Customer Reviews

A Secret Affair (Basic)

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

This is the fifth book in the Huxtable Series and it is probably the most highly anticipated of the series. (See details below.) It is Constantine's story. We first met Constantine in book one when he was standing over the grave of his newly deceased younger brother, Jonathan (The Earl of Merton). Jonathan died young, being born with what we now refer to as Downs Syndrome. Through unfortunate circumstance (he was born two days before his parents married) Constantine was cut off from the line of succession and so with Jonathan's death the title and estates pass to a distant relation. Constantine is understandably bitter, the only person he truly loves has died and his unworthy successor is on the way to usurp his position. Constantine is directed to clear off the estate by his cousin Viscount Lyngate (who regards him as a blackguard, capable of stealing from his disabled brother). By all appearances, Constantine is the black sheep of the family. Ah, but then in the following books we began to get peeks behind the black mask. Constantine proves himself a ready friend to the future Earl and a constant support to his sisters. Hints are dropped that the villainous acts attributed to Constantine might not be as they seem.

"A Secret Affair" opens with the devastating Duchess of Dunbarton (Hannah) returning to town for the season. The Duchess has just cast off her blacks after a year of mourning her elderly husband. The Duke was 70 years old at the time of their marriage and for the entirety of their relationship (10 years) he openly indulged his beautiful young Duchess. Gowns, jewels, landed estates; nothing was too much for her. He instructed her in an attitude of entitlement and by all appearance she was an apt pupil. Rumors abound that during their marriage the Duchess indulged herself in ways the Duke might not have intended. Her court of virile young men and her flirtatious manner lead many to conclude that she is "no better than she ought to be." The Duchess has returned to town with a childhood friend, the vicar's daughter, who is scandalized by the Duchesses proclaimation, she is intent on embarking on a secret affair and, moreover, she has already selected "the devil" to be her partner. The devil's more proper name - Mr. Constantine Huxtable.

As the book progresses we come to see that the "secret affair" referred to in the title is not in fact the affair between Constantine and Hannah. As always, Ms. Balogh tells us a deeper story. Hannah and Constantine each hide behind a simple facade: Hannah is the care-for-nothing overly indulged Duchess and Constantine is the untrustworthy "devil". In truth these two characters are anything but simple, each being shaped by past associations. The back-story of Constantine and Jonathan is deeply moving. One is tempted to wish that Ms. Balogh had shown us their story in real time rather than reflection but perhaps that would have been too heartbreaking for this genre. Hannah's story is also affecting but does not resonate as deeply with the reader.

As is true with most of the books in this series, the pace here is a bit slow and may well be too plodding for some readers. The story is greatly enhanced by past acquaintance with the secondary characters from other books (all the Huxtables come out to play) and I would strongly recommend reading them. The books in this series are (in order):First Comes Marriage: Huxtable Series, Book 1 (Unabridged), Then Comes Seduction: Huxtable Series, Book 2 (Unabridged), At Last Comes Love: Huxtable Series, Book 3 (Unabridged), Seducing an Angel: Huxtable Series, Book 4 (Unabridged)

Recommended for fans of this genre and most particularly for those who appreciate Ms. Balogh's past efforts.

Nearly a decade ago I finally "got" traditional Regency Romances, and fell in love with Mary Balogh. Not her single title historicals, but trad Regencies such as The Ideal Wife, The Obedient Bride, The Plumed Bonnet, and The Temporary Wife. Before "getting" trads, I'd tried one of her early single title historicals - it left a bad taste in my mouth. While I have bought the earlier entries in her Huxtable series because a good friend called them great examples of Regencies in Disguise, I've not yet read any of them. After being enthralled by A Secret Affair, I'll be moving them closer to the top of my massive TBR pile. It's the best book by far that I've read in nearly a year, and though it ends a series and reunites the reader with couples met in earlier books, the reunion is never saccharine and never overshadows the current story.

What I like best about Balogh is her writing's spare quality. No extra prose - or extra plot - mucks up her books so that every word and plot twist needs to be there, even those in her mild yet extremely effective love scenes. She does tend to write certain themes often, such as the prostitute heroine, but she tackles subjects other authors don't, and can convince readers to read things they normally might refuse to, such as infidelity in marriage.

A Secret Affair doesn't feature infidelity or a prostitute heroine, but it does feature a heroine rumored to have been unfaithful to the very old Duke she'd married 11 years earlier. A year after his death, now out of her widow's weeds, she is on the lookout for a lover for the Season. She has set her cap on Constantine Huxtable, whose parents failed to marry until after his birth. So, although he is the first son, he did not become his father's heir and has a reputation as a careless, heartless rake.

The beautiful Hannah Reid is not at all who she seems to be, something that becomes apparent during her first romantic tryst with Con. Most of her diamonds are paste because she cashed them out to donate money for things she believed in. She loved her husband, wasn't unfaithful to him, and she's not selfish. Burned by other people's reactions to her beauty, she accepts the doors it opens and learned well the lessons the 51-years-older duke taught her about being a strong woman in a man's world.

But Con isn't all who he seems to be either, and my one niggle with A Secret Affair is that, secretly, this man and this woman are too good to be true. And yet, they are not perfect. They are, in a word, stubborn, and that stubborness prevents them from allowing the world to see their goodness. And so, thank goodness, they are not truly flawless after all.

In Hannah and Con Balogh has crafted two strong, unique characters who are a perfect match for one another. Viewed through the stereotypical lenses of others, each hides a true self as a badge of honor, willing to accept the rumors and subsequent mystique surrounding them. Neither planned to fall in love with the other, which makes their story all the more romantic and compelling. Equally compelling is that the author shows their love through action, particularly in the sub-plot involving Con and his cousin, Elliott, the Duke of Moreland, to whom he has long been estranged. Balogh, unlike many romance authors who tend to tell rather than show true love if outside of the bedroom, does so here in a manner that leads to some spectacularly grand moments...and wonderful small ones as well.

While I long for the return of the trad Regency, if Balogh can continue with her Regencies in Disguise, I'll be there to read them.

A Secret Affair is the conclusion and culmination of one of the most well-written series that Mary Balogh has crafted. The Huxtable series has been almost perfect in length, number of characters, publication sequence and timing, and in plot and story line. (Unlike the Bedwyn series, which was bogged down by too many characters, too many plots, and publications spread over too long a period). I have enjoyed the entire five-book series; I am sorry to see it end; but I am delighted that it ended with this endearing and thoroughly fulfilling book.

Con has been my favorite character from the very beginning of the very first book even though I really didn't get to know him well until now. Hannah, is his perfect soul mate. They are alike in what they need to share and different in what they need to compliment. They are two people who bring out the best in each other and fill the empty parts of each other's hearts. Is there a better definition of love? Their path to understanding and accepting this truth is mired by old hurts, past betrayals, and fear of letting go of the masks they each wear for protection. It is a joy to see the insecurities and vulnerabilities gradually recede and see them both embrace life fully.

As in all Balogh books, it is more character-driven than event-driven. The characters become people you know and can relate to (faults and all). They have virtues, but are not perfect. They have regrets, they make mistakes and they become better persons because of them. Through it all, there is love and family well-grounded in a sense of honor and simple human decency that is both uplifting and reassuring. This has been one of the best recent examples of Balogh's ability to create a multi-layered story that flows gently, develops believably, and culminates in a serene yet exuberant celebration of life and love and values--all without preaching, psychobabble, or passing moral judgment.

I set the book aside sometimes for no other reason than I just didn't want it to end. I can recommend it without any reservations. I, especially, recommend that you read it as the last book in the series. It isn't that it can't stand on its own. It can and does. But the experience, the anticipation, and the enjoyment is much enriched by savoring all aspects of the sequence and saving the best for last.

For your convenience, the five-book Huxtable series, published between February 2009 and May 2010 in order of appearance: "First Comes Marriage", "Then Comes Seduction," "At Last Comes Love," "Seducing an Angel," and this book, "A Secret Affair." Note: "Seducing an Angel" was originally only issued in hard cover, but is now available in paperback. Enjoy!

Hannah Reid, Duchess of Dunbarton, is a widow at last, having been married to an elderly duke for 10 years. She sets out to celebrate her freedom by having an affair with the dark and dangerous-looking Constantine Huxtable. It starts with flirtations and adult banter at parties and performances, and within a few days they end up in bed. So in that sense, they both got what they expected.

But in another sense, they both were completely surprised. Hannah turns out to be nothing like her reputation in the ton. She has depth and character that Constantine never expected, and she is surprised to discover that a simple thing like an affair with a handsome man can be complicated by falling in love.

Mary Balogh writes a special kind of romance. The people she writes about are interesting and kind. They reveal themselves in their conversations. These are people who have many friends, and are worthy of having friends, because no matter how wicked they appear to be on the surface, deep down inside they are really very good. They are worthy of love because they give their love and loyalty generously to others. They are the kind of characters you want to spend more time with, and, satisfyingly, you can see them again in other books by the same author.

Five stars because this is an excellent example of the genre. If you like Mary Balogh's story-telling style, you will certainly like this latest offering.

After feeling disappointed by the last few books in this series I was reluctant to read this last book, but wanting a conclusion for the brooding hero Constantine Huxtable made it necessary for me to at least skim it. I was really glad I gave this book a chance, no skimming was required and I was left with an better outlook on this series that I had originally felt. If you've read all of the other books in this series this book serves as a good final chapter in the lives of all of the characters in her previous books.

Constantine is the black sheep cousin of the Huxtable family from her previous four books in this same series. Due to accident of birth (he was born before his parents married) he is not allowed the title that is normally passed onto the firstborn. Instead it goes to his mentally handicapped brother Jon. Con's whole life is shaped by the fact that he is born two weeks early and he has to come to terms with the many disappointments in his life before he can become a man worthy of live.

Hannah Reid married a man old enough to be her grandfather to escape a scandal of her youth. She is thought to be a gold digger and fast woman by most of the members of the ton and she does little to dissuade these rumors. Being beautiful beyond belief and a duchess has distanced her from society and made people think she is cold and arrogant. Upon her elderly husband's death she finds herself an independent woman for the first time in her life and decides the thing she would like most is to take a young, virile lover. Seeing Constantine a few years back she has decided to take him as her lover and pursues him with determination.

Both Constantine and Hannah are determined to have a purely physical affair but they both find themselves wanting to learn more and more about the other person and become part of each others' lives. Solitary Hannah and Con have grown up knowing similar pain and as the season continues they become more and more necessary to each other.

I loved this book! At first I found it difficult to like Hannah but as the book progressed and more of her life was revealed I found myself really wanting her to find the love that she had been searching for her whole life. From previous books I had gotten to know a little about Constantine but by reading his story I was truly able to get a grasp on one of the more complex characters in her Huxtable series. The only complaint I have is that it did drag a little in the end but not in a way that made me want to pull my hair out. I liked seeing what had happened to all of the previous Huxtables and I fell in love with the story of Hannah and Con.

There are many things that Mary Balogh does not write. She does not write demanding action adventure tales, nor hotly detailed pages of passion. Those are prevalent in romance already. Her books are a quiet exploration of two people building a relationship, where they fail, where they succeed, why they love, how their world has brought them to the place where they meet. She is a modern Georgette Heyer. The way she uses words and exposes her characters, the way she emotionally connects you to her story, all of that obscures that she writes some of the most radical characters in the genre. An Earl with Down Syndrome? A long term and happy same sex relationship? Loving May / December relationships? In Balogh's hands they are as unremarkable as a trip for a new bonnet. In Balogh's world, the story isn't what happens, it's how it happens and why.

A Secret Affair is an excellent end to what has been an excellent series. While this book would be satisfactory without reading any of the books prior to it, Balogh has down a remarkable job of keeping readers interested in Constantine. So often when a potential villain is the hero of the final book we readers are placed in the awkward position of forgiving the unforgiveable. So often the mysterious and jaded man is brought to repent through exposure to a fresh faced child of a woman. Neither of these things occur in A Secret Affair. This rewarding book offers Constantine an equally mysterious and misunderstood heroine. At first glance there is nothing radical about the character of Hannah, a stunningly beautiful woman recently widowed from an elderly but so wealthy husband. But Hannah is her own exploration of beauty, and our opinions of the beautiful. She is as determined to discover everything about Constantine as he is determined not to reveal himself. (Those who have followed the series know that Constantine is an expert at keeping those secrets.) When Hannah approaches Constantine to be her lover for the season he is reluctant. It's a position that he normally fills with a lower profile of woman. As the Season progresses they both reveal what is hidden behind their carefully constructed images and what it costs to maintain them.

The resolution of the relationship between Constantine and his estranged cousin Elliot is as satisfying as anything Mary Balogh has ever written. In Hannah's case things are a bit more pat, but Hannah is not the star of this book, Constantine is. As a supporting player, Hannah is outstanding. The poor little rich girl burdened by her beauty has never been so sympathetic. Hannah isn't apologetic for her wealth or her looks, and neither should she be. Constantine's mystery is resolved definitively and without requiring the reader to forget earlier transgressions or excuse them. After so many disappointing closures to popular series it is a relief to find A Secret Affair to be an excellent book, worth it's hardcover release. (Don't start it unless you have the time to finish it. I ended up closing my copy at five am. One more page led to just one more page, and then just one more...)

It's been a few years since I've read any historical romance, mainly because quite a bit of what is written lately seems to be short on detail and long on purple prose. But when I saw this novel by Mary Balogh, I decided I'd give it a try since a couple of my book twins really enjoy her work (and I know how picky they are). After finishing A Secret Affair this afternoon, I can say without reservation that this was indeed an enjoyable escapist read, perfect for a sunny day on a porch swing.

The storyline for A Secret Affair is pretty standard: After a year spent mourning her much older husband, the Duchess of Dunbarton is back for the London Season and is determined to take a lover of her choosing. Enter Constantine Huxtable, general rake and equal cynist when it comes to the idea of love. Neither one wants a long term relationship, though both harbor secrets that keep their hearts locked up. Naturally they fall in love despite themselves with minor missteps along the way and the discovery of what is truly important in life.

A Secret Affair is well written and fun, and Ms. Balogh has a very engaging style that allows you to get inside the heads of her characters and understand their actions (however stubborn they might be). She unveils the layers slowly and yet still manages to give a good sense of the time period and its restrictions. Perfectly light and yet thoughtful, I found myself smiling as the story drew to its predictable close. Though A Secret Affair is the final book of a series, I'm intrigued enough with the style and depth of this writer to go back and read from the first to see what I've missed. I have a feeling I've discovered an author I'm going to be enjoying for a long time to come.

This is my 2nd Huxtable book(the other being ALCL) and probably my 5th Balogh book. I have come to the conclusion that Balogh must just not be for me. I've found all of hers pretty disappointing. The blurbs all sound interesting and what draw me in, but I always find something wrong with the story itself, whether it be the plot or the characters. This story was both. The description is above and other have done a good job summarizing so I'll just move onto my review.

********MAY BE SPOILERS BELOW!!! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK********

This story opens up in the POV of our heroine, Hannah Reid, Duchess of Dunbarton and she comes across as this vain, cold, calculating, manipulative, shallow, snobbish, haughty, arrogant, Ice Queen. I could go on. She stays this way until about page 196 and then does a 180 and turns into this warm, friendly, kind, carefree, vibrant, youthful woman. However, the problem I have with this is she said the Ice Queen is a façade, a mask, but Hannah stayed in the Ice Queen persona for over halfway through this 340 page book leading me to assume that that was more her real personality than the warm friend persona. Then not long after the warm friend persona makes an appearance she turns into this overly emotional, crying, nearly hysterical, can't think logically woman over someone she's never met. She was so bad in the first part that when Hannah is describing the incident that happened between herself, Dawn(Hannah's sister), and Colin Young(man whom they were both in love with) I felt more sympathy for Dawn. If Dawn and Colin hadn't gone as far as they did I would have been fully on their side. I even agreed with Hannah's father when he said that since she was so beautiful she could find someone else.

On a side note-Why would the Duke want to make Hannah into the ultimate Ice Queen? It is possible to be strong and independent while being warm and friendly. Did the Duke not want her to have any friends? Since she apparently never made any during her 10 year marriage to the Duke.

Constantine(our hero) is pretty one dimensional. With the exception of how he feels towards his brother, Con seems a man of few emotions and none of the those emotions are felt strongly. He seems a very placid, easy going type of man. There's not much else to say or recommend Con. To tell the truth, he's rather boring.

One of the major problems I had with the story is how the Causes were handled and with them being BIG SECRETS. Hannah started a home for the elderly and used her diamonds from the Duke(with his knowledge) to fund it. Why didn't she just have the Duke give her the money? Supposedly the Duke was very wealthy and gave her whatever she wanted. Duchesses are allowed to have causes and philanthropic interests, why did she have to keep it secret? Con's was more understandable, being that he let them(unmarried mothers, mentally and physically handicapped, thieves, etc.) live in his home and used "stolen" family jewels to do it, but to hide that he was even interested in that type of thing from everyone especially family just seemed so stupid.

I cannot say just how stupid and ridiculous Hannah involving the King in the saving of 1 man she had never met was. I would understand it if Hannah was a really good friend of the King, but she wasn't. Balogh should have made the Duke of Moreland and Earl of Merton enough, but then of course Constantine wouldn't have become the Earl of Ainsley at the end.

This story had a feeling of distance, like we were being told the story from the eyes of a 3rd person instead of from the hero and heroine. I can't exactly describe it, everyone seemed to interact with one another with aloofness, like they were strangers instead of family, friends, and lovers. I don't think my point is coming across real well. This leads me to what I felt was wrong with the plot.

Hannah and Con sleep together for the first time on page 60 of a 340 page book. Neither Con nor Hannah feel anything special about the other at or by this time. I don't think they feel anything special about each other throughout the entire book. We don't even know if Hannah really enjoyed the sex that first time since its from Con's POV. Everything seemed backwards in this story- sex, relationship, like, love, marriage instead of like, relationship, love, sex, marriage. Of course depending on the story it doesn't have to follow that formula, but for me it didn't work at all. Also, as reviewer Reba pointed out-how could Hannah be so confident and suave with it being her first time, shouldn't she have been more awkward? How would Hannah know if Con was a good lover or not since she didn't have any experience?

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Overall I think this will be my last book by Balogh. It was ok, nothing great. Definitely not a keeper. Hope this review helps.

I have a number of Mary Balogh titles as keepers, but have to say that I was really disappointed in this one. While none of the Huxtable series made it to my keeper shelf, they were okay. I was bored with the trite and repetitive dialogue. Didn't care for the plot either. Con's character throughout the Huxtable series was darker and I liked him that way. I didn't see much of that guy in his story. Hannah and her over-the-top flawless beauty was just annoying as was her personality in general. This didn't feel like much of a romance to me and they even less as a couple. And the big secret of their charitable work made no sense. Despite this dismal review, I'll probably read Ms. Balogh's next offering and hope for an improvement.

While I really like most of the books I have read by this author, I have had reservations about her Huxtable series. I seemed to end up liking one of the members of each couple a lot more than the other, which lead to some dissatisfaction with each story.

In A SECRET AFFAIR I came to greatly like both members of the couple, flaws and all - so consider this the best book of the series.

Hannah is a very beautiful widowed duchess - viewed by society as an arrogant, frivolous, and promiscuous gold digger who married a duke old enough to be her grandfather for the money and social rank. While there is some vanity in her, the truth is quite different from the perception.

Constantine Huxtable is viewed as a brooding devil - and some members of his own family believe that he stole from his mentally handicapped younger brother and debauched and discarded young girls from the neighborhood. While Con can be a stubborn and surly mule the truth of his life is quite different.

This - like other novels in this series - is a story of perception vs. reality, and what lies behind the public masks the characters wear. Come discover the truth of Hannah and Constantine as they discover the truths about each other.