"Dark Angel" is handsome Earl Gabriel. Mary Balogh consistently pens entertaining romances featuring caring, brave individuals we can cheer for. I think her main message is that, especially with love, happiness can come out of misfortune. Gabe fled with his pregnant stepmother from Regency society, who accused him of wrong-doing. He returns to find the true womanizing villain, glorious blue-eyed blonde Lord Lionel, weeks from marriage. Fascination and revenge, both, lead Gabe to flirt openly with statuesque innocent Jenny. Her long-yearned debut and engagement ball is the scene for tragedy.
"Lord Carew's Bride" is about Jenny's tiny pocket-Venus cousin Samantha, equally naive. Manipulative Lionel engaged her emotions, hoping she would convince Jenny to call off his engagement. Sam's broken heart built permanent walls against love. Also disillusioned by designing females who desired his wealth but despised his crippled body, country neighbor unprepossessing Lord Carew introduces himself in his oldest clothes as his own landscape designer. As children, Lionel caused Carew's disabling fall, and years later still wants to destroy Sam and Carew.