This is my very first May Balogh and I'm so very excited I finally tried her books. I committed my ultimate book sin and didn't read the other books in this series prior but I'm not sorry for it. Alex and Wren's story was easy to follow without prior knowledge of the other stories but I am super excited to go back and read them!

Mary has a quick, witty at times, writing style that really keeps the story moving. There wasn't a dull moment, I never skipped a paragraph or skimmed which I find myself doing more and more lately. Alex is pretty darn perfect. He's a gentleman, very kind, intelligent and loyal. And Wren is immensely likeable. She has a beautiful heart though it's badly in need of repair due to a horrible past. I loved how much she trusted Alex and how much he worked to earn her trust.

I'd put the heat level as moderate. There is some sex but it's not as steamy as other books I've read. Personally, it was just the right amount for me as I don't need a million sex scenes that are overly detailed.

I don't want to spoil anything but I had a lot of favorite parts I can't mention due to possibly future storylines. I will definitely be devouring all of Mary's previous books and look forward to her future endeavors as well.!

I've enjoyed almost every book I've read by Mary Balogh, and this was no exception. One of the reasons I like her is how well she does characters with a tortured past. Most often, it's the hero, but occasionally, she gives us a heroine who must overcome something horrible. In this case, it's a burden that's changed the woman's entire life.

Wren has a purple birthmark that covers one side of her face. In many historical romances, that would be her obstacle to overcome. And it is here too, but only tangentially. The real problem is the psychological damage she has to overcome from a lifetime spent in isolation.

Wren was raised by her aunt and uncle from the time she was 10. What happened before that is a mystery, but it was clearly Very Bad. Anyway, her adopted parents are now dead and Wren is very wealthy, but very much alone. She hides behind a veil and lives as a virtual recluse. She decides to use her fortune to "buy" a husband. The lucky candidate? Alexander Wescott, the impoverished new earl of Riverdale. Alex never expected to be earl and is now faced with cleaning up the mess his uncle left of the entailment.

When Wren propositions him, it's not her birthmark that gives him pause, but her thinly veiled brittleness and unhappiness. He has given up on his dream of marrying for love, but he needs at least a chance he could be happy with his new bride. He agrees to get to know one another before making a decision.

Putting herself out there is excruciating for Wren, but she refuses to give in to her fears. She keeps pushing her own limits, widening her horizons, no matter how much it hurts.

Wren's trauma is real and deep. Alex is so patient and is truly such a good man. Though he struggles with her proposal, it's never for superficial reasons, and though he has to marry for money, it's not about greed, but for providing for the people his uncle neglected for so long. When these two finally decide to pursue a relationship, he is everything she needs him to be and more.

The relationship development is lovely, but the real transformation is the way Wren grows to value herself and see beyond the narrow vision she has of herself. The fantastic supporting characters really affect this as well, like the wonderful Wescott family, specifically Alex's mom and sister, but also Wren's brother. By the same token, her awful mother gave me shudders; the way Balogh constructed her character was just pitch perfect.

I really enjoyed this one.

Rating: B+

The latest entry in Mary Balogh's "Someone" series is true to form: quiet and contemplative with a slow-burn romance that sneaks up on the reader and the characters. Balogh is a master of writing introverted heroines who struggle to fit into an extroverted world (still relevant today!). Wren is no exception, and with the addition of a traumatic childhood and facial disfigurement making her more withdrawn, it takes a while for both the reader and the hero to warm up to her, but she is intelligent, independent, and with an appreciation of the absurd. Hero Alexander is more lightly sketched, but likable and appreciative of women who know their own minds. Overall, a thoughtful and satisfying book.

Protagonists with physical and/or emotional disabilities appear far more often in the Regency romances of Mary Balogh than in the books of perhaps any other historical romance writer. By my count, of her 86 novels published to date, at least thirteen feature a main character with a physical or mental impairment of some sort; other books (Slightly Married, Simply Perfect, A Secret Affair, and probably a few others I'm forgetting) include secondary characters with disabilities of various sorts. Some back of the envelope math suggests that characters with disabilities feature in almost 20% of Balogh's books.

Some critics have found Balogh's engagement with disability issues worthy of praise. For example, Reviewer Caz on Romantic Historical Reviews writes of Balogh's Survivors' Club series, which features protagonists who have all been seriously injured (physically and/or mentally) by war, "In each case, the author has approached her characters' injuries and disabilities sensitively and un-sentimentally, showing how difficult it has been for each of them to regain anything resembling a normal life following their terrible experiences." And although scholar Ria Cheyne cautions in her article "Disability Studies Reads the Romance: Sexuality, Prejudice, and the Happily-Ever-After in the Work of Mary Balogh" that she is not "aiming to fix these novels as 'positive' representations which should be played on some hypothetical list of 'acceptable' representations of disability" (212), her discussion of Balogh's Slightly and Simply series does argue that Balogh's romances with disabled protagonists "offer significant opportunities to challenge negative stereotypes around disability" (201-202).


In contrast, Meoskop, reviewing The Arrangement (book #2 in The Survivors' Club series) on Love in the Margins, finds Balogh's depictions more than a bit lacking: "There are authors that do disability well, and then there's Mary Balogh. Her disabled characters are more Matt-in-Downton-Abbey than Harold Russell." Her review concludes with a clearly ironic recommendation: "If you love inspiring stories about disabled veterans and the wives that don't leave them, then The Arrangement will hit all your Inspirational Story buttons."

Though Meoskop doesn't spell it out, she clearly objects to the way that Balogh's portrayals of the disabled barely skirt, or fall into, the trap of "disability as inspirational" for the non-disabled reader. As Deborah Davis on the Abilities.com web site writes,

Many disability advocates have expressed disdain for being viewed as "inspirational" in popular media and reject the premise that this emotion adds any positive value to their status. This often-used description associated with able-bodied individuals' emotions in connection with accomplishments or just daily living of those with disabilities is seen by some in the community as separating, objectifying, condescending and regressive in terms of equality and inclusion.


(Check out this great post on Everyday Feminism, "7 Reasons to Stop Calling Disabled People Inspirational" for more on what has come to be called "inspirational porn").

All of the above is to tell you that I come with a lot of backstory to my reading of Balogh's latest, Someone to Wed. Its heroine, 29-year-old Wren Heyden, has been a recluse for the majority of her life, and wears a veil to cover her face whenever she goes out in public. Wren has just completed a year of mourning for her aunt and uncle, with whom she had made her home since the age of ten. Having inherited her uncle's glassworks manufactory, Wren is now wealthy—wealthy enough to buy herself what she longs for, but believes she could never win or earn: someone to wed.

For Wren is "severely, cruelly marred" by a large purple birthmark on the left side of her face, which covers her from forehead to jaw (Kindle Loc 317). Although the descriptive words in quotations are the thoughts of the novel's hero upon first seeing Wren's face, they could just as well have been Wren's. For while her birthmark is not a physically incapacitating disability, some unnamed abuse Wren experienced because of it during her earliest years has created in her a major emotional disability: "In my own person I am not marriageable," she tells Alexander Westcott, the new Earl of Riverdale, the third man she's "interviewed" for the position of spouse.

In her joint review of the book on Dear Author, reviewer Janine points to structural similarities between Someone to Wed and Balogh's 1997 novel, Indiscreet. For me, though, the more telling comparison is to Balogh's 1993 category Regency, Dancing with Clara, which also opens with a disabled heroine who wishes to marry. In the twenty four years between the publication of these two novels, how had Balogh's depiction of disability changed? Had any of the insights of Disability Studies, which call attention to the problematic ways that the disabled are often "othered" and marginalized in popular culture, filtered into popular consciousness?


19th century Bath chair
Clara of Dancing with Clara is physically disabled: "crippled," restricted to a wheeled chair, unable to walk since contracting an illness in India as a child (Loc 85). While both Clara and Wren feel that "Only my money can buy me a husband" (Dancing 273), they go about their husband searches differently. Rather than openly declaring her wish for a husband, Clara allows the gloriously handsome fortune hunter Frederick Sullivan (the villain of a previous Balogh book) to come to her. He flatters her, even tells her that he is in love with her. She knows he's lying (and so does the reader, as we are given his POV, as well as hers). But he's so handsome, and she's so lonely, Clara lets his deceptions go without challenging them, and agrees to marry him. She only tells him to stop calling her "my love" two weeks after they marry, when her own feelings start to become engaged, and his obvious overstatements make her feel as if he is spoiling the good relationship they have started to build. When Freddie gets upset by her request that he stop lying, Clara feels guilty for making him feel ashamed.

In contrast, Wren takes the active, not the passive, role in searching for a husband. It is she who invites Alexander to her home, and she who asks Alexander to marry her. Wren is a businesswoman, not a lady of leisure as Clara is, and she treats the husband search in as businesslike a manner as possible: "Perhaps we could combine forces and each acquire what we want" (263). Though the novel presents Wren's hiding her emotions as a problem she must learn to overcome, her business acumen grants her far more agency than did Clara's passive desires. Wren is also honest with Alexander from the start about what she wants, and what she hopes to gain from him. And he is honest with her about his pecuniary problems, a far different approach than taken by Freddie and Clara.

Both Clara and Wren desire a husband, in part to satisfy "needs," needs of the sexual kind:

She was lonely. Dreadfully lonely. And she had needs that were no less insistent than they could be in other women despite the fact that she had no beauty and was unable to walk. She had needs. Cravings. Sometimes she was so lonely despite Harriet's friendship and despite the existence of other good friends that she touched the frightening depths of despair. (Clara 124)

She had longings and needs and yearnings that were a churning mix of the physical and emotional. Sometimes she could not sleep at night for the ache of something nameless that hummed through her body and her mind and seemed to settle most heavily about her heart. (Wed 431)

But Clara wants Freddie Sullivan in particular, because of his beauty:

She wanted him. Mr. Frederick Sullivan, that was. She wanted all that health and strength and beauty to belong to her. Almost as if she could make them her own, she thought wryly. Almost as if she could transform herself by marrying him. (Clara 327).

Clara, longing to rid herself of her physical disability, imagines that she can "almost" annex Freddie's beauty and health by marrying. Marriage thus equates to being able-bodied, at least in some corner of Clara's mind.

In contrast, Wren is upset when she first meets Alexander Westcott to find he is "the proverbial tall, dark, handsome man of fairy tales" (Wed 448); she would have far preferred a plainer man, an older man, a man, the text implies, against whom she would not feel quite so ugly (Wed 184). Wren is used to being in charge, having a degree of power and control; the text suggests her dismay at Alexander's good looks is a fear of loss of control.


The two books are alike in one important regard: both Clara and Wren engage in satisfying sexual relationships after their marriages. This is in contrast to what Anna Mollow and Robert McRuer argue is a far more "pervasive cultural de-eroticization of people with disabilities" (Sex and Disability 4). But this depiction of the sexuality of the disabled may be as much of a factor of genre as it is a challenge to popular culture norms; sexual compatibility/fulfillment is typically one of several components that are required of any romantic couple who hopes to enjoy a romance HEA. Or in other words, it just wouldn't be a Mary Balogh romance if it excluded sex.

The two books differ as far as which of their protagonists—the disabled or the able-bodied—must learn a lesson, must change and grow, in order for the couple to achieve a HEA. On first glance, it may appear that in Dancing with Clara, it is Clara who has to change: by novel's end, she learns to walk. But the true emotional change comes within Freddie, not Clara. Freddie, a careless, even selfish, rake, a continual disappointment to his family, must learn to put others—in particular, his wife—before himself. This would be a fine, even feminist lesson—if Freddie's lesson did not center around helping Clara overcome her disability.

Freddie encourages Clara to move beyond the protective shell in which her fearful father had always placed her—to consult with a new doctor, to take exercise, to try to move from her wheeled chair. In some ways, then, even though Clara is a protagonist of the novel, she also serves as what Ria Cheyne terms a "yardstick character," a character who exists largely measure the worth of other characters. If you're nice or kind to, or protective of the yardstick character (a kitten, a child, a disabled person), you're a character the reader should admire. This is a problematic construction when the yardstick character is physically, emotionally, or mentally impaired, for the unintentional message is that disabled characters are more important for how others respond to them than important in their own right. From the start of Dancing with Clara, readers are introduced to Freddie as a fortune hunter, a bounder, a self-absorbed man. We come to care for him because he is kind to Clara, and is the impetus to her moving beyond her (falsely imposed) disability and learning to walk again.

Clara's learning to walk again not only rings that suspect "inspirational disabled person" bell; it also suggests that getting rid of one's disability might just be necessary if one is to be fully worthy of love, or is to enjoy love's benefits to the fullest. Abelism is writ large in this earlier book.

Wren, unlike Clara, is the emotional star of Someone to Wed. Alexander begins the story an upright, morally kind character, the kind of person who always puts others first, and this doesn't change very much over the course of the novel. Although he longs to marry for love, he feels it is his duty to marry for money so that he can support the estate he has just inherited. When Wren makes her forward proposal in the book's opening scene, Alexander doesn't immediately reject it; instead he proposes that the two get to know each other a bit first, to see if they could be compatible. And Alexander, the protective, help-others type of romance hero, feels drawn to Wren precisely because of the pain she has suffered in the past. So he ends up getting both to marry for money, and to marry for love, requiring little character change or growth.

In contrast, Wren's character arc includes far more change than Alexander's. Wren's physical blemish, unlike Clara's inability to walk, is not something she can change. And unlike Clara, she never dreams that she can change it, or wishes that she could even though she knows that she can't. But the story does insist that her emotional disability—the abuse she suffered as a child that convinced her never to go out in public, never to mingle in society, never to make a friend beside her aunt and uncle—must and should be overcome. Is this ableism, just writ on a smaller scale than in Clara? Or is this an insistence that viewing disability as only a social construction, and denying the embodied aspects of bodily impairment, is just as problematic? Part of me wants to cheer for Wren as she gradually overcomes her isolation, and becomes incorporated within Alexander's large, extended family. But another part feels more than a bit uncomfortable with the "healing power of love" message. . .

In the Dear Author review mentioned above, reviewer Janine points to her discomfort with what she reads to be lookism, more than (or as much as) ableism, in Someone to Wed. Though on its surface, the story insists that beauty is not skin deep, by dwelling so frequently on Wren's birthmark, and making Wren so isolated because of it, it inadvertently suggested the opposite.

In order to counteract the potential claim of lookism, the story provides a traumatic backstory to explain Wren's isolationist turn. The most problematic aspect of the book for me was this backstory, and its deeply sexist undertones. I don't want to spoil the ending for anyone, but would be curious to hear from other readers what your response was to Wren's meeting/confrontation with a key figure from her past near the book's end.

To sum it all up, then: there are clear and important positive shifts in Balogh's depiction of impairment and disability from 1993's Dancing with Clara to 2017's Someone to Wed. But if Meoskop were still alive and blogging, she'd surely have more than a few scathingly ironic critiques to make of it.

Another delightful story by Mary Balogh! This is the third book in the Westcott series. I'm looking forward to the next installment.

Someone to Wed by Mary Balogh (Regency Era Historical Romance) This is the third book in the Westcott series and for me, the best of the bunch. Wren Hayden needs to buy a husband; she has been a recluse much of her life due to a disfigurement and can think of no reason why any man would marry her aside from her money. Alexander Westcott, Earl of Riverdale, needs money but refuses to be purchased outright like some prize bull. He insists on a courtship, to which Wren reluctantly complies. Naturally, a genuine, beautiful love emerges from their fortuitous relationship. I love Ms. Balogh’s ability to write a heart-touching romance and she delivered that with this charming book.

I always look forward to Mary Balogh's novels, as she writes delicious complex characters who face realistic challenges. Someone to Wed tells the story of Wren Heyden, a wealthy young woman who is willing to buy the hand of a man who needs money more than beauty. Alexander Westcott, the newly minted Earl, is saddled with debts and a crumbling estate. Together, a marriage of convenience slowly turns into a real relationship, and the process is a delight to read. I felt for the characters, who struggled under the weight of society's expectations, and form a loving partnership.

I have adored this series but this book is my favorite so far.

Alexander Wescott is the newly inherited Earl of Riverdale. With the inherited title, came a country estate in dire need of repair. With limited funds, his only choice is to marry for money. Wren Heyden is a recluse, but is also a wealthy heiress and businesswoman. Lonely and wishing for a family, Wren decides to use her fortune to find a husband. Because of a large birthmark on her face, Wren is certain that love is out of the question but that companionship might not be. The two meet and while Alex isn't certain of her motives he can't quite bring himself to dismiss her out of hand. As Wren confronts her fears and learns to trust, Alexander just might find love.

Alex has been one of my favorite characters in this series and I am so happy he got his own story. Wren is the prefect match for him. They start out rather practically and the changes between them are so slow. This was a slow romance and while both characters fell in love in some way the romance actually came second to both characters growing as people. It was such a pleasure to be part of Wren and her journey. I just adored her and Alex and their emotional journey.

I loved this book!

3.5 stars

Someone to Wed is a story about a man who finds himself in a most unexpected position, and a woman desperately seeking company and affection. The new Earl of Riverdale is in need of a wealthy wife, and conveniently, a well off heiress proposes marriage. But make no mistake - Wren and Alexander’s story (and marriage) is not rushed by any means; this is definitely a slow burn story. After being born with a birth mark on one half of her face, Wren has spent most of her adult life in limited contact with other people in an effort to shield herself from their reactions. Alexander, on the other hand, comes from a loud, boisterous family, and can imagine life no other way. I love Alexander and Wren’s story. There was nothing but honestly between them, and Alexander was so attentive when it came to Wren. I loved the way his family treated her, giving her all the love and affection she’d never had. They adored Alex and it was clear they wanted him to marry for love and not money, despite the situation he found himself in. While I did love Wren and Alex’s story, I did have a few issues with it. While this book could definitely be read as a stand alone, there were a few times I found it hard to keep such a large cast of characters straight. On the other hand, I enjoyed a lot of those characters, and I’m glad I get to go back and read their stories, and get to look forward to others. The other issue I had was how quickly Wren found her backbone. There was one scene in particular where she gave a piece of her mind to another character, and it just felt rushed, out of place, and inauthentic. I think maybe if more time had passed I would have been able to buy it, but as it was, it just felt too incredible.
While I did have a few issues with this story, I really enjoyed it overall. Especially Alex’s character. If you like stories where the ice queen thaws, I think you will like this one, too.

I thoroughly enjoyed this third title in the Westcott series. Compelling characters with rich, interesting lives and long held secrets. And romance, of course. Fans of Lisa Kleypas and Eloisa James will undoubtedly enjoy this series.

Wren Heyden was a recluse her entire life because of the birthmark that covered the side of her face. She desperately wants to marry, have love and children, and believes that the only thing she could possibly offer a man is the fortune she inherited. Therefore, she does research into available bachelors near her country estate and offers her bargain: her fortune under contract in exchange for marriage. Her approach is far more mercenary than the marriage mart, even though the ends are the same, which is a bit offputting for Alexander Westcott, who just inherited a title he didn't want and an estate that needs more money than he has available to set to rights. As off-putting as the exchanges are, Alex is still drawn to Wren, and wants to find out more about her.

Someone to Wed is the third of four Westcott Regency romance novels. Even without reading the prior two, it was still easy to dive in and get to know the characters. The prior novels outlined the situation that led to Alex inheriting the estate without the fortune.

The focus is on Wren and Alex, and the seesawing relationship between the two of them. The fascination and caring is present on both sides, and we watch that deepen over time despite Wren's stifling anxiety that is often seen as hauteur and poise. Alex is very intuitive, which helps, and together with his family, they help ease Wren out of the shell she had created for herself. I was moved to tears at several points in the course of the novel. Her fears are all too real and poignantly written, and I wanted to cheer for her as she took steps to further her own happiness.

Love here isn't an all-encompassing fire that strikes out of nowhere the way it can be described in some novels, but a slowly growing relationship where the other's happiness and needs are important. The trust that Alex and Wren have in each other is wonderful to watch as it develops.

As an assiduous reader of historical novels, there are several types of plots that I am already familiar with - some even repeating.
But this plot here surprised me.
-----------------------------------

Okay, the beginning may be similar to others: a young heiress who wants to get married and, for that, selects from the best poor gentlemen.
But there is a mystery behind this lady.

Wren is about to turn 30. Her period of complete mourning for the uncles death is over. Her expectations for a husband are not high.
As her uncle's full heir from glass company, she has more money than she can spend, and in exchange for a husband, she wants someone who does not embarrass her, but does not have to be handsome or young.

When the new Earl of Riverdale, Alexander Westcott, appears for tea to be interviewed as a candidate for the vacancy of a husband (unknowingly), Wren is surprised to find a handsome man, the same age as her. But the biggest surprise comes in his counterproposal ...

By a series of events involving scandals in the family, Westcott ends up inheriting a title and lands without having money to maintain them.
Very soon he would venture into London in search of a rich bride.
How was his surprise to be invited by his neighbor to have tea and received a "commercial" proposal of marriage.

But in his research on Miss Heyden, no one in the neighborhood knew who she was, except for the obvious, Mr Heyden's niece.
When he came to meet her, Westcott saw a woman sitting in a dark corner of the room, wearing a black veil, in respect to mourning. And when he asks her to remove the veil, the adventure begins ...
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Would this book be an unlike version of the Beauty and the Beast?
The mysteries, Wren's past life is full of sordid and sad details, but thanks to the love she received from her uncles, she could become this strong woman.
Westcott, who at first thought only of saving his lands and tenants, found himself captivated by that intelligent and resilient woman.
Some parts are heart-breaking with such meanness that certain vain people are able to do, but life shows their victories.
Lovely book.
Now I need to read the previous ones.
5 stars

It was not just her face that she had hidden from the world. It was the whole of herself. Her instinct was to hide behind veils within veils, and she had done it for so long that she did not know how to case those veils aside.

Someone to Wed is a story about two people who came together out of convenience but in the process, found not only affection but deep and abiding love for each other.

The romance was top-notch as is expected from a Mary Balogh book. Both characters are flawed, complex and relatable in a way that made you root for their happiness and their developing relationship.

Alexander has inherited a failing earldom and must marry for money in order to rebuild his estates. Wren has spent the better part of her adult life in isolation. She wants to get married and have a family but feels that her appearance (she was a huge port wine stain on her face) and time spent away from society made her less of an ideal candidate for marriage. The one thing she has advantage of is her wealth. She's an independently wealthy woman and wealth is something that Alexander needs.

But he had glimpsed something tantalizingly fleeting behind the veil. Something - no, he could not find the word. But something that invited him to keep looking.

There's plenty to love in Someone to Wed.

It's a fantastic MOC story, something that Mary Balogh does really well. Great, well-developed characters. Wren is such a strong, layered character. She knows what she wants and while she presents this cold and aloof behavior on the outside, her heart is passionate. But years of self-imposed seclusion and loneliness did a number of her, which made her all the more endearing and likable in my opinion.

I really liked Alexander, too. I liked that at very beginning, there's no feelings or even an attraction between them. Their relationship grew from chapter to chapter and I was swept away with the slow burn romance between these two characters.

If you're a fan of both slow-burn romances and the marriage-of-convenience trope, I highly recommend this book.

My first Mary Balogh book, it was delightful. I’ve already read another book of hers and am seeking more out.

Mary Balogh continues the Westcott series with Someone to Wed. Wren Heyden is a lady and an heiress In Regency England who wishes to marry, but she has lived in retirement from society due to a facial marking; Alexander Westcott, Earl of Riverdale, has an entailed estate and no fortune. Wren proposes marriage and the courtship begins. Mary Balogh carries on the tradition of romantic intrigue of Georgette Heyer; Her characters sparkle with life and family relationships engage the reader's interest. Robust but sensitive romance is embedded within the social rules of the high society haut ton. Read and enjoy.

An okay but not great historical romance. The heroine's ~secret trauma~ isn't foreshadowed adequately and feels really pasted on when it's suddenly triggered about two-thirds of the way into the book, and the hero's POV doesn't really show him falling in love with her -- at first he's repulsed by her and then as far as the reader is told, he realizes he could do way worse and asks her to marry him. We're presumably meant to read into this that he was pining in her absence, I guess, but there needed to be more focus on him realizing how great she is to balance out him thinking she's awful in the beginning. I did enjoy the heroine's newfound friendships with the hero's female relatives and the descriptions of her glassworks business.

Very well written, this book addresses the topic of emotional abuse and neglect, and the scars caused therefrom. The character development was convincing, although the timing seemed rather rapid, however I suppose when you decide to deal with something so difficult and face your fears, it can happen quickly. I was pleased at the positive choices the characters made in their personal expanding process. It was a very satisfying story.

Personal note: While I recognize that the wedding night was an important developmental aspect of healing for Wren, I'm one who believes that marital intimacy is private and I don't need to participate in someone else's experience, so I did skip over a few digital pages.

I received this lovely book as an ARC from NetGalley, thank you!!

When Alexander Westcott becomes the new Earl of Riverdale, he inherits a title he never wanted and a failing country estate he can’t afford. But he fully intends to do everything in his power to undo years of neglect and give the people who depend on him a better life. . .

A recluse for more than twenty years, Wren Heyden wants one thing out of life: marriage. With her vast fortune, she sets her sights on buying a husband. But when she makes the desperate—and oh-so-dashing—earl a startlingly unexpected proposal, Alex will only agree to a proper courtship, hoping for at least friendship and respect to develop between them. He is totally unprepared for the desire that overwhelms him when Wren finally lifts the veils that hide the secrets of her past. . .

Alexander Wescott arrives at Withington House for tea expecting that he would be meeting some of his new neighbors. He’s surprised when it’s only the lady of the house, Miss Wren Heyden, and her maid. He’s a bit put off by the situation and by Miss Heyden, and just wants to leave. He is shocked when she proposes marriage to him out of the blue. She had been sitting in shadow and when she reveals herself he sees a large purple mark on one side of her face that she had had since birth. Alexander agrees to get to know Wren and they start a bit of a courtship that ends with Wren retracting her proposal.

Almost a month later Wren arrives in London. When Alexander sees her again he knows that marrying her is the right thing to do. He proposes, and she accepts. Unfortunately Wren thought that once they were married that she would continue to live in obscurity – she couldn’t have been more wrong. The reclusive Wren soon finds herself surrounded by Alexander’s accepting family and eventually going out in public without her veil. The ghosts of her past, however, soon start to tear her apart from the inside and she’s not sure that marrying Alexander was the wisest thing to do as she considers herself a broken woman.

This was such a sweet book. I have enjoyed the Wescott series so far and this is another good one. I expected, after book 1, that the books would be strictly about the Wescott children who had found themselves illegitimate after thinking for most of their lives that they were legitimate. I was wrong and I’m happy about that. :) I didn’t realize that I wanted Alexander’s story until I started reading. It was so very good and I was happy that Balogh went the direction she did.

Alexander was such a great character and a good man. He was conscientious and thoughtful and genuinely cared about people. When he inherited the Earldom he was shocked and overwhelmed. He had inherited a home that had been completely neglected despite the former earl’s wealth. Unfortunately that wealth hadn’t come with the title so Alexander was trying to do the best he could. He knew he needed a rich wife but it was distasteful to him to marry for money – I can’t say I blame him. Wren presented a perfect solution but he knew that she had many issues and the wall she put up between herself and people would cause problems. He told himself when she broke things off that he was relieved, but he couldn’t decide if he was being honest with himself. I was so happy that he made the decisions he did later in the book. He proved that he was the honorable man I thought him to be. He took such good care with Wren and her sensitivities to people and I loved him for that.

Wren started off not being my favorite. She was standoffish and caustic and it bothered me as I knew Alexander didn’t deserve it. She tried to come out of her shell but after being a recluse for twenty years it was difficult, to say the least. When she finally made it to London she seemed to become a different person and one I greatly admired. She could have so easily stayed in her rooms and continued to be the recluse but she made an effort to show herself despite her self-consciousness and I loved it. Balogh did a wonderful job writing this heroine! She had been through so much in her life that she could have folded up into herself and crumbled but she didn’t and loved her for it.

Balogh has become one of my go-to authors when it comes to historical romance. She always provides a lovely story and wonderful romance and this was another great one. The Wescotts are a lively family and I can’t wait to read more about them in the future.

Rating: 4 out of 5

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Sitting down with a Mary Balogh book provides all the comfort of curling on the couch with a cup of tea, a bar of chocolate, and cozy blanket on a snowy day. Her newest addition to the Westcott family saga, Someone to Wed, is no different, and I found myself cheerfully consuming the story in one sitting on a recent rainy Saturday. It was nice to see Balogh stretch herself out of her normal comfort zone by providing us with a heroine whose face is not considered beautiful. The heroine lives her entire life in a kind of hiding, and when she does leave her home (rarely), she goes out fully veiled, in order to hide her physical appearance. In another twist for the genre, Wren, the female character, is the one to boldly approach the hero Alex (actually she summons him to her) in order to offer him marriage, which he actually does need for financial reasons. This is not exactly unheard of in this genre, however her reasons for offering marriage are pretty unique. She is not in financial or physical danger. She doesn't actually require a husband for any reason at all. She simply wants one. I loved that despite her rather crippling fear of society, and being seen in society, as well as her terrible self confidence and self image issues, she still manages to make plans to net herself a husband, something she has always wanted. I also loved that even though Alex really needs to marry a wealthy woman, he doesn't jump right at the chance. He makes it hard for her and challenges her to come out of her comfort zone. He acknowledges that he does not like her at first, and yet devotes time to getting to know her and being her friend anyway. Alex was a great beta hero. He was respectful and kind to Wren, even when he didn't actually like her. He was also strong, and didn't let his need for a wealthy wife compromise his beliefs and desires. Actually one weakness for the story was that it mostly focused on Wren's character development and growth, and I actually would have like to see Alex's character receive a more equal consideration. I would have really liked to see more of his development. All in all, however, this was another very enjoyable read by Balogh. Her Westcott world is shaping up to be another wonderful series, with story lines and characters that deviate considerably from some of her more common tropes and fall backs. Someone to Wed was a refreshing and beloved addition to the genre.

Another winner by this wonderfully talented and consistent writer. I'm enjoying this new series more than I have any in quite a while. The latest Westcott saga, finds good guy hero Andrew trying to restore his estates with very few resources at his disposal. He is called to the home of a local woman, heiress to a huge fortune, who makes him an offer he can't really refuse. Wren, our heroine, was a difficult character to embrace mainly because of her prickly behavior. Thanks to Balogh's talent, we quickly see that the damaged Wren is hiding behind her prickly, superior attitude, because she is terrified at revealing herself to the world (in more ways than one) and possibly being hurt and rejected. Balogh carefully peels the layers of this complex character back and the reader comes to sympathize and root for Wren to find her happily ever after.
Strong characters, interesting plots, and beautiful writing are all characteristics of Balogh's historical romances, and I'm very happy to report that her latest lives up to her rep as one of the best in the business.