This book was offered as a free read on NetGalley.com. Since I have been a fan of the author's for a long time, I requested the book, but was surprised when my request was actually accepted, since her publisher has been turning down my requests for the last couple years. As I started reading, I thought that it sounded very familiar and realized by looking at the publishing date, that I had read it back in 2010. I enjoyed it immensely the first time I read it and found it just as delightful this time. There is a family feud between two next door neighbors. Their children, both only children, nevertheless secretly become friends, even though the boy is a few years older than the girl. When they grow up, realizing that their parents would never allow it, they cook up a scheme so they will be forced to marry. Delicious!

Lady Annabelle disgraces her father an earl by running off with a simpleton instead of marrying the man her father prepared for her. Reginald Mason is gambling and running around spending an obscene amount of money and his father has had enough. When he hears of the Earls problems he tells Reggie he must propose ti the Earls daughter. Both are in an impossible situation they can not get out of.
I'm not usually a fan of historical romance but this story held my attention. I really felt for both Anna and Reggie. I loved the past chapters and how we really get a great back story of both main characters. The ending was perfect. I'll definitely be looking at this authors backlist to read.

What a lovely surprise it was to me that this wasn’t a newly released story but a re-released print. I’m so glad it was otherwise I wouldn’t have heard about this charming story.

The character development is so wonderfully done in this story. It’s impossible to not fall in love with them.

Historical fiction and romance, two of my favorites and this one is top tier.

I’m so in love with them I’m crawling out of my skin. This novella was so charming and clever. I reread it immediately after finishing it for the first time.

Sorry NetGalley I appreciate the opportunity to read this however ( my opinion and mine alone) this was not my cup of tea. It was written nice I just wasn’t enjoying it.

Another classic sensual historical romance! Though it feels like a usual marriage-of-convenience story, Mary Balogh turns it around at the end and it's delicious! Brava!

In this fun and racy Regency romance novel, readers join Reginald Mason, the son of a wealthy businessman, and Lady Annabelle Ashton, the daughter of the Earl of Havercroft, in the days before their arranged marriage is meant to occur. Reginald’s father wants to move up the social ladder while Lady Annabelle has a large dowry and scandalously attempted to elope with her father’s carriage driver instead of marrying a titled lord. Threatened with being cut off from the family fortune, Reginald agrees to marry Annabelle, except that they hate each other and are openly antagonistic with each other every time they are in the same room. A spicy, scandalous Regency romance with similarities to Julia Quinn’s books, fans of Bridgerton will definitely enjoy Balogh’s latest novel. Reginald and Annabelle are complicated and fiery characters who continue to rebel against their assigned social roles in ways which make this novel unpredictable. With all the hallmarks of a classic Regency romance, there are just enough differences in this story to keep readers from predicting the twists and the ending of the novel. Fans of the subgenre in need of some enemies-to-lovers and a quick read between books will definitely enjoy watching Reginald and Annabelle’s romance progress.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

Wow, did not see that ending coming at all! After the last chapter, I had to go back and reread to see all the subtle clues that I missed the first read through.

I kind of think of this book as the Romeo and Juliet that didn't end in tragedy and actually has a great HEA.

Annabelle's family was not allowed to look or talk to Reginald's family as they were not in the same class (hint - see the book title) so the two family patriarchs hated each other while the rest of the family had to follow the rules set forth.

Until Annabelle runs off with the "help" and ends up ruined - the potential suitor has withdrawn his courtship and there are no other options open for this ruined lady. Of course, Reginald's father wants to get his son in with the upper class and this is his chance to make it happen.

Without giving any surprises away, the two young people are marched to the altar and married. While Annabelle's father still is not accepting this upstart family, the rest of the family is allowed to interact with each other now - and the two mothers are so much fun to watch as they interact and become friends.

Then, you read the last chapter and is it a shock - well, maybe some of you figured it out but I didn't!!

Always looking for the next book by this author and have not been disappointed.

When Reginald Mason is summoned home for an immediate audience with his father, the young gentleman knows he has pushed his recent spendthrift ways considerably over the limit. Sure enough, his enraged father Bernard tosses out an ultimatum - Reggie must offer for the hand of the disgraced Lady Annabelle Ashton or be thrown out on his ear without a farthing to his name. Annabelle's elopement with the new groom had failed miserably and now she must pay a high price.

Thus begins Reggie and Annabelle's antagonistic engagement that soon has friends, relatives and the Regency ton speculating. Though only novella length, this crisp, witty, and atmospheric Regency romp packs a lively, solid punch.

A rather staid work on childhood friends from different classes developing romantic feelings for one another that would be wholly repudiated by the upper crust parents of the girl but wholly desired by the lower class parents of the boy. They conspire to perpetrate a fraud to induce the parents to come to approve the union of the families in the successful conclusion to the scheme. Well done.

As the title indicates, this is a class difference/forced marriage/friends to lovers troupes. It’s all been done hundreds of times before. So what sets this one apart from the others? It’s the unique presentation of the story. It covers many of the times in Anna’s and Reggie’s relationship. Many don’t care for stories done with flashbacks, but that is the style Mary Balogh has chosen here. There is the current timeline handling the forced marriage of Annabelle and Reginald. We get that in four segments. But we also get flashbacks of their building relationship from early childhood until one year before they are engaged. These alternate from chapter to chapter so there’s no blurring between timelines. So that’s the premise and formatting of the book.

Things that worked for me:
1) It would seem that having three troupes would be a little messy and confusing. But Mary Balogh made it all work seamlessly. They blend well with each other.
2) I found that I could believe each segment; to a point. But it is fair to say that the fathers were written a little over the top.
3) There was enough character development (for a novella) to give me a sense of knowing/understanding the main actors. The book focuses on four characters; Anna, Reggie and their fathers. They are fleshed out just enough to make the story work. There is virtually no background for any of the others.
4) Oh, the conclusion of the book! I never saw it coming. I don’t think any reader would. It lifts it above the standard HEA. That in itself is worth the price of admission.

What didn’t work for me:
1) Reggie’s father is middle-class rich and hates the aristocracy. Anna’s father is the textbook aristocrat and despises anyone below his class. But the differences are painted quite extreme; perhaps enough so to annoy the reader.
2) Virtually no time was spent fleshing out the mothers. I would have liked to see a little more of their characters.
3) There is not much background development of anyone other than Anna and Reggie. I know that it’s their story, but the rest seemed a little seemed incomplete. Perhaps I should expect that since this is a novella. But Mary has always seemed to be better at character development.
The Verdict: This was a solid 3 star read. But the conclusion gave it an extra star. Again, you will never see it coming; at least I didn’t. That left me very satisfied with the story. Yes, it’s on my reread shelf.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! I was constantly surprised as facets of the characters were unveiled. I was eager for each layer of the story to unfold. I was totally caught off guard with the ending. It was a fun, fast read.

This is a story that is clever in its construction and is full of surprises.

I didn't realize that I had already read this story when I requested the arc, as it is being republished with a different cover. When I started reading this story I immediately remembered the twist and how much I enjoyed it. Diving in a second time did not hinder my enjoyment and it was a different experience going into the story and being able to read deeper into the nuance of words and actions.

This is a sweet romance and I highly recommend it to fans of historical romances who are looking for a different spin on a classic trope.

Thank you Hachette Books for the opportunity to respond to this story. All opinions are my own.

Bernard Mason is a self-made man. His son, Reginald, 25, has a good education and now enjoys all of the trappings of a gentleman. Bernard feels it is time that Reginald gets married and settles down. The family lives in a large country estate called Wiltshire which borders on the estate of the Earl of Hovercraft. As Bernard is not part of the ton and despite his wealth, he has not been accepted by society. It turns out that the Earl’s daughter, Lady Annabelle Ashton, had been caught as she was trying to run off with the coachman. Now, her father tells her that she will marry Reginald and she has no say-so.

Both Reginald and Annabelle reluctantly agree to wed and the plans go on. Hopefully, their union will solve some of the animosity between the two families.

This is a great story and there is one big secret that is being kept that makes the reader smile at the ending. So, come enjoy it. Well done.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Reissuing a classic Mary Balogh Novella

I love Mary Balogh's books and thoroughly enjoyed reading A Matter of Class. Since it's the reissue of a classic novella, you will see many reviews from 10+ years ago. However, time has not diminished the fun of this plot. I highly recommend this as a quick, diverting read, even as a 'starter' Mary Balogh/romance/regency novella.

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time-limited e-arc via Netgalley. This review is optional and my own opinion.

It's a perfect novella. I'm not going to attempt to summarize the book or say too much because I don't want to reveal everything about it. It's a short, well paced read that you absolutely won't regret picking up.
Thank you to Hachette for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

A tale of two families!

Two families sharing a boundary at odds with each other. The hint as to why is wrapt up neatly in the title.
One a haughty lord, the Earl of Havercroft, who has forbidden his wife and child to even look at the other family. Difficult, as that sat on opposite sides, adjacent to each other every Sunday morning!
The other is a wealthy coal merchant, who is kind and loud.His family’s social status is far from that of the beau monde.
However the Earl’s daughter Lady Annabelle ran away with their groom and quite disgraced herself. (And yes, there’s a story here)
Society has shunned her, the Earl’s pockets are to let. What to do?
Meanwhile the son and heir of the wealthy merchant, Reginald Mason, has driven his father to distraction with his racketty ways. His father’s finally threatened him with marriage, or struggle without funds.
So a situation that could perhaps suit all concerned has turned up. Mmm haughty insolvent lord meets his nemesis, the bouncy softhearted (mostly) upstart.
Just how are things going to come about? What hidden treats will come to light?
Another lively regency romance from Mary Balogh.

A Hachette ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

I received an ARC for this book but the views expressed here reflect my own, independent opinions.

I'm a Mary Balogh fan. I've loved her writing for years. There's a complexity and depth to it that I enjoy, especially in her later work. This book struck me from the beginning as reminiscent of her earlier work and so I did some research and learned that is a re-release. That makes sense. It's a little more shallow and reads more like a Bridgerton than a Ravenswood.

That said, there's nothing wrong with that, but I wanted to warn Mary Balogh readers because I went into it expecting a drama and was surprised that it wasn't. It's a rom-com, light and frothy and a great break from reading The Trees (which is fantastic and thought-provoking and occasionally funny in a dark way, but NOT light). It's an easy 4. 5 star read and I debated a long time about making it 5. Still there were a couple of things that made me knock off half a point.

It lost a half-star because the first half felt a little drawn out and lackluster. It took about 50 percent of the book before I began to care about the characters. Now mind you, I got to 50 percent fast, but neither character had much depth in the beginning. While that changes, I wish the author had some more upfront because I was a little annoyed by them and the situation of their own making. And honestly, I just didn't like the main male character, Reggie, and found the main female character a bit of an idiot.

Still, at about 50 percent, I started rooting for them. The book does a bit of a back and forth between the past and the present, which always me think there's going to be a tragic backstory, but this isn't that kind of book. This is the very definition of a rom-com and because it's a Mary Balogh, it's a good one. I usually prefer the tragic backstory ones but every now and then I like the froth and fun, and this is an excellent book in that category. And that's not to say that there isn't emotion in this. The lonely little girl, the snotty rich kid. They seem to grow up a little too quickly though. Well her a little less- she has no choice, like many a woman before and after her. Whereas in his case, you get the definite feeling he could have walked away and been just fine. So the growth feels abrupt and maybe a little inauthentic, but it makes him much more likable.

That sounds like I don't think it's a 4.5 star book, but i do (and rounded it up to 5 because i can't do 4.5 stars here). I liked it all the way through and then I really loved the last quarter of it. Loved it so much that it was about 4 stars before that and went to 4.5. It's always a good book when I close it with a huge smile on my face.

This short novella by Mary Balogh is absolutely charming. Reggie and Anna, forced into marriage by manipulative parents, are a brilliant couple. Enjoy this little glimpse of Regency England written by a master of the craft.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

So glad that this lovely novella is getting a second chance for more readers to enjoy.

There is a loose tie into another book series. But this novella focuses on Annabelle "Anna" and Reginald "Reggie." Reggie is happy being a scoundrel and wasting his father's hard earned money. They are not titled, but wealthy. His father forces his hand to wed Anna. Anna was unequivocally ruined when an elopement failed. These two have been neighbors and sort of friends and there is a mild twist.

Enjoy Mary Balogh and her novella showcases all her writing talents in a smaller package.
Recommend.