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Someone to Hold
(Westcott #2)
by
Humphrey Westcott, Earl of Riverdale, has died, leaving behind a fortune and a scandalous secret that will forever alter the lives of his family—sending one daughter on a journey of self-discovery...
With her parents’ marriage declared bigamous, Camille Westcott is now illegitimate and without a title. Looking to eschew the trappings of her old life, she leaves London to t ...more
With her parents’ marriage declared bigamous, Camille Westcott is now illegitimate and without a title. Looking to eschew the trappings of her old life, she leaves London to t ...more
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Mass Market Paperback, 379 pages
Published
February 7th 2017
by Berkley Books
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Start your review of Someone to Hold (Westcott, #2)

Oh, I cannot believe that Ms. Balogh managed to make me like Camille!!!

In the previous book Camille was soooo odious and I disliked her very, very much! She treated Anna like dirt under her slippered feet. She was so full of herself! She thought she was better than anybody else.
I almost rejoiced with all that befell her! That’s how much she was odious!
So when I started this book I couldn’t believe that I would end liking her! But that exactly what happened!
She went through a true transformation! ...more

In the previous book Camille was soooo odious and I disliked her very, very much! She treated Anna like dirt under her slippered feet. She was so full of herself! She thought she was better than anybody else.
I almost rejoiced with all that befell her! That’s how much she was odious!
So when I started this book I couldn’t believe that I would end liking her! But that exactly what happened!
She went through a true transformation! ...more

Someone to Hold by Mary Balogh is a 2017 Jove publication.
This second installment in the Westcott series centers around Camille Westcott, Anna’s half-sister. When Anna inherited her fortune and social status, it came at the expense of Camille and her family.
Now Camille, whose very identity was wrapped up in her father’s title, her place in society, the fortune she has never lived without, and the life she had expected to forge with her former fiancé, is struggling to find herself, to discover ...more
This second installment in the Westcott series centers around Camille Westcott, Anna’s half-sister. When Anna inherited her fortune and social status, it came at the expense of Camille and her family.
Now Camille, whose very identity was wrapped up in her father’s title, her place in society, the fortune she has never lived without, and the life she had expected to forge with her former fiancé, is struggling to find herself, to discover ...more

This is the second in a series that revolves around a relatively dynamic family that are all up in each others' business. As such, I highly recommend reading them in order if only because it's fun to get the full build-up of the family relationships.
This was a more "standard" five-star read for me than the first book was. Which means my experience is more likely to match the general audience as it's likely a less idiosyncratic one. I'm really glad that Balogh chose to tackle Camille so soon afte ...more
This was a more "standard" five-star read for me than the first book was. Which means my experience is more likely to match the general audience as it's likely a less idiosyncratic one. I'm really glad that Balogh chose to tackle Camille so soon afte ...more

4.5 Stars
Camille Westcott’s life as she knew it changed in one afternoon. The Earl of Riverdale, her father didn’t legally marry her mother, couldn’t have because he was already married to another woman, making Camille and her siblings bastards in the process. In one afternoon, Camille is stripped of her title, house and fortune. As if that were not bad enough her fiancé, Viscount Uxbury, broke things off once he found out. Yet, we soon find out that all this may have been the best tragedy to be ...more
Camille Westcott’s life as she knew it changed in one afternoon. The Earl of Riverdale, her father didn’t legally marry her mother, couldn’t have because he was already married to another woman, making Camille and her siblings bastards in the process. In one afternoon, Camille is stripped of her title, house and fortune. As if that were not bad enough her fiancé, Viscount Uxbury, broke things off once he found out. Yet, we soon find out that all this may have been the best tragedy to be ...more

It was better than I expected...
****4.5 Stars****
I've met Camille and Joel previously, and, to be honest, I wasn't that impressed with them. I started Someone to Hold a little hesitantly. Would my grudge against Camille's immature reaction to Anna influence my enjoyment of this story? Am I going to be faced with Joel's unrequited love for Anna the whole way through? Well, I'm happy to say that these two really grow and mature and by the end, I was completely satisfied with their love story.
I'm b ...more
****4.5 Stars****
I've met Camille and Joel previously, and, to be honest, I wasn't that impressed with them. I started Someone to Hold a little hesitantly. Would my grudge against Camille's immature reaction to Anna influence my enjoyment of this story? Am I going to be faced with Joel's unrequited love for Anna the whole way through? Well, I'm happy to say that these two really grow and mature and by the end, I was completely satisfied with their love story.
I'm b ...more

If I had one word to describe the story, it would be “boring”. I can’t believe I’m uttering the word while being a huge Ms. Balogh’s fan!
This is the story of Camille Westcott self-discovery and redemption. Prickly and self-righteous, she was unlikable character in the first book. Kudos to the author for keeping her character consistent and making her transformation believable. She didn’t change overnight. It took considerable amount of time for her to see the light, to love and let herself be l ...more
This is the story of Camille Westcott self-discovery and redemption. Prickly and self-righteous, she was unlikable character in the first book. Kudos to the author for keeping her character consistent and making her transformation believable. She didn’t change overnight. It took considerable amount of time for her to see the light, to love and let herself be l ...more

I am a huge Mary Balogh fan and there's one thing that never changes - as soon as she publishes a new book, I must have it - and I'm never disappointed; her imagination is endless and her storylines still original after decades of writing. In part, at least, some of her popularity and continuing success is in the subtlety and empathy always present in her story telling; in the unique way she has of presenting her out-of-the-ordinary characters as if she herself has walked in their shoes and expe
...more

I'm really hoping this follow-up experience with Balogh where I have a huge pile of mixed feelings is only a sign of how this series is working for me, and not the author herself. Because once again I find myself caught between loving the parts I loved and really totally unmoved over the rest.
I do want to give credit where credit is due and applaud Balogh for not giving an unlikeable character a personality transplant overnight. All of Camille's unpleasantness, stiffness, everything that made he ...more
I do want to give credit where credit is due and applaud Balogh for not giving an unlikeable character a personality transplant overnight. All of Camille's unpleasantness, stiffness, everything that made he ...more

Wow, I can't believe she was able to turn Camille's character around. I think I enjoyed this one almost more that the first. On to #3!
...more






"You are an incredibly strong person, Camille," he said. "But sometimes you build a wall about yourself. You are doing it now. Is that the only way you can hold yourself together?"
She was about to utter an angry retort. But she was feeling weary. Her feet were sore. "Yes," she said.
His eyes continued to search her face. "Yet behind the wall," he said, "you are amazingly tenderhearted. And loyal hearted."
Bottom Line Up-Top. Wow, this review ended up being long. Granted, there are a fair ...more

I've given this an A+ for narration and a B+ for content at AudioGals. By my reckoning, the stellar narration bumps the audiobook up into the 5 star bracket.
Someone to Hold, the second book in Ms. Balogh’s Westcott series, tells the story of Miss – formerly Lady – Camille Westcott, the eldest daughter of the late Earl of Riverdale, who discovered after his death that she, along with her brother and sister, was illegitimate because their parents’ marriage was bigamous.
In the previous book, So ...more
Someone to Hold, the second book in Ms. Balogh’s Westcott series, tells the story of Miss – formerly Lady – Camille Westcott, the eldest daughter of the late Earl of Riverdale, who discovered after his death that she, along with her brother and sister, was illegitimate because their parents’ marriage was bigamous.
In the previous book, So ...more

I declared last fall that the first book, Someone to Love, was one of my best reads for the year and my top historical romance. Now, with Someone to Hold, I wanted to see how it held up against all that love I had for the first book. I gladly report that this one stood strong to the test and kept me riveted to see a proud, staunch young woman overcome much to find her place, to find love, but most of all, to find herself.
Someone to Hold is book two in The Westcotts series and works best read in ...more
Someone to Hold is book two in The Westcotts series and works best read in ...more

3.5 stars
I'm just dipping my toe into historical books, but this one sounded intriguing and I was eager to start it.
I liked Camille and Joel well enough. She's a bit stiff and fussy and he's sort of flighty, but it works. And under the circumstances of the story, it fits. I enjoyed the scenes with them together and when they weren't, it's all I wanted.
The plot moved slowly. Like slooooooowly. I struggled to stay interested, but then the chemistry parts would happen and it would be enough to ke ...more
I'm just dipping my toe into historical books, but this one sounded intriguing and I was eager to start it.
I liked Camille and Joel well enough. She's a bit stiff and fussy and he's sort of flighty, but it works. And under the circumstances of the story, it fits. I enjoyed the scenes with them together and when they weren't, it's all I wanted.
The plot moved slowly. Like slooooooowly. I struggled to stay interested, but then the chemistry parts would happen and it would be enough to ke ...more

Jan 16, 2017
Dorine
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
fans of great storytelling that will play like a movie in your head
Shelves:
rj,
regency,
favorites,
romance,
family-dynamics,
historical,
ebooks-kindle,
art-theme,
1800s
SOMEONE TO HOLD by Mary Balogh once again showcases her talent for creating difficult characters who earn the reader’s love and respect. Complex, emotionally stirring and very different from the norm – quite the story!
I was very happy to be back in this world, catching up on what happened to Camille and Abigail after they found out about their father’s lies in SOMEONE TO LOVE, book one of the WESTCOTT series. Camille and Abigail, as well as their mother and brother, have found themselves on the ...more
I was very happy to be back in this world, catching up on what happened to Camille and Abigail after they found out about their father’s lies in SOMEONE TO LOVE, book one of the WESTCOTT series. Camille and Abigail, as well as their mother and brother, have found themselves on the ...more

Someone to Hold is the second book in Mary Balogh’s Westcotts series. It can be read as a standalone, however due to reoccurring characters and a continuing story arc, it would probably be best to start with the first book, Someone to Love.
Lady Camille Westcott always strived to be perfect; a perfect daughter, lady, and fiancée. However her world is turned upside down when it is discovered her parents were never legally married making her illegitimate. The former Lady, now a mere miss, with her ...more
Lady Camille Westcott always strived to be perfect; a perfect daughter, lady, and fiancée. However her world is turned upside down when it is discovered her parents were never legally married making her illegitimate. The former Lady, now a mere miss, with her ...more

SOMEONE TO HOLD, the second book in Mary Balogh’s Westcott series, is a beautifully written and emotional story of self-discovery and finding love.
In SOMEONE TO LOVE (book 1), Camille appears downright dislikeable, especially in her hatred towards her half-sister Anna, but such is Ms. Balogh’s skill as a writer that I not only came to like Camille but also sympathise with her.
As a girl, Camille desperately wanted her father’s love, but the Earl of Riverdale was a selfish man and only ever loved ...more
In SOMEONE TO LOVE (book 1), Camille appears downright dislikeable, especially in her hatred towards her half-sister Anna, but such is Ms. Balogh’s skill as a writer that I not only came to like Camille but also sympathise with her.
As a girl, Camille desperately wanted her father’s love, but the Earl of Riverdale was a selfish man and only ever loved ...more

Again, I am a fan of Mary Balogh. I did enjoy this redemptive story of Lady Camille and was happy to see that her demeanor changed. MB did a great job with the change of her character and it kept me wanting to know the outcome. Love Ms. Landor's narration too.
4-Stars ...more
4-Stars ...more

Mary Balogh’s Westcott series revolves around an earl’s family discovering upon his death that he was a bigamist with a wife and child kept hidden from everyone. When the truth comes out there are devastating ramifications for the family left behind. Someone to Hold is the second book of the series but is the first story to take a closer look at how a person rebuilds after such an incredible upheaval.
The lies and betrayals of the late Earl of Riverdale have caused irreparable damage to his immed ...more
The lies and betrayals of the late Earl of Riverdale have caused irreparable damage to his immed ...more

Dec 01, 2018
Starr (AKA Bam Bam) Rivers
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-romance
I quite like this book. There aren't many MB books that I don't like. There's just a subtlety and maturity in her writing that I appreciate vs. other writers in this genre. It distinguishes her from the others.
However, she can get repetitive and use the same tropes and character types over and over again. But the writing and the interactions between the MCs are interesting enough that I'm not too often irritated.
This book is more 3.5 stars rounded to 4. I like the heroine Camile quite a bit. I l ...more
However, she can get repetitive and use the same tropes and character types over and over again. But the writing and the interactions between the MCs are interesting enough that I'm not too often irritated.
This book is more 3.5 stars rounded to 4. I like the heroine Camile quite a bit. I l ...more

This was really solid and I really enjoyed it. I'm really glad Camille got a book. I don't relate to her, exactly AND YET . . . maybe I did a little. More so than your typical heroine, anyway.
I'm glad Joel got a book, too. ...more
I'm glad Joel got a book, too. ...more

Someone to Hold (Westcott #2) by Mary Balogh
With her parents’ marriage declared bigamous, Camille Westcott is now illegitimate and without a title. Looking to eschew the trappings of her old life, she leaves London to teach at the Bath orphanage where her newly discovered half-sister lived. But even as she settles in, she must sit for a portrait commissioned by her grandmother and endure an artist who riles her every nerve.An art teacher at the orphanage that was once his home, Joel Cunni ...more
With her parents’ marriage declared bigamous, Camille Westcott is now illegitimate and without a title. Looking to eschew the trappings of her old life, she leaves London to teach at the Bath orphanage where her newly discovered half-sister lived. But even as she settles in, she must sit for a portrait commissioned by her grandmother and endure an artist who riles her every nerve.An art teacher at the orphanage that was once his home, Joel Cunni ...more

3.5 stars
A family tree of the Westcott family is included at the beginning of the book, which was very much needed. I had trouble keeping everyone apart when reading the first book in the series, but now I could just flip back to the start and see who was who.
The second book in the series features Camille Westcott, the elder of the two Westcott sister who suddenly found themselves and their world turned upside down in Someone to love. Joel, the male main character, at one point described Camille ...more
A family tree of the Westcott family is included at the beginning of the book, which was very much needed. I had trouble keeping everyone apart when reading the first book in the series, but now I could just flip back to the start and see who was who.
The second book in the series features Camille Westcott, the elder of the two Westcott sister who suddenly found themselves and their world turned upside down in Someone to love. Joel, the male main character, at one point described Camille ...more

Liked this one a LOT. Shades above the previous one. Which is funny considering I was so hesitant to read it (Camille was pretty awful in book 1 and I didn't understand how the hero could be the man formerly in love with her half sister. Didn't seem fair to Camille).
But oh, this book. This book was great. I really enjoyed seeing the layers of Camille and Joel be revealed (it took me like fifty pages to get into them and once I did I was a goner). I liked their relationship a lot more than Anna's ...more
But oh, this book. This book was great. I really enjoyed seeing the layers of Camille and Joel be revealed (it took me like fifty pages to get into them and once I did I was a goner). I liked their relationship a lot more than Anna's ...more

4.5/5; 5 stars; A
This is the best book by this author that I've read in quite some time. I think she outdid herself in the character development aspect of the story. The children in the orphanage as well as the adults who had been in the orphanage provided a perfect vehicle for examining the meaning of family and love.
I really disliked Camille's character in book one and its kind of amazing that Balogh managed to turn that around. Watching Joel go from dislike and distaste to interest, friendsh ...more
This is the best book by this author that I've read in quite some time. I think she outdid herself in the character development aspect of the story. The children in the orphanage as well as the adults who had been in the orphanage provided a perfect vehicle for examining the meaning of family and love.
I really disliked Camille's character in book one and its kind of amazing that Balogh managed to turn that around. Watching Joel go from dislike and distaste to interest, friendsh ...more

So, Balogh had an uphill road with this one for me because (somewhat unsurprisingly) I did not warm to Camille and Joel comes across as kind of - um - wet in book one. So I was feeling a bit meh about the whole thing. But I will be damned if I read this series out of order. I can barely distinguish the thousands of characters as it is.
Balogh went a long, long way to walk back all those preconceptions I had about our H/h. I really enjoyed this and raced through it.
I thought Camille's decision t ...more
Balogh went a long, long way to walk back all those preconceptions I had about our H/h. I really enjoyed this and raced through it.
I thought Camille's decision t ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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Camille similar to Lauren from A Summer | 2 | 16 | Apr 18, 2018 02:42PM | |
Sinopsis en Español // Synopsis in Spanish | 1 | 5 | Jun 27, 2016 12:31PM |
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 curl
...more
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Westcott
(8 books)
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“She looked at him, her eyes brimming with laughter again. Joel sat gazing at her, wondering how much attention she was drawing from the other occupants of the room. But, however much it was, she seemed unaware of it. He gazed back at her, more than a bit shaken, for she looked like a different woman when she laughed. She looked young and vivid and ...
What was the word his mind was searching for? Gorgeous? She was hardly that.
Stunning.
That was it. She looked stunning, and he was feeling a bit stunned. She made prettiness seem bland.
Her laughter quickly died, however. "You must have gathered enough information about me to paint a dozen pictures," she said, sounding suddenly cross. "I wish you would paint that infernal portrait and be done with it."
"So that you can be rid of me?" he said. "Alas, you would not be that even if I were ready to paint you tonight. We would still be sharing the schoolroom two afternoons each week. But I am not ready. The more I learn of you, the more I realize I do not know you at all. And, by your own admission, you do not know yourself either.”
—
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What was the word his mind was searching for? Gorgeous? She was hardly that.
Stunning.
That was it. She looked stunning, and he was feeling a bit stunned. She made prettiness seem bland.
Her laughter quickly died, however. "You must have gathered enough information about me to paint a dozen pictures," she said, sounding suddenly cross. "I wish you would paint that infernal portrait and be done with it."
"So that you can be rid of me?" he said. "Alas, you would not be that even if I were ready to paint you tonight. We would still be sharing the schoolroom two afternoons each week. But I am not ready. The more I learn of you, the more I realize I do not know you at all. And, by your own admission, you do not know yourself either.”
“when one had taken that first determined step out into the rest of one’s life, one had to keep on striding forward—or retreat and be forever defeated.”
—
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