Mary Balogh

A Precious Jewel had a few precious moments and overall was a sweet and simple romance with an emphasis on the simple. Some of the things I appreciate about Balogh's style of writing is her more nuanced world. Her books tend to have some symbolism and are a bit more "literary", for lack of a better term. The plot of this was fairly straightforward, but it was intriguing and fun. I like the idea of a mistress turned wife. Since her stories are simple, so are her characters, but this is where she falls short. While they do have layers, there's an over-arching dimness to them that doesn't dissipate, mainly because there's no great trial to rid them of it.

Take the hero Gerald: we are immediately told that he's not particularly strong or handsome. Just average looking. Later on, we learn he's not particularly smart, quick, a good dancer, athletic, nor brave or generous. Normally, I like reading about realistic characters, and there's nothing more realistic than an average person all too aware of their shortcomings and who are self-conscious of them. But when I read romance, I want the exciting fantasy. I don't need a hero who's both Hercules and Prince Charming, but I want someone with redeeming qualities. Gerald has none. Just a tale of woe that should make me pity him but doesn't. It doesn't help that he continually sees the heroine as his property, an object, and refuses to see her as a human being with a past and feelings.

Which brings me to the manic pixie dream girl heroine. Priscilla Wentworth certainly has a past, hobbies, a personality, desires, fears, strengths and weaknesses. She can play the piano and can balance accounts. She's a very compelling character. I like her, but I can't for the life of me understand why she falls for Gerald. The only reason I can think of is that he's easy to please in bed. She literally just lies there. After a few sessions of this, she falls in love. Even after he's rude and dismissive towards her, she still loves him. It's beyond my comprehension.

This book is a missed opportunity. With Balogh's style of writing and world-building, this should've been a home run. Instead, we have a male wish-fullfillment fantasy novel, which has no place in the romance industry. Sorry not sorry. There are already enough of those out in the world.… (mer)

I preferred The Plumed Bonnet over The Famous Heroine. The former was a solid 4 for me with an intelligent if somewhat flighty heroine and a hero who goes back and forth between dashing and rakish. In spite of all his faults, Stephanie wasn't a pushover, and I appreciated that about her. I really believed their happily ever after, and I think they're a good match.

When you like a book, it's easy to praise, but disliking a book is so much more complicated. There are a few reasons why I didn't like The Famous Heroine that contributed to its 2 stars that I gave it. First of all, Cora (the heroine) is the most insipid character I have read in a while. I can't stand stupid women, and she is as stupid as they come. Readers are supposed to see her good heart because she's willing to dash into danger to save someone, but she ends up being reckless and endangering everyone more. Her inability to think under pressure is extremely aggravating to read about.

The second thing I disliked was her relationship with Francis. Throughout the story, Balogh shows us how Francis is never taken seriously by his friends and family in anything because of how he dresses and because he can always laugh away a bad situation. He's supposed to love Cora because she constantly makes him laugh at silly situations. What I wish is that Cora had the ability to see the hero in all his dimensions. She never appreciated or even noticed his more introspective moments. She never saw anything behind the mask he showed society. That's not an equal relationship, and I was disappointed in her shallowness of character.

Overall, this installment was middling for me. Perhaps someone else will enjoy reading about a hero who carries the emotional weight of the relationship and prefers a simple story. If you want something a little more complex and interesting (but not overly so), I recommend The Plumed Bonnet.… (mer)

The book started out cute with a marriage of convenience, and Balogh did a good job of piquing interest about the heroine's past by dropping hints. Unfortunately, the ending didn't deliver on the promising setup.

Personally, I don't like vapid heroines, and Abigail was as vapid as they come. This was weird because she supposedly took care of her three siblings and her ailing father for a few years; yet, everyone (including the heroine) says she's not sensible and too impulsive to make a good bride. The mismatch pulled me out of the story.

My biggest pet peeve with romances is when other characters explain the situation to the hero or heroine. Instead of the heroine conquering her fear and talking to the hero, her brother does it for her. As a result, the characters didn't grow. Abigail didn't learn to communicate with her partner better, and the hero didn't learn to assert himself. This is especially noticeable in the climax, or what's supposed to be the climax when the two confront the antagonist of the story. However, it's literally avoided. As in, they show up and then leave without confronting anybody. How does this resolve their issues? How does this help them grow as people and lovers? I'll tell you: it doesn't. There's literally no change in their characters, which made this dull reading.

If you really just want to read something light and fluffy, this is for you. Personally, I like a little more depth to my stories.… (mer)

These two stories were both so sweet! What I loved most about these stories is that the heroines weren't your typical heroines. They were older and disappointed in both life and love. One even had children, though I realize that's not all that unusual in contemporary romances.

I definitely have a favorite, and it's a Christmas Bride. Helena was such a complex character. She wasn't a good girl, as she'd wronged someone close to her in the past. In my opinion, her sin wasn't unforgivable, but I could see how she viewed it that way. In the hands of a less skilled writers, a heroine's insecurities often come across as wishy-washy and foolish. However, Balogh manages to capture the complexity of Helena's insecurities and show how she powers through them. I really enjoyed reading about her redemption. And, I really enjoyed the hero's perseverance in helping his wife. So romantic!

A Christmas Beau was a huge letdown after that. It actually made me downright uncomfortable at times. The heroine, Judith Easton, is physically uncomfortable and sometimes afraid of the hero for about 2/3 of the book. Reading about her fear of him made it difficult to view his actions as romantic. He literally stalks her, following her around in the park and only going to parties she'll attend. It's super creepy.

Towards the end, it also got very didactic about the power of Christmas, which became nauseating by the end of the book. Because it's Christmas and because everyone loves each other and everything is so wholesome, no one gets angry, not really. No one fights or shouts. By the end of the story, the characters were flat and unrealistically sweet, like in those basic Christian novels where God solves everything and the characters don't even have to lift a finger. Except, instead of God here it was the spirit of Christmas spread by God.

Depending on how saccharine you like your stories, one or the other of these two Christmas stories will appeal to you. Personally, I like a little drama and realism mixed in, and if you're like me, then you'll really like A Christmas Bride.… (mer)