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First Comes Marriage (Huxtable Quintet #1)
Against the scandal and seduction of Regency England, New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh introduces an extraordinary family ? the fiery, sensual Huxtables. Vanessa is the second daughter, proud and daring, a young widow who has her own reason for pursuing the most eligible bachelor in London. One that has nothing to do with love. Or does it?The arrival of Elliot...more
MP3 CD, 0 pages
Published
February 24th 2009
by Brilliance Corporation
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A lovely story that will play with your emotions yet keep you smiling. "First Comes Marriage" is the premiere novel in Mary Balogh's new series about three sisters and their younger brother who are lifted from obscurity when he is elevated to the title of Earl of Merton. The first to find love is the middle widowed sister, Vanessa.
Vanessa is the 'plain Jane' of the Huxtable family. She's heard it all her life and can see in the mirror for herself as well. But she's also...more
Vanessa is the 'plain Jane' of the Huxtable family. She's heard it all her life and can see in the mirror for herself as well. But she's also...more
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Shawna
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of historical/regency romance with marriage of convenience plots
Shelves:
historical-romance,
mary-balogh,
historical-romance-regency,
brothers-sisters-cousins-family,
hh-widow-or-widower,
heroine-plain-jane-ugly-duckling,
married-couples-married-convenience,
made-me-cry,
hero-cold-cruelbrute-dark-dangerous,
hero-darcy-paragon-haughty-staid,
hero-gentleman,
hero-i-wanna-smack,
heroine-bluestocking-unconventional,
heroine-naïve-virgin-like-a-virgin,
hh-sweet-nice-paired-vs-gruff-cynic,
i-read-no-longer-own-sold-swapped,
rt-book-reviews-top-pick,
2011-reads,
4-stars,
beauty-is-in-the-eye-of-beholder,
enemies-to-lovers-opposites-attract,
hero-abused-scarred-tortured-angst,
hero-alpha,
hero-attractive-handsome-heartthrob,
hh-aristocracy-nobility-royalty,
heroine-i-adore,
heroine-kickass-spirited-strong,
heroine-odd-spinster-wallflower,
hh-social-class-wealth-matters,
steam-2-warm,
unrequited-love,
series-huxtable-quintet,
hero-not-enough-groveling,
hero-undeserving-of-heroine,
hero-asshat-award-hall-of-shame,
hero-starchy-loosen-up-buttons-babe,
hero-marriage-wife-hunting,
heroine-country-lass
4 stars – Historical/Regency Romance
I’d lowered my expectations for this after hearing from several friends that the Huxtable series isn’t among Balogh’s best work, and I mainly read First Comes Marriage in order to have the background for Then Comes Seduction that I checked out from the library, since I so love a good rake story.
I’m happy to report that after a somewhat slow beginning in which I almost abandoned it as a DNF, I ended up really liking this book, especially t...more
I’d lowered my expectations for this after hearing from several friends that the Huxtable series isn’t among Balogh’s best work, and I mainly read First Comes Marriage in order to have the background for Then Comes Seduction that I checked out from the library, since I so love a good rake story.
I’m happy to report that after a somewhat slow beginning in which I almost abandoned it as a DNF, I ended up really liking this book, especially t...more
Robin (RBBR)
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
genre-historical-romance,
series-huxtable
This is the first Mary Balogh I read unless you count Novella's found in Anthology's. I started reading this series about the same time as Lisa Kleypas' Hathaway Series and keep getting confused as to who wrote which. Unfortunately I'm not recalling specifics at the time but do recall I liked it and couldn't wait for the next one in the series to come out. The first three came out in paperback but the 4th and 5th have come out in hardback first and I have to wait extra. This one is as I recall ...more
A good start to Balogh's new series - not as strong as the Bedwyn kick-off, but enjoyable (3.5 stars)
I am an almost-always faithful Balogh fan and I was not disappointed in Book 1 of the Huxtable Quintet, First Comes Marriage. Though I had some complaints which I have detailed below, on the whole I found the book very enjoyable and worth a quick rush to the bookstore (forgive me, Amazon.com) and the postponing of my schoolwork.
HUXTABLE FAMILY:
The Huxtable family is ...more
I am an almost-always faithful Balogh fan and I was not disappointed in Book 1 of the Huxtable Quintet, First Comes Marriage. Though I had some complaints which I have detailed below, on the whole I found the book very enjoyable and worth a quick rush to the bookstore (forgive me, Amazon.com) and the postponing of my schoolwork.
HUXTABLE FAMILY:
The Huxtable family is ...more
Carla
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Carla by:
goodreads giveaway
Shelves:
goodreads-first
I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway. This is the first book by Mary Balogh that I've read. The plot was solid, the sex was great but not overdone (how do you over do sex on a honeymoon?), and the characters we very well developed. I've read several reviews of this book that make mention to the fact that it is very important to the author that we remember that Vanessa is a "Plain Jane", and it's true, you don't get to go very long before you are reminded again by another charact...more
This book is PERFECT if you are doing a romance novel drinking game. Every time a character mentioned how un-pretty Vanessa was, I wanted to take a swig of something. It seemed that it was mentioned every few pages. Okay, I get it: She's not the most attractive thing to ever walk the earth, but come on, must you keep reminding me?! It got very tedious and distracted from what little of the story there was. Also, it felt like the author got trunky in the end as mostly everything was nicely wound ...more
I've had to read several of Mary Balogh's books a second time to fully appreciate them (e.g. The Notorious Rake) so I figured, after first reading this one and not really enjoying it, that I must have missed something. However, after a second reading I came to the same conclusion: the hero and heroine are just not interesting to me. Vanessa's little homilies about hope and happiness, and her constantly telling herself that she is unattractive, were just annoying after a while, and Elliott reall...more
This was what I've come to expect from Ms Balogh. A strong tale that was not at all "easy " to read. It quite absorbed me, and I couldn't help but compare its beginning with P&P but after a little while I knew that it really was an original tale with characters I could empathise with.
I love Mary Balogh. She is one of those incredibly consistent historical authors who has a very distinct style and an incredibly light hand with building a credible romance between the leads. Which is why I was so shocked to be 10 chapters into her newest novel First Comes Marriage and still feel disengaged from the lead couple.
The Huxtable family is living in rural England in genteel poverty. Their parents passed on a few years ago, leaving three daughters, Meg (the eldest), Vanessa, ...more
The Huxtable family is living in rural England in genteel poverty. Their parents passed on a few years ago, leaving three daughters, Meg (the eldest), Vanessa, ...more
Let me preface this review with a brief bit of background.
I was home from work with a terrible headcold. I had just finished my latest batch of library books and the next batch hadn't come in yet. Not in the mood or with brain space to tackle any non-fiction that was sitting on my shelf, I braved the outdoors and headed to the library. I found this book on a rack of paperbacks. I have liked other books by Mary Balogh so this seemed a safe bet.
It was not.
From page...more
I was home from work with a terrible headcold. I had just finished my latest batch of library books and the next batch hadn't come in yet. Not in the mood or with brain space to tackle any non-fiction that was sitting on my shelf, I braved the outdoors and headed to the library. I found this book on a rack of paperbacks. I have liked other books by Mary Balogh so this seemed a safe bet.
It was not.
From page...more
I won't describe the plot which is well-described elsewhere. At first I thought we were getting a reworking of Pride and Prejudice, but there is more to this book.
I did enjoy this book. Vanessa knows no way to communicate except with complete honesty and she insists on talking about her feelings - and Elliott's. Elliott is attracted to her light but also fearful of getting sucked into a loving relationship, so he runs hot and cold. It's a book about relationships, with no huge drama, ...more
I did enjoy this book. Vanessa knows no way to communicate except with complete honesty and she insists on talking about her feelings - and Elliott's. Elliott is attracted to her light but also fearful of getting sucked into a loving relationship, so he runs hot and cold. It's a book about relationships, with no huge drama, ...more
This was a lighthearted, fun sort of tale that would be nice to pick up when you don't want anything intense. The marriage between the two main characters occurs early and we grow to see them learn to look past the other's faults and fall in love. The writing was OK: it was clean enough, but there was no sparkle. In the end I was quite irritated by the book, mainly because of the heroine.
Vanessa is meant to be a self-sacrificing sort of person who marries the hero to save her older sis...more
Vanessa is meant to be a self-sacrificing sort of person who marries the hero to save her older sis...more
I enjoyed this book despite the fact that our hero was a colossal jerk throughout the majority of the book. There were times I thought I would never like him. But he did have redeeming qualities and that gave me hope. His progress from jerk to a good husband was not an overnight event and I’m actually grateful of that. It made it a little more real. He had a history that lead to his snobbish, overbearing, and mostly unhappy nature. I think Vanessa was a great character to get through to hi...more
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I absolutely, undoubtedly, irrevocably loved it!!
Oh my God! I mean... Oh my God, indeed!
*Deep breath in, deep breath out.. Okay, let's start over*
I've read the Bedwyn Series by Mary Balogh and I totally loved it. I'd thought that maybe it was the series itself, that was so special and that maybe others- while being good too- wouldn't be as captivating as the aforementioned series. Boy, was I dead wrong. Mary Balogh has yet again not only succeeded in exceeding my...more
Oh my God! I mean... Oh my God, indeed!
*Deep breath in, deep breath out.. Okay, let's start over*
I've read the Bedwyn Series by Mary Balogh and I totally loved it. I'd thought that maybe it was the series itself, that was so special and that maybe others- while being good too- wouldn't be as captivating as the aforementioned series. Boy, was I dead wrong. Mary Balogh has yet again not only succeeded in exceeding my...more
Summary: Against the scandal and seduction of Regency England, New York author Mary Balogh introduces an extraordinary family—the fiery, sensual Huxtables. Vanessa is the second daughter, proud and daring, a young widow who has her own reason for pursuing the most eligible bachelor in London. One that has nothing to do with love. Or does it? The arrival of Elliott Wallace, the irresistibly eligible Viscount Lyngate, has thrown the country village of Throckbridge into a tizzy. Desperate to rescue...more
This is a Regency historical romance. This book kept me interested and reading to the end. Not quite a "simply can't put down for me" but I liked it. From the back of the book it says:
The arrival of Elliuot Wallace, the irrestibly eligible Viscount Lyngate, has thrown the county village of Throckbridge into a tizzy. Desparate to rescue her eldest sister from a loveless untion, Vanessa Huxtable Dew offers herself instead. In need of a wife, Elliott takes the audacious wi...more
The arrival of Elliuot Wallace, the irrestibly eligible Viscount Lyngate, has thrown the county village of Throckbridge into a tizzy. Desparate to rescue her eldest sister from a loveless untion, Vanessa Huxtable Dew offers herself instead. In need of a wife, Elliott takes the audacious wi...more
I received this book from Dell Books through Goodreads.
I believe this may have been the first book I have ever read by Mary Balogh, which is odd since I love historical romances. I am particularly fond of Regencies, and although this one takes place several years after, it still has the same flavor.
My feelings about this book are a little odd. I found the beginning confusing and could not figure out what it had to do with the story. I kept going back to see if I had miss...more
I believe this may have been the first book I have ever read by Mary Balogh, which is odd since I love historical romances. I am particularly fond of Regencies, and although this one takes place several years after, it still has the same flavor.
My feelings about this book are a little odd. I found the beginning confusing and could not figure out what it had to do with the story. I kept going back to see if I had miss...more
A new series from the wonderfully facile pen of Mary Balogh that introduces the previously humble Huxtable family who become inextricably linked with Elliott Wallace, a viscount who elevates them to the aristocracy with his news that Stephen Huxtable is the heir to an earldom. The Huxtables are a close-knit family consisting of three sisters and a brother that have lived their entire lives in a small village although they have broken with tradition in that the middle sister, Vanessa, has marrie...more
See my review concurrent review of I Love the Earl for better insight on this book.
As with most Mary Balogh books, I enjoyed it. Likeable characters, a story that is not completely obvious and that does not make me groan. I like the spirited heroine, and as one can see from my review of I Love the Earl, I think she does a much better job of handling the brother suddenly becomes a wealthy nobleman trope.
I've read enough Balogh books to say that it did not stand out fr...more
As with most Mary Balogh books, I enjoyed it. Likeable characters, a story that is not completely obvious and that does not make me groan. I like the spirited heroine, and as one can see from my review of I Love the Earl, I think she does a much better job of handling the brother suddenly becomes a wealthy nobleman trope.
I've read enough Balogh books to say that it did not stand out fr...more
As romance novels go, this one was quite satisfying. I love a marriage-of-convenience story anyway, but what sets this one apart is how the main characters don't become bogged down in stupid misunderstandings. They don't leave their problems to grow amid the silent treatment and high dudgeon. Instead, they learn to talk through their troubles. I also like that the heroine is no sumptuous beauty, rather she is lovable because of her warmth and depth of character. And yes, the hero is brooding (wi...more
I'm listening to the Huxtable Quintet series in order, so that I can do an actual review of the new release of #5. I've liked the handful of Baloghs I've read to date, but have mixed feelings about narrator Anne Flosnik, so I approached this task with not a little trepidation.
As a setup for a series, there was a lot of introduction to do - meet all of the Huxtables, and probably some of their future mates, although the first book deals with Vanessa, the widowed middle daughter, and Ell...more
As a setup for a series, there was a lot of introduction to do - meet all of the Huxtables, and probably some of their future mates, although the first book deals with Vanessa, the widowed middle daughter, and Ell...more
I was lucky enough to win a copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads giveaway program. Narurally, I was excited to win a free book and dug into it right away. I've read Balogh before, not not much and it's been a while. I found myself falling right into her writing style and picking up the book at every spare moment (which are few and far between being that I have a toddler) so I could finish it. I found it to be a pleasing, easy read, if a bit too formulaic. There was only one aspect of ...more
Vannessa es viuda y vive en un pueblo pequeño con sus hermanos. Toda su vida ha vivido con el estigma de ser la fea de su familia, y ha aprendido a sobrellevarlo basándose en un su humor y alegría.
Elliot es un mujeriego que tiene que aprender a ser responsable cuando su padre muere y lo deja a cargo de tooodo (el título nobiliario y todas esas cosillas XD). Y entonces cumpliendo su deber, conocer a Vanessa, una mujer en la que JAMÁS se fijaría (porque la chica es fea :S), y con la que ...more
Elliot es un mujeriego que tiene que aprender a ser responsable cuando su padre muere y lo deja a cargo de tooodo (el título nobiliario y todas esas cosillas XD). Y entonces cumpliendo su deber, conocer a Vanessa, una mujer en la que JAMÁS se fijaría (porque la chica es fea :S), y con la que ...more
3 stars. I'm going to try and explain why I gave this novel 3 stars, though I usually love a good historical romance. So why? Possibly because teh character were so much less than they could have been. Elliot, let's take him, for starters. He's obnoxious. I mean, most of the time he's so uptight that he doesn't even know what he's thinking, so hindered he is by that stick up his... you got it. And then he, all at once, falls apart in his wife's arms and bawls like a baby, I got nothing against a...more
I was a lucky winner of this book through the First Reads contest, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I read my first romance the summer I was 15, and I have read several a year ever since. Romances are my guilty pleasure, though I really don't feel guilty about them. But I don't read them constantly - it would be like a steady diet of chocolate and red licorice; both a great treat but sickening if indulged in constantly. This was my first title by Mary Balogh though she's written many. ...more
I read my first romance the summer I was 15, and I have read several a year ever since. Romances are my guilty pleasure, though I really don't feel guilty about them. But I don't read them constantly - it would be like a steady diet of chocolate and red licorice; both a great treat but sickening if indulged in constantly. This was my first title by Mary Balogh though she's written many. ...more
I like it when the heroine is not a shy retiring type, but still follows societal rules. And I liked that Vanessa was realistic about her arranged marriage - there was no 'oh, I really loved him/her all along' with these two. And what I especially liked about Vanessa was that she wouldn't allow a misunderstanding to fester and ruin things - she refused to accept in silence what women were taught to accept in silence (and no, there is no unfaithfulness on either side).
There's a ...more
The first in Balogh's new series about the Huxtable family. Three sisters and their young brother leave their small village when their brother becomes an Earl unexpectedly. This story is Vanessa's the widowed middle sister who marries Elliott Wallace, their brother's guardian and heir to a Dukedom. The story centers on Vanessa and Elliott's unconventional marriage and the rags to riches story of the siblings and their new lives. This is not one of my favorite Balogh books but I am thrilled that ...more
Suzanne the Mighty ~Satin Seductress~
rated it
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-romance
I really wanted to like this book, and I did kind of. However it didn’t seem to capture my imagination and romantic fancy as many other historical romances do.
Although I liked the main characters of Mrs Vanessa Dew nee Huxtable, I found her unrelenting happiness despite the callous way she was often treated by the hero, Elliott Wallace Viscount Lyngate, to be supremely irritating, which, no doubt makes me seem slightly grumpy! As for Elliott, I sympathized with him as he had a lot o...more
Although I liked the main characters of Mrs Vanessa Dew nee Huxtable, I found her unrelenting happiness despite the callous way she was often treated by the hero, Elliott Wallace Viscount Lyngate, to be supremely irritating, which, no doubt makes me seem slightly grumpy! As for Elliott, I sympathized with him as he had a lot o...more
Narrated by Anne Flosnik
10 hrs and 50 mins
Publisher's Summary
Against the scandal and seduction of Regency England, New York Times best-selling author Mary Balogh introduces an extraordinary family - the fiery, sensual Huxtables. Vanessa is the second daughter, proud and daring, a young widow who has her own reason for pursuing the most eligible bachelor in London. One that has nothing to do with love. Or does it?
The arrival of Elliott Wallace, the irresistibly...more
10 hrs and 50 mins
Publisher's Summary
Against the scandal and seduction of Regency England, New York Times best-selling author Mary Balogh introduces an extraordinary family - the fiery, sensual Huxtables. Vanessa is the second daughter, proud and daring, a young widow who has her own reason for pursuing the most eligible bachelor in London. One that has nothing to do with love. Or does it?
The arrival of Elliott Wallace, the irresistibly...more
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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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“The suffering of a loved one was in many ways worse than one's one suffering because it left one feeling so very helpless.”
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“My happiness has to come from within myself or it is too fragile a thing to be of any use to me and too much of a burden to benefit any of my loved ones.”
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