A Summer to Remember (Get Connected Romances) 
asked by glassysurf on November 24, 2006 7:17 AM
“Matchless storyteller”(Romantic Times) Mary Balogh weaves a tantalizing web of wit and seduction in her new novel--an irresistible tale of two unlikely lovers and one unforgettable summer.
Kit Butler is cool, dangerous, one of London’s mostinfamous bachelors--marriage is the last thing on his mind. But Kit’s family has other plans. Desperate to thwart his father’s matchmaking, Kit needs a bride...fast. Enter Miss Lauren Edgeworth.
A year after being abandoned at the altar, Lauren has determined that marriage is not for her. When these two fiercely independent souls meet, sparks fly--and a deal is hatched. Lauren will masquerade as Kit’s intended if he agrees to provide a passionate, adventurous, unforgettable summer. When summer ends, she will break off the engagement, rendering herself unmarriageable and leaving them both free. Everything is going perfectly---until Kit does the unthinkable: He begins to fall in love. A summer to remember is not enough for him. But how can he convince Lauren to be his...for better, for worse, for the rest of their lives?
Kit Butler is cool, dangerous, one of London’s mostinfamous bachelors--marriage is the last thing on his mind. But Kit’s family has other plans. Desperate to thwart his father’s matchmaking, Kit needs a bride...fast. Enter Miss Lauren Edgeworth.
A year after being abandoned at the altar, Lauren has determined that marriage is not for her. When these two fiercely independent souls meet, sparks fly--and a deal is hatched. Lauren will masquerade as Kit’s intended if he agrees to provide a passionate, adventurous, unforgettable summer. When summer ends, she will break off the engagement, rendering herself unmarriageable and leaving them both free. Everything is going perfectly---until Kit does the unthinkable: He begins to fall in love. A summer to remember is not enough for him. But how can he convince Lauren to be his...for better, for worse, for the rest of their lives?
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This book is a semi-sequel to "One Night For Love" which told the story of Neville Wyatt, Earl of Kilbourne, and the discovery on his wedding day to Lauren Edgeworth that his former wife Lily, that he believed dead, was alive. One Night For Love tells the story of Neville and Lily and Lauren appears in that as a cold, hard woman.
A Summer To Remember is Lauren's story and picks up a year after "One Night For Love". She has continued living in the dower house attached to Kilbourne's estate and so is constantly reminded of her wedding day disaster. She is enticed to London by her friend, the Duchess of Portfrey, who is due to give birth and wants London doctors. Lauren believes she can safely go to Town with the Duchess as she won't be required to go to ton events and be laughed at as the jilted bride.
Kit Butler, Viscount Ravensberg, is a misbehaving rake who continually gets into scrapes. He first lays eyes on Lauren whilst brawling with 3 labourers in a park and then being kissed enthusiastically by a milkmaid. But he has a problem - his father is arranging a marriage for Kit with his deceased brother's intended and Kit doesn't want to go along with this - he needs a bride of his own choosing.
He decides to choose Lauren, sight unseen, and court and woo her. And so he begins, knowing she has a reputation as an ice maiden but relishing the challenge. Lauren's well-meaning relatives warn her off him which causes her to spend time with him - time which is fun and different from anything else. When they realise that a fake betrothal would serve for both of them to extricate them from awkward situations they agree to it. Kit needs a fiancée so that his father's choice for him, Freyja Bedwyn, knows to look elsewhere; Lauren needs some time away from her family to prepare to live retired as a spinster in Bath. Kit promises Lauren a summer to remember at his father's estate, Lauren promises to help him try and heal the rift with his family.
These two people - Kit the fun, warm, lighthearted man and Lauren the ice-cold maiden - have hidden depths and part of the excellence of this book is how their lives are unpacked and they learn to understand each other. I enjoyed this book even more on a second reading as I was able to read it more slowly, rather than racing through the plot, and see some more of the nuances of behaviour.
This book also features the Bedwyn clan in the `slightly' series. I've never been that keen on them all and this book didn't change that, but it's an interesting intersecting of her other series of books with this one. I believe there's also a book in progress about Kit's younger brother which would be part of this series.
As this book moves on it becomes more and more gripping and moving as Lauren and Kit understand each other better. It's the sort of book that can bring tears to your eyes and I think it a real triumph that you are rooting for someone like Lauren who initially seemed so cold and unpleasant. I strongly recommend this as a read just as a well-written story but especially if you like to look deeper into your characters' thoughts and motivations.
A Summer To Remember is Lauren's story and picks up a year after "One Night For Love". She has continued living in the dower house attached to Kilbourne's estate and so is constantly reminded of her wedding day disaster. She is enticed to London by her friend, the Duchess of Portfrey, who is due to give birth and wants London doctors. Lauren believes she can safely go to Town with the Duchess as she won't be required to go to ton events and be laughed at as the jilted bride.
Kit Butler, Viscount Ravensberg, is a misbehaving rake who continually gets into scrapes. He first lays eyes on Lauren whilst brawling with 3 labourers in a park and then being kissed enthusiastically by a milkmaid. But he has a problem - his father is arranging a marriage for Kit with his deceased brother's intended and Kit doesn't want to go along with this - he needs a bride of his own choosing.
He decides to choose Lauren, sight unseen, and court and woo her. And so he begins, knowing she has a reputation as an ice maiden but relishing the challenge. Lauren's well-meaning relatives warn her off him which causes her to spend time with him - time which is fun and different from anything else. When they realise that a fake betrothal would serve for both of them to extricate them from awkward situations they agree to it. Kit needs a fiancée so that his father's choice for him, Freyja Bedwyn, knows to look elsewhere; Lauren needs some time away from her family to prepare to live retired as a spinster in Bath. Kit promises Lauren a summer to remember at his father's estate, Lauren promises to help him try and heal the rift with his family.
These two people - Kit the fun, warm, lighthearted man and Lauren the ice-cold maiden - have hidden depths and part of the excellence of this book is how their lives are unpacked and they learn to understand each other. I enjoyed this book even more on a second reading as I was able to read it more slowly, rather than racing through the plot, and see some more of the nuances of behaviour.
This book also features the Bedwyn clan in the `slightly' series. I've never been that keen on them all and this book didn't change that, but it's an interesting intersecting of her other series of books with this one. I believe there's also a book in progress about Kit's younger brother which would be part of this series.
As this book moves on it becomes more and more gripping and moving as Lauren and Kit understand each other better. It's the sort of book that can bring tears to your eyes and I think it a real triumph that you are rooting for someone like Lauren who initially seemed so cold and unpleasant. I strongly recommend this as a read just as a well-written story but especially if you like to look deeper into your characters' thoughts and motivations.
reviewed by localhost on November 28, 2006 4:02 PM
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Every woman has met a man like Kit--handsome, daring, full of fun, prone to outrageous behavior--does he take anythibng seriously? Stuffy Lauren doesn't think so. She's unaware that Kit, a much-decorated officer (Napoleonic Wars), has a lot he wants to forget, including responsibility for his brother's capture and torture. Lauren has her own skeletons in the closet; but, like Kit, she hides them well. Because of her cool reserve, Kit picks Lauren as the perfect fiancee--for the summer. He convinces her to play the part to stop his family matchmaking. It's no surprise when Kit makes Lauren begin to take chances, have fun, laugh, and reveal emotion. More important, she sees his serious side too. They share their secrets and help each other heal. When the summer's over, however, Lauren leaves hin as planned. How Kit makes their engagement a reality makes for a lovely ending. This is a memorable novel for several reasons--it has well-developed characters to care about, a reasonably convincing plot and appropriate period detail, and a charming love story.
reviewed by wendi on November 29, 2006 1:40 PM
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"A Summer to Remember" is a very enjoyable, well-written Regency romance with believable characters and situations and a nice plot. For me, though, the best thing about it (and about all the Mary Balogh books I've read) was how characters from other books were interwoven into the story.
I hate how in many romance novels you never get to see what happens after "happily ever after," so it was great to see Lauren Edgeworth (a kind of pathetic character in "One Night for Love") finally blossom, and to get to revisit the other characters from that book and catch glimpses of their new lives. It also ties up some loose ends from "One Night for Love," AND it includes the Bedwyn family from the "Slightly..." series.
In short, this book was really great when read after other Mary Balogh Regencies, but I also recommend it for people who haven't read Mary Balogh before. Ms. Balogh is very talented in my opinion, and I would compare her style to Julia Quinn, but with a little less comedy.
I hate how in many romance novels you never get to see what happens after "happily ever after," so it was great to see Lauren Edgeworth (a kind of pathetic character in "One Night for Love") finally blossom, and to get to revisit the other characters from that book and catch glimpses of their new lives. It also ties up some loose ends from "One Night for Love," AND it includes the Bedwyn family from the "Slightly..." series.
In short, this book was really great when read after other Mary Balogh Regencies, but I also recommend it for people who haven't read Mary Balogh before. Ms. Balogh is very talented in my opinion, and I would compare her style to Julia Quinn, but with a little less comedy.
reviewed by axelrose on November 29, 2006 5:52 PM