Survivors' Club
1 primary work • 7 total works
Book 3
After surviving the Napoleonic Wars, Sir Benedict Harper is struggling to move on, his body and spirit in need of a healing touch. Never does Ben imagine that hope will come in the form of a beautiful woman who has seen her own share of suffering. After the lingering death of her husband, Samantha McKay is at the mercy of her oppressive in-laws - until she plots an escape to distant Wales to claim a house she has inherited. Being a gentleman, Ben insists that he escort her on the fateful journey.
Ben wants Samantha as much as she wants him, but he is cautious. What can a wounded soul offer any woman? Samantha is ready to go where fate takes her, to leave behind polite society and even propriety in her desire for this handsome, honorable soldier. But dare she offer her bruised heart as well as her body? The answers to both their questions may be found in an unlikely place: in each other's arms.
Desperate to escape his mother's matchmaking‚ Vincent Hunt‚ Viscount Darleigh‚ flees to a remote country village. But even there‚ another marital trap is sprung. So when Miss Sophia Fry intervenes on his behalf and is booted from her guardian's home‚ Vincent must act. He may have been blinded in battle‚ but he can see a solution to both their problems: marriage. But how can an all-consuming fire burn from such a cold arrangement?
Flavian was devastated by his fiancée’s desertion after his return home from the Napoleonic Wars. Now the woman who broke his heart is back—and everyone is eager to revive their engagement. Except Flavian, who, in a panic, runs straight into the arms of a most sensible yet enchanting young woman.
Agnes Keeping has never been in love—and never wishes to be. But then she meets the charismatic Flavian, and suddenly Agnes falls so foolishly and so deeply that she agrees to his impetuous proposal of marriage.
When Agnes discovers that the proposal is only to avenge his former love, she’s determined to flee. But Flavian has no intention of letting his new bride go, especially now that he too has fallen so passionately and so unexpectedly in love.
Lady Gwendoline Muir has experienced her fair share of tragedies in her short life: she lost her husband to a freak accident and developed a limp after falling from horseback. Still young, Gwen is sure that she's done with love and that she will never be married again.
Gwen tries to be content with her life as it is and to live through the happy marriages of her brother and her best friend, Viscountess Ravensberg. She's happy for them and for years that is enough for her . . . until she meets Lord Trentham - a man who returned from the Peninsula Wars a hero but is unable to escape the bite of his survivor's guilt. For he might just be the man who can convince her to believe in second chances.
Enter the world of New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh, where the magic, romance and mystery of Regency England come vibrantly to life . . .
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 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 the outrageous suggestion to 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.
'A matchless storyteller' RT Book Reviews
'A romance writer of mesmerizing intensity.' Mary Jo Putney
'Mary Balogh just keeps getting better and better.' The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
'Balogh can always be depended on to deliver a beautifully written Regency romance with appealing, unusual characters.' Publishers Weekly
From the legendary New York Times bestselling author of Only a Kiss and Only a Promise comes the final book in the rapturous Survivor's Club series, where the future of one man will be decided by a lost - but never forgotten - love . . .
For the first time since the death of his wife, the Duke of Stanbrook is considering remarrying and finally embracing happiness for himself. With that thought comes the treasured image of a woman he met briefly a year ago and never saw again.
Dora Debbins relinquished all hope of marrying when a family scandal left her in charge of her younger sister. Earning a modest living as a music teacher, she's left with only an unfulfilled dream. Then one afternoon, an unexpected visitor makes it come true.
For both George and Dora that brief first encounter was as fleeting as it was unforgettable. Now is the time for a second chance. And while even true love comes with a risk, who are two dreamers to argue with destiny?
'Mary Balogh is the writer I read for pleasure' Susan Elizabeth Phillips
'A matchless storyteller' RT Book Reviews
A mesmerizing story of passionate awakening and redemption, Mary Balogh’s new novel unites a war hero consigned to darkness with a remarkable woman who finds her own salvation by showing him the light of love.
Desperate to escape his mother’s matchmaking, Vincent Hunt, Viscount Darleigh, flees to a remote country village. But even there, another marital trap is sprung. So when Miss Sophia Fry’s intervention on his behalf finds her unceremoniously booted from her guardian’s home, Vincent is compelled to act. He may have been blinded in battle, but he can see a solution to both their problems: marriage.
At first, quiet, unassuming Sophia rejects Vincent’s proposal. But when such a gloriously handsome man persuades her that he needs a wife of his own choosing as much as she needs protection from destitution, she agrees. Her alternative is too dreadful to contemplate. But how can an all-consuming fire burn from such a cold arrangement? As friendship and camaraderie lead to sweet seduction and sensual pleasure, dare they believe a bargain born of desperation might lead them both to a love destined to be?
Praise for The Arrangement
“Balogh understands not only the era, with all its nuances, but [also] knows her characters so thoroughly that readers are swept into her stories. There’s a natural reserve—a calmness and quiet in her prose—that allows the tenderness of the romance to tug at the reader’s heart. This is a beautifully rendered marriage-of-convenience love story that will win a place on keeper shelves.”—RT Book Reviews (4-1/2 stars)
“This sexy, touching book revisits the marriage-of-convenience plot, joining two heroic, conflicted characters who are navigating their own versions of darkness and delivering them to the redemptive power of love. Regency best-seller Balogh once again takes a standard romance trope and imbues it with heart, emotional intelligence and flawless authenticity.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“This touching, totally enthralling story overflows with subtle humor, brilliant dialog, breathtaking sensuality, and supporting characters you want to know better.”—Library Journal (starred review)
“Balogh can always be depended on to deliver a beautifully written Regency romance with appealing, unusual characters, and the second in her new Survivors’ Club series (after The Proposal) is no exception. . . . Future series installments promise more compellingly tormented heroes.”—Publishers Weekly
“[A] poignant and thoughtful romance.”—Booklist
“A compassionate love story with a unique hero and heroine . . . The dialogue is snappy, and the climax . . . is exciting and helps bring about the blissful ending. . . . The Arrangement [is] a must read.”—Fresh Fiction