Kit Butler is a confirmed bachelor but is now the heir and knows that he has to marry, but he doesn’t want to marry the woman he used to love. The woman who gave him up for his brother. Kit will find a woman to help him in Lauren.

Lauren Edgeworth has been left at the alter a year by the man she loved but was not in love with. It hurts that she knows that they are blissfully happy and she knows that will never be her until she makes a deal with Kit. They will pretend to be betrothed and she will get an adventure for the summer instead of her dull life. Then she will break the engagement and leave but it wouldn’t be as easy as it sounds.

By not reading the first book I don’t know all that went on with Lauren’s heartache but you will definitely feel for her throughout this book. Mary Balogh creates Lauren’s character well with the wounded victim who now only wants adventure before she is able to be on her own and continue to be the perfect lady she is. I like that the dull lady was able to find adventure and to let loose with the rake. I am interested in reading the first book as I think even though Lauren gets hurt, just to see how her relationship with her ex-fiancee was dissolved. You of course know by reading the second one that love will come to Lauren and make her whole which is the perfect ending for a lover of romance.

Kit Butler was a perfect character as the rogue. You wanted the charade to be real and for him to tell her the truth as his feelings went from pretend to real. The past which Balogh intertwines within the story developed who the character of Kit was and it made the story that much more enjoyable.

I also liked the Bedwyn family in the story and look forward to reading more about them in the following books. As I have read the eighth book I already know about the eldest but I am interested in knowing about the rest of them and where they will find happiness.

Christine Derrick is a widow for three years now and is happy with life as she is always smiling and laughing. She gets herself into trouble nowadays but she doesn’t care as she is not in society. Christine is an assistant schoolmistress and loves children she never goes out with the ton.

Wulfric Bedwyn is the Duke of Bewcastle and is hard and stubborn. He is lonely as his mistress of ten years died. He is going to this house party because of a friend but he finds a woman who intrigues him. She is always laughing, falling down and needing rescue. He thinks she is available to be a mistress but he is wrong. Soon Wulfric finds different feelings and wants her as a wife but still she refuses as she does not like his character. Wulfric will try to find a way to change and to get Christine.

Trying Mary Balogh again I was very much entertained by this book. The characters are funny and enduring as well as frustrating as you hope that they stop being stubborn.

I think I have Pride and Prejudice on my brain because the novel, Slightly Dangerous seemed similar to that classic novel in which our main heroine says no to advance her status in soceity. She says no because first it is to be a mistress, then marriage and he list out all the bad qualities first but saying he would want marriage. Not a great way to start a marriage proposal.

Well anyway I might be wrong but you decide and give Mary Balogh a chance in Slightly Dangerous. This is the last book of the series The Bedwyn Family.

Reginald Mason is not a son of a gentleman but they are rich so they are accepted. Everything though is not going well for Reginald. His father is threatening to take away his lively hood if he doesn’t marry a woman from the upper class. His father wants him married and now he is being pushed into marriage to a woman of high rank who has suffered a scandal.

Annabelle Ashton is now ruined beyond repair according to the ton as she had run off with her suitor. Nothing happened she told them but her reputation was now ruined. She will now be betrothed to her fathers enemy as he would be the only one to take her.

I loved this book! A Matter of Class was a short novel from Balogh so it was quick to read but you wanted more. There was a definite finish to the novel that left you smiling and all the characters happy.

From starting out in the book I thought it would be a simple story of two young adults resisting a marriage to each other but there is so much more to the story. Balogh will have you falling in love with the characters as the story progressives.

Balogh writes the story in the present tense but she drifts off into the past with how these two had met. The past was clearly stated and not confusing as some can be. The story was told perfectly to let you truly get into the story.

With stories there are at times twists and Balogh gives A Matter of Class a twist that you did not truly guess until the very end. It was simple, clever and gave the story that romantic side that you longed to have.

A Matter of Class has me wanting to read more of Mary Balogh.

This idea is hard for Jane Ingleby as she does not want to become some mans whore even if he is rich. Jane is hiding from her past but she will no matter what speak her mind what is wrong and what is right. Even though Jane speaks her mind she will give into temptation but on her own rules.

The Duke of Tresham is temperamental and always gets his way which is frustrating when a lone woman invokes him and gets her way. He is enchanted by Jane and her stubbornness and knows that he must have her which he will but she will fight her passion the whole way. There is something she is hiding and Tresham will soon discover but will he be able to forgive.

Mary Balogh delivers a novel of two opposits where one or both will have to give in to become happy. In More Than A Mistress Mary Balogh creates her characters to be frustrating, stubborn and passionate. I have not read her books before but I have to say I was drawn into Jane’s brash behavior which left men shocked. I liked that Jane will decided on her own terms to become a mistress of Treshman and that she sets the rules. Her hidden identity leaves the reader waiting to have Treshman find out and see what he will do.

Publisher: Piatkus

Date: 2006

Hero: Lucius Marshall, Viscout Sinclair. Beta male. Utterly forgettable, to be honest.

Heroine: Frances Allard, aka Francois Halard. I still have no idea whether her parents were French, Italian, or English – it seems to shift several times over the course of the book. Claims she wants nothing more in life than to be a teacher, which doesn’t exactly predispose me towards her.

Other: Nobody interesting enough to mention.

Marriage: Yes, at the end.

Enjoyment factor: Mild to moderate. This is a book which would have been vastly improved without the sex scenes. Unresolved sexual tension seems to be anathema to the modern romance novel, and I think this is a great shame. As it is, we are subjected to a series of increasingly unlikely reasons for the heroine’s repeated refusal of the hero’s proposals, and although she is not exactly falling into his bed at every opportunity, she’s not holding back much either.

I also couldn’t get my head round the, ‘I want to be a classical singer, but only if it’s a proper career and not just for fun,’ plot. Surely the freedom to pursue one’s art free of the constraints of commercial success would be a fabulous thing?

Epilogue: No.

http://www.marybalogh.com

About the Book:
She was unlike any woman he’d ever met in the ton or the demimonde. But Sir Gerald Stapleton frequented Mrs. Blyth’s euphemistically dubbed “finishing school” for pure, uncomplicated pleasure—and nothing else. So why was this confirmed bachelor so thoroughly captivated by one woman in particular? Why did he find himself wondering how such a rare jewel of grace, beauty, and refinement as Priss had ended up a courtesan? And when she needed protection, why did Gerald, who’d sworn he’d never get entangled in affairs of the heart, hasten to set her up as his own pampered mistress to ensure her safety—and have her all to himself?

For Priscilla Wentworth, the path leading to Sir Gerald’s bed had been as filled with misfortune as it suddenly seemed charmed. But Priss couldn’t allow herself to believe she’d ever be more to a man like Sir Gerald than a well-cared-for object of pleasure. Now, despite Gerald’s deep distrust of marriage, neither scandal nor society’s censure can keep them apart—only the fear of trusting their hearts.

Hi Mary Balogh,

Welcome to Paperback Writer

Thank you for having me!

Q: Will you share with us how you came up with the idea for this book?

A: A PRECIOUS JEWEL is a Regency-era romance with a difference. The hero, Sir Gerald Stapleton, is a beta male whose self-esteem was taken from him during childhood by a cold, insensitive father and a stepmother who betrayed his love and trust. He is afraid of relationships and so satisfies his needs with frequent visits to a high-class brothel. The heroine, Priscilla Wentworth, well-born but forced by circumstances into prostitution, becomes his “regular” and later his mistress. It is not an auspicious beginning for a love story, but that is exactly what their story becomes. I love to take on a challenge as a writer, and there was none greater that this.

Gerald was a minor character in THE IDEAL WIFE (re-published in 2008 by Bantam Dell), best friend of the hero. In that book he was struggling with the loss of his long-term mistress (Priscilla), who had left him to marry a former beau. My mind played with the usual what-ifs as I wrote THE IDEAL WIFE. What if Gerald really loved Priscilla? What if she really loved him? What if the former beau and impending marriage were fictitious, an excuse to get away from a liaison that had become intolerable to her? What if…

Gerald intrigued me to such an extent that I had to tell his story. Actually, it became an obsession with me. I knew I could not write it. He was not the alpha male readers expect their heroes to be. Priscilla was a working prostitute. It was all quite impossible. A few fellow writers on whom I tried the idea agreed with me. I did not even ask my editor about it. But those two characters would not let me alone. Finally I wrote their story during a hectic two-week period and put the manuscript up on a shelf in my office for a long time before deciding to send it in just to see what the reaction would be. When I phoned about it some time later, I discovered that the book was in copyediting! All this was back in 1993. Now Bantam Dell has republished A PRECIOUS JEWEL.

Q: Do you plan your stories first with an outline or does it come to you as write it?

A: I try to plan. How relaxing writing would be if I knew in advance exactly where a story was going! Or so it sometimes seems. But perhaps the story would be less dynamic if it did not constantly unfold on the screen before my very eyes, often surprising even me! My stories are character-driven. And because characters reveal themselves to me gradually as the story progresses, I can never decide in advance what they are going to do in a given situation. Sometimes I think I know, but when I get to that part of the story I realize that the characters as they have become would never do that particular thing. Planning ahead is a little like trying to plan out the lives of one’s children as soon as they are born (or conceived). It can’t be done!

Q: Do you know the end of the story at the beginning?

A: I write love stories. I write happy endings. I always know who the hero and heroine are, and therefore I know that they will end up together facing a lifetime of potential happiness and love. It is the road to that ending that I do not know. I may have some idea of the scenery and various road blocks along the way, but it is all pretty hazy.

Q: Do you have a process for developing your characters?

A: I like to know my characters soul-deep. It is not enough to know about them, no matter how long the list of facts and characteristics may be. I could list for you a hundred things about myself, but you still wouldn’t know me. Sometimes I don’t even know myself. I’ll do or say something and then go “Huh? Where did that come from?” I struggle with my characters all through a book, especially at the beginning. I always feel that I know them well enough to make a start, but they constantly flummox me. I find myself staring at the screen and asking them aloud, “Who are you?” And if that doesn’t work, I jump inside their head and ask, “Who am I?” Experience has taught me that the answer often lies in another question, “Where is your deepest pain?” Once I know the answer to the questions, especially that last one, I can go back and adjust the character and his behavior accordingly. I hope the whole thing seems seamless to the reader who reads the resulting story, but the creation is certainly not seamless!

Q: It is said that authors write themselves into their characters. Is there any part of you in your characters and what they would be?

A: Oh, yes, it is inevitable. What I find admirable will appear in my heroes and heroines. What I find despicable will not—not as they are by the end of the book, anyway. Their philosophy of life will often be mine or at least one of which I can approve. Just a few minor examples: None of my heroes enjoy hunting even though hunting and shooting were favorite pastimes of Regency gentlemen. Few of my heroines like to have cut flowers in the house—they would prefer to see them to live out their span in the garden. Most of my heroes and heroines make a distinction between being in love (romantic, euphoric, ephemeral) and loving (a deep, lasting commitment that embraces romance and friendship and is unending and unconditional).

Q: What is your most favorite part about this book?

A: It is difficult to pick a favorite part, because that implies that the rest of the book is less favorite and therefore inferior. However, the part I enjoyed writing most and enjoy rereading most is the middle (unusual when many books suffer from the dreaded sagging middle). Priscilla and Gerald, alone together in the country, fall in love even though neither says a word about it to the other. Disaster looms and is surely felt by the reader—it is too soon for happily-ever-after to dawn. But the calm before the storm is tender and beautiful. Or so I believe.

Q: When in the process of writing your book did you begin to look for a publisher?

A: I already had a publisher. The only question was—would that publisher accept a book that was so radically different from the norm? And I have a publisher now. A PRECIOUS JEWEL was one of the first of my older books that I suggested for republication, and it has become a particular favorite of my editor at Bantam Dell.

Q: What struggles have you had on the road to being published?

A: It was a long time ago! My struggles were few, all thanks to the fact that I was such a greenhorm I had no idea how to go about getting published. When I had finished my first Regency romance, A MASKED DECEPTION, I bundled up the whole manuscript and sent it off with a very brief letter to a Canadian address I found inside the cover of a Regency romance I had enjoyed reading. That address turned out to be a distribution center! However, someone there read the manuscript, liked it, and sent it on to New York. Two weeks later I was offered a two-book contract. I never looked back after that.

Q: What has been the best part about being published?

A: It was (and is) the fulfillment of all my dreams. From childhood on I wanted to be a writer. As a child I used to write long, long stories. Being published enabled me to give up my teaching job and remain home with my growing family. It opened another world to me. It enabled me to make a comfortable living out of my imagination. What more could anyone ask of life?

Q: What do you want readers to remember and carry with them after reading your novel?

A: Basically, I would like readers to heave a great sigh of satisfaction at the end of the book and think, “How romantic! How absolutely lovely!” I would like them to feel convinced that love really is a powerful enough force to heal all the wounds of life that can prevent people from realizing their full potential and stop them from finding happiness in a committed relationship. I would like them to believe that love is a powerful enough bond to carry a couple through what remains of their lives no matter what obstacles the future might hold.

Q: Do you have plans to write another book?

A: I always have plans to write another book! I have just completed a quintet of books about the Huxtable family—three sister, their brother, and their male second cousin. The first four books were out during the spring of 2009. The fifth, A SECRET AFFAIR, Constantine’s story, is set to be released in hardcover at the end of June, 2010. Next up will be two “left-over” books from other series—a prequel to MORE THAN A MISTRESS and NO MAN’S MISTRESS featuring Lady Angeline Dudley and Lord Heyward, and a story for Gwen, Lady Muir, a minor character in ONE NIGHT FOR LOVE, A SUMMER TO REMEMBER and a few other related books.

Q: Would you care to share with us how the virtual book tour experience with Pump Up Your Book Promotion has been for you?

A: It hasn’t started yet except that I have been answering questionnaires like this one and preparing short essays for blog discussions. I am thoroughly looking forward to the whole experience. A tour from the comfort of my own office chair!

Q: Where can readers find a copy of your book?

A: Everywhere books are sold, I hope. The “Buy a Book” page at my web site ( http://www.marybalogh.com ) will take readers to numerous on-line bookstores in various parts of the world.

Q: Do you have a website for readers to go to?

A: Yes – http://www.marybalogh.com. Among other features there, readers will find an excerpt from A PRECIOUS JEWEL.

Thank you, Mary Balogh for sharing your book and characters with us today. It has been a pleasure and I hope you have had a successful virtual book tour.

Thank you.

MARY BALOGH is the New York Times bestselling author of the acclaimed Slightly series and Simply quartet of novels set at Miss Martin’s School for Girls, as well as many other beloved novels. She is also the author of First Comes Marriage, Then Comes Seduction, At Last Comes Love, and Seducing An Angel, all featuring the Huxtable family. A former teacher, she grew up in Wales and now lives in Canada. To learn more, visit the author’s website at http://www.MaryBalogh.com.