected him. Unwilling as he is to be involved with them, he must assume responsibility for his younger siblings, the family estate he once loved - and the succession. He faces the prospect of marrying with the greatest reluctance - until he sees beguiling Lady Anna Marlowe across a ballroom one night.

Anna, far from being the bright-eyed innocent Luke takes her for, is no more a stranger to the shadows of a painful past than he is. But for her, marriage cannot so easily solve what is wrong in her life - not when a tormentor stalks her to the very doors of Bowden Abbey, where Luke and Anna must learn to trust in each other or risk any chance they may have for a happy future.

©1995 Mary Balogh (P)2015 Recorded Books

Too stupid to live

Any additional comments?

Normally I love MB- especially the Survivors Club, but the one writers sin I cannot forgive is a protagonist who is too stupid to live. In this one, every character, except possibly the villain and the deaf mute, behaves in ways so colossally stupid that I would have quit in disgust for a less loved author.

About a heart implant

Any additional comments?

The Dukes marriage to Anna was too quick and shallow, but it had to happen in order to make the plot work. Anna is a lovely character but she is so stupid to withhold a secret from her husband and lie so blatantly. Besides those two things, this is an entertaining book with a good story and a great narrator.

Hate to admit it, but I love a book where there is a past love (a woman) who is hanging around plaguing everyone, being super sweet and snarky. I love to see them get what they deserve in the end. Does that make me mean?

Totally Absorbing - Great Performance of Narration

I’ve read this book before and just had to buy it for my audio collection and am so very glad I did. Naturally, when you combine the amazing writing of Mary Balogh with the perfection of Ms. Rosalyn Landor’s performance you can will experience complete and utter enjoyment.

Lucas Kendrick, banished years ago by his family understood that a heart was something that could be broke. Betrayed by his elder brother, rejected by his fiancee, banished by his father and shunned by his mother Lucas fled to Paris. There he became the most sought after bachelor in fashionable society. Ten years later Lucas has returned, now the Duke to the family that had rejected him. Hating to be in any way involved with them, he must assume the responsibility for his younger siblings, and the family estate he once loved. Reluctantly, he knows he must marry to secure the succession, and then he spies the beguiling Lady Anna Marlowe at a ball.

Lady Anna is far from the bright eyed innocent he thinks and has her own torments and shadows in her life, and a stalker who torments her from London to the very doors of Bowden Abbey the Luke’s palatial family seat. But trust is a fragile thing and when the heart has been broken - sometimes it may take an enormous love to heal.

What a wonderful story this was, so many secrets, betrayals, love and amazing characterizations. Mary Balogh is a genius and her prose is to die for. She is an amazing author who has the capacity to make me swoon, cry, laugh, feel and never want the story to end. I feel so invested in her characters lives as they reach right into my heart.

Lady Anna was a saint in every sense of the word for protecting her family, so much so that it endangered her very life from a madman. Lucas’ heart had hardened so much it was a wonderful thing to see him accept that which he couldn’t change, but love Anna and her family like they were his own. HEARTLESS was so rich in detail, and emotions that it will remain a favorite of mine for a very long time and one to be reread, or listened to many times over.

Marilyn Rondeau

Hero's redemption makes this worth reading

I'm always pleased to see more of Mary Balogh's back list coming out in Kindle editions -- the latest being her Georgian series from the mid-1990s. Since the Rosalyn Landor audio version was issued at the same time, I chose to listen rather than read.

My ratings: 3.5 stars for the story; 5 stars for the narration.

The love story is beautiful -- classic Mary Balogh -- especially Lucas's gradual realization that he really isn't "heartless" after all. Anna's Big Secret, however, was dragged out too long, although it was so awful that I could understand her reluctance to confess it to her husband.

As for the Georgian setting -- I didn't feel it -- other than mentions of the clothing and hairstyles. Perhaps I'm spoiled, having just read several titles by the consummate Georgian-era author, Lucinda Brant.

Mary Balogh can't write a bad book, though, so if you're a fan like I am, try this one. I will definitely read the sequel, Silent Melody.

Not Mary Balogh's Best

Would you try another book from Mary Balogh and/or Rosalyn Landor?

not from this series and not before reading all the review I can find.

What was most disappointing about Mary Balogh’s story?

This was too dark and graphic..

Have you listened to any of Rosalyn Landor’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

As always, her reading was wonderful. I have read almost all of her historical romance performances and while not always being happy with the story itself, have had no complaints with the reading.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The story and characters are very well told and developed in true Mary Balogh style. I question why the author found it necessary for the dark tone and graphic, violent descriptions for this book. It seems out of character for her.

Any additional comments?

I have read most of Mary Balogh's books. Most, many times. I will continue to look forward to each new book that becomes available, After this one, as I have said, I will read all reviews before I buy one.

Not one of my favorites

This started out so well. But once Anna started keeping secrets - and that was early on - it became annoying. As the story progressed and the opportunities for her to confess all came and went, listening to this became painful. The anxiety it created was almost too much for me to continue. I almost gave up but continued just to see how far it would go. Like being unable to not state at an accident.

The narration was excellent as Rosalyn Landor always is. I hope we learn more about Emily. She (and the Duke) were favorites.

Mary Balogh/Rosalyn Landor. What's Not to Love?

Balogh is a MUST listen, add Landor to narrate and you have a GREAT listen.
The story flowed impeccably, as MB's stories always do.
RL's narration was spot on.
Loved it.
Goes in the 'Read Again' file.

Oh My! Started Out Great

This book started off so good, I couldn't stop listening, but then it got bogged down in the middle and was long winded towards the end. The hero was very unique. He was a dandy through and through. I loved that about him. There was nothing I really loved about the heroine though. She was just TSTL and I couldn't help feeling frustrated with her throughout the book for enabling the villain to use her the way he did while she continued to lie to her husband. The hero was a duke so you would think that there would have been some confidence that he would have been able to help her, but all she had confidence in, was being a doormat for the villain. She lied to the hero telling him there was nothing wrong until the end and he didn't find out what was happening to the heroine until the last chapter, which was way too late IMO. The story-line was interesting and different, but the execution of it did not come together to make the book as engaging as it could have been. The over use of some words "Oh My" 48 times, Zounds and Egad 15 times each was irritating. In the end, it all just seemed very predictable and that is a shame because if this story was done right it could have been a five star read. 2.5 stars.

Rosalyn Landor was phenomenal and the reason I finished the story

Zounds! Egad! Lud! Oh my!

Those three words have to be the most uselessly repeated words Ive ever read.

Huge fan of MB, but this story stunk. The relationship happened too fast, the secrets were hung on to for way too long... so long that I gave up and quit the book before even finding out what the stupid secret was! Returning the book.

RL was, as usual, phenomenal. If anyone could have saved it, its her!

Masterful Mary Balogh

Once again Mary Balogh knits together a tangible story of love, mistrust, and scorn to produce a positive predictable conclusion of boy meets girl, boy wins girl, girl has secret she's afraid to share with boy, boy works to win girls trust, outside forces work to tear boy and girl apart, boy saves girl, all is well with the world. Yeah, I know that's a huge run on sentence, but you get the drift. The story is customary 18th century behavior, and nothing out of the ordinary. Not one of Ms Balogh's best, but also not the worst I have ever read , so three stars. Rosalyn Landor is her usual elequent, impressive self, and always makes for a wonderful listen, so five stars. Overall not a waste of time, but I wish it had been better. I think I'm jaded by the Survivors Club series!

Very disappointing.

If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?

I don't know. I'm a great fan of Mary Balogh's work but this story just didn't gel for me.

Would you ever listen to anything by Mary Balogh again?

Absolutely

Which character – as performed by Rosalyn Landor – was your favourite?

None of them really.

You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?

No

Any additional comments?

I'm sorry I wasted my credit on this.

Soap opera

Well narrated and well written, but shallow characters, lots of clichés, predictable and over the top drama. The described emotions did not touch me.

BBRILLIANT ...

THE STORY , THE PERFORMANCE, THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE is a JOY ... WHEN YOU LIKE PERIOD DRAMA ...