Mary Balogh: At Last Comes Love

“Margaret Huxtable is thirty years old and has finally decided to do the sensible thing and get married. She arrives in London during the Season full of hope. But first she meets the widowed Crispin Dew, who years ago had betrayed their secret betrothal and married someone else, and next she learns that the man she had hoped to marry is engaged to another woman. Then she runs (literally) into the Earl of Sheringford, who is in such total disgrace with the ton that he has not dared show his face in town for five years and would not be there now if he were not in such desperate need of a bride.”

Mary Balogh’s latest release in her First Comes series is At Last Comes Love.  Our heroine is an “on the shelf” woman who decides, afterall, its time to get married.  When she runs into the man who spurned her so many years before, she become terribly desperate to save face.

Meanwhile, the infamous Earl of Sheringford has returned to England to reclaim his entitlements, only to be told he must marry within fifteen days or lose everything.

Of course, our heroine and hero find themselves thrown together after a fated encounter and decide to marry….maybe.

Beautifully written, as most of Balogh’s book are, At Last Comes Love is entertaining and an easy read you can rip through in an afternoon at the beach.  Seduction (ie sex) is on the lighter side, with more of a focus on the character arcs.

This heroine is a pragmatic woman thrown into an unlikely situation and becomes, for once in her life, totally rebellious.  I like that.  I like that she takes a chance on ruin for a shot at a happy marriage.

I have heard mixed reviews about this series, but this is my first crack at them (of course, right in the middle) and I enjoyed it.  Maybe there wasn’t as much depth (definitely shorter than other Balogh’s) as her Slightly or Web series, but it still carries with it the classic Balogh charm which fans will enjoy.

I also really like the hero, even if he is unique as true outcast from society.  I like his storyline a lot, perhaps because it is a variation on the rake theme.

I would love to hear from readers there thoughts on the rest of the series before I rush out to buy….

So leave comments below.