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Only a Kiss
Only a Kiss
Only a Kiss
Audiobook11 hours

Only a Kiss

Written by Mary Balogh

Narrated by Rosalyn Landor

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

About this audiobook

The Survivors' Club: Six men and one woman, injured in the Napoleonic Wars, their friendships forged in steel and loyalty. But for one, her trials are not over.... Since witnessing the death of her husband during the wars, Imogen, Lady Barclay, has secluded herself in the confines of Hardford Hall, their home in Cornwall. The new owner has failed to take up his inheritance, and Imogen desperately hopes he will never come to disturb her fragile peace. Percival Hayes, Earl of Hardford, has no interest in the wilds of Cornwall, but when he impulsively decides to pay a visit to his estate there, he is shocked to discover that it is not the ruined heap he had expected. He is equally shocked to find the beautiful widow of his predecessor's son living there. Soon Imogen awakens in Percy a passion he has never thought himself capable of feeling. But can he save her from her misery and reawaken her soul? And what will it mean for him if he succeeds?
LanguageEnglish
Release dateSep 1, 2015
ISBN9781490699257
Only a Kiss
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 Only a Kiss

Rating: 3.9959349479674793 out of 5 stars
4/5

123 ratings15 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Excellent. Fell in love with all the characters!
    Superb reader. Love the series!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    pleasing, with quirky characters.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I'd been interested in this heroine since she was first introduced, but I had a hard time getting into this book. It took me ages to finish because I kept setting it aside after just a chapter or two at a time. I didn't dislike the couple, I just wasn't very drawn in by their interactions. And the plot kind of just plodded along hardly going anywhere. They both lacked insight into themselves and their situation so they didn't really wisen up or face their feelings until very near the end. I don't know, it just felt like it fell very short of its potential. The heroine's survivor story is interesting and tragic, her story should have been a page turner for me (and to be fair, those parts were the most interesting), but instead of focusing on their growing interest in each other or her recovery, a lot of time was given to a pretty uninspired mystery. I don't know, I should maybe only give it two stars because I'll never read it again and I'm glad it's over, lol, but there wasn't anything really awful or offensive about it, so I guess I'm rounding up.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I'd read the rest of the Survivors' Club series but somehow missed this one. Anyway, I'm glad I finally finished this great series. The only woman in the group, Imogen is a widow. Her husband and childhood friend was killed by the French as a spy and she was captured at the same time. She was heavily traumatized by the event but has been living quietly in Cornwall since. Percy, the new Earl, finally arrives to survey his estate and is much surprised to find a pack of women and assorted pets and servants. Percy and Imogen hate each other on sight; he's too frivolous and she's too stoic, a 'marble lady.'It's Cornwall so there are the usual references to smuggling, but I was surprised by who turned out to be the mastermind of the piece. Ms. Balogh always writes a good story. I appreciated the nod to the Bedwyn's at the end (love that series).
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was my first cry fest over a Balogh novel, but it was so heartbreaking and lovely seeing Imogen fall in love and Percy be there for her and become a grownup in the process. It was a very satisfying read that also included some great rescue animals (Hector the dog FTW!).
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Since witnessing the death of her husband during the wars, Imogen, Lady Barclay, has secluded herself in the confines of Hardford Hall, their home in Cornwall. The new owner has failed to take up his inheritance, and Imogen desperately hopes he will never come to disturb her fragile peace. Percival Hayes, Earl of Hardford, has no interest in the wilds of Cornwall, but when he impulsively decides to pay a visit to his estate there, he is shocked to discover that it is not the ruined heap he had expected. He is equally shocked to find the beautiful widow of his predecessor's son living there. Soon Imogen awakens in Percy a passion he has never thought himself capable of feeling. But can he save her from her misery and reawaken her soul? And what will it mean for him if he succeeds?Balogh is one of my favorite regency romance authors. Her blend of humor, romance, characterization and historical references is worth reading.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I have really enjoyed this series by Ms. Balogh - the process of dealing with trauma, the healing power of family and love, and the importance of friendship are all integral parts of the plots of this novels in this series. It is fitting that the man who made it all possible finds his own healing with a woman who can understand and love him.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a very touching entry in the Survivors' Club series. The heroine had a truly traumatic experience to overcome and the hero needed to come to maturity and his relationship with her helped him to fully achieve that. It also made Ralph a likable character after starting him out as what seemed like a silly lout. I started reading a few books in this series a few years ago and I'm very glad that I'm catching up with these characters. Each unique with unique problems and unique situations. Balogh doesn't repeat herslf in characters or plots but she does repeat some of her bits of wisdom but that's OK.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is the sixth book in The Survivors Club series, and right now my favorite, but ever since this series started, I was very much intrigued by the secondary character in each book, that of George, who is the Duke of Stanbrooke. His story will finally come to light in the seventh book, ‘Only Beloved’. And that will end this series which I truly loved. I can see me rereading these while waiting for Ms. Balogh to give another series.

    As all the stories in this series, this one too was intriguing and entertaining, fast paced and heart wrenching.

    Imogen is the only woman of the Survivors’ Club, a group of mentally and physically damaged individuals, all suffering from the ravages of the Napoleonic Wars. Their close developed bonds while recovering at a remote estate of the Duke of Stanbrooke, who has lost his son in the war and his loving wife to a suicide after the news they received of his death.

    I have to say that I had doubts about this hero being the right man for my Imogen. She had shown in all the previous books and I became very protective of her so this guy, on the first glimpse wasn’t anyone I envisioned her with. Well, color me green with envy when I got to know the hero a lot better. He was so perfect for her, I wanted to adopt him and his dog!

    The blurb summarizes the book really well, so I’ll skip on that but I’ll tell you this. The story has many entertaining, fun, intriguing and heartwarming moments. It moves at a steady pace and it made me chuckle and cry. Highly recommending it!

    Melanie for b2b
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    It’s difficult to come into a series and begin reading with the final book. In a well-written series this should not be a problem and after reading Only Beloved I truly wished I had read the previous books in the Survivors Club series as there were many instances where characters and situations were referred to and it would have been nice to know the backstory. This is why I prefer to read a series from the first book.It seems the Duke of Stanbrook had briefly met Miss Dora Debbins at the conclusion of book number six. She seems to have made an impression on him because based on their first meeting approximately eighteen months prior to the start of the story, Duke George takes himself off to visit her again and propose marriage. Dora has given up hope of finding a husband as she is thirty-nine years of age and set in her life as a spinster music teacher. But Duke George seems to think they are perfectly matched and so the marriage progresses.What follows is a slow and oftentimes painful recounting of their first months of marriage. The story moves but not quick enough to maintain the reader’s interest. The characters were fine but could have used a bit more fleshing out. Of course there’s a dilemma since the duke is a widower and it is up to his new wife to help purge him of his demons.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    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.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    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
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A wonderful story to end this 6-book series. Ms. Balogh plucks all heart strings with this one. She excels at writing stories of angst and bewilderment; longing and loss; renewal and recklessness. Truly one of her best. Audio Narrator: Rosalyn Landor is an excellent match for Mary Balogh's historicals. :)
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    4.5 StarsOnly one small disappointment dinged this book for me, but overall we have another great one from Balogh. I love the leads and their emotional journey. When all is said and done for historical romance, those are the most important things.I really liked Imogen. She’s strong and vulnerable in all the places she needs to be. I liked how her traumatic past showed itself in her rigid self-control and semi-aloofness. Her hesitation to get close to anyone else besides her fellow Survivor Club members is a realistic and painful reaction to seeing what she has seen. I loved seeing her transformation, her journey towards loving again as she gets closer to Percy.And oh Percy! What a fantastic hero! He starts out as your typical Regency era flaky playboy: gambling, drinking, no goals in life, and sleeping around. His transformation into a mature man who cares for his tenants and employees, who finds the courage to stand against smugglers (who few others seem to care about), and help to heal such a damaged individual as Imogen was awe-inspiring. I fell in love with him right along with Imogen.I haven’t come across a couple in historical romance as well suited for each other as these two in a while. They dove tail so well together, having personalities, outlooks on life, and such that are different enough to balance the other out and similar enough to give common ground. I really feel that Percy is the best choice for Imogen, not only does he love her but he also heals, makes her laugh, and gives her a shoulder to help balance the burden of her past. I love them together.My one area of disappointment will probably not be an area of problem for another reader. Towards the end of the book, more about Imogen’s past and her war trauma is gone over and explained. Her past also shapes her personality and how she approaches Percy, too.Yet, I felt liked there was a missed opportunity here. The idea of the woman being the war-weary, injured party in a historical romance relationship is so unique. There seemed to be an opening to explore or examine how women contributed or were affected by the Peninsular war when physically present. Maybe I was just wishing for more exploration of Imogen’s role/experiences in the war and how it impacted her life than was actually present. It’s what really made me anticipate this entry into the Survivor Club series.A pretty great historical romance, this book shines when it comes to characters and their romance. Extremely vibrant and emotional, I loved both leads and their romance was to die for. The only hitch for me was a personal one. I wished for more exploration of how the war trauma affected Imogen and her life, even though it does in very subtle ways in the book. So at least there’s something there. I’d still highly recommend this book to lovers of Regency era romances and Mary Balogh. It’s a great romance.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    We find out what scars Imogen, Lady Barclay has. Percival Hayes, Earl of Hardford goes to visit his estate in Cornwall to find out what it's like, he's just turned 30 and he's feeling a little unfulfilled with his life. When the two meet they first clash but then they realise that they admire each other.It deals with her problems without really glancing over them, and what she has to deal with isn't trivial, there are also hints that she mightn't be able to have children, but that's not clear. What is clear is that they both care for each other and want the best for each other. I love the reaction to the dog and the strays and how he does hi best to help.It's a fairly predictable story with some smugglers to add some tension, it was a very good read.