Beloved New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh spins two classic stories of Regency England—splendid novels of mistaken identity and unmistakable passion, where marriage is only the beginning of true love.
THE FAMOUS HEROINE Cora Downes has beauty, spirit, and money, but no breeding. Yet when she gains renown for a daring rescue, she finds herself thrust into high society. Innocent and adrift in a world of beautiful banquets, bejeweled gowns, and snobbish standards, Cora is quickly compromised into a marriage—to a frivolous lord whose interests seem to lie elsewhere. But could piercingly blue-eyed and well-mannered Francis Kneller turn out to be the most unexpected love of her life?
THE PLUMED BONNET Alistair Munro, the Duke of Bridgwater, is looking for love outside the bounds of polite society. And that’s what he expects to receive when he rescues a seemingly disreputable girl in a colorful bonnet off the side of the road. Yet Stephanie Gray, a former governess, has recently come into money and is eager for a proper match with a well-born man. Sure that he’s sullied her name, Alistair offers marriage to make amends. And in this unlikely union, Stephanie and Alistair make a welcome discovery—that sometimes it’s possible to marry first, then fall in love.
A couple of weeks ago I saw this book at the grocery store and all of the sudden I felt like reading a good romance. And that is just what I did! Cora is such a delightful character. She is full of life, she is realistic, naïve and prone to unusual “situations” that are hilarious. Francis is a strong character and I love his instant understanding of Cora and the fact that they could laugh together (no so much his choice of clothing). All the other characters were likeable and pragmatic. Ms. Balogh is one of my favorite historical authors and she has a similar style to Julia Quinn (my all-time-favorite). The plot was not devious or mysterious, but simple and done well. The story flowed at a good pace that made the romance believable. The Famous Heroine is a very entertaining, short novel that I really enjoyed. I will read the Plumed Bonnet (pictured here) and review it at a later time.
