I've read lots of Mary Balogh and I love most of her shorter Regencies, (Temporary Wife -- the best) ~but I always have a "problem" with her longer books (the Slightly series; etc.) What works so well in her shorter fiction just doesn't play in the longer novels, for me. This is what you'd call one of her expanded Regencies, basically.

I'm having a hard time giving it a high rating but I can't quite give it a lower one either! I'm also not sure it's going on my keeper shelf yet!

My problem with this one is, I don't really ever LIKE the heroine. She seems weak; spineless, easily manipulated by the people surrounding her, including the hero, through the whole book. (Yeah, I know, it's the time period & all, but still...) Her attachment to her stepbrother seems over-emphasized in the beginning (she spent 7 YEARS in the country with him, recovering from her breakup with the hero? Seems excessive.) And the stepbrother's perversions were pretty disturbing...BUT, the author made it all come together in the end, pretty believably, so I have to give her kudos for that. I absolutely loved the first chapter; it's a great set-up, a real lesson for aspiring writers. Also, I could not put the book down, so that speaks for itself...it's well-plotted; it certainly moves along, and I do love the hero, tho' he's pretty slow on the uptake vis-a-vis the stepbrother's manipulations -- still, if he wasn't, there'd be no plot -- See what I mean? I just can't decide how many "stars" it deserves. It's really one you'll have to read for yourself!

I truely loved this book, I litterally got up at midnight to finish it because I could not sleep. The characters and ensuing events were believable. I really can not put into words how much I loved this book. All I can say is if you can find a copy of it read it I don't think you would be sorry.