Simply Perfect by Mary Balogh

Books in a series always create a dilemma for me. If I read them as they come out (often, a year or so apart), then I will forget all the secondary characters. A particular problem for Balogh, since you will be completely lost if you don't have a complete geneology of the Bedwyns and all their various relatives and acquaintances at your fingertips. Even reading these close together, I was often confused by the many appearances of Lord X and Lady Y and Lord Z and Lady Q - who we were expected to recognize and know. But, when you read too many books by the same author in a row, the similarities become more apparent - especially in a series like this, with very similar storylines.

Simply Perfect by Mary Balogh
(2008, Regency Historical
Grade: 4

Claudia Martin has made a life for herself as the headmistress of a school for girls, but she remains suspicious of the aristocracy. But when the Marquess of Attingsborough comes to her school, hoping to find a place for his illegitimate blind daughter, Claudia softens a bit, especially as she gets to know Joseph better, and finds he’s not the stuffy aristocrat he appears.

This book had its good points, and bad ones. I enjoyed the characters, and I appreciated that the plot threw them together a great deal and allowed them to get to know each other. The hero’s love for his daughter was very touching and sympathetic. However, the book never really took off for me. The daughter became a little too cutesy after a while, and there were a lot of similarities between this book and the previous books in this series. The characters seemed to spend a lot of time going over and over the same issues. I just wasn’t moved, the way I was in the last book. And of course, there were gaggles of Bedwyns and other relatives - by this point, I’ve given up trying to keep them all straight. Still, overall the book was enjoyable to read, it just wasn’t as wonderful as some of the other books by Balogh. It was a decent ending to this series - although I can’t help hoping, no more Bedwyns, PLEASE.

After reading this series, I have mixed feelings - on one hand, I'm relieved that Balogh is still writing books that I can enjoy. I was really wondering after the previous series. On the other hand, for the most part, the magic of her Regencies isn't quite there any more. Oh well, I suppose no author can sustain that.