Helpful Score: 3
SIMPLY BORING. I always have enjoyed Mary Balogh, but have no clue to her most recent books & storyline. This is a narrative of a bland, aging, spinster teacher who meets a Marquess who has a blind, illegitimate daughter. Shock! Gasp.
The equally bland, boring hero introduces the heroine to his daughter so that she may take her on as a student. Thus starts a most insipid romance where the hero hardly even thinks about the heroine and Simply Loves her so much that he gets engaged to the "correct & proper" Miss Portia Hunt.
There was no love felt between the two people in this book; for the blurb on the book to have advertised...Simply Unforgettable, Simply Love, Simply Magic - I just did not feel it.
Mary Balogh's work up to this time has been outstanding. Her heroes are real-life, exciting, alive. Her heroines are courageous and face unusual circumstances. In my opinion, the author came to the writing table only half awake to write this and some of it does not even read as her writing.
This book will not be added to my collection of Mary Balogh's better work.
The equally bland, boring hero introduces the heroine to his daughter so that she may take her on as a student. Thus starts a most insipid romance where the hero hardly even thinks about the heroine and Simply Loves her so much that he gets engaged to the "correct & proper" Miss Portia Hunt.
There was no love felt between the two people in this book; for the blurb on the book to have advertised...Simply Unforgettable, Simply Love, Simply Magic - I just did not feel it.
Mary Balogh's work up to this time has been outstanding. Her heroes are real-life, exciting, alive. Her heroines are courageous and face unusual circumstances. In my opinion, the author came to the writing table only half awake to write this and some of it does not even read as her writing.
This book will not be added to my collection of Mary Balogh's better work.
I have to disagree with the other two reviewers.
I 'simply' loved this book. The love that Joseph shows for his daughter is touching and at times made me cry. The relationship that develops between Claudia and Joseph starts out first as friendship, (what a novelty in a romance book.) Hope this helps!!
I 'simply' loved this book. The love that Joseph shows for his daughter is touching and at times made me cry. The relationship that develops between Claudia and Joseph starts out first as friendship, (what a novelty in a romance book.) Hope this helps!!
Helpful Score: 1
I found Simply Perfect a lovely and well-written addition to the Simply series and a fun epilogue to the Slightly books. It is sweet and an engaging read. I enjoyed the presence of the Bedwyns and other characters from her previous books. If you haven't read Balogh's other books in these series, DO, then 'simply' enjoy this book!
I am a huge fan of Mary Balogh but this series was very uninspiring. I normally wait until I have all the books in a series before I read them but this series, I actually skipped a book because I was that uninterested in what happened to that character. And quite frankly, after reading this book, it wasn't that hard to figure out what happened to her.
I started this book only because I actually WAS interested in what happened to Miss Martin. From the very beginning I loved the interaction between Joseph and Claudia. You could actually feel them falling in love. Mary showed you why Claudia loved him and that makes the reader love him as well. There was no "big misunderstanding" that strains credulity, just life happening the way life does.
I read this in one sitting. A good finish to an otherwise ho hum series.
I started this book only because I actually WAS interested in what happened to Miss Martin. From the very beginning I loved the interaction between Joseph and Claudia. You could actually feel them falling in love. Mary showed you why Claudia loved him and that makes the reader love him as well. There was no "big misunderstanding" that strains credulity, just life happening the way life does.
I read this in one sitting. A good finish to an otherwise ho hum series.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Hated for the ending to come.
This is a good book for a summer read. It's cute (Yes I Know) and a fast read.
