Simply Magic (Simply Quartet, #3) (Simply)

by Mary Balogh

[Stephanie]

Susanna Osbourne has had a hard life. She lost her father at a young age and lived on the streets of London after that. Thankfully it was only for a brief time and she was then placed in Miss Martin’s School for Girls. She did so well at the school that she was allowed to stay on as a junior teacher. Her whole life is dedicated to teaching but even teachers need a vacation and so she leaps at the opportunity to take a few weeks and visit Frances and her husband at Barclay Court. It promises to be a lovely and refreshing two weeks.

That is until she meets Peter Edgeworth, Viscount Whitleaf. There is nothing in his appearance or behavior that alarms Susanna. It is his very title that fills her with dread. Peter has never met someone like Susanna and very much wants to make her acquaintance. Susanna speaks her mind and isn’t a wilting flower after his title like so many of the girls his mother throws at him. As Peter and Susanna spend more time together they both realize that they are well suited; however, Susanna does not wish to continue the relationship. There can never be anything respectable between them.

Peter can’t get Susanna out of his mind and will pursue her as long as it takes. The only problem is that Susanna knows more about him than he knows about her. Peter is willing to look into the past to claim a future but is Susanna?

Mary Balogh has spun a wonderful historical romance in Simply Magic. Not only does the hero have to fight to win his heroine but he must right a wrong from the past to do so. Balogh does a fantastic job keeping the reader in the dark until she’s ready for you to understand. We learn about everything in the same time as the characters and I relished every moment of it. Peter and Susanna had a time getting to their happily ever after and it was thrilling to watch it all unfold.

Characters from Balogh’s previous books make an appearance in Simply Magic. Also this book’s timeline coincides with that of Simply Love. If you don’t want Simply Love to be spoiled for you, I suggest you read the books in order. Overall, I enjoyed the romance between Peter and Susanna and the mystery of the past. When I finished this book I was sitting on my porch. After reading the last sentence I stood up and performed a fist pump. I’m sure the people driving down my street appreciated the crazy lady. ;)

Recommended For: Readers who enjoy the past unraveling itself to make a stronger future

Avoid If: Too much mystery in your historical romance spoils it for you.