Simply Magic by Mary Balogh
The third book in the Simply Quartet Series is Simply Magic by Mary Balogh. The first two are Simply Unforgettable and Simply Love, while Simply Magic is followed by Simply Perfect. Sadly I can give only 4/5 stars. I was not keen on Peter. Others thought differently, as Simply Magic was a finalist in the Quill Awards. See here the other books I’ve reviewed by her, including the ones in this series.
Susanna Osbourne meets Peter Edgeworth, Viscount Whitleaf. She is a school teacher at Miss Martin’s School. She recognized his name and he is part of her secret and dark past. Her secrets are quite dark, much more shocking that I would have imagined. The writing style is beautiful, as always.
The only thing I didn’t like was Peter. A beta man or mummy’s boy, that was bullied by his mother. While she is independent and strong, he doesn’t seem he can do anything about his mother. Some of the things she did, like changing the colours of a room, despite being his house, are not important. But, in the end, she was involved in the dark secret Susanna had and his response was a bit washed out.
Another thing I find a bit too much is how many times the Duke of Bewcastle appears, in the sidelines, along his wife and other Bedwyns. The duke is my favourite character in Mary’s books. He is the alpha male, strong, reliable. I like all Bedwyns, but I don’t think there is the need to mention them constantly in these books. An appearance or two would be nice, most of all for fans of Mary Balogh, but, sometimes, less is more.
Simply Magic by Mary Balogh
Details about the picture: Scones, tea, clotted cream and homemade strawberry jam. All the things that would have been enjoyed at that time.
My rating: 4/5 Stars.
Would I recommend it: Yes.
Published by: Piatkus
Year it was published: 2007
Format: Paperback
Genre(s): Fiction. Regency
Pages: 343
About the author:
Mary was born in Wales in 1944. After graduating from University in 1960s, she moved to Canada. There she was a high school teacher. She got married to the Canadian Robert Balogh and they had three children. Besides writing, she also loves music, knitting, watching tennis and curling.
Mary Balogh started writing as a hobby, in the evenings. Her first book, A Masked Deception, a Regency love story, was published in 1985. After 20 years of teaching, in 1988, she retired from teaching to pursue her dream to write full-time. She has written more than seventy novels and almost thirty novellas since then. Her best known series are the New York Times bestselling ‘Slightly’ sextet and ‘Simply’ quartet. She has won numerous awards, including Bestselling Historical of the Year from the Borders Group. She has won seven Waldenbooks Awards and two B. Dalton Awards for her bestselling novels, as well as a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award.
Website & Social Media Links: marybalogh.com