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Award-winning and New York Times best-selling author Mary Balogh delights fans with historical romantic tales that touch the heart. After her husband dies in a freak accident, Lady Gwendoline Muir never dreams she’ll love again. So when soldier-turned-nobleman Lord Hugo Trentham stirs feelings in her that have lain dormant for years, she can’t help but imagine his strong embrace. Hugo finds himself drawn to Gwen, but he’s never courted a woman before. Can he muster the right words to make Gwen open her heart and love once more?
When Alexander Westcott becomes the new Earl of Riverdale, he inherits a title he never wanted and a failing country estate he can't afford. But he fully intends to do everything in his power to undo years of neglect and give the people who depend on him a better life.... A recluse for more than 20 years, Wren Heyden wants one thing out of life: marriage. With her vast fortune, she sets her sights on buying a husband. But when she makes the desperate and oh-so-dashing earl a startlingly unexpected proposal, Alex will agree only to a proper courtship.
Stranded together in a rustic country inn, Lucius Marshall, who is the Viscount Sinclair, and Frances Allard share a night of glorious, unforgettable passion. But Frances knows her place, and it is far from the privileged world of the sensual aristocrat. Due to begin her teaching position at Miss Martin's School in Bath, Frances must try to forget that one extraordinary night - and the man who touched her with such exquisite tenderness and abandon.
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.
Like all the Bedwyn men, Aidan has a reputation for cool arrogance. But this proud nobleman also possesses a loyal, passionate heart - and it is this fierce loyalty that has brought Colonel Lord Aidan to Ringwood Manor to honor a dying soldier's request. Having promised to comfort and protect the man's sister, Aidan never expected to find a headstrong, fiercely independent woman who wants no part of his protection, nor did he expect the feelings this beguiling creature would ignite in his guarded heart.
Anna Snow grew up in an orphanage in Bath knowing nothing of the family she came from. Now she discovers that the late Earl of Riverdale was her father and that she has inherited his fortune. She is also overjoyed to learn she has siblings. However, they want nothing to do with her or her attempts to share her new wealth. But the new earl's guardian is interested in Anna.
Award-winning and New York Times best-selling author Mary Balogh delights fans with historical romantic tales that touch the heart. After her husband dies in a freak accident, Lady Gwendoline Muir never dreams she’ll love again. So when soldier-turned-nobleman Lord Hugo Trentham stirs feelings in her that have lain dormant for years, she can’t help but imagine his strong embrace. Hugo finds himself drawn to Gwen, but he’s never courted a woman before. Can he muster the right words to make Gwen open her heart and love once more?
When Alexander Westcott becomes the new Earl of Riverdale, he inherits a title he never wanted and a failing country estate he can't afford. But he fully intends to do everything in his power to undo years of neglect and give the people who depend on him a better life.... A recluse for more than 20 years, Wren Heyden wants one thing out of life: marriage. With her vast fortune, she sets her sights on buying a husband. But when she makes the desperate and oh-so-dashing earl a startlingly unexpected proposal, Alex will agree only to a proper courtship.
Stranded together in a rustic country inn, Lucius Marshall, who is the Viscount Sinclair, and Frances Allard share a night of glorious, unforgettable passion. But Frances knows her place, and it is far from the privileged world of the sensual aristocrat. Due to begin her teaching position at Miss Martin's School in Bath, Frances must try to forget that one extraordinary night - and the man who touched her with such exquisite tenderness and abandon.
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.
Like all the Bedwyn men, Aidan has a reputation for cool arrogance. But this proud nobleman also possesses a loyal, passionate heart - and it is this fierce loyalty that has brought Colonel Lord Aidan to Ringwood Manor to honor a dying soldier's request. Having promised to comfort and protect the man's sister, Aidan never expected to find a headstrong, fiercely independent woman who wants no part of his protection, nor did he expect the feelings this beguiling creature would ignite in his guarded heart.
Anna Snow grew up in an orphanage in Bath knowing nothing of the family she came from. Now she discovers that the late Earl of Riverdale was her father and that she has inherited his fortune. She is also overjoyed to learn she has siblings. However, they want nothing to do with her or her attempts to share her new wealth. But the new earl's guardian is interested in Anna.
In the country visiting his twin brother, Viscount Rawleigh longs for a little diversion, and beautiful young widow Catherine Winters seems like easy prey. But Rex's target is a lady of virtue, and when she roundly rejects his improper proposal to become his mistress, Rex finds himself faced with a delectable challenge.
Against the scandal and seduction of Regency England, New York Times best-selling author Mary Balogh introduces an extraordinary family - the fiery, sensual Huxtables. Vanessa is the second daughter, proud and daring, a young widow who has her own reason for pursuing the most eligible bachelor in London. One that has nothing to do with love. Or does it?
An arrogant duke does the unthinkable - he falls in love with his mistress.... She raced onto the green, desperate to stop a duel. In the mêlée, Jocelyn Dudley, Duke of Tresham, was shot. To his astonishment, Tresham found himself hiring the servant as his nurse. Jane Ingleby was far too bold for her own good. Her blue eyes were the sort a man could drown in - were it not for her impudence. She questioned his every move, breached his secrets, touched his soul. When he offered to set her up in his London town house, love was the last thing on his mind.
The illegitimate daughter of an English lord, Sian Jones abandoned her heritage to live in a stalwart coal-mining community in South Wales. Empowered by their cause, she's engaged to be married to the leader of a revolutionary movement that is bracing itself against the tyranny of English mine owners. But Sian's principles are unexpectedly shaken when she accepts a job as governess under Alexander Hyatt, the mysterious marquess of Craille, the oppressive symbol of everything she has come to resist.
Two years after the death of the Earl of Riverdale, his family has overcome the shame of being stripped of their titles and fortune - except for his onetime countess, Viola. With her children grown and herself no longer part of the social whirl of the ton, she is uncertain where to look for happiness - until quite by accident her path crosses once again with that of the Marquess of Dorchester, Marcel Lamarr.
For Miss Charlotte Windham, the best way to maintain her spinsterhood - and her independence - is a teeny, tiny brush with scandal. She chooses wealthy, handsome upstart Lucas Sherbourne as her unwitting accomplice. He's intelligent, logical, and ambitious. What Charlotte doesn't count on is that one kiss will lead them straight to the altar. Sherbourne has no love for polite society, nor is he keen on being anybody's husband of last resort. He is attracted to Charlotte's boldness, though - and her family's influence. Without a title, he knows he'll never truly be part of their world.
Simon Basset, the irresistible Duke of Hastings, has hatched a plan to keep himself free from the town's marriage-minded society mothers. He pretends to be engaged to the lovely Daphne Bridgerton. After all, it isn't as if the brooding rogue has any real plans to marry - though there is something about the alluring Miss Bridgerton that sets Simon's heart beating a bit faster. And as for Daphne, surely the clever debutante will attract some very worthy suitors now that it seems a duke has declared her desirable.
When Elizabeth Hotchkiss stumbles upon a copy of How to Marry a Marquis in her employer's library, she's convinced someone is playing a cruel joke. With three younger siblings to support, she knows she has to marry for money, but who might have guessed how desperate she's become? A guidebook to seduction might be just the thing she needs - and what harm could there be in taking a little peek?
Even at 15, Jeanne, the privileged daughter of a royalist EmigrE, knew what she liked: Englishman Robert Blake, bastard son of a marquess. Yet his questionable birth rendered him forbidden. Forced to part, they were still young enough to believe in tomorrow. But as time passed, that brief ephemeral flirtation at Haddington Hall faded into memory.
Reginald Mason is wealthy, refined, and, by all accounts, a gentleman. However, he is not a gentleman by birth, a factor that pains him and his father, Bernard Mason, within the Regency society that upholds station over all else. That is, until an opportunity for social advancement arises, namely, Lady Annabelle Ashton.
Everyone expects Billie Bridgerton to marry one of the Rokesby brothers. The two families have been neighbors for centuries, and as a child the tomboyish Billie ran wild with Edward and Andrew. Either one would make a perfect husband...someday.
Devon Ravenel, London's most wickedly charming rake, has just inherited an earldom. But his powerful new rank in society comes with unwanted responsibilities...and more than a few surprises. His estate is saddled with debt, and the late earl's three innocent sisters are still occupying the house - along with Kathleen, Lady Trenear, a beautiful young widow whose sharp wit and determination are a match for Devon's own.
The Survivors' Club: Six men and one woman, all wounded in the Napoleonic Wars, their friendship forged during their recovery at Penderris Hall in Cornwall. Now, for one of them, striking a most unusual bargain will change his life forever....
Ralph Stockwood prides himself on being a leader, but when he convinced his friends to fight in the Napoleonic Wars, he never envisioned being the sole survivor. Racked with guilt over their deaths, Ralph must move on...and find a wife so as to secure an heir to his family's title and fortune.
Since her seasons in London ended in disaster, Chloe Muirhead is resigned to spinsterhood. Driven by the need to escape her family, she takes refuge at the home of her mother's godmother, where she meets Ralph. He needs a wife. She wants a husband. So Chloe makes an outrageous suggestion: strike a bargain and get married. One condition: Ralph has to promise that he will never take her back to London. But circumstances change. And to Ralph it was only a promise.
Any additional comments?
I was disappointed in book 4 of this series so I was hoping for a good story. Initially I wasn't sure how this would turn out as the proposal was so matter of fact. I just didn't think they would be good together. I admit when I'm wrong and I was wrong about that. :) I was a bit irritated at times with Ralph and Chloe but overall I really enjoyed their budding relationship and the story. This story is of healing and confronting ones past (and present). Ralph needed to forgive himself and to let go of his guilt & Chloe needed to stop running from who she was. They both helped each other overcome a lot and mend fences. I was happy to see them get their HEA; They deserved it. I really enjoyed this one.
I was unsure about Ralph as a hero to be honest. I didn't feel like we knew a lot about him. I wanted to hit him upside of the head a few times but he was a good guy. I eagerly look forward to the next book in the series.
Steam Factor: Low
4.5 stars!
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Ralph has walls, big thick walls -- around his heart, around his pain, around his common sense. He can't forget his part in the death of his three best friends during the war, and the guilt of their deaths surrounds him like a thick cloud. Out of self preservation, he has suppressed all emotion, rather than be driven to suicide by the pain. He has made an art of feeling nothing.
But he is the heir of a duke, a very elderly duke, who is his grandfather, and he is finally persuaded that he must marry and set up his nursery. The Duchess encourages him to go to London for the season, and find a bride and do his duty, but he feels nothing for any of the young ladies on offer, and he soon returns empty handed.
It is then that his grandmother's companion makes a bold proposal: Marry me. I will give you children, and expect nothing in the way of affection in return. And with that a devils bargain is struck.
While I love all the books in this series, this book was grim for me. In fairness, I had just finished the delightful 'Must Love Breeches,' and probably should have waited a bit before diving back into something as serious as this. I kept wanting and hoping for something good to happen between Chloe and Ralph, but for most of the book, he remained aloof and controlled, and the sex was mostly functional, at best.
Of course, there is a HEA, but by the time it happened, I was tired and ready to put on my cloak, and go home to a glass of brandy, and a cheery fire. I felt chilled by the experience.
I understand his motivation, and her's as well, but the time it took for things to be resolved felt like a bit of a bad joke, and I felt duped somehow. They both deserved so much more.
I am very curious to see how I will feel after a second reading, now that I know what to expect. Perhaps I'll change my mind and find it all played out perfectly, the way it was supposed to. But unfortunately, Audible won't allow me to change my review, and that's a shame. It's also a reason why I often don't review books the first time I read them, because once posted, a review on Audible is forever, even if I change my mind.
I still say it is Highly Recommended, (It is Mary Balogh after all, and a continuation of the Survivor's Club).
Just remember to prepare yourself accordingly, because it is grim.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
The writing is wonderful, the narrator is one of my favorites, but the plot is so simple and predictable that it was annoying. I kept waiting for something to happen that gave the story a little more substance. Not one of the author's best efforts.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Story had potential, but it was dull all throughout... I kept waiting for the "good" part. :(
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Very enjoyable story and narration. Loved it most when the members of the Survivors Club get together. Already purchased the rest of the series.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Thoroughly enjoyed this addition to the Survivors' Club series. I liked the characters and the plot set up. The gradual healing of Ralph who held so much pain and guilt. Chloe gentle, loving and holding pain of her own. I loved their gradual falling in love and their support of each other. Narrated again so well.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
What disappointed you about Only a Promise?
Both the hero and heroine, and the unbelievability of certain scenes. For example, they have sex with no kissing or foreplay, he simply "mounts" her, and she enjoys it?! I continued to listen, thinking it must get better, which it briefly did before returning back. After that, I decided I did not want to waste my time and did not finish the book.
Would you ever listen to anything by Mary Balogh again?
I have thoroughly enjoyed the other books in this series (which is why I decided to keep listening, hoping it would get better). I would highly recommend the other books in this series.
What about Rosalyn Landor’s performance did you like?
I really like Rosalyn Landor's performance. It was the writing, not the performance, that was horrible.
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
Repulsion.
Any additional comments?
Skip this book.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I love this series. This is another good book but not my favorite. Each of the Survivors has had a hard time recovering from war wounds and their stories are realistic and sad. All have their HEAs though.
Ralph's and Chloe's story is good and might have been worth a 5 star rating except for the constant change of POV. I found it a bit distracting until I got used to it but it took me by surprise each time.
Narration is perfect, as usual, for Rosalyn Landor.
I look forward to the next book in this series.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Where does Only a Promise rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
GREAT
What did you like best about this story?
THE STORY PLOT
What does Rosalyn Landor bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
HAPPINESS
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
LOVE THE BEST THAT YOU CAN
Any additional comments?
WONDERFUL AND JOY MADE READING THIS BOOK EXCITING
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Would you consider the audio edition of Only a Promise to be better than the print version?
I like both it did take a bit to get used to the narrator but really really good,
What other book might you compare Only a Promise to and why?
Graveyard series they both keep you interested in different ways
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
If you could sum up Only a Promise in three words, what would they be?
Good Story.
Beleviable
Sad/Yet Enjoyable.
Who was your favorite character and why?
I liked the family and friends of the main character. He grows on you and she is understandable.
Which character – as performed by Rosalyn Landor – was your favourite?
The earl and his family.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
When she realises that you can't run away from life.
Any additional comments?
Recommend the series of books.