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39 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
She is cute and endearing, he is the perfect husband, June 1, 2000
This is one of my favorites by Mary Balogh. It is "Cinderella"-ish in its fairy-tale plot and happy ending, but if you love that kind of stuff, you'll love this book.
She is Abigail Gardiner, the companion to Mrs. Gill. Mrs. Gill has a cit of a husband with roving hands, especially when it comes to the young governess in hishouse, Abigail's friend. After telling off Mr. Gill, Mrs. Gill turns off Abigail with only a week to find another position.
Desperate, she screws up her courage and goes to see the Earl of Severn, her very distantly related cousin, for a letter of recommendation so that she can find another place of employment. Determined to still her talkative tongue, blunt speech and managing ways, she succeeds so well that the Earl is convinced that she is the plain, quiet brown mouse she appears to be.
The Earl is besieged by managing females--namely his mother and sisters--who are descending upon him in a week in order to encourage him to formally betroth himself to another sweet, very beautiful, equally managing girl.
In a fit of pique he declares he'd rather marry a plain mouse who will NOT manage his life rather than submit to his persuasive mother. Being faced with his impulsive wish in Abigail's visit, he also impulsively decides to marry her...and two days later finds his wife is not what she seemed.
He, however, has never laughed so much in all his thirty years of his life, and is amused and falling in love with his unconventional, warm and friendly and EXTREMELY talkative new wife.
But Abigail is beset by doubts an terrible fears. She never seems to be able to get up the courage to tell him all about her past and scandalous family...until it comes back into her new life to rear its ugly head and destroy her new-found happiness...
This is a quick read and a delightful story. Abigail is entirely endearing in her talkativeness and kind heart. The Earl is the epitomy of a perfect husband--kind, patient, amused and willing to admit when he is wrong, but still slightly confused on the ways of women. Their story is satisfying and sweet.
Players in this book are also featured in other of Mary Balogh's books, namely one of the Earl of Severn's friends, who features in his own book, "A Precious Jewel."
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22 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not as intense as other Balogh stories, February 26, 2007
I came across the hardcover edition of this title while doing an online catalog search at my local library. I am a huge Mary Balogh fan--although it's very difficult getting a hold of her older books. I've faithfully read my way through the entire Slightly and Simply series (yes, including A Summer to Remember). I totally loved The Secret Pearl; I even bought a collector's copy of the 1st edition original Signet paperback. When I read the Ideal Wife, I had high expectations. I was very disappointed, and even wondered if it was truly written by the same author.
I admit, though, that this is the very first Signet Regency I've read. Maybe the plots of these shorter stories are supposed to be less intense, less heart-wrenching. In The Ideal Wife, the hero is looking for a "nice, quiet & demure" (or plain/dull/very ordinary) wife just to escape his family's marriage plans for him. Enter the heroine, Abby, a very distant relation, if at all, to ask for assistance in seeking employment, and just like that, he proposes. To a virtual stranger.
I could not find anything to like about Abby. She seems like a shallow gold-digger, who accepts a stranger's proposal just to escape destitution and supposedly to help out her family (she wants custody of her 2 younger stepsisters and also wants to pay off the family debts). Her extremely talkative nature seems forced and unnatural--a bit like Christine from Slightly Dangerous. I totally missed the reason why Miles fell inlove with her, and vice versa. There was zero chemistry between them, sexual or otherwise. Where was the initial, intense connection that is almost a trademark of Mary Balogh stories?
The secondary characters were no help either. A scheming stepmother, a proud and independent brother (Boris) who falls for Abby's best friend, even the hero's lovesick best buddy (Sir Gerald)...the whole lot of them were quite unimpressive. When Abby learned of the real reason Miles married her, she pouted and sulked and acted cold towards him in bed and out, then cut her hair the next day. And what about her own deep dark secret? I don't think it made me like her any better. It was a struggle having to finish the entire book. I'm glad I didn't go out and buy a ridiculously overpriced copy.
I'd rather search out the author's other books...I'm confident I will find more worthwhile titles. She is still one of my all-time favorite...I know romance authors cannot possibly come out with winners all the time!
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Better Left On the Shelf, April 4, 2009
This review is from: The Ideal Wife (Mass Market Paperback)
I am a huge Mary Balogh fan, but this book was a huge disappointment. The plot was rather far fetched but could have been redeemed with good characters. It wasn't.
The heroine would not stop talking even through the sex scenes. It was not a cute, little, talk too much because your nervous kind of thing. It was somebody put their hand over her mouth before I throw the book out the window kind of thing. She accepted a marriage proposal because she was in dire straights.....understandable, but they way she took over her husbands money and life made him look weak and wussy (for lack of a better word).
On to the hero. He wasn't. He lacked major skills in bed and didn't care one whit that she hadn't found her pleasure. Love scenes were lacking in every way possible. Strike one. He was a momma's boy and controlled by his mother and his sisters and then by his wife. Strike two. He was completely wishy washy. He wanted a plain ordinary girl who is quiet and meek and then suddenly and I mean suddenly falls in love with a woman who is nothing like what he supposedly wants. No chemistry, no sparks, no nothing.
I like a book that crosses it's t's and dots the i's. This book left me with more questions than answers. I turned to the last page and I was thinking to myself...."That is the end?" "What happens to ___________or___________?"
I usually enjoy Mary Balogh's books but this one is better left on the shelf.
(Don't read the next section if you plan on buying the book)
(I want to know what happens in the future. Did they have kids. What happened to the scandal and Rachel? Was she sick because she was pregnant? What happened to Mr Gill or his done. Was there ever justice? What happened to the children?)
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