Review & Excerpt: Always Remember by Mary Balogh

 

Always Remember (Ravenswood #3) by Mary Balogh

Publication Date: January 16th 2024 by Berkley

Pages: 368

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Ben Ellis and Lady Jennifer Arden were raised in the same social circle, but both have always felt a little on the outside. Ben because he is still the illegitimate son of the late Earl of Stratton. Lady Jennifer is sister to a duke, with a large fortune, but a childhood illness crippled one of her legs leaving her mostly wheelchair bound.

Ben comes upon Jennifer trying to walk in crutches and while it’s awkward for a moment they end up confiding things they’d never say to anyone else. Ben would love to marry again, give his 3-year-old-daughter a mother and more siblings, but prospects are underwhelming.  Not only that, but he’s also received a letter from his birth mother’s side of the family and isn’t sure what to do about it. 

Jennifer dreams of getting around more independently and walking. Ben has practical ideas for her and makes it his mission to help her achieve them and Jennifer listens to his worries without judgement, giving a fresh perspective. I loved seeing Jennifer get a new lease on life with some changes and ingenuity! The relationship between Ben’s daughter and Jennifer was heartwarming! The little girl was adorable and some of the three-year-old moments cracked me up!

Ben and Jennifer’s romance was emotional and moving! Started as an unlikely friendship, having someone listen and get it, and turned into affection, attraction, and longing. However, their romance was not without obstacles with Ben being illegitimate and Jennifer a titled woman, and yet they couldn’t stay away from each other!

Oh, I just loved Always Remember! I yearned for Ben and Jennifer to find happiness after all they went through! The Ravenswood series is one of my favorites! While each book focuses on a different romantic couple there is a backstory and so the books should be read in order. A definite recommend!

5 Stars

Excerpt:

Book Description:

Lady Jennifer Arden and Ben Ellis know that a match between them is out of the question. Yet their hearts yearn for the impossible. Discover a new heartwarming story from New York Times bestselling author and beloved “queen of Regency romance” Mary Balogh.

Left unable to walk by a childhood illness, Lady Jennifer, sister of the Duke of Wilby, has grown up to make a happy place for herself in society. Outgoing and cheerful, she has many friends and enjoys the pleasures of high society—even if she cannot dance at balls or stroll in Hyde Park. She is blessed with a large, loving, and protective family. But she secretly dreams of marriage and children, and of walking—and dancing.

When Ben Ellis comes across Lady Jennifer as she struggles to walk with the aid of primitive crutches, he instantly understands her yearning. He is a fixer. It is often said of him that he never saw a practical problem he did not have to solve. He wants to help her discover independence and motion—driving a carriage, swimming, even walking a different way. But he must be careful. He is the bastard son of the late Earl of Stratton. Though he was raised with the earl’s family, he knows he does not really belong in the world of the ton.

Jennifer is shocked—and intrigued—by Ben’s ideas, and both families are alarmed by the growing friendship and perhaps more that they sense developing between the two. A duke’s sister certainly cannot marry the bastard son of an earl. Except sometimes, love can find a way.

Photo credit: Sharon Pelletier

About the author:

Mary Balogh has written more than one hundred historical novels and novellas, more than forty of which have been New York Times bestsellers. They include the Bedwyn saga, the Simply quartet, the Huxtable quintet, the seven-part Survivors’ Club series, and the Westcott series. Learn more about Mary Balogh at her website: https://marybalogh.com/