Helpful Score: 8
Well done! Once begun, I was hard pressed to put this down and finished it in two days. I found myself smiling as I read through the first half of the book ... this is so reminiscent of a Jane Austen story. The characters are all quite likable and it quickly becomes obvious that no one is exactly as they present themselves to be!
Most delightful of all is knowing that we can read the newest installment every month! Katherine's story might be a frolic and it will be interesting watching Stephen struggle through growing pains. You just know Margaret and Crispin are fated to meet again ... but when will we be given Constantine's story, I wonder? He just cannot be the villain he seems!
So much to look forward to! I'm already on the waiting list. Are you?
Most delightful of all is knowing that we can read the newest installment every month! Katherine's story might be a frolic and it will be interesting watching Stephen struggle through growing pains. You just know Margaret and Crispin are fated to meet again ... but when will we be given Constantine's story, I wonder? He just cannot be the villain he seems!
So much to look forward to! I'm already on the waiting list. Are you?
Helpful Score: 4
This was definitely not a keeper for me...it moved very slowly and I didn't like the "hero" at all. However, it was well-written and I hope the series improves from here.
Helpful Score: 3
Mary Balogh shifted back to her "darker" side with this book, and I enjoyed it immensely! It reminded me of her older novels, like Secret Pearl, where the hero Elliott is so burdened with troubles and new responsibilities at home that he rarely allows himself to enjoy himself. But his feelings run very deep and are quite profound, no matter how little he allows himself to let them show. I found the heroine Vanessa to be wonderfully refreshing and enjoyable, and LOVED that she was rather plain, not a beauty at all. (I get so tired of every heroine being stunningly beautiful, with a gorgeous, perfect figure. Vanessa is more like us "normal folk," and I appreciate that!)
There's some great twists in this story, and it's also a nice set up for the upcoming novels featuring Vanessa's sisters and the villain in this book, Constantine. Dull? Not at all. Not even close! I found myself sneaking back upstairs when I should have been working so I could read another chapter or two. This story is back to Mary's best, with realistic characters facing very real problems, and handling them in quirky ways that added the twists I enjoyed so much in this book. Not quite as good as some of her best, like "More Than A Mistress," "Tempting Harriet," "A Christmas Promise," "Snow Angel" and "A Certain Magic,"--if you haven't read these, you're missing out on some of the best Romance ever written!--but First Comes Marriage is the first book of Mary's since Slightly Tempted that I've enjoyed as much as some of her older ones.
There's some great twists in this story, and it's also a nice set up for the upcoming novels featuring Vanessa's sisters and the villain in this book, Constantine. Dull? Not at all. Not even close! I found myself sneaking back upstairs when I should have been working so I could read another chapter or two. This story is back to Mary's best, with realistic characters facing very real problems, and handling them in quirky ways that added the twists I enjoyed so much in this book. Not quite as good as some of her best, like "More Than A Mistress," "Tempting Harriet," "A Christmas Promise," "Snow Angel" and "A Certain Magic,"--if you haven't read these, you're missing out on some of the best Romance ever written!--but First Comes Marriage is the first book of Mary's since Slightly Tempted that I've enjoyed as much as some of her older ones.
Helpful Score: 3
I enjoyed this book. It had its moments when it was a bit dull, but in general it was very well written. I look forward to reading the other books in the series. I am especially interested in what really happened with Con. The author did a very nice job of weaving a bit of mystery into the book.
Helpful Score: 2
I am a big Mary Balogh fan but this book just didn't seem to live up to her other series. I just didn't feel the desire and conflict between the main characters. It left me feeling let down but i will continue the series.
