You did it! We figured this one out! It is a truth universally acknowledged (by me for certain) that the Bitchery pretty much knows everything, and really, it's true. Scroll down to see the solution for this HaBO - and many thanks!
Another reader request for a series sought by a reader named Priscilla, who remembers a good number of plot details but no names or titles:
The historical romance series I'm desperate to find involves 5 men and 1 woman (Lady something), all brutalized in some way by the war (Napoleonic?), who gather to reconnect and recover at a house, a haven, (outskirts of London?) owned by an older gentleman (Duke? Earl?).
The first in the series is about a particularly gruff vet (Harry?) who comes across a woman who's sprained her ankle. (The woman has a pushy female relative who keeps trying to catch Harry's attention.) Harry carries her back to the house where the vets gather, seduces her, marries her, etc., etc.
Another vet is blind, and a third struggles with crutches as his legs were horribly broken. The Lady had to watch her husband be tortured to death.
I've Googled the series, spent hours searching Amazon — all to no avail. I hope you can help end my misery by finding the series name and the name of the author.
This sounds like a lot of emotional writing – but it's not ringing any bells with me. Do you recognize this description? Help a Bitch Out!
It’s the first in Mary Balogh’s newest series: The Survivors club. It’s called The Proposal. The second is The Arrangement.
I’m a huge fan of Mary’s writing. Even though the plots sound very angsty, her characters are very believable.
Balogh is the queen of historicals in my opinion. I love this series and can’t wait for the rest of the books!
It’s Mary Balogh, one of my favorite authors. The series is still in production and there’s a novella related to the last book. If you go to Balogh’s website you can get the details.
Thank you! That’s the series. I do love Mary Balogh, and will definitely keep watching for the rest in the series. I’ll be sure to visit her website, now that I know she’s the author. Thank you again!
I knew this one! The next book in the series, The Escape, is due out July 1. It is Sir Benedict’s story.
I think Cheryl gets elevated to the peerage?
I was all excited to read this series, but of course I already have. They’re good, and apparently that is all I can remember about them.
I love Balogh, but the thing I anxiously remember from this book is Beach Sex. I can’t cope with Beach Sex. I get very worried about sand, being stranded by the tide, small crabs, people seeing you from the bluffs, etc. etc.
(But I do remember liking the large, stern hero, and the heroine’s awesomely terrible social-climbing cousin.)
Okay, so many people raving about Balogh here, and my local library has about 50 of her titles… How about a “which one first?”
And if anyone is making suggestions for me personally, I don’t like domineering alphas or displays of manly-man-ness, thank you.
@Vasha
On the upside, I’m not sure Balogh really does domineering alphas and bulging bossy muscles. Most of her heroes have a lot of man angst, though. (I don’t know how that is for you.)
A Balogh that is kind of controversial (you know, in romance terms, so not very) but which is secretly my favorite is “The Famous Heroine”. It’s quite silly, and the hero is the opposite of a domineering alpha – he is witty and foppish and wears a lot of fancy outfits. The heroine is a middle-class girl who has been brought to London to come into society in thanks for rescuing someone’s small child. I find it very charming and comforting.
A lot of Balogh’s are very angsty. A lot of people like “The Secret Pearl” but is it is like UltraAngst and causes, in me, ugly crying. I like “The Ideal Wife”, which has one of the only “hero is upset because his dad was a jerk” things that 100% works for me in historical romance, but which also causes sobbing, in me. I was just browsing Goodreads reviews, and I see that some people dislike Balogh’s older stuff and prefer her newer material, but I think I maybe feel opposite. The older stuff really sticks with me as having a very specific point of view, whereas the newer stuff feels more “Oh, it’s a historical romance”, very good historical romance, though.
I’d go along with Cordy’s recommendations, and I’d add “The Temporary Wife” as a personal favorite. My all time favorite is the conclusion to the “Slightly” (Bedwyn) series, but they’re best read in order, starting with “Slightly Married” and ending with “Slightly Dangerous”.
@Vasha: I agree with Darlene’s recommendation of The Temporary Wife (my favorite Balogh), but almost all of Balogh’s work is excellent. You could also start with The Proposal, the first book in her current series and the one discussed here, as that will be easier to find. She is also carried by many libraries if you don’t want the financial investment.
(Oops, I realize that I also meant “The Temporary Wife”. It is excellent and pulls off marriages of convenience and family dramarama the way few books do.)
Mary Balogh “Which one first?” is easy. It is Slightly Dangerous. It is the last book in the Bedwyn series and by far the best. It has more silly romantic comedy elements but it is very sweet. The Bedwyn series as a whole has many elements of her newest books, including men coming home from the war. But man just skip to the “Final Boss” of the series. It feels like all they do is talk about Wulfric for all 6 books, and his does not disappoint.
@Vasha, If you are looking for a quiet, confident, not-alpha hero, try Lord Carew’s Bride. Personal favorites for me are Red Rose and Simply Love.