Mary Balogh is the queen of historical romance. It always feels like coming home when I read her books and this one was heartfelt and made me smile.

Mary Balogh wraps up her Ravenswood series with Always Remember, Ben’s story. The romance is wonderful, yet the slightly muted character of the heroine means this book isn’t my favorite Balogh novel in the series, but it’s still worth reading.

Ben Ellis (as previously established, the by-blow of the late Duke of Stratton, raised by his father’s wife as a part of the family) is a single father to a young daughter. The child is the result of his marrying his mistress when he discovered she was pregnant; he and Marjorie adored each other, but her sad passing from an illness has left him adrift. Now Ben and three-year-old Joy are headed for a summer vacation at Ravenswood.

Lady Jennifer Arden is a spinster at twenty-five, the sister of a duke, and due to a twisted right leg incurred during a childhood illness must ambulate with rudimentary crutches and other devices. Her family adores her and she’s forged many a friendship, but she has no prospects for a romance since she turned down a fortune-hunting duke. Jennifer and Ben meet when he stumbles upon her learning how to walk using a primitive crutch, and Ben decides to devote himself to making some better mobility devices for her. After making her a special shoe and brace to aid her walking, he starts pulling her out of her shell with jaunts outside of the home.

They are instantly attracted to one another, and Joy comes to love Jenny as well. With Ben’s help, Jenny begins to experience more and more of the world. She’s there for him when his mother’s family abruptly makes contact, causing him to worry about their ulterior motives toward himself and Joy. But he and Jenny come from inequal social positions, which mean they can never marry – or can they?

I’m not qualified to judge the author’s presentation of Jenny as a disabled person, but I found it decent, if fairly simplistic. I can, however, say that Jenny is a fully-fledged character all her own and not a plot’s morality lesson, and she wants to be more mobile and ambulatory. It’s her somewhat weaker personality that I found a bit lacking. It’s not that she’s insipid, it’s that she doesn’t feel as vibrant as Ben or any of the other characters around her.

I did feel as though there was a little too much focus on making Jenny abled – on her walking – instead of the other parts of being disabled, but that doesn’t factor into my grade, as it’s Jenny’s expressed want. The pain she goes through does feel realistically handled, as does the fact that her family feel the need to shelter her.

I will always love a widower who still adores his late wife, but isn’t afraid to love more people. Ben is an incredible character and one of my favorite heroes of the year. I loved his relationship with little Joy, who feels like a credible child, and generally enjoyed her antics in general.

Yet I honestly really wanted to read Marjorie and Ben’s love story instead of Jenny and Ben’s; the way Balogh sets up those early chapters and gives us a peek at Marjorie’s fiery sass, it’s hard not to want to spend more time with her instead of Jenny, who sometimes comes off as a little bit too much of an innocent milksop. Yet Balogh does a good job contrasting these two women and making Ben’s attraction to both of them make sense. And Jenny does grow into a stronger and more unique person over time.

Outside of the sweet romance, there is a lot of careful exploration of the importance of social status, and what that means to both characters. Ben has to struggle to figure out who he is within the scheme of his own family, while Jenny has to claim her independence and individuality. Both stories are quite compelling.

Always Remember isn’t perfect Balogh, but even imperfect Balogh is pretty good.

As a huge fan of Mary Balogh, every new book she publishes is precious to me. I’m an avid reader, and there are many good romance authors out there, but I’m still trying to find someone who transfers emotion to paper like she does. That being said, Always Remember has all the elements I love in a romance: vulnerability, strength of character, and passion. Ben is the illegitimate son of an Earl who was raised as part of the family but can never be a full member due to the societal rules of the time. Caught in between two worlds, he doesn’t really belong to any of them. Lady Jennifer is the sister of a Duke and, due to an illness, is confined to a wheelchair. Despite her position, or because of it, she cannot trust anyone to love her for who she is. Mary brings these two together and explores all the impossibilities they face while the reader keeps turning the pages for more. Ben’s daughter, Joy, was like the cherry on this delicious cake. I can’t resist a little matchmaker.
My favorite in the Ravenswood series so far!
Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
Published on the blog on Oct 14 23
https://lureviewsbooks.wordpress.com/2023/10/14/always-remember-by-mary-balogh/

Ben and Jennifer live in the shadows of their families largely unnoticed. They are never ignored but they want to not be a bother and be unobtrusive.

I often teared up over this love story between two people that society would deem unworthy - he’s a “bastard” and she’s a “cripple” but their HEA is well deserved.

With Mary Balogh the dialogue is often monologues and the descriptions are lengthy but I never wanted to stop reading and Remember Love was hard to put down. This couple was sincere and their story was heartfelt.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Although I’ve read other books in this series my head was still spinning by the end of chapter one with all the characters and who married, who gave birth and so on. Although the story is good, this is not for the first time reader of her books. I like her style of writing, and her description of characters.

I am very much loving the in-depth character studies Ms. Balogh has been doing in the Ravenswood series, and Always Remember is my favorite so far (every time I’ve gone back to look over passages to write this review, I’ve ended up rereading the book). This is Ben and Jennifer’s story: two characters who both have seemed fairly content in previous works, but whose deeper emotions now have a chance to shine here. Both of them have stigmas that set them firmly apart from society: Ben’s illegitimacy and Jennifer’s disability, and both of them have learned to be somewhat self-effacing as a result, deliberately avoiding running afoul of the limitations those stigmas place on them. They are well aware that any romantic relationship between the sister and granddaughter of a duke and the illegitimate son of an earl would be unthinkable in the society in which they live, and it doesn’t even occur to them in the beginning. Their attraction therefore begins as a slightly uncomfortable association between two people related through their families, and grows into genuine friendship, all too rare in romance novels, which tend to rely on a sudden and powerful attraction between the hero and heroine, even those that don’t fall into an instant-love trope. This growth from uncomfortable relations-by-marriage to friends and then to something more is slow, but feels very natural, as does their loving families’ response to it. And their families do indeed love them, and want above all for the two of them not to be hurt, as well-meaning family members do, sometimes not seeing how their desire to protect their loved ones from hurting can instead stifle them. But that love from their families is genuine, and as Ben and Jennifer’s deep attachment grows, they see that their attempts to help the two, both individually and together, are hurting them, and change.

Family plays a huge part in this story: Ben’s desire to find out what he can about his mother’s side of the family, his efforts to keep his late wife’s memory alive for their daughter, and his hope to build a new family for them both, and Jennifer’s attempts to be less dependent on hers. Each of them can see the things the other is suppressing from their own families, and that serves as the catalyst which brings them together.

There are definite seeds of other family members’ romances here as well. It was nice to see Bertrand Lamarr, Vicount Watley, from the Westcott series, who has some experience himself with beloved family members who happen to be illegitimate, and there’s a sense that this will not be his only appearance in the series. But on one of my rereads, I also spotted a few clues that Clarissa, the Dowager Countess of Stratton, might get a second chance at happiness, as well. I’m looking forward to it.

I’ll close this overly long review with a note on the historic aspects of the story, which I also found fascinating. In our current times, the bar sinister—illegitimacy—is not much of a bar to anything, either legally or socially (inherited titles being one of the few exceptions), and certainly not much of a stigma. But in the time period of this story, it was horrendously scandalous and no respectable person would want to associate with someone who was born outside of wedlock. We’ve seen bastards in Ms. Balogh’s books before, but for the most part they were either children who were not fully faced with the impact it would have on their lives, or notably, the Westcotts, who learned the truth of their illegitimacy suddenly as adults, and then had to navigate their way through the fallout. In Ben, we have a character who grew up very aware of his precarious position in society, and we see how he constructed his life accordingly. Similarly, while Jennifer’s disease is unnamed, it’s fairly clear that she had polio, and in our modern world, with polio essentially eradiated, it’s easy to be unaware of just how devastating it could be. A former co-worker of mine, now passed on, was a polio survivor, who, like the fictional Jennifer, had a misshapen foot with one leg shorter than the other, and got around using a specially designed boot and a crutch. I’d worked with her for many years, but it wasn’t until reading this story, that I had a real sense of what she must have gone through. It’s the mark of a good story that makes us really think outside of our usual experiences, and kudos to Ms. Balogh for doing such a fantastic job of it in a book that many might dismiss as genre fiction.

Overall this book is a solid entry in this spinoff of the Westcott series. I always enjoy Mary Balogh's style and writing. This new series doesn't quite shine like the Westcott books did though.

Mary Balogh's writing is so similar to Grace Burrowes' style; every book they both write fall into their signature storytelling styles. Balogh's characters tend to be slightly unlikable for circumstantial reasons, yet by the end of the story you find yourself hardcore rooting for them both while hardcore identifying with their struggle to feel a sense of worth. This book grabbed me from the very beginning; I didn't put it down til I'd finished it.

Lady Jennifer can't walk due to a childhood illness, and Ben Ellis is a bastard son who has been left widowed with a precocious three-year-old daughter. Both of these characters begin the story as good people who lead good lives; really all they're missing is each other. Ben's daughter Joy nearly steals the story, she's so cute (and I love the little details Balogh adds, like how she always cuddles a stuffie when she's tired by putting the ear in her mouth).

This story is adorable and sweet.

Four strong stars.

*I received a review copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

This, in my opinion is the BEST one in the series yet, but still not the caliber of say the Bedwyn series, The Wescotts or the Simply series.

If you follow my reviews, you know the last book in the series left me BITTERLY disappointed.

But this one...oh my heart!

Lady Jennifer Arden and Ben Ellis know that a match between them is out of the question. She is the crippled sister of a duke and he is the bastard child of an Earl who was treated like family. At a summer party, they fall in love...
This slow burn sweetness was almost perfect.

The only issue i have with this book , was the endless chatter from the other characters points of views. Some of it was necessary to the storyline, but some of it was just extra.
and the endless description of every person and who they were...at times I was confused. I feel like there was too much emphasis on the secondary characters. And it took away from the story slightly.

Thank you to netgalley for the Arc. all opinions are my own.

Always Remember might be the best yet in the Ravenswood series by Mary Balogh. When Ben Ellis encounters Lady Jennifer the sister of the Duke of Wilby, his half-sister's husband, there are many challenges to their interactions. Lady Jennifer was crippled by a childhood illness that has left her unable to walk, although she tries to. Ben Ellis is the illegitimate son of the Earl of Stratton, who was raised with his legitimate children. Ben, a loving father to his small motherless daughter, is a problem solver. When he see Lady Jennifer's struggling attempt at walking, he approaches her with ideas that might increase her mobility and give her more independence. As their friendship and attraction develop both are warned that there is no possibility of a relationship between them. Will love win out? Read this lovely historical romance and see.

Thank you for giving us Jenny and Ben's story. It was refreshing to have a different take on the era. Balough's books always adhere to the rigid rules of the Ton and then bend at the end, Always Remember stayed true, but was a better read than some of her recent books.

Mary Balogh has long been one of my favorite authors. Steady, sexy, and satisfying historical romance.

Lovely story about two people who have different stations in life. The oldest son of a noble was raised with his half siblings. The daughter and sister of a duke falls in love with him and his adorable daughter Joy. I enjoyed the whole thing. I received a review copy from NetGalley and have left my opinion.

Always Remember is the third book in the Ravenswood series and I thought it was really sweet. It’s about Lady Jennifer Arden, sister of Lucas from Remember Me, and Ben, the half brother of Devlin from Remember Love. Jenny is in a wheelchair, the result of a childhood illness. Ben was brought to Ravenswood by his father after his mother died when he was young. Ben was a result of his father’s affair with another woman and I loved how Clarissa, his father’s wife accepted him and how he became close to and was loved by his half brothers and sister. He has a daughter, Joy, from a previous marriage when he was in the army and his wife died from an illness. He is looking for a new wife to be a mother to Joy.

Jenny and Ben meet at a summer house party at Ravenswood, when Ben sees Jenny trying to practice walking in private. It is really wonderful when he helps Jenny with a shoe and brace he designed. My favorite part is when he teaches her to drive a carriage and I could feel her happiness as she learned to try new things and became more independent. She in turn, helps Ben with a situation he is not sure how to respond to. He receives a letter in the mail from his mother’s side of the family, expressing an interest in him and he wonders what their intentions are. I won’t reveal more here.

Jenny was wary to open her heart after a brief crush last year from a handsome man who offered her marriage because of her dowry and who she decided not to marry. Ben worried that her family might not accept him because he is illegitimate.

It was fun to see the couples from the first two books in the series with their children but the hardest thing for me was remembering all of the names of the brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts and friends because there were so many in the story. It was wonderful watching Ben and Jenny (and little Joy) find love and happiness together. Thank you to NetGalley, Berkeley and the author for this ARC.

I’ve been a long time fan of Mary balogh, & I’ve enjoyed her attempts in recent years to diversify her characters. With that said, though, I believe balogh needs to engage in some learning about modern day disability communities & fat liberation, and to engage several sensitivity readers to help her craft more sensitively & affirmingly drawn characters. Her disability representation is not where I’d expect in 2023, nor is her depiction of the fat character. These characters are depicted with a lot of typical & harmful and outdated stereotypes. The author spends far, FAR too much focus on portraying these women as sort of dutiful, Mary sues who put a smiling face on their “suffering” so as not to allow their “suffering” to inconvenience any of their loved ones. ITs very uncomfortable how these characters are portrayed and I’m sorry to say I don’t think I’ll be able to continue with this author. I miss the days when the author gave us characters like Freya & Wulfric, flawed characters who felt fully realized as people, with the various strengths and weaknesses of character you would expect in a human. Now we seem to get women who are sort of portrayed as being downtrodden by society and yet perpetually “grin & bear it” until some man comes in and loves them “despite their disability/body size/socioeconomic status/reputation/etc”. Additionally, Balogh’s apparent commitment to having absolutely zero queer rep, or characters of color, not even in side characters, has become unacceptable to me. It’s 2023, I expect even historical romance to be doing a much better job of providing GOOD diverse rep throughout.