Only Beloved (A Survivors' Club Novel)

I was so long forward to this book and had high expectations for it. It was supposed to be the last of the series, and given that the hero is into his late forties, it had the potential for being a different kind of HEA. So I was pretty disappointed with this book. Very flat, very repetitive, a strange, out of the blue twist.... Not a great end to a very good series.

I had looked forward to this last installment in the Survivor series. George and Dora seem to be in heir advanced dotage for the dearth of spark between them.. Balogh's usually excellent dialog was missing and there were endless passages of repeated descriptions of both the physical surroundings and the emotions of the characters. My sense was that Balogh had finished with any energy for the series. George deserved a magnificent story and got leftovers instead.

Although the retelling of the survivors stories gets a bit wearisome it is understandable necessary. George's story is a long time in coming but we'll worth the wait. Dora is everything she promised to be. Sensible, wise, loving. Rereading the books will be visiting beloved friends. Each one a unique gift.

I was shockingly disappointed in this book. Mary Balogh has been one of my favorite authors for over 20 years-- "The Red Rose" was the first of her books I ever read, and I have been a devoted fan ever since.

The rest of this Survivor Club series has been quite compelling and nuanced. I *loved* the premise of these damaged people finding solace in each other. The concept of friendship and loyalty and support is often either rendered poorly in romance novels, or ignored entirely, so it was a fantastic premise.The execution in the first 6 stories was wonderful too, as is only to be found in one of Mary Balogh's books.

So imagine my dismay to find this story so... dull.

1. The plot is unrealistic and silly. He decides he wants to get married: fine. But his immediate, unthinking choice of Dora felt contrived and foolish: he'd met her what, twice? A year ago? And she'd been nice, and her musical talent had impressed him? And that had elevated her above all others in his mind? Okay. And then, he falls in love with her, but it feels sudden, and we're not shown WHY. What, precisely, appeals to him so that he would love her? It's all so distant and vague.

Dora's acceptance of his proposal is more realistic, but far stupider, IMO: it makes perfect sense than a genteelly-impoverished spinster would easily agree to marry a duke-- hell, I'd do it right now, myself. But there is NO MENTION at the time of the proposal that she has feelings for him other than perhaps a mild attraction one might feel for a nice and hot man she met a year ago. But later in the story, she says repeatedly she'd fallen in love with him when they'd met the previous year, etc. So which is it? This leads to the issue of...

2. Characterization. IDK if this was MB's intent, but her writing of Dora was so... remote. It felt like MB didn't like Dora, or just couldn't connect with her in some way. The narration is third-person, of course, but leans more toward the objective than the subjective side and I felt remote and detached from both protagonists. They would SAY they were feeling something, but there was not enough inner monologue by them, or blocking (description what characters are doing with their bodies), to feel immersed in a scene. And when a scene is dramatic, or passionate, or features action/adventure, that lack can make or break it.

3. The drama surrounding George's wife and son: that would have been good gothic drama if we'd been able to witness some of it first-hand-- [SPOILER BEGINS NOW] MB could have put one of those fateful events in George's history to good use as a prologue: his wife chucking herself off the cliff as a prologue, or Brendan demanding his officer's commission, or George telling Creepy Incestuous Brother-In-Law out of the house, never to return... [SPOILER ENDS HERE] So many opportunities were available to MB that could have enriched the story, made it more compelling, drawn the reader into it more. What she ended up doing just felt like much ado about very little.

Like, I get it. I am a writer too, and by the time I finish a long story, or series of stories, I just want it to be DONE. And that's how this book felt: like MB was just OVER IT and wanted to move on. The delicacy with which she usually renders her characters, the nuanced development of love between them, just was not present in this book.

It stretched my imagination in the beginning as there was so little for one of the highest peers of the realm to base a decision to propose marriage to one he hardly knew. To desire further acquaintance, yes but marriage? At any rate, I enjoyed the rest of the story and the less blatant sexual content, though if that was a literary ploy reflecting their 'advanced' ages, bah humbug! Ms Balogh is a master of the genre and this series is worth reading.

I'm in the minority here as I'm a male who likes to read this kind of book. My wife just kind of shrugs when she sees I've started another historical romance. But since I read 2 to 3 books a week I've ran out of Sherlock Holmes, Solar Pons, Nero Wolfe, Perry Mason, etc to read. I don't watch much TV so I'm constantly searching for new authors.

Mary Balogh is a true wordsmith - her books are always well written and well plotted. As a part-time writer who has had a handful of stuff published (don't bother to look as nothing is published under my real name) I admire her as a top notch writer who could probably write in any genre. I place her in the same category as Rex Stout (who was born only 7 miles from me), and even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle of Sherlock Holmes fame.

This story is unconventional as the leading male (Stanbrook) is 48 which would have been ancient for the time period - average age of death was probably around 45 (or even less). I am a pharmacist by training (I also have 2 computer degrees) - as slightly off topic here - it's amazing how much lifespans have increased the past 100 years.

The 'mystery' of Stanbrook caught me completely by surprise which doesn't happen very often. The fact that the 2 main characters were much older than most books of this kind lead to a very 'real' feeling of romance and slowly building love. I truly believe this author is so good she could write a book in any genre she chose. The scene where their marriage ceremony is disturbed is brilliant.

I would rate this book a very high 9.0 to 9.5 out of 10. It might have benefited from some very slight trimming - say 20 pages or so - but was very nearly a perfect book.

I had mixed feelings on this one. It starts out slow although it was often sweet and charming.
For most it the story remained the same. Part of the slower pace had to do with George and Dora getting to know each other. I did like both of the main characters. George was kind and quite the listener, often drawing a person's story from them almost before they realize it. He found so much of his happiness from giving to others but Dora sensed a deep well of pain and loneliness in him.
He held so much of his painful past to himself and shared very little of it even with the other Survivors who he loved so much. Things keep moving along until "Bam" some twists, turns and revelations show up. That was well done. George's enemy wanted vengeance and he waited for a long time to try to get it. The sense of family, both by blood and circumstances was so easy to feel. There are some reconciliations that are formed and the completion of each of the Survivor's stories are all neatly and happily tied up. It ends on a high note.

One thing that I did notice in this book was that there were a few times where there were run-on sentences. More, like a small paragraph before a period appeared. It was a bit distracting and I do remember it happening in at least one other of this author's books. I'm not a super stickler about this kind of thing because I'm pretty sure I've sometimes done it myself. However, a small paragraph?

OK, after saying that, let me share one of my favorite moments. It's when George asked Dora, "Did I wake you?" And Dora said, " It was your absence that woke me."

The Duke of Stanbrook/George is a major character; he created the environment in which the other characters could heal. I knew his story would be interesting but it moved more slowly than I would have liked. George and Dora were dignified and staid; the story was rather predictable, except for the Earl of Eastham's secret.

When all of the Survivors decide to marry, George starts to think of his own future and realizes he is alone and lonely. He decides to ask Dora, the older sister of Agnes, to be his wife. The only thing that mixed up the predictability of the story was the Earl of Eastham. Still, it was nice to see that all of the members of the Survivor's Club married wisely and found happiness.

Survivor's Club
1. The Proposal (2012)
2. The Arrangement (2013)
3. The Escape (2014)
4. Only Enchanting (2014)
5. Only a Promise (2015)
6. Only a Kiss (2015)
**7. Only Beloved (2016)

Only Beloved by Mary Balogh is a 2016 Signet publication.

It is always sad when a series comes to an end, but it helps tremendously if it gets a solid, satisfying conclusion, sending it riding off into the sunset with style.

I rarely get the chance to read a series, in order, from start to finish, but I managed to do that with the ‘Survivor’s Club’. Each story has been centered around a survivor of the Neapolitan war, each one needing a little more emotional healing than is usually provided. But, the one person we never got to know, was George, the Duke of Stanbrook, the man who so graciously opened up his home for the survivors.

George has nurtured, listened, consoled, and bolstered everyone who sought refuge with him, but now that all the survivors have found love, are starting families and moving forward with their lives, he finds that he feels empty, lonely, and in need of companionship. At the thought of re-marrying, the first person that comes to mind is the woman he met briefly a year ago… Dora Debbins.

George doesn’t let grass grow under his feet. He immediately seeks Dora out and wastes no time in making an offer of marriage, which she doesn’t hesitate to accept. Both of them feel quite content with the knowledge they will be very good friends, companions, and lovers, sans the sweeping romantic gestures and proclamations of true love. Theirs is a mature relationship based on mutual respect and a genuine fondness for each other.

But, their wedding day is fraught with unforeseen drama when George’s former brother-in-law barges in making all manner of ugly accusations against George, intimating his first wife’s death was more than it appears. Could there be any truth to these slanderous accusations?

For Dora, the prospect of getting married without her mother present, has her contemplating the prospect of reaching out to the woman who abandoned her and her two siblings, running away with her alleged lover, never once attempting to make contact with them again. Is it too late to forge a relationship? Is there more to the circumstances than meets the eye? Can Dora forgive her mother after all this time?

To me, Mary Balogh is the queen of Regency romance. She sets the story around this era of time, but provides mature, adult characters with real depth and meaty dilemmas for them to face and work out, while writing the most sensuous and romantic love stories I have ever read.

While the story does not lead up to a wedding, which is usually the way a romantic story concludes, this one begins with a wedding, but don’t let that fool you. This couple is laboring under the illusion that all that romantic love and starry eyed romance is only for the young, but soon find that is not the case.

Watching Dora, slowly draw George out, getting him to open up about his sad first marriage and the loss of his only son, is very emotional, but it’s time for George to receive a little healing himself.

But the most rewarding part of the story was how I felt as though I was right there with George and Dora as they got to know each other, faced challenges, adjusted to married life, and delighted in one another’s company, falling hopelessly and helplessly in love with each passing day, right before my very eyes. Big sigh!

But, be warned, this almost whimsical part of the tale will lure you into a false sense of security, because while George and Dora may be blissfully happy, others are still harboring dark, bitter thoughts and could be plotting a horrifying plan of retribution, giving this story a true edge of suspense I had not anticipated.

Just like in the other segments of this series, the backstories are quite emotional and, once again, I found myself swallowing back a lump in my throat on a couple of occasions. George’s story is sordid and horrifying, but, while love is patient, so must we be, with good things coming to those who wait, and the wait for Dora and George was worth it, as they receive every good thing they deserve and more!

Overall, this love story was the perfect ending to a near perfect series. I loved touching base with the other survivors and seeing George finally have his very own happily ever after, especially after he selflessly gave so much to others.

Mary Balogh’s historical romance series has been lovely. The past characters have come through the Napoleonic Wars with physical, mental, and emotional scars, but survived and triumphed with the help of the fellow Survivors’ Club members. These members met and recuperated at Penderris Hall, and its owner George Crabbe, the Duke of Stanbrook, helped each of them.

Forty-eight year old George didn’t fight in the war, but his son was killed and soon after his wife threw herself off a cliff because she was so overcome with grief that she didn’t want to live. Twelve years later, George is at a point in his life where he doesn’t want to be alone anymore. The idea of marriage and companionship is something he can’t stop thinking about, but only with one woman in his mind: Dora Debbins. George met Dora while at one of the Survivors’ Clubs yearly gatherings and was taken with her understated beauty, “serene dignity”, and amazing musical talent. And so George goes to propose a marriage of contentment, companionship, and physical relations, but without the offer of romantic or passionate love. George felt like he was past the age to offer that kind of fanciful romance, but of course, I was hoping he’d be proved wrong! Why should age exclude someone from that kind of love?

Thirty-nine year-old Dora is considered a spinster and has given up any hope of marriage at this point. However, she doesn’t regret putting her life on hold to care for her younger sister when their mother left while Dora was just seventeen and Agnes was five. Plus, Dora has a fulfilling life as a music teacher, something Dora loves to do and makes a decent living at. Even if she is lonely at times, Dora still leads a mostly content and happy life. But when George arrives and proposes, her stomach turns to butterflies, because she can hardly believe she’d have a chance to experience the joys of marriage, physical and emotional closeness, and with a Duke, no less! With George’s offer on the table Dora can now admit that she was impressed and infatuated with him when she met him all those months ago. And it feels like her life has turned into a fairytale.

Dora quickly realizes that while George is an excellent and compassionate listener, deriving happiness from helping others work through their past pain, he is very tight-lipped about his own demons. Dora wonders if he’ll ever open up to her and allow her completely in or will she have to accept that her husband will always keep a portion of himself closed to her?

This romance was very touching, and it was gratifying to see Dora get her happily-ever-after after putting her life on hold, and giving up on the idea of marriage. George and Dora gave so much of themselves to help others, so I wanted nothing but happiness and love for them. This story was very much about how the past shapes us, and George was very instrumental in helping Dora reconcile with the past and move away from some of the hurt. George just needed a little more time accepting reciprocal help. I appreciated the patience and understanding Dora showed, not pushing too hard, but showing her willingness to accept whatever George told her without judgment.

Ms. Balogh skillfully creates multi-layered characters with an insightful look into what makes them tick. I loved the gradual increase of respect, affection and love between George and Dora. I loved that it was a mature romance with older characters (yes, there is life after forty, thank you so much!). And as icing on the cake, I couldn’t have asked for a better ending and epilogue/update on the past characters in the series. It was so very heartwarming to see how far everyone has come and their continued happiness in the future. With that said, Only Beloved can easily be read and enjoyed as a stand-alone. The entire series is wonderful, and I think it would be a winner for any historical romance fan.

To say that this book was one of the best I have ever read is not an exaggeration. This is the last book in the Series "Survivor's Club" and was my favorite of the Series, which is saying something, since I love Mary's writing. I started it yesterday and I am so profoundly happy for George, Duke of Stanbrook who finally has received his HAE. Through the Series he has been the rock that has held The Survivor's together. Helping each one of them recover and find happiness.

Who would have thought that spinster Dora Debbins would become a Duchess and find her soul mate. Only Mary Balogh can write a story that has you feeling the sadness, despair, elation and love that George and Dora experience. I find that reading Mary's books are exciting, intriguing but most of all her writing makes me feel relaxed and satisfied throughout the story. There is also adventure and hair raising peril. Though in my opinion, the love that shines from her characters is the reason I will always read whatever she writes.

A wholly unremarkable read. While this novel certainly paints a wonderful image of the regency era, coupled with the mannerisms, etiquette, and societal issues, it was simply not enough to draw me fully into this story, however, believable it may or may not have been.

Dora Debbins is a 39-year-old spinster, who had lost all hope of marriage after a scandal occurred during her debut season. After the dust settled she wound up being the caretaker of her younger sister and had dedicated her life to her sister. Since then Dora has become a music instructor and her sister has recently married.

The Duke of Stanbrook, George, was a young groom when he was married, only seventeen and at the age of forty-eight, he finds himself a widow for a good amount of years and even lonely. For a time, he opened his mansion up to become a hospital for wounded soldier's during the war and now he finds himself utterly lonely and considering the idea of marriage.

That is the premise of the novel and while it is quite a lovely one that promises wholesome romance it fell short in many ways. The characters are fairly flat and while you gain some insight into their thoughts [more than some, the book is mostly internal monologue,] it was overdone. I was unable to connect to the characters because when they were in play they were flat, they expressed more emotion inside their minds than what they did from character to character. They were very one dimensional and it was overall difficult for me to get into them.

I admittedly skimmed roughly 100 pages of this book, why? Well, there is only so much internal thinking I can deal with, rehashing events that occurred in the previous chapter and what not.

After reading some of the reviews and comparing my notes to them I found myself wondering "Did we read the same book?"

No, I did not read the previous books and you don't necessarily need to. I would never because I did not enjoy this one. The twists and turns in the plot were easy to pick out before they occurred, so there was never really an element of surprise. So, between flat characters, flat plot, this was a dud for me.

Was the world built in it stunning? Yes. Was it a believable period book? Yes.

There were just one too many drawbacks for me to give this book anything higher than a 2.

I confess to not being a big fan of Balogh's Survivors' Club. At times the stories have felt a bit too earnest, preachy and manipulative. But there's always something to admire in every book Balogh writes. I suspect that it's because the goodness of Balogh herself shines through in her writing. Although I don't know her personally, everything I read by her gives me the feeling that she's the type of person everyone appreciates having in their lives: kind, thoughtful, caring, genuine. And her protagonists are the same. Who doesn't want that in their escape fiction?

Balogh loves her H George and h Dora and so we readers love them too. They may not be perfect people but they're closer to perfection than I've seen real-life people manage to be. Like Carla Kelly, Balogh always creates a world that cynical, pessimistic me would love to live in and I do get to, if only for a few hours. And then I go out into the real world and look for that goodness and darned if it isn't there sometimes.

No point in talking about the plot. In spite of, perhaps, a bit of a shock to some revelations,I found nothing very unexpected or earth-shaking. I did find George's reactions to events in his life to be somewhat unsatisfactory, IMO, but he was very young when all this happened and he did his best to cope. And Dora's past, much less traumatic than George's, was perfectly done. One couldn't have expected a different reaction from her to the events in her life.

No, the plot is not the thing here. It's the George-Dora relationship. Two things I appreciated about it: 1) Their ages. Great not to have silly 20-somethings H and h, with tented trousers for the H and TSTL behavior for the h. Although, at my advanced age, I don't find people in their 40s and early 50s to be old and sometimes felt that these two were at times a bit too staid and old acting for their ages. But then life had not been super kind to either one so their maturity level must have been high even a decade or more prior to the story. And 2) Balogh's restraint in describing their love life. Not because I dislike sex in my HRs. If there's a really good cake of a story, sex can be some great icing, but Balogh's sex scenes have always felt awkward and uncomfortable to me. I enjoyed the treatment here much more than when she tries for a bit more explicitness.

And. although that marriage between the two came more or less out of the blue with little rhyme or reason, it worked and who wouldn't get all mushy reading lines like, "Sometimes he would hold back sleep just so he could savor the warm feel of her, the smell of her hair and skin, the soft sound of her breathing." Oh, sweet! And, at the end after the dramatic events with the villain: "His hand tightened about hers and two tears spilled over and trickled down his cheeks. 'I almost lost you,' he said. 'Oh,' she said, 'I am not so easily misplaced.' " Oh, sweet again!

A lovely finale to the Survivors' Club with a lovely epilogue.

At fifty years old, and after devoting almost a decade of his life caring for the Survivor's Club, and then seeing them get married one after the other, George, Duke of Stanbrook, discovers that he is not looking forward to the looming prospect of returning home to Penderris alone. He imagines following in his fellow Survivors' footsteps -- and find himself a wife to settle down with. As he thinks about it more, there's only one lady that comes to mind: Dora Debbins, the older sister of Agnes Keeping, now married to Flavian, Viscount Ponsonby (Only Enchanting). Dora is almost forty years old and now lives alone in her cottage near Middlebury Park.

One of the challanges of writing this review is finding the words to describe the love story of George and Dora -- everything is happening quickly, but to call it a whirlwind would be inaccurate. There's a wonderful chemistry and companionship between George and Dora, but no fireworks. If you read back to the occasion where George and Dora met and talked in Only Enchanting, one would fancy thinking that this story started there, but there's also an element of surprise to finally see who George ended up with. (I don't think I'm alone in thinking that it may be Imogen and George in the end.) And while George never pushes or rushes, there's a sense that Dora has been swept up into this whole thing and hasn't quite found her bearing. Perhaps it was the suddenness of George's appearance and ensuing proposal, or perhaps it was age, or perhaps both of them decided it was about time, but Dora accepts George's offer of marriage, and they both agree to get married in a month.

During the engagement, it's the same contradictions -- nothing happens, and everything happens. George and Dora are busy preparing for the wedding: Dora is getting fitted for a wardrobe fit for a duchess, and George is laying the stage, and making preparations for Dora's introduction to society. And, yet, nothing happens: it's almost a recitation of any typical Regency day -- except it is not a typical Regency day. It is Dora's first time ever to go to London and to move around in society. Despite being well-born, she never had a season, because of the scandal of her parents' divorce. Then there's the knowledge that her mother, whom she hasn't seen or talked to in her entire adult life, lives in London.

It's amazing how Mary Balogh does it, where the tension gradually build up -- the only comparison I can make is to a frog in water that is slowly being heated. If Dora or George had known, from the beginning, the trials that they were to face once they married, perhaps they would not have jumped into it so quickly? But, like the frog, things come to a slow boil -- but, unlike the frog, Dora and George have the mindfulness to realize when the situation was getting out of hand.

Our hero and heroine realize that they don't get a free pass on marital issues when, on their wedding day, during the ceremony, a person from George's past shows up and reminds everyone present of the tragedy of George's first wife's death -- old gossip becomes the latest on-dit, and old doubts become the basis for new questions. And Dora is, unfortunately, caught in the crossfire. What happened the day Lady Miriam died? Could George have saved her? Why did George allow his only son and heir to enlist? And why doesn't he talk about it with her?

The incident at the wedding is the most exciting thing in this story -- and it is hushed up quickly, and in the background. What follows next is the trip home to Penderris -- where life resumes for George, and starts afresh for Dora -- and even their moments together are so ... placid. One would get the impression that this is a boring book -- but it isn't. I promise you, it's a story that simmers just a little on the surface, but there's a lot happening underneath.

Much of what happens between the two of them is introspective -- Dora wonders how she can make George happy. And, one realizes, that is, indeed, a tall order: George sacrificed so much and worked so hard for the lives and happiness of the members of the Survivors Club. It was a tireless and loving endeavor, and he's given so much to the people around him. No one is deserving of happiness as George -- and it falls on Dora's shoulders to provide that happiness.

But Dora also deserves to be happy: she gave up her youth and her chance at marriage to take care of Agnes. When her father remarried, she moved away to give her new stepmother the space she needed. When Agnes was widowed and needed a place, it was Dora who gave her a place to stay. She's waited all her life for her moment, after supporting her sister and her father through theirs.

But there are wrinkles in their marriage: the same introspection and quiet companionship that we marvel at, also contributes to the feelings of uneasiness within Dora -- and these are exacerbated by the visit through the portraits gallery. Where are the portraits of Lady Miriam and of Brendan? We get the sense that the Duke has kept a large chunk of his life secret from Dora and from the readers. And none of the other members of the Survivors Club are there to reassure Dora or us that it is fine -- we are all left in the dark.

When all is revealed in the end and George finally breaks his silence, I understood why George never talked about it -- and it adds another layer of heroism to his character.

As I was reading George and Dora's story, I kept remembering this line from the movie adaptation of Whitney Otto's How to Make an American Quilt:

Young lovers seek perfection. Old lovers learn the art of sewing shreds together and of seeing beauty in a multiplicity of patches.

Rules for reading Mary Balogh, you should always start with the first book, always. Do I heed my own advice? Not really. I should listen. Since I didn't heed my own advice, might as well proceed, granted you're not going to be too terribly lost on story. However, it might give you some insight on our hero, George Crabbe, Duke of Stanbrook. Yes, the stories kind of intertwine with one another.

Anyway, we have come to the end of the series and George has decided he wants to take a wife again, and he knows the perfect woman, Dora Debbins. Now if y'all followed the series you would remember her from Only Enchanting. I haven't read that one, but it's a pretty good guess since it has her sister, Agnes. Anyway, they meet there and he figures she would make a good wife and they could have a good life together.

Now Dora is a declared spinster. She never dreamed marriage would come to her, since she's almost 40. When a duke comes in wishing to marry, might as well jump on board, after all she's not getting any younger.

For the most part they have a nice marriage, and we learn it was a lot better than his first marriage. I have to say that I kind figured out the reason why his marriage didn't work. I was shocked and at the same time not really. Think GoT, and you will understand. Everything seems hunky dory until someone from the past crashes the party and makes a mess.

Even though I didn't read the previous books, I actually liked Only Beloved. I like the growth between George and Dora. I did have a hard time with the heroine's name, because all I could think of her has Dora the Explore. I have kids, it makes sense to me. I like that the couple were a little older. Yes, they both had baggage from their lives. I mean Dora had issues with her mother and father. Okay this is my speculation on the father and it could be totally wrong: I wonder if the father was cheating on his wife. I kind of wondered about that. I mean he threw accusations about his wife and divorced her. Makes you wonder. Back to my other thoughts. I liked how Mary ties up the end of the book nicely and how they all return each year. Over the course of the series their bond is wonderful. I'm glad George was able to find true happiness, because his wife was a peach. I guess, I better get reading the beginning.

Copy provided by Penguin via First to Read Program.

It is such with bittersweet feelings that I am writing a review for Only Beloved the seventh and final book in the Survivor’s Club series by Mary Balogh. I absolutely love every book, every hero and every heroine in this series. The series is about seven wounded warriors from the Napoleonic wars. Each has different wounds, emotional challenges and tribulations. There are six men and one woman who belong to the Survivors Club. This seventh book is about the widower George, Duke of Stanbrook, who brought many wounded warriors to his home to heal. He turned his large home into a hospital and hired doctors and care givers to accommodate the wounded who were worst off and whose families didn’t have the wherewithal or abilities to cope with the injuries. You’d think George wouldn’t classify as a wounded warrior, but once you read this book and the series, you’ll understand why he does. If anyone deserves a HEA it is George.

One thing I really like about this book is that it is a love story about older, more mature individuals. George is 48 and Dora is 39. It is so nice to see that an older, more mature man looks for an older, more mature woman rather than choosing one of the younger women from the ‘season’. It is a book that shows that love, romance and even passion don’t belong exclusively to the young. I read that Mary Balogh said in an interview “There are fewer fireworks and ups and downs of emotion, but a slow burn can be just as hot.”

After the wedding of the last of the survivors to be wed, George realizes how lonely he is even though he and the other survivors are extremely close. He wants someone all his own to be his companion, friend and lover. He isn’t out to fill his nursery and doesn’t want one of the empty-headed young beauties out for their season. He wants someone who is intelligent, mature and kind. He immediately thinks of Dora – actually – he didn’t think of anyone else. He met Dora the previous year and was very impressed with her (we all met her in Flavian and Agnes’ story). He immediately left London to visit Dora and ask for her hand in marriage.

Dora Debbins is the sister to the heroine in ‘Only Enchanting’, the fourth book in the series. Dora gave up her chance to have a season and good marriage in order to stay in the country and care for her 5 year old sister Agnes after their mother runs away and leaves them all behind. Years later, when her father remarries, she feels unwelcome and leaves her home to become a music instructor in a small town. She makes a good but lonely life for herself. She never expects to marry, so when George shows up at her door and proposes, she is flabbergasted. It doesn’t take her long to say yes.

There is, of course, a villain in the story. He’s from George’s past and is a threat to their happiness. It is sweet to watch the Survivors rally around George and Dora and to learn how much they are loved and appreciated. This is, indeed a very sweet, uplifting, wonderful wrap-up to an equally wonderful series. I will definitely miss them

This was a nice capper to the Survivor's series. On the whole this is a quiet, more reflective series than say, her Slightly series that features the Bedwyn family.

We got a hint of George and Dora's early attraction in 'Only Enchanting' the book that features Dora's sister, Agnes. This book is in some ways a continuation of that one as this book also finishes a narrative thread that began in that book, namely the sisters' tentative reconciliation with their scandalous mother.

But beside all that, this is a rather low conflict romance. George asks Dora to marry him, out of the blue. All the other Survivors are married he feels it is time for him to move forward too. They are happy for him and we get a a good bit of face time with the rest of the Survivors.

So this is a less a story about a romance, but more about a marriage that turns into love. Even though George and Dora themselves don't have a lot of internal conflict, there is a bit of a mystery about George's dead wife and son. Allegations of murder and why is the dead previous wife's cousin so intent on harassing them?

Although George himself wasn't a Survivor of the wars, he has scars and this book exposes them so they can heal.

And he and Dora are pretty sexy together!

Mary Balogh is a comfort read for me, even her new stuff is "comfortable" because I trust her storytelling. This book worked very well for me in that sense.

Also it had a wonderful epilogue!

This review is based on an ARC received from the publisher

Originally Posted on the blog [...]

Only Beloved, the seventh and final book in Mary Balogh’s Survivors series about a group of people – six men and one woman – who have all suffered injuries and trauma, both physical and mental, directly and indirectly as a result of the Napoleonic Wars.

In true classic Mary Balogh form, she brings to conclusion another wonderful, complex, emotional and even sometimes sad series ending. Yet she manages to wrap everything up quite elegantly and leaves no question unanswered and no mystery left unsolved. Each and every Survivor has their HEA and the wounds have begun to heal. I started this book knowing I would be asking myself the question, "What do I do now that the series is over"?

I have been in anticipating George's story since he was first introduced in book one of the series "The Proposal". I was glad Mrs. Balogh saved his HEA as the conclusion to this series.

Having read the entire series I must say I really thought that George and Imogen, from book six "Only a Kiss" would end up together, but I also didn't want them to because that would have been the story of two of the Survivors and no 7th book. I wasn't quite ready to say goodbye!

At 48 years of age, George Crabbe, The Duke of Stanbrook, has seen all of his fellow Survivors happily married and continuing their lives with their growing families. He finally feels that maybe he too can find some comfort in his middle age years. Not looking for any youthful passions, he wants someone that he can spend his days with, to fill the loneliness that he has experienced. He has been a widower for 12 years and, as we come to find out in the book, a "pretty" wife does not equal a happy life, in regards to his first wife and marriage.

Dora Debbins, we first meet in "Only Enchanting" is a music teacher and older sister to Agnes, who is married to George's fellow Survivor Flavian Arnott, Viscount Ponsonby. Dora has convinced herself that she is content with the life she has built for herself, independence, a little cottage, her modest savings, and is at peace with the fact that she will never have her happily ever after marriage or children of her own. It is no wonder that Dora is left a bit speechless and stunned when the Duke of Stanbrook, George, therefore shows up at her door one afternoon, bungling a proposal by asking out of the blue "If she would do him the great honor of marrying him".

Only Beloved is not a rushed love story, and at times moves a bit slow, but it is a heartfelt romance that develops between two people who realize they have both been lonely and agree to marry on the basis of mutual friendship, respect, and intimacy. They both soon discover however, that romance, passion, and genuine love is no respecter of age.

George has been carrying very deep wounds, hurts, and deception for the past 20 or so years, that he has never shared with anyone and has no intention of sharing with Dora. As a result of his life experiences he has the uncanny ability to care for, listen, love and soothe others as no one has ever done for him. Dora brings to George a peace and tranquility that he didn't even realize his soul craved, and even begins to heal the old wounds. Even though he has several properties and houses, George has finally found his home with Dora.

As George soon discovers though, secrets harbored always have a way of coming to light. As we near the end of the book the mystery of those secrets is finally revealed, which I have to say I had already figured out, having read so many other of Mary Balogh's books, she does not shy away from taboo subjects.

As is always nice to read in an epilogue, we see a recap of all the Survivors introduced in previous books and it was very sweet to see how all the Survivors were now budding and thriving with their spouses and children, despite their previous wounds and emotional scars. Perhaps a sneak peek of my favorite scene from the Epilogue sums it up best, as George states to the survivors as they walk the portrait gallery of his home:

“Something has occurred to me,” he said. “We have not had any of our late-night sessions this year, the seven of us. Other years we have scarcely missed a night, though we did miss several last year, I seem to recall.”

Those informal meetings, from which the spouses had always absented themselves though they had never been asked to, had characterized their reunions. It was during the late evenings, George had explained to Dora, that they discussed their progress—physical, mental, and emotional—their setbacks, their triumphs, all that was deep inside themselves and needed to be shared. It was really quite startling to realize that they had not met privately even once yet this year. She had not even noticed until now.

“Has anyone missed our meetings?” George asked.

“Perhaps,” Hugo said, “we do not need them any longer.”

“I believe you are right, Hugo,” Imogen said. “Perhaps all we need now when we are together is to celebrate friendship and love.”

“And life,” Ralph added.

“And memories.” George’s arm tightened about Dora’s waist. “We must never forget any of the people and events and emotions that have made us who we are today. Not that it is likely we ever will.”

I have to say, with the exception of The Huxtable Quintet, this was probably my favorite series by Mary Balogh thus far. The characters, to some extent, in each story have more depth and more real problems (PTSD, blindness) that someone in the 21st century can relate to. As opposed to someone who may be forced to marry in order to keep their estate or heaven forbid, they have to marry because they have compromised a women by dancing two sets with her back to back (exaggeration of course)

This could have been a stand alone book, but I would advise against it because the readers will be left questioning some of the character development as well as not having a true sense of relationship as the other survivors are brought into this story. I listened to the Audio Book and once again Rosalyn Landor does an excellent job of narration.

I will miss all of the Survivors very much, but I look forward to the new series. An eight-part series, based on the Westcott family

I'm done with Mary Balogh, I started to read her because everybody said she was wonderful, but somehow we never connected. As I started with a 7 books series, my SuperEgo obliged me to read them all and now I'm happy that the deed is done.

Ho finalmente finito la serie di 7 libri che avevo iniziato perché tutti dicevano che Mary Balogh era meravigliosa. Non so né come né perché, ma a me non é mai piaciuta piú di tanto e ora che posso finalmente abbandonarla mi sento molto molto sollevata.

Only Beloved is the perfect ending to The Survivors' Club series.

George is lonely after the last survivor leaves the nest, and he has no one with whom to occupy his life. So he travels back to Dora, the 39 year old spinster he had met the previous year at Viscount Darleigh's estate, to propose a marriage of companionship and, of course, sex. The companionship is comfortable, unless George is questioned about his first marriage. And the sex is sweet, respectful, and tender, which is understandable with his sexual history. This is the familiar scenario of a man who refuses to allow himself to love and the wife who loves him immediately.

Although this sounds as if it has been done before, Mary Balogh's treatment provides a few twists. And I absolutely loved the epilogue! It wraps the Survivors in a warm, comfy blanket of marriage and family, which was so deserved after their previous trials and tortures. The series is definitely a reread.

I must admit I did not "read" this book. I listened to it on OneClick Digital Media through my local library. It was well-performed, as her books are.

George Crabbe, the Duke of Stanbrook, had set up his country home Penderris Hall as a hospital and recovery center for military officers who were severely wounded in the Napoleonic Wars and needed more care than their families could provide. They called themselves the Survivors Club. The last member has now married and set off on a life of her own with her new husband. Now alone, Stanbrook realizes how lonely he is and sets off to see Dora Debbins, a woman he met a year ago and never forgot. Dora is 39 and thought she would live her life as a spinster. She remembers the Duke fondly and, when he asks her to marry him, she accepts. Their marriage is clouded by the death of Stanbrook’s first wife Miriam and the threats issued by the Earl of Eastham, brother of Miriam. Together, George and Dora find true love and contentment.

This is the last book in the Survivors Club series and I hate to see it end. I loved reading about the characters and how they all overcame their afflictions with love and caring.

I have read each book in this series and truly moved by the lives of each of the survivors. Always the Duke is in the background, the one who has been instrumental in the lives of the survivors helping them heal at his home. This book is about the Duke himself and what he needs most in his life. He has watched each of his friends find health and happiness but they all remain close friends. He now remembers a lady who played the harp and pianoforte whose sister married one of the survivors. This is their sweet story of hope and healing.

The last book in the Survivors Club series completes a well-written, provocative, heart wrenching/warming tale of the last person in the club. Loneliness is often the fate of persons who have had to deal with betrayal and death. The characters are three-dimensional and believable. This book has an enjoyable plot and delivers a wonderful culmination for all the Survivors Club members. I enjoyed the entire series as well as all of Mary Balogh's other books.

Only Beloved is my favorite of the Survivors' Club series. George, the Duke of Stanbrook, opened his home to wounded soldiers so they could heal but now they have all moved on and started to live and love again. George is alone again and has decided that he wishes to remarry. His first wife committed suicide after the death of their son in the war. George goes to Inglebrook to propose marriage to Dora, a spinster who he met last year. Dora is floored by the proposal but agrees. Dora gave up her prospects for marriage to raise her sister when their mother ran away. Now George and Dora form a marriage based on friendship and fondness. From the first day of their marriage they must deal with shadows from George's past. What starts as friendship grows into love.

A wonderful end to a wonderful series. This was my favorite of the Survivors' Club. Yes it was predictable. I knew what was going to happen within the first 100 pages. So what. I loved that it was a love story of two mature characters. Two people who thought they would spend there lives alone. Also because it was the end of a series all the characters were old friends. I read the last 50 pages very slow, because I didn't want it to end. Oh So Good!

I'm in love with Only Beloved, even though its initial chapters are so slow. That slowness was initially off putting. Then it wasn't - because I had a revelation.
The slowness is deliberate.
George, the hero, is a serious and lonely man who takes immense pleasure from giving, but he is a novice at receiving. His story is about restraint and iron-clad self control and the deadening darkness that sublimated anger can wreak on the soul of a person who cannot act as he wishes. (To say more would spoil too much, but George's final revelation to his new wife, Dora, describing how he responded to what he discovered when he was 17 must endear him to most romance lovers. He is so honourable, so unjustly self-critical and so unfairly starved of passionate love. No-one more deserves happiness, at last).
Dora is also a restrained character, hampered by the desertion of her mother, the selfishness of her father and the need to be practical about a whole range of things - including the lack of marriage or children. Her passions are expressed through music but, very importantly for George, also through giving (as is evidenced by the mothering of her sister, her earnest attempts to understand and give solace to her husband, her attitude to the servants and tenants and even her behaviour to all and sundry on the night of the post-disaster ball).
Then there is the developing relationship between Dora and her mother (and her mother's second husband). In exploring this strand of the story, Balogh reveals her mastery of the HR genre. Dora's reconnection with her mother is influenced by the mores of Regency England. It is also much more. It is complex, with shadows and unstated matters and hints and lovely memories and introspection and maturity. The scene where Dora welcomes her mother to her home is an absolute favourite. Balogh creates spontaneity, then embarrassment for the usually restrained George and Dora, followed by amusement (him) and shock (for her). It is a transformational point in the story, and yet delivered in only a few lines. Clever.
My only criticism of this book is the withholding of The Great Secret from Dora, especially when Balogh drops enough hints for the reader to guess what it is - although, admittedly, not its ghastly entirety. Meanwhile, even when a nasty neighbour is revealing snippets, Dora is still being kept in the dark. It is obviously nonsense for George not to disclose everything to Dora soon after the wedding, but at least as soon as his ex-brother in law follows them to the country estate. From the beginning, George knows Dora to be trustworthy, so this omission was, for me, somewhat irritating. It is so overtly used by Balogh to create tension and danger and, in the end, a death. Even though Balogh does a good job explaining how 22 years of silence is not thrown off in an instant, at times the story was flattened by the lengthy wait for the reveal-all.
That mild reservation is more than forgiven by the meaning of "Only Beloved." That is a lovely touch, and Balogh makes it clear that it holds true for both of them.
I'm giving Only Beloved 5 stars. It is a fitting finale to a treasured series.
PS. I very much enjoyed that Dora isn't cast as a selfless saint. While she does not seek riches, she loves her diamonds, is enthralled by Vauxhall, relishes the comforts of travelling as a Duchess, is ecstatic about the gift of the harp, intensely moved by George's thoughtful transport of her old piano, bemused by her need for so many new dresses and, yet, remains confident enough to do many "Duchess things" her own way. And I was impressed by just how she advances and retreats in an attempt to get behind George's masks. What a woman! She certainly deserves her generous and attentive and loving husband. Lucky her.
Finally, I loved the way that George's decision to ask Dora to marry him seems to him to come out of the ether, in a very similar way to his decision to open his home to injured soldiers. He knows that he wanted to do these things, but can't (at first) figure out why. He is drawn to Dora for her musicality, her quiet dignity, her steadfast loyalty and her beauty grows on him. What a man! He certainly deserves the gift of Dora, even through to her finding him extremely handsome and a great lover. Lucky him.

George, The Duke of Stanbrook as been an important side character in the Survivors series. Now he is the only one who has not found love and an HEA. As he watches the last survivor marry his thoughts turn to one person. That starts a series of events that lead to both love and danger. George has been keeping secrets about his late wife and son. Those secrets bring danger to Dora, George’s new wife. I really like how Balogh weaves the required sex into the story. She writes only a few pages but they are more powerful than the page after page after page in must books today.

This is one of my favorites in the series.

I was looking forward to this story, but found it sadly disappointing in its repetitiveness and highly unoriginal plot. At 39 and 49 the heroine and hero are not in their dotage, though there were many references to their being middle aged, as if they were incapable of any kind of passion, in or out of bed. As I read through the series I liked both characters, but this book did not do them justice. The continual recapping of backstory was also annoying.

The other reviews are being too generous; it was so bloody awful went from skiming to chucking it aside without finishing it.

Enough with the pigggybacking serial stories that speed up writing production by sending 1/2 a story into print. And, would be nice if the publisher earned its profits by editing, and ensuring there's something substantively appealing about the characters and story line; neither were likeable or engaging. The book was plain, old-fashioned, boring.

Purchases like this increase hesitancy to buy. Book should be titled 'Unforgivable,' not 'Unforgiven.'

This book has A LOT of narration, a lot of telling instead of showing/doing. Dora and George are wonderful, and the quiet development of their more mature relationship is lovely. But I became so impatient with the constant narration that I had to switch from the audio book to reading the kindle version so I could skim to get to more interesting scenes. I liked this, and I'm glad I read it once, but I probably won't read it again.

Let me start out by saying, I love this series by Mary Balogh...and I was a little apprehensive about this one. I'll fully admit, I thought the age of the characters would make it weird or less romantic; But I was so wrong! I loved it. I loved so many aspects of this book I don't even know where to begin. Their ages do NOT effect the romance in this book, instead it enhances it. Both characters backstories come into play and both are "resolved" in beautiful, realistic ways. I finished the book with tears in my eyes and a full heart, and honestly isn't that what we're all seeking when we read romance novels.

For the first time since the death of his wife, the Duke of Stanbrook is considering remarrying and finally embracing happiness for himself. With that thought comes the treasured image of a woman he met briefly a year ago and never saw again.

Dora Debbins relinquished all hope to marry when a family scandal left her in charge of her younger sister. Earning a modest living as a music teacher, she’s left with only an unfulfilled dream. Then one afternoon, an unexpected visitor makes it come true.

For both George and Dora that brief first encounter was as fleeting as it was unforgettable. Now is the time for a second chance. And while even true love comes with a risk, who are two dreamers to argue with destiny?

My Review:

I really loved the Survivors Club but each installment is starting to sound like the first book that started this series to begin with. Granted there are characters that I was really looking forward to reading about in this book I just want something fresh and new not the same thing I've already read in the first books.

My Rating:
3 Stars

Reviewed By:
Krissys Bookshelf Reviews

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Disclaimer:
Krissys Bookshelf Reviews received a print copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.

Source:
Received a print copy in exchange for an honest review from Berkley Publishing.

Note:
If any of Krissys Bookshelf Reviews has been helpful please stop by to like or let me know what you think! Thank you!

This book was just boring. The hero and heroine were so average and...mild mannered. There was no excitement and nothing interesting or even likable about these characters. These are people in their 40's being made to seem like senior citizens. The plot was barely thin and the pace was awfully slow. Not a good read at all.

This is a pleasant finale to the Survivor's Club series. It also a pleasant change (for any romance series) in that the protagonists, Dora and Ben are not exuberant young lovers but mature people whose marriage evolves throughout the story. Balogh does a good job of briefly recapping the previous stories and the individual trauma that brought each Survivor into the Survivor's Club.

Fans of the Survivors' Club series will be thrilled to see George finally get his happily ever after. In a turnabout of the usual romance novel, the proposal and marriage occur early in the book, and we see George and Dora gradually recognize that they have truly fallen in love with each other. It is a beautiful story of mature love between two people who never expected it.

Only Beloved by Mary Balogh was released in 2016. What a wonderful Novel. It is set in England, just past the Napoleonic wars. Dora and George find each other, marry, then fall in love. Mary Balogh is one of the best authors currently. She writes a fine tale, and the wait is always worth it to see how the story turns out. Fans of Mary Balogh will like this the most.

A nice conclusion novel to a wonderful historical romance series! Same great characters and a good storyline, and although not quite as steamy as some of the others, still a love story worth reading. I would suggest reading this series in order even though each book can be read as a stand-alone. For historical romance fans.

Penguin First to Read Galley

I was sorry to see the end of this series. Mary Balogh is among the best, if not the best of Historical Romance writers. She weaves wonderful stories, and makes wonderful characters come alive. Every book in this series is a gem.

I look forward to her next series. You can't go wrong reading anything she writes!

Can you both dread and anticipate the same book? Yes, you can when you're getting the last book in a favorite series. Naturally my dread is for the fact that I must say good-bye to a series and cast of characters that I have loved, but the anticipation came from who was the last of the Survivor's Club to get his story. Not just a few times, I wondered about the strong, wise, gentle, and patient man who was the backbone of this group, older and with his share of heartbreak and grief. And, who was to be his heroine? The story that unfolded was a gentle marriage of convenience that became so much more for which has become something of a stock in trade for this author.

As I've just said, this is the final book in The Survivor's Club series. While some of the books in the series can be taken out of order or as standalones, this one leans more toward needing to be read behind the others just because it not only gives the latest pair's romance, but wraps up the series and brings it full circle with a huge cast of characters that would confuse a new reader to the series.

The story opens with George Crabbe, Duke of Stanbrook, waving good-bye to the last of his guests after the London wedding of his friends and realizing that all the Survivors are now married, found love, and have families- that is all except him. But George has been considering what to do about his loneliness and daringly sets his plan into action.

Dora Debbins is firmly on the shelf. She is content with her cottage and teaching music to people in the village. If she looks wistfully at her sister's happy marriage and wonders what would her life be like if their mother hadn't run off with a man and the scandal resulting in divorce hadn't ruined her chance to have a season, well that just makes her normal. But her wistful dreams are interrupted by the man who as starred in her daydreams for over a year with the most outlandish and out of the blue proposal. Dora wed a duke in a big society wedding?

George and Dora prepare for their nuptials both a bit shy and both secretly happy and worried that something bad will come to mar things. George holds a secret that even his closest friends doesn't know and he is convinced that the past must remain firmly left there and that he and his new bride will live in the present and for their future. Dora isn't so sure and knows that whatever George is holding back might be spilling into their future because even though George takes care and gives comfort to everyone else, there has been no one to take the dark shadows away from his own life. But love might find a way if a vengeful man from George's past doesn't get to them first.

The story is rather gentle as things go for a marriage of convenience, but it made sense because this pair of lovers are older and have weathered tough times in their past. They are mature and act like it. This is not to say that there is no conflict or that it is easy. Dora brings her unresolved issues over her parents' past actions and George's secret past is rising up to cause them both lots of trouble. They have the awkward proposal scene, wedding night jitters, and adjustments to being a married pair.

The bulk of the story is George and Dora's romance which isn't devoid of its passionate moments and time of personal healing, but there were several scenes with all the Survivors that made for a satisfying farewell book. I can easily recommend the book to those who like slightly spicy, heartwarming character-driven historical romance that isn't afraid to touch on some tough issues that people can face at the time.

My thanks to Penguin Group for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start out by saying, I love this series by Mary Balogh...and I was a little apprehensive about this one. I'll fully admit, I thought the age of the characters would make it weird or less romantic; But I was so wrong! I loved it. I loved so many aspects of this book I don't even know where to begin. Their ages do NOT effect the romance in this book, instead it enhances it. Both characters backstories come into play and both are "resolved" in beautiful, realistic ways. I finished the book with tears in my eyes and a full heart, and honestly isn't that what we're all seeking when we read romance novels.

For the first time since the death of his wife, the Duke of Stanbrook is considering remarrying and finally embracing happiness for himself. With that thought comes the treasured image of a woman he met briefly a year ago and never saw again.

Dora Debbins relinquished all hope to marry when a family scandal left her in charge of her younger sister. Earning a modest living as a music teacher, she’s left with only an unfulfilled dream. Then one afternoon, an unexpected visitor makes it come true.

For both George and Dora that brief first encounter was as fleeting as it was unforgettable. Now is the time for a second chance. And while even true love comes with a risk, who are two dreamers to argue with destiny?

My Review:

I really loved the Survivors Club but each installment is starting to sound like the first book that started this series to begin with. Granted there are characters that I was really looking forward to reading about in this book I just want something fresh and new not the same thing I've already read in the first books.

My Rating:
3 Stars

Reviewed By:
Krissys Bookshelf Reviews

Booklikes

Goodreads

Twitter

Google Plus

Blogger

Pinterest

the store

Disclaimer:
Krissys Bookshelf Reviews received a print copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.

Source:
Received a print copy in exchange for an honest review from Berkley Publishing.

Note:
If any of Krissys Bookshelf Reviews has been helpful please stop by to like or let me know what you think! Thank you!

This book was just boring. The hero and heroine were so average and...mild mannered. There was no excitement and nothing interesting or even likable about these characters. These are people in their 40's being made to seem like senior citizens. The plot was barely thin and the pace was awfully slow. Not a good read at all.

This is a pleasant finale to the Survivor's Club series. It also a pleasant change (for any romance series) in that the protagonists, Dora and Ben are not exuberant young lovers but mature people whose marriage evolves throughout the story. Balogh does a good job of briefly recapping the previous stories and the individual trauma that brought each Survivor into the Survivor's Club.

Fans of the Survivors' Club series will be thrilled to see George finally get his happily ever after. In a turnabout of the usual romance novel, the proposal and marriage occur early in the book, and we see George and Dora gradually recognize that they have truly fallen in love with each other. It is a beautiful story of mature love between two people who never expected it.

Only Beloved by Mary Balogh was released in 2016. What a wonderful Novel. It is set in England, just past the Napoleonic wars. Dora and George find each other, marry, then fall in love. Mary Balogh is one of the best authors currently. She writes a fine tale, and the wait is always worth it to see how the story turns out. Fans of Mary Balogh will like this the most.

A nice conclusion novel to a wonderful historical romance series! Same great characters and a good storyline, and although not quite as steamy as some of the others, still a love story worth reading. I would suggest reading this series in order even though each book can be read as a stand-alone. For historical romance fans.

Penguin First to Read Galley

I was sorry to see the end of this series. Mary Balogh is among the best, if not the best of Historical Romance writers. She weaves wonderful stories, and makes wonderful characters come alive. Every book in this series is a gem.

I look forward to her next series. You can't go wrong reading anything she writes!

Can you both dread and anticipate the same book? Yes, you can when you're getting the last book in a favorite series. Naturally my dread is for the fact that I must say good-bye to a series and cast of characters that I have loved, but the anticipation came from who was the last of the Survivor's Club to get his story. Not just a few times, I wondered about the strong, wise, gentle, and patient man who was the backbone of this group, older and with his share of heartbreak and grief. And, who was to be his heroine? The story that unfolded was a gentle marriage of convenience that became so much more for which has become something of a stock in trade for this author.

As I've just said, this is the final book in The Survivor's Club series. While some of the books in the series can be taken out of order or as standalones, this one leans more toward needing to be read behind the others just because it not only gives the latest pair's romance, but wraps up the series and brings it full circle with a huge cast of characters that would confuse a new reader to the series.

The story opens with George Crabbe, Duke of Stanbrook, waving good-bye to the last of his guests after the London wedding of his friends and realizing that all the Survivors are now married, found love, and have families- that is all except him. But George has been considering what to do about his loneliness and daringly sets his plan into action.

Dora Debbins is firmly on the shelf. She is content with her cottage and teaching music to people in the village. If she looks wistfully at her sister's happy marriage and wonders what would her life be like if their mother hadn't run off with a man and the scandal resulting in divorce hadn't ruined her chance to have a season, well that just makes her normal. But her wistful dreams are interrupted by the man who as starred in her daydreams for over a year with the most outlandish and out of the blue proposal. Dora wed a duke in a big society wedding?

George and Dora prepare for their nuptials both a bit shy and both secretly happy and worried that something bad will come to mar things. George holds a secret that even his closest friends doesn't know and he is convinced that the past must remain firmly left there and that he and his new bride will live in the present and for their future. Dora isn't so sure and knows that whatever George is holding back might be spilling into their future because even though George takes care and gives comfort to everyone else, there has been no one to take the dark shadows away from his own life. But love might find a way if a vengeful man from George's past doesn't get to them first.

The story is rather gentle as things go for a marriage of convenience, but it made sense because this pair of lovers are older and have weathered tough times in their past. They are mature and act like it. This is not to say that there is no conflict or that it is easy. Dora brings her unresolved issues over her parents' past actions and George's secret past is rising up to cause them both lots of trouble. They have the awkward proposal scene, wedding night jitters, and adjustments to being a married pair.

The bulk of the story is George and Dora's romance which isn't devoid of its passionate moments and time of personal healing, but there were several scenes with all the Survivors that made for a satisfying farewell book. I can easily recommend the book to those who like slightly spicy, heartwarming character-driven historical romance that isn't afraid to touch on some tough issues that people can face at the time.

My thanks to Penguin Group for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sweet and stirring love story between George, Duke of Stanbrook and Dora Debbins, spinster music teacher. Passion overwhelms companionship. Dark secrets threaten George and Dora's shared future. This last book in The Survivors' Club series does not disappoint!

I'm sorry Mary, but this book read like a homework assignment! I've really enjoyed this Survivors series and was eager to read this last installment. But everything in this novel felt like it was just there to tie up loose ends.The characters were not very engaging, and the whole spinster plot, miracle baby, and evil brother-in-law were so paint-by-number I could barely finish the book. Oh well.

Mary Balogh is wrapping up the ends of the Survivors, busily giving them all a Happily Ever After. The biggest flaw of the book is the stock bad horror movie device of " No! No! Don't go up those stairs/into that cellar/out to the cliff!"

Mary Balogh usually writes good books but this one I thought was rather hard to believe. I seem to find that her books are a little hard to get into but this one seemed to have the main character jump into the marriage very quickly. There were so many character, especially the secondary characters, to try to keep track of and these characters were in the story many times. It was a bit difficult to remember the secondary characters, their spouses and children each times they were mentioned. I finally gave up and just lumped the "survivors" together as a group. I think I was expecting more from this book so I was a bit disappointed. I hope her next book is better.

I loved the whole series. This book, while I loved parts of it, is the last book in the series and suffers the fate of many last books. The story is good but the need to bring back everyone and update all the previous couples made it a little tedious at times.

Mary Balogh has done it again, another breathtaking novel. I hated to finish the book as I know it is her last in the Survivors series. I have loved to read all of them, as I have all of her other books. Anyone who likes Historical romance novels would like this one. I would recommend that you read the other Survivors books first.

The end of a series and the bounce of a deflating balloon drifting through the garden. Even though I've read all the books, it was hard trying to remember all the twists and turns of the stories which is why Balogh seemed to recap so much. That said, the plot was predictable and very boring. Unable to get excited to read after I guessed the ending before the halfway point. Characters seemed flat--even an aristocratic, handsome 48 yr. old must have some dash! If you are a Balogh reader, read to complete series; but if this is your first try, seek out her much earlier books.

So if you have read the rest of the series, you'll have to plod through this one. The style is so different then the rest. Long internal monologue and lots of whining. There was a chapter of interesting stuff and the a bunch more whining. And the rest of the survivors weren't even in it. So slug though it to finish the story.

“Nature can seem very malevolent at times, even cruel, but really is devoid of feeling or intent. It just is. And it is always beautiful.”

This was my first Survivor’s book and it seems to be the last of the series. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters that I met through this book. Dora is a music teacher who devoted her life to raising her younger sister Agnes until Agnes married one of the Survivors. George, better known as Lord Stanhope is looking for someone to help him live the rest of his life without being lonely. He decides to ask Dora if she would be his wife, after knowing her for just a short time.

Together they make a fine couple. They learn to rely on each other and reach out to their family members that have been distant from them. They learn to open up about their pasts and allow the future to be better than they could ever have expected.

I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of “Jane Eyre” as Dora and Jane have a great deal in common, as does George and Mr. Rochester. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and the characters. This book made me want to read the other Survivor’s stories too.

I received this book as part of the Penguin First to Read program for an honest review.

A good end to a good series. Mary Balogh is a favorite and this book did not disappoint. I guessed the secret pretty early but I don't think it was attended to be a big mystery. I enjoyed the two main characters and watching them get to their HEA. No surprises in the story line but if you are looking for a dependable familiar romance then this one is for you.

The last, but not least, of the Survivor's Club series. Mary Balogh is a wonderful author and this series has been truly unique. This is the Duke of Stanbrook's story. After turning his home into a place for soldiers to heal their spirit as well as their wounds, he feels empty as they have all moved on. When he thinks of marrying again, for companionship, it is Dora Debbins, a middle aged piano teacher who comes to mind. I very much liked that they hero and heroine are middle aged. Love can happen at any age.

Dora gave up her chance at having a season in London when her mother left and she stayed to raise her younger sister, Agnes ("Only Enchanting"). With Agnes married, Dora teaches piano and lives a lonely life. Until the day a Duke knocks on her door. Both George and Dora have some family issues that they help each other solve while they fall in love. I won't spoil some the plot as it has some very interesting twists. I can highly recommend this book and the entire series.

I've read all of the Survivors Novels from when the first one was published, and have loved them all. As a result, I was able to get to know the different characters, all flowing through to this ending. All of the characters are worth knowing. I will read the series again.

Mary Balogh if one of my favorite authors!