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Someone to Hold

(Westcott #2)

Mary Balogh

really liked it 4.00 · Rating details · 5,400 ratings · 611 reviews

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

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Mass Market Paperback, 379 pages

Published February 7th 2017 by Berkley Books

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Feb 17, 2017 Mei rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical

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

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Feb 27, 2017 Julie rated it really liked it

Shelves: e-book, 2017, historical-romance, overdrive, favorite-authors

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

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Feb 10, 2017 Jacob Proffitt rated it it was amazing

Shelves: steamy, romance

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 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 after the first. She was the most obviously aggrieved by the revelation of Anna's true lineage and the most bitter about the resulting change in circumstances. Such a strong reaction could have been milked for a long time for the emotional drama and I'm so glad that Balogh chose instead to feature it early and deeply.

And I should have known to trust Balogh to have a solid understanding of Camille's emotional landscape even if the character did not. Camille's so wounded that there's a good deal of flailing about in her activities that could have been merely random and thus driven as much by plot as by character. Instead, it all fits together as an excellent portrayal of someone who has come unmoored from all her expectations and is trying very hard to find herself again. I particularly loved how Balogh used Camille's decision to try teaching at the orphanage to show her working out her inner distress. Camille is so prickly and dour that we really needed to see her reaction to the children and their love of her to illustrate how deeply kind she is at the heart of that prickly exterior. And I loved how her uncertainty of how and what to teach such a broad range of capability and capacity lead her to consider deeply and show how she responded to being so fundamentally challenge for perhaps the first time in her life.

And Joel was an equally strong character and I loved how great a match he was for the guarded Camille. I loved his own steps in figuring out who he was and what he wanted to become. I liked how important his art was to him and his uncompromising honesty. But my favorite thing about him was how his insistence on getting to know his patrons leads him to compassion and kindness in addition to his growing understanding of them—or as a result of it. I particularly loved how Balogh never has to have anyone state how his reading of his subjects is so much a reflection of his own inner character as expressed in his art and the portrayal of those he paints.

I absolutely loved seeing these two get to know each other and come to rely on the companionship and understanding they find together. Joel and Camille quickly became one of my favorite romantic couples and a lot of that is how well they compliment and uplift one another. Which is good because a lot of the events were rather predictable, particularly as Joel discovers his relations and the background behind his growing up in the orphanage. While predictable, it was still interesting to see how the events affected the characters and how they chose to adjust and grow from them.

Anyway, this was a solid five stars and a wonderful read. If I had to rank them, I'd still have a mild preference for the first, but I'm very glad my impatience to wait for the library holds prompted me to pre-order this. I don't reread a lot of romance (mostly only Heyer, really) but I find it likely I'll return to this series at some time in the future and I'm glad I'll have the books on hand when I do.

A note about Steamy: This has two explicit sex scenes and they aren't short so it ends up in the middle of my steam tolerance. Frankly, I'm not sure I bought Camille's motivations there as unmarried sex didn't seem like her style at all (she's much too contemplative and aware that actions can have consequences far beyond the desires, even needs, of the moment). I didn't actually edit them in my head, though, because I liked the intimacy between the lead characters and adding a physical dimension to that didn't spoil my enjoyment of the story. Oh! Plus, this book features the greatest hug in romantic literature. Seriously, I had no idea so much emotional depth could fit in something so simple! ...more

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Feb 07, 2017 ♥Rachel♥ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, romance, historical

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 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 befall Camille. Not that she realizes it right away.

For Camille, a girl striving for her father’s approval and love meant being the perfect lady. Things like passion and romantic love never factored in that future. When the truth of her life becomes apparent Camille struggles with her identity. Who is she without her title and the future she clung to? Camille moves to Bath with her Grandmother and sister, and attempts to figure that out, all the while coping with the blow of her father’s treachery and fiancé’s rejection. She applies for a teaching job at the orphanage, Anna, her half sister and the true heir to her father’s fortune was raised and taught at. There is where she meets Joel, the somewhat shabby, disheveled and very male art teacher. Joel stirs up feelings she never considered before!

Camille was a stiff, entitled snob in the last book, spurning Anna’s attempts to make things right and fair for all of the Earl of Riverdale’s children, even though she had no obligation to do so. Anna was the one who grew up in an orphanage even though she was truly a lady. The late Earl injured all children by his his deception, but Camille was too proud to take Anna’s kindness. Seeing her character growth from the effect the children of the orphanage had on her, to the pride that comes from making your own way, and then feeling and falling in love was very moving! Camille took to heart the lessons life forced her to learn. Her previously controlled and well-ordered life went out the window and her heart began to thaw.

Joel and Camille’s relationship started out antagonistic, but some of my favorite romances start out that way. I loved the push and pull, and then their fumbling about as they’re drawn together!

Someone to Hold was so very enchanting! Mary Balogh’s writing was insightful, and beautiful! She really got to the heart of her characters, so many layers and feelings! I felt their emotions and was a little overwhelmed to the point of tears, both happy and sad, several times. I can’t wait for the next story in Westcott series! Alexander’s story is next.

A copy was kindly provided by Jove Books in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Apr 15, 2018 Penny Reid rated it it was amazing

Shelves: regency

I super enjoyed the characters in this book, especially the heroine. I found myself tearing up a few times when her internal dialogue hit a little too close to home. The premise was unique/interesting. The hero was flawed (for reals). Loved it.

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Sep 23, 2019 Stacey is Sassy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-series, audible-plus-escape-original, douchewaffles-galore, audio, slow-burn

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

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Feb 20, 2017 Lyuda rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-regency-period

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 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 loved.

Unlike the first installment in the series, this one concentrated more on romance as oppose to numerous Westcott’s relations. It would be a very good thing if romance worked. Unfortunately, I found it lacking one of the main ingredients - chemistry. And no, I’m not talking about sexual chemistry. Fortunately, there were just few sex scenes. Fortunately, because writing them has never been the author’s forte. Their description almost always came off as too clinical, too cringe-worthy. No, I’m referring to emotional chemistry crafting which made Ms. Balogh a Master. Very few write of feelings better than the author. Sadly, her magic failed to capture me here. I was bored reading long and numerous inner monologues. I started to skim through them just to get on with the story.

As I mentioned, the Westcott’s relations played a less prominent role in this story and it’s probably a good thing (except I wanted to see more of MCs from the first story). I don’t know if there is an English Upper society equivalent to Norman Rockwell. If there were, I imagine he would be illustrating the story of the idealistically portrayed family life. This family was just too darn perfect. Everybody got along with everybody. Despite some events and happenings at the beginning of the series that would put many other families on a war path with each other, this family survived beautifully. There were no hard feelings (except our heroine who, of course, was redeemed). They are kind and supportive, so sweet, and… so boring.

The one outsider who disrupted the idealistic family circle with persistent reoccurrence from the first installment to this one was dealt with decisively and swiftly. I’m hoping he wouldn’t come back in the third installment. How many more teeth can the man lose?

And speaking of the third installment. The short excerpt from it at the back of the book was very promising and I’m looking forward to reading Alexander's story. ...more

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Oct 01, 2018 Sabina rated it really liked it

Second in the series, and again an excellent read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book as well as the first and I look forward to reading the next one!

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Jan 30, 2017 Wendy rated it it was amazing

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 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 experienced what they are feeling. Ms. Balogh has used this method to great effect in Someone to Hold, the second book in her Westcott series. And I could name at least two more of her books where I have felt this aspect of her writing very strongly.

In book one (Someone to Love) we met, Lady Camille Westcott, one of the disinherited daughters' of the deceased Earl of Riverdale. At the will reading Camille and her family are left reeling by the shocking revelation that she and her two siblings are illegitimate because their parents’ marriage was – unbeknownst to anyone - a bigamous one. Camille reacts badly to these revelations and comes over as a thoroughly unlikeable character. But Ms. Balogh shows us that there's a lot more to Camille than meets the eye. I ended up liking her a lot and she earned my respect and sympathy, too.

After these life changing revelations Camille hides herself away at her grandmother's house in Bath, refusing to go out unless heavily veiled. Then one day she wakes up, gives herself a good talking to and decides to take her life in hand - she has done nothing wrong, done nothing to feel ashamed of; she will live her life, such as it is, and hold her head high. She is drawn to the orphanage where her half-sister, Anastasia Westcott, or Anna Snow as she was known, had lived for most of her life and was later employed as a teacher. The orphanage is in need of a teacher once more, the one who had replaced Anna being unsuitable; impulsively Camille offers her services and is taken on on a trial basis. She cannot explain her need to do it, she has no experience with children or of teaching, but something impels her to walk in Anna's shoes, even going so far as to remove from the luxury of her grandmother's home and to take up residence in the tiny room Anna had occupied at the orphanage.

Camille meets the earthy, down-to-earth, Joel Cunningham, a man who is as far removed from the perfectly correct aristocrats of her former life as he could be. Joel is also a former inmate of the orphanage and now returns twice weekly to give art lessons to the children in his free time. To make matters worse, he always had a soft spot for Anna - although she never wanted anything from him other than friendship. Joel and Camille begin their acquaintance by irritating each other intensely, but still, they are inexplicably attracted to each other. He reluctantly admires her approach to teaching even though she appears clueless and retains her stiff-upper-lip, starchy persona and rarely smiles. Nevertheless, she has a natural ability and engages the children to such a degree that they look forward to and enjoy her lessons. This is something else I have always noticed about Ms. Balogh's writing; in her younger life she was a school teacher and it is apparent in the way she understands and talks about children - particularly in this story.

Joel, like Anna Snow before him, has always been supported by an anonymous benefactor; more recently that benefactor has paid for Joel to attend professional art lessons to further develop his natural artistic talent. As a result he has earned himself a reputation in Bath as a superior portrait painter, and Camille's grandmother has jumped on the bandwagon of the well-heeled inhabitants of Bath and commissioned portraits of her granddaughters. Camille is not best pleased by this plan as it means yet more time in his company whilst he makes preliminary sketches of her. Joel has an unorthodox approach when compared to other portraitists; he likes to get to know and spend time with his subjects, observing them as they chat and capturing an inner something he alone sees - he then pours this knowledge into his art with such great effect that it sets him above his peers. As a result of his observations, he begins to see the real Camille beneath the prim and proper walls she has erected against the pain she has suffered and learned to hide; for years craving her selfish father's affection but failing to gain even a crumb of his attention. As a result of their interaction, the attraction between them deepens and soon becomes more intense. But there are many hurdles to jump before they can achieve their HEA. Camille can't just change overnight, raised as she was as a very proper young lady. Joel, on the other hand was brought up in an orphanage - so even though at this point in their lives they are both relatively poor, both illegitimate and, therefore, on the face of it - equal - the chasm between them seems wide indeed.

I loved both these characters - they're so vulnerable and real. Joel is adorable - if annoying occasionally in his indecisiveness - and Camille has to learn to love and trust him in spite of it while at the same time, attempting to change the habits of a lifetime. She also needs to believe in the unconditional love of her family and to accept that just because her father failed her doesn't mean that her extended family has followed suit. The love story between Camille and Joel is a voyage of discovery for both of them as their previously held ideals and prejudices crumble and they learn to accept and admit their love for each other and finally find Someone to Hold against all odds. I enjoyed meeting the family again, too, especially Avery whom I adored in Someone to Love. He is still his omniscient, wise self, still going to great lengths to project his seeming ennui to all around him, whilst barely managing to disguise the deeply caring side of his nature. I am very much looking forward to book three in which we see Alexander - the reluctant earl who inherited his title by default - find his Someone to Wed. This is a lovely series so far and one I highly recommend. ...more

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Mar 17, 2018 h o l l i s rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: hist-romance, romance, all-the-feels, ebook, sexytimes, family-focused, finished-in-march-2018, made-me-cry, 2018-reads

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 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 her hard to love is still here. Her transition, her self-discoveries, were so well earned, gradual, and wonderful. But I never liked her. And as for Joel.. I mean.. I don't even know? He was such a space cadet. A total chickenshit. And yet I liked him for how he challenged Camille, I liked how genuine he could be.. gah. I got nothing.

"I know who I am. I do not yet know who I will become because my circumstances have changed so drastically, but I know where I came from, and I think I realize now fully for the first time how important that is."

While I appreciated the flipped storyline in this follow up to the first Westcott (the Lady is no longer a Lady, she's a bastard, without fortune, and finds validation in a job as a teacher at an orphanage), I was super tired of the same song and dance rehashing of things from book one. I might need a bit more space between books two and three before continuing this series catch-up even though book three veers into a new direction (thankfully). I think for all that I appreciate the storylines in this series, it's the characters that are mostly leaving me cold. And speaking of cold, Balogh writes the weirdest love/kissing/etc scenes. There's like.. no emotion there. The moments have no sense of fluidity with the rest of the scene and as a result it ruins any potential chemistry between her leads.

Which, now that I think about it, might be my problem here. Balogh infuses her writing with a lot of emotion, this one particularly had me tearing up like four times; the resonance is there, the strength of family and loyalty and hopes and self-discovery. All the pain and stubbornness and validation. It's strong. But the romance? I get so little feeling from that aspect of her historical romance books. Bizarre. Hopefully book three will disprove my theory. I want some damn swoons, people!

3.25 "sometimes other people's words become uncomfortable mirrors in which we gaze upon ourselves" stars ...more

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Sep 16, 2017 Karen rated it really liked it

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

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Nov 27, 2016 Juliana Philippa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance-historical, romance, romance-series, 4-half-to-5-romance-historicals, romance-series-book-2, hr-no-stupid-mystery-subplot-woohoo, hr-series, hr-series-book-2, ebook-digital-copy, net-galley

"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

"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 number of excerpts here, but still—I couldn't help myself! Camille (22) and Joel (27) just shine and my love for them (especially Camille) made me wax on endlessly lol.

The story is wonderful and has everything I love from a romance! Both leading characters are fantastic, very three-dimensional. I adore Camille and she really brought out my emotions; I don't normally tear up at romance books, but I did several times here. She's so strong and determined, but so lonely and hurt too. Joel's playfulness and straightforwardness is a perfect match for her, and I loved every interaction between them (except for when they were driving me nuts of course ;-). The chemistry is great, there is development on both sides, and although my heart was sometimes breaking, I was also laughing and smiling more than I would have expected—there are some surprisingly funny lines and moments. Cannot recommend enough!

My Review. This book reminded me of why I adore Mary Balogh so very much. She is such a talented author—she's great at romance, yes, but she's also a wonderful author in terms of character-building and the depth she is able to give to her characters. She is almost always a hit with me, and this was no exception.

I haven't read Book 1 in this series, Someone to Love , but didn't find that an impediment to enjoying this book at all. I'm actually very curious to know what people who have read Book 1 think of Camille, because we know from this book that she definitely didn't take too kindly to the heroine, Anna.

To my surprise, Miss Camille Westcott firmly secured a spot on my Favorite Heroines shelf. I say to my surprise, because she would normally be the snotty bitch that we'd likely see as the foil to the heroine, rather than the heroine of her own novel. In this book, from the beginning we have more insight into her and so I was never put off, but prior to this book (and I'm guessing during Book 1), she was the typical spoiled Earl's daughter that one would imagine. She was never petty or mean, and even in her coldness there would never have been any malice; rather, she was aloof and haughty, an aristocratic lady through-and-through.

When we meet Camille, she's at a very low point in her life. In Book 1, she and her younger siblings were declared illegitimate, because it turns out her now-dead-father, the Earl, had married prior to marrying her mother, and that his first wife only died after his second marriage took place. No one knew this, though, and so it took the family completely by surprise: one day she was a perfect Earl's daughter, engaged to a handsome, perfect Viscount, and the next it's all gone and she is holed up at her grandmother's in Bath.

"I was the perfect lady," she told him. "By design. I was very conscious of who my father was and what was due me as his daughter. From early childhood on I made every effort to do and be everything he would expect of Lady Camille Westcott. I was an obedient child and paid every attention to my nurse and my governess. I spoke and thought and behaved as a lady ought. I intended to grow up to be perfect. I intended to leave no room in my life for accident or catastrophe. I think I truly believed that I would never be exposed to trouble of any sort if I kept to the strict code of behavior set down for ladies of my class. There was never a rebellious bone in my body or a wayward thought in my mind. My world was narrow but utterly secure."

She's been wallowing in (well-deserved IMO!) self-pity for a few months, and when the book starts she has decided she needs to shake herself out of it all, take her situation in hand, and move on. She feels lost though: she defined herself through her position, through this "perfect lady image" that she thought was all that mattered, that she thought her being loved was dependent on (though she doesn't make that connection immediately, of course). Who is she now? Where does she fit? What is her life supposed to be about?

... Viscount Uxbury [her former fiancé] now somehow represented the whole of her life as it had been, though she had not known it at the time. It had all been built not upon rock, but upon sand. And, like even the most carefully built sand castle, it had crumbled and fallen.

She's adrift and completely lost—but not in any way that is annoying or self-pitying or turned me off in any way; I want to be clear about that, because if any of what I write gives you that impression, then the fault is through my description, not with Camille in the text. This is what made her so lovable and made me feel so strongly that I honestly teared up at a couple different points, my heart breaking for her: she's so strong, but also so vulnerable.

She decides to start teaching at the orphanage in Bath that Anna, her half-sister, grew up in, and almost starts to kind of take on Anna's life, before she was discovered to be an heiress and went off to marry a duke. Her sister Abigail says to her:

"We cannot change it by agonizing over it or imagining how different everything might have been. Why do you need to go to that orphanage, Cam? Are you trying to ... punish yourself somehow for the fact that it was she who grew up there when strictly speaking it ought to have been us?"

Part of it is indeed a kind of self-imposed punishment, but it's also about rediscovering herself and who she is now—who she can and has to be. She wants to prove to herself and to everyone else that she's strong and can stand on her own, that she's as strong as she thought herself to be before all of this happened and she saw herself crumble in devastation, feeling lost and out of place.

Mr. Joel Cunningham is a fantastic hero period, but he's also a perfect hero for Camille. They are opposites in so many ways and at the beginning, there is definite tension between them. On Camille's part, she's wary of and cold / distant with everyone (except for the children); on Joel's part, he was Anna's best friend growing up and even loves/loved her before she married, so he knows that she badly wants a relationship with Camille and her siblings, but that they haven't reciprocated.

He's illegitimate, an orphan, very laidback and casual, and a painter to boot—completely opposite from anything having to do with her previous life and the men she met there. She's also aware of him in a way she's never been, and her internal battle regarding that is extremely amusing to watch—watching her think something and then be scandalized by her own thoughts lol :-). And of course once she starts noticing, she can't stop ... ;-)

She did not want to be attractive to any man. The very idea! Least of all did she want to attract the art teacher with his slovenly appearance and wicked, insolent grin and his dark, bold eyes, which seemed to see through to the back of her skull and the depths of her soul. He somehow represented chaos, and her life had always been characterized by order.

Joel dislikes her and is annoyed by her at the beginning, but he's also a very good guy who is surprisingly understanding and sensitive, so even at the beginning, when he finds himself put off by her, he often ends up reaching out in a way that lowers her defenses a bit. He doesn't want to like her, but in spite of himself, he finds himself admiring and respecting her, and wanting to discover more.

Perfection as she had known it was no longer possible for Camille Westcott, and she was not willing to settle for anything less. She must search for something wholly new instead. It was not easy to like the woman, but he felt a grudging sort of respect for her.

He amended his thought immediately, however, for when she was in the schoolroom, flushed and animated and in full military sergeant mode and surrounded by organized chaos, he almost did like her. Indeed, he was almost attracted to that teacher self of hers. Perhaps because that self suggested some underlying passion. Now that was a startling thought.

The summary is a bit misleading, in that while Joel is indeed hired to paint her portrait, the summary makes it seem like that's what the book centers around and that's not at all the case. Camille and Joel's interactions are grounded in her teaching (view spoiler) at the school every day and the fact that he teaches art there twice a week; he sketches her during the book, but when the book ends he hasn't even started on her portrait yet. (Why do romance summaries always do this?? #petpeeve).

What makes for a nice interplay is that while Camille's journey through all of this is one of self-discovery, Joel's process for doing someone's portrait revolves around getting to know who that person really is; he doesn't do portraits that flatter the person by making them appear 20 years younger or a lot thinner, etc. (as was sometimes done in that day and age), but he's able to show them as they are physically, while also capturing the essence of who they are as a person and bringing their inner beauty out. That involves knowing and understanding the person he's painting though, and so there's this continual thread throughout the book of him wondering about and trying to discover and understand Camille at the same time that she is doing the same thing. She says to him at one point early on:

"I would warn you that I will not make it easy for you. But if you do get to know me, please let me know what you discover. I have no idea who I am."

And later:

By God, he thought, she was a fascinating person. She was going to take some knowing, some understanding. For the first time in a long while he began to doubt his artistic abilities. How would he ever get her right? And what would he do if he never could?

And ...

"Do you realize how incredibly fascinating you are, Camille?" he asked. And how irritating? [LOLOL]

"Nonsense," she said. "I have never cultivated either beauty or charm, much less womanly wiles. I have cultivated only the will to do what I believe to be right in all circumstances."

He glanced up at her and smiled. She was looking prunish. "You will realize your own fascination," he said, "after I have painted you."

"Then your painting will be worthless," she told him. "I thought you refused to flatter your subjects. Why would you make an exception of me?"

The chemistry between them is fabulous, as is the playfulness and sweetness that surprisingly emerges. Every time Cam laughs or lets herself break a rule she normally wouldn't think twice about, there's this joy that is just delightful to watch—both because of her, and because of Joel's reaction to it. He's so sweet, but also strong and reliable; this presence of warmth and strength that she so needs at this point in her life. It's not only one-sided though, which I also appreciated: he goes through difficult things that make him need her support, and I always like when an author does that. We're able to see both characters' vulnerabilities and strengths, and seeing the mutual support they provide one another is what makes the developing relationship so believable.

Random Note / Annoyance. (view spoiler)

Another Quote.

It was chilly and blustery, but at least it was not raining. Camille set the direction and strode off toward the river, Mr. Cunningham—Joel—at her side. He was not talking, and she felt no inclination to carry on a conversation. She could not explain to herself why she had wanted him with her, but she was pleased with herself about one thing. She had never before suggested to a man that he take a walk with her. She had never called any man outside her family by his first name either. Not that she had called Mr. Cunningham by his yet.

"Joel," she said, and was surprised to realize she had spoken out loud.

"Camille," he answered.

And no man outside her family had ever called her by her first name—not even Viscount Uxbury after they were betrothed. But instead of feeling uncomfortable, she felt—freed. She was no longer bound by the old rules. She could set her own. She had wanted company, and she had got it by her own efforts.

This review is of an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Some changes and/or edits may be made to the final published version. ...more

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Jun 29, 2016 Caz rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, romance-1800-1850, 4-stars

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

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Jan 22, 2017 Sophia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-romance, net-galley-reads

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 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 order. In fact, the reader would miss a great deal if this one is picked up before the first book as all that comes in this book is based on what went on before.

The story opens with Camille Westcott making a decision. Up until now, she has hidden away licking her wounds after discovering that instead of being the eldest daughter of an earl and anticipating a high society marriage that she is in fact the illegitimate child of a bigamous marriage and a social pariah. She has been holding on by a hair and all she has left is her pride which made her hatefully blame her older half-sister, cut-off contact with her extended Westcott family, and hide away in her maternal grandmother's home in Bath.

But now, she is ready to take her own life back and try to figure out who and what this new Miss Camille Westcott is like. First, she hires on as a teacher at the orphanage where her half-sister, Anastasia grew up. Camille hates her, unreasonably she knows- it was not Anna's fault that she is legitimate and their father lied about so much. But Camille is curious about Anna's life before being discovered and restored to her place in the family. Camille also wants to stand independently and this teaching position gives her that even as she feels woefully inadequate especially with Anna's best friend looking on with his smiles and merriment.

Joel wants to hate and resent the stiff and prunish, Camille Westcott when she takes over Anna's classroom and hurt his friend by not accepting her sisterly affections. He wants to despise her for her self-pity when at least she has a loving family and grew up knowing them and her place when he has been an orphan and made his own way left to wonder about his roots. He teaches his art classes and continues to make a name for himself as a portrait artist, but all the while, he slowly gains in respect and admiration, but also understanding for Camille. Surprising twists in his life and hers have them both aware that they might share more in common than they thought.

Alright, this was a stunning and deeply engaging story. This was quite the story of growth and triumph, of friendship and love, and even of restoration. The author returned to the historical elements of family, illegitimacy, abandonment, friendship, and unlikely love this time set in Bath and at the orphanage. Joel's art and Camille's teaching become added new elements.

I enjoyed the feeling that though the main pair are new that this is an ongoing story of a whole cast of characters- The Westcott family. The whole lot of them return for Camille and Joel's story and are part of it as family is an issue for both Camille and Joel.

The story is told in alternating narrative voices of Camille and Joel. At first, I thought that the focus was to be on Camille rising up from her bitter ashes and triumphing, but then I saw that Joel was to have his own crisis moment of truth and need to face it and a new future. They are an interesting pair. They are so antagonistic at first and then so burdened that I thought a romance between was iffy. In fact, Camille was not a likeable person in the past book or the beginning of this one. She is not meant to be, but it is part of her recovery and the revelation that she is really someone quite different than even she knew when faced with these new circumstances.

In the end, I'm left once again clutching the book and swearing undying love for this series. This is historical romance with such depth and heart that I gladly push it at those who love this genre.

My thanks to Penguin Group for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Jan 22, 2017 Stacee rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley, read-in-2017

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

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Feb 20, 2017 Suzanne rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: a-balogh

Wish I had liked this more! Balogh is my favorite. However, the heroine never grew on me, despite my hopes.

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Dec 16, 2019 ♥Sharon♥ rated it really liked it

Shelves: audible

Another enjoyable audiobook! I know I’m repeating myself but Rosalyn Landor is fabulous.

I wasn’t sure if MB could pull it off but she did. She brought out the sunshine in Camille. 😊

Pairing her with Joel was perfect too!

Lovely addition to the series. I must go check whose book is next.

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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

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Jan 30, 2017 Kay*FindMeInThePages* rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2017

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

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Dec 01, 2016 Carol Cork *Young at Heart Oldie* rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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

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Feb 18, 2019 Debby rated it really liked it

Shelves: authors-a-b, a-series-reads, x-2019-in-2019-book-count-challenge

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

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Feb 27, 2017 herdys rated it really liked it

Shelves: historial-romance

3,5 stars! That teaser for the next book was so intriguing! *_*

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Dec 16, 2016 Phoenix77 rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-romance

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

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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

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Mar 05, 2017 Katie rated it really liked it

Shelves: format-ebook, books-read-in-2017-new, how-library, books-read-in-2017

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

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Mar 13, 2017 Krissys rated it liked it

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

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Feb 13, 2017 Cathy rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, historical-romance, 2017

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 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 by saying: "It was not easy to like the woman, but he felt a grudging sort of respect for her."

That is largely also how I felt, especially at the beginning of the book. Camille is indeed a character who's not necessarily easy to like (for one thing, it takes her a third of the book to even smile for the first time) or to connect with, but I think the fact that by the end I had come to love her speaks volumes for Balogh's ability to create and shape a character who's on a difficult journey. Camille is really only trying to find her way in this new life she suddenly finds herself in, and she does it with grace and elegance and yes, an abundance of frowns and scowls over smiles. I grew fond of Camille in a way I hadn't at all expected.

Joel, on the other hand, was quite easy to love. He's easygoing and I thought his former infatuation/crush/love for Anna and the fact that she had at one time refused his offer of marriage, was handled quite well. I particularly liked learning about Joel's painting process and what made him excel at painting portraits. By the end of the book, I almost wished he were a real person instead of a fictional character, just so I could go and have my portrait done; if only to learn what he would make of my character. He seemed like a Regency version of a psychologist sometimes, what with this ability to see people's troubles and joys, their finer qualities and inner strength or beauty, while he was sketching them. For some reason that really spoke to me.

The only reason I can't go with a full 4 stars is that, while I enjoy Balogh's writing style as always, I'm still waiting in this series to truly connect with a couple. I know I'm capable of loving one her stories, as I loved Slightly Dangerous but these books aren't quite there yet.

(view spoiler)

I enjoyed this book quite a bit, though, and am looking forward to the third! ...more

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Jun 09, 2017 steph rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-read-in-2017, lots-of-characters, made-me-grin-like-a-lovesick-fool, enjoyable, library-ocpl, romance, romance-historical, romance-regency, books-with-earls-dukes-viscounts, made-me-laugh

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

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Jul 09, 2017 Laura (Kyahgirl) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance-historical, part-of-a-series

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

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Jul 20, 2019 Wollstonecrafthomegirl rated it really liked it

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 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 to take control of her life might be a bit eye roll-y, particularly given her choice to work at the orphanage. I was wrong, it was kind of amazing. The path she decides to take is quite strange, but then again, she's been through a huge trauma. Her life and the life she expected have, have been completely upended and everything she has known has changed unrecognisably and so she makes the decision to make unrecognisable changes for herself. This made complete sense to me on actually reading the book.

Balogh does a very good job of setting Camille’s old life against her new one, ”She looked about the now-empty room with a grimace, ignoring the ingrained inner voice of her education, which warned that wrinkles would be the dire and inevitable result of frowns and grimaces and overbright smiles. That inner voice, which for so long had been her daily guide to genteel behaviour, now annoyed her considerably. She would frown if she wanted to.”

Camille’s journey dovetails well with Joel’s because he also makes discoveries about himself during the course of the book. This serves to drive them together. They become the only person the other can confide in and it’s a neat way of developing the romance. That said, I was less enamoured with Joel as a character. He was a bit inconsistent for me. Sort of smooth and strong at the start of the book, and a bit bumbling with Camille later, particularly after they first have sex. So, wet Joel never really dried out [this sentence sounds weird and gross but whatever].

The romance builds very nicely in that classically Balogh way. Neither likes the other at first and then layers of introspection build up and dislike becomes something else and eventually friendship and finally romance. It gripped me, although it’s fair to say the romance didn’t sing - that first sex scene and its aftermath really soured things for me. The whole romance just needed a few more fireworks.

The plot was entertaining, if a little implausible - rich families for all the orphans!

But, I read this straight through and very much enjoyed the experience so I am rounding up to four stars, although I doubt I will ever read this again. ...more

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About Mary Balogh

Mary Balogh

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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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Quotes from Someone to Hold

“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.” — 1 likes

“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.” — 1 likes

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