First Comes Marriage

This wasn't for me. I didn't care much for this couple, (the hero was just kind of a pill all around, and the heroine was almost entirely comprised of being 'plain but cheerful'. It all felt quite plodding, and the dialogue made them seem kind of simple-minded. I'll continue with the series, but this was a rocky start for me.

The Huxtable sisters have just been informed that their young brother is the new Earl of Merton. His guardian, Viscount Lyngate, decides that he should marry one of them, to simplify matters. He prefers the eldest, but she is in love with Another. To save her sister, Vanessa selflessly proposes that he marry her, instead. Despite the fact that she is plainer than her sisters and given to arguing with him, he does so.

Can this marriage work? This is a romance novel, so of course the answer is "yes." But watching it play out is loads of fun.

This is the first in a series of four books about the Huxtables. I'm looking forward eagerly to the others.

A nice beginning to a new series of books. The characters were interesting and I especially liked that the heroine was nice beautiful, just kind of ordinary looking but her inner self seems to be what the hero falls for. I plan on reading other books in this series. I also liked that the heroine, when she finds out something negative about the hero, discusses it with him and gets it explained, and this helps their relationship. Too many romances fail because you keep saying to someone (hero or heroine), just tell him/her and get the truth. Don't carry it around to corrode the relationship.

I enjoyed this rather sweet story of Vanessa Huxtable, a widow, who is plainer than her sisters finding love with her new husband, Viscount Lyngate, through several ups and downs, including having to come to terms with his past relationships and several other issues. The only real jarring note was Constantine who seemed only to be missing moustaches to twirl. I have a fairly good notion what's going on with him but I'm going to have to keep reading to see if I'm right. Light but I enjoyed the read and look forward to more.

Aside from the prologue, which was different and interesting, this book started off very awkwardly, and I had no like for the hero (who is NOT the character in the intro). The heroine seemed really blah and wishy washy as well. Even their fireworks felt artificial, and the other story lines did nothing. The story picked up once we got the marriage portion, and the couple became interesting suddenly. I almost felt like I read about two separate couples. Overall, the way the couple handles their marriage is far better than how they handled the weeks prior. I'll give the series another try in the hopes that the next sister's novel is more interesting right off the bat.

The arrival of Elliott Wallace, the irresistibly eligible Viscount Lyngate, has thrown the sleepy village of Throckbridge into a tizzy. It soon becomes clear that Elliot seeks a convenient marriage to a suitable bride, and desperate to rescue her eldest sister Margaret from a loveless union, Vanessa Huxtable - a proud and daring, a young widow - offers herself up instead. In need of a wife, Elliott takes the audacious widow up on her unconventional proposal while he pursues an urgent mission of his own. But then a strange thing happens: as the wedding night approaches they become inexplicably drawn to one another. And, as intrigue swirls around a past secret - one with a striking connection to the Huxtables - Elliott and Vanessa are show more uncovering the glorious pleasures of the marriage bed and discovering that when it comes to wedded bliss, love can't be far behind.

Mary Balogh once again creates strong likable characters with strong family ties, lots of sexual tension and
a delightful romance. show less

This Mary Balogh book had some interesting characters. I liked that the heroine was sensible and confronted problems head on and did not try to keep secrets which always makes for more problems. It also made me want to read the rest of the books in the series which is a sign that the book is very good.