What do you think?
Rate this book
The Obedient Bride
Miss Arabella Wilson knew perfectly well that the handsome, dashing Lord Geoffrey Astor is marrying her only out of a sense of duty. She knew she could only be grateful to this man who so generously offered her a life of aristocratic privilege.
Surely she could not imagine ever claiming his heart as well as his hand. Surely she could not object to his mistress, the ravishingly sensual Ginny Cox. Surely she could be content with the attentions of the gentlemen of the ton who swarmed around her.
But Arabella had committed the most scandalous of sins. She had fallen in love with her own husband…
Surely she could not imagine ever claiming his heart as well as his hand. Surely she could not object to his mistress, the ravishingly sensual Ginny Cox. Surely she could be content with the attentions of the gentlemen of the ton who swarmed around her.
But Arabella had committed the most scandalous of sins. She had fallen in love with her own husband…
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 6, 1989
331 people are currently reading
1229 people want to read
About the author
Mary Balogh
200 books6,345 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
March 3, 2015
Balogh is a great writer, but when I hate a cheating hero for something other than the cheating, that's pretty sad. (On the cheating, alot of readers seem to excuse it because of the times...the everybody is doing it trope doesn't work for me. Yes, there were marriages with "understandings" but there was no understanding here. He would confuse her by staying out of her bed and then give her presents? Really somewhat abusive the way he kept it from his wife, kept her confused and and was deceitful. And knew his mistress sang at ton events and that everyone knew about her. And once he does see how it devestated his wife and destroyed her liking and respect, his top priority is still putting himself and desire to sleep with his mistress first.).
But why did I hate him? He knew plenty about female anatomy. DRY sex hurts. DRY VIRGIN SEX hurts a lot. The wedding night was like consensual rape. Sure, mistresses were for pleasure, But it didn't have to be as unpleasant as possible for his wife. regency husbands did kiss and caress their wives. They didn't all pull the pretty woman thing. Maybe not with tongue. But there was tenderness and consideration if you were caring for someone. They knew enough to stroke their horses to gentle them too. This guy was a selfish prick. And in the end when he makes love to her because THEN he decides to bring her pleasure, it's damn clear that he knew what was required and that it wasn't prohibited to give that to a wife. And regency wives often took lovers after providing an heir. So he certainly knew that they were capable of some feelings, at least enough to ease the selfish marauding passage of his "invasion". So he didn't do it before because he didn't feel like bothering, since he could get the pleasure from Ginny. The ultimate in selfishness. he kept sleeping with his wife any night that he hadn't gone to his mistress. He didn't need it and there was no pleasure for her so it was the height of inconsideration. He did it so his wife wouldn't discover his deceit.
I did love heroine's strong reaction and that she stood her ground for a while. And I loved her character generally. Way too quick to give in though. And no apology for the pain and his being the world's shittiest lover.
Secondary story was the worst I can recall. Caricature of a sniveling sister...just awful.
But why did I hate him? He knew plenty about female anatomy. DRY sex hurts. DRY VIRGIN SEX hurts a lot. The wedding night was like consensual rape. Sure, mistresses were for pleasure, But it didn't have to be as unpleasant as possible for his wife. regency husbands did kiss and caress their wives. They didn't all pull the pretty woman thing. Maybe not with tongue. But there was tenderness and consideration if you were caring for someone. They knew enough to stroke their horses to gentle them too. This guy was a selfish prick. And in the end when he makes love to her because THEN he decides to bring her pleasure, it's damn clear that he knew what was required and that it wasn't prohibited to give that to a wife. And regency wives often took lovers after providing an heir. So he certainly knew that they were capable of some feelings, at least enough to ease the selfish marauding passage of his "invasion". So he didn't do it before because he didn't feel like bothering, since he could get the pleasure from Ginny. The ultimate in selfishness. he kept sleeping with his wife any night that he hadn't gone to his mistress. He didn't need it and there was no pleasure for her so it was the height of inconsideration. He did it so his wife wouldn't discover his deceit.
I did love heroine's strong reaction and that she stood her ground for a while. And I loved her character generally. Way too quick to give in though. And no apology for the pain and his being the world's shittiest lover.
Secondary story was the worst I can recall. Caricature of a sniveling sister...just awful.
August 18, 2025
Rage read on steroids.
Viscount Astor had died. He was survived by his wife and three daughters.
Lord Geoffrey was a distant relation and the new Viscount Astor.
He travelled to pay his respects to the family and to view his new home, Parkland estate.
The four females were left with no provision for the future.
Geoffrey made a rash decision, he offered to marry one of the daughters sight unseen, so that they would not be destitute.
As his offer for the bride was officially made, he could not back out now, even if he found all three girls to be ugly.
But he could always leave his bride in the country with her mother and sisters when he returned to London to his resident mistress, Ginny.
At Parkland estate, the mother decided that the middle daughter, eighteen year old Arabella would be the one to marry the new Viscount, who they believed to be an old man.
Arabella was well rounded and short of stature. Her sister Frances, twenty, was a rare beauty, and the other sister was fifteen.
All four females were surprised when they saw Geoffrey. He was not an old man at all.
He was in his late twenties and very handsome.
Geoffrey thought that Frances was his intended bride and was pleased.
It was a cruel blow to him learning who his bride would be.
He thought that Miss Arabella was not pretty.
SPOILERS
The wedding night:
He went to Arabella's room. He raised her nightgown, lowered himself on top of her and eased her legs apart. He proceeded.
He thought that he was not used to proceeding immediately to the final stage of lovemaking without all the pleasurable stages that went before when one dealt with a mistress rather than a wife.
After the deed was completed he said goodnight and left the room.
Needless to say that Arabella hated the whole thing, and was sore for days (dry sex).
Each stroke had seemed to rub her raw. It was such a dreadful experience.
They left for London the next day.
The afternoon of their arrival, he wanted to visit his mistress, but he had to introduce his bride to his aunt. But don't fret, the following afternoon:
'He was lying on his back in his favorite position, his hands clasped behind his head. He was feeling sleepy and contented. Ginny's hand was slowly circling his naked chest...'
Yeap, he did, three times that day.
He thought that Arabella belonged to a different world. He felt protective of her. He had grown to like her far more than he had intended to.
But he could not satisfy his appetites with the restraining and respectable bedding with his wife. He never even kissed her mouth.
One evening Arabella was at a ball, one that Geoffrey did not attend.
There was a very beautiful singer performing, Virginia (Ginny).
Arabella overheard some people saying that the singer was Geoffrey's mistress.
Meanwhile Geoffrey was at Ginny's town-house waiting for her return. He was going to spend the whole night there.
The next morning Arabella confronted Geoffrey. A brief summary:
"Is Miss Virginia Cox your mistress?"
"I would rather not talk about it"
"Will you deny that you have been with her since marriage?"
"No Arabella, l cannot deny it"
"How could you do such a thing. You married me in church and swore before God"
"It is really quite unimportant. You are my wife "
"It means nothing to you, except physical pleasure? Shall l tell you what it has meant to me? It meant pain on our wedding night that lasted for several days. But l did not mind because l was your wife and we were bound by a sacred tie. I have never said no to you. If you wanted more from me, why did you not tell me? You have sinned against me terribly to take a mistress. You did marry me. No one forced you to do it. You owned it to me to be faithful, and l have always been willing to learn. But you have never asked, and you have never offered to teach me. I know l am your wife and that l must remain so.
If you choose to touch me, l shall not flinch. And if you choose to come to my bed, l shall receive you.
I shall bear your children and love them too, because they are mine and cannot help being yours.
But l want you to know that everything l do for you from this moment on will be done out of duty alone. I will do nothing willingly. You have not deserved my admiration. I no longer respect or like you. "
The next morning, Geoffrey told her:
"I am sorry Arabella. Not because l am ashamed but because you have been hurt. But l respect you and l am fond of you. Let me be plain with you. I will not allow you to dictate the way l live. I am afraid you must learn to accept that. If you find that you cannot accept reality, l shall stay away from you as much as l can while your hostility lasts. Ginny will doubtless be more amiable companion. And you not fear that you will be forced to do your duty. I have a bed to go where l will be welcome with no reluctance at all. I wish you good day, madam. "
The next day Geoffrey went to Ginny. He thought that he must get his life back to normal, Arabella would grow up and learn to accept what could not be changed.
But at Ginny's, he failed to rise to the occasion.
He told her that it was time to bring their association to an end.
He told Arabella that Ginny was no longer in his life. He gave her up just to keep the peace between them, not because he was sorry for what he had done.
He wanted a truce and Arabella did not. She did not trust him. It was too late for them, she thought.
Believe it or not, there is a HEA!
Viscount Astor had died. He was survived by his wife and three daughters.
Lord Geoffrey was a distant relation and the new Viscount Astor.
He travelled to pay his respects to the family and to view his new home, Parkland estate.
The four females were left with no provision for the future.
Geoffrey made a rash decision, he offered to marry one of the daughters sight unseen, so that they would not be destitute.
As his offer for the bride was officially made, he could not back out now, even if he found all three girls to be ugly.
But he could always leave his bride in the country with her mother and sisters when he returned to London to his resident mistress, Ginny.
At Parkland estate, the mother decided that the middle daughter, eighteen year old Arabella would be the one to marry the new Viscount, who they believed to be an old man.
Arabella was well rounded and short of stature. Her sister Frances, twenty, was a rare beauty, and the other sister was fifteen.
All four females were surprised when they saw Geoffrey. He was not an old man at all.
He was in his late twenties and very handsome.
Geoffrey thought that Frances was his intended bride and was pleased.
It was a cruel blow to him learning who his bride would be.
He thought that Miss Arabella was not pretty.
SPOILERS
The wedding night:
He went to Arabella's room. He raised her nightgown, lowered himself on top of her and eased her legs apart. He proceeded.
He thought that he was not used to proceeding immediately to the final stage of lovemaking without all the pleasurable stages that went before when one dealt with a mistress rather than a wife.
After the deed was completed he said goodnight and left the room.
Needless to say that Arabella hated the whole thing, and was sore for days (dry sex).
Each stroke had seemed to rub her raw. It was such a dreadful experience.
They left for London the next day.
The afternoon of their arrival, he wanted to visit his mistress, but he had to introduce his bride to his aunt. But don't fret, the following afternoon:
'He was lying on his back in his favorite position, his hands clasped behind his head. He was feeling sleepy and contented. Ginny's hand was slowly circling his naked chest...'
Yeap, he did, three times that day.
He thought that Arabella belonged to a different world. He felt protective of her. He had grown to like her far more than he had intended to.
But he could not satisfy his appetites with the restraining and respectable bedding with his wife. He never even kissed her mouth.
One evening Arabella was at a ball, one that Geoffrey did not attend.
There was a very beautiful singer performing, Virginia (Ginny).
Arabella overheard some people saying that the singer was Geoffrey's mistress.
Meanwhile Geoffrey was at Ginny's town-house waiting for her return. He was going to spend the whole night there.
The next morning Arabella confronted Geoffrey. A brief summary:
"Is Miss Virginia Cox your mistress?"
"I would rather not talk about it"
"Will you deny that you have been with her since marriage?"
"No Arabella, l cannot deny it"
"How could you do such a thing. You married me in church and swore before God"
"It is really quite unimportant. You are my wife "
"It means nothing to you, except physical pleasure? Shall l tell you what it has meant to me? It meant pain on our wedding night that lasted for several days. But l did not mind because l was your wife and we were bound by a sacred tie. I have never said no to you. If you wanted more from me, why did you not tell me? You have sinned against me terribly to take a mistress. You did marry me. No one forced you to do it. You owned it to me to be faithful, and l have always been willing to learn. But you have never asked, and you have never offered to teach me. I know l am your wife and that l must remain so.
If you choose to touch me, l shall not flinch. And if you choose to come to my bed, l shall receive you.
I shall bear your children and love them too, because they are mine and cannot help being yours.
But l want you to know that everything l do for you from this moment on will be done out of duty alone. I will do nothing willingly. You have not deserved my admiration. I no longer respect or like you. "
The next morning, Geoffrey told her:
"I am sorry Arabella. Not because l am ashamed but because you have been hurt. But l respect you and l am fond of you. Let me be plain with you. I will not allow you to dictate the way l live. I am afraid you must learn to accept that. If you find that you cannot accept reality, l shall stay away from you as much as l can while your hostility lasts. Ginny will doubtless be more amiable companion. And you not fear that you will be forced to do your duty. I have a bed to go where l will be welcome with no reluctance at all. I wish you good day, madam. "
The next day Geoffrey went to Ginny. He thought that he must get his life back to normal, Arabella would grow up and learn to accept what could not be changed.
But at Ginny's, he failed to rise to the occasion.
He told her that it was time to bring their association to an end.
He told Arabella that Ginny was no longer in his life. He gave her up just to keep the peace between them, not because he was sorry for what he had done.
He wanted a truce and Arabella did not. She did not trust him. It was too late for them, she thought.
Believe it or not, there is a HEA!
March 23, 2021
I am on a cheating-Regency-husbands roll here.
I love MB and the world she creates. Even if I have mixed feelings about how even the most dramatic and angst inducing situations are written about in a mild prosaic way. But certainly she never bores and gets her point across in a forthright way.
Plot
So we have a moc between the worldly Londoner H who comes upon a title after a distant cousin’s death. Not wanting to dispossess the widow and her 3 daughters from the country seat, he off handedly offers to marry one of them. He feels a wife will add to his respectability and anyways he has to settle down at some point. He has a very satisfactory mistress in town and has no inclination of leaving her.
The h is the plain, short, chubby, middle daughter with the elder daughter being the beauty of the family. The family had thought the heir to be the H’s father (but he had died few years ago) and the elder sister was having swoons at the thought of marrying an elderly man. The practical h steps in as she feels she would feel more comfortable and be more appreciated by an older man anyways. So when the H makes an entrance, they are all suitably dismayed, the h included. The H is disappointed too with his chosen bride but shrugs it off, as he’s not looking for excitement in the marriage bed.
They get married and move to London. The sister goes with them as the H feels the h would feel lonely and out of sorts in London so it’s better if she has company. By now he’s totally over not getting the prettier sister, as he finds her an over emotional bore. Despite getting a mild makeover the h cannot get over her feelings of inadequacy vis-à-vis her very attractive and debonair husband. While she can chatter nonstop with others, she gets tongue-tied in his presence making her seem gauche to her husband. But as a reader we can see the H being intrigued and charmed by her despite himself.
Spoiler time
I love MB and the world she creates. Even if I have mixed feelings about how even the most dramatic and angst inducing situations are written about in a mild prosaic way. But certainly she never bores and gets her point across in a forthright way.
Plot
So we have a moc between the worldly Londoner H who comes upon a title after a distant cousin’s death. Not wanting to dispossess the widow and her 3 daughters from the country seat, he off handedly offers to marry one of them. He feels a wife will add to his respectability and anyways he has to settle down at some point. He has a very satisfactory mistress in town and has no inclination of leaving her.
The h is the plain, short, chubby, middle daughter with the elder daughter being the beauty of the family. The family had thought the heir to be the H’s father (but he had died few years ago) and the elder sister was having swoons at the thought of marrying an elderly man. The practical h steps in as she feels she would feel more comfortable and be more appreciated by an older man anyways. So when the H makes an entrance, they are all suitably dismayed, the h included. The H is disappointed too with his chosen bride but shrugs it off, as he’s not looking for excitement in the marriage bed.
They get married and move to London. The sister goes with them as the H feels the h would feel lonely and out of sorts in London so it’s better if she has company. By now he’s totally over not getting the prettier sister, as he finds her an over emotional bore. Despite getting a mild makeover the h cannot get over her feelings of inadequacy vis-à-vis her very attractive and debonair husband. While she can chatter nonstop with others, she gets tongue-tied in his presence making her seem gauche to her husband. But as a reader we can see the H being intrigued and charmed by her despite himself.
Spoiler time
February 7, 2022
Ugh, I definitely shouldn’t have started to read this before I went to bed. I ended staying up way too late and the day after was a working day, so, boohoo me. I thought of just reading for about ½ hour before I went to bed (why did I never learn my lesson?)
This was a very riveting read. It was well-written (this is a Balogh so the quality of writing is definitely above average). However, this wasn’t a comfortable read. I never felt comfortable when one of the main characters kept putting one-self down. The main central theme is cheating so that wasn’t very comfortable to read as well.
The story goes that Geoffrey, Viscount Astor was the heir and suddenly discovered that he had guardianship of 4 females (the late viscount’s wife and 3 unmarried daughters). The fathers had a long-standing feud hence the surprise. What’s a man to do but offer marriage to one of the daughters, sight unseen? Well, the most natural selection would be Frances, the eldest and the acclaimed beauty of the family. Unfortunately, Frances was a watering pot (that’s mildly putting it) and was horrified by the prospect of marriage to a supposed old and balding man (they thought the father was going to be the groom, they didn’t know that the father died and had a son who’s the current one). Arabella, the second daughter and the heroine of the story offered to be the bride instead as Frances also had a beau in the country. Arabella was not considered beautiful (frumpy - short and a bit plump) and marriage to an old man was something that she was happy to do as she felt her prospects were not great. At the same time, she would secure the family’s future as well. Lo and behold, Geoffrey was a young and handsome man and Arabella became very shy and tongue-tied around him and this continued after the wedding. Geoffrey wasn’t happy to be marrying Arabella at first but after spending time with Frances, he thought it was a near escape.
One of Ms Balogh’s major strengths would be characterization and this book definitely highlights this. In London, Arabella actually made a few good friends. She was kindness personified. She befriended those who were not very confident and tried to help them whenever she could. With Geoffrey, she was accommodating, obedient (hence, the title) and dutiful. She knew she wasn’t much to look at so she tried to make it up in other ways. This was really painful for me to read. The inner monologues on the low self-esteem and she puts Geoffrey on the pedestal. The scene where she confronted Geoffrey on his mistress was terrific. This happened 3 weeks after the wedding. She thought this was an affront to God, their wedding vows and to her. She did not accept his unfaithfulness as a matter of fact. She actually fought and stood up for herself and this was fantastic to see (give him hell, kid).
Was Geoffrey an evil person? No. He was the product of his time. Almost everyone had a mistress in those days, it was de rigueur. Does it mean that it's right since everyone else was doing it? No, but it was acceptable. He was kind to Arabella even though he didn’t find her attractive at first. She grew on him over time. He couldn’t quite enjoy his time with his mistress because Arabella kept intruding on his thoughts. Although at times, I find him to be a tad patronizing towards her. He thought that marrying a country miss wouldn’t put a damper on his day-to-day life (where did he get this notion?). He had to do a bit of soul searching and he had to grovel for Arabella’s forgiveness and acceptance. The grovelling was nice although not nearly enough of it (the grovelling is never enough for the crime, IMO). In the end, it was Mr. Hubbard’s life that propelled Arabella to accept, forgive and trust Geoffrey. IRL, people make mistakes. Is the mistake so insurmountable that you can’t get past it? Is your relationship worth fighting for? Arabella accepted that he might not be faithful in the future (based on past behavior) but that’s the thing about life; nothing is certain. This is one of the things that I loved most about Ms Balogh’s books, the sense of realism and the bits of wisdom.
There is also a secondary romance involving Arabella’s sister, France. I didn’t particularly care for her story though.
This was without a doubt one of the most thought-provoking books that I’ve ever read.
Steam factor: Mid-steam. Not graphic. I loved the fact that she used the intimate scenes to showcase their strengthening emotional attachment. In the beginning, the act was perfunctory. Then, there was one scene roughly 3rd quarter in which Ms Balogh showed what making love is all about.
This was a very riveting read. It was well-written (this is a Balogh so the quality of writing is definitely above average). However, this wasn’t a comfortable read. I never felt comfortable when one of the main characters kept putting one-self down. The main central theme is cheating so that wasn’t very comfortable to read as well.
The story goes that Geoffrey, Viscount Astor was the heir and suddenly discovered that he had guardianship of 4 females (the late viscount’s wife and 3 unmarried daughters). The fathers had a long-standing feud hence the surprise. What’s a man to do but offer marriage to one of the daughters, sight unseen? Well, the most natural selection would be Frances, the eldest and the acclaimed beauty of the family. Unfortunately, Frances was a watering pot (that’s mildly putting it) and was horrified by the prospect of marriage to a supposed old and balding man (they thought the father was going to be the groom, they didn’t know that the father died and had a son who’s the current one). Arabella, the second daughter and the heroine of the story offered to be the bride instead as Frances also had a beau in the country. Arabella was not considered beautiful (frumpy - short and a bit plump) and marriage to an old man was something that she was happy to do as she felt her prospects were not great. At the same time, she would secure the family’s future as well. Lo and behold, Geoffrey was a young and handsome man and Arabella became very shy and tongue-tied around him and this continued after the wedding. Geoffrey wasn’t happy to be marrying Arabella at first but after spending time with Frances, he thought it was a near escape.
One of Ms Balogh’s major strengths would be characterization and this book definitely highlights this. In London, Arabella actually made a few good friends. She was kindness personified. She befriended those who were not very confident and tried to help them whenever she could. With Geoffrey, she was accommodating, obedient (hence, the title) and dutiful. She knew she wasn’t much to look at so she tried to make it up in other ways. This was really painful for me to read. The inner monologues on the low self-esteem and she puts Geoffrey on the pedestal. The scene where she confronted Geoffrey on his mistress was terrific. This happened 3 weeks after the wedding. She thought this was an affront to God, their wedding vows and to her. She did not accept his unfaithfulness as a matter of fact. She actually fought and stood up for herself and this was fantastic to see (give him hell, kid).
Was Geoffrey an evil person? No. He was the product of his time. Almost everyone had a mistress in those days, it was de rigueur. Does it mean that it's right since everyone else was doing it? No, but it was acceptable. He was kind to Arabella even though he didn’t find her attractive at first. She grew on him over time. He couldn’t quite enjoy his time with his mistress because Arabella kept intruding on his thoughts. Although at times, I find him to be a tad patronizing towards her. He thought that marrying a country miss wouldn’t put a damper on his day-to-day life (where did he get this notion?). He had to do a bit of soul searching and he had to grovel for Arabella’s forgiveness and acceptance. The grovelling was nice although not nearly enough of it (the grovelling is never enough for the crime, IMO). In the end, it was Mr. Hubbard’s life that propelled Arabella to accept, forgive and trust Geoffrey. IRL, people make mistakes. Is the mistake so insurmountable that you can’t get past it? Is your relationship worth fighting for? Arabella accepted that he might not be faithful in the future (based on past behavior) but that’s the thing about life; nothing is certain. This is one of the things that I loved most about Ms Balogh’s books, the sense of realism and the bits of wisdom.
There is also a secondary romance involving Arabella’s sister, France. I didn’t particularly care for her story though.
This was without a doubt one of the most thought-provoking books that I’ve ever read.
Steam factor: Mid-steam. Not graphic. I loved the fact that she used the intimate scenes to showcase their strengthening emotional attachment. In the beginning, the act was perfunctory. Then, there was one scene roughly 3rd quarter in which Ms Balogh showed what making love is all about.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2021
Lady Arabella Wilson acceptă o căsătorie cu Lordul Geoffrey Astor aranjată de acesta dintr-un sentiment al datoriei.
O tânără crescută la țară, de doar 18 ani, ce nu cunoaște lumea bună de la Londra. O tânără care visează cu ochii deschiși la calea pe care o va lua căsnicia ei.
Pe de altă parte, tânărul lord Astor are o cu totul altă părere despre căsătorie, considerând că este normal să își păstreze și frecventeze amanta chiar și după căsătorie.
Totul se schimbă atunci când Arabella află, fiind profund dezamăgită de soțul ei pe care îl credea incapabil să încalce jurămintele sacre făcute în ziua nunții.
Cei doi trec printr-o perioadă tulbure. Tânăra este rănită și suferă, fiind hotărâtă să nu își ierte soțul. Soțul pe de altă parte, descoperă cu stupoare că s-a îndrăgostit de propria soție și că ar face orice ca aceasta să îi mai acorde o șansă.
Reușesc oare să salveze căsnicia?
Citind “O soție ascultătoare” puteți descoperi dacă finalul este unul fericit.
O tânără crescută la țară, de doar 18 ani, ce nu cunoaște lumea bună de la Londra. O tânără care visează cu ochii deschiși la calea pe care o va lua căsnicia ei.
Pe de altă parte, tânărul lord Astor are o cu totul altă părere despre căsătorie, considerând că este normal să își păstreze și frecventeze amanta chiar și după căsătorie.
Totul se schimbă atunci când Arabella află, fiind profund dezamăgită de soțul ei pe care îl credea incapabil să încalce jurămintele sacre făcute în ziua nunții.
Cei doi trec printr-o perioadă tulbure. Tânăra este rănită și suferă, fiind hotărâtă să nu își ierte soțul. Soțul pe de altă parte, descoperă cu stupoare că s-a îndrăgostit de propria soție și că ar face orice ca aceasta să îi mai acorde o șansă.
Reușesc oare să salveze căsnicia?
Citind “O soție ascultătoare” puteți descoperi dacă finalul este unul fericit.
December 29, 2016
HAIKU BOOK REVIEW: The Obedient Bride, by Mary Balogh
Arrogant Lord cheats,
Bride not so obedient,
Grovel, love follow.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2021
An idiot and UNFAITHFUL hero who thinks that he has done a great favor on his wife by relieving his mistress from her duties. *eye roll*
The storyline was okay-ish.
Characters: below average.
Plot: too common.
Writing style: good.
So all in all a very normal and common story with an un-likable hero. I hated that man!
The storyline was okay-ish.
Characters: below average.
Plot: too common.
Writing style: good.
So all in all a very normal and common story with an un-likable hero. I hated that man!
October 15, 2024
This went from 4 Stars to 3 Stars to 2-ish Stars. Dammit.
Gripes:
🫤 The h constantly reminded the H that she wasn't pretty and was fat. She would casually and randomly point it out. It got annoying, even for the hero. I've never been a fan of the plain h trope but my last two reads had it. It doesn't always ruin the book for me; it depends on how the story plays out. I only get pulled into reading these because of the other angsty tropes. In this case, it was betrayal/cheating. What can I say, I'm addicted to the angst and it was satisfying here. It was a huge betrayal that went on for almost the entire book. In regards to her looks, I think most of it was in the h's head. Her sister was the beauty in the family, so that surely influenced how she saw herself. The fact that the H was exceedingly handsome, only affected her self esteem more when she was around him.
🫤 The h's sister was a major distraction from the main story. Too much time was spent on her and her issues. I didn't care one bit. It's such pet peeve of mine, when secondary characters hijack the story. This one felt like another heroine in the book.
🫤 The ending was abrupt.
What I enjoyed:
✔️ The height differential factor. He always described her as tiny/small.
✔️ The angst factor
✔️ Yeah, she was obedient (an expectation at the time), but not a doormat.
✔️ and more, but I gotta go
I'm rounding up to 3 Stars because I'm biased lol I tend to be generous towards books with my favorite tropes. There was enough here for me to justify the rating.
Other Notes:
Age difference - 18/27
Hoopla borrowed ebook
Gripes:
🫤 The h constantly reminded the H that she wasn't pretty and was fat. She would casually and randomly point it out. It got annoying, even for the hero. I've never been a fan of the plain h trope but my last two reads had it. It doesn't always ruin the book for me; it depends on how the story plays out. I only get pulled into reading these because of the other angsty tropes. In this case, it was betrayal/cheating. What can I say, I'm addicted to the angst and it was satisfying here. It was a huge betrayal that went on for almost the entire book. In regards to her looks, I think most of it was in the h's head. Her sister was the beauty in the family, so that surely influenced how she saw herself. The fact that the H was exceedingly handsome, only affected her self esteem more when she was around him.
🫤 The h's sister was a major distraction from the main story. Too much time was spent on her and her issues. I didn't care one bit. It's such pet peeve of mine, when secondary characters hijack the story. This one felt like another heroine in the book.
🫤 The ending was abrupt.
What I enjoyed:
✔️ The height differential factor. He always described her as tiny/small.
✔️ The angst factor
✔️ Yeah, she was obedient (an expectation at the time), but not a doormat.
✔️ and more, but I gotta go
I'm rounding up to 3 Stars because I'm biased lol I tend to be generous towards books with my favorite tropes. There was enough here for me to justify the rating.
Other Notes:
Age difference - 18/27
Hoopla borrowed ebook
March 25, 2022
2.5 stars
How could this have been written by MB?
RTC
How could this have been written by MB?
RTC
August 19, 2016
I do love a good marriage-of-convenience story, and this fit the bill. I loved Arabella, loved how despite her age and naïveté, she still called out Lord Astor on his betrayal. Having a mistress was an acceptable practice by well-bred gentleman, but no self-respecting young woman would abide by it.
Lord Astor, or Geoffrey, was a good man. He had a mistress and had to come to terms with the fact that Arabella would never stand for it demurely. I loved how his feelings for her took him by surprise. He never imagined being in love with his own wife! Lol.
Arabella's sister, Frances, was a bit of a baby, I thought. She was the beauty of the family but not much more. On a side note...that book cover is so misleading. The man on it looks to be in his fifties at the least, while the young woman looks nothing like Arabella. Geoffrey was in fact 27, Arabella, 18. There is a purposeful twist at the beginning of the book that ties into miscommunicated ages, but the cover models are comically ridiculous. I really liked this one, though. It was emotional and believable.
Lord Astor, or Geoffrey, was a good man. He had a mistress and had to come to terms with the fact that Arabella would never stand for it demurely. I loved how his feelings for her took him by surprise. He never imagined being in love with his own wife! Lol.
Arabella's sister, Frances, was a bit of a baby, I thought. She was the beauty of the family but not much more. On a side note...that book cover is so misleading. The man on it looks to be in his fifties at the least, while the young woman looks nothing like Arabella. Geoffrey was in fact 27, Arabella, 18. There is a purposeful twist at the beginning of the book that ties into miscommunicated ages, but the cover models are comically ridiculous. I really liked this one, though. It was emotional and believable.
February 10, 2017
This is the story of the second daughter of the Viscount Astor, Arabella, who sacrifices herself for her sister and indeed her entire family by agreeing to marry the heir to her father’s estate, an estranged cousin. She thinks she looks more like a child than a woman, too plump and not at all as beautiful as her older sister Frances, and since Frances is half-promised to Sir Theodore, Arabella takes the plunge, especially since she expects the man to be of her father’s age, and as she does not think herself remotely attractive this suits her very well. The man who arrives, however, is the extremely handsome son of that cousin, the new Lord Astor, who doesn’t care whom he marries, as he has a Mistress and on the whole he does not seem to have given this whole marriage business any thought at all. He marries Arabella, despite feeling some disappointment that it was not the beautiful Frances who was his bride, and they go to London together. There Arabella becomes more modish, and thus more physically attractive, and she makes friends, a lot of them, having a particular liking for those with defects because she thinks herself defective, while she thinks her husband very much a picture of perfection. This means that she cannot be easy with him. And so, even though they have sex, their relationship progresses on uneven lines. Lord Astor starts to both like his wife and resent her for not liking him back. She finds out about his Mistress, becomes very angry with him and promises him nothing but coldness in the future. Meanwhile her sister is a watering pot and Sir Theodore comes to Town only to watch her flirt with Sir John, a man who is dull and unpleasant, but for whom Frances has an unaccountable weakness.
Many things happen in his novella, but not many of them interesting. The plot, if one can call it that, plods along through extremely repetitious expositions of internal monologue, which really read like: Arabella thought herself to be fat and his lordship perfect ad nauseum, his lordship thought her not so bad, but he had a lust for his mistress ad nauseum, Frances cries ad nauseum. The story between an eighteen year old girl, with a good heart but with very deeply ingrained confidence issues and her marriage to a seemingly perfect lord is in itself not entirely unendearing. I do sympathise with Arabella a little. But I don’t sympathise with his lordship at all. It is not because he is unfaithful to his wife (something which other reviewers seem to have a huge problem with), but because he seems to have little going for him other than being good-looking. Indeed, besides the plot being really only a slow progression of meaningless events until a small change happens which will be repeated to the reader ad nauseum until another small change happens, it is the lack of characterisation that is the most annoying part of this book. Georgette Heyer wrote books with masses of exposition substituting plot (e.g. April Lady) but one always liked to read about the various quirks of character of the people involved. Their dialogue, thus, became interesting, infused with their own particular brand of wit, intelligence or absurdity. Here the dialogue is dull, any sentence spoken by any character could just as easily be spoken by another.
Thus, the central couple is not particularly interesting, but they are far more interesting than the completely incomprehensible secondary couple: Frances and Sir Theodore. France is beautiful and cries a lot. She is also dumb as a brick. She is so prudish that when a man she is half-promised to, whom she loves, rescues her from a charging bull (or what she believes to be a charging bull) and kisses her forehead afterwards, she slaps him, but at the same time sees no problem to go off on her own with Sir John in Vauxhall or to allow him to kiss her in a garden at a house party. Her crying was used, I think, to some comedic effect, but on the whole it happens so often that it becomes entirely unrealistic. More to the point, someone so level-headed as Theodore seems a very unlikely partner for her. She is not faithful nor even particularly kind to him, and it seems odd that someone so reasonable as he should want to marry her, despite her being apparently such a diamond.
I must compare this to Georgette Heyer simply because so many of her tropes and characters seem to have been stolen to enormously inferior effect here. Arabella is like Horry from Convenient Marriage and Jane from Civil Contract and also like Arabella in Arabella. Like Horry she sacrifices herself for her sister’s sake but finds herself rewarded with a husband she fancies, but who has a Mistress whom she resents. Like Jane in Civil Contract she is far less beautiful than the girl her husband would have preferred to have married. Like Arabella she goes around helping people. Unlike Horry, however, she lacks charm, wit or rumgumption. Unlike Jane her unattractiveness seems to be mostly in her head. And unlike Arabella, she has no spirit. Frances too resembles some of Georgette Heyer’s secondary characters. She is very similar to Julia in Civil Contract, in that she turns out to be all wrong for the hero through her excessive sentimentality. Like Tiffany Wield in the Nonesuch she is somewhat conceited and flirts around with men when she really shouldn’t, and without apparent understanding of how it affects others. Like Fanny from Black Sheep she falls for a scoundrel. But unlike those characters she lacks any depth at all. She never does anything but cries or flirts. Lord Astor, on the other hand, lacks any defining characteristic that I could even tell. He is handsome is all I know about him and that is not nearly enough. All the characters in this novel are pale imitations of Georgette Heyer classics, even the final chase scene being extremely anti-climactic. Both the dialogue and the narration lack wit or spark, which is the sort of thing that made even the dullest Heyer plot extremely readable.
Then there are the various inconsistencies and inaccuracies of plot, which have me scratching my head. Lord Astor (Arabella’s father) dies and leaves the women in his family, his wife and three daughters, with nothing and all goes to the cousin, and yet nobody says a bad word about him, everybody loved him dearly and all speak of him fondly. Frances, Arabella and Jemima are the daughters of a Viscount and yet they have never had a dancing instructor nor have they been to London before (at least not for the Season). Frances, especially, is twenty years old, one would expect that she would have gone even for a short visit to be presented at the least. Sir Theodore and Frances’s attachment is not clear at all – they love each other, want to marry, are kind of engaged but not really. I have no idea why they did not just marry. Then there is the very peculiar decision of the new Lord Astor to marry a girl he had not even seen. I find the explanation provided entirely unsatisfactory, in that he is apparently not interested in a wife, and it was impulse and it won’t change anything anyway, but he still hoped she was no antidote (regency speak for ugly). It also puzzles me why he has sex with her straight away. It was not uncommon, in such marriages as these, to wait for a while, especially if the bride was so young and they did not know one another at all (and it is constantly repeated how child-like she looked, which surely must have made it for him all the creepier and a wait all the more justified – their first times read horribly like rape to me and it does not help that Balogh mentions several times how small and submissive she is underneath him). And how long ago did the old Lord Astor die that only a month after the new lordship’s arrival they hold a wedding where she wears white and goes to church and is attended by masses of people (considering the recent death of her father and the fact that it is a marriage of convenience it would seem much more appropriate that they would have a small, quiet ceremony)? I also do not understand why he marries Arabella at all. He did not have to marry her straight away, he could have provided for his uncle’s wife and daughters without doing so. And even if he did intend to marry one of the daughters, he could have gone there first made himself known, made friends with them and picked one rather than go and have had the mother decide which one it would be.
Then there is the fact that Sir Theodore calls Arabella ‘puss’ in front of her husband, which surely must be thought horribly inappropriate. And he called Frances “Fran” even though from all I ever read the traditional shortening of that name was “Fanny” which was extremely popular. And then the fact that Lord Astor’s friends call him “Astor”, which is not his surname and would not have been his title until recently. They would be much more likely to call him by his surname or a nickname derived thereof, surely.
But the biggest issue by far, is the development of relationships. Somehow MB managed, despite telling us a lot about the state of thought and emotions of the main characters repeatedly still make the progression of their thoughts super unbelievable. Arabella hates her husband for cheating on her, she will never forgive him we hear ad nauseum until suddenly they have to share a bed and have passionate sex for which she begs. Then suddenly she cannot forgive him anymore, is close to tears, won’t speak. Within minutes she is out deciding that she does forgive him after all. It is very odd to have whole pages devoted to explaining to us, very slowly and repetitively that one state of emotion is taking place only to then suddenly change it to another. The problem is not the change, in actual fact, but the extensive, repetitive descriptions. Lord Astor’s thoughts and feelings are not what he thinks they are and that is cool, but by telling me ad nauseum that they are one way and then suddenly make him act in entirely another is just plain odd. The progression comes out as abrupt, rather than natural. Rather than make us laugh at or doubt the things Lord Astor tells himself he is feeling, we are left confused and annoyed.
Altogether it was on par with fan fiction. Not even good fan fiction, only tolerable.
Many things happen in his novella, but not many of them interesting. The plot, if one can call it that, plods along through extremely repetitious expositions of internal monologue, which really read like: Arabella thought herself to be fat and his lordship perfect ad nauseum, his lordship thought her not so bad, but he had a lust for his mistress ad nauseum, Frances cries ad nauseum. The story between an eighteen year old girl, with a good heart but with very deeply ingrained confidence issues and her marriage to a seemingly perfect lord is in itself not entirely unendearing. I do sympathise with Arabella a little. But I don’t sympathise with his lordship at all. It is not because he is unfaithful to his wife (something which other reviewers seem to have a huge problem with), but because he seems to have little going for him other than being good-looking. Indeed, besides the plot being really only a slow progression of meaningless events until a small change happens which will be repeated to the reader ad nauseum until another small change happens, it is the lack of characterisation that is the most annoying part of this book. Georgette Heyer wrote books with masses of exposition substituting plot (e.g. April Lady) but one always liked to read about the various quirks of character of the people involved. Their dialogue, thus, became interesting, infused with their own particular brand of wit, intelligence or absurdity. Here the dialogue is dull, any sentence spoken by any character could just as easily be spoken by another.
Thus, the central couple is not particularly interesting, but they are far more interesting than the completely incomprehensible secondary couple: Frances and Sir Theodore. France is beautiful and cries a lot. She is also dumb as a brick. She is so prudish that when a man she is half-promised to, whom she loves, rescues her from a charging bull (or what she believes to be a charging bull) and kisses her forehead afterwards, she slaps him, but at the same time sees no problem to go off on her own with Sir John in Vauxhall or to allow him to kiss her in a garden at a house party. Her crying was used, I think, to some comedic effect, but on the whole it happens so often that it becomes entirely unrealistic. More to the point, someone so level-headed as Theodore seems a very unlikely partner for her. She is not faithful nor even particularly kind to him, and it seems odd that someone so reasonable as he should want to marry her, despite her being apparently such a diamond.
I must compare this to Georgette Heyer simply because so many of her tropes and characters seem to have been stolen to enormously inferior effect here. Arabella is like Horry from Convenient Marriage and Jane from Civil Contract and also like Arabella in Arabella. Like Horry she sacrifices herself for her sister’s sake but finds herself rewarded with a husband she fancies, but who has a Mistress whom she resents. Like Jane in Civil Contract she is far less beautiful than the girl her husband would have preferred to have married. Like Arabella she goes around helping people. Unlike Horry, however, she lacks charm, wit or rumgumption. Unlike Jane her unattractiveness seems to be mostly in her head. And unlike Arabella, she has no spirit. Frances too resembles some of Georgette Heyer’s secondary characters. She is very similar to Julia in Civil Contract, in that she turns out to be all wrong for the hero through her excessive sentimentality. Like Tiffany Wield in the Nonesuch she is somewhat conceited and flirts around with men when she really shouldn’t, and without apparent understanding of how it affects others. Like Fanny from Black Sheep she falls for a scoundrel. But unlike those characters she lacks any depth at all. She never does anything but cries or flirts. Lord Astor, on the other hand, lacks any defining characteristic that I could even tell. He is handsome is all I know about him and that is not nearly enough. All the characters in this novel are pale imitations of Georgette Heyer classics, even the final chase scene being extremely anti-climactic. Both the dialogue and the narration lack wit or spark, which is the sort of thing that made even the dullest Heyer plot extremely readable.
Then there are the various inconsistencies and inaccuracies of plot, which have me scratching my head. Lord Astor (Arabella’s father) dies and leaves the women in his family, his wife and three daughters, with nothing and all goes to the cousin, and yet nobody says a bad word about him, everybody loved him dearly and all speak of him fondly. Frances, Arabella and Jemima are the daughters of a Viscount and yet they have never had a dancing instructor nor have they been to London before (at least not for the Season). Frances, especially, is twenty years old, one would expect that she would have gone even for a short visit to be presented at the least. Sir Theodore and Frances’s attachment is not clear at all – they love each other, want to marry, are kind of engaged but not really. I have no idea why they did not just marry. Then there is the very peculiar decision of the new Lord Astor to marry a girl he had not even seen. I find the explanation provided entirely unsatisfactory, in that he is apparently not interested in a wife, and it was impulse and it won’t change anything anyway, but he still hoped she was no antidote (regency speak for ugly). It also puzzles me why he has sex with her straight away. It was not uncommon, in such marriages as these, to wait for a while, especially if the bride was so young and they did not know one another at all (and it is constantly repeated how child-like she looked, which surely must have made it for him all the creepier and a wait all the more justified – their first times read horribly like rape to me and it does not help that Balogh mentions several times how small and submissive she is underneath him). And how long ago did the old Lord Astor die that only a month after the new lordship’s arrival they hold a wedding where she wears white and goes to church and is attended by masses of people (considering the recent death of her father and the fact that it is a marriage of convenience it would seem much more appropriate that they would have a small, quiet ceremony)? I also do not understand why he marries Arabella at all. He did not have to marry her straight away, he could have provided for his uncle’s wife and daughters without doing so. And even if he did intend to marry one of the daughters, he could have gone there first made himself known, made friends with them and picked one rather than go and have had the mother decide which one it would be.
Then there is the fact that Sir Theodore calls Arabella ‘puss’ in front of her husband, which surely must be thought horribly inappropriate. And he called Frances “Fran” even though from all I ever read the traditional shortening of that name was “Fanny” which was extremely popular. And then the fact that Lord Astor’s friends call him “Astor”, which is not his surname and would not have been his title until recently. They would be much more likely to call him by his surname or a nickname derived thereof, surely.
But the biggest issue by far, is the development of relationships. Somehow MB managed, despite telling us a lot about the state of thought and emotions of the main characters repeatedly still make the progression of their thoughts super unbelievable. Arabella hates her husband for cheating on her, she will never forgive him we hear ad nauseum until suddenly they have to share a bed and have passionate sex for which she begs. Then suddenly she cannot forgive him anymore, is close to tears, won’t speak. Within minutes she is out deciding that she does forgive him after all. It is very odd to have whole pages devoted to explaining to us, very slowly and repetitively that one state of emotion is taking place only to then suddenly change it to another. The problem is not the change, in actual fact, but the extensive, repetitive descriptions. Lord Astor’s thoughts and feelings are not what he thinks they are and that is cool, but by telling me ad nauseum that they are one way and then suddenly make him act in entirely another is just plain odd. The progression comes out as abrupt, rather than natural. Rather than make us laugh at or doubt the things Lord Astor tells himself he is feeling, we are left confused and annoyed.
Altogether it was on par with fan fiction. Not even good fan fiction, only tolerable.
March 29, 2016
Lord Geoffrey Astor is the newest Viscount Astor. Since this is an obscene amount of power (sarcasm), he offers to marry one of the daughters of the former Viscount. For, you know, plot reasons. The lucky child lady in question is Miss Arabella Wilson, who is petite and curvy and too Innocent to Live. Will these blockheads figure out how to live happily ever after?
1. MARITAL FIDELITY PLOT!! WHY SO HORRIBLE? Basically, Astor continues to stick his wick in his mistress up until the very last. He has 0 shame, 0 regret--until, suddenly, he does! Because otherwise there couldn't be a happy ending! AND WE ONLY HAVE 216 PAGES TO GET THIS FIGURED!!
(Honestly: this was really frustrating to read. Yeah, yeah, "historical accuracy" or some stuff, but I DON'T CARE.)
2. This feels very similar to The Convenient Marriage in a lot of ways. Mistress plot; "convenient" marriage; martyr heroine who is too Innocent to Live... Except there was some Adult Liaisons!! GASP HORRORS.
Although, funny story: there was still only a handful of kisses. IS THIS SOME KIND OF IMPORTANT METAPHOR I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING?
3. The Adult Liaisons were kind of gross? Like, I thought I was inured to Duty Sex? I thought I had seen the worst of it and had come out the other side harder, better, faster, stronger. But this book was completely fine with a hero who has so little consideration for his wife that he doesn't even try to arouse her before going at it. WHAT THE HELL, DUDE. Arabella probably should have thrown you in the trash after the first go-round, selfish prick.
(And it's all twisted up in the mistress plot--where he finds his pleasure vs. his duty, and then what he's "deserved" (??) and what he wants and his feelings finally--FINALLY--spring to life far, far too late. Except you've already shown your ass, dude.)
4. On that note: PACING.
5. When I can better believe your heroine will find a truer happy ever after with ANY ONE ELSE IN THE TEXT (save John, I guess?), YOU ARE NOT DOING A GOOD JOB.
6. I'm assuming my missing page 47 didn't have any pivotal scenes that would have changed my opinion on any of this. If I am mistaken, then I apologize. But only a little.
1. MARITAL FIDELITY PLOT!! WHY SO HORRIBLE? Basically, Astor continues to stick his wick in his mistress up until the very last. He has 0 shame, 0 regret--until, suddenly, he does! Because otherwise there couldn't be a happy ending! AND WE ONLY HAVE 216 PAGES TO GET THIS FIGURED!!
(Honestly: this was really frustrating to read. Yeah, yeah, "historical accuracy" or some stuff, but I DON'T CARE.)
2. This feels very similar to The Convenient Marriage in a lot of ways. Mistress plot; "convenient" marriage; martyr heroine who is too Innocent to Live... Except there was some Adult Liaisons!! GASP HORRORS.
Although, funny story: there was still only a handful of kisses. IS THIS SOME KIND OF IMPORTANT METAPHOR I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING?
3. The Adult Liaisons were kind of gross? Like, I thought I was inured to Duty Sex? I thought I had seen the worst of it and had come out the other side harder, better, faster, stronger. But this book was completely fine with a hero who has so little consideration for his wife that he doesn't even try to arouse her before going at it. WHAT THE HELL, DUDE. Arabella probably should have thrown you in the trash after the first go-round, selfish prick.
(And it's all twisted up in the mistress plot--where he finds his pleasure vs. his duty, and then what he's "deserved" (??) and what he wants and his feelings finally--FINALLY--spring to life far, far too late. Except you've already shown your ass, dude.)
4. On that note: PACING.
5. When I can better believe your heroine will find a truer happy ever after with ANY ONE ELSE IN THE TEXT (save John, I guess?), YOU ARE NOT DOING A GOOD JOB.
6. I'm assuming my missing page 47 didn't have any pivotal scenes that would have changed my opinion on any of this. If I am mistaken, then I apologize. But only a little.
December 9, 2010
So, as many of you know, I don't typically read Mary Balogh books. After the clusterf*ck that was Dancing with Clara, I'd completely sworn off her novels. See, adultery is a dealbreaker for me. There's enough crap like that in real life, and frankly, I read for entertainment, not to be dragged down by depressing things like a man who just flat out can't keep it in his pants.
That said, I actually didn't hate this.
I liked that while our hero wasn't immediately throwing himself on the mercy of his wife for being caught with having a mistress, he was genuinely sorry for having hurt her.
I felt our heroine's disappointment and disillusionment at finding out that her husband had no intention of keeping a vow that he'd made to both her and G-d, and her being torn between desperately wanting to build a life filled with trust and affection with her husband, and not wanting to open herself up to that hurt again by giving into that temptation.
I do feel that the resolution came a little too quickly -- even though he wasn't quick to give up Ginny, and in fact visited her even after the confrontation with his wife, I felt like he was too quick to switch into the I LOVE YOU's and that she was too quick in forgiving him..
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that he should be forever punished for his indiscretion, especially given the times and his honest belief that keeping a mistress after marriage was in no way a slight or disrespect to his wife (bah!), but she went from "no everything is spoiled" to "okay well you say you've given her up, and afterall, you're a good lay, so let's be happy together now". Er.. Paraphrasing obviously lol
Anyway, I didn't hate it, which is a step in the right direction as far as I'm concerned with this author lol
Three Stars
That said, I actually didn't hate this.
I liked that while our hero wasn't immediately throwing himself on the mercy of his wife for being caught with having a mistress, he was genuinely sorry for having hurt her.
I felt our heroine's disappointment and disillusionment at finding out that her husband had no intention of keeping a vow that he'd made to both her and G-d, and her being torn between desperately wanting to build a life filled with trust and affection with her husband, and not wanting to open herself up to that hurt again by giving into that temptation.
I do feel that the resolution came a little too quickly -- even though he wasn't quick to give up Ginny, and in fact visited her even after the confrontation with his wife, I felt like he was too quick to switch into the I LOVE YOU's and that she was too quick in forgiving him..
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that he should be forever punished for his indiscretion, especially given the times and his honest belief that keeping a mistress after marriage was in no way a slight or disrespect to his wife (bah!), but she went from "no everything is spoiled" to "okay well you say you've given her up, and afterall, you're a good lay, so let's be happy together now". Er.. Paraphrasing obviously lol
Anyway, I didn't hate it, which is a step in the right direction as far as I'm concerned with this author lol
Three Stars
March 11, 2021
When Geoffrey inherits the title of Viscount Aster, he decides the proper thing to do would be to offer for one of his predecessor's daughters, nor does he really think it matters which. After all it is a marriage of convenience and duty, and he intends to otherwise carry on much as before. Yet once married to Arabella, things do not at all turn out as Geoffrey might have anticipated, his life changed beyond imagining.
Having recently read and very much enjoyed The Last Waltz by Balogh, I was eager to try out some more of her work; and whilst this wasn't by any means terrible, I have to say that I didn't enjoy it half as well.
Certainly this is a much lighter read than the Last Waltz and perhaps more in the usual tone of Regency romances. The story initially takes place in the country as Geoffrey offers for Arabella, and then he takes his new bride, as well as her sister Frances to London for the Season. From here, the story is very much about both Arabella and Geoffrey's adjustment to married life.
Arabella is quite a young bride at just eighteen, and quite unused to fashionable society. She isn't a beauty by any regards and feels quite unworthy of her handsome new husband, and as such is very shy of him, though she is determined to be a very dutiful and obedient wife. Geoffrey, though initially finding Arabella quite plain, soon begins to find himself more drawn to her and he is surprised to find himself devoting so much of his time to her. Yet, though she is perfectly comfortable amidst his male friends, she is perpetually shy around him, rather stirring his jealousy. Still, he sees another side of his wife when she discovers something about him she does not approve of. Alongside Arabella and Geoffrey's story, Balogh also follows Frances' exploits with her two suitors.
I quite enjoy the marriage of convenience trope in Regency books and I think Balogh perhaps explored this with a tad more realism of the time period compared to some authors of the genre, in that she doesn't necessarily over-romanticise. There is a ten year or so age gap between Arabella and Geoffrey, that though not uncommon for the time, I think she highlights well, just in terms of Arabella's naivety, and also she highlights just how obedient a wife was expected to be in those times and how it was all about duty. I have read quite a lot of Regency books, and in comparison other authors tend to gloss over such aspects, or give their characters somewhat more modern sensibilities such that it is easier for a current day audience to relate to. On the one hand I did like that Balogh had a different approach, and simply told things as they would have been, though it did also then leave me feeling somewhat uncomfortable in parts, which made it a bit of a jarring read, as even though within the historical context of the time the story is set in, this was very much the norm and acceptable, it obviously doesn't sit so well now.
There were some reminders of Heyer here, such as Friday's Child for instance, which I have always loved and is such a fun read. However, unfortunately in comparison this lacked the wit and sparkle, with the characters at times somewhat irritating.
For instance there is no denying that Geoffrey is selfish for much of the story, and particularly through a modern lens his actions are harder to condone, though again for the time period he is very much a representation of gentlemen of the era. Arabella, though sweet and charming, could at times come across too childish and sometimes too sanctimonious. Frances, I didn't really care for, as she was always such a watering pot and just silly, and though there were many side characters, none of them really left an impression.
Overall, a sweet if somewhat simplistic story that wasn't as engaging as I had hoped, but I will still check out some more Balogh. 2.5 stars
Having recently read and very much enjoyed The Last Waltz by Balogh, I was eager to try out some more of her work; and whilst this wasn't by any means terrible, I have to say that I didn't enjoy it half as well.
Certainly this is a much lighter read than the Last Waltz and perhaps more in the usual tone of Regency romances. The story initially takes place in the country as Geoffrey offers for Arabella, and then he takes his new bride, as well as her sister Frances to London for the Season. From here, the story is very much about both Arabella and Geoffrey's adjustment to married life.
Arabella is quite a young bride at just eighteen, and quite unused to fashionable society. She isn't a beauty by any regards and feels quite unworthy of her handsome new husband, and as such is very shy of him, though she is determined to be a very dutiful and obedient wife. Geoffrey, though initially finding Arabella quite plain, soon begins to find himself more drawn to her and he is surprised to find himself devoting so much of his time to her. Yet, though she is perfectly comfortable amidst his male friends, she is perpetually shy around him, rather stirring his jealousy. Still, he sees another side of his wife when she discovers something about him she does not approve of. Alongside Arabella and Geoffrey's story, Balogh also follows Frances' exploits with her two suitors.
I quite enjoy the marriage of convenience trope in Regency books and I think Balogh perhaps explored this with a tad more realism of the time period compared to some authors of the genre, in that she doesn't necessarily over-romanticise. There is a ten year or so age gap between Arabella and Geoffrey, that though not uncommon for the time, I think she highlights well, just in terms of Arabella's naivety, and also she highlights just how obedient a wife was expected to be in those times and how it was all about duty. I have read quite a lot of Regency books, and in comparison other authors tend to gloss over such aspects, or give their characters somewhat more modern sensibilities such that it is easier for a current day audience to relate to. On the one hand I did like that Balogh had a different approach, and simply told things as they would have been, though it did also then leave me feeling somewhat uncomfortable in parts, which made it a bit of a jarring read, as even though within the historical context of the time the story is set in, this was very much the norm and acceptable, it obviously doesn't sit so well now.
There were some reminders of Heyer here, such as Friday's Child for instance, which I have always loved and is such a fun read. However, unfortunately in comparison this lacked the wit and sparkle, with the characters at times somewhat irritating.
For instance there is no denying that Geoffrey is selfish for much of the story, and particularly through a modern lens his actions are harder to condone, though again for the time period he is very much a representation of gentlemen of the era. Arabella, though sweet and charming, could at times come across too childish and sometimes too sanctimonious. Frances, I didn't really care for, as she was always such a watering pot and just silly, and though there were many side characters, none of them really left an impression.
Overall, a sweet if somewhat simplistic story that wasn't as engaging as I had hoped, but I will still check out some more Balogh. 2.5 stars
May 20, 2021
I can’t give less stars because it’s Mary Balogh and she’s a superlative writer. The hero marries the heroine in an arranged marriage, she’s very young and naive and has always lived in the country. They go to London and, even if she’s naive and she doesn’t have a strong opinion of herself she has a great success especially with the opposite sex. The hero go on with his womanizing ways and goes to his mistress every day. The heroine finds out and is stricken because she believes in marriage vows and is affronted by his infidelity. The hero doesn’t want to give up his mistress and she tells him she will never forgive him. The hero eventually falls in love and leaves the mistress. No, I didn’t like this one. Ok i know that it’s an historical and the hero and the heroine have a perfunctory kind of sex that was expected in that society. I know that it was a usual thing that gentleman had a mistress, but this is also a romantic novel and I want a hero who doesn’t cheat. And as often happens in MB books the heroes are worse that men in real life and that is not a good thing. In the end he admitted he was wrong and he regretted hurting her but I think it was not enough. I loved the heroine when she gave the zero a dressing down when he tried to make it sound normal to have a wife and a mistress. Well done heroine! Anyway I hate cheating and this book left a sour taste in my mouth. Chocolate requires.
November 13, 2010
After a few less than wonderful Baloghs here's one that I truly enjoyed. The Obedient Bride is a "MOC" story; both the hero and the heroine marry out of a sense of duty. Him because he is helping the last Viscount's family and she because she will be able to help her family if she does.
The way they approach the marriage however is very different. The hero sees it has something he has to do but that it won't disrupt his private life, he will continue to keep his usual mistress and doing his usual activities with the exception that now he will accompany his wife to social functions and will present her sisters to society. The heroine, however, is determined to make the best of her marriage and be the perfect wife. In part because she feel he is entering a bad bargain as she is not as beautiful as her sister.
They do adjust well to married life and in fact Bella, the heroine, likes her new social life so much that she becomes a vibrant young woman always surrounded by friends and admirers. However, one evening she hears that her husband is keeping a mistress and decides to confront him about it.
I loved how Bella was so very hurt and disappointed but managed to hold on to her her dignity while making it very clear how mad she was. Geoffrey really couldn't see how his actions could be seen as wrong (which I suppose was accurate for the time and type of marriage) but he felt her displeasure and decided to change. He ended things with the mistress and worked on gaining Bella's trust again. Mind you he did not change overnight, in fact his first reaction was to get very angry that Bella should think and speak in such a way with him. But when he decided to reform he did his best to please her and I felt he actually won her over.
There's a subplot with Bella's sister and a rake that I felt was a bit unnecessary unless it was to show how noble Geoffrey was in contrast. In the end I found this a very nice little story although readers with strong feelings about adultery should probably stay away. I always feel Balogh has more original/outrageous plots in her earlier titles than in the more recent ones and this is the perfect example!
Grade: 4/5
The way they approach the marriage however is very different. The hero sees it has something he has to do but that it won't disrupt his private life, he will continue to keep his usual mistress and doing his usual activities with the exception that now he will accompany his wife to social functions and will present her sisters to society. The heroine, however, is determined to make the best of her marriage and be the perfect wife. In part because she feel he is entering a bad bargain as she is not as beautiful as her sister.
They do adjust well to married life and in fact Bella, the heroine, likes her new social life so much that she becomes a vibrant young woman always surrounded by friends and admirers. However, one evening she hears that her husband is keeping a mistress and decides to confront him about it.
I loved how Bella was so very hurt and disappointed but managed to hold on to her her dignity while making it very clear how mad she was. Geoffrey really couldn't see how his actions could be seen as wrong (which I suppose was accurate for the time and type of marriage) but he felt her displeasure and decided to change. He ended things with the mistress and worked on gaining Bella's trust again. Mind you he did not change overnight, in fact his first reaction was to get very angry that Bella should think and speak in such a way with him. But when he decided to reform he did his best to please her and I felt he actually won her over.
There's a subplot with Bella's sister and a rake that I felt was a bit unnecessary unless it was to show how noble Geoffrey was in contrast. In the end I found this a very nice little story although readers with strong feelings about adultery should probably stay away. I always feel Balogh has more original/outrageous plots in her earlier titles than in the more recent ones and this is the perfect example!
Grade: 4/5
August 16, 2017
Oh this was a big disappointment for me. Usually, I love to read for Mary Balogh especially her regency novels.
October 6, 2021
Mary Balogh is a brilliant writer and one of her greatest talents is to create a unique situation for her characters and then let that work itself out in the most logical and not always the easiest way. This is a marriage of convenience story, but it looks with uncompromising honesty at what a great many Regency marriages must have been like. It’s about expectations of marriage, and yes, it’s about how sex plays into that, so it’s not a traditional read, nor is it a comfortable tale, so anyone looking for light-hearted fluff should move on. It is, however, both powerful and fascinating.
Here’s the premise: Lord Astor has recently come into his title and estates, and knows he has an obligation to marry to secure the succession. He also owes an obligation to the widow and daughters of his predecessor, who have been left unprovided for. He can fulfil both requirements at once by marrying one of the daughters. He’s never met them, for the relationship is a distant one, but he’s unbothered by which one it should be. After all, what does it matter? His wife won’t be a big part of his life, will she? Apart from producing a few children, she’ll have her own life and he’ll keep his mistress and his masculine friends and pursuits. So he leaves it up to their mother to decide which one is most appropriate. Since the eldest daughter and beauty of the family, Frances, is likely to marry a neighbour, she puts forward her second daughter, Arabella, to marry the viscount. And after a brief period of misunderstanding, and thinking he’s going to get the beauty, he swallows his disappointment and proposes to Arabella, the small, plump one.
The ladies had a misunderstanding, too, for they thought the viscount was an older man. Arabella, thinking herself plain and uninteresting, is quite happy to marry such a man and have a placid marriage, leaving her sister free to marry the man she’s in love with. But the older man was Lord Astor’s father, now dead, and the son is something of a paragon - handsome, fashionable, with perfect manners, and everything that Arabella would never dare to dream of and doesn’t feel worthy of. She’s reduced to stumbling inarticulacy in his presence. She tells him, however, that she’ll be a dutiful and obedient wife and he’s satisfied. That’s what he wants, after all, someone he can basically ignore while he lives his own life, just as he did before.
So the marriage takes place, and yes, it’s consummated, and no, Balogh doesn’t shy away from the details. It’s not outrageously graphic, but it’s clear that Lord Astor has very fixed ideas about sex. What he enjoys with his mistress is purely for pleasure, and he wouldn’t expect anything as uninhibited as that with his respectable and chaste wife. Instead, she gets sex for procreation, perfunctory and by the sound of it deeply unpleasant. She meekly puts up with it, because she’s an obedient wife and it’s her duty.
The interesting element of this is that Lord Astor is doing his duty, too. He’s not an unkind man, in fact he’s rather gentlemanly and considerate. He willingly takes Arabella to town with her beautiful sister for company, he escorts them everywhere, rigs them out in fashionable clothes and supervises Arabella’s transformation to stylish woman-about-town. And he genuinely thinks he’s being considerate by keeping the procreation efforts to brief sessions in the dark, without any embarrassing foreplay. But all the time, he keeps his mistress and is rather surprised to find himself losing interest in her, and actually enjoying his wife’s company instead. He even finds himself distracted during sessions with his mistress by thoughts of his wife.
And so the stage is set for the transformation that will upset the applecart. Arabella gradually gains confidence in company - not with her husband, but with other, safer, men, who are less distractingly handsome and charming. She becomes a success. And Lord Astor gradually realises that a wife can’t simply be ignored. She’s a real person with real feelings, and he begins to care about those feelings, just a little. The way they both change, little by little over many chapters, is one of the joys of the book, beautifully evoked by Balogh. We see it happen because we’re privy to both characters’ thoughts all the way through. And when the crisis comes and Arabella finds out about the mistress, we know their thoughts on that, too, and follow every step of their journey to understanding each other.
Some reviewers have compared this book to some of Georgette Heyer’s works, in particular A Civil Contract or The Convenient Marriage, and although there are similarities, the book that I’m most reminded of is another Balogh one, Dancing With Clara. In that, the marriage is just as cold-blooded an arrangement, between a dissolute rake and gambler who’s wasted his fortune, and a wealthy heiress who is wheelchair bound. It suits them both - he gets her money, and she gets a virile young man as her husband. But that story had a realistic resolution which was (for me, anyway) deeply unsatisfying. The Obedient Bride has a much more positive ending, perhaps less realistic, but much more in keeping with the expectations of romance readers. This isn’t an easy read, but it is a deeply rewarding one, and I commend it to anyone looking for a clear-eyed deconstruction of a marriage of convenience. Five stars.
Here’s the premise: Lord Astor has recently come into his title and estates, and knows he has an obligation to marry to secure the succession. He also owes an obligation to the widow and daughters of his predecessor, who have been left unprovided for. He can fulfil both requirements at once by marrying one of the daughters. He’s never met them, for the relationship is a distant one, but he’s unbothered by which one it should be. After all, what does it matter? His wife won’t be a big part of his life, will she? Apart from producing a few children, she’ll have her own life and he’ll keep his mistress and his masculine friends and pursuits. So he leaves it up to their mother to decide which one is most appropriate. Since the eldest daughter and beauty of the family, Frances, is likely to marry a neighbour, she puts forward her second daughter, Arabella, to marry the viscount. And after a brief period of misunderstanding, and thinking he’s going to get the beauty, he swallows his disappointment and proposes to Arabella, the small, plump one.
The ladies had a misunderstanding, too, for they thought the viscount was an older man. Arabella, thinking herself plain and uninteresting, is quite happy to marry such a man and have a placid marriage, leaving her sister free to marry the man she’s in love with. But the older man was Lord Astor’s father, now dead, and the son is something of a paragon - handsome, fashionable, with perfect manners, and everything that Arabella would never dare to dream of and doesn’t feel worthy of. She’s reduced to stumbling inarticulacy in his presence. She tells him, however, that she’ll be a dutiful and obedient wife and he’s satisfied. That’s what he wants, after all, someone he can basically ignore while he lives his own life, just as he did before.
So the marriage takes place, and yes, it’s consummated, and no, Balogh doesn’t shy away from the details. It’s not outrageously graphic, but it’s clear that Lord Astor has very fixed ideas about sex. What he enjoys with his mistress is purely for pleasure, and he wouldn’t expect anything as uninhibited as that with his respectable and chaste wife. Instead, she gets sex for procreation, perfunctory and by the sound of it deeply unpleasant. She meekly puts up with it, because she’s an obedient wife and it’s her duty.
The interesting element of this is that Lord Astor is doing his duty, too. He’s not an unkind man, in fact he’s rather gentlemanly and considerate. He willingly takes Arabella to town with her beautiful sister for company, he escorts them everywhere, rigs them out in fashionable clothes and supervises Arabella’s transformation to stylish woman-about-town. And he genuinely thinks he’s being considerate by keeping the procreation efforts to brief sessions in the dark, without any embarrassing foreplay. But all the time, he keeps his mistress and is rather surprised to find himself losing interest in her, and actually enjoying his wife’s company instead. He even finds himself distracted during sessions with his mistress by thoughts of his wife.
And so the stage is set for the transformation that will upset the applecart. Arabella gradually gains confidence in company - not with her husband, but with other, safer, men, who are less distractingly handsome and charming. She becomes a success. And Lord Astor gradually realises that a wife can’t simply be ignored. She’s a real person with real feelings, and he begins to care about those feelings, just a little. The way they both change, little by little over many chapters, is one of the joys of the book, beautifully evoked by Balogh. We see it happen because we’re privy to both characters’ thoughts all the way through. And when the crisis comes and Arabella finds out about the mistress, we know their thoughts on that, too, and follow every step of their journey to understanding each other.
Some reviewers have compared this book to some of Georgette Heyer’s works, in particular A Civil Contract or The Convenient Marriage, and although there are similarities, the book that I’m most reminded of is another Balogh one, Dancing With Clara. In that, the marriage is just as cold-blooded an arrangement, between a dissolute rake and gambler who’s wasted his fortune, and a wealthy heiress who is wheelchair bound. It suits them both - he gets her money, and she gets a virile young man as her husband. But that story had a realistic resolution which was (for me, anyway) deeply unsatisfying. The Obedient Bride has a much more positive ending, perhaps less realistic, but much more in keeping with the expectations of romance readers. This isn’t an easy read, but it is a deeply rewarding one, and I commend it to anyone looking for a clear-eyed deconstruction of a marriage of convenience. Five stars.
January 8, 2022
Viscount Astor inherits the title and the property following the death of a distant relative. Keen to make amends to his relative's widow and three daughters he determines to offer to marry one of them, sight unseen. Frances, the eldest daughter, is a ravishing beauty (but a bit of a ninny), Arabella, the second daughter, is short and slightly plump but also intelligent and spirited. Arabella volunteers to marry the viscount so that Frances can marry Theodore Perrot, a local man who she is in love with. Arabella thinks she is offering to marry a 50-something year old man who she will endeavour to make comfortable, instead she gets a young, handsome, demi-god, way out of her league. Arabella realises early on that the viscount would have preferred to have married Frances and does everything in her power to avoid disgusting the viscount with her presence. He, on the other hand, quickly realises that although Frances is breathtakingly beautiful she has no with or conversation beyond gossip and fashion, in fact she is heartily boring.
Following their marriage the viscount makes every attempt to engage with his new wife, buying her a new wardrobe of clothes, taking her to the theatre and balls, all the while Arabella is doing her best to remain silent and not disgust her husband any further. Yet with other people, especially the viscount's old friends, she is vivacious and friendly and outgoing. So the viscount attempts to woo his own wife, until she discovers that he has kept his very beautiful, very tall, opera singer mistress and continued to visit her after they were married.
This was an odd, very old-fashioned novel (and yes I know it was first published over 30 years ago). Arabella is both a doormat and also very outspoken in her views on the sanctity of the marriage vows which are at odds with most other historical fiction I have read where society women were taught that husbands have mistresses as a matter of course. I think it might have been better if Arabella was the daughter of a vicar (although how that would work with inheriting a title I don't know) in order to explain both her views on the sanctity of marriage but also her interference in the lives of others. In fact, this kind of reminds me of a mash-up of three of my favourite Georgette Heyer novels, Friday's Child, The Convenient Marriage and (randomly enough) Arabella, unfortunately Arabella comes across as a bit of a prig and I can't see why she, or the viscount fell in love with each other, the scenes in which they consummate their marriage are frankly scary to contemplate and show the thoughtlessness with which an aristocratic man would treat a virgin bride - he didn't even kiss her before clambering on top and starting thrusting!!!!
Overall, my least favourite Mary Balogh which richly deserves to be forgotten and out of print.
Following their marriage the viscount makes every attempt to engage with his new wife, buying her a new wardrobe of clothes, taking her to the theatre and balls, all the while Arabella is doing her best to remain silent and not disgust her husband any further. Yet with other people, especially the viscount's old friends, she is vivacious and friendly and outgoing. So the viscount attempts to woo his own wife, until she discovers that he has kept his very beautiful, very tall, opera singer mistress and continued to visit her after they were married.
This was an odd, very old-fashioned novel (and yes I know it was first published over 30 years ago). Arabella is both a doormat and also very outspoken in her views on the sanctity of the marriage vows which are at odds with most other historical fiction I have read where society women were taught that husbands have mistresses as a matter of course. I think it might have been better if Arabella was the daughter of a vicar (although how that would work with inheriting a title I don't know) in order to explain both her views on the sanctity of marriage but also her interference in the lives of others. In fact, this kind of reminds me of a mash-up of three of my favourite Georgette Heyer novels, Friday's Child, The Convenient Marriage and (randomly enough) Arabella, unfortunately Arabella comes across as a bit of a prig and I can't see why she, or the viscount fell in love with each other, the scenes in which they consummate their marriage are frankly scary to contemplate and show the thoughtlessness with which an aristocratic man would treat a virgin bride - he didn't even kiss her before clambering on top and starting thrusting!!!!
Overall, my least favourite Mary Balogh which richly deserves to be forgotten and out of print.
October 2, 2020
I knew there was cheating going into this and given the era I was quite happy with the Heroine's backbone and her initial reaction.
A bit too much emphasis on her being such a good person and lacking in looks although the hero did say she was pretty to him...I think. His friends also commented on how lucky he was...
He was slow in realizing his wrong doing and his entitlements to a mistress although fits the time...it didn't really do his character much justice as he came across as shallow in his right to have both a wife and mistress...
I was intrigued until the end but could have done without the sister Frances and some of the secondary characters drama it just bored me.
A bit too much emphasis on her being such a good person and lacking in looks although the hero did say she was pretty to him...I think. His friends also commented on how lucky he was...
He was slow in realizing his wrong doing and his entitlements to a mistress although fits the time...it didn't really do his character much justice as he came across as shallow in his right to have both a wife and mistress...
I was intrigued until the end but could have done without the sister Frances and some of the secondary characters drama it just bored me.
April 21, 2020
I love cheating drama, especially in a historical. The end.
September 19, 2020
Stubborn miss, clueless man.
November 5, 2011
The heroine, Arabella, marries Lord Astor out of duty to her family once he inherits her father's title.
Arabella has grown up with little self esteem and over shadowed by her beautiful but excessively stupid sister.
She is initially intimidated by Astor but as time goes on, she finds herself settling into life in the Ton and making good friends who like her for herself.
Astor also finds that marriage has greater consequences than anticipated and discovers that he wants to spend time with his wife and see that she settles in and becomes more comfortable with him. On the other hand he desperately wants to believe that his life can go on as before and to that end continues his relationship with his mistress, all be it with increasing guilt.
Arabella discovers the relationship and confronts Astor, who is sorry for her hurt but unapologetic as to it's cause and makes it clear he does not intend to give up his mistress.
Unfortunately for him it is not so easy. He realises that he is unhappy at the h's withdrawal from him and that he has breached her trust. He also realises that if she will not forgive him, their life together will be pretty bleak.
He also finds that his passion for his mistress has waned and he eventually gives her up.
The rest of the story focuses on Astor's growing awareness of his feelings for his wife and their eventual reconciliation.
I thought this was a sympathetic portrait about the issue of adultery in the historical context and the impact it had on the relationship between the couple and their subsequent emotional growth, was done well.
There is a secondary romance involving the silly sister, who I wanted to strangle.
August 24, 2011
This book made me wonder why I enjoy the Victorian/Regency era so much. It epitomized all the things which sucked about this era. The male dominant society (well, we still have that but not as much), the weak weepy women, the repression of emotions, sexual frustration and ignorance of women (lay back and think of England!) and the prevailing sense of duty, which shall/can forsake ones happiness.
Arabella, who considers herself fat and ugly agrees to marry Lord Geoffrey Astor sight unseen so that her family won't be poor. Even though she has an older and more beautiful sister who technically should marry first, but she takes the bullet and agrees. She takes this duty seriously but is constantly suffering from low self-esteem that she can barely speak to her husband. Eventually Arabella discovers her husband has a mistress and for some reason (her character development gave no hint she would act so empowered) she demands her husband stop seeing his mistress and declares their marriage a failure and will only continue out of duty. Lord Astor was cool with that because he's a man, and well, no woman will dictate how he should live his life... but then he realizes he has "actual" feelings for his wife...
I'm sure you can see where this is going.
Arabella, who considers herself fat and ugly agrees to marry Lord Geoffrey Astor sight unseen so that her family won't be poor. Even though she has an older and more beautiful sister who technically should marry first, but she takes the bullet and agrees. She takes this duty seriously but is constantly suffering from low self-esteem that she can barely speak to her husband. Eventually Arabella discovers her husband has a mistress and for some reason (her character development gave no hint she would act so empowered) she demands her husband stop seeing his mistress and declares their marriage a failure and will only continue out of duty. Lord Astor was cool with that because he's a man, and well, no woman will dictate how he should live his life... but then he realizes he has "actual" feelings for his wife...
I'm sure you can see where this is going.
August 13, 2009
This was a boring book! The wife had no backbone for ages and then finally she finds out her husband has a mistress. She blast him for it and then she goes back to being the rug but she is no longer his friend. Give me a freakin break!! She has a sister that cries at the drop of the hat and really gets on my nerves!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2017
Dear Geoffrey, Until this very minute... even if I already finished the book and Arabella has forgiven you... nothing would still change my feeling toward you.... I still dearly hate you very much.... really really really much.. ^_^
March 16, 2017
I don't think my opinion is going to be all that well liked, but I kinda thought she was a martyred goose. ;-)
November 15, 2019
A fascinating read
April 18, 2021
3 stars.
I enjoyed what is a classic regency. You can definitely tell that it wasn’t written recently but only at one or two points. Heroines tend to focus way to much on being thin or beautiful in older regencies and the men tend to be a little less free with their emotions. When I read this book I went in with the understanding that it was an older regency and decided to enjoy it for what it was.
It was sweet and lovely and like a warm hug. I certainly loved seeing Geoffrey meet his match in Arabella. She wasn’t combative or feisty. She was steady and measured and just wanted to make him happy. I was glad when she stood up to him and told him his behavior was unacceptable but I also wanted her to forgive him a lot faster than she did (because it made me sad that they were apart not because she didn’t have the right to be mad).
Geoffrey was a handsome man about town determined not to have his life change after marriage. It was fun to see him confused at his feelings and finally realising he was in love!
I wanted to smack Frances but of course that would probably have made her cry! There were way too many tears from that young lady! She was too easily provoked by half!
A nice, comforting read.
I enjoyed what is a classic regency. You can definitely tell that it wasn’t written recently but only at one or two points. Heroines tend to focus way to much on being thin or beautiful in older regencies and the men tend to be a little less free with their emotions. When I read this book I went in with the understanding that it was an older regency and decided to enjoy it for what it was.
It was sweet and lovely and like a warm hug. I certainly loved seeing Geoffrey meet his match in Arabella. She wasn’t combative or feisty. She was steady and measured and just wanted to make him happy. I was glad when she stood up to him and told him his behavior was unacceptable but I also wanted her to forgive him a lot faster than she did (because it made me sad that they were apart not because she didn’t have the right to be mad).
Geoffrey was a handsome man about town determined not to have his life change after marriage. It was fun to see him confused at his feelings and finally realising he was in love!
I wanted to smack Frances but of course that would probably have made her cry! There were way too many tears from that young lady! She was too easily provoked by half!
A nice, comforting read.
August 5, 2024
3 stars
It’s really more of a 2-star but it’s still Balogh and you can’t fault her writing. Even though the title warned me, I think she took the obedience way overboard and it was difficult to find sympathy for her. She did put her foot down when she found out but it didn’t feel HEA at the end. The MMC was no hero or even reformed and I understand the disgust in some reviews. It was too real for me and I didn’t get any warm fuzzies.
The sister - boo hoo, snivel, waste of a secondary storyline
It’s really more of a 2-star but it’s still Balogh and you can’t fault her writing. Even though the title warned me, I think she took the obedience way overboard and it was difficult to find sympathy for her. She did put her foot down when she found out but it didn’t feel HEA at the end. The MMC was no hero or even reformed and I understand the disgust in some reviews. It was too real for me and I didn’t get any warm fuzzies.
The sister - boo hoo, snivel, waste of a secondary storyline
Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews