The Escape

The Survivors' Club #3

by Mary Balogh

In this poignant novel of longing and salvation, a hopeful widow and a resilient war hero discover the promise of love’s magic and new beginnings.

After surviving the Napoleonic Wars, Sir Benedict Harper is struggling to move on, his body and spirit in need of a healing touch. Never does Ben imagine that hope will come in the form of a beautiful woman who has seen her own share of suffering. After the lingering death of her husband, Samantha McKay is at the mercy of her oppressive in-laws - until she plots an escape to distant Wales to claim a house she has inherited. Being a gentleman, Ben insists that he escort her on the fateful journey.

Ben wants Samantha as much as she wants him, but he is cautious. What can a wounded soul offer any woman? Samantha is ready to go where fate takes her, to leave behind polite society and even propriety in her desire for this handsome, honorable soldier. But dare she offer her bruised heart as well as her body? The answers to both their questions may be found in an unlikely place: in each other’s arms.

Includes Mary Balogh’s charming short story, “The Suitor.”

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Regency, Fiction, Audiobook

416 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2014

About the author

Mary 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.

Reviews

[Jessica's Totally Over The Top Book Obsession · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars


This book was enjoyable but very wordy and slow. I feel reading Mary Balogh books would work better broken up instead of many at once as they are so slow. The writing style feels a lot like Jane Austen. Which is nice it's just the first half of the books nothing happens and it can get a bit boring.

[❀ Minesha ❀ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed for Buried Under Romance



Big historical romance fan, are you?

Well, are you bored of:

* Rakes with mistresses at seventeen. Seriously? Did your mama never teach you about respect and equality?
* Matrons who yather on and on about snaring a wealthy husband.
* Stitch, sew, horseback riding, water colors, anyone? Balls and poor excuses for flirting?
* Miscommunication. Iloveyou declarations after sex. No PTSD after heroine kidnapping.
* Filthy rich nobs who hunt. Oh you pathetic sonofa *Shh*. Oh I do hate you’ll the most. Argh!
* Wedding night = we must do our duty. *Rolls eyes* Baby, your sperms ain’t running away. Get to know her first.
* Overflowing bosoms. Hm. This couldn’t be so bad, could it? *raises eyebrows*

There’s more. But we’ll continue this ‘areyouseriouslykiddingmetropesthatmakemeyawn’ list some other time. Okay?

Where were we? Right. Book review of Mary Balogh’s “The Escape”. Thank you very much Edelweiss (through MaryChen) for an early advance reader copy.

I liked this book. Really really did. Did not have those tropes I mentioned above.

“If you had been married and you had died,” she said, “would you have been shocked if your widow had wanted to dance three months later?”

So tell me, would you have been shocked?




After surviving the Napoleonic Wars, Sir Benedict Harper is struggling to move on, his body and spirit in need of a healing touch. Never does Ben imagine that hope will come in the form of a beautiful woman who has seen her own share of suffering. And they meet in my favorite manner: He pounces on her. Quite literally.

Tramp had just returned with the stick she had thrown for him, and she was bending to retrieve it with one hand while she held her posy in the other , when it seemed that a thunderbolt came crashing down upon them from the heavens, only narrowly missing them. Samantha shrieked with terror, while the dog went into a frenzy of hysterical barking and leaped aimlessly in every direction, bowling Samantha right off her feet. Her buttercups went about in a hail of yellow, and she landed with a painful thud on her bottom.

Can you visualize this scene? I burst out laughing.

They meet again, at the church and he apologizes. And my dear readers, it was at that moment, I knew I was going to like him a lot. So humble. So patient. Exactly what a gentleman would do.

Samantha and Ben meet again, from casual acquaintances, they become friends. After the lingering death of her husband, Samantha McKay is at the mercy of her oppressive in-laws—until she plots an escape to distant Wales to claim a house she has inherited and being a gentleman, Ben insists that he escort her on the fateful journey. And they decide to have an affair.

But no, they do not jump into bed immediately. Simply them sleeping on the same bed brought about a sweet smile on my face and an ‘Awww’. They were just so cute together!

The pillow fight. *Swoon*

“You grumbled some nonsense and grabbed me when I would have beaten a strategic retreat back to my edge, and, being the gentleman I am, contrary to your unjust accusation, I remained where I was and allowed you to burrow against me.”

I constantly rooted for Samantha’s happiness. She had an overbearing husband but does not complain or whine. She wishes for more than being a nursemaid to her family and longs for freedom. Strong-hearted, she makes the best of her situation, enjoying whatever she can and I loved this about her.

“I am mortally weary of war and wounds and suffering and death. I want to live. I want to ... to dance.”

“I am not pleading for your pity,” she said. “Heaven forbid. My life is as it is. There are worse lives. I have never been hungry or literally homeless. No one has ever used physical violence on me worse than the occasional rap over the knuckles or smack on the bottom when I was a child. And now, I have been offered the gift of freedom and a hovel of a cottage and a small competence with which to enjoy it. Do you understand what a wonderful thing that is for a woman, Ben? I can be a new person.”

See what I mean?

Ben too. Oh, he is the kind of guy you marry and spend your life with. He is patient and listens to what people have to say, hardworking-he decides to work in spite of being financially well-off and is humble, knowing when to concede to the other person. Funny and teasing too. An utterly darling hero.

“I suppose it would be a bit absurd if every rider felt obliged to dismount and push through a hedge before he jumped it just to make sure that some stray pedestrian was not strolling along on the other side. He could, perhaps, cry out a tallyho! as he came, but that mind sound rather peculiar.”

He is injured but he fights. Does not let his scars keep him away from doing what he truly desires. He wants love. Forever Love. *Sighs* Not an occasional shag or two.

'He kept those ideas to himself at the early stage of his career. This was the time to listen and learn.'

Oh oh! My papa tells me that too!
*Smiles*

Ben could have wept. Not only could he remember how to swim, but also he could swim. He could move his legs without pain.
He could move.
Without pain.
He was free.

It is a story about rediscovery, renewal and forgiveness. Welcoming relatives who had once ignored you. Following your dreams and working towards goals. There is no villain or scheming family members. Everyone was mature and relatable. It is probably the simple love story our parents had. Big changes in life starting with small steps.

So yes, in the end, this story was a well escape from those ‘ouchmyheadhurts’ tropes I mentioned in the above list. And this particular cover is quite pretty, isn't it.

*Sniff*
Go ahead. Read it.
And tell us how you feel.

[Ingie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written September 2, 2015

4 Stars - Solid good m/f HR in a great audiobook edition. I enjoyed!!



I just finished the 10:30 hrs audiobook narrated by the very best and always fantastic Rosalyn Landor. So very good, mature and touching. No big drama, no suspense, just two grownups talking, feeling and experience new feelings and situations. ~ I just want more from this author and narrator.

*********************************************************

The Escape is the third novel in the Survivor's Club series about some friends "injured" in different ways in the Napoleonic Wars. We are now a couple of years later and this is Sir Benedict Harper and the young war-widow Samantha McKay's lovestory. It is my first book in this series.

He is crippled with very war-wounded legs. She just buried a not entirely kind husband (of very fine birth and family though..). He doesn't know what he should do with his life after his ended military career. She has morally unpleasant relatives and need both friends and a future home.

...They meet by chance and it all begins with a quarrel.

Not much to say. Do you like and admire Courtney Milan's audiobooks, as I do, with this narrator, am I quite sure that this Mary Balogh romance may tempt you too. I like characters with some scratches and blemishes. I like books where they talk a lot. Books with simple, slow-growing love and believable ordinary heroes and heroines. Romances about those that aren't the most beautiful, sexy or lucky. Stories with some, but not overwhelming much, steam and heat. ~ You get all that, and much more, here.

“One does tend to assume that life must be far easier for others than it ever is for oneself,” he said. “I suspect it rarely is. I dare say life was not meant to be easy.”

Sit back —listen— and enjoy. This The Escape audiobook is simply delightful.

*********************************************************

I LIKE - to listening to this marvelous narrator

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not really five stars on the reread, but probably four.
This was a highly emotional read, but also a very slow moving one. It didn’t really pick up and I didn’t feel invested in the characters until after the half way point. It was still a very scenic and lyrical read, as per Balogh’s usual style, and had all the trappings she usually puts into her books. There were many similarities though to the first two books in the series: villainous and disapproving extended family on the heroine’s side, a rescue by the hero, tormented past on behalf of both main characters etc. All in all it was a good read but I think reading these back to back to back just highlights the formula a bit too much for me. Still really enjoyed them and will probably continue back to back to back 🤣 because I’m in the zone, babieeeee.

This series is worth reading, but maybe pace them out. Book two is still, hands down, the best one. But this one had a dog and a heroine with a bit more feistiness so that was fun.

[Duchess Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I want to dance...

The best way to describe this novel...and any book by Mary Balogh, really...is simply lovely. It really was.

Ben and Samantha have both been touched by war. Ben was nearly crushed by his horse, crippling his legs. He can get around with canes but is in constant pain. Samantha's husband of seven years has recently passed away after six years of being an invalid. Her life has been a constant torment, nursing a husband who never loved her and living under the thumb of his overly pious family. Now she is free, but life is about to knock her down again...and again and again.

"She was, he thought, a woman desperately in need of a friend."

This couple has an easy way with each other. I could see them being best friends or passionate lovers, or both. They complement one another, and their relationship unfolds slowly and easily.

"His pain, she thought, was fathoms deep.

This was a very low angst book. It centers on family and hardships that come with a less than perfect past, with less than perfect relatives. Ben and Samantha help each other to accept their own lives and overcome their individual situations.

This author's books tend to have a similar feel to me. It's almost like watching a British made movie...less drama and intensity, more downtime and quiet soul searching. Lovely.

Copy provided by the publisher for review

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book three of a series that I really don't recommend skipping around in; I mean each subsequent book has enough of the previous couples that it'd be awkward not knowing their details (it's a romance series, so it's not like you'd spoil the endings...). This one is on par with the others, though not the favorite that The Arrangement was.

I liked the couple well enough. It took them way, way too long to admit they liked each other, but I liked them well enough along the way so I was never tempted to abandon them. I particularly liked Ben's progress with his handicap and coming to terms with his future. I also liked that both were looking for independence even as they were looking at becoming a couple. Best of all, though, was when Ben decided to consult with Samantha before committing to a long departure and plans for seeing her again afterward—before actually doing it. I love when a couple actually acts as a team. It gives me hope for their eventual union.

Anyway, it was a solid story with minor pacing issues for me. In all a solid read that left me looking forward to the next.

A note about Steamy: On par for the series, with three explicit sex scenes. So the middle of my range, though pushing higher due to their length. I also liked the subtext (and sometimes supertext) of body image and dealing with physical limitations.

[Dab · Rating 3 out of 5]

The romance is a little meh, but this series has a therapeutic value that makes it a non-trashy comfort read and that’s something!

Like in the previous books both protagonists had gone through a lot and the point of the story is their growth rather than their relationship. They are both independent, strong characters and in a way their HEA is a prize for that strength and resilience.

I know life is not a competition in who has it worst, but still, reading about a man who is determined to walk even though doctors told him that he never would puts things into perspective.

However, especially compared to the previous two books, this one was not exactly a page-turner so 3,5 rounded down.

[Pepa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reseña completa: https://masromance.blogspot.com/2022/...

Una historia bonita, estupendamente escrita. Mary Balogh me encanta ♥
La historia fluye sin grandes sobresaltos, estupendo el personaje de Ben, con esa superación personal, esos personajes escacharraditos de la guerra que tanto gustan a la autora.
Samantha también me ha gustado mucho, una mujer que sobrevive a todo lo que la vida le pone delante
Pero, ese es mi pero. Creo que la historia es muy bonita y el mensaje es estupendo, pero me ha faltado más romance entre ellos, es como si todo saltara desde esa pasión compartida, de esa camaradería que provoca que dos seres en un mal momento decidan ser amigos, o algo más a un amor tan fuerte.
Por ahora, es el que más me ha gustado. es como si esa historia de amor haya quedado en segundo lugar ya que los problemas individuales de ambos son los que realmente mueven la trama

[Dagmar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read December 2023:
One of my favourites in the series. Probably the most compelling HR series in existence.


Another favourite in the series. It's true, once you start a Mary Balogh book you just can't stop. Love the unique Hero and heroine and a very authentic story. Simply awesome.

[Alba Turunen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Estrellitas. Un relato realmente maravilloso, me ha gustado casi tanto como el anterior libro y estoy totalmente convencida de que éste Club de los Supervivientes es una gran serie. Y también siento una gran tristeza de que al ser tan buena nos la estemos perdiendo en países de habla castellana porque las editoriales no se han dignado publicarla.

"The Escape" sigue la estela del anterior libro, y también parte de algunos paralelismos. En "The Arrangement" apenas sabíamos de Sir Benedict Harper, salvo que era un baronet, que había sido duramente herido en las guerras napoleónicas, e igualmente pasó tres años en la finca del duque de Stanbroke reponiéndose. El problema de Ben con la guerra es que lo dejó lisiado de por vida, pero Ben se convenció así mismo de que volvería a andar y a bailar.

El libro empieza mientras se desarrolla el primero de la serie "The Proposal", en la reunión anual en Penderris, la casa de campo del duque de Stanbrooke. Todos los Supervivientes están preocupados por Ben, ya que lleva un tiempo melancólico. Tras la guerra, su hermano mayor murió, dejándole a él, un lisiado, el título y las tierras, su hermano menor vive con su familia en su finca, administrándola y él no se siente capaz de echarlos. De modo que para combatir ésa apatía Ben acepta una invitación de su hermana mayor, Beatrice, para pasar una temporada con ella y su marido en Durham.

Y en Durham será donde Ben conozca a Samantha McKay, una exhuberante mujer viuda, con la que tendrá un primer y desastroso encontronazo.

Samantha McKay se encuentra muy sola y desesperada. Con ella está su cuñada, con quien no hace muy buenas migas. Matilda, su cuñada, acudió a Durham a ayudar a Samantha durante la convalecencia de su marido. El esposo de Samantha fue segundo hijo de un conde, el militar y el oveja negra de ésa familia de puritanos insufribles. Samantha se casó muy joven y enamorada, para descubrir finalmente el verdadero y pendenciero carácter de su marido. Pronto se vio atrapada en un matrimonio que no la hacía feliz, y para colmo de males su marido volvió herido y lastimado de la guerra, para acabar pereciendo en una lenta agonía durante cinco años.

Samantha al fin se ve libre, lleva cuatro meses viuda, pero quiere vivir, quiere bailar y tener una existencia tranquila y pacífica, la familia de su esposo no la da eso, y ella no tiene una familia propia a la que acudir. Un día, paseando a su perro, Samantha tiene un desafortunado encontronazo con un hombre a caballo totalmente maleducado, y ahí será cuando los destinos de Sam y Ben se junten.

En "The Arrangement" supimos de Ben que había desaparecido y nadie sabía nada de él salvo que fue a pasar una temporada con su hermana. Pues en éste libro está ése viaje de Ben.

En un principio, los encuentros de los protagonistas son parcos e incómodos, pero poco a poco, Sam y Ben encuentran cierta afinidad cuando empiezan a hablar. El problema es que la sombra de la familia de su esposo pende sobre Sam, y se entera de que está a punto de perder su casa y su seguridad, hasta que recuerda que por parte de su familia materna, le dejaron una casita en herencia, en la costa de Gales. Ahí será cuando realmente empiece el libro, y Ben, a pesar de ser un medio hombre lisiado, que no puede andar sin sus bastones, se erija en el héroe de Sam y se convierta en un caballero que la acompañará durante el viaje a Gales, hasta lo desconocido de la familia y el pasado de Samantha.

El libro empieza muy fuerte, para tener un pequeño altibajo, pero una vez que nuestros protagonistas llegan a Gales, se deja ver como el romance de ellos, tan tierno y bonito florece, y la historia se lee en un suspiro.

No voy a negar que me ha encantado, casi tanto como el segundo libro. Éste Club de los Supervivientes llega muy profundamente a mi corazoncito tocando la fibra más sensible a través de sus protagonistas, héroes de guerra con heridas físicas y psicológicas muy duras, pero todo ellos personajes de una gran emotividad y deseando dar y recibir mucho amor. Mi señora Balogh sabe dar en el clavo y ésta serie no es una excepción.

Tampoco voy a decir que el romance haya sido de lo mejor que he leído, porque no lo es, es un romance sencillo, muy bonito, pausado, que se cuece poco a poco, y los protagonistas son personas que les ha tocado vivir experiencias muy duras y encuentran el amor en el momento justo para encajar de la mejor forma posible.

Por lo tanto estoy muy satisfecha con el resultado de ésta historia. Me ha encantado y me ha dejado con altas expectativas para los siguientes de la serie. Tras el éxito de los dos libros anteriores, estoy deseando conocer la historia de Flavian, el tartamudo vizconde Ponsonby, a ver qué tiene que decirnos.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘The Escape’ is Book 3 in Mary Balogh’s Survivor's Club Series and portrays the survivor story of Major Sir Benedict Harper, an ex career military officer who has been badly lamed by battle injuries in the Peninsular Wars.

After several years of focusing on his physical recovery and attempting to walk with canes, Ben is deeply depressed. He confides to his fellow members of the Survivors Club that he must finally accept that his physical disabilities are permanent and that the military career he cherished is truly over. However, he feels, “as if he had been set adrift on an ocean that stretched vast and empty in every direction.”

This is also the story of Samantha McKay, a young war widow. She is spiritually drained and desperately lonely after several years of nursing a faithless and spiteful husband, and being tyrannized by his harsh and judgmental aristocratic family. She yearns to “breathe”, find some degree of freedom and happiness. However, Samantha is completely socially isolated, having been imprisoned by her physical and economic dependence on her in-laws

Ben and Samantha meet by chance, develop a polite and friendly acquaintanceship, recognizing that each has suffered profoundly from the affects of the wars. They also learn that they share what they believe to be an impossible dream; each longs to “dance” again, to live life to its fullest.

However, when Samantha is threatened with permanent imprisonment at her father-in-law’s estate, she becomes desperate and turns to Ben, this new and slight acquaintance, for help in an urgent escape plan.

Samantha convinces a reluctant Ben take to accompany her on a lengthy road trip from Northeastern England to the Southwest Coast of Wales, where she owns a small cottage. Like other great road trip stories, the forced proximity and the shared hardship of the journey allow Ben and Samantha the time and opportunity to deepen their friendship and intimacy.

The road trip to Wales and the Welsh cottage chapters are my favorite sections of the book. I enjoyed the couple’s moments of self-discovery and growing closeness as they traveled through the Welsh countryside, absorbed the beauty of architectural landmarks, and the warmth of the Welsh people and culture. Balogh’s love for her Welsh homeland is evident throughout these sections of the book, but is far from being a travelogue.

I particularly enjoyed (as I have in so many Balogh novels) the swimming scenes. It is while swimming in the ocean that Samantha and Ben experience an almost childlike freedom, which is touching for two people who have been so wounded by life. It is also in the water where Ben discovers that he can still swim, recaptures a sense of lightness and physical freedom that he hasn’t experienced since the wars. It is in the water where the couple can experience physical intimacy and joyful lightheartedness. Balogh once again demonstrates in this novel the healing and liberating power of sexual intimacy. In Wales, away from the judgmental eyes of society and family, Ben and Samantha are empowered to take a chance to test whether they can trust themselves to be vulnerable to another’s sight, touch, and love.

Ben’s “chosen family”, the fellow members of the Survivor’s Club, appear throughout the novel, through reminiscence and as characters, continuing their devoted support for each other’s recovery and happiness.

‘The Escape’ is another tender and thoughtful romance by Mary Balogh.


Received an ARC courtesy of Random House Publishing via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A gentle read about two characters you can respect. Ben had been severely wounded in the Napoleonic Wars, and will never be able to walk without canes again. Samantha has spent the last months of her life tending to her late husband who was also severely wounded in the war.

The difference between Samantha's husband and Ben is that Ben is a man of integrity, whereas her late husband was not. Her late husband's family is also extremely repressive and puritanical in their beliefs, and they have kept Samantha confined and controlled. No wonder she decides to escape.

I did like the way the plot unfolded, but like some other Balogh books I've read, this one was a bit slow in pace. There was also not that much chemistry between the leads until quite late in the book.

So overall, a nice story, but nothing too gripping or memorable.

[kris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Major Sir Benedict Harper survived the Napoleonic Wars with major injuries to his lower extremities, limiting his mobility. So while exploring his mobility with a horse (pun somewhat intended), he nearly tramples Samantha McKay, stunning widow, and forgets to apologize. After this profanity-filled meet-cute, Ben follows Samantha to the wilds of Cornwall for angst and affairs!!

1. So, OF COURSE, we can't leave any familial stone unturned!! So when it was revealed that Samantha's estranged grandfather was still alive and living nearby I knew IMMEDIATELY that there would be a supremely convenient explanation of historical misunderstanding to allow her to ~~find her place in the world, with him doting on her all the while.

WHY. WHY MUST THIS BE A THING.

On top of the obvious complaints about this plot point, I want to shout for a moment about the fact that it seems to always be Balogh's heroines who have to ~forgive and ~forget and reforge their connections to their families (Simply Love being the worst offender to date). Like, Ben has a brother that he isn't necessarily close to (although the end neatly ties up that little plot point with a bow, gag me) but there isn't anything in the romance tied to his needing to address the estrangement at all. But the final few chapters rather seem to hinge on Samantha developing a relationship with her grandfather--partially for her own ~~well-being~~ and partially for Ben's future career (in a roundabout way).

And sure: females in the 19th century were better off with a network to rely on. Having family could prevent a lot of situations that men just wouldn't face, even if they were entirely alone in the world. So I understand that perspective (if that perspective is what is shaping the narrative at all, which I rather doubt).

But as this is a 'Regency' romance, with some very modern sensibilities, I DO doubt it. And I'm sick of it. Sometimes, a person's family is shit. Sometimes, a person's father or mother or grandfather or brother or sister is not a good person. Sometimes, the decision to isolate yourself from that influence is a good one. Sometimes, the decision to remove a toxic person from your life is the best decision that can be made. Forgiveness and togetherness mean nothing in the face of that sort of situation.

But that's never the case. Instead everyone is The Best and you need to embrace your family!! LOVE ONE ANOTHER, BUT ONLY IF THERE'S A BLOOD RELATIONSHIP. OTHERWISE, ANGST.

2. I'm going to say what I've said about a few other of Balogh's books: there's something very clinical about how her characters fall in love. There's absolutely feeling there, but it's so restrained and understated that it feels almost dismal and heavy and dull.

Like there's this scene where they basically schedule their sex. Samantha asks Ben if he'll come over the next day and swim and stay for dinner--after all the servants leave. The only thing that would have made it more obvious is if she'd shouted "PS BRING YOUR DICK #fingerguns" at him as he left.

And the worst part is I GET IT. Romance, love, sex--they're not always spur-of-the-moment things! Sometimes planning is necessary! Sometimes talking out the mechanics is a good thing! It makes sense to me! But remove all impulsiveness from the narrative and you're left with a dry thing; a serious, dour plot that plods on towards a happy ever after that feels like relief rather than radiant joy

I love Balogh for her feeling, and for her skill, and for her approach to romance. But I also dislike her a bit for making me feel so unsettled and restless while reading her books, wanting some hint of the Great Fall, hoping for her characters to stumble into love, into romance, into sex. Instead, they talk and talk and talk and they think and think and think; they tell themselves they are not ready for love, for romance, for sex; they tell each other they are not ready. They tell me that they are not ready and I want to rail at them all because THIS IS A ROMANCE NOVEL WHY ARE YOU WASTING MY TIME.

And when Samantha and Ben finally do acknowledge their feelings, it's great. And it's everything I tuned in for. Except the voyage gave me forty blisters and probably malaria and boy did I suffer.

PS BRING YOUR DICK.

[[Aengell] · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Mary Balogh writes splendidly. I always think of her as the Godmother of Regency Romance. Not because she's a senior writer, but because her works are understated, laid-back. Most of HR authors write stories which could be set in modern times; partly because of actual plots, partly because of some heroine's mannerisms which simply do not belong to that era, and mostly because of the narrating voice. Balogh has a beautiful and fitting voice, where I always get carried away to the times of reading real classics like Austen and the Bronte sisters.

Her stories don't contain much passion, humour or lightness, but it fits perfectly to the storytelling. Balogh's novels are still livid, enchanting and breathtaking in their pureness.

This story is no exception.

Ben as the tortured hero is not awaking pity in me, nor does he become annoying after a time. He has the issue with his legs, but it's described in a realistic and believable way. He isn't much of an Alpha, but he is stead fast in his opinions, is a typical man (yes, a little Alpha is in every man, like a diva is in every woman, right?), and he has a great sense of humour.

I love Samantha. I could identify with her on many levels. She was unsecure, unsure and hesitating at the beginning, but I felt 100% with her. Balogh describes Samantha's "prison" in a suffocating and therefore perfect way. I squirmed and was nervous and hoped desperately for Samantha to get to her freedom.

Samantha and Ben together were a great couple, their relationship developed slowly, but without being boring in any way.

A true masterpiece, and I anticipate the next installment eagerly!

[Geo Just Reading My Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Călătorie cu final neașteptat este o poveste dulce-amară. Care te sfâșie și te întregește, îți aduce lacrimi de durere în ochi și bucurie în suflet. Ben și Samantha sunt două suflete rănite care se întâlnesc în momente de cumpănă și care reușesc să se înțeleagă unul pe celălalt mai bine decât o făceau cu propria persoană. Au parte de sprijin și înțelegere, iar destinul este hotărât să le ofere șansa la fericire. O poveste plină de duioșie.

[Preeti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cannot imagine, I ever thought of reading this series selectively. Because so far all three books are 4-5 stars for me. I didn't have this success rate even with MB's most famous 'Bedwyn Saga'. Though, I am trying to pace myself and not finish it within days.😂😂 And, I also think I should give some of the credit(10% maybe) to the narrator, Rosalyn Lander. She is without a doubt my fav female narrator in the historical romance/fiction genre. Recently I reread every Jane Austen book because Miss Rosalyn was the narrator.🤭🤭

This whole series revolves around the MCs who are survivors of the Napoleonic war/Peninsula war. This one, in particular, is the story of Sir Benedict(Ben), he sustained severe damage to his legs and now even after 6 years has to use crutches for support.

Samantha's sufferings are also due to war but in a completely different way. Her husband got injured and she nursed him for 5 long years. But, one thing common between both of them is their will to live and not just survive. And, they did learn how to live, not only because of their mutual love but because of self-acceptance.

Let me say this book is the epitome of how to write relationship development perfectly. They both met as strangers and then became allies, then friends then lovers and finally, in love. We can feel the emotions of the characters in every stage. The funny thing is MB created forced proximity and used it to amplify their friendship, not a physical relationship between them.

So, in short, you should read this one…
1. We are back in MB's fav- Wales …
2. The quintessential beta hero- Caring but not overbearing…MB has a knack for writing them.
4. Samantha🥰🥰🥰
3. The relationship development- Saying slow burn doesn't justify it.
4. Beautiful writing…yes we get some amazing scenes of mutual care/love between the couple but MB is overgenerous in her writing whenever She is writing, whenever we are in Wales.

[Juliana Philippa · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Am really enjoying this series! They all happen within a short time period, some of them overlapping. Balogh does a good job each time of explaining back story and etc., but I do think they're still probably best read in order.

This story is super lovely. I love, love Benedict; Balogh is one of the few romance writers who frequently writes heroes that are not drop-dead gorgeous, and sometimes are even not physically perfect (can you imagine? perish the thought!!). He's so lost at the beginning, and completely understandably—he wanted a military life, he excelled as an officer and that's what he foresaw as his career, and that is no longer even remotely possible for him.

I also loved Samantha. Didn't have a great feel for her at the beginning, and felt like it could go either way—not that I might dislike her, but that I might not get a sense of her or connect with her. Thankfully, that didn't end up happening, and I found her to be a terrific heroine. Again on the physical front, I also appreciated that although Samantha is super beautiful, we're not told this over, and over, and over again, and it's not something that's constantly repeating itself in Ben's head.

The Survivors' Club Series
Book 1: The Proposal (unrated; not great) — Hugo's story
Book 2: The Arrangement (4-4.5 stars) — Vincent's story
Book 3: The Escape (4.5 stars) — Benedict's story
Book 4: Only Enchanting (4 stars) — Flavian's story
Book 5: Only a Promise (4.5 stars) — Ralph's story
Book 6: Only a Kiss (TBR) — Imogen's story
Book 7: Only Beloved (3.5 stars) — George's story

Recommendations Based on the Hero
Historical romances featuring heroes who also have significant physical challenges and/or disabilities.
4 stars. The Arrangement by Mary Balogh (blindness)
4 stars. Simply Love by Mary Balogh (several severe injuries)
4 stars. In Total Surrender by Anne Mallory (serious leg injury)
4 stars. Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare (blindness)
4 stars. To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt (missing an eye, scars)
3.5 stars. It Takes a Scandal by Caroline Linden (serious leg injury)

Recommendations Based on the Heroine
Historical romances featuring good girl heroines who "break free" and go on a bit of a wild and crazy journey (sometimes literally) and takes a chance.
5 stars. Wicked Becomes You by Meredith Duran
4.5 stars. Follow My Lead by Kate Noble
4.5 stars. The Runaway Princess by Christina Dodd
4.5 stars. A Lady's Code of Misconduct by Meredith Duran
4 stars. McAlistair's Fortune by Alissa Johnson
4 stars. Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

[Nelly S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a lovely story featuring two of my favorite tropes: a hero with a disability and a widow. Sir Benedict Harper is a wounded ex-military hero who feels adrift after losing the use of his legs in battle. He’s never wanted to be anything else other than a military officer and can’t envision life outside of it. Then he meets Samantha who is a recent widow crushed by the onerous conditions placed on her mourning period by the family of her deceased husband. She seeks an escape from her home and embarks on a journey to Wales, which Ben insists on accompanying her on to provide protection. Close proximity leads to an inevitable romance. It’s a slow burn with wonderful characterization, and it’s wonderful to see the hero and heroine overcome their personal demons as they open themselves up to love.

[Judithrosebooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

No me ha gustado tanto como los dos anteriores de la saga. siento que no se mantenía la tensión entre los personajes, la historia de ambos protagonistas me ha gustado pero me ha faltado ese romance, cruce de miradas... que hacen que tengas ganas de ver si terminaran juntos o no.

me ha gustado la protagonista en general pero al faltarme parte de romanticismo pues ha hecho que no lo disfrutara tanto y en parte, fuese perdiendo interés en la lectura... quizás por eso he ido alternando otras lecturas de por medio y ha hecho que me durase unos dos meses esta historia que normalmente me suelen durar pocos días, incluso horas.

[Luana ☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so cuuute. If you have read the series from the beginning you can clearly see how Mary Balogh writing has improved, the change is HUGE in the tone, it was not a tepid romance, it was beautiful and realistic and hot when it needed be. I loved this third book and I am looking forward to continuing the series.

[Tenley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read three books in this series back to back and The Escape was my least favorite. While the writing was nicely done, I found the story to be rather dull. I felt that there was too much telling and not showing in this book. For example, many times, I was told by the author that the two MCs spent all day talking, or had many conversations where they spoke about things both trivial and deep but I would have preferred actual dialog versus a summary of all the things they discussed.

Also, I felt that the heroine's story dominated the book. Over and over again, it was her hardships that were discussed - not Ben's and I found her to be very selfish and immature throughout the story. As a result, I was not invested in their relationship.

Anyway, I'm taking a break from this series, but plan to make my way back.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, The Escape, is book #3 in the Survivors' Club series.

Sir Benedict Harper has tried to get on with his life after his horrific physical damage acquired on the battlefield during the Peninsular wars. He walks with crutches and had done his recovering with the other members of the Survivors' club at George Crabbe, Duke of Stanbrook's home.

Samantha McKay had attended to her husband for years after he too had been wounded during the wars. She had become a widow only four months before the two met.

Neither liked the other at first until they suddenly realized that they were attracted. It was quite the meeting.

Their home lives were in turmoil and neither one were secure with their homes. As things get even more unpleasant she remembers that she was left a cottage.

When she decides to go to her inherited cottage in Wales, Ben accompanies her there to keep her safe. It is a very interesting trip. They find themselves tempted by one another.

This is another magnificent story about wounded returning soldiers that have no hope of finding love and happiness. Mary Balogh brings the survivors lives out in the open and let them find a spot in the readers heart.

Mary Balogh shares their struggles during recovery and the hopelessness that sometimes surrounds him. Mary's characters are always well formed and full of life. They have personalities that make you feel like they are friends by the end of the book.

This is a book worth reading. It is one of my favorites in the series.

[Starr (AKA Starrfish) Rivers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly, bonus point for the cover. MB seldom has hot men on her covers, and despite the little I see of him on this cover, that man is HOT. Not completely consistent with the image of Ben Harper in my mind, based on his descriptions, tho, but, hey, always happy to have HOT inspiration for my imagination as I read.

Ben is an officer crippled by war. He's incredibly brave and through and through a gentleman. I love this type of hero!

Samantha is a widow. She was married to a gorgeous soldier who was too in love with himself and also suffered wounds from war, but is the complete opposite of Ben in terms of personality - he was unfaithful, conceited, selfish, spoiled. But she was loyal to him and once he died, she wanted to live again (or live for the first time)

They went on an "escape" together, a getaway, and it started out as friends. He certainly did everything he could to resist her and do the right thing, but she wanted him and, well, she got her way.

What began as a simple affair, an escapade, became a real love (of course).

I enjoyed it. Probably won't reread it for some time, but glad I did this time.

[Drache.... (Angelika) · Rating 5 out of 5]

reread 07/2023
I'm enjoying rereading this series immensly. My mind can rest after exhausting days at work. It's perfect for me at the moment.
4,5 stars.
------
08/2020
Such a beautiful series... I adore every single book so far.

[eyes.2c · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sir Benedict Harper’s story is wound up in Samantha MacKay’s tale. Samatha is a recent widow being controlled by the puritanical strictures of her husband’s family. When her father-in-law decides to have her taken back under his eye, Samatha turns to Ben for help. Ben is struggling with what to do with his future. His brother is managing his estates and Ben can’t quite see himself in that role. Injured in the Napoleonic Wars, he’s able to walk using his cane’s but that won’t get him back into what he really wants to do, active duty with the army. And now there’s the beautiful Samantha needing his assistance. Another fascinating Survivor’s Club memoir.

[Gemma G. Gegargas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Esta historia se mantiene en la linea del resto de los libros de esta serie. Es una lectura tranquila, sin sobresaltos ni sorpresas. Desde la primera linea sabes como comienza y como termina. Quizás lo único que destacaría de este libro sería el personaje de Ben. Como pasó con Vincent, tuvo evolución.

Por ahora no seguiré con esta serie, la mantendré de comodín por si necesito leer un libro de estas características.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Escape by Mary Balogh is a 2014 Dell publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

After being just a tiny bit disappointed in the last Survivor's Club novel, this third book in the series gets back on track in a big way.
Benedict ( Ben) Harper and Samantha McKay are both scarred by the Peninsular Wars, but in different ways. Ben has finally accepted he will never be the virile, active man he once was after being wounded. He knows he will always be a “cripple” and now he must adjust to his handicap and start living his live accordingly.
Samantha is a young widow, who spent five long years tending to her wounded husband, a man who was so suffocating his death should have been a relief, but now she is still imprisoned by his family who insist Samantha stay in deep mourning. Her dour sister- in- law insist Samantha wear thick black widow gowns and she is never to leave the house , even to walk among the small gardens, and she can never ever go anywhere alone.
But, a hilarious chance meeting between these two lonely souls and a cute dog, will set them on a course they never imagined.

I could literally feel Samantha's restlessness. Good grief! She is still very young and longs to exercise, ride horses, walk her impish dog, Tramp, and live life to it's fullest. However, she is not allowed to even breath because of her husband's family and she is still dependent upon them at the moment. But, the safe friendship she develops with Ben causes her to finally stand up for herself.

Ben is horribly embarrassed by his first encounter with Samantha. Offering her his sincere apology and with her understanding of his handicap Ben thinks that as a widow, Samantha is “safe” company. He soon finds himself embroiled in her personal life and realizes too late she is hardly a “safe” companion as the two embark on an adventure together, one which will be enlightening, heartwarming, educational, and very romantic and sensual.

I was so happy to see this couple close the door on war and it's ugly effects on their lives and open a new door filled with hope, peace, and most of all love as they begin a new journey in life together.

Mary Balogh is an author I can count on to write a story with depth and not only sensuality, but with romance, which is something I miss sometimes these days. These characters faced horror and grave adversity, but had the courage to change the path they were on and were rewarded greatly as a result. This is a very sweet and emotional story, deeply moving and just plain good.
5 stars

[Olga Godim · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
In this book, #3 in the Survivors series, the hero Benedict had lost the use of his legs in the war. Now, a few years later, he is healed as much as he could. He walks slowly with two canes and he doesn’t know what to do with his life. His dream of a military career was crushed together with his legs during one of the battles against Napoleon. He drifts through life, searching for directions.
The heroine Samantha buried her husband a few months ago. During his long illness, she was a dutiful wife to him, nursing him and not complaining, even though she didn’t love him. Now, her in-laws are smothering her with their strict propriety rules. She wants to escape, to be free, to dance, but she has to wear unrelenting mourning dresses and hide her face behind a dense veil. She isn’t even allowed outside except to an inner garden or to church.
When Samantha decides to escape her in-laws and run away to a cottage she inherited from her long-dead mother, Benedict is compelled as a gentleman to accompany her.
I liked Samantha, liked and understood her yearning for freedom, away from the stifling conventions of society. Of many fictional heroines, Samantha most reminded me of Scarlet O’Hara. But then, Samantha is quarter Gypsy.
I also respected Benedict’s need to prove himself and his worth despite his crippled legs. Both seem to find their salvation in each other, but the novel itself has its share of problems.
I don’t understand the heroes’ mutual resistance to their growing attraction. It defies common sense and feels like a simple literary device. Some obstacle should stand in the way of the protagonists’ love, shouldn’t it? Let them resist it.
Another problem comes with Samantha’s grandfather. He is a successful businessman, an owner of several coal mines and ironworks. He should be smart and ruthless; after all it was a cutthroat business in those days. Instead he is as tame and nice as a puppy. I don’t believe it.
There are some other logical gaps in the plot and the characters’ development, but I won’t mention them to avoid spoilers.
Despite the problems though, I liked the story well enough. I won’t buy it but I’ll seek out the next novel in the series at our library. I want to know what happened to the other members of the Survivors Club. Three more books to go. The expectation fills me with contentment.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest opinion:

Imagine walking on a path through a dark forest, alive with vines trying to hold you back, forever struggling to seek the light and escape, but lost for days on end. It takes every ounce of your strength and endurance to keep going forward until, finally, after many trials, you are free. When you finally step into that brilliant breath-stealing light filled with beauty, you find a new world unlike any you have known or experienced before. You are not the same person you were when you started your journey into that dark forest, but have come out stronger, wiser and more confident of what you want out of life and how to achieve it. This is what Mary Balogh's "The Escape (the Survivor's Club, #3)" reminded me of. Two lost souls, wounded in body and mind, limited and repressed by life's sometimes harsh realities and who, through fate or destiny, find each other and embark on their enlightening journey together.

Sir Benedict Harper was severely wounded during the Napoleonic Wars, finally accepting the limitations his catastrophic wounds have placed on him, and finds himself restless and struggling to find his place in his world. He is a member of the "Survivor's Club." The "Survivor's Club" is actually the Duke of Stanbrook's home, which is a sanctuary and place of healing for six men and one women who were severely wounded in one way or another during the Napoleonic Wars. I couldn't wait for Benedict's story, having read about him in Ms. Balogh's first two books in this series, "The Proposal" and "The Arrangement."

Samantha McKay is a recent widow of another casualty of the Napoleonic Wars, who has spent the last several years caring for her dying, selfish and demanding husband and who has been under the repressive thumb of her Puritanical father-in-law and sister-in-law. Samantha is drained, empty, disillusioned and longing to throw off her widow's weeds and step out into the sunshine and spread her wings.

Ms. Balogh did not disappoint with Benedict's book and it surpassed my expectations. As always, she is a brilliant story teller, painting every scene eloquently and beautifully, letting the story unfold, slowing revealing the hidden depths of each character. Unlike many Regency books where the hero is a breath taking specimen and the heroine is a "diamond of the first water," these two characters are flawed physically (in their contemporaries eyes at least). However, Ms. Balogh's shows that not everything is as it seems on the surface. That the heart, mind, soul and actions are far more telling and far more valuable assets to a person's true nature.

This book was simply perfection.

I highly recommend picking up all the books in this wonderful, warm, compelling series. I, for one, cannot wait for the next installment, "Only Enchanting."

[Wollstonecrafthomegirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have gone back and forth on star rating and let myself mull it over before committing. MB is a hostage to fortune really because my expectations are so ridiculously high and I really enjoyed the last one I read in this series, 'The Proposal' (although it wasn't quite a five star read for me) and the truth is I didn't enjoy this one as much so I wondered how I could give this the same star rating. Basically folks, I'm massively overthinking the GR star system and it'd all be better if they'd just give us half stars for Godssake. I've settled on 4, truth is it's somewhere between 3.5 and 4. All the good things about MB's writing are here in spates. Great scene setting, solid characters, well-developed romance, all period appropriate and nothing too overblown. I liked both the H/h, they were well-characterised with believable backgrounds. I particularly like Samantha's plight for a life of her own and freedom from her husband's oppressive family. She basically wins the lottery in respect of this and how terribly convenient it all is (and thus implausible, who forgets they have a house?) but that's a small quibble. For me, they didn't fizz as a couple. They felt rather like siblings at certain points or like two members of the survivors' club itself, and thus I wasn't as invested in the romance. The story lagged for me in the first section, I thought it was much more successful when they reached Wales and I liked the beach scenes very much and the way the story was wrapped up was neat and satisfying. This might sound strange, but I wish a little more had been made of Ben's injuries. I think MB skirted around how impactful they would been, in a way that she didn't with Vince. Still very much enjoyed this though.