Welcome to TBR Thursday!
Goodness! I’ve been at sixes and sevens this week. It may be late, but here is week number two of my Holiday Reads.
What book I am reading this week
This week I am sharing Mary Balogh’s A Christmas Promise.
Why I chose this book
This book is on my nook, but I’m going to confess to having read it before. In fact I’m rereading it again because it is such a touching story. I know, I know, I’ll never make a dent in my digital TBR this way, but it’s Christmastime, and I just love this story so much!
I’m not going to lie to you. I did not like this story at first. Oh, sure it was a great story and wonderfully told, but when I first read it, I was in a bad place. I was on my way home from visiting Dearest Sister and the Littles for the holidays. The year had been stressful and disappointing and the trip out to visit Dearest Sister was of the if-it-can-go-wrong-it-will-go-wrong variety. Due to my work schedule, I was the only one headed home from that visit, and would be spending Christmas alone for the first time. We’ll just say reading this book for the first time was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.
Needless to say, I was a blubbering mess for the entire 5 hour flight home.
About the book….don’t worry, there are NO spoilers!
When Eleanor Transome keeps her promise to her dying father by marrying the man of his choosing, she is not surprised to find out her new husband is in desperate need of her dowry. Randolph Pierce recently inherited the title Earl of Falloden from his wastrel cousin, and while he needs the money the Transome fortune provides, he is less than thrilled at being forced to marry a coal merchant’s daughter.
Both Ellie and Randolph are resigned to a loveless union, a common occurrence in aristocratic circles. With the help of her family and his friends, what was sure to be a dreary holiday soon becomes a lively event. As Christmas approaches, they learn that perhaps their preconceived notions of the other’s reason to marry were not as they initially believed.
What I enjoyed about it
I love Arranged Marriage and Enemies To Lovers stories, they are some of my favorite tropes. When I get them both in one story, then I am a happy reader. :)
I love watching the change in these characters. I love the suppressed anger and frustration of Ellie; how she is unable to properly mourn her father, and how she doesn’t really feel comfortable being able to tell her husband about it. I love Randolph’s conservative and somewhat stuffy ways, even his frustration at marrying someone not of his class. Both these characters are stubborn and trying to cope with their marriage and the preconceived notions they have of each other.
I especially love watching them grow and change throughout the story. It isn’t one of those Instant Love situations, this story takes place over several weeks and you can see through both internal thought and outward actions how they grow to care and love each other. Such a wonderful journey for them.
Is this an author I’ve read before?
Yes. I started reading Mary Balogh’s books beginning with the Survivor Club series. If you haven’t read them yet, what are you waiting for?!
What keeps me coming back for more?
There is something timeless about Mary Balogh’s books. They aren’t action packed adventures, or high on the romance heat index, but they are classic Regency stories. Just men and women learning to cope with life and love, often when they think it is beyond their reach. Differences in social class play a significant role in these stories. Or more accurately, overcoming differences in class does. It’s nice to see prejudices dashed, especially when it’s done so subtly.
I am pleased to see an updated cover for this book, though I thought the original was lovely and captured the essence of the story perfectly.
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