Finally, she was released and she walked through Portugal before she managed to get transport back to England and Neville. But, once reunited with the man who had married her as a death-bed promise to her father that he would protect her, Lily realises just how far apart they are.
Neville is a member of the nobility, surrounded by family and friends who are just like him. She doesn't know how to dress, to make polite conversation, to behave among the upper-classes; she can't even read, write or play the piano-forte. Much as she loves Neville, she just doesn't fit in. She's not even sure, at first, whether Neville wouldn't have preferred her to be dead, although before long he shows her in the most perfect way that he still loves her.
But she still doesn't fit in He instantly tells her that he will take her to London to marry her again, legally this time, but she refuses. She will not stay with him in a world where she doesn't belong. He has a second chance, without her. Enter Elizabeth, Neville's aunt, and a wonderful character. She's an independent woman in her thirties, wealthy, who never married because she couldn't bear being submissive to a man she didn't love.
She has a beau, and he's rather lovely too, but that's beside the point for now. Elizabeth offers Lily a position as her companion, but what she actually has in mind is a Pygmalion-like task. And will Neville let her go? How will he convince her that he really loves her and win her back?
As ever, Mary Balogh refuses to write a tame, ordinary Regency novel. I shudder to think what would be made of a plot like this in another author's hands; Neville would have paid Lily off and married Lauren, I imagine. There was only element of the plot which I found a little unnecessary, and that was the aspect concerning Lily's parentage. Much as I like Elizabeth's beau, I would have found it more fascinating had Balogh left Lily as she was when we first met her.
Oh, and in response to another reader, how could anyone think that Neville listened to his mother too much where Lily was concerned, and treated her with disrespect as a result?
He insisted that she should be treated with all due respect as his wife. His mother had no choice but to go along with it, and Neville made sure that Lily was treated well.
This is another keeper from a very talented writer. Beautifully written, but a somewhat hard story to read By a-wish-upon-a-star In many ways, this is one of Mary Balogh's best books.
It is beatifully written, with a strong sense of emotion throughout. But I found that I really didn't like it, and even stopped reading the story halfway through when I first read this book a year ago. I enjoyed this story more the second time around, when I realized that Lauren will have a happy ending eventually, and I also found it helpful in understanding "A Summer to Remember".
While Lauren is first introduced in this book, she is definitely a developed person here, and it makes "A Summer to Remember" much more meaningful when I have already met Lauren in the previous book.
But I still didn't like this book too much. Not because this is not well written - this is probably one of the most beautifully written books that I have ever read. Just that it is so sad, in so many ways. In this book there are quite a few obstacles to everlasting happiness between Neville, our hero, and Lily, who is the designated heroine of this book.
So many obstacles, in fact, that they at first seem unsurmountable, and it is only your faith in a writer such as Mary Balogh that all will be resolved at the end that keeps you reading.
However, I did wonder, many times - so many obstacles? Can she really resolve them all to my satisfaction? Perhaps I am a bit picky, but in this case she did not. They were not all resolved totally to my satisfaction. This is a very common sensation that I get from reading other novels, other authors, but coming from Mary Balogh, it was a real let-down.
Firstly, there is Lily, herself. Can she, a sergeant's daughter, used to the rough-and-tumble life of the army, where survival is the only essential rule of the game, acclimate to the very different life of the ton? At first it seems that not only does the family have a problem with her non-manners, she finds it the many rules and regulations of the upper class stifling.
Second, there is the slight problem of Neville himself - whom does he love - Lily or Lauren? He did marry Lily, but that was a quickie wedding, and he WAS about to marry Lauren, in a huge society wedding. Neville had married Lily in the battle-camp, on the day of her father's death, because he had promised her father to protect her, and marriage seemed the most promising way to accomplish that fact.
The next day in battle, Neville was injured, and Lily was declared dead. But does Neville really love Lily? Or Lauren, his intended bride? Then there are the minor problems. While Lily loves Neville, and the thought of his love kept her going throughout her year in captivity, now that she is here she is not at all sure that she belongs here, as Neville's wife, nor is she still sure that her love is returned. When at the time of their marriage, she did realize there was a class difference, at the time she did not realize just how very deep that difference really was.
Never would she have imagined that Neville is really an Earl, with a huge estate, and now she will have to be a Countess. Will she ever be able to fit in to his life, in the way that Lauren would have? Does Neville love her? Did he ever really love her? Did he once love her but now rather loves Lauren?
What is motivating him to acknowledge Lily as his wife, perhaps it is only his sense of honor? And there is Lily herself. It is obvious, in this story, that she is miserable trying her best to be good wife to Neville, to fit into his life, and she is failing. Not only does she have no idea how to behave as a Countess, the very idea of conforming to the strict rules and regulations of the English upper class seems horrifying and stifling to her.
Never to feel the wind or the sun on your face, or water between your toes, never to have the freedom of movement that she has until now taken for granted, can she ever be happy in such a life?
And then there is the problem of society around her. Will they ever accept her totally as Neville's wife, as his Countess? And what about Lauren, although not the heroine of our story, it seems so not fair, somehow, that her life should be disrupted in this way.
Part of the reason that I could not finish this book the first time I read it was because I really got to like Lauren, and therefore I had a hard time dealing with, and liking Lily. I thought that Lauren dealt with the whole situation with class, and even though Mary Balogh tried to make her look in the wrong as she was not dealing with her feelings, I thought she was acting beautifully.
Not only that, but I felt bad for Lily, being forced into a situation that she did not seem equipped, nor did she seem happy to deal with.
Nor did I feel in Lily the heroine that Ms. Balogh usually does such a good job potraying. While there were many good parts to Lily, her main claim to fame seemed that she embraced the physical world around her, in a way that her more sheltered English counterparts did not, but that seems more a product of her upbringing rather than a goodness from within Lily herself. Also, I did not feel equipped to judge Lauren. Although by our standards she seems repressed and unhappy, I that Lauren was very much a product of her upbringing and environment.
Certainly, she fit into what was expected of her, and always acting properly in every way and at every time, being every inch the lady, she assumes that this will bring her happiness in the world that she lives in.
By the end of this book, she finds out differently. If you liked her in that book, I would seriously suggest NOT reading this one as she goes on a ripping tear and announces she wished the heroine dead, etc and so forth. Anyhoo, that unpleasantness aside, the H is thrilled to have Lily back, but the conundrum is she is miserable in Regency England upper society. In London, she quickly starts to gain some of the polish and skills to fit in.
The hero follows. There is a secondary plot regarding someone who tries to kill Lily as well as a secondary romance. He says all the right things, he loves Lily for who she is, but he seems a little too beta for me.
His name is Neville after all. Be gone witches. A Summer to Remember is a continuation of the events in this book and the two are best read in order. Neville Wyatt met Lily Doyle during the war when she was 14 and he was He felt a deep affection for her, but he knew that nothing could ever happen between them because of the difference in their social position not to mention their ages.
He was the heir to an earldom and Lily the illiterate daughter of a common sold One Night For Love is the first prequel to Mary Balogh's Slightly series. He was the heir to an earldom and Lily the illiterate daughter of a common soldier. When Lily was 18, her father was critically wounded in an ambush. Neville made a promise to the dying man that he would marry Lily and give her the protection of his name.
Although Neville knew that it was the wrong thing to do from a social standpoint, his heart was very happy to have the choice taken away. Neville and Lily spent one night together and then they were both critically wounded in an attack.
Left for dead, Lily was taken hostage by the enemy and Neville went home to recuperate. Mourning the loss of Lily but determined to do his duty and produce the next heir, Neville resigned himself to marry Lauren, the woman who he had been expected to marry since childhood. As a side note, Lauren is the heroine in A Summer to Remember. The wedding was cut short by Lily's sudden appearance after 18 months. The storyline here was a bit contrived, but Lily and Neville were such great characters and the story so well written that it really didn't matter.
Lily was a free spirit who faced captivity and the long journey to get back to Neville with a strength and determination that one can't help but admire. Although Neville was glad to see her, he also realized that there would be many challenges in having Lily as his countess.
She knew nothing about his way of life and trying to fit in made her miserable. Sometimes it was painful to read how uncomfortable Lily was in Neville's world although most of his family did make an effort to help her fit in. Lily and Neville truly loved each other, but is love always enough to overcome any obstacle? In this book, you see the great lengths that Lily goes to in order to make herself feel worthy to fit into Neville's world. It isn't something he asks of her, it's just something that she feels she needs to do on a personal level.
My "relationship" with Mary Balogh got off to a rocky start with More than a Mistress because I didn't really care for that book. One Night for Love shows that you should never judge an author by just one book because I loved this one!
View all 23 comments. Feb 14, Teresa rated it it was ok. This book took me a lot of patience and over a year to read. After seeing so much praise for her, I finally dipped my toes back in with A Matter of Class. Which thankfully was a quick, fun novella that made me realize she is for me. I have since read others I love hello Longing! I could only take the main characters in small doses. Overall they were bland and unremarkable. Most of the time I was bored. There were moments I was engrossed and the writing is technically good, hence the two instead of one star.
But when I actually finished this book, I wanted to do cartwheels View 2 comments. Jul 10, Becky rated it liked it Shelves: class-differences , 2-eggplants-aubergines , scarred-hero , second-chance-romance , no-children-by-end-of-book , georgian , soldiers , historical-romance , run-holly-run , virgin-heroines. Overall: 2. I cannot recall much in this book, if so just a touch. These are all personal preference on a scale of except our steam scale, which follows our ratings for The Ton and Tartans Facebook group Lily and Neville started a life together in Portugal in the middle of a war.
With only one night spent Overall: 2. With only one night spent together, they are lost to each other the very next day.
I found myself a bit bored. The plot was strong, the world she created a lovely set up, but all the aspects of romance that I love were missing. I think part of it was they just seemed in love right from the beginning. Jul 12, Lauren Reads Romance rated it liked it. TW: mention of past sexual abuse. The first prequel to the Bedwyn series and it is an enjoyable one. Neville Wyatt, captain and heir to an earldom, marries Lily Doyle the daughter of a sergeant under his command, out of compassion and duty.
Hours after they wed and consummate their vows, they are attacked and Lily is assumed dead. Two years pass—Neville has returned home to assume his title of Earl Kilbourne, while Lily unbeknownst to Neville has survived her injuries and held captive by the Fr TW: mention of past sexual abuse.
Two years pass—Neville has returned home to assume his title of Earl Kilbourne, while Lily unbeknownst to Neville has survived her injuries and held captive by the French. There is still her brilliantly developed characters and signature gentle descriptive writing which reminds me why I love reading her books, and HR in general.
He had thought himself recovered from his wounds. She looked as if she had none. But perhaps in reality they were two wounded people who must somehow find pardon and peace and healing together. The last thing he expected was to fall madly in love with the daughter of a common soldier and he knows deep down that there couldn't ever be a future for them. However, when her father is shot in battle he makes a promise to the dying man to protect Lily and it gives him the perfect excuse to marry her.
Unfortunately when they are ambushed the following day Neville witnesses Lily being shot and believes her dead but before he can check on her he is badly injured himself. Two years later Neville is trying to put his life back together and has agreed to marry his cousin to keep his family happy. He is standing at the alter waiting for his bride when a bedraggled Lily stumbles in and halts the wedding.
Neville couldn't be more thrilled to discover that his wife is alive but Lily has been through hell since their wedding, captured and held prisoner she suffered all kinds of degradation and is sure that Neville will reject her. Neville is horrified by what she has been through and feels that he let his wife down but nothing will ever convince him that they aren't meant to be together.
Lily may love him with all her heart but she wasn't expecting the splendour of his estate and she struggles to fit in with his family and friends. Lily doesn't feel good enough for him and decides to leave him for his own good and make a fresh start for herself in London.
But nothing is quite what it seems and Neville isn't going to let Lily go without a fight so he becomes determined to win her back. One Night for Love is an incredibly sweet love story, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Lily has been through so much and it was only the thought of being reunited with Neville that kept her sane so she is heartbroken when she finds he was about to marry someone else and she has no idea how she fits into his life back in England.
She feels out of place, uncomfortable and convinced that Neville would be better off without her but that doesn't stop her trying to fit in. I think what I loved most about her was her courage, she is terrified of Neville's reaction when he finds out what happened to her but she is brave enough to immediately tell him what happened, then she is brave enough to do what she thinks is best and move to London without him.
The romance between her and Neville is really well developed and it was easy to see why they were so good together. Neville was a great hero, he was honourable, protective and very loving. I loved his reaction to what had happened to Lily, he never once blamed her or made her feel less than worthy of his love and he was incredibly kind and patient with her. He wanted her to be comfortable enough to be herself and refused to let his family intimidate her or try and turn her into something she wasn't, in fact I think he loved her all the more because she was so unconventional.
They just fit each other perfectly and I enjoyed seeing them spend time together. This was my first book by Mary Balogh , in fact it was my first historical romance for a couple of years, but it definitely won't be that long before I read another. I'm excited to continue reading this series and looking forward to spending time with some of the side characters we've already been introduced to.
View all 6 comments. Dec 15, fleurette rated it it was ok Shelves: dnf , historical-romance. First, I have to admit that I generally enjoy books by Mary Balogh. Her characters are likeable and the plot is usually well developed. However, I struggled reading One Night of Love. I read first few pages and put it down to read two or three other books. I found myself in no mood to carry on.
Finally, I decided that I have to finish it or put it down once and for all. And here I started skipping pages cause I was not interested enough. The first one third was all together rather boring. So I made a decision to read something else once again.
After choosing five other books instead of One Night of Love I decided there is no point in pushing myself if I'm not interested. Two stars considering it was not annoying, it was just plain and boring. I have already read four other books in Bedwyn Saga and really enjoyed them. I have no idea what is wrong with One Night of Love. Maybe it's because it was one of the earlier books by Balogh and she became a better writer later on.
Nov 14, Aly is so frigging bored rated it really liked it Shelves: historical. May 23, Brianna rated it really liked it. What a unique and well-written story! I thought Lily, the heroine, was very strong-willed and intelligent. She was very kind, too. Watching her grow into the person she was meant to be was great.
The hero, Neville, was also smart, very protective of those he considered family, and very honorable. If there is one big fault I have with this book, it is that I wish his character had been explored more.
Still, I liked him and Lily together. There was a mystery that I found very well-done, as I was w What a unique and well-written story! There was a mystery that I found very well-done, as I was wrong about who the villain was. I know some of the characters from this story get their own books, and I'm excited to read them, particularly Gwen and Joseph's. I'm not too sure about Lauren's, although her book is next.
I will say, though, that I loved Elizabeth and how she mentored Lily. The secondary romance in this story was great, too. Overall, I thought this was a really special and memorable book.
Mary Balogh's writing places me firmly in the Regency, and makes me remember why I love historical romance. Aug 20, Andrea AKA Catsos Person rated it it was ok Shelves: eras-regency , reviewed-by-me , i-own-dead-tree , mistorical-lapses , hero-blond , 1-orstars.
First this book, and then next A Summer to Remember are both "prequels" to the Bedwyn family's "Slightly" series. I need an HR writer to create to some degree an illusion that the characters are behaving, have the attitudes that are consiste FYI.
I need an HR writer to create to some degree an illusion that the characters are behaving, have the attitudes that are consistent with the time and culture that the story takes place! This book was off the mark by light years! What a silly story in that respect! AStR and the Slighly series that all followed this book all made better sense than this crazy story did! Dec 20, Ira rated it really liked it. I like Lily, I give her 5 stars and only 3 stars for Neville.
I don't like him much: The storyline rather dark for this one, the whole situation really bad because the hero is weak, his decision destroyed the women who love him. He lied to everyone to suit his need, I know he loves Lily but his action incredibly selfish! Halfway in the story I'm glad Lily left him, because I couldn't convince with his love declarations to her.
But I do believe him later on. Note, if you have rape trigger, you probab I like Lily, I give her 5 stars and only 3 stars for Neville. Note, if you have rape trigger, you probably need to avoid this book, our heroine been tortured and raped for months. No ugly description but it mentioned and you got a flashback couple of times. I wanted to read Lauren's story now, the jilted bride.
She is very gracious in the whole situation, poor thing! Neville might not love her but she think she love him so I'm glad she will get her own hero in the next book Jul 09, Mariana rated it it was ok. This was definitely my least favorite Mary Balogh book. It just did not work for me. I only pushed through to have a better background for group read of A Summer to Remember. Oct 09, Jasmin rated it really liked it Shelves: historical-fiction , romance , historical-romance , reviewed-by-me , four-stars , fiction.
One Night for Love is an overwhelming love story, in it being wonderful and extraordinary. It was overwhelming that it made me dizzy. Neville Wyatt, the new Earl of Kilbourne, was born into a respectable family. Everything was planned for him. Up to the simple things to even his future wife.
His life was completely drawn for him. Until he rebelled and joined the infantry. He falls for her and her sunny disposition. After the war, Neville had to go back. Back to the life that was planned for him. Until he was given the excuse to do otherwise. Sergeant Thomas Doyle was shot and at his dying hour, he asked Neville to protect Lily.
And to do so, he had to marry Lily, since marriage to an officer confers respect even from the enemies. Neville and Lily marry. It was a love match, despite circumstances of war and recent death. They share a night of love and wedded bliss. Neville witnesses Lily being shot. He believes she has died. And before he was given a chance to thoroughly check, he gets shot too. Neville goes back to his previous life as an earl.
And just about as he was to marry his cousin Lauren, a woman in rags comes barging to the church. At Lily's arrival at Newbury Abbey, Lily realizes that her plain self is not enough to be an Earl's wife. She believes love is not enough. And again, fate works against them, as a series of truths, that I do not wish to disclose, since it would spoil your reading experience come hurling between them.
Lily is a very likeable character. She is illiterate, but she is wise. She is a carefree spirit, daughter of an ordinary soldier, a girl trying to be a lady and someone who just wants to fit in. And Lily Wyatt, Countess of Kilbourne. I am all three. She learns to read and write, play the pianoforte and talk to the ton, which is admirable. Her desire to learn is inspiring. I loved you when I married you. I love you today.
I will love you with my dying breath. I have loved you and will love you during every moment between those spans. View all 12 comments. One Night for Love is not a personal favorite of Balogh's novels. In fact, I actually very strongly considered DNFing about a third of the way through. We do not guarantee that these techniques will work for you.
Some of the techniques listed in One Night for Love may require a sound knowledge of Hypnosis, users are advised to either leave those sections or must have a basic understanding of the subject before practicing them.
DMCA and Copyright : The book is not hosted on our servers, to remove the file please contact the source url. If you see a Google Drive link instead of source url, means that the file witch you will get after approval is just a summary of original book or the file has been already removed. Loved each and every part of this book. I will definitely recommend this book to romance, romance lovers.
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