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Simply Magic (Simply Quartet #3)

3.74 of 5 stars 3.74 · rating details · 2,144 ratings · 110 reviews

BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Mary Balogh's The Secret Mistress.

On a splendid August afternoon Susanna Osbourne is introduced to the most handsome man she has ever seen . . . and instantly feels the icy chill of recognition. Peter Edgeworth, Viscount Whitleaf, is utterly charming—and seemingly unaware that they have met before. With his knowing smile and sed...more

Hardcover, 336 pages

Published March 27th 2007 by Delacorte Press (first published January 1st 2007)

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Jun 10, 2013 Aspoon rated it 1 of 5 stars

If you are looking for a book that's slow moving, sometimes frustrating, lack sexual tension, lack sex, lack engaging storyline, and longer than it needs to be...then you have found the right book....

This book was WAAAAY TOOOOO long for the storyline. This could have been wrapped up within 5 chapters. I did like the beginning start of Peter's and Suzanna's "friendship" I felt there was a real connection there, however Peter taking Suzanna's virginity in the middle of no where seemed completely o...more

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Jun 30, 2011 Lily rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Es el tercer libro de la serie «Simplemente» de la autora Mary Balogh que tiene como protagonista a Susanna, la joven maestra de la escuela St. Martin para señoritas. No supe que era el tercer ejemplar de una serie hasta que lo tuve entre mis manos y me empecé a informar. Pero no me importó, me moría por leérmelo y no podía esperar para conseguir los demás. Sin duda, después de haberme leído este leeré los anteriores, bien en español o bien en inglés.

El argumento comienza cuando Susanna, que est...more Es el tercer libro de la serie «Simplemente» de la autora Mary Balogh que tiene como protagonista a Susanna, la joven maestra de la escuela St. Martin para señoritas. No supe que era el tercer ejemplar de una serie hasta que lo tuve entre mis manos y me empecé a informar. Pero no me importó, me moría por leérmelo y no podía esperar para conseguir los demás. Sin duda, después de haberme leído este leeré los anteriores, bien en español o bien en inglés.

El argumento comienza cuando Susanna, que está verando en la mansión de Frances, se reencuentra de casualidad con un el joven vizconde Lord Whitleaf que conoció cuando solo era una niña. Peter, que es un hombre conquistador y se encanta a sí mismo, se encapricha automáticamente de la muchacha. Pero ella le devuelve solo rechazo. Él no reconoce quien es ella. Sin embargo, ella sabe muy bien quién es él, no ha olvidado el doloroso pasado que vivió por culpa de él.

A partir de ahí, sus caminos comienzan a entrecruzarse peligrosamente. Las intrigas, los secretos y las mentiras se suceden en las vidas de ambos entretejiendo una complicada relación. Va naciendo una amistad entre ellos, o quizá algo más. Pero ella solo guarda rencor en su interior hacia él, lo toma por un hombre superficial y adulador, alguien a quien solo le importan sus conquistas amorosas. La joven vive en un mar de sentimientos encontrados. Pero en el fondo, el lord es mucho más. Es un caballero, honrado y bien educado. Es cierto que le gusta gustar pero también le gusta ser agradable con las mujeres y tratarlas bien. Así es como fue criado.

Me ha encantado la relación de los protagonistas porque es pura tensión. Un continuo tira y afloja que se va sucediendo a lo largo de todos sus encuentros. Él se muere por ella y quiere convencerla de su amor, ella no cree ni una de sus palabras. ¿Vencerá la razón al corazón?

También me parece muy interesante la evolución que experimentan los personajes a lo largo de la obra. Por un lado, Susanna, tímida y reservada, una maestra dedicada a su vocación, se va abriendo al amor y otro tipo de vida. Por otro lado, Peter, deja atrás sus inseguridades, su pose y sus miedos para avanzar y mejorar como persona.

La historia se centra fundamentalmente en la pareja protagonista y aunque aparecen otros personajes que completan el argumento, no me parece que tengan papeles muy relevantes en esta novela. Sin embargo, sí que me gustaría leer las anteriores para conocer un poco más de sus vidas.

Además, algo que me ha maravillado es que la trama tiene detalles muy dulces y tiernos. De narración sencilla y ágil, la autora sabe cómo contar las cosas de forma sosegada pero interesante. Sin duda, me ha atrapado la narración de Balogh, a quien no conocía antes de este ejemplar y a quien voy a seguir muy de cerca de ahora en adelante.

Esta novela me ha dejado muy buen sabor de boca y, por supuesto, pienso leerme las anteriores de esta misma serie. Si te gusta la novela romántica ambientada en otro tiempo, esta es simplemente mágica.(less)

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Jan 18, 2010 Rosina Lippi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-here, fiction

This absorbing, immensely appealing novel is the third in Balogh's series of regency romances, centered on a group of friends who teach at a private girls' school in Bath. Susanna Osbourne is one of those teachers, a gentleman's daughter who has been alone in the world since she lost her father and her home at age twelve.

That early trauma has given her depth, complexity and a cautious nature. Susanna's satisfaction with her life and career doesn't waiver, even when she meets Viscount Whitleaf,...more

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Aug 17, 2009 Lois rated it 3 of 5 stars

Loved Peter--what a kind, wonderful character.

But: It is a mistake to listen to three Mary Balogh's in a row. The parallel elements from book to book get grating:
-- the heroine's belief that each encounter will be the last time she sees the man so she'll store it away to pull out later when she's old and still a spinster;
-- her steadfast belief that she can't marry the man and her repeated refusals because of that;
-- the belief that Fate keeps throwing people together until their love works ou...more

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May 17, 2009 becky rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I think I like Balogh's heroines - they're a bit prissy and they annoy me with their "I love him but I can't tell him" nonsense, but when it comes down to it, they are thoroughly modern women who embrace what life gives them - both the good and the bad. In this particular book, I love that the main female character took her opportunity to be with the main male character (yes, like that) because she knew she'd never get another chance at such passion.

This book - the third in the series (though I...more

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Apr 28, 2012 Lady Wesley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

5+ stars!

I like Mary Balogh, so I expected to enjoy this book; but I was surprised that I absolutely loved it!

Susanna Osbourne is a teacher at Miss Martin's school in Bath. She has no family, since her mother died in childbirth and her father died when she was twelve. She was sent to Miss Martin's by an anonymous benefactor as a charity student, and she remained to become a teacher. She is quite happy and content with her life.

While visiting a former teacher, who is now Countess of Edgecombe (se...more 5+ stars!

I like Mary Balogh, so I expected to enjoy this book; but I was surprised that I absolutely loved it!

Susanna Osbourne is a teacher at Miss Martin's school in Bath. She has no family, since her mother died in childbirth and her father died when she was twelve. She was sent to Miss Martin's by an anonymous benefactor as a charity student, and she remained to become a teacher. She is quite happy and content with her life.

While visiting a former teacher, who is now Countess of Edgecombe (see Simply Unforgettable), she happens to meet Peter Edgeworth, Viscount Whitleaf. He is handsome and charming, and seems to feel it's his mission in life to flirt with all the ladies, even the elderly spinster Miss Honeydew. Susanna is immediately on her guard, not just because she thinks he's shallow and frivolous, but because she met him once as a child and his presence brings up unhappy memories. During their two weeks in one another's company, however, they strike up a genuine friendship, which culminates in an afternoon of lovemaking before they part.

Susanna expects never to see Peter again, but when he comes to Bath for a wedding of yet another teacher (see Simply Love), Susanna realizes that she has indeed lost her heart to Peter. (And may I just add right here that being a teacher at Miss Martin's school looks to be a better way of finding a titled husband than attending dozens of balls in London.) Peter proposes, but Susanna turns him down, feeling that he has made the offer out of guilt and obligation rather than love. She also has strong feelings about remaining independent, and she truly loves her life at the school. Again, Peter leaves, and they don't expect to meet again.

I won't go into detail about the rest of their story, but their pasts turn out to be more complicated, and intertwined, than first suspected. Peter has a lot of maturing to do, and he needs to get out from under his mother's domination.

Peter is not a rake or an alpha hero; he's really more of an overgrown boy, but he truly wants to live a meaningful, productive life, having a family and running his estate successfully. At the same time, Susanna has to stop ignoring terrible events from her past, and with help from Peter (and sometimes a little interference from him), she comes to envision a future much different from that which she had long thought was inevitable.

The obstacles to their HEA are serious and real and don't seem contrived. This is just a really sweet story that will leave you feeling happy at the end.

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Oct 31, 2010 Raechel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: library

This may be my favourite of the 'Simply' series. The interaction between the main characters is wonderful, as they progress from virtual strangers with a somewhat shared history to good friends and lovers in two weeks. Balogh slowly and subtly reveals they events from their past that tie them together and should split them apart in an intriguing fashion; it's very nicely done on her part. I liked Susanna very much, but I really adored Peter's side story. He matured steadily over the course of th...more

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Apr 16, 2010 Fani rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-historical, forgettable, in-love-before-first-half, emotional, starcrossed-lovers, not-my-cuppa

I liked the first part much more than the second.

The first half was a sweet, tender love story. Old-fashioned, but still nice. In the second part, the shadow of the heroine's past, concerning her father's death, is cast and darkens the mood considerably. Little by little we learn the secrets behind his death, but though a huge tragedy is always hinted, it seems rather mudane to the reader (at least this one). When the truth comes out, it is indeed more shocking than expected, but by then I had a...more

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Apr 20, 2013 Anna D. rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars rounded up because it’s Mary Balogh!

The more HR books I read, the more critical I become simply because there have been books that have raised the bar so high that my basis of comparison is ever changing. The book before this one, Simply Love, is one of those books for me where I was put through a ringer in the story, characters, and emotions – that compared with this book…well, Simply Magic was just ok. That is unfair though because this is a good book and the H/h are good characters...more 3.5 stars rounded up because it’s Mary Balogh!

The more HR books I read, the more critical I become simply because there have been books that have raised the bar so high that my basis of comparison is ever changing. The book before this one, Simply Love, is one of those books for me where I was put through a ringer in the story, characters, and emotions – that compared with this book…well, Simply Magic was just ok. That is unfair though because this is a good book and the H/h are good characters that are easy to love. I think the one thing that was different about this book is that the H/h are young – making this HR feel like a YA read, which I’m normally not a fan of. In the beginning, I was impressed at how nice and agreeable Peter was, a perfect young gentleman..but then as the story progressed his youth started to bother me. He was timid when I wanted him to man up and he kept saying “Dash it all” as if defeated and powerless to take the action he wanted. Then I realized that’s a big chunk of the story – watching Peter become a man.

Peter is naturally a happy person – we see that in Susanna’s flashback from when they were children “fishing” by the lake. However, growing up, his mother and sisters’ overprotective and hovering ways smothered the happy, self-assured, lively child and created the Peter we see at the beginning of the book. At 26 years old, he’s gorgeous, rich, titled, and often described as friendly and amiable - one would think he has a perfect life but of course he doesn’t. He has insecurities, fears, and sadness that he hides behind his smiles, good humor, and a need to please everyone – his peers, old ladies, young ladies, children. Included in that list is his mother, who still sees Peter as a child and not the Viscount, master of his home, estate, and his very own life. This has been acceptable with Peter who for the past five years has been idly living his life as a young bachelor sowing his wild oats and really escaping his responsibilities and prolonging taking control of his life and home away from his mother. As much as I like the young carefree gentleman we see in the beginning, there comes a point when the reader wants the hero to be a man. Sometimes, we get heroes in their 20’s that we unquestionably already view as a man, this isn’t Peter. So in a way it was refreshing to read about a hero in the verge of “adulthood” – struggling to make that transition. I enjoyed the book so much more once we get the sense that Peter has taken charge – that was what I found magical about this book, more so than the romance if I have to be honest.

What I like about the heroines in this series is that they are working women – as in they have a job, that being a teacher give their lives purpose and a sense of pride and accomplishment. Their pasts have not been easy and so they appreciate fully the blessings they’ve been given in having worked and lived at Miss Martin’s school. They have a work ethic that is unlike the women of the ton and because they don’t need a man to provide for them they will not settle for anything short of a love match if they are to marry. There’s some serious “women power” undercurrents here – especially since the bonds of friendship between these women are strong, they know that they each have the others’ back in case they need it.

I actually did not expect that there was going to be a villainess in this story, but I was excited to see that there was one and who it was because it created a buildup of the confrontation that was bound to ensue – and although the scene was a great moment for Peter (one of his first moments we see that he’s become the strong, confident, and compassionate man we knew he would be), I would have liked to have seen more drama here. I think the villainess got off way too easy.

When it all comes down to it, this was an above average book – but my standards for Mary Balogh are higher than other authors so that’s why part of me feels like this is a 3-star Balogh book but really this does deserve the rating I gave in the grand scheme of things. I suppose the reason why I can’t give it praise with gusto is because I REALLY wanted to like Peter more, he has so much potential to be an unforgettable hero, but unfortunately in this book he was still working his way up to that potential and we only saw a glimpse of it.
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Feb 05, 2010 Rane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: regency-romance-napoleonic-era

A two weeks vacation away from her school she teaches, Susanna Osbourne meets with a man unknowing to him entwined with her past she longs to forget, and soon a man she longs her heart to forget.. Peter Edgeworth, Viscount Whitleaf is charming, kind gentleman, when he first lays eyes on Susanna he feels he’s finally met “the one” their paths soon divided only to lead back to one another and their love......

Simply Magic’s story entwines with Simply Love, but from of the POVs of Susanna and Pete...more A two weeks vacation away from her school she teaches, Susanna Osbourne meets with a man unknowing to him entwined with her past she longs to forget, and soon a man she longs her heart to forget.. Peter Edgeworth, Viscount Whitleaf is charming, kind gentleman, when he first lays eyes on Susanna he feels he’s finally met “the one” their paths soon divided only to lead back to one another and their love......

Simply Magic’s story entwines with Simply Love, but from of the POVs of Susanna and Peter as you follow Susanna this time as she takes a two weeks vacation away from the school..
Susanna along with ex-teacher Frances and her husband travel to Frances’s husband estate for a two week break. On one afternoon of walking, Susanna meets up with fellow neighbors, when she meets a very handsome man, whom comes across very much like a shallow gentleman, whose name triggers a dark period of Susanna’s life. Susanna goes out of her way to avoid this gentleman only to have him turn up time and again. She soon sees the true kindness of this man, and tries to fight her feelings and heart as they spend a passionate afternoon together and soon say their goodbyes, knowing their’s no place for one another in each of their lives, but fate plays their hand and bring Susanna and Peter back together again and this time it’s a path they walk together and no apart full of love...
Peter Edgeworth has always been cuddled by his family full of sister along with his mother, after almost marriage between him and a young girl that ended with Peter leaving his family home in anger, Peter finally decided it’s time to stop running. When this thought enters his mind, he’s floored when he meets Susanna whom he doesn’t know if he love or not and perhaps to scared to examine his emotions toward her. Peter soon finds himself and Susanna in each other’s company for the wedding of Anne and Syd and Peter knows he can’t let Susanna go and must face his own dragons and help her face hers in order for them to finally find love and peace with each other.

Simply Magic was a delightful read, with the main theme I felt of facing out demons from the past or dragons to slay in order for us to move forward. Peter’s and Susanna’s had these heavy chains that dragged them down, Susanna while stronger then most, still didn’t want to deal with a past and a father whom she felt let her down by taking his life, and a family she thought loved her. But, with a little nudge by Peter Susanna was finally able to let her go of her demons and slay her own dragons finding a family she didn’t even know she had.

Peter was overprotected by his family, but loved, even as a man, his family still thought of him as a boy. Peter showed everyone he was truly a grown and kind man with a big heart, but a man whom could stand on his own two feet. At the same time he always saw he couldn’t baby his own family and needed to let them go on their own lives, his mother mostly, whom he finally saw a lonely woman whom wasn’t without her faults and did wrong, but a human being after all.

With Simply Love and it’s perfect flow, I found Simply Magic lacking in magic. It felt once again very blocky and rushed, but at least both leads didn’t make me mad or turn me off on the story. I liked both leads very much and felt for them. Many characters make a return appearance that keep the story running along, but once again I felt the story was lacking that extra push to make it memorable.

Overall: a great addition that continues the simply series with two great leads, even if it lacks that magical touch. (less)

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Dec 30, 2008 Lisa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

Hmmm. No. I didn't really enjoy this book at all. The FMC was convinced that she would never see the MMC, someone whose company she had grown to enjoy and more, again. And proceeded to see him several times after that. It grew a bit tiresome. The "romantic afternoon" that they finally spend together didn't read at all romantically for me. Realistic, but not terribly romantic. It did have a happy ending, and there was a good subplot involving the FMC's father, his suicide, and what drove him to i...more

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Jan 19, 2009 Cam rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 15, 2009 Melissa Andrews rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction-historical-romance

I like Susan Balogh. Her books follow the same premise - un-attainable guy likes girl who won't acknowledge her love or allow them to get together because of some misguided sense of duty. But for some reason, I just like her. This was another nice book - predictable at times, but it did have me wiping my eyes on a couple of occasions. Peter is a nice guy who flirts a lot because he turned his back on love after a life-changing incident that happened when he was about to get married. Susanna is a...more

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Oct 02, 2009 Laura rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: borrowed

I really didn't care for this story. It was the second Mary Balogh I've listened to and will be the last. This story was trying to be a lot of things and failed in every way. The interactions between Susanna Osbourne and Peter Edgeworth are really just plain silly. The love scenes fall short and they don't make you pine for the couple to get together. Peter is, for lack of a better word, a wuss who doesn't grow a backbone till the very end of the novel. I really didn't care for the too proud Sus...more

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Apr 21, 2010 Miranda Heath rated it 4 of 5 stars

Yeah. Adult Romance. Bad for innocent, adolescent eyes. Got it. Can we move on? Kthanksbai!

I was packing all my books into boxes, (3 boxes! I think I have a problem...) and I found this one. I didn't even know it existed but I had just finished a really great book was in that "need-to-read" stage, as I so often am. It's a nice story: nicely written, though predictable. All in all, I don't have a complaint. I just...Well. Predictable doesn't even cover it; but, if the ending were not what it was,...more

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Sep 21, 2011 Judith rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Simply Magic is not one of Mary Balogh's more compelling reads. Neither the story nor the characters are particularly memorable. I could easily put the book down, and not feel the need to return to it quickly. The story is pleasant enough, and the characters are likeable, but there was not enough conflict or something to propel it forward.

Mary Balogh is usually a wonderful storyteller, but this time she seemed to be on autopilot. She is a talented enough author that even her weaker efforts are s...more

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Dec 26, 2008 Dancer rated it 5 of 5 stars

This actually was the first book in the Simply series I read. Susanna Osbourne's wit and adventurous spirit is similar to what one finds in Elizabeth Bennett. She is one for whom the reader roots. Peter Edgeworth, Viscount Whitleaf, is related to Lauren, a character in both the Slightly series and in One Night of Love, which ties all these books together. That is one of Balogh's finest qualities - the tie-ins she slips in for her loyal readers to make. Add to that, the childhood connections betw...more

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Mar 22, 2010 Mary-Elizabeth rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, romance

I found the plot a little weak, both in the early connection between Suzanna and Peter's family, and in the fact that she ended up on her own. The story would appeal more to those who like the details of English life in the Regency era, a little spice between the lower class and the aristocracy, and a leisurely pace.

Description:
One of a quartet series, Simply Magic is a Regency Romance (early 1800's) that tells the story of Suzanna Osbourne, a single woman without any family who supports herself...more

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Dec 25, 2012 Lucina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-historical-romance

3.0 Stars

Ich muss sagen, dass ich Simply Magic nicht wirklich richtig schlecht fand, aber leider auch nicht wirklich gut. Es gibt nichts was ich groß kritisieren müsste, aber loben kann ich leider auch nichts. Die Protagonisten sind sympathisch, bleiben aber wie der gesamte Roman überhaupt nicht im Gedächtnis. Hinzukommt, dass der Roman wie eine Mischung aus den Vorgängerbänden wirkt, besonders wenn man Simply Unforgettable und Simply Love kurz vorher gelesen hat sind die Parallen unverkennbar....more

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May 27, 2012 Stephanie (Once Upon a Chapter) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012, ebook-read

Susanna Osbourne has had a hard life. She lost her father at a young age and lived on the streets of London after that. Thankfully it was only for a brief time and she was then placed in Miss Martin’s School for Girls. She did so well at the school that she was allowed to stay on as a junior teacher. Her whole life is dedicated to teaching but even teachers need a vacation and so she leaps at the opportunity to take a few weeks and visit Frances and her husband at Barclay Court. It promises to b...more Susanna Osbourne has had a hard life. She lost her father at a young age and lived on the streets of London after that. Thankfully it was only for a brief time and she was then placed in Miss Martin’s School for Girls. She did so well at the school that she was allowed to stay on as a junior teacher. Her whole life is dedicated to teaching but even teachers need a vacation and so she leaps at the opportunity to take a few weeks and visit Frances and her husband at Barclay Court. It promises to be a lovely and refreshing two weeks.

That is until she meets Peter Edgeworth, Viscount Whitleaf. There is nothing in his appearance or behavior that alarms Susanna. It is his very title that fills her with dread. Peter has never met someone like Susanna and very much wants to make her acquaintance. Susanna speaks her mind and isn’t a wilting flower after his title like so many of the girls his mother throws at him. As Peter and Susanna spend more time together they both realize that they are well suited; however, Susanna does not wish to continue the relationship. There can never be anything respectable between them.

Peter can’t get Susanna out of his mind and will pursue her as long as it takes. The only problem is that Susanna knows more about him than he knows about her. Peter is willing to look into the past to claim a future but is Susanna?

Mary Balogh has spun a wonderful historical romance in Simply Magic. Not only does the hero have to fight to win his heroine but he must right a wrong from the past to do so. Balogh does a fantastic job keeping the reader in the dark until she’s ready for you to understand. We learn about everything in the same time as the characters and I relished every moment of it. Peter and Susanna had a time getting to their happily ever after and it was thrilling to watch it all unfold.

Characters from Balogh’s previous books make an appearance in Simply Magic. Also this book’s timeline coincides with that of Simply Love. If you don’t want Simply Love to be spoiled for you, I suggest you read the books in order. Overall, I enjoyed the romance between Peter and Susanna and the mystery of the past. When I finished this book I was sitting on my porch. After reading the last sentence I stood up and performed a fist pump. I’m sure the people driving down my street appreciated the crazy lady. ;)

Recommended For: Readers who enjoy the past unraveling itself to make a stronger future

Avoid If: Too much mystery in your historical romance spoils it for you.(less)

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Mar 20, 2009 Ana T. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2009, regency-hist, traded

Book nº 3 in the Simply Quartet this one tells the story of Susanna Osbourne, another teacher at Miss Martin’s School for Girls in Bath.

While visiting Frances, a former teacher and the heroine of the first book in this series Susanna meets Peter Edgeworth, Viscount Whitcleaf. It’s immediately obvious that there is some kind of secret in Susanna’s past as she recognizes him and is decided to avoid him. The problem is that Peter feels himself strangely drawn to her and looks for her company. He i...more Book nº 3 in the Simply Quartet this one tells the story of Susanna Osbourne, another teacher at Miss Martin’s School for Girls in Bath.

While visiting Frances, a former teacher and the heroine of the first book in this series Susanna meets Peter Edgeworth, Viscount Whitcleaf. It’s immediately obvious that there is some kind of secret in Susanna’s past as she recognizes him and is decided to avoid him. The problem is that Peter feels himself strangely drawn to her and looks for her company. He is a true gentleman of leisure, doesn’t seem to have any purpose in life besides visiting friends and family and harmelessly flirting with every female available.

During two weeks they end up spending time with each other and striking a friendship. Susanna is a striking young woman and when the vacation ends they go for a walk and giving in to the attraction between them. I think Balogh is very good in setting the period, the atmosphere of the period and between them, while there was no words of love exchanged it doesn’t feel odd to see them give free run to their emotions. But when Peter offers her the job of his mistress Susanna knows it’s time to go back to the school and her everyday life.

Naturally they do meet again in Bath at the wedding breakfast of Anne Jewel, another teacher. Once again the Bedwyns make an appearance. We discover that Peter is connected to Susanna’s past and that her bad memories are of her father who committed suicide and that Peter has always been protected by his mother who is still trying to run his life.

I thought the resolution of Susanna’s past and her acceptance of Peter and the way his family was connected to her father’s death was the weaker part of the story. There’s nothing really objectionable but it also wasn’t necessary to have that particular twist. I have already mentioned how good she is with the atmosphere and I think she is also very good in what concerns creating multi dimensional characters. My complaint is that with her earlier books we really felt the emotions, good and bad, whereas these more recent books are all very tamed and politically correct.

Grade: 4/5
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May 10, 2008 Jessica Flaska rated it 3 of 5 stars

i was a bit hesistant on reading this book. i'm more into the mystery- nora roberts, joanne fluke, the mother/daughter clark duo, and others where i get a mixture of roamnce and mystery. but simply magic actually was not that bad. a tiny bit on the boring side, but it was capturing enough that i wanted to continue, and i could put it down to go to bed on like other i haave read where i stay up till 1 in the morning and spend 2-3 days reading, with the need to know what happened.
in simply magic,...more i was a bit hesistant on reading this book. i'm more into the mystery- nora roberts, joanne fluke, the mother/daughter clark duo, and others where i get a mixture of roamnce and mystery. but simply magic actually was not that bad. a tiny bit on the boring side, but it was capturing enough that i wanted to continue, and i could put it down to go to bed on like other i haave read where i stay up till 1 in the morning and spend 2-3 days reading, with the need to know what happened.
in simply magic, a single viscount, whose mother has been trying to get him married tp whop she approves, went to visit some friends during the summer and fell in love with a woman there. she knew who he was, from the one day they met as children, he didn't recognize her though. and she discovered that she loved him but avoided it because of the past. he did his best and theya greesd to be friends. her past unravels as she finds out more, and her firends at a school for girls that she teaches at, gave her sopme good advice. he keeps going to places where he knew she would be and was always there for her when she needed a shoulder to cry on. i did like the characters. susan was a strong character in the sence that she knew what she wanted, even though she avoided her past. viscount whitleaf i thought was actaully kind of funny and caring. he's was kinda the type of guy that most girls when they are little and start thinking of fairy tails and boys, in elemantry school, w ith the handsome, kind, funny type thing and usis chivarly. i even got a kick out his mother the viscountess with thinking she was doing waht was best for him, but i had gotten the immpresion that she was trying to keep her kids from socializng with anyone out of her league and was trying to run the house the way she wanted it and not really what her son wahtned, which apperanty at that time, when the son is of age, everything belongs to him and he can kick anyone out. her past catches up with her, which ends up being a good thing and the viscount gets what he wants as well as she does. sorry, can't really say to much, because it ends up giving the story away. all inall, it is pretty much a romance novel. i wouldn't really say there is anough mystery to take as that. (less)

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Mar 07, 2010 Sheila rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reread2010

This is part of the Miss Martin's School for Girls subset of the Bedwyn family novels. Susanna is the third teacher from the school to have an impossible romance and get married to someone she's completely inappropriate for.

Balogh's specialty is quiet despair. She does it well, but in this book I feel like she's stretching. The plot depends a little too much on bad timing, particularly the series of events that landed Susanna in pariah status to begin with. The best book in this series so far i...more

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Oct 17, 2007 Beth (moonivy) rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: historical romance fans.

Read 10/7/07
Genre : historical Romance
Publication : 2007
Rating : 8.75
Where From : my shelves
Reason : I like Balogh's gentle stories.

Simply Magic is the third book in Balogh's Simply quartet. The Simply books follow a four teachers at a Bath girl's school, set in Regency England. This
tale is Susanna's, the pretty charity girl who became a devoted teacher. When Susanna meets Peter Edgeworth, Viscount Whitleaf at her friend's country
estate, it's dislike at first sight and a bunch of bad memories fr...more

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Jul 11, 2007 Dolly rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Balogh fans

Shelves: fluffreading, regencies, romances

I'm a die-hard Mary Balogh fan. Even when I don't have time to read, I consume the extra caffeine to stay up all night reading a new Balogh. That said, I think she's getting a little lazy with the stuff lately. This one and the previous book, Simply Love, are a tad bit... er, boring. And easy. The dialogue is superior, and the characters are believable. But there isn't much plot, which is a pity. Although Balogh's strength is the extended character sketch, I do appreciate her forays into plot....more

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Oct 14, 2010 Rebekah rated it 3 of 5 stars

I had read this before but long enough ago that it didn't matter. I like Mary Balogh because she always manages to make her lady characters a bit feminist and that's so much more pleasant to read than a lady who feels helpless in a man's gaze and is willing to give up her entire life immediately (except for whatever problem prevents this that the entire book is about, obviously). Anyway, a delightful read. And they do it in the grotto behind the waterfall AND in the dower house!!

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Jan 27, 2012 Jilly rated it 2 of 5 stars

This Balogh woman told the same story three times! I mean I like a bit of cheesy fluffy now and again but this is insane. I mean sure it is possible to see someone and fully feel you love them or care about them but the things that happen to these people are insane. I mean it is back and forth constantly. Why can’t they be upfront from the beginnings. These problems don’t even seem real though maybe they would be in such a time.

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Sep 29, 2009 Nadine rated it 3 of 5 stars

I loved Balogh's characters and the stories well enough... And I really like the fact that you revisit characters from previous books... but.. Even if I did expect a bit of predictability from a romantic book with a happy ending, it gets a bit repetitive...
Must there always be a scene where the main characters make love, just in the middle of the book, because they'll never see each other again? And then, fate brings them back together? Are all her book on like that?

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Aug 16, 2011 R*beth*h Hart rated it 4 of 5 stars

To look into violet eyes and not fall in love!!? I have heard much of Viscount Whitleaf reading through many other stories from Balough but to go through his was stimulating! Trying to guess the secret behind those freezing ice green eyes of Susanna Osbourne was almost mind boggling! I enjoyed every minute of this story and can't wait to see more of them in a sequel.

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Sep 13, 2007 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

Old TT review:

Just finished the most recent Mary Balogh, Simply Magic. The latest in the series of Simply books, it tells the story of yet another of the teachers at Miss Martin's school for girls in Bath who just happens to go and catch herself a titled husband. It's as likeable as the others in the series. The slight difference is the beta hero (he rather reminded me of Gerard from one of her early Regencies, The Precious Jewel) -- he put off a lot of the Amazon commenters, but I think the who...more

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About Mary Balogh

Mary Balogh has won seven Waldenbooks Awards and two B. Dalton Awards for her bestselling novels, as well as a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award.

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A Summer to Remember (Bedwyn Prequels #2)

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Quotes from Simply Magic

“I know it is something of a cliche to say that love makes all things possible, but I believe it does. It is not a magic wand that can be waved over life to make it all sweet and lovely and trouble free, but it can give the energy to fight the odds and win.” — 19 people liked it

“Even friends need private spaces, if only within the depths of their own souls, where no one else is allowed to intrude.” — 15 people liked it

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Simply Magic (Simply Quartet #3)

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