I love how Mary Balogh weaves in a lot of deep healing and emotions into her characters lives. Beautifully and heartwarmingly done! I loved the characters in the series. They felt like friends to me. Your books have filled my life with joy. Thank you!

I love how Mary Balogh weaves in a lot of deep healing and emotions into her characters lives. Beautifully and heartwarmingly done! I loved the characters in the series. They felt like friends to me. Your books have filled my life with joy. Thank you!

The whole of this series has been hit and miss with me. Two of the books I almost couldn’t finish. One of the books was 5 star, one was 3 star. This one is absolutely fabulous, a 6 star out of 5. I didn’t know what to expect from Constatine’s story since he’s been such an elusive character throughout the series. I didn’t expect this! What really worked was the depth of characters. Neither are what they seem, and I loved not only the masks they wore but how we remove those masks to meet the pe...

The whole of this series has been hit and miss with me. Two of the books I almost couldn’t finish. One of the books was 5 star, one was 3 star. This one is absolutely fabulous, a 6 star out of 5. I didn’t know what to expect from Constatine’s story since he’s been such an elusive character throughout the series. I didn’t expect this! What really worked was the depth of characters. Neither are what they seem, and I loved not only the masks they wore but how we remove those masks to meet the people beneath. Truly layered characters. Beautifully done. The duchess was exquisitely written.

The only issues I had with it were the conflict and resolution, which detracted from the love story rather than helped it along and was far too tidily corrected. The resolution did help build her character just a bit, but by that point, she was already well built, and there was just far too outlandish of a solution. I just don’t see that happening. Yes, it shows her as a powerful figure in the nobility, but given who is being saved, I just don’t buy it. Far too tidy. I much prefer conflicts and resolutions that center on the love story and how the characters realize their fears and desires and inner strength through the conflict, not to mention are forced to question their relationship. This was purely external with nothing at all to do with their relationship.

Other than that, the book was fabulous. I especially loved the ending chapters in how he courts her. Swoon-worthy!

If you’re looking for character depth and development, definitely at this to your reading list.

I'm a Mary Balogh fan, but if you've never read her before you should know she's a very emotional author and things aren't very neat (it's not true love making a happy ending inevitable, but two characters choosing to change and work at a relationship that they realize is worthwhile).

I really liked Hannah (the duchess) and she earns your respect--for the first part of the book, you find yourself charmed by her despite yourself for it definitely seems like she's a bit shallow and hard, but...

I'm a Mary Balogh fan, but if you've never read her before you should know she's a very emotional author and things aren't very neat (it's not true love making a happy ending inevitable, but two characters choosing to change and work at a relationship that they realize is worthwhile).

I really liked Hannah (the duchess) and she earns your respect--for the first part of the book, you find yourself charmed by her despite yourself for it definitely seems like she's a bit shallow and hard, but gradually as she learns to revel herself to others and be more honest with herself, you realize what a neat person she is and really want a happy ending. Constantine (who if you've read the other Huxtable I think you'll have more an emotional investment in) is a bit heavily constructed for my tastes--he's that misunderstood bad boy who we know is misunderstood because he maintains a home for physically-mentally disabled. His big growth is learning to set aside his pride and explain actions--which bothers me because I feel like 34-year-old man should have learned that already! It's his character sub-plots that make this only four stars.

Oh, and there is a fair bit of sex since they are after all lovers, but it is wound up with emotional, character building moments and makes sense wit respect to the plot, so it didn't feel gratuitous to me.

After her year of mourning, Hannah Reid, the Duchess of Dunbarton, has decided to take a lover: Constantine Huxtable, the veritable devil of the ton. It will not be her first lover, if gossip is to be believed. She’s a fickle woman who tosses aside her playthings after a mere week or two. She’s the widow of a man three times her age and was constantly surrounded by men eager to be her cicisebo. The choice of Constantine Huxtable is quite scandalous. He is a dangerous man after all.

When Co...

After her year of mourning, Hannah Reid, the Duchess of Dunbarton, has decided to take a lover: Constantine Huxtable, the veritable devil of the ton. It will not be her first lover, if gossip is to be believed. She’s a fickle woman who tosses aside her playthings after a mere week or two. She’s the widow of a man three times her age and was constantly surrounded by men eager to be her cicisebo. The choice of Constantine Huxtable is quite scandalous. He is a dangerous man after all.

When Constantine is approached by Hannah, he’s intrigued. It’s obvious what she wants and he decides to play along. Things proceed according to plan for about a day. Because neither he nor the Duchess are quite what they seem. I’d love to expose their secrets, but I’m not one to write spoilers.

After 4 books, we finally get to know the man who, at the open of the first book, said a heart-wrenching goodbye to the grave of his beloved brother and rode away. Con has been a constant character throughout the series, a dark protector of his cousins, an enigma because he seems to care and shouldn’t. Stephen inherited the Earldom of Merton, a title that should have been his, if he had just waited 3 days to be born. Of course, he should hate him, them, and yet he doesn’t. Con admits that he did hate them before he knew them but his cousins are impossible to hate. And so he doesn’t. We get to know the truth behind the horrible fight between Con and Elliott, what really happened to the family jewels, what Con is doing on the estate he bought, where he got the money for it, and whether or not he truly is the blackguard that society believes he is.

Even though this is the last book, I feel satisfied at the end. Like any of the other spouses, Hannah is a worthy addition to the Huxtable clan. The clan figures prominently in this book, as it has with the rest of the quintet. Like all the rest of our couples, she has wounds and secrets and is able to grow beyond them, not just through knowing Con, but all of the Huxtable family. Life got her ready for them and for finding love at last. And just like Con, she is a woman who wears a disguise and who loves deeply. By the end of the book, thankfully, neither one has to hide who they are anymore.

You’ll be happy to know, even though I’m sure you expect, that Constantine and Elliot finally resolve their feud and get back to being the brothers that they were for most of their lives. Balogh doesn’t take the easy way out in that conversation and it’s much appreciated. It’s true to their characters and doesn’t just have them apologizing and going on as if it never happened. It doesn’t take place until we’re far into the book, but it does take place at the right time in the story.

This was a really emotional read for me, but from the beginning, Con’s story has made me emotional. It isn’t a bad thing. The biggest thing that sticks out to me from this story, from the entire series, is how we need to be brave enough to be ourselves and brave enough to love. With her usual skill, Balogh strikes just the right chord. The characters and their fears are very relatable and it’s not the easiest journey to their HEA. Like the rest of the series, this is not a clean read, but like the last book, it’s lighter on the sex than you’d think it would be (which I appreciate). At the center of it all is the idea of family, not just the ones you’re born with, but also the ones that you pick up along the way. And even if our father... parents... family... are right b********, that doesn’t mean that we’re doomed to have a rotten life. The legacy of our parents does not have to be our future. That, along with Con and Hannah’s hidden lives, is why I give it 5/5 stars.