Customer Reviews

Simply Love (Simply Quartet 2)

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As usual, Balogh has written a powerful, thought-provoking, tender romance novel unlike anything I've read in a long time. She turns an extremely scarred hero into both a sympathetic and handsome man. Balogh takes us through the process her heroine goes through from initally finding him a monster to an attractive man, inside and out. The reader is constantly made aware of his disabilities (the descriptions of him not being able to see a view or the heroine with two eyes, for instance, are heart-breaking), but his strength of will and depth of character allow him to rise above the horrific injuries. As these two broken souls find friendship and love, our vision of him changes too. I was amazed again at Balogh's talent in quietly telling a tale that both moves and teaches. In this story, she doesn't use dramatic plot devices but rather the inner turmoil both characters undergo as they fall in love and heal. I think these tender tales that Balogh spins are so powerful. Her inclusion of the Bedwyn clan in her novels never bothers me as much as when other authors include series characters in theirs. Maybe it's because I like the Bedwyns so much. I think Wulfric is one of my favorite characters of all time. I'm so glad that he is a part of her hero's life and included in this novel. This is exactly what I expect when I buy a Balogh novel: an extremely well-written, moving, character-driven, wonderfully descriptive story. Keep doing what you do so well, Ms. Balogh. We will all keep buying your books.

Two tragic figures form an unlikely friendship that forever changes their lives in this emotional and satisfying read. Anne Jewell is a teacher at a private girls school in Bath. Ten years ago, while a governess, she was raped and impregnated by an earl's son, who died soon afterwards. She bore a son, David, now aged nine, who she has single-handedly raised after her family and her fiancé rejected her. Anne has never recovered from the rape. She bears the stigma of unwed motherhood, she recoils from intimacy with any man, and she refuses to identify the boy's father - even to David. David's paternal cousin, Joshua, is one of the few people who knows the circumstances of David's birth. He is very fond of the boy and invites him on holiday with his family to a ducal estate in Wales. David is clearly desperate for friendships with other children, as well as a father figure, so Anne reluctantly agrees to let him go...but only if she can go too.

On her first evening in Wales, Anne is walking alone on the beach when she encounters a horribly disfigured man and flees from him in panic. When she sees him the next day at a dinner party, she seeks him out and apologizes for her thoughtless behavior, and learns that he is Sydnam Butler, the duke's estate manager and the son of an earl. Once a very handsome man, he was tortured during the Napoleonic wars five years earlier, and now has no right arm or eye, and the entire right side of his face and body is severely scarred. Moreover, he was once a promising and passionate artist, and now he will never again be able to paint. He lives a sort of half-life, tucked away on this usually vacant estate, acutely aware of his deformity and sure that no woman would ever find him attractive. Yet amazingly in Anne he sees a kindred soul, and a tentative friendship begins. But can they ever be more than friends?

This is deeply moving melodrama lovingly unites two memorable supporting characters from earlier works by Balogh...Sydnam from "A Summer to Remember" and Anne from "Slightly Scandalous." There are many returning characters and some assumed prior knowledge, which is a bit daunting for new readers, but fine for the rest of us. Sydnam and Anne are wonderful multi-faceted leads - at once courageously strong and achingly fragile. They plainly deserve a chance at happiness and the reader is immediately caught up in their plight. There are many well-written tender moments when dry eyes are impossible, bur there are many joyful ones as well. I like the sense of hope and destiny that carries through the pages. This is a love story that is not very sensual - I could safely recommend it to my mother and probably will - and yet it is powerful and moving.

For quite a while I used to read every novel Mary Balogh I could get my hands on -- I didn't even bother with reading the blurb at the back of the book! I simply knew that with her books, I was bound to have a satisfying read. Over the years thought, my tastes changed a little; I found that I didn't always enjoy every single one her novels wholeheartedly (as with some of "Slightly" books and "No Man's Mistress" & "More Than a Mistress") -- I had also discovered a slight impatience with certain storylines and plot devices. Which was why I didn't read "Simply Unforgettable" when it first came out. So that when I saw "Simply Love" I was in two minds about the book: the storyline seemed interesting but it also was part of a series, and I had already decided against reading the first book in this series. In the end, though, I succumbed, and I'm rather glad that I did because "Simply Love" was a very satisfying read indeed. Yes, there were a few "problems;" but on the whole, I thought that Mary Balogh had written a lovely and moving romance novel that I, for one, would be happy to read and reread over the years.

In "Simply Love," Anne Jewell, one of the teachers at the Miss Martin's School for Girls allows herself to be persuaded to go to the Duke of Bewcastle's estate in Wales for a month with her son, David. The entire Bedwyn clan will be there, and Anne's friends believe that this would be an excellent opportunity for her son to mingle with other children of his age and class. So that even though Anne has her reservations about this scheme, she agrees to go to Wales for David's sake. The last thing she expected was that she would find a kindred spirit there, one who felt as lonely and as alienated as she did, one who had known pain and rejection, and one who awakened feelings in her she thought long dead...

There will be those who, used to the more main stream novels in this genre that use a lot of casual and explicit scenes of a sexual nature to pad the storyline, will find "Simply Love" slow moving, tepid and monotonous. Readers, however, who look for something more than that in their romance novel will definitely take "Simply Love" to their hearts. The storyline is a moving one, and Mary Balogh does full justice to the plot and her characters. I enjoyed the gradual manner in which she brought Anne, Sydnam and David together as a family, highlighting the difficulties that a new stepfather with handicaps would face with a young boy. It was all very beautifully done. However, that said, I did have a few niggles with "Simply Love." For example, much of Anne's and Sydnam's story can actually be found in other books ("Slightly Scandalous" & "A Summer to Remember"). Anne's story, in particular, came out in bits and starts, and it was a tad frustrating trying to piece things together (because I had forgotten most of it) before she recapped what had happened to her and how she ended up unmarried and with child. The other niggle I had was with the scene in which Anne confronts her family for their abandonment. Anne's father's explanation for their abandonment was, in my opinion, really weak, and the entire episode was quickly swept under the rug for the "feel good and happily-ever-after" ending. But those two reservations aside, I did enjoy "Simply Love," and would recommend to anyone looking for a satisfying and grown-up romance novel. In fact I like so much that I'm off to borrow the first book in this series, "Simply Unforgettable

I've been reading romance novels for 33 years (since I discovered them at the age of 12) and have progressed from Barbara Cartland to Harlequin's to Devereaux, Roberts, Garlock, Quinn, Layton, Balogh etc. etc. Not to mention Victoria Holt (who I have always felt was the best ever romance novelist). Notwithstanding, Simply Love is probably the best romance novel I have read to date. I don't say that she has supplanted Victoria Holt as my favorite romance author, but this one book, built and cultivated from the series that preceded it (Slightly... series)has gripped my heart like no other ever has.

At first I thought it slow, but then, as the story developed, I was glad that it began slowly. It gave me time to soak in the motives of the characters before the story developed. I was at first having to fish through my brain Anne's part in the previous story, but then it was like a treasure hunt to search through Frejya's story and recollect the humble beginning of Anne's. I was disgusted and disappointed by Anne's initial reaction to Sydnam, because I would like to believe that I, enlightened as I am, would never react as she did... ??? Perhaps, because the character herself felt the same way that I did about her reaction to him, it made her more human. Perhaps I would react out of character like that given the same circumstance.

To have to deal with a child and how he might react to such a step father would also be difficult, but I loved the way that the child was able to see through to the man's heart and grow to love him even though he was not rugged like his uncle.

Because we have also met Sydnam before (Frejya's and Lauren's stories) we already know that he is a deeply wounded man and more than physically. We have already begun to question if he could ever become a likable character. It is satisfying to watch him develop more fully in this, his story.

I was disappointed by Anne's reception by her family when I first read it. It seemed anti-climactic, but in the end, I was glad that it was. It was how I thought it would have been the most realistic. Her family had believed the worst of her and it was hard for them (but it was not impossible) to let go of that... to admit that they had rejected her because of thinking badly of her those things that were not true... I believe that was illustrated very well.

In the end, I felt that I had a glimpse into the hearts of 2 people who, through bravery and love, were able to overcome their own histories (set forth in the novels before) to become fully functional people who were able to give to each other what was needed.

It is the only romance novel that has ever made me weep. In most cases I would say that a book that makes me weep would be an awful book, but in this case it came about because of the nature of the love in this book. The type of love that Ms Balogh spoke of in this story wasn't necessarily only romantic love but a simpler kind of love that all of us need to have of someone. The kind of love that a person can have for others that is unconditional and undeserved is the kind of love truly endures because it is not dependant upon someone's good behavior. It is simply love because someone knows how to love and chooses to give the love with no regard to tho other's past or deficiencies. Who could love any of us if love is solely based on our own merits? What if they truly knew our deficiencies? Simply love offers solace to those of us who know what is like to need to be loved when we are unlovable.

I loved this book and so did my 23 year old daughter and so did my 18 year old daughter.

I give it five stars, but a lot depends on your taste. If you are looking for a typical romance between two beautiful, healthy, well adjusted adults with lots of sex scenes this won't be the book for you. Even in the few love scenes there are, there is not a lot of...well...sex. But from two such damaged people as Sydnam and Anne this is perfectly understandable. And not many authors would take this much time to let these characters grow to like each other and then love each other so very well. I, for one, am surely glad Ms. Balogh did.

I find nothing wrong that the first tie that binds the main characters is friendship, and that they come to love each other as well as be 'in love' with each other. They are both so hurt and so alone that it really doesn't feel like it could have happened any other way. And I loved that there were characters from her previous books scattered everywhere. You really get a look at what's happening with all your favorite characters, but they don't feel forced into the story, but rather a natural part of it. For a first time reader it will be okay, since she introduces them and explains why they're there, but you might not get all you can out of it. For long time readers it is a real treat.

I almost skipped getting this one in hardback because of some of the reviews, but I'm glad I went ahead and trusted Ms. Balogh. Truly another great book from a great author. Thanks so much for sharing such a lovely and profound story with us.

The story of Anne and Sydnam is not just a love story, but a story of hope, courage, survival, and familial love. As Ms. Balogh's two main characters go through the story, we see them deal with their loneliness and personal pain. Both characters grow stronger because of each other's friendship, which eventually turns to love. It is easier for Anne to hide the painful memories of her rape than it is for Sydnam to hide his memories because his scars are quite visible. Yet, once Anne really gets to know Sydnam, his scars, lack of an arm and eye, seem unimportant. I especially loved having all the Bedwyns together; it was a great treat to see them again with their spouses and children. It makes me want to go back and reread their stories. I know I will reread Anne and Sydnam's story again.

Simply Love is one of the best in Mary Balogh's Simply and Slightly series. In this tender and moving story we find two lost souls, a physically and emotionally wounded soldier Syndam Butler and an unwed mother Anne Jewell. Both know the reality of living within the fringes of society, silently baring their pain and loss. The loving and caring Bedwyn family members who love nothing more than a matchmaking challenge bring these two individuals together for a holiday at their Welsh estate, where Syndam is the steward for the Duke of Bewcastle and Anne and her son David are guests. A second son and former artist who was tortured by the enemy, we met Syndam in a previous story about his brother Kitt. We have also met the beautiful Anne as well, as she was the governess who put herself in the path of a wicked nobleman and was raped, instead of her mentally challenged charge, Pru. Bringing these two wounded secondary characters together from previous stories in the Bedwyn series is simply outstanding. Syndam and Jewel are drawn to each other immediately and a deep friendship develops. As their desire grows and they meet for a passionate afternoon, it is a slight diappointment for them both, and they come away feeling that maybe a life shared with another is not meant to be. But when Anne becomes pregnant once again facing motherhood without marriage, Syndam marries her. Afterward, as they begin their life together, they discover that families can be brought together and old wounds and relationships can be healed simply by love. This is a story not to be missed. The entire series is a must read, as not one of the books in the series is a disappointment. Mary Balogh has the talent to write beautiful stories about complex characters that come alive on the pages so that the reader feels they are there and intimately involved in the story with the characters and their families. Each book builds on the previous books with characters that develop and mature even further from their previous introduction. Simply Wonderful!

"Simply Love" is the second in Mary Balogh's "Simply" series following four teachers at a school in Bath (the first was "Simply Unforgettable"). It features the teacher Anne Jewell who works at the school along with her nine year old son, the result of a rape when she was a governess in Cornwall. Anne Jewell was first introduced to readers of Balogh's novel in "Slightly Scandalous", the book about Freyja Bedwyn in the "Slightly" series about the Bedwyn family. Anne and her son David accompany Freyja and her husband Joshua, the Marquess of Hallmere, to a family gathering in Wales, one of the Duke of Bewcastle's properties. Anne hopes to remain in the background as she isn't a member of the family and is the mother of an illegitimate child, but things don't work out exactly as she hopes.

Sydnam Butler is the disfigured and disabled brother of Kit Butler (hero of "A Summer To Remember") who now works as the Steward at Glandwr, the Welsh estate. He doesn't work out of financial need but to help him to feel worthwhile and it is work that he can do despite having only one eye and one arm.

Sydnam and Anne meet in less than auspicious circumstances and yet as they both see each other in company with the rest of the guests they start to build a friendship which is strengthened by their shared experiences. However their past history causes them problems and when Anne returns to teaching in Bath they both think it unlikely they will meet again. However events cause them to be thrown back into company with each other and despite some setbacks they are able to help each other to overcome some of their problems, to rebuild family relationships and rediscover talents they thought were lost to them.

Mary Balogh is an excellent writer of Regencies, her accuracy is very good and in this book her descriptions of the Wales coast and the people are very good. Characters in her books often grow and learn and this is very much the case in this book as Anne learns to forgive her family and Sydnam begins to understand that not everyone sees him as a monster.

This book fits very much within the different series' of Balogh's books - I think the vast list of Bedwyn characters would become fairly confusing if the reader isn't familiar with them all. It helps very much to have read "A Summer To Remember" and most of the Bedwyn series and it is a welcome opportunity for fans to catch up with the characters as their marriages have progressed. For a prolific writer such as Mary Balogh there have been in recent books characters who seem familiar from older books but in "Simply Love" this is less of the case - Anne's gentle nature and love for her son David seem fresh and, although Sydnam might be compared to the hero of "The Secret Pearl" who is also scarred, Balogh has been able to give him his own voice and manner. This book has less of the gushing romance than many Regencies, it is more a gentle and hearwarming slow-burn love story of two damaged people who find that they can help each other to become more whole. I recommend this book highly for those who like their Regencies with a bit more to them than gowns, duels and peerages.

Copyright © 2007 Helen Hancox for Curled Up With A Good Book

This is an amazing book. For starters, it's a story about adults (not about an adult man and a teenaged girl), with main characters who have been through hard times and been damaged by them. Both are likable, and they each make sense -- how they got into their situations and what being in those situations has done to them. It's fascinating to see that kind of romance in a genre novel like this, and I enjoyed the change of pace.

The plot is pretty straight-forward, but the characters are so strong it doesn't matter. The writing is strong and fluent, and it's nice to see old friends from other books in supporting roles. I don't think you can take two minor characters from previous books, imbedded in those other stories as they were, and bring them together without involving the old characters. The trajectory of the story is quite nice, with events unfolding gradually, and the two protagonists being changed by their growing relationship, also gradually, and not without some pain along the way.

I found two weaknesses in the plot. First, I'm pretty sure that if you hadn't read Freyja's story, it would be hard to figure out what had happened to Anne in the past and why. I felt like I had a huge advantage because I recalled those details. Second, and more central to this story, I found the reconciliation with her parents too glib. It had to happen, but I felt that it was too easy, really, the way it did happen.

In the end, however, this is a five-star book. I can tell because I've read it more than once, with little diminuation of pleasure. The main characters are drawn with such depth and honesty that there is always something new to discover on rereading.

This is the only one of Mary Balogh's novels I struggled in reviewing, and not for the reasons one might imagine. Indeed, I find no flaw worth mentioning, though I suppose there must be one or two. Simply Love is true to Balogh's gentle, steady style, and the characters are comfortably familiar, even if you haven't read all the tales in the "Simply" or the Slightly" series.
I find reviewing this book difficult because I know, far more intimately than I might like, what it feels like to be "damaged" and to have given up on any chance for love. I have lived it, and I can tell you, Balogh's insights into the heart, soul and mind of emotionally scarred Anne and physically maimed Sydnam are dead-on. The book could almost have been sub-titled "Simply Given Up on Love."
To those few human beings who have been chewed up and spat out by life experience, the struggle with pain, loneliness and isolation can become, inexorably, the ubiquitous fabric of their existence; slowly, insidiously, like the frog in the pot of heating water, they lose their sense of hope and optimism for their future.
Balogh has captured this subtly hidden malady of the human spirit and infused her main characters with it. Anne's herculean efforts to hide her fear, sadness and pain will stab at your heart. Sydnam's desperate, tenacious struggle to hold on to the limited physical ability and independence he retains in the aftermath of horrific torture as a prisoner of war literally made me weep. No fluffy, witty romance here to be sure, and yet...
We begin to see as the pages turn that Anne and Sydnam may be the only two people in the bright, gay world they inhabit who, as a direct result of their own personal, private anguish, have the unique ability to understand, accept, heal and ultimately, love one another. And so they do.
Make no mistake, Balogh is not offering a smooth, sweet, tidy love story. The intimate encounters between Anne and Sydnam are at worst awkward, and at best poignant and wrenching, rather than erotic. However, this is perfectly fitted to the storyline. After all, this is a man who has lost his right arm, bears horrific burn scars from cheek to knee and is half blind. It would be ludicrous (not to mention insulting to the reader) to offer sophisticated, suave and graceful loveplay.
And this is exactly what makes this such a special romance. The author wants her readers to know that there IS hope and optimism and love, even for those people most unlikely to have it. And I, as one of them, would like to say, Thank You, Mary, for writing a beautiful story----about us.