Simply Magic is a dramatic and
sensual story about two individuals who fall in love, only to discover
their love is complicated by a disturbing interwoven past. Peter
Edgeworth, Viscount Whitleaf has been a perfect gentleman of the ton,
while avoiding all of the eligible marriageable young ladies his mother
has put in his path. It is on a walking path on the estate of a friend
that he meets the beautiful and independent school teacher Susanna
Osbourne, saying to himself, "There she is." Struggling with
unrecognized love at first site, no matter how much Peter attempts to
avoid Susanna, he constantly finds himself drawn to her. They quickly
become close friends, walking the estate paths and discussing many
topics, while at the same time fighting a growing desire for each
other. The innocent Susanna realizes as a viscount there can be no
future with Peter, but she is also saddened as he does not seem to
recognize her from the past as a young girl when she lived at a nearby
estate where her father was a steward. But many do not recognize the
beautiful Susanna as the young twelve year old girl who suddenly
disappeared after the sudden suicide of her father. She has lived with
the pain of this secret for years, growing in beauty and intelligence
as a teacher at the very school she attended as a charity pupil, due to
the kindness of none other than one of the famous Bedwyn family. Having
a holiday with friends is a delightful vacation that becomes a bit
disconcerting and she finds herself counting the limited days she can
spend with Peter. When friendship turns to desire that builds to an
intense afternoon of passion, Peter takes her innocence. When he offers
carte blanche instead of marriage, Susanna runs back to her school, but
finds she cannot run from her heart. Simon misses his dear friend and
realizing his mistake and that he loves Susanna, he creates a plan to
earn back her friendship and love. But soon their intertwined intense
past is revealed. Will their love be strong enough to overcome the
shocking revelations?
There is nothing simple about Mary Balogh's "Simply" Series. Once again she has
proven that she is the modern Jane Austen in this beautiful and
heartwarming tale. For Regency romance fans, Ms. Balogh has the talent
to take readers back to the Regency Period, making them feel they are
there and intimately involved with the characters. Each book builds
from previous stories and dearly loved characters return to be
interwoven with new. Simply Magic
is a truly pleasurable read like many of the other Balogh Regencies. A
romance fan's delight would be a long vacation alone with a stack of
Balogh Regencies reading them in order, enjoying an arm chair travel
back in time to the Regency period!
Publisher: Bantam
Dell (Book Club Edition 2007)
Reviewed
by Beverly,
Beverly Romance Books
