April 20, 2015
The fifth Survivor’s Club Regency romance (after Only Enchanting) introduces a fine specimen of Balogh’s trademark wounded heroes: Ralph Stockwood, Earl of Berwick, who returned from war scarred inside and out. Unable to forgive himself for the deaths of his school chums, he has little interest in society but knows he must eventually secure an heir. While visiting his grandmother, Ralph meets her young companion, Chloe Muirhead, who believes herself to be unmarriageable. Chloe surprises them both by proposing a loveless but mutually respectful alliance, and Ralph accepts her offer, promising her a secluded life in the country. But when Ralph’s grandfather dies, the young couple become the Duke and Duchess of Worthingham, and Chloe must face the family scandal that caused her to flee London. As her cold husband becomes a pillar of strength, Chloe begins to yearn for more than passion in the dark, not realizing Ralph feels the same way. No one does a marriage of convenience like Balogh, and this series entry will leave the reader longing for the next book.