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Snow Angel
A beautiful young widow and an impulsive, charming earl discover that they have much to learn from each other about life, love, and lust, as their relationship deepens and their true selves are revealed
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 4, 1991
153 people are currently reading
599 people want to read
About the author
Mary Balogh
200 books6,362 followersMary Jenkins was born in 1944 in Swansea, Wales, UK. After graduating from university, moved to Saskatchewan, Canada, to teach high school English, on a two-year teaching contract in 1967. She married her Canadian husband, Robert Balogh, and had three children, Jacqueline, Christopher and Sian. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading, music and knitting. She also enjoys watching tennis and curling.
Mary Balogh started writing in the evenings as a hobby. Her first book, a Regency love story, was published in 1985 as A Masked Deception under her married name. In 1988, she retired from teaching after 20 years to pursue her dream to write full-time. She has written more than seventy novels and almost thirty novellas since then, including the New York Times bestselling 'Slightly' sextet and 'Simply' quartet. She has won numerous awards, including Bestselling Historical of the Year from the Borders Group, and her novel Simply Magic was a finalist in the Quill Awards. She has won seven Waldenbooks Awards and two B. Dalton Awards for her bestselling novels, as well as a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award.
Mary Balogh started writing in the evenings as a hobby. Her first book, a Regency love story, was published in 1985 as A Masked Deception under her married name. In 1988, she retired from teaching after 20 years to pursue her dream to write full-time. She has written more than seventy novels and almost thirty novellas since then, including the New York Times bestselling 'Slightly' sextet and 'Simply' quartet. She has won numerous awards, including Bestselling Historical of the Year from the Borders Group, and her novel Simply Magic was a finalist in the Quill Awards. She has won seven Waldenbooks Awards and two B. Dalton Awards for her bestselling novels, as well as a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
March 23, 2022
I was beyond frustrated with the hero for 90% of the book. He drove me INSANE with his sense of honor. It was totally misplaced, misguided and stupid!!
I loved our heroine though! MB does such a good job at giving her heroines a good hoe life! Like, why not? Rosa was sweet, proper and fun to be around. But she had another side to her that she let loose and it made everyone want her! There were several men in this book clamoring for her.
It all worked out in the end, but really the hero was a dick for most of this book. I'm not sure why he thought he needed to honor a betrothal that wasn't even a betrothal ...it was dumb. He was basically a really horny, confused man in love with our heroine and he didn't know his head from his ass.
heroine saved the book...
I loved our heroine though! MB does such a good job at giving her heroines a good hoe life! Like, why not? Rosa was sweet, proper and fun to be around. But she had another side to her that she let loose and it made everyone want her! There were several men in this book clamoring for her.
It all worked out in the end, but really the hero was a dick for most of this book. I'm not sure why he thought he needed to honor a betrothal that wasn't even a betrothal ...it was dumb. He was basically a really horny, confused man in love with our heroine and he didn't know his head from his ass.
heroine saved the book...
December 12, 2015
4.5 stars
While this 1991 title from Mary Balogh isn’t set at Christmas, it IS set in the winter, which, in my book, qualifies it as a suitable book to read at this time of year!
Lady Rosamund Hunter is journeying from her home in Lincolnshire to spend some time with her brother and his family before they all head off to a house-party being held by his father-in-law, the Marquess of Gilmore, at which an announcement will be made confirming the betrothal of Rosamund’s niece to the Earl of Wetherby. Rosamund is a widow, having been married for eight years to a much older husband who loved her and whom she loved; and her brother is constantly nagging her to remarry. They argue over his latest candidate – a rather stuffy clergyman – and the argument ends with Rosamund getting out of the carriage and setting off into the other direction in the snow. She is sure her brother will return for her –and he intends to once his temper has cooled off – but the carriage loses a wheel and he is unable to do so. In the meantime, a gentleman travelling the same road sees her huddled by the roadside and insists on taking her up and to the nearby hunting box he has borrowed from a friend for a week or so.
Justin Halliday, Earl of Wetherby, had originally intended his visit to the country to be a week spent enjoying the company and charms of his mistress before he becomes engaged to the young woman chosen for him a decade ago. Unlike many men of his ilk, Justin believes in fidelity in marriage, so this visit was intended to be a final fling before the announcement of his betrothal – but his mistress caught a bad cold and Justin, deciding he didn’t want to alter his plans, travelled on alone.
Right from the start, there is a strong pull of attraction between Justin and Rosamund – neither of whom is aware of their impending family connection. They are desperately attracted to each other, and Ms Balogh imbues their initial exchanges with a longing so palpable that it leaps off the page. The sexual tension between the couple is so wonderfully subtle; there’s none of the mental lusting so common today, none of the continual banging on about how handsome/beautiful the H/h is – and there’s a sense of openness and honesty about their desire for each other that is beautifully done. That honesty is something that characterises their relationship – Justin is upfront about the fact that he is promised to someone else, and Rosamund owns – to herself at least – that she would like to know what it is like to make love with a man nearer her own age. Both understand that there can be nothing long-term between them and agree to enjoy each other for the short time allowed them.
It’s obvious to the reader that the two have fallen deeply in love during their short time together, and their parting, during which they acknowledge that they have shared something special, is truly heartrending.
A month or so passes, the houseparty begins – and Rosamund is thoroughly thrown off balance to discover that her niece’s intended is none other than the man with whom she had known such passion just a few short weeks ago. Needless to say, the earl is just as unsettled to see Rosamund again and to discover the nature of her relationship to his intended bride.
Justin hasn’t been able to get Rosamund out of his mind – but he is an honourable man, determined to do his duty by his family, and go through with the betrothal and subsequent marriage to Rosamund’s niece. I admit that this aspect of the story is a little frustrating; Justin is rather a passive hero, and had it not been for the actions of a much more pro-active secondary character, he would probably have gone through with the marriage and been miserable for the rest of his life. On the other hand, it was not the done thing for a gentleman to call off an engagement, and Justin was sensible of the demands of his title and duty to his family, as any upstanding gentleman would quite rightly have been. So he was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and there was only one decision he could have made and retained his sense of honour.
Snow Angel is a truly lovely, deeply romantic story with just the right amount of angst. I don’t think it’s available digitally, but it’s definitely worth getting your hands on an old paperback if you can find one.
While this 1991 title from Mary Balogh isn’t set at Christmas, it IS set in the winter, which, in my book, qualifies it as a suitable book to read at this time of year!
Lady Rosamund Hunter is journeying from her home in Lincolnshire to spend some time with her brother and his family before they all head off to a house-party being held by his father-in-law, the Marquess of Gilmore, at which an announcement will be made confirming the betrothal of Rosamund’s niece to the Earl of Wetherby. Rosamund is a widow, having been married for eight years to a much older husband who loved her and whom she loved; and her brother is constantly nagging her to remarry. They argue over his latest candidate – a rather stuffy clergyman – and the argument ends with Rosamund getting out of the carriage and setting off into the other direction in the snow. She is sure her brother will return for her –and he intends to once his temper has cooled off – but the carriage loses a wheel and he is unable to do so. In the meantime, a gentleman travelling the same road sees her huddled by the roadside and insists on taking her up and to the nearby hunting box he has borrowed from a friend for a week or so.
Justin Halliday, Earl of Wetherby, had originally intended his visit to the country to be a week spent enjoying the company and charms of his mistress before he becomes engaged to the young woman chosen for him a decade ago. Unlike many men of his ilk, Justin believes in fidelity in marriage, so this visit was intended to be a final fling before the announcement of his betrothal – but his mistress caught a bad cold and Justin, deciding he didn’t want to alter his plans, travelled on alone.
Right from the start, there is a strong pull of attraction between Justin and Rosamund – neither of whom is aware of their impending family connection. They are desperately attracted to each other, and Ms Balogh imbues their initial exchanges with a longing so palpable that it leaps off the page. The sexual tension between the couple is so wonderfully subtle; there’s none of the mental lusting so common today, none of the continual banging on about how handsome/beautiful the H/h is – and there’s a sense of openness and honesty about their desire for each other that is beautifully done. That honesty is something that characterises their relationship – Justin is upfront about the fact that he is promised to someone else, and Rosamund owns – to herself at least – that she would like to know what it is like to make love with a man nearer her own age. Both understand that there can be nothing long-term between them and agree to enjoy each other for the short time allowed them.
It’s obvious to the reader that the two have fallen deeply in love during their short time together, and their parting, during which they acknowledge that they have shared something special, is truly heartrending.
A month or so passes, the houseparty begins – and Rosamund is thoroughly thrown off balance to discover that her niece’s intended is none other than the man with whom she had known such passion just a few short weeks ago. Needless to say, the earl is just as unsettled to see Rosamund again and to discover the nature of her relationship to his intended bride.
Justin hasn’t been able to get Rosamund out of his mind – but he is an honourable man, determined to do his duty by his family, and go through with the betrothal and subsequent marriage to Rosamund’s niece. I admit that this aspect of the story is a little frustrating; Justin is rather a passive hero, and had it not been for the actions of a much more pro-active secondary character, he would probably have gone through with the marriage and been miserable for the rest of his life. On the other hand, it was not the done thing for a gentleman to call off an engagement, and Justin was sensible of the demands of his title and duty to his family, as any upstanding gentleman would quite rightly have been. So he was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and there was only one decision he could have made and retained his sense of honour.
Snow Angel is a truly lovely, deeply romantic story with just the right amount of angst. I don’t think it’s available digitally, but it’s definitely worth getting your hands on an old paperback if you can find one.
February 2, 2018
This was up and down for me, but Balogh stuck the landing and so, 3.5 stars.
I was a little (only a little, mind) bored at the start. Our heroine, Rosamund, and hero, Justin, are thrown together in terribly convenient circumstances. After playing around in the snow and playing billiards and cards and each being generally charmed by the other, they wind up in bed. Fine, fine. We were at 24% and I thought: “pffffttttt, I’ve a long way to go.” And I cast the book aside for a bit. I should’ve ploughed on. Because the next part of the book – wherein our H/h discover that they are linked outside their winter idyll, Justin is engaged to Rosamund’s niece – was really quite good.
There’s a big house party and they have to muddle through and it’s entertaining. Balogh can write a crowd very, very well. She pulls in a whole bunch of secondary characters and uses them to move the story forward and keep the reader engaged in what might otherwise be a slightly dull experience. This is a feat, I think. There’s an endearing secondary romance and some nice moments between the secondary characters and our H/h which serve to illuminate their romance. There are particularly good scene between Justin and his sort-of rival Josh and Josh and Rosamund which just struck me as well written and grown up. No one is too stupid in this story. High praise, I know.
So, it all unravels nicely and then ravels (?) back together again in a lovely and entertaining manner.
Fair warning though: There are some of the ack! moments which characterise these early Balogh re-issues. Jude, Justin’s mistress is a bit maligned – a whore cannot compare to a lady, after all. And sex without foreplay, without arousal, is a Good Thing because it means our heroine will really feel it. NopeNopeNopeNope. And some of Balogh writing is, at times, a bit, er, hackneyed.
But still. Entertaining.
I was a little (only a little, mind) bored at the start. Our heroine, Rosamund, and hero, Justin, are thrown together in terribly convenient circumstances. After playing around in the snow and playing billiards and cards and each being generally charmed by the other, they wind up in bed. Fine, fine. We were at 24% and I thought: “pffffttttt, I’ve a long way to go.” And I cast the book aside for a bit. I should’ve ploughed on. Because the next part of the book – wherein our H/h discover that they are linked outside their winter idyll, Justin is engaged to Rosamund’s niece – was really quite good.
There’s a big house party and they have to muddle through and it’s entertaining. Balogh can write a crowd very, very well. She pulls in a whole bunch of secondary characters and uses them to move the story forward and keep the reader engaged in what might otherwise be a slightly dull experience. This is a feat, I think. There’s an endearing secondary romance and some nice moments between the secondary characters and our H/h which serve to illuminate their romance. There are particularly good scene between Justin and his sort-of rival Josh and Josh and Rosamund which just struck me as well written and grown up. No one is too stupid in this story. High praise, I know.
So, it all unravels nicely and then ravels (?) back together again in a lovely and entertaining manner.
Fair warning though: There are some of the ack! moments which characterise these early Balogh re-issues. Jude, Justin’s mistress is a bit maligned – a whore cannot compare to a lady, after all. And sex without foreplay, without arousal, is a Good Thing because it means our heroine will really feel it. NopeNopeNopeNope. And some of Balogh writing is, at times, a bit, er, hackneyed.
But still. Entertaining.
February 14, 2016
This started out strong, but it stalled in the middle and the ending was less than satisfying. The secondary characters added more interest to the story than the H/h. (Though IMHO there so many flitting in and out, I couldn't keep track of them.)
It was good, but not great. The storyline had so much potential, but somehow MB couldn't pull it off.
It was good, but not great. The storyline had so much potential, but somehow MB couldn't pull it off.
November 13, 2024
A classic!
January 3, 2018
Mary Balogh is the author to whom I go when I'm in need of character based books. And she didn't disappoint me with this one. I loved the slow pace of this novel, the back story, but mostly I enjoyed watching Rosamund & Justin fall in love. It is much more pleasant to read about characters who enjoy each other's company, who can talk, laugh & aren't afraid of being silly, than characters that constantly fight or develope through conflicts they create for themselves. Mary Balogh's "Snow Angel" was truly a pleasure to read.
January 4, 2018
(3.5 stars) This is a 1991 Balogh Regency romance which is new to me. A lot of her older Signet Regencies (from 1985-1998) which she has been releasing in e-format in the past year or two are new to me since I only started reading Balogh with her more recent SLIGHTLY series and by that time the older Signet paperbacks were hard to come by or very pricey.
I can't quite decide how I feel about this Snow Angel. It starts out a 4- (almost 5) star very romantic Regency for me. Heroine Rosamund Hunter, young widow, is stranded in a snowstorm after an argument with her older brother George causes her to leave their carriage in a huff. She's rescued by hero Justin Halliday, Earl of Wetherby, who is on his way to relax at a friend's hunting box (unfortunately sans his mistress, who, at the last minute, could not accompany him).
Wetherby takes Rosamund to the hunting box with him because there is no other recourse. Once there they fully intend to observe the proprieties but, you know, sometimes things happen. They enjoy each other's snowed-in company, conversing easily and frankly, playing cards and billiards, reading companionably, walking and frolicking in the snow (hence the Snow Angel title of the book) and eventually they give in to their strong sexual attraction. After all, although she had loved her late husband very much, he was 30+ years her senior and she's curious about what sex with a younger man would be like. And, as for him, well, he's a man. I guess enough said. A man without the company of his mistress and in the company of a lovely young widow.
Eventually the weather lets up and they each go their separate ways, not knowing many details about each other, not even full names and titles. All she really knows is that he is soon to become betrothed and that his planned trip with the mistress was to have been his last hurrah. He knows that her marriage had been very happy and that her brother now wants to marry her off again to someone she's not interested in. That's pretty much it as far as personal details.
Once back with her brother, she is, fortunately, able to give a plausible excuse to him about where she spent her "snow-in" that he accepts and life goes on as usual. Except that brother George, Lord March, has a daughter named Annabelle who is soon to be betrothed to a young peer. Rosa travels to George's home for the house party where this happy event is to be announced. And, yes, folks, that young peer is Rosa's snow-time lover. You can imagine the awkwardness of their first and actually all their subsequent meetings at this house party.
Up to this point (about 40%) the book is a 4-5 star one for me but from then on it's bogged down in annoying behavior, indecisive inaction, and honorable intentions. Hero Wetherby feels obligated to offer for Annabelle. Annabelle is a wishy-washy young woman lacking any personality who just goes along with whatever is decided for her. And there's Josh, Lord Beresford, second cousin of Rosamund and friend of Wetherby, who may or may not be attracted to Rosa or maybe to someone else.
Oh, sweet heaven above! How tiring this part became. The hero had not yet declared himself nor had Annabelle shown any indications of favoring him. So would it have been so very dishonorable to just skip the whole proposal/declaration? I guess you had to be a member of the peerage in the 1800s to understand and accept the actions of these characters in the last 60% of the book. I personally wanted Justin to feel so intensely enamored of Rosamund that he would grab her and run off into the sunset with her. Alas and alack, he just accidentally lucks into his HEA. An HEA that Rosa deserved and I certainly hope she will find it with him.
The attraction and budding love at the beginning is very well written, and I also appreciated a scene at the end in which Rosa acknowledges to herself a sexual attraction to Josh, even while being in love with Justin. Most romances ignore the fact that even though you may have found your One True Love, the body can still be attracted a a Not the One. Perhaps I should have rounded my 3.5 stars to 4 because of insights like these but that final 60% tried my patience sorely.
I can't quite decide how I feel about this Snow Angel. It starts out a 4- (almost 5) star very romantic Regency for me. Heroine Rosamund Hunter, young widow, is stranded in a snowstorm after an argument with her older brother George causes her to leave their carriage in a huff. She's rescued by hero Justin Halliday, Earl of Wetherby, who is on his way to relax at a friend's hunting box (unfortunately sans his mistress, who, at the last minute, could not accompany him).
Wetherby takes Rosamund to the hunting box with him because there is no other recourse. Once there they fully intend to observe the proprieties but, you know, sometimes things happen. They enjoy each other's snowed-in company, conversing easily and frankly, playing cards and billiards, reading companionably, walking and frolicking in the snow (hence the Snow Angel title of the book) and eventually they give in to their strong sexual attraction. After all, although she had loved her late husband very much, he was 30+ years her senior and she's curious about what sex with a younger man would be like. And, as for him, well, he's a man. I guess enough said. A man without the company of his mistress and in the company of a lovely young widow.
Eventually the weather lets up and they each go their separate ways, not knowing many details about each other, not even full names and titles. All she really knows is that he is soon to become betrothed and that his planned trip with the mistress was to have been his last hurrah. He knows that her marriage had been very happy and that her brother now wants to marry her off again to someone she's not interested in. That's pretty much it as far as personal details.
Once back with her brother, she is, fortunately, able to give a plausible excuse to him about where she spent her "snow-in" that he accepts and life goes on as usual. Except that brother George, Lord March, has a daughter named Annabelle who is soon to be betrothed to a young peer. Rosa travels to George's home for the house party where this happy event is to be announced. And, yes, folks, that young peer is Rosa's snow-time lover. You can imagine the awkwardness of their first and actually all their subsequent meetings at this house party.
Up to this point (about 40%) the book is a 4-5 star one for me but from then on it's bogged down in annoying behavior, indecisive inaction, and honorable intentions. Hero Wetherby feels obligated to offer for Annabelle. Annabelle is a wishy-washy young woman lacking any personality who just goes along with whatever is decided for her. And there's Josh, Lord Beresford, second cousin of Rosamund and friend of Wetherby, who may or may not be attracted to Rosa or maybe to someone else.
Oh, sweet heaven above! How tiring this part became. The hero had not yet declared himself nor had Annabelle shown any indications of favoring him. So would it have been so very dishonorable to just skip the whole proposal/declaration? I guess you had to be a member of the peerage in the 1800s to understand and accept the actions of these characters in the last 60% of the book. I personally wanted Justin to feel so intensely enamored of Rosamund that he would grab her and run off into the sunset with her. Alas and alack, he just accidentally lucks into his HEA. An HEA that Rosa deserved and I certainly hope she will find it with him.
The attraction and budding love at the beginning is very well written, and I also appreciated a scene at the end in which Rosa acknowledges to herself a sexual attraction to Josh, even while being in love with Justin. Most romances ignore the fact that even though you may have found your One True Love, the body can still be attracted a a Not the One. Perhaps I should have rounded my 3.5 stars to 4 because of insights like these but that final 60% tried my patience sorely.
August 1, 2018
Heart wrenching
This is a typically heart wrenching Mary Balogh road to HEA. I am always part of the story when I read this author. And she can rip out your heart and put it back together like no other!
This is a typically heart wrenching Mary Balogh road to HEA. I am always part of the story when I read this author. And she can rip out your heart and put it back together like no other!
December 3, 2024
Snow Angel by Mary Balogh (1991) is one of her early Signet Regency Romance books, and it’s a searingly romantic gem… so visually vivid it could easily be made into a tv mini series.
❄️ Lady Rosamund at 17 was married to a much older man .. old enough to be her grandfather.., he was a kind and gentle man whom she loved. After 8 years of marriage she’s now a widow, and her older brother is taking her to a family gathering.
❄️ Justin Halliday, Earl of Wetherby decides to go away with his mistress for a week before he becomes betrothed (he will be faithful to his wife)… he’s 29 and it’s an arranged marriage from his youth. Unexpectedly a snowstorm makes traveling hazardous, and Rosamund is rescued by Justin on a snowy country road. They spend a few days together alone in an isolated country house.
❄️ The marvelous story has a few unexpected twists that add to the heartbreaking tension … and it’s so sensual… beautiful prose! For Justin and Rosamund there’s honor and pride as they struggle with the realization that they love each other. I felt the plot was authentic for the time period. Even though they were not formally betrothed, Justin could not break off the understanding he had to marry Annabelle .., otherwise she would have been ruined.
❄️ One of the most beautifully romantic books I’ve read in ages .., I kept rereading passages. I must find more of these early Baloghs.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
❄️ Lady Rosamund at 17 was married to a much older man .. old enough to be her grandfather.., he was a kind and gentle man whom she loved. After 8 years of marriage she’s now a widow, and her older brother is taking her to a family gathering.
❄️ Justin Halliday, Earl of Wetherby decides to go away with his mistress for a week before he becomes betrothed (he will be faithful to his wife)… he’s 29 and it’s an arranged marriage from his youth. Unexpectedly a snowstorm makes traveling hazardous, and Rosamund is rescued by Justin on a snowy country road. They spend a few days together alone in an isolated country house.
❄️ The marvelous story has a few unexpected twists that add to the heartbreaking tension … and it’s so sensual… beautiful prose! For Justin and Rosamund there’s honor and pride as they struggle with the realization that they love each other. I felt the plot was authentic for the time period. Even though they were not formally betrothed, Justin could not break off the understanding he had to marry Annabelle .., otherwise she would have been ruined.
❄️ One of the most beautifully romantic books I’ve read in ages .., I kept rereading passages. I must find more of these early Baloghs.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
December 18, 2024
Snow Angel by Mary Balogh
.
Cover: 5/5
Story: 3.5/5
Steam: 🔥 (+kissing, mentioned scenes not on the page, a brief encounter not counted)
Ending: HEA. No epilogue.
Publication- 1991
.
Stand Alone or Series: Stand alone.
.
England, Regency Period
Nearly Betrothed Earl
Lovely Young Widow
Late Winter Setting
Forced Proximity
Snowed In!
Country Hunting Lodge
English Countryside
Difficult Families
Secondary Romance
Familial Issues
Major Love Jumble
House Party
Short Affair
Forbidden Love-ish
Poor Relation Heroine
Older MCs (26F/29M)
.
Ugh. I am so, so on the fence with this one. Snow Angel starts strong as an oxen hauling a wagon across the Oregon Trail. Unfortunately, there are also parts within this book where I would have rather nearly died of a broken leg (or dysentery) than continue reading. For me, the biggest setback of this book is how the back half draaags on while nothing and everything simultaneously happens.
An interesting point that I would like to highlight is that Balogh writing in Snow Angel is rather hilarious at some points, and I found myself laughing out loud here and there. I wouldn't use comedic to describe Balogh and her writing style, but she is truly funny when she wants to be. While her writing here is different than her more current writing style- she has strongly found "her voice" over the last three decades- it is clear that Balogh has always been a strong historical romance writer.
Rosamund is a 26-year-old widow who was, willingly, married to a man who was over 30 years older than her. She was freaked out by young men, so she figured she would just marry a super old dude to replace her dead father. (I'm not joking.) Their relationship feels weird (to me) because even she says he replaced her father, but, you know, she and her old husband did have marital relations. It's weird, folks. Even Rosamund thought it was a little creepy. Anyway, the dead husband wasn't a great lover, so Rosemund, while not a virgin, doesn't know passion. *sigh*
Justin is out on his last hurrah before being betrothed to the young woman his family picked out for him when the girl was nine years old. (Because, you know, that's just how things were.) He falls hard for Rosemund in a chance encounter right before a winter storm conveniently leaves them snowed in together, virtually alone, in a nice little hunting post (more like a manor, tbh.) However, Justin is so stupidly honor-bound and is like "I L.O.V.E. Rosemund, but I'm sure I'll find *some sort* of "affection and kind regard" for my nearly betrothed lady." Okay... cool story. Why not, I don't know, marry the woman you already love and have chemistry with?
And this is where the dang plot stalls. It's so boring. There is a secondary romance that helps to push the main plot forward that I found interesting but didn't give me any major romance butterflies but at least filled some page space. Also, this book sports a hilariously annoying side character who reminds me of every wordy, self-absorbed man who thinks he is some great intellectual that I have ever met. I got a real kick out of what an asshat nob he is.
The plot twist is absolutely wicked though, and Balogh nails the ending, so I have to give her credit for that. I'm not mad that I spent time reading this book because I so enjoyed Balogh's writing here. The story was, overall, pretty good but suffered from a horrid lag.
As for steam, Balogh uses non-explict language. The one major scene is not especially steam but well written. Low steam read overall.
.
Read as a physical copy.
Honest review left voluntarily.
.
Content Warning (may contain spoilers):
.
.
.
.
.
De*th of spouse
30+ year age gap between MFC and her first husband
Mild physical vi*lence
Unwanted advances- a kiss (not MCs)
.
Cover: 5/5
Story: 3.5/5
Steam: 🔥 (+kissing, mentioned scenes not on the page, a brief encounter not counted)
Ending: HEA. No epilogue.
Publication- 1991
.
Stand Alone or Series: Stand alone.
.
England, Regency Period
Nearly Betrothed Earl
Lovely Young Widow
Late Winter Setting
Forced Proximity
Snowed In!
Country Hunting Lodge
English Countryside
Difficult Families
Secondary Romance
Familial Issues
Major Love Jumble
House Party
Short Affair
Forbidden Love-ish
Poor Relation Heroine
Older MCs (26F/29M)
.
Ugh. I am so, so on the fence with this one. Snow Angel starts strong as an oxen hauling a wagon across the Oregon Trail. Unfortunately, there are also parts within this book where I would have rather nearly died of a broken leg (or dysentery) than continue reading. For me, the biggest setback of this book is how the back half draaags on while nothing and everything simultaneously happens.
An interesting point that I would like to highlight is that Balogh writing in Snow Angel is rather hilarious at some points, and I found myself laughing out loud here and there. I wouldn't use comedic to describe Balogh and her writing style, but she is truly funny when she wants to be. While her writing here is different than her more current writing style- she has strongly found "her voice" over the last three decades- it is clear that Balogh has always been a strong historical romance writer.
Rosamund is a 26-year-old widow who was, willingly, married to a man who was over 30 years older than her. She was freaked out by young men, so she figured she would just marry a super old dude to replace her dead father. (I'm not joking.) Their relationship feels weird (to me) because even she says he replaced her father, but, you know, she and her old husband did have marital relations. It's weird, folks. Even Rosamund thought it was a little creepy. Anyway, the dead husband wasn't a great lover, so Rosemund, while not a virgin, doesn't know passion. *sigh*
Justin is out on his last hurrah before being betrothed to the young woman his family picked out for him when the girl was nine years old. (Because, you know, that's just how things were.) He falls hard for Rosemund in a chance encounter right before a winter storm conveniently leaves them snowed in together, virtually alone, in a nice little hunting post (more like a manor, tbh.) However, Justin is so stupidly honor-bound and is like "I L.O.V.E. Rosemund, but I'm sure I'll find *some sort* of "affection and kind regard" for my nearly betrothed lady." Okay... cool story. Why not, I don't know, marry the woman you already love and have chemistry with?
And this is where the dang plot stalls. It's so boring. There is a secondary romance that helps to push the main plot forward that I found interesting but didn't give me any major romance butterflies but at least filled some page space. Also, this book sports a hilariously annoying side character who reminds me of every wordy, self-absorbed man who thinks he is some great intellectual that I have ever met. I got a real kick out of what an asshat nob he is.
The plot twist is absolutely wicked though, and Balogh nails the ending, so I have to give her credit for that. I'm not mad that I spent time reading this book because I so enjoyed Balogh's writing here. The story was, overall, pretty good but suffered from a horrid lag.
As for steam, Balogh uses non-explict language. The one major scene is not especially steam but well written. Low steam read overall.
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Read as a physical copy.
Honest review left voluntarily.
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Content Warning (may contain spoilers):
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De*th of spouse
30+ year age gap between MFC and her first husband
Mild physical vi*lence
Unwanted advances- a kiss (not MCs)
March 2, 2018
Three and a half stars.
For a book written in 1991 it hasn't dated (snort, it's an historical novel).
The widowed Lady Rosamund Hunter is being driven to her brother's estate in anticipation of her grandfather's 70th birthday celebrations, by her much older brother Dennis, Viscount March when they have one of their rip-roaring arguments and Rosamund jumps out of the carriage determined to walk down the road (and haven't we all had one of those arguments in the car?). Unfortunately the weather is bad and it has started to snow, Rosamund is cold, wet and feeling sorry for herself when she is rescued by Justin Halliday, Earl of Wetherby on his way to spend a week in a hunting lodge. Unbeknownst to Rosamund, her brother's carriage lost a wheel and he was stranded in a ditch unable to rescue her.
Justin had intended to spend the week with his mistress in a last hurrah before they said goodbye in anticipation of his impending nuptials to a friend of the family some 12 years his junior. Instead, she is lying in bed with a head cold and Justin travelled to Northamptonshire alone with a trunk of brand new, never worn, women's clothes strapped to the back of his carriage. Gradually, over a few days snowed in together Justin and Rosamund become friends and have a torrid love affair. Both view it as a moment of madness, an escape from life. Both also slightly fudge their identities (mainly by calling themselves plain Mr and Mrs).
One month later, Justin arrives at the home of his fiancee-to-be's parents only to discover that Rosamund is the girl's aunt (Dennis' only daughter). What unfolds is a pleasant country house romance in which everyone is in love with the wrong person - it's almost Shakespearean!
Whilst I enjoyed this it didn't move me to laughter or tears, I didn't really feel deep emotions about Rosamund or Justin and I didn't feel that either character's motivations were really explored. Why exactly would Justin agree to marry a young girl just to please his family? He seemed to have a strong moral code yet had no issue marrying a woman he barely knew. Rosamund had been married to a much older man, her reasons appeared quite unusual and worth exploring but they were just swept aside - maybe it was a device to make the heroine almost virginal?
Anyway, having said all that, I have started and discarded several books recently and this was the only one that caught my attention.
For a book written in 1991 it hasn't dated (snort, it's an historical novel).
The widowed Lady Rosamund Hunter is being driven to her brother's estate in anticipation of her grandfather's 70th birthday celebrations, by her much older brother Dennis, Viscount March when they have one of their rip-roaring arguments and Rosamund jumps out of the carriage determined to walk down the road (and haven't we all had one of those arguments in the car?). Unfortunately the weather is bad and it has started to snow, Rosamund is cold, wet and feeling sorry for herself when she is rescued by Justin Halliday, Earl of Wetherby on his way to spend a week in a hunting lodge. Unbeknownst to Rosamund, her brother's carriage lost a wheel and he was stranded in a ditch unable to rescue her.
Justin had intended to spend the week with his mistress in a last hurrah before they said goodbye in anticipation of his impending nuptials to a friend of the family some 12 years his junior. Instead, she is lying in bed with a head cold and Justin travelled to Northamptonshire alone with a trunk of brand new, never worn, women's clothes strapped to the back of his carriage. Gradually, over a few days snowed in together Justin and Rosamund become friends and have a torrid love affair. Both view it as a moment of madness, an escape from life. Both also slightly fudge their identities (mainly by calling themselves plain Mr and Mrs).
One month later, Justin arrives at the home of his fiancee-to-be's parents only to discover that Rosamund is the girl's aunt (Dennis' only daughter). What unfolds is a pleasant country house romance in which everyone is in love with the wrong person - it's almost Shakespearean!
Whilst I enjoyed this it didn't move me to laughter or tears, I didn't really feel deep emotions about Rosamund or Justin and I didn't feel that either character's motivations were really explored. Why exactly would Justin agree to marry a young girl just to please his family? He seemed to have a strong moral code yet had no issue marrying a woman he barely knew. Rosamund had been married to a much older man, her reasons appeared quite unusual and worth exploring but they were just swept aside - maybe it was a device to make the heroine almost virginal?
Anyway, having said all that, I have started and discarded several books recently and this was the only one that caught my attention.
January 3, 2018
Justin and Rosamund
A night spent with the wonderful prose of Mary Balogh is a night well spent indeed!
Justin and Rosamund meet in a snowstorm and spend an idyllic time together before moving on to their destinations. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to both of them, he is about to become betrothed to her niece. Yikes!
The heartache, the yearning, the longing were all so palpable. I wanted to slam Justin's head into a wall. Poor Rosamund, she maintained a stiff upper lip through it all.
I cannot even fathom attending a house party where I am forced to watch the man I love court my own niece. Unfathomable! Yet...
Balogh pulls this reader along enticing with imagery, sights, sounds and smells. She seduces the senses and engulfs the emotional core, ripping me to pieces and then gently reassembling and healing with her gentle voice.
She's done it to me again. I'm her willing and faithful servant and will always go along for the ride.
A night spent with the wonderful prose of Mary Balogh is a night well spent indeed!
Justin and Rosamund meet in a snowstorm and spend an idyllic time together before moving on to their destinations. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to both of them, he is about to become betrothed to her niece. Yikes!
The heartache, the yearning, the longing were all so palpable. I wanted to slam Justin's head into a wall. Poor Rosamund, she maintained a stiff upper lip through it all.
I cannot even fathom attending a house party where I am forced to watch the man I love court my own niece. Unfathomable! Yet...
Balogh pulls this reader along enticing with imagery, sights, sounds and smells. She seduces the senses and engulfs the emotional core, ripping me to pieces and then gently reassembling and healing with her gentle voice.
She's done it to me again. I'm her willing and faithful servant and will always go along for the ride.
December 17, 2016
This romance got off to a great start. I was pulled in right from the beginning. A snow bound love leading to complications. H and h were both well done. Kinda steamy.
May 22, 2018
One of the things that Mary Balogh does brilliantly is to take a wildly unusual situation, toss her characters into it and leave them to sink or swim accordingly. In this case, Rosamund and Justin meet entirely by chance on the road in the middle of a snowstorm. She has just quarrelled with her brother and sets out to walk - somewhere, anywhere. He is trying to recover something from a planned week of pre-wedding debauchery where all the other participants have cried off. They escape the snow in a hunting lodge, and, since she’s a widow curious about sex with a younger man, and he was expecting a week of sex anyway, they retire to the bedroom pretty quickly. And then, a month later, they meet up at a house party where he is expected to propose to her niece. How very awkward.
Of course, this requires some sleight of hand. How could she not know who he is? Because he fails to introduce himself properly, that’s how. He tells her he’s Justin Halliday instead of the Earl of Wetherby, and frankly, there’s no way on earth he would ever do that unless, for some unfathomable reason, he was deliberately intending to deceive her. So already there’s some suspension of disbelief involved. Then there’s the sex aspect, and while he might not worry too much about a possible pregnancy, the fear of an illegitimate child was great enough to make most respectable women think twice about it. And I don’t believe for one moment that Regency women were sufficiently knowledgeable about ovulation to use it as a contraceptive device. This is a time when medical practices revolved around balancing the humours in the body, and bleeding the sick with leeches and cutting. So telling him that she’s unlikely to get pregnant is hugely implausible.
So the house party goes along merrily, and Justin is too committed to draw back, but his intended has been given the freedom of choice. If she had half a brain in her head, she would have told him she was in love with someone else. I get that there was a huge weight of expectation there for a marriage which had been planned for years, but the whole business was drawn out to the nth degree, and seemed quite silly to me. And meanwhile Justin and Rosamund are busy trying to keep their hands off each other, and not succeeding terribly well.
Naturally, everything gets resolved satisfactorily in the end, but not because of anything the hero or heroine did. I would have liked to see more emphasis on the absolute impossibility of the hero backing out of his engagement under Regency societal rules, because without that he just looks like a wimpy dithery sort of guy, trying to string both women along and unable to summon up the gumption to do what’s necessary.
This is as well-written as all Balogh’s books, and I loved the premise and the sex-fuelled first half, but the flaws in the plot and the long-drawn-out second half keep it to four stars.
Of course, this requires some sleight of hand. How could she not know who he is? Because he fails to introduce himself properly, that’s how. He tells her he’s Justin Halliday instead of the Earl of Wetherby, and frankly, there’s no way on earth he would ever do that unless, for some unfathomable reason, he was deliberately intending to deceive her. So already there’s some suspension of disbelief involved. Then there’s the sex aspect, and while he might not worry too much about a possible pregnancy, the fear of an illegitimate child was great enough to make most respectable women think twice about it. And I don’t believe for one moment that Regency women were sufficiently knowledgeable about ovulation to use it as a contraceptive device. This is a time when medical practices revolved around balancing the humours in the body, and bleeding the sick with leeches and cutting. So telling him that she’s unlikely to get pregnant is hugely implausible.
So the house party goes along merrily, and Justin is too committed to draw back, but his intended has been given the freedom of choice. If she had half a brain in her head, she would have told him she was in love with someone else. I get that there was a huge weight of expectation there for a marriage which had been planned for years, but the whole business was drawn out to the nth degree, and seemed quite silly to me. And meanwhile Justin and Rosamund are busy trying to keep their hands off each other, and not succeeding terribly well.
Naturally, everything gets resolved satisfactorily in the end, but not because of anything the hero or heroine did. I would have liked to see more emphasis on the absolute impossibility of the hero backing out of his engagement under Regency societal rules, because without that he just looks like a wimpy dithery sort of guy, trying to string both women along and unable to summon up the gumption to do what’s necessary.
This is as well-written as all Balogh’s books, and I loved the premise and the sex-fuelled first half, but the flaws in the plot and the long-drawn-out second half keep it to four stars.
February 19, 2019
Catnip: Snowbound - forced proximity- forbidden love - regency house party - Mary Balogh backlist.
Loved it!
Loved it!
March 18, 2018
buon romanzo romantico e insolito nonostante la Balogh lo abbia scritto quasi 20 anni fà.
la protagonista è deliziosa e non convenzionale mentre il protagonista non si allontana troppo dal genere romance storico.
una seconda coppia ha reso ancora migliore il libro.
la protagonista è deliziosa e non convenzionale mentre il protagonista non si allontana troppo dal genere romance storico.
una seconda coppia ha reso ancora migliore il libro.
July 2, 2018
Mary Balogh is a quality writer, but in this case, I found the story very unsatisfying.
Rosamund and Justing meet by chance in a snowstorm and have a dalliance. She's a young widow and he's almost quite bethrothed. They say goodbye forever and of course they meet again when they realize he is to marry her niece. Rosamund is competely resigned to forget about their affair; Justin is very ok with going through with he arranged marriage... so much so that he issues a perfectly sweet, honest and tender offer of marriage to his young intended ( not Rosamund) at about 80% of the book, hand holding and kissing included. That by itself made me get this a two-star rating.
There's a secondary character, Joshua, who was in fact hero material. He is the only one who decides to act on his heart's desire against social areangements.
At the very end, when the hero's engagement is boken (not by any acion on his part though), he and heroine decid to get together almost like an afterthought, as a convenient means of making the best with what you have left, very un-romantic for my taste.
Would not recommend this one, skip it and go for the Bedwyn saga instead.
Rosamund and Justing meet by chance in a snowstorm and have a dalliance. She's a young widow and he's almost quite bethrothed. They say goodbye forever and of course they meet again when they realize he is to marry her niece. Rosamund is competely resigned to forget about their affair; Justin is very ok with going through with he arranged marriage... so much so that he issues a perfectly sweet, honest and tender offer of marriage to his young intended ( not Rosamund) at about 80% of the book, hand holding and kissing included. That by itself made me get this a two-star rating.
There's a secondary character, Joshua, who was in fact hero material. He is the only one who decides to act on his heart's desire against social areangements.
At the very end, when the hero's engagement is boken (not by any acion on his part though), he and heroine decid to get together almost like an afterthought, as a convenient means of making the best with what you have left, very un-romantic for my taste.
Would not recommend this one, skip it and go for the Bedwyn saga instead.
March 27, 2010
Oh man. This book was just so ...sigh.... romantic.
Lady Rosamund Hunter is traveling with her brother toward his home readying for a house party celebrating the betrothal of her niece. Rosa is a widow whose husband was a bit older. Her brother is giving his unwanted advice on whom Rosa should marry now that she is out of mourning. Rosa objects strongly and the two get into a bit of a juvenile argument that results in Rosa leaving the carriage in a huff and Dennis letting her leave.
But a snowstorm descends and Rosa finds herself stranded and dependent on the kindness of a stranger who takes her up in his carriage.
Justin Halliday, Earl of Wetherby is on his way to a private retreat to enjoy the last weeks of bachelorhood. His mother has finally prevailed upon him to marry the daughter of her friend and he acquiesces. He sees Rosa shuddering on the side of the road and comes to her rescue.
The two find themselves snowbound for three days, just the two of them, at the private retreat. They are wildly attracted to each other and give in to the attraction, with full knowledge that they will part.
They do, but not for long because weeks later Rosa is horrified to realize that her snowbound lover is none other that the man who is betrothed to her niece. And they will see each other in close proximity during the duration of the house party and the betrothal ball.
This is a fairly common plot that could have been pretty mundane is execution. Balogh herself did this in a later book Simply Unforgettable but with less effective result. However this earlier book she does it wonderfully.
I kept waiting for the two of them to be coy or regretful or even hostile about their liaison. But that never occurs. During the three days they are stranded they create an idyll. They have great conversations and have fun with each other and get to know each other. Before they acknowledge that they are hot for each other, Balogh makes them long for each other and the sexual tension is palpable.
But these two people are adults and rational. Justin is upfront about his betrothal and tells Rosa he is unavailable. Rosa accepts this and enjoys her time with him. They, unknowingly, fall in love with each other in those three days. But at the end, the part each other with smiles and the acknowledgment they had something very precious together.
So when they run into each other at the home of Rosa's brother they are shocked to their core and really do not quite know how to act. Balogh could have gone in many directions here, but I liked the one she chose. These are two honorable people who would really like to be with each other but can't find a way to do so so they make the best of things.
I really, liked both of them and kept wondering how Balogh'd get Justin untangled and the two of them finally together. And she did it quite neatly.
As a bonus, I enjoyed all the supporting characters and the b-romance as well.
Very nice book.
Lady Rosamund Hunter is traveling with her brother toward his home readying for a house party celebrating the betrothal of her niece. Rosa is a widow whose husband was a bit older. Her brother is giving his unwanted advice on whom Rosa should marry now that she is out of mourning. Rosa objects strongly and the two get into a bit of a juvenile argument that results in Rosa leaving the carriage in a huff and Dennis letting her leave.
But a snowstorm descends and Rosa finds herself stranded and dependent on the kindness of a stranger who takes her up in his carriage.
Justin Halliday, Earl of Wetherby is on his way to a private retreat to enjoy the last weeks of bachelorhood. His mother has finally prevailed upon him to marry the daughter of her friend and he acquiesces. He sees Rosa shuddering on the side of the road and comes to her rescue.
The two find themselves snowbound for three days, just the two of them, at the private retreat. They are wildly attracted to each other and give in to the attraction, with full knowledge that they will part.
They do, but not for long because weeks later Rosa is horrified to realize that her snowbound lover is none other that the man who is betrothed to her niece. And they will see each other in close proximity during the duration of the house party and the betrothal ball.
This is a fairly common plot that could have been pretty mundane is execution. Balogh herself did this in a later book Simply Unforgettable but with less effective result. However this earlier book she does it wonderfully.
I kept waiting for the two of them to be coy or regretful or even hostile about their liaison. But that never occurs. During the three days they are stranded they create an idyll. They have great conversations and have fun with each other and get to know each other. Before they acknowledge that they are hot for each other, Balogh makes them long for each other and the sexual tension is palpable.
But these two people are adults and rational. Justin is upfront about his betrothal and tells Rosa he is unavailable. Rosa accepts this and enjoys her time with him. They, unknowingly, fall in love with each other in those three days. But at the end, the part each other with smiles and the acknowledgment they had something very precious together.
So when they run into each other at the home of Rosa's brother they are shocked to their core and really do not quite know how to act. Balogh could have gone in many directions here, but I liked the one she chose. These are two honorable people who would really like to be with each other but can't find a way to do so so they make the best of things.
I really, liked both of them and kept wondering how Balogh'd get Justin untangled and the two of them finally together. And she did it quite neatly.
As a bonus, I enjoyed all the supporting characters and the b-romance as well.
Very nice book.
September 4, 2019
I've been working slowly through Balogh's backlist, and I'd hit a succession of books that either bored or offended me, so reaching Snow Angel was such a delight. It's a return to the fluffy, character-arc centendered romances that made me fall in love with Balogh's work.
Rosamund has been widowed and, after a fight with her brother, ends up stranded on the road during a snowstorm, only to be picked up by Justin Halliday, Earl of Wetherby, and end up stranded with him in a hunting lodge. This set up is tropey ridiculousness obviously and absolutely my catnip. It's absurd, but I do genuinely love the fight Rosamund had with her brother where she insisted on getting out and walking, and he rode on for a bit planning to turn around. Being with family can cause a regression in behavior to childhood, and I thought that worked very well.
Rosamund decides to have a brief affair with Justin. This could be creepy, considering he'd planned to be at the lodge with his mistress as a last fling before his engagement to a young lady, but Justin's honest with Rosamund about all of it. Communication makes such a difference. What's awkward is when they meet up shortly thereafter only to realize that Rosamund's the aunt of his intended.
The plot resolves in a Shakespearean comedy sort of way, and it's all quite cute and messy.
Rosamund has been widowed and, after a fight with her brother, ends up stranded on the road during a snowstorm, only to be picked up by Justin Halliday, Earl of Wetherby, and end up stranded with him in a hunting lodge. This set up is tropey ridiculousness obviously and absolutely my catnip. It's absurd, but I do genuinely love the fight Rosamund had with her brother where she insisted on getting out and walking, and he rode on for a bit planning to turn around. Being with family can cause a regression in behavior to childhood, and I thought that worked very well.
Rosamund decides to have a brief affair with Justin. This could be creepy, considering he'd planned to be at the lodge with his mistress as a last fling before his engagement to a young lady, but Justin's honest with Rosamund about all of it. Communication makes such a difference. What's awkward is when they meet up shortly thereafter only to realize that Rosamund's the aunt of his intended.
The plot resolves in a Shakespearean comedy sort of way, and it's all quite cute and messy.
January 9, 2019
Fabulous!!! This is one of my favorite books by Mary Balogh, who is one of my favorite authors.
December 20, 2025
THIS BOOK.
I picked it up because it sounded fun and i trust Mary with whatever she writes... with that said... the emotional damage this book caused on it's less than 300 pages. I'm serious when i say i was about to throw it against the wall, but i needed to keep reading. This is a five stars read. the ANGST the pure ANGST i experiences reading it. And the Joy i experienced with it's ending. I can't recommend this book enough.
I picked it up because it sounded fun and i trust Mary with whatever she writes... with that said... the emotional damage this book caused on it's less than 300 pages. I'm serious when i say i was about to throw it against the wall, but i needed to keep reading. This is a five stars read. the ANGST the pure ANGST i experiences reading it. And the Joy i experienced with it's ending. I can't recommend this book enough.
January 5, 2018
Widow and man-about-town meet in the middle of nowhere. Not one of Balogh's best ever, this is one of the short romances she wrote for Signet back in the day. The longer books of today are much better, but this was a short, sweet read.
February 10, 2017
3,5 - Forse non uno dei migliori romanzi della Balogh, ma comunque una gradevole lettura.
Il protagonista maschile è - diciamolo - parecchio viziato ed egocentrico, e pensa che il mondo giri intorno a lui, compresa la sua futura moglie, che dovrà essere una sorta di satellite (obbediente, silenzioso, in armonia con lui per dargli lustro e non rubargli troppa luce).
Così va bene anche una promessa sposa giovanissima, pur se sino al giorno prima si stava con un'amante, e il giorno dopo si è incontrata la propria donna del destino.
Ecco, con tutto ciò è chiaro che non mi sono lasciata coinvolgere in modo particolare da Justin, soprattutto perchè le ha tutte: ricco, nobile, bello, pure nato con la camicia...
Purtroppo la Balogh lo ha anche reso molto credibile con i suoi vari difetti.
Al contrario, ho trovato deliziosa Rosamund, con la sua voglia di indipendenza e il suo cercare un posto nel mondo, senza rinnegare ciò che la vita le ha dato e senza rinuciare a essere comunque soddisfatta di sè.
Anche la seconda coppia più giovane ha un suo perchè.
Il protagonista maschile è - diciamolo - parecchio viziato ed egocentrico, e pensa che il mondo giri intorno a lui, compresa la sua futura moglie, che dovrà essere una sorta di satellite (obbediente, silenzioso, in armonia con lui per dargli lustro e non rubargli troppa luce).
Così va bene anche una promessa sposa giovanissima, pur se sino al giorno prima si stava con un'amante, e il giorno dopo si è incontrata la propria donna del destino.
Ecco, con tutto ciò è chiaro che non mi sono lasciata coinvolgere in modo particolare da Justin, soprattutto perchè le ha tutte: ricco, nobile, bello, pure nato con la camicia...
Purtroppo la Balogh lo ha anche reso molto credibile con i suoi vari difetti.
Al contrario, ho trovato deliziosa Rosamund, con la sua voglia di indipendenza e il suo cercare un posto nel mondo, senza rinnegare ciò che la vita le ha dato e senza rinuciare a essere comunque soddisfatta di sè.
Anche la seconda coppia più giovane ha un suo perchè.
December 23, 2014
Mary Balogh's "Snow Angel"
Read this one the first time a few years ago during my initial Mary Balogh glom. I loved it then and gave it 5 stars (stars in my eyes, apparently). Just read it again a couple of days ago and I'm lowering the rating to 4 stars. The love story is good, but I now realize that the main characters of the story, Justin and Rosamund, the ones who meet up and fall in love while spending a couple of days snowbound in a cozy hunting lodge, are not actually the hero and heroine of the story.
The hero and heroine of the story, in the sense that they are the ones who make the final HEA ending possible, are Amanda, who is Justin's almost-betrothed and Rosamund's niece, and Josh, a friend of Justin and a relative of Amanda and Rosamund, who was wounded in the battle of Waterloo. Without the actions of Josh and Amanda, Justin would have gone ahead with his engagement to Amanda, even though he realizes that Rosamund is the "second half" of his soul, and lived to regret it bitterly for the rest of his life. Justin is strangely passive in all the events that take place during the house party where the betrothal is supposed to be announced, so I can't really call him the "hero" of this story and for that reason I'm taking the rating of this book down a notch.
(Mary Balogh has another story where the "hero" is almost completely passive in securing his and his true love's HEA - "Tempting Harriet".)
Read this one the first time a few years ago during my initial Mary Balogh glom. I loved it then and gave it 5 stars (stars in my eyes, apparently). Just read it again a couple of days ago and I'm lowering the rating to 4 stars. The love story is good, but I now realize that the main characters of the story, Justin and Rosamund, the ones who meet up and fall in love while spending a couple of days snowbound in a cozy hunting lodge, are not actually the hero and heroine of the story.
The hero and heroine of the story, in the sense that they are the ones who make the final HEA ending possible, are Amanda, who is Justin's almost-betrothed and Rosamund's niece, and Josh, a friend of Justin and a relative of Amanda and Rosamund, who was wounded in the battle of Waterloo. Without the actions of Josh and Amanda, Justin would have gone ahead with his engagement to Amanda, even though he realizes that Rosamund is the "second half" of his soul, and lived to regret it bitterly for the rest of his life. Justin is strangely passive in all the events that take place during the house party where the betrothal is supposed to be announced, so I can't really call him the "hero" of this story and for that reason I'm taking the rating of this book down a notch.
(Mary Balogh has another story where the "hero" is almost completely passive in securing his and his true love's HEA - "Tempting Harriet".)
November 28, 2015
เรื่องนี้ชอบตอนช่วงแรก ๆ ค่ะ ที่พระเอกนางเอกเจอกันใหม่ ๆ มันน่ารักดี และเป็นไปตามขนบนิยายโรมานซ์ที่พระเอกนางเอกสปาร์กกันเร็วมาก
ส่วนช่วงหลังที่กลับมาพบกันอีกครั้งจะมาแนวบีบคั้นหน่อยๆ ช่วงนี้เราขัดใจพระเอก คือรู้ตัวว่ารักนางเอกแต่ก็ยังจะแต่งงานกับหลานสาวเธออยู่ดี เรื่องนี้ถ้าไม่มีเพื่อนมาช่วยก็คงไม่จบ
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November 10, 2021
Docked a star because of the mildish cheating that happened. I can enjoy a book with cheating depending on the premise etc., but this involved familial connections, and wasn’t even necessary to the story, which made it a little sordid. Otherwise, this was a really enjoyable Mary Balogh.
August 8, 2021
Snow Angel was about Rosamund Hunter, a young widow whose much older brother was determined to see her remarried, and Lord Justin Halliday, Earl of Wetherby, a nobleman who was on his way to honor a match arranged long ago by his mother.
After 15 months of mourning for her husband, Rosa's brother, Lord Dennis Milford, Viscount of March, went to her home in Lincolnshire in order to move her back to his home under the guise of celebrating the engagement of his daughter (her niece). While traveling, he informed her he had decided to arrange a match for her to marry the local vicar. They argued about it to the point that she had the carriage stop so she could get out and walk back home rather than be forced into an unwanted marriage. Unfortunately, her brother had the carriage leave her behind (although he had every intention of going back for her, for he was trying to teach her a lesson), but it had started to snow and they got separated.
Justin was traveling at the same time to a friend's hunting lodge where he had planned to spend a final week with his mistress before breaking it off due to his betrothal and intent on being faithful to his wife upon marriage. His coachman stopped the carriage when they encountered Rosa walking on the deepening snow. Justin decided they should take her with them to the hunting lodge where they would all take shelter till the storm passed.
The attraction and chemistry between Justin and Rosa were both strong, and neither wanted to deny them. They spent three days getting to know each other, both in and out of bed. The passion they shared was hot, immediate, and undeniable, and they both gave in to it with the understanding it was a temporary affair.
After three days, the snow had melted enough for Rosa to leave, and so she did. Neither one of them had given their full name so they had no way of contacting each other should they have desired to. In fact, Rosa was totally unaware that Justin was an Earl.
It was to be several weeks before they were to see each other again...and it was to be at a house party to celebrate her niece's engagement...to Justin. What bothered me the most about this story was that Justin, who was already in love with Rosa, was still intent on marrying Annabelle, even though Rosa was Annabelle's aunt. However, he could not deny the feelings of jealousy whenever he saw Rosa walking, laughing, or talking with another man.
It also angered me how...sedate Rosa was about the whole sordid thing. Her emotions were completely locked away and she let everyone walk all over her. The author made her too much of a "goody-two-shoes" who stopped standing up for herself the way she did when she was 17 and married a man 32 years older. Sure, she still fought for herself, but when it came to Justin, she just stepped aside. While I respected her decision to not hurt her niece or the rest of her family...or even Justin for that matter...I still think she gave up too easily. At least she didn't try to influence her niece's decision on whether or not to go through with it. She gave an honest opinion of what Annabelle should do without allowing her own feelings to dictate the outcome.
Justin lacked a bit of moral fiber, too. Why do I say that? Well, think about it. He was supposed to be pledged to Rosa's niece, yet he still pursued HER...no matter how hard she tried to stay away (granted not too hard on her part either, right?). If he really was going to be a faithful husband after the betrothal, then why would he still be going after the aunt? There's also the fact that he was willing to start his marriage to Annabelle with a lie, on both their parts. He KNEW there was something she was hiding from him. He felt certain she was in love with another man, yet he didn't try very hard to get her to open up about it. Nor did he reveal his own secret, that HE was in love with someone else. Then, if he WAS in love with Rosa...why the hell did he keep pursuing the niece?! If he truly loved Rosa, then he wouldn't have kissed Annabelle. Sure he was trying to honor their parents/grandparents' arrangement from when the girl was nine, but come on! This was a case of a man who wanted to have his cake and eat it too.
The angst and drama of the story were off the charts high, and so was the bit of intrigue. Emotions were definitely all over the place. It was a very good story, though. I couldn't stop reading it until I reached the end, and that's a rare occasion for me. This book will definitely not be added to the Keeper for the Shelves collection.
After 15 months of mourning for her husband, Rosa's brother, Lord Dennis Milford, Viscount of March, went to her home in Lincolnshire in order to move her back to his home under the guise of celebrating the engagement of his daughter (her niece). While traveling, he informed her he had decided to arrange a match for her to marry the local vicar. They argued about it to the point that she had the carriage stop so she could get out and walk back home rather than be forced into an unwanted marriage. Unfortunately, her brother had the carriage leave her behind (although he had every intention of going back for her, for he was trying to teach her a lesson), but it had started to snow and they got separated.
Justin was traveling at the same time to a friend's hunting lodge where he had planned to spend a final week with his mistress before breaking it off due to his betrothal and intent on being faithful to his wife upon marriage. His coachman stopped the carriage when they encountered Rosa walking on the deepening snow. Justin decided they should take her with them to the hunting lodge where they would all take shelter till the storm passed.
The attraction and chemistry between Justin and Rosa were both strong, and neither wanted to deny them. They spent three days getting to know each other, both in and out of bed. The passion they shared was hot, immediate, and undeniable, and they both gave in to it with the understanding it was a temporary affair.
After three days, the snow had melted enough for Rosa to leave, and so she did. Neither one of them had given their full name so they had no way of contacting each other should they have desired to. In fact, Rosa was totally unaware that Justin was an Earl.
It was to be several weeks before they were to see each other again...and it was to be at a house party to celebrate her niece's engagement...to Justin. What bothered me the most about this story was that Justin, who was already in love with Rosa, was still intent on marrying Annabelle, even though Rosa was Annabelle's aunt. However, he could not deny the feelings of jealousy whenever he saw Rosa walking, laughing, or talking with another man.
It also angered me how...sedate Rosa was about the whole sordid thing. Her emotions were completely locked away and she let everyone walk all over her. The author made her too much of a "goody-two-shoes" who stopped standing up for herself the way she did when she was 17 and married a man 32 years older. Sure, she still fought for herself, but when it came to Justin, she just stepped aside. While I respected her decision to not hurt her niece or the rest of her family...or even Justin for that matter...I still think she gave up too easily. At least she didn't try to influence her niece's decision on whether or not to go through with it. She gave an honest opinion of what Annabelle should do without allowing her own feelings to dictate the outcome.
Justin lacked a bit of moral fiber, too. Why do I say that? Well, think about it. He was supposed to be pledged to Rosa's niece, yet he still pursued HER...no matter how hard she tried to stay away (granted not too hard on her part either, right?). If he really was going to be a faithful husband after the betrothal, then why would he still be going after the aunt? There's also the fact that he was willing to start his marriage to Annabelle with a lie, on both their parts. He KNEW there was something she was hiding from him. He felt certain she was in love with another man, yet he didn't try very hard to get her to open up about it. Nor did he reveal his own secret, that HE was in love with someone else. Then, if he WAS in love with Rosa...why the hell did he keep pursuing the niece?! If he truly loved Rosa, then he wouldn't have kissed Annabelle. Sure he was trying to honor their parents/grandparents' arrangement from when the girl was nine, but come on! This was a case of a man who wanted to have his cake and eat it too.
The angst and drama of the story were off the charts high, and so was the bit of intrigue. Emotions were definitely all over the place. It was a very good story, though. I couldn't stop reading it until I reached the end, and that's a rare occasion for me. This book will definitely not be added to the Keeper for the Shelves collection.
June 2, 2021
La sinossi del libro era bellissima e infatti nelle prime 200 pagine incontriamo due personaggi deliziosi in una situazione inusuale, ma romanticissima pregna di sentimento. Lui Justin conte di Wetherby, incontra lei Rosamund vedova e sorella di un marchese sul sentiero innevato , che lo avrebbe portato all’ultima settimana da scapolo prima di sposarsi. Entrambi intrappolati finiscono per diventare amanti con una tenerezza e una sensualità meravigliosa. Ma dopo questo breve idillio cosa sarebbe successo? Ero entusiasta perché la balogh sa raccontare l’amore ...ma qui di amore non ce n’è. E mi dispiace tantissimo dirlo perché il libro era iniziato in maniera perfetta. Terminato il periodo insieme loro si rincontrano perché la promessa sposa di lui è addirittura la nipote di lei. Una situazione paradossale che ho incontrato simile in altri libri dove l’amore combatte e vince contro le costrizioni dei doveri e della società dell’epoca (poco credibili sicuramente visto invece come andava a finire nella realtà,ma stiamo parlando sempre di un romanzo d’amore!) dopo la parte iniziale bellissima abbiamo una parte corposa e sostanziosa, centrale nel libro in cui non si fa altro che parlare di noiosissimi salotti ,passeggiate e quant’altro si faceva ai tempi della buona società... tutto molto noioso da leggere ,molto pesante perché si protrae per parecchio tempo, facendoti pensare più volte “Oddio quando finisce questo libro?” e anche “Oddio come facevano a sopportare queste cose senza uno smartphone?” ...Ma non è questo il peccato mortale del libro ; ciò che rende imperdonabile la storia è che non c’è amore! Lui fino alla pagina 16 dell’ultimo capitolo è assolutamente deciso a voler sposare Annabella! Tanto è vero che continua cercare un contatto con lei, la bacia, e le domanda più di una volta se davvero lo vuole sposare...!!! Dall’altra parte invece Rosamund da personaggio solare,estroverso,brioso delle prime pagine è diventata l’ombra di se stessa perché nella sofferenza , non reagisce con orgoglio o dignità ma si appiattisce mendicando qualche bacio clandestino che lui da vero mascalzone le da ! Questa storia doveva finire in maniera differente , E se lieto fine doveva esserci, doveva essere protratto nel tempo mandando avanti un matrimonio che doveva essere una sofferenza per lui ,che doveva farlo pagare per un comportamento completamente privo di sentimento , Per non aver dato voce e concretizzato ciò che davvero contava... E soprattutto lei doveva respingerlo fino alla fine dei tempi! Invece no, se amore trionfa è quello di Annabella con il suo meraviglioso Joshua che rompono tutti gli schemi dichiarando il loro amore e solo dopo di questo, Justin torna da Rosamund dando al lettore la pessima sensazione di una seconda scelta, e la delusione di un finale raffazzonato! Stento a riconoscere in questo libro la stessa autrice del “duca di ghiaccio” dove veramente c’era il sentimento puro, onestamente stento a riconoscere nella seconda parte del libro la stessa autrice della prima parte come se in qualche modo il libro fosse stato concluso da qualche altra persona...
È proprio vero che le più grandi delusioni letterarie si hanno dagli autori preferiti! questo libro non solo non mi è piaciuto,Ma mi ha anche tanto innervosito! ⭐️⭐️1/2
È proprio vero che le più grandi delusioni letterarie si hanno dagli autori preferiti! questo libro non solo non mi è piaciuto,Ma mi ha anche tanto innervosito! ⭐️⭐️1/2
May 19, 2024
La Balogh mette un angelo sotto la neve e lo surgela.
Un uomo rassegnato al proprio splendore
Dalla vostra Lyanne Quay di "Un Conte per Tiranno”!
Ok, ragazze indovinate cosa vi recensisco oggi? Ma un purissimo Mary Balogh !!! Sono agli sgoccioli, per continuare a leggere Balogh dovrò farlo in inglese… Mi viene mal di testa solo a pensarci.
Ok, ora un romanzo che avevo sempre rimandato di leggere, non appartiene ad alcuna serie e l’ho trovato "volgare”. Volgare e brutale per il ritratto di una società sfrenata e basic negli istinti quanto prona a far prevalere su tutto considerazioni di potere. E l’amore allora? Lo vedete il lacrimone nei miei occhi?
In questa storia domina su tutto un‘acquiescenza perbenista che rende i vincoli sociali invalicabili come raramente accade nella Balogh. E dunque abbiamo un lui sfolgorante e una lei dalla bellezza magnetica che vivono pienamente la bellezza di un incontro casuale, una sorta di vacanza mentale da tutto. Poi il destino li fa invece rincontrare in posizione di quasi parenti. E per tutto il tempo questi spasimano rassegnati agli eventi finché non vengono salvati da un personaggio esterno… Boh, e la forza dell’amore allora? Ovviamente la tensione è altissima per tutto il romanzo, i personaggi vividi e approfonditi, la dinamica tra loro si fonda sull’incredulità. È mai possibile che quest’uomo / questa donna incontrata per caso e frequentato per soli tre giorni sia l’amore della mia vita, è davvero possibile innamorarsi tanto profondamente per così poco? Ciò li trattiene dall’agire, induce i personaggi a rassegnarsi all’ingranaggio sociale. E per quanto sia convincente questo realismo, il racconto non sa celebrare la forza e il trionfo dell’amore per come io mi aspetto da Balogh.
Insomma, per la prima volta non trovo onorati, in Balogh, i sentimenti delicati secondo l’elegia anglosassone, ma la barbara durezza della realtà anglosassone, con un lui che quando se la vuole ingroppare non tende la mano sperando che lei gliela raccolga e gli consenta di avvicinarsi per baciarla. No no. Lui si avvicina da dietro e le mette le mani sulle tette. Oh e a lei sta benissimo. Questa vedovella, nel corso del racconto sarà perfino tentata di farsi un giro con l’amico d'infanzia per distrarsi… Non farà ma... Capito come? Questo allegro copulare accostato alla cerimoniosità apparente delle relazioni sociali, mi ricorda tanto la società piemontese e lombarda dell’ottocento. Dove tutto insieme: si piangeva per le tragedie musicali dei melodrammi scaligeri, il re si montava le contadine chine sulle risaie, e mia nonna si sposava per la buona creanza con cui aveva ascoltato mio nonno parlare di caccia durante un ricevimento.
Quattro stelle.
Un uomo rassegnato al proprio splendore
Dalla vostra Lyanne Quay di "Un Conte per Tiranno”!
Ok, ragazze indovinate cosa vi recensisco oggi? Ma un purissimo Mary Balogh !!! Sono agli sgoccioli, per continuare a leggere Balogh dovrò farlo in inglese… Mi viene mal di testa solo a pensarci.
Ok, ora un romanzo che avevo sempre rimandato di leggere, non appartiene ad alcuna serie e l’ho trovato "volgare”. Volgare e brutale per il ritratto di una società sfrenata e basic negli istinti quanto prona a far prevalere su tutto considerazioni di potere. E l’amore allora? Lo vedete il lacrimone nei miei occhi?
In questa storia domina su tutto un‘acquiescenza perbenista che rende i vincoli sociali invalicabili come raramente accade nella Balogh. E dunque abbiamo un lui sfolgorante e una lei dalla bellezza magnetica che vivono pienamente la bellezza di un incontro casuale, una sorta di vacanza mentale da tutto. Poi il destino li fa invece rincontrare in posizione di quasi parenti. E per tutto il tempo questi spasimano rassegnati agli eventi finché non vengono salvati da un personaggio esterno… Boh, e la forza dell’amore allora? Ovviamente la tensione è altissima per tutto il romanzo, i personaggi vividi e approfonditi, la dinamica tra loro si fonda sull’incredulità. È mai possibile che quest’uomo / questa donna incontrata per caso e frequentato per soli tre giorni sia l’amore della mia vita, è davvero possibile innamorarsi tanto profondamente per così poco? Ciò li trattiene dall’agire, induce i personaggi a rassegnarsi all’ingranaggio sociale. E per quanto sia convincente questo realismo, il racconto non sa celebrare la forza e il trionfo dell’amore per come io mi aspetto da Balogh.
Insomma, per la prima volta non trovo onorati, in Balogh, i sentimenti delicati secondo l’elegia anglosassone, ma la barbara durezza della realtà anglosassone, con un lui che quando se la vuole ingroppare non tende la mano sperando che lei gliela raccolga e gli consenta di avvicinarsi per baciarla. No no. Lui si avvicina da dietro e le mette le mani sulle tette. Oh e a lei sta benissimo. Questa vedovella, nel corso del racconto sarà perfino tentata di farsi un giro con l’amico d'infanzia per distrarsi… Non farà ma... Capito come? Questo allegro copulare accostato alla cerimoniosità apparente delle relazioni sociali, mi ricorda tanto la società piemontese e lombarda dell’ottocento. Dove tutto insieme: si piangeva per le tragedie musicali dei melodrammi scaligeri, il re si montava le contadine chine sulle risaie, e mia nonna si sposava per la buona creanza con cui aveva ascoltato mio nonno parlare di caccia durante un ricevimento.
Quattro stelle.
January 22, 2025
8/2025
Snežni anđeo, izdavač BDR media
Volim kako Meri piše i rado se vraćam njenim knjigama. Kako je tema izazova bila naslovnica sa snegom na sebi nekako mi je Snežni anđeo bio savršen izbor i dobrodošla zabava nakon dva trilera.
Roza i Džastin sreli su se jednog zimskog dana kad su putevi Engleske bili zavejani neuobičajenom snažnom mećavom. Proveli su tri dana zajedno i mislili su da se nakon toga nikad neće sresti. Da li im je bilo žao zbog te činjenice? Naravno, ali nekako su se mirili sa tom činjenicom jer Džastin je bio na pragu verodbe a Roza je trebala da odluči o budućem smeru svog života ako uspe da se izbori sa tvrdoglavim bratom koji je bio ubeđen da zna šta je dobro za nju i to bolje od nje same. Stvarno su mislili da se neće nikad više sresti. Žalili su na kraju jer nisu razmenili više informacija o sebi osim ličnih imena ali sudbina je imala druge planove za njih i čeka ih iznenađenje. Neprijatno iznenađenje...
Već sam rekla da volim kako Meri piše. Čitanje njenih knjiga je mirno more, rekao bi čovek da nema tu nekih velikih preokreta ali kad sklopiš stranice knjige shvatiš da je bilo puno dešavanja i zavrzlama. Ono što mi se nije dopalo u ovoj knjizi je što je naša junakinja bila drugi izbor. Niko ne treba da bude drugi izbor u ljubavi. Nekako mi je još gore to što je ona mirno prešla preko toga. Trebala ga je bar malo namučiti zbog te uvrede 🙄
Snežni anđeo, izdavač BDR media
Volim kako Meri piše i rado se vraćam njenim knjigama. Kako je tema izazova bila naslovnica sa snegom na sebi nekako mi je Snežni anđeo bio savršen izbor i dobrodošla zabava nakon dva trilera.
Roza i Džastin sreli su se jednog zimskog dana kad su putevi Engleske bili zavejani neuobičajenom snažnom mećavom. Proveli su tri dana zajedno i mislili su da se nakon toga nikad neće sresti. Da li im je bilo žao zbog te činjenice? Naravno, ali nekako su se mirili sa tom činjenicom jer Džastin je bio na pragu verodbe a Roza je trebala da odluči o budućem smeru svog života ako uspe da se izbori sa tvrdoglavim bratom koji je bio ubeđen da zna šta je dobro za nju i to bolje od nje same. Stvarno su mislili da se neće nikad više sresti. Žalili su na kraju jer nisu razmenili više informacija o sebi osim ličnih imena ali sudbina je imala druge planove za njih i čeka ih iznenađenje. Neprijatno iznenađenje...
Već sam rekla da volim kako Meri piše. Čitanje njenih knjiga je mirno more, rekao bi čovek da nema tu nekih velikih preokreta ali kad sklopiš stranice knjige shvatiš da je bilo puno dešavanja i zavrzlama. Ono što mi se nije dopalo u ovoj knjizi je što je naša junakinja bila drugi izbor. Niko ne treba da bude drugi izbor u ljubavi. Nekako mi je još gore to što je ona mirno prešla preko toga. Trebala ga je bar malo namučiti zbog te uvrede 🙄
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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