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กำแพงใจ The Temporary Wife
การลงประกาศรับสมัครภรรยาในหนังสือพิมพ์ลอนดอนเป็นสิ่งที่สังคมรับไม่ได้ ดังนั้นมาร์ควิสแห่งสตอนตันจึงลงประกาศรับสมัครครูพี่เลี้ยงแทน ผู้หญิงที่เขาต้องการจะต้องยากจน จืดชืด สงบเสงี่ยม และเงียบเชียบเหมือนหนูตัวหนึ่ง เขาตั้งใจจะแต่งงานกับหล่อนเพื่อทำให้บิดาต้องอับอาย!
แชริตี้ ดันแคนเป็นคนตรงไปตรงมาและทนไม่ได้กับความอยุติธรรม แต่นั่นคือคุณสมบัติที่ทำให้หล่อนถูกไล่ออกจากงาน เพราะฉะนั้น ในการสมัครเป็นครูพี่เลี้ยงครั้งนี้ หล่อนจะต้องทำตัวให้สงบเสงี่ยมที่สุด แล้วหล่อนก็ต้องตกตะลึงเมื่อชายหนุ่มรูปงามผู้นี้ขอหล่อนแต่งงาน...
แชริตี้กำลังอยู่ในภาวะอับจน และข้อเสนอของเขายั่วใจเกินกว่าจะปฏิเสธได้ จนกระทั่งเมื่อก้าวเข้าสู่ชีวิตแต่งงานจอมปลอมนั่นเอง หล่อนจึงรู้ว่าทุกอย่างไม่ได้ง่ายเหมือนอย่างที่คิด เมื่อมาร์ควิสผู้หยิ่งยโสกอดหล่อนไว้ในอ้อมแขน ไม่ใช่เพียงสัญญาการแต่งงานเท่านั้นที่ทำท่าว่าจะถูกทำลาย... แต่ยังรวมถึงหัวใจของหล่อนด้วย...
แชริตี้ ดันแคนเป็นคนตรงไปตรงมาและทนไม่ได้กับความอยุติธรรม แต่นั่นคือคุณสมบัติที่ทำให้หล่อนถูกไล่ออกจากงาน เพราะฉะนั้น ในการสมัครเป็นครูพี่เลี้ยงครั้งนี้ หล่อนจะต้องทำตัวให้สงบเสงี่ยมที่สุด แล้วหล่อนก็ต้องตกตะลึงเมื่อชายหนุ่มรูปงามผู้นี้ขอหล่อนแต่งงาน...
แชริตี้กำลังอยู่ในภาวะอับจน และข้อเสนอของเขายั่วใจเกินกว่าจะปฏิเสธได้ จนกระทั่งเมื่อก้าวเข้าสู่ชีวิตแต่งงานจอมปลอมนั่นเอง หล่อนจึงรู้ว่าทุกอย่างไม่ได้ง่ายเหมือนอย่างที่คิด เมื่อมาร์ควิสผู้หยิ่งยโสกอดหล่อนไว้ในอ้อมแขน ไม่ใช่เพียงสัญญาการแต่งงานเท่านั้นที่ทำท่าว่าจะถูกทำลาย... แต่ยังรวมถึงหัวใจของหล่อนด้วย...
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
37 people are currently reading
2615 people want to read
About the author
Mary Balogh
196 books6,276 followersMary Jenkins was born in 1944 in Swansea, Wales, UK. After graduating from university, moved to Saskatchewan, Canada, to teach high school English, on a two-year teaching contract in 1967. She married her Canadian husband, Robert Balogh, and had three children, Jacqueline, Christopher and Sian. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading, music and knitting. She also enjoys watching tennis and curling.
Mary Balogh started writing in the evenings as a hobby. Her first book, a Regency love story, was published in 1985 as A Masked Deception under her married name. In 1988, she retired from teaching after 20 years to pursue her dream to write full-time. She has written more than seventy novels and almost thirty novellas since then, including 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, and her novel Simply Magic was a finalist in the Quill Awards. She has won seven Waldenbooks Awards and two B. Dalton Awards for her bestselling novels, as well as a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award.
Mary Balogh started writing in the evenings as a hobby. Her first book, a Regency love story, was published in 1985 as A Masked Deception under her married name. In 1988, she retired from teaching after 20 years to pursue her dream to write full-time. She has written more than seventy novels and almost thirty novellas since then, including 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, and her novel Simply Magic was a finalist in the Quill Awards. She 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 397 reviews
May 4, 2016
I've finally landed on the Mary Balogh novel that really warms my heart. I saw this book recommended by someone, somewhere, and found a copy at my local library. It's chockfull of Regency romance tropes, but it pushed all of the right romantic buttons for me.
In The Temporary Wife, Anthony Earheart is the oldest son and heir to a duke, from whom he's been estranged for the past eight years, living the wild life. The duke is now ailing and wants Anthony to come home and, by the way, marry the proper, well-bred young girl the duke picked out for him years ago. Anthony, prompted by his vengeful feelings, decides to marry the mousiest lady he can find, and advertises for a governess so he can find just the right timid, colorless, unattractive woman to drive his father absolutely nuts. When Charity Duncan, whose family has fallen on hard times, interviews for the position, Anthony thinks he's found the perfect mouse for his scheme. He offers to marry her, bring her to his ancestral home for a few weeks to appall his family, and then pension her off for 5000 pounds a year (she negotiates him up to 6000; way to go!), and they'll live their own separate lives forever after.
Of course nothing turns out the way Anthony has planned. Charity, who at first appears completely drab and unassuming, turns out to have a bit of feistiness and attractiveness that she was hiding in order to land the badly needed governess job. But more than that, she sees how dysfunctional and unhappy Anthony's family is, and -- being a rather managing sort as well as a loving person -- decides to do what she can to fix it, starting with winning over the irascible duke. She surprises everyone ... but mostly Anthony, who's not sure he's entirely on board with the unexpected ways his new and supposedly temporary wife is behaving.
Lots of fun to read, if you like the marriage-of-convenience tales. It's not extraordinary literature, and it doesn't really have any surprises to it, so I'm giving it 4 stars. But it totally gave me all the romance feelz, so emotionally I'm awarding it 5 stars.
Content advisory: a couple of mildly explicit sex scenes.
In The Temporary Wife, Anthony Earheart is the oldest son and heir to a duke, from whom he's been estranged for the past eight years, living the wild life. The duke is now ailing and wants Anthony to come home and, by the way, marry the proper, well-bred young girl the duke picked out for him years ago. Anthony, prompted by his vengeful feelings, decides to marry the mousiest lady he can find, and advertises for a governess so he can find just the right timid, colorless, unattractive woman to drive his father absolutely nuts. When Charity Duncan, whose family has fallen on hard times, interviews for the position, Anthony thinks he's found the perfect mouse for his scheme. He offers to marry her, bring her to his ancestral home for a few weeks to appall his family, and then pension her off for 5000 pounds a year (she negotiates him up to 6000; way to go!), and they'll live their own separate lives forever after.
Of course nothing turns out the way Anthony has planned. Charity, who at first appears completely drab and unassuming, turns out to have a bit of feistiness and attractiveness that she was hiding in order to land the badly needed governess job. But more than that, she sees how dysfunctional and unhappy Anthony's family is, and -- being a rather managing sort as well as a loving person -- decides to do what she can to fix it, starting with winning over the irascible duke. She surprises everyone ... but mostly Anthony, who's not sure he's entirely on board with the unexpected ways his new and supposedly temporary wife is behaving.
Lots of fun to read, if you like the marriage-of-convenience tales. It's not extraordinary literature, and it doesn't really have any surprises to it, so I'm giving it 4 stars. But it totally gave me all the romance feelz, so emotionally I'm awarding it 5 stars.
Content advisory: a couple of mildly explicit sex scenes.
July 29, 2018
3.5 stars.
This was quite unpredictable but in a good way. I'd gone into this story, expecting the heroine to be a meek, mousy, wallflower type without a mind of her own. Well, she pretended to be meek, mousy and passive because she needed to market that image in order to get a governess job. The 23 yr old heroine, Charity, is a gentlewoman who has fallen on hard times. She has 6 younger siblings and the youngest 5 depend on Charity and her brother Philip to provide for them. Charity agreed to marry the H, Anthony, in exchange for an annual income of 6000 pounds for the rest of her life. Anthony was an entitled and annoying H. He has some major daddy issues; his father's the duke of Withingsby and the latter wanted the H to marry a neighbour's daughter. The H's act of rebellion was to marry an unsuitable woman: Charity.
It was supposed to be a marriage in name only and the H started off acting like a sour jerk. Charity was an optimist, though, and she never got depressed or disillusioned. Each time he acted like an asshole, the heroine would respond in a dignified and sometimes humorous manner because she kept reminding herself that it's just a job. Charity never allowed herself, at least for the first 60% of the story, to hope for a happy ever after fairytale ending with Anthony. Charity was a very brave heroine because she put aside all her fears and tried to help the H and his uptight relatives. At first, his relatives were extremely snobbish to her and mocked her dowdy, ugly clothing but she still ignored them and held her head high. The H and his relatives all needed some counselling; they were cold and uncommunicative.
Charity helped to heal the fissures that existed in the relationships between the H and his relatives. She persuaded him to communicate with his 2 brothers and she helped him to end the conflict with his father. That was a lovely part of the story, because the H and his dad reconciled just before the old man died. None of this would've happened had it not been for Charity. The part of the story that I hadn't liked so much was the sexual relationship between the MC's. Their sex life seemed a bit mechanical and at first Anthony treated her as just another woman he was having sex with. He was so cold and severe towards her after they made love and the heroine felt so hurt because it had meant a lot to her. The other selfish thing that Anthony did was to take Charity to his family's estate without providing her with any new clothing. I understood why he did that but I didn't like it. He did it because he hadn't seen the H as a person in her own right. He hadn't considered her feelings. All he wanted to do was to use her as a pawn to hurt and embarrass his father. Anthony knew that his father would be extremely angry to see that his new daughter in law was a mousy, dowdy governess.
It was very mortifying for Charity, when she discovered that she was nothing more than a pawn to be used but she still didn't let that get her down. Her upbeat attitude salvaged the story because she was a very self possessed young woman, who didn't require fancy clothing to have confidence. Anthony's relatives were very shocked when Charity wasn't cowed by all the grandeur around her. She also spoke up when she needed to and this usually happened when his bitchy sister made snide, insulting remarks. It's only near to the end of the story that they all get to see the real Charity when she's dressed up in a fancy ballgown. Anthony was pleasantly surprised and temporarily dumbfounded to see his little dowdy wife looking so fabulous:
Then, Charity got me a little angry when she pulled her "littlest Hobo" act and ran away at the end just after she'd helped Anthony and his family to reconcile all their differences. The Littlest Hobo was a heart-warming Canadian tv series about an adorable roaming dog who went all over Canada helping out families in trouble. He would help the families and when his job was done, he would leave. It was fabulous and I loved it ! This is the intro to the tv series, for those who never heard of it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p8oe...
Yeah, so Charity reminded of the dog from that show, because she was so sweet and selfless. She helped out the H and his horrible relatives and then she left when she thought her job was over. That part was so sad for me to read, because she had grown to love some of Anthony's relatives and his 8 yr sister Augusta had come to love her too. The H's father had even told the H, while on his deathbed, that he was happy that Charity was his daughter in law because she would make a splendid duchess:
His grace's penetrating, haughty eyes, startlingly alive, regarded him out of the gray face and from beneath heavy lids.
"You are my son," he managed to say. "Always my favorite son, as you were hers. You will have children of your own, my son. Your duchess will be a good mother and a good wife. You have made a fortunate choice. There will be mutual love in your marriage. I envy you. You have not succeeded in annoying me."
Mary Balogh. The Temporary Wife (Kindle Locations 3194-3197). Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated. Kindle Edition.
Anthony went after her and, for the first time, forgot all about his silly pride and revealed his love:
"No, it was not," he said quietly. "But you played unfair. Charity. You did not tell me you were not a quiet mouse. You did not tell me you were beautiful or charming or warm with concern for others or courageous or—wonderful in bed." She jerked at her hands, but he would not let her have them back. "You did not tell me you were a thief. I had to come after you to recover my stolen property."
"But the pearls—" She would have died of shame if she could. She had thought the pearls were a gift.
"Are yours, my love," he said. "They were a wedding gift. What you stole, Charity, was my heart. I have come to get it back if all else fails. But I would rather you kept it and brought it back to Enfield with you."
Mary Balogh. The Temporary Wife (Kindle Locations 3711-3717). Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated. Kindle Edition.
I felt like crying happy tears towards the end when the proud Anthony became so humble and I even felt sad that the old duke had to die just when he had found his son again, after they'd been estranged for 8 yrs. I'm so glad I finally read this because it's more than just a romance between 2 MC's. It's a story about what it means to be a family and how family members make sacrifices so that their loved ones can have a better life.
The H, Anthony, the Marquess of Staunton:
The heroine, Charity:
This was quite unpredictable but in a good way. I'd gone into this story, expecting the heroine to be a meek, mousy, wallflower type without a mind of her own. Well, she pretended to be meek, mousy and passive because she needed to market that image in order to get a governess job. The 23 yr old heroine, Charity, is a gentlewoman who has fallen on hard times. She has 6 younger siblings and the youngest 5 depend on Charity and her brother Philip to provide for them. Charity agreed to marry the H, Anthony, in exchange for an annual income of 6000 pounds for the rest of her life. Anthony was an entitled and annoying H. He has some major daddy issues; his father's the duke of Withingsby and the latter wanted the H to marry a neighbour's daughter. The H's act of rebellion was to marry an unsuitable woman: Charity.
It was supposed to be a marriage in name only and the H started off acting like a sour jerk. Charity was an optimist, though, and she never got depressed or disillusioned. Each time he acted like an asshole, the heroine would respond in a dignified and sometimes humorous manner because she kept reminding herself that it's just a job. Charity never allowed herself, at least for the first 60% of the story, to hope for a happy ever after fairytale ending with Anthony. Charity was a very brave heroine because she put aside all her fears and tried to help the H and his uptight relatives. At first, his relatives were extremely snobbish to her and mocked her dowdy, ugly clothing but she still ignored them and held her head high. The H and his relatives all needed some counselling; they were cold and uncommunicative.
Charity helped to heal the fissures that existed in the relationships between the H and his relatives. She persuaded him to communicate with his 2 brothers and she helped him to end the conflict with his father. That was a lovely part of the story, because the H and his dad reconciled just before the old man died. None of this would've happened had it not been for Charity. The part of the story that I hadn't liked so much was the sexual relationship between the MC's. Their sex life seemed a bit mechanical and at first Anthony treated her as just another woman he was having sex with. He was so cold and severe towards her after they made love and the heroine felt so hurt because it had meant a lot to her. The other selfish thing that Anthony did was to take Charity to his family's estate without providing her with any new clothing. I understood why he did that but I didn't like it. He did it because he hadn't seen the H as a person in her own right. He hadn't considered her feelings. All he wanted to do was to use her as a pawn to hurt and embarrass his father. Anthony knew that his father would be extremely angry to see that his new daughter in law was a mousy, dowdy governess.
It was very mortifying for Charity, when she discovered that she was nothing more than a pawn to be used but she still didn't let that get her down. Her upbeat attitude salvaged the story because she was a very self possessed young woman, who didn't require fancy clothing to have confidence. Anthony's relatives were very shocked when Charity wasn't cowed by all the grandeur around her. She also spoke up when she needed to and this usually happened when his bitchy sister made snide, insulting remarks. It's only near to the end of the story that they all get to see the real Charity when she's dressed up in a fancy ballgown. Anthony was pleasantly surprised and temporarily dumbfounded to see his little dowdy wife looking so fabulous:
Then, Charity got me a little angry when she pulled her "littlest Hobo" act and ran away at the end just after she'd helped Anthony and his family to reconcile all their differences. The Littlest Hobo was a heart-warming Canadian tv series about an adorable roaming dog who went all over Canada helping out families in trouble. He would help the families and when his job was done, he would leave. It was fabulous and I loved it ! This is the intro to the tv series, for those who never heard of it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p8oe...
Yeah, so Charity reminded of the dog from that show, because she was so sweet and selfless. She helped out the H and his horrible relatives and then she left when she thought her job was over. That part was so sad for me to read, because she had grown to love some of Anthony's relatives and his 8 yr sister Augusta had come to love her too. The H's father had even told the H, while on his deathbed, that he was happy that Charity was his daughter in law because she would make a splendid duchess:
His grace's penetrating, haughty eyes, startlingly alive, regarded him out of the gray face and from beneath heavy lids.
"You are my son," he managed to say. "Always my favorite son, as you were hers. You will have children of your own, my son. Your duchess will be a good mother and a good wife. You have made a fortunate choice. There will be mutual love in your marriage. I envy you. You have not succeeded in annoying me."
Mary Balogh. The Temporary Wife (Kindle Locations 3194-3197). Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated. Kindle Edition.
Anthony went after her and, for the first time, forgot all about his silly pride and revealed his love:
"No, it was not," he said quietly. "But you played unfair. Charity. You did not tell me you were not a quiet mouse. You did not tell me you were beautiful or charming or warm with concern for others or courageous or—wonderful in bed." She jerked at her hands, but he would not let her have them back. "You did not tell me you were a thief. I had to come after you to recover my stolen property."
"But the pearls—" She would have died of shame if she could. She had thought the pearls were a gift.
"Are yours, my love," he said. "They were a wedding gift. What you stole, Charity, was my heart. I have come to get it back if all else fails. But I would rather you kept it and brought it back to Enfield with you."
Mary Balogh. The Temporary Wife (Kindle Locations 3711-3717). Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated. Kindle Edition.
I felt like crying happy tears towards the end when the proud Anthony became so humble and I even felt sad that the old duke had to die just when he had found his son again, after they'd been estranged for 8 yrs. I'm so glad I finally read this because it's more than just a romance between 2 MC's. It's a story about what it means to be a family and how family members make sacrifices so that their loved ones can have a better life.
The H, Anthony, the Marquess of Staunton:
The heroine, Charity:
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2023
Really wonderful book about father son dynamics. How each person has their own view of what is happening and how it clouds their judgement. The insta attraction was believable due to the circumstances. The story held my attention throughout. The main characters should have just talked to each other but enjoyable hea. 4.5* for a feelgood story.
April 18, 2022
Reread 4/15/22
Another good book by MB!
Another good book by MB!
March 3, 2015
A great rags to riches/marriage of convenience story. Lord Anthony Earheart, soon to be the Duke of Withingsby, was such a tortured character. His pain and stubbornness regarding his self imposed exile was stressful. He was so pained, so hurt it was sad watching him trudge through life with such a chip on his shoulder. Charity was a wonderful heroine who managed to penetrate Anthony's armor of coldness. His feelings for her were unwanted but he eventually admitted what he had so adamantly refused to do...he was in love with his own temporary wife.
This was lovely and really managed to pack quite a thorough and intricate storyline under 250 pages. The writing was moving and managed to evoke so much without saying a lot. I loved seeing Anthony change and finally lose the burden and hopeless feelings he dealt with for so long. A couple scenes were very powerful, one being when Anthony was presiding over his fathers deathbed and the other was when he followed Charity home. Both showed how much he truly grew. I just wish we got an epilogue, but regardless, this ended beautifully.
This was lovely and really managed to pack quite a thorough and intricate storyline under 250 pages. The writing was moving and managed to evoke so much without saying a lot. I loved seeing Anthony change and finally lose the burden and hopeless feelings he dealt with for so long. A couple scenes were very powerful, one being when Anthony was presiding over his fathers deathbed and the other was when he followed Charity home. Both showed how much he truly grew. I just wish we got an epilogue, but regardless, this ended beautifully.
January 29, 2022
This book was soooo good. Hmmmm. It was perfection in my opinion. It had humor, marriage of convenience, revenge, a looot of family problems, I went through so many emotions reading this book, specially by the end. The heroine was too good to be true, she was a giver and I aplauded her in more than one occasion. I am sure many people in her place would never have been in a strong mind to achieve what she did.
The hero was problematic with an incredibly problematic family, I didn't think i would end up liking him, but alas, he redeemed himself beautifully. I am so satisfied with how everything turned out. Even without an epilogue (why did you do this with us, Mary Balogh?) It was a wonderful end. My only disappointment was that I wanted more.
Well done!
And yay for my first 5 star of the year!
PS: I am not sure you will enjoy this as much as I did, many reviewers are condemning the heroine for what she did in the end, in my opinion I would have giving up long before then.
The hero was problematic with an incredibly problematic family, I didn't think i would end up liking him, but alas, he redeemed himself beautifully. I am so satisfied with how everything turned out. Even without an epilogue (why did you do this with us, Mary Balogh?) It was a wonderful end. My only disappointment was that I wanted more.
Well done!
And yay for my first 5 star of the year!
PS: I am not sure you will enjoy this as much as I did, many reviewers are condemning the heroine for what she did in the end, in my opinion I would have giving up long before then.
November 16, 2016
My first Mary Balogh and I am hooked. If you are looking for historical research, accuracy, and a lot of torment and upheavals, this is not for you. This is Escapism at its best. A light, fluffy, Regency romantic comedy in the manner of Lisa Kleypas, where the players sound suspiciously modern and things like plausibility, class structure, and social conventions don't mean a hoot. I absolutely adored every bit of this story! If I have to nitpick, I would say that I wish the heroine was not such a Mary Sue and that the rakish hero did not thaw at such a super speed, as if he was nuked in a microwave. The whole courtship, marriage of convenience, and Fundamental Life Change occurred in a week, for Pete's Sake! But this is minor gripe in an otherwise wildly entertaining, uber sweet, charming, and kind of hot, story. I will have seconds of Mary Balogh for sure.
October 24, 2015
OK, so I borrowed this book from the library. I needed another book to read like a hole in the head. I have enough paperbacks and ebooks at home but I have just started to read a few of Ms. Balogh's short stories in some anthologies. Run-on sentence.....my apologies. I was intrigued. Let's blame the book for my excitement.
Yes, I am slow to discover this author. I seem to like the older books before someone becomes popular. What can I say except this book hit me in all the right spots. I didn't want it to end. It wasn't long enough and yet I was satisfied. OK, I am blathering again. It is the book's fault.
In a nutshell, the Marquess of Staunton is a supreme jerk. Ruthless, cold, calculating...he has been summoned home after having left eight years before. And not on good terms. He decides he needs to take a wife with him.
Lie #1: He advertises for a governess even though he doesn't have any children. In response to a question from a friend: "She must be a gentlewoman- I'll go no lower than that, you see. She must be impoverished, plain, demure, very ordinary, perhaps even prim. She must have all the personality of a- a quiet mouse." His plan is to marry someone to embarrass his father, a person he loathes. His intentions are to use her, then pension her off. "A governess could hardly ask for a better fate, can she?"
His sixth candidate is none other than Miss Charity Duncan. A woman with a few secrets of her own. The interview goes well and then he scares the bejeezus out of her by proposing marriage. Lie #2: he didn't tell her he was a Marquess at this point. Just Mr. Earheart. What a name.
Charity is stumped and you feel what she is going through but she needs the money. And it is just temporary, right? She saw her future as an aunt, a sister, but never a wife or mother. The wheels are turning in her head: yes, she can do it!
At this point I have to mention that some readers considered this a traditional regency romance. I usually think of those as clean romances ala Georgette Heyers. This one has some sex which is unusual for a Signet Regency Romance.
Now I am usually put off when a hero and heroine meet one day and then have sex immediately. I like things to build. Perhaps a friendship first, some tension, the look...you know, when they see each other after something has clicked. The Look. THE TEMPORARY WIFE doesn't work that way. And it is for the best.
For some reason, everything in the plot makes sense. Ms. Balogh did a fantastic job with the characters driving this story. Charity does a complete turn-around in her husband's eyes. She is not as drab as he first thought; she is beautiful after all. She has a personality and it becomes important for Staunton to see that she doesn't get hurt when everything is over.
Staunton makes a 180 degree change because of her. I wouldn't normally say a guy can blossom, but he blossoms. THE TEMPORARY WIFE is a swoon-worthy soulgasm and why I love romances. This love story won five stars, not only from me but it was also the 1997 RRA Best Regency Romance.
Yes, I am slow to discover this author. I seem to like the older books before someone becomes popular. What can I say except this book hit me in all the right spots. I didn't want it to end. It wasn't long enough and yet I was satisfied. OK, I am blathering again. It is the book's fault.
In a nutshell, the Marquess of Staunton is a supreme jerk. Ruthless, cold, calculating...he has been summoned home after having left eight years before. And not on good terms. He decides he needs to take a wife with him.
Lie #1: He advertises for a governess even though he doesn't have any children. In response to a question from a friend: "She must be a gentlewoman- I'll go no lower than that, you see. She must be impoverished, plain, demure, very ordinary, perhaps even prim. She must have all the personality of a- a quiet mouse." His plan is to marry someone to embarrass his father, a person he loathes. His intentions are to use her, then pension her off. "A governess could hardly ask for a better fate, can she?"
His sixth candidate is none other than Miss Charity Duncan. A woman with a few secrets of her own. The interview goes well and then he scares the bejeezus out of her by proposing marriage. Lie #2: he didn't tell her he was a Marquess at this point. Just Mr. Earheart. What a name.
Charity is stumped and you feel what she is going through but she needs the money. And it is just temporary, right? She saw her future as an aunt, a sister, but never a wife or mother. The wheels are turning in her head: yes, she can do it!
At this point I have to mention that some readers considered this a traditional regency romance. I usually think of those as clean romances ala Georgette Heyers. This one has some sex which is unusual for a Signet Regency Romance.
Now I am usually put off when a hero and heroine meet one day and then have sex immediately. I like things to build. Perhaps a friendship first, some tension, the look...you know, when they see each other after something has clicked. The Look. THE TEMPORARY WIFE doesn't work that way. And it is for the best.
For some reason, everything in the plot makes sense. Ms. Balogh did a fantastic job with the characters driving this story. Charity does a complete turn-around in her husband's eyes. She is not as drab as he first thought; she is beautiful after all. She has a personality and it becomes important for Staunton to see that she doesn't get hurt when everything is over.
Staunton makes a 180 degree change because of her. I wouldn't normally say a guy can blossom, but he blossoms. THE TEMPORARY WIFE is a swoon-worthy soulgasm and why I love romances. This love story won five stars, not only from me but it was also the 1997 RRA Best Regency Romance.
May 12, 2016
I finished this days ago, but have found writing a review daunting. Most of that is because I just loved Charity so much. She's kind and determined and strong and really, truly cares about helping people, even when they don't deserve and reject her efforts. The thing is, Balogh has Charity drop like a boulder into the still lives of Anthony's staid family. And her kindness disrupts a decade of stagnation and despair and overcomes all obstacles and even heals breaches of trust and betrayals. Each of which was relatively reasonable on its own, but they do rather add up to unreasonable given the week or two she has to do it.
So I can't face defending how much I was enthralled by the book or have people point out how unlikely it was. I'm not prepared to be rational or reasonable about it. I don't care. I loved it with the passion of a teen girl for her vampire boyfriend. Only deeper...
A note about Steamy: Mid level steam for me. There are a couple explicit sex scenes, though since they get married near the beginning, it's rather surprising there weren't more. Part of what I enjoyed about the book was Balogh's use of these intimate scenes to break down barriers in the couple's relationship. That's a bet many authors miss and I enjoyed seeing it play out, here.
So I can't face defending how much I was enthralled by the book or have people point out how unlikely it was. I'm not prepared to be rational or reasonable about it. I don't care. I loved it with the passion of a teen girl for her vampire boyfriend. Only deeper...
A note about Steamy: Mid level steam for me. There are a couple explicit sex scenes, though since they get married near the beginning, it's rather surprising there weren't more. Part of what I enjoyed about the book was Balogh's use of these intimate scenes to break down barriers in the couple's relationship. That's a bet many authors miss and I enjoyed seeing it play out, here.
November 26, 2016
Interview to come...
Started out as a solid 4 star, but the heroine via Mary Balogh did something so ridiculous and anachronistic, it blew it for me. HOWEVER, as MB can be a hit and miss for me, this was overall very, very good.
Essentially, the H wants/needs an unsuitable bride to drive his father, the stern and stoic Duke, crazy. Not a bride so unsuitable that she's beyond the pale, but a tad below par for their lofty status and dowdy so he advertises for a governess. The h comes in and is suitably downtrodden and brown wren-ish to fill the spot. Sadly for the H's plan but not his heart, she has a little more spirit that appears in the interview. She is the eldest of a pack of children and wants to help her brother support the brood so he'll have a chance at marriage. She agrees to the H's MOC wherein she'll get 6,000 pounds a year for life if she'll marry with him no expectation on a real married life. They will go their separate ways after the charade.
The H and h arrive at the ducal manner to all kinds of upper crust British long noses and cold silences, and here is where the heroine shines. She's amused at the housekeeper's assumption she's a no-better-than-she-should-be-maid and is charming to the less than welcoming committee. It's not until she calls the Duke" Father that the H realizes he may have under-estimated his bride. It's okay for now as his own children don't call the Duke father, and the H gets a kick out of the inner horror of it all from the rest of his family. He adds to the sheer lower class Cockney emo by calling her "love" and further scandalizing the crew.
The story unfolds as we find out more and more why the H left in the first place as well as the estrangement between him and his siblings. It's a little bit of a stretch, but go with it. The h's winsome ways, very open heart and concept of what a family should be go a long way to loosen the family up. Not to mention the whole concept of a faux MOC goes out the window when they keep forgetting it was supposed to be platonic. The sex scenes are rather erotic in a terse fashion.
Machinations and strained faces between the H and his father keep the drama going up until the ball and the father's ill health becomes apparent. Here is where it jumped the rails for me.
Both major characters are well done if somewhat sparsely drawn out. The h is much more vivacious and intelligent than the H ever anticipates, and the H is a nicely drawn brooder that reforms quite nicely.
Started out as a solid 4 star, but the heroine via Mary Balogh did something so ridiculous and anachronistic, it blew it for me. HOWEVER, as MB can be a hit and miss for me, this was overall very, very good.
Essentially, the H wants/needs an unsuitable bride to drive his father, the stern and stoic Duke, crazy. Not a bride so unsuitable that she's beyond the pale, but a tad below par for their lofty status and dowdy so he advertises for a governess. The h comes in and is suitably downtrodden and brown wren-ish to fill the spot. Sadly for the H's plan but not his heart, she has a little more spirit that appears in the interview. She is the eldest of a pack of children and wants to help her brother support the brood so he'll have a chance at marriage. She agrees to the H's MOC wherein she'll get 6,000 pounds a year for life if she'll marry with him no expectation on a real married life. They will go their separate ways after the charade.
The H and h arrive at the ducal manner to all kinds of upper crust British long noses and cold silences, and here is where the heroine shines. She's amused at the housekeeper's assumption she's a no-better-than-she-should-be-maid and is charming to the less than welcoming committee. It's not until she calls the Duke" Father that the H realizes he may have under-estimated his bride. It's okay for now as his own children don't call the Duke father, and the H gets a kick out of the inner horror of it all from the rest of his family. He adds to the sheer lower class Cockney emo by calling her "love" and further scandalizing the crew.
The story unfolds as we find out more and more why the H left in the first place as well as the estrangement between him and his siblings. It's a little bit of a stretch, but go with it. The h's winsome ways, very open heart and concept of what a family should be go a long way to loosen the family up. Not to mention the whole concept of a faux MOC goes out the window when they keep forgetting it was supposed to be platonic. The sex scenes are rather erotic in a terse fashion.
Machinations and strained faces between the H and his father keep the drama going up until the ball and the father's ill health becomes apparent. Here is where it jumped the rails for me.
Both major characters are well done if somewhat sparsely drawn out. The h is much more vivacious and intelligent than the H ever anticipates, and the H is a nicely drawn brooder that reforms quite nicely.
October 28, 2017
I enjoyed this one but I think my expectation were a little too high. I expected him to be more of an asshole. He wasn't that bad, overall.
July 25, 2017
2.5 to 3 stars. I liked this one OK but it was nothing that special and certainly not one of Ms Balogh's best. I had a couple of problems with the book that prevented me from really loving it.
First, the setup. It was one of those ridiculous, unbelievable setups that authors sometimes come up with to get their characters into proximity. In this case, a marquess, heir to a dying duke, wants to take revenge on his loveless father. So instead of going home and marrying the pretty and suitable young lady his father intended for him, he chooses a highly unsuitable bride to rub his father's face in it (so to speak!). OK, but.....
Anthony ADVERTISES FOR A GOVERNESS, then chooses the plainest, mousiest applicant, Charity Duncan. It's a totally fake ad of course, because Anthony is single with no kids. But Charity doesn't know this. She is desperate because she has five younger siblings and they are poor so she needs to earn money. Anthony offers to MARRY HER and have a fake marriage long enough to annoy his dad then they will separate and he will pay her and keep her for the rest of her life. Uh huh.... And guess what, she accepts!!
So, they get married and are attracted to each other and consummate the marriage (which they hadn't really intended). But, OK. I went along with it.
But then came my other main problem. Anthony and Charity fell deeply in love within a FEW DAYS, and Charity also solved most of the family's lifelong problems within A COUPLE OF DAYS. Anthony's father who seems to hate everyone magically loves Charity, even though she's been a GOVERNESS (which to him is total anathema). And Anthony's lonely little sister also seems to love Charity deeply within A COUPLE OF DAYS. All of these events could have occurred, as many of the family's problems had been based on lack of communication between them. Charity was a catalyst to open up the communication between them all and get them addressing old issues that should have been brought into the open. So yes. But not in just A COUPLE OF DAYS. I just couldn't get over the timeline, and it detracted from my enjoyment of the book.
Also, I didn't really love Charity. I think too much was made of her 'mousiness' early on, and I found it difficult to change my perception of her character after that. She didn't seem like a real or vivid character to me.
So, although I enjoyed some aspects of the book, I wasn't able to totally connect with the characters or really get involved in the story. On the whole, I don't like Balogh's earlier books as much as her later ones.
First, the setup. It was one of those ridiculous, unbelievable setups that authors sometimes come up with to get their characters into proximity. In this case, a marquess, heir to a dying duke, wants to take revenge on his loveless father. So instead of going home and marrying the pretty and suitable young lady his father intended for him, he chooses a highly unsuitable bride to rub his father's face in it (so to speak!). OK, but.....
Anthony ADVERTISES FOR A GOVERNESS, then chooses the plainest, mousiest applicant, Charity Duncan. It's a totally fake ad of course, because Anthony is single with no kids. But Charity doesn't know this. She is desperate because she has five younger siblings and they are poor so she needs to earn money. Anthony offers to MARRY HER and have a fake marriage long enough to annoy his dad then they will separate and he will pay her and keep her for the rest of her life. Uh huh.... And guess what, she accepts!!
So, they get married and are attracted to each other and consummate the marriage (which they hadn't really intended). But, OK. I went along with it.
But then came my other main problem. Anthony and Charity fell deeply in love within a FEW DAYS, and Charity also solved most of the family's lifelong problems within A COUPLE OF DAYS. Anthony's father who seems to hate everyone magically loves Charity, even though she's been a GOVERNESS (which to him is total anathema). And Anthony's lonely little sister also seems to love Charity deeply within A COUPLE OF DAYS. All of these events could have occurred, as many of the family's problems had been based on lack of communication between them. Charity was a catalyst to open up the communication between them all and get them addressing old issues that should have been brought into the open. So yes. But not in just A COUPLE OF DAYS. I just couldn't get over the timeline, and it detracted from my enjoyment of the book.
Also, I didn't really love Charity. I think too much was made of her 'mousiness' early on, and I found it difficult to change my perception of her character after that. She didn't seem like a real or vivid character to me.
So, although I enjoyed some aspects of the book, I wasn't able to totally connect with the characters or really get involved in the story. On the whole, I don't like Balogh's earlier books as much as her later ones.
July 10, 2022
Marquess of Staunton decided to advertise for a governess but what he wants really is a wife. Plain, uncomplicated and mainly temporary wife.
So he marries Charity only to discover she is not so plain and is not afraid to speak her mind to his family.
He is a pretty tough nut to break. Very cold to her and to everyone from the beginning but her heart and enthusiasm wins him and everyone in his family over.
It was lovely. I loved both characters.
I am currently on a roll with these older Balogh’s. They are shorter but I don’t miss anything. There is depth and development enough.
So he marries Charity only to discover she is not so plain and is not afraid to speak her mind to his family.
He is a pretty tough nut to break. Very cold to her and to everyone from the beginning but her heart and enthusiasm wins him and everyone in his family over.
It was lovely. I loved both characters.
I am currently on a roll with these older Balogh’s. They are shorter but I don’t miss anything. There is depth and development enough.
January 24, 2022
Classic Balogh with yet another spin on the marriage of convenience trope. I went in convinced I would adore this one, but something held me back from giving it 5 stars. I think the hero’s change of heart came a little too late and too suddenly, after he’d been too much of a jackass towards the heroine for 70% of the story. On the whole though, this is a solid MB offering.
May 4, 2016
I was so pleasantly engrossed that I spent quite a sizeable amount of time busy with this book when I had two practical exams the next day for which I needed to study. This was my first Mary Balogh and definitely not my last. I'm so excited to read Slightly Dangerous now!
Thank you, Tadiana for bringing this book to my notice. ^.^
Thank you, Tadiana for bringing this book to my notice. ^.^
December 29, 2021
What a fantastic story! This book has it all - a strong romance, extremely likable characters (even the side characters are great!), beautiful writing and a great insight on family dynamics, siblings' relationship and parent-child relationship. It's not an easy book to review. The story seems deceptively simple on the surface but it is far from that. What it is, it is a story about family relationships at its heart - forgiving old wounds and moving on. The story moved me in so many ways that all I can I say is do yourself a favour and grab yourself a copy.
January 3, 2016
Definitely one of the very best by Mary Balogh.
Over the past few years, I've gotten away from the historical romance genre. However, this one captured me from the first page to the very last page.
Highly recommended for MB fans and those that love a good historical romance with some depth. I believe it has been out of print, but fortunately has recently been released in a duo collection titled The Temporary Wife/A Promise of Spring.
Over the past few years, I've gotten away from the historical romance genre. However, this one captured me from the first page to the very last page.
Highly recommended for MB fans and those that love a good historical romance with some depth. I believe it has been out of print, but fortunately has recently been released in a duo collection titled The Temporary Wife/A Promise of Spring.
April 20, 2022
Smooth and sentimental!
June 30, 2017
My first Mary Balogh and I enjoyed it extremely. It was fluffy with enough of family drama to keep me hooked. Ohh Boy, I loved it!!
"But you played unfair. Charity. You did not tell me you were not a quiet mouse. You did not tell me you were beautiful or charming or warm with concern for others or courageous or—wonderful in bed.You did not tell me you were a thief. I had to come after you to recover my stolen property."
"What you stole, Charity, was my heart. I have come to get it back if all else fails. But I would rather you kept it and brought it back to Enfield with you."
"But you played unfair. Charity. You did not tell me you were not a quiet mouse. You did not tell me you were beautiful or charming or warm with concern for others or courageous or—wonderful in bed.You did not tell me you were a thief. I had to come after you to recover my stolen property."
"What you stole, Charity, was my heart. I have come to get it back if all else fails. But I would rather you kept it and brought it back to Enfield with you."
September 12, 2016
I think this book is Balogh's Masterpiece!
This book was the best thing by Mary Balogh that I have ever read!
It takes you on a wonderful emotional ride and you fall in love with all
the characters along the way.
This is one of the best recent Regency novels I have read!
highly recommended
This book was the best thing by Mary Balogh that I have ever read!
It takes you on a wonderful emotional ride and you fall in love with all
the characters along the way.
This is one of the best recent Regency novels I have read!
highly recommended
June 26, 2023
Perfection. One of the most original marriage of convenience HR's I've read. Amazing story of family dynamics. Good luck putting this one down!📚💗
May 12, 2021
Cette romance est loin d'être un coup de cœur, mais j'ai passé un excellent moment dans celle-ci donc elle mérite 5 étoiles.
J'ai trouvée l'intrigue de base super, j'adore les fake relationship, mais ensuite plus on creuse dans la lecture, plus on trouve des éléments à ajouter à l'intrigue comme le passé de toute une famille.
Les choses sont bien amenées. Comme l'amour grandissant entre nos personnages. L'auteure ne nous montre pas ça comme si c'était un coup de foudre. Ça se déroule petit à petit. On parle bien de l'amour d'une vie, mais ça arrive graduellement. J'ai trouvé que cet aspect des choses était différent de ce que je pouvais lire généralement. Ce n'était pas passionnel au début, loin de là, et au final, ça donne quelque chose de très bien.
En conclusion, je recommande cette romance à 100% !
J'ai trouvée l'intrigue de base super, j'adore les fake relationship, mais ensuite plus on creuse dans la lecture, plus on trouve des éléments à ajouter à l'intrigue comme le passé de toute une famille.
Les choses sont bien amenées. Comme l'amour grandissant entre nos personnages. L'auteure ne nous montre pas ça comme si c'était un coup de foudre. Ça se déroule petit à petit. On parle bien de l'amour d'une vie, mais ça arrive graduellement. J'ai trouvé que cet aspect des choses était différent de ce que je pouvais lire généralement. Ce n'était pas passionnel au début, loin de là, et au final, ça donne quelque chose de très bien.
En conclusion, je recommande cette romance à 100% !
March 11, 2017
Wonderful love story I admit I love Cinderella stories more than anything. This one was just sigh worthy. I liked that you heard each other's thoughts and felt them fall in love. You felt their pain, their passion and ultimately their love. The h was one of my favorites. She was sweet and nice but so strong. She held her own. And the H was swoon worthy. When he told his story about why he left his family eight years before I cried. And I cried several other times. The scene in his Father's bedroom is just heart wrenching. All of it. This is going to be on my re-read list up there with Honors Splendor!!! Both make you feel good after reading it.
October 8, 2015
I LOVE the way this unfolds, I LOVE the main characters. The conflict was a doozy. Father-son conflict comes to a head after eight year's absence. Charming story. So wonderful how the romance evolved over the course of the story. I think this has bumped Simply Dangerous out of first place, or at least wedged itself right next to it.
May 27, 2016
It was okay. Formulaic Regency romance with one of my favorite guilty tropes - the marriage of convenience. Earl McRakey Pants is interviewing governesses under false pretenses. His true purpose is finding a frumpy wife to marry before he responds to his father's summons to return home. Daddy the Duke formed a betrothal many moons ago and McRake is expected to marry a high ranking lady.
Well, our Earl will have none of it! Estranged from Duke Dad for 8 years, he's arranged a rather shocking homecoming to spite the old man. Mousy Charity-Mary Sue agreed to marry him and be his temporary wife in exchange for an agreed upon annual sum & a home befitting her new station.
Mary Sue had only honorable & self sacrificing reasons for agreeing to marry for money. She must take care of her indebted family, you see. After meeting hateful Darth Duke, she makes it her mission to heal the rift between father & prodigal son. She must help the entire dysfunctional family! They'll all be holding hands and singing Kumbaya by the time she's finished. How will she accomplish such a daunting task? By being her sweet and charming self, of course.
I thought it was a bit weird that they got all conjugal the evening they'd met and married. When strangers get married:
It wasn't dirty, but it did give their business arrangement a bit of a hooker vibe.
The story was entertaining, but only 3 stars because I can only handle so much martyrdom.
Well, our Earl will have none of it! Estranged from Duke Dad for 8 years, he's arranged a rather shocking homecoming to spite the old man. Mousy Charity-Mary Sue agreed to marry him and be his temporary wife in exchange for an agreed upon annual sum & a home befitting her new station.
Mary Sue had only honorable & self sacrificing reasons for agreeing to marry for money. She must take care of her indebted family, you see. After meeting hateful Darth Duke, she makes it her mission to heal the rift between father & prodigal son. She must help the entire dysfunctional family! They'll all be holding hands and singing Kumbaya by the time she's finished. How will she accomplish such a daunting task? By being her sweet and charming self, of course.
I thought it was a bit weird that they got all conjugal the evening they'd met and married. When strangers get married:
It wasn't dirty, but it did give their business arrangement a bit of a hooker vibe.
The story was entertaining, but only 3 stars because I can only handle so much martyrdom.
December 15, 2024
Edited: Two years after my first reading, I reread THE TEMPORARY WIFE. If anything, it was *better* than I remembered.
Since posting my review, I have read a LOT of Balogh, and I think this is one of her best. While the romance is good, the real heart of the story is Anthony's broken relationship with his family.
* * *
I have read a decent amount of Regency romance, but I had only read one Mary Balogh, many years ago. It didn't make a huge impression on me, so I never read more. But I got a copy of THE TEMPORARY WIFE when I bought a lot of historical romance novels off ebay, and the book came as a delightful surprise.
I love marriage of convenience stories (both reading them and writing them.) This one is GOOD. It would not be considered very spicy by today's standards, so might not appeal to readers looking for spice. But I was looking for romance, and it has that in spades. The characters felt well-developed to me, and the book had a good deal of heart. It was about more than just two people falling in love: it was also largely about healing family wounds and facing the past.
And now I want to read more Balogh. So happy that my trove of books from ebay has one or two more of her works!
Since posting my review, I have read a LOT of Balogh, and I think this is one of her best. While the romance is good, the real heart of the story is Anthony's broken relationship with his family.
* * *
I have read a decent amount of Regency romance, but I had only read one Mary Balogh, many years ago. It didn't make a huge impression on me, so I never read more. But I got a copy of THE TEMPORARY WIFE when I bought a lot of historical romance novels off ebay, and the book came as a delightful surprise.
I love marriage of convenience stories (both reading them and writing them.) This one is GOOD. It would not be considered very spicy by today's standards, so might not appeal to readers looking for spice. But I was looking for romance, and it has that in spades. The characters felt well-developed to me, and the book had a good deal of heart. It was about more than just two people falling in love: it was also largely about healing family wounds and facing the past.
And now I want to read more Balogh. So happy that my trove of books from ebay has one or two more of her works!
May 19, 2010
So Mary Balogh is truly incomparable in the world of regency romance, and this is her best that I have read so far.
What I liked about this book, and most of Balogh's for that manner, is her ability to pack SO MUCH in so few pages. It takes most authors 400 pages to do what Balogh can do in half that...and she does it better!
This is a story of healing and forgiveness. I love those kind of stories! Romance is a "feel good" genre and that is exactly what you'll feel like after reading this book. The heroine Charity is what great heroines are made of. She is intelligent, caring, thoughtful, insightful, and likable. She wiggles her way into EVERYONE'S heart without really meaning to.
Through Charity's help, the cold and inhuman Earheart family is turned upside down and the ENTIRE family, especially her husband, learns from her example. I loved watching Anthony "turn around", find peace with his family, and a lifetime's worth of love.
This is Balogh at her very best!
What I liked about this book, and most of Balogh's for that manner, is her ability to pack SO MUCH in so few pages. It takes most authors 400 pages to do what Balogh can do in half that...and she does it better!
This is a story of healing and forgiveness. I love those kind of stories! Romance is a "feel good" genre and that is exactly what you'll feel like after reading this book. The heroine Charity is what great heroines are made of. She is intelligent, caring, thoughtful, insightful, and likable. She wiggles her way into EVERYONE'S heart without really meaning to.
Through Charity's help, the cold and inhuman Earheart family is turned upside down and the ENTIRE family, especially her husband, learns from her example. I loved watching Anthony "turn around", find peace with his family, and a lifetime's worth of love.
This is Balogh at her very best!
May 9, 2020
4.5/5; 5 stars; A
It’s been quite a while since I read this but listening to my GR friends talking about it made me feel due for a re-visit. It is still one of Balogh’s best IMO. Charity is the perfect heroine. I had to bump it up half a star because, for the class its in (short-ish historical romance), its definitively first class.
4/5; 4 stars; A-
This book is classic Balogh. I love the character, Charity, and how she selflessly gave so much to help and heal Anthony's family.
I have read a lot of books by this author over the years and find her style of writing is always professional and smooth and her characters are deep and interesting.
It’s been quite a while since I read this but listening to my GR friends talking about it made me feel due for a re-visit. It is still one of Balogh’s best IMO. Charity is the perfect heroine. I had to bump it up half a star because, for the class its in (short-ish historical romance), its definitively first class.
4/5; 4 stars; A-
This book is classic Balogh. I love the character, Charity, and how she selflessly gave so much to help and heal Anthony's family.
I have read a lot of books by this author over the years and find her style of writing is always professional and smooth and her characters are deep and interesting.
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