Customer Reviews

An Unacceptable Offer

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the characters and more importantly **liked** the characters. The hero has been disappointed by his first marriage having realized that though he married for love (or more exactly for infatuation) he and his lovely first wife were complete opposites with little or nothing in common. Determined to not make the same mistake twice he sees the quiet Jane as the perfect companion for the country life with his daughters that he wishes to lead. It's all very practical. Jane on the other hand has been quite infatuated with the handsome, titled nobleman, but she has a good head on her shoulders and a good heart. When he proposes and speaks of little but duty and comfort she realizes that in her heart that could never be enough. Stunning the hero (and herself), she tells him no. She could never accept a marriage of convenience.

I enjoyed the way the author looked at love and took in its facets. Infatuation exists in the novel but it isn't mistaken for love. Neither is comfort an adequate substitute. When the lovers finally find one another you feel that they both know what real love is and that they truly love one another. A nice read.

On my TBR shelf rest many of Mary Balogh's classic regencies, and every now and then, I reward myself by selecting one, for Mary Balogh seldom misses. Although, the beginning of AN UNACCEPTABLE OFFER is slow, the story does recover, and with her regained form, the author shifts into the moving world of tenderness and pain. Sensitivity is Balogh's strongest suit and here she plays it!

Five years had passed and Michael Templeton, the Viscount Fairfax, was even more handsome. In fact, he was breathtakingly magnificent. His once slender physique had grown and matured. And suddenly, he wanted her! Naturally, Jane Matthews felt the familiar churning in her stomach. She would be his viscountess, she would have his children, and she would say . . . NO!

Viscount Fairfax had been so sure Jane Matthews would accept him. He had been . . . so sure! He needed a wife, a mother, and a housekeeper. He had title, he had wealth, and he had charm. Out of necessity, Fairfax tried to make a marriage of convenience, but she rejected him! Inconceivably, Miss Jane Matthews, a mildly pretty woman past the bloom of girlhood, had rejected him. He was not used to rejection. He was angry. She had said his proposal made her feel inferior. Well, the Viscount Fairfax did not need Jane Matthews!

Now, Viscount Fairfax appeared conceited and arrogant. He needed a wife, a mother, and a housekeeper. He did not see the unique and special person she was. And Miss Jane Matthews was angry. Once the season was over, she would never see him again. Never! Yet, she ached with pain and emptiness. Obviously, she must forget this childish infatuation; it made her feel dreadfully disloyal, for she would soon wed . . . his best friend.

Mary Balogh's story is touching and enjoyable; her secondary characters are strong and appropriate. Balogh casts Viscount Fairfax having two little girls and their interaction with Jane is very heartwarming. Of course, the major complaint I have with this story is that ho-hum start, and it makes me wonder, if someone else had written it, would I have continued? Perhaps, this is a lesson learned!
Grade: B+

MaryGrace Meloche.

I wasn't absolutely positive I liked this Balogh, at first. I thought it was kind of silly for the heroine to engage herself to a man she wasn't absolutely in love with, since she'd just turned the hero's proposal down because she realized the hero didn't love her. But after considering it, and re-reading the story a few weeks later, I began to understand her reasons, and can recommend the book. It began to make sense to me: the heroine felt that the man she engaged herself to, at least had affection for her, which the hero definitely did not when he proposed to her; her fiance's feelings were honest and affectionate, at least. It was a gentle romantic feeling that promised to become more. And then, the way the hero & heroine eventually began to fall in love with each other was perfectly written. (Her refusal of the hero's proposal was actually his wake-up call!) The subplots & the supporting characters are all well done, which really helps move the main story along, too. Took a bit of considering, but I can recommend AN UNACCEPTABLE OFFER.

I picked up this book and didn't expect much from it, but after reading the first few pages, I couldn't stop reading! It was so well written and compelling. My favorite part was when Jane realized that she had been disrespecting herself all along by letting others detemine her self worth. I was in high school when I read this book, and it really resonated with me. I felt similar feelings and it helped me realized many things about myself and about human nature! I know this novel is not a Ralph Waldo Emerson or Henry David Thoreau book, but Ms. Balogh made me think and wonder and most importantly it inspired me to think better of myself! I loved it!

It took awhile for the main characters to finally come together. This was slow, steady and predictable. The writing itself is very good, but I had a hard time staying focused when I just wanted the characters to figure it out and start dating the right people. The book took an afternoon to read and I kept catching myself skimming to get done with it.