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Heartless
Heartless
Heartless
Audiobook14 hours

Heartless

Written by Mary Balogh

Narrated by Rosalyn Landor

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

()

About this audiobook

From New York Times bestselling legend Mary Balogh-and the beloved author of Longing, Silent Melody, and Beyond the Sunrise-comes a ravishing novel of passion and duty, love and menace.... Life has taught Lucas Kendrick, Duke of Harndon, that a heart is a decided liability. Betrayed by his elder brother, rejected by his fiancEe, banished by his father, and shunned by his mother, Luke fled to Paris, where he became the most sought-after bachelor in fashionable society. Ten years later, fate has brought him back home to England as head of the family who rejected him. Unwilling as he is to be involved with them, he must assume responsibility for his younger siblings, the family estate he once loved-and the succession. He faces the prospect of marrying with the greatest reluctance-until he sees beguiling Lady Anna Marlowe across a ballroom one night. Anna, far from being the bright-eyed innocent Luke takes her for, is no more a stranger to the shadows of a painful past than he is. But for her, marriage cannot so easily solve what is wrong in her life-not when a tormentor stalks her to the very doors of Bowden Abbey, where Luke and Anna must learn to trust in each other or risk any chance they may have for a happy future.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateJul 7, 2015
ISBN9781490696621
Heartless
Author

Mary Balogh

New York Times bestselling, multi-award-winning author Mary Balogh grew up in Wales, land of sea and mountains, song and legend. She brought music and a vivid imagination with her when she came to Canada to teach. There she began a second career as a writer of books that always end happily and always celebrate the power of love.

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Reviews for Heartless

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

44 ratings7 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Lucas and Anna are now officially one of my favorite Balogh couples!

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    10 years ago, Lucas was cast out by his family for nearly killing his older brother in a duel. Henrietta, the woman he loved, whom he planned to marry, had told him that his brother had seduced and impregnated her but was willing to marry her. Lucas traveled to Paris and made his fortune gambling, while determinedly crushing all love out of his heart. Now, 2 years after Lucas' brother died and he inherited the title, he returns to London where his Uncle Theo tries to convince him that he must take charge of the family, the estate, and find a wife. Theo and his long-time lover, Marjorie, plot for Lucas to marry Marjorie's goddaughter, Anna. Lucas sees through them but is drawn to Anna, so he decides to marry her to fulfill his need for a duchess. Anna, haunted by a stalker who declared that he would return to claim her, accepts Lucas' proposal against her better judgment. Then proceeds a year of them tentatively getting to know each other, but mostly in a shallow, teasing way, because both are terrified of being hurt. Anna brings her deaf/mute sister, Emily to live with them. Lucas, after some harsh mistakes with his younger brother, Ashley, and sister, Doris, reconciles with them and begins to build new relationships. The hard part is Henrietta, who is still scheming to get Lucas, even if not by marriage. Lucas finally allows himself to love again when his daughter is born. Anna is threatened by her stalker, who claims to have witnesses saying that she helped him steal from her neighbors (which she did when he forced her to) and push her father to his death. This man initially gained her gratitude by helping her and buying her father's debts, but turned it into a terrifying game of controlling her. Finally, he kidnaps Anna and her baby and reveals that he believes he is her father. Lucas, with much help from Emily, tracks her down and kills the manThe story of broken hearts and healing was wonderful, as always. The villain and villainness were just a little too nasty and obsessed, although necessary to the story. It is also a prequel to "Silent Melody", the love story of Ashley and Emily.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a lovely story. A supposed heartless duke who was in reality all heart. A strong and stubborn lady who believed she would never married but was swept off her feet and gave in to the temptation of love and marriage.
    I like that all the loose ends were tied up. Lord “whatshisname” Blakely was quite mad. Why he thought being cruel to his supposed daughter would help him gain her love, I can never understand but then I’m probably not as mad. If anything, I wish he suffered a lot more before dying. Too bad one can’t die more than once. That he dared to even touch Joy. Oh well. Mary never disappoints and this was another good one
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Enjoyed this book immensely! Loved the pacing and slow reveal of the villain and his true intent and the love and suspense that flourished between the hero and heroine despite all the secrets, yearnings and fears of both characters. I hope to learn what happened between the other characters. Just wished that the other villain in this book (the dowager duchess) had been meted at the end, but we are left to imagine. Go ahead and give this book a listen, you won’t regret it!
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    1800's English historical romance about a woman being blackmailed, who marries a Duke who has sworn off love
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I love Georgian historicals and this one was pretty good, although through much of the storyline you have this awful sense of angst. It was almost painful to read for you are worried that the heroine and hero cannot be happy because of this awful secret she has (which leaves the reader wondering as well). Lukas jumps to the wrong conclusions about his bride and he's somewhat cruel to her, which I also found hard to stomach. Despite the angst, it succeeds in sucking you in to keep reading to see what it's all about and if there is a happy ending. Still, I enjoyed the book, though I am sick of the storyline in which hero's feel they have no heart and are incapable of ever loving anyone!
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Long & awful. Anna is awful. Balogh has better books.