The Escape

I've been turned off by contemporary romances lately. The books I've been reading seem to be more about the sex and less about the relationship between the couple, and I'm most definitely more interested in the latter. Sometimes I find myself just skipping these steamy scenes out of boredom. Yes, boredom!

Mary Balogh writes that kind of romance novel, the kind where you'll be fed a meaty tale of how a man and a woman develop as individuals and a loving couple. It's also a romance that is devoid of the dramatic hijinks of other historical romances. You will not find brigands, undercover Dukes, kidnappings or blackmail in this book. (Not that I dislike them, mind! I adore the crazy hijinks in some of these historical romances.)

Instead, the drama is mostly about Benedict and Samantha overcoming their difficulties. For Benedict, it is a grievous injury that crippled him, for Samantha, years of verbal and emotional abuse from her husband and in laws. It was really delightful to see them support one another and become whole.

Under less capable hands, this COULD be boring. It isn't easy to weave a fascinating tale WITHOUT the thriller-like elements, but Balogh does it so well. You are genuinely interested to see Benedict and Samantha get together as they're complex and well-formed characters.

Highly recommended.