Reginald Mason is handsome and wealthy, but his father made his fortune from coal mines and he is not a member of the upper class. Lady Annabelle Ashton is the daughter of a very haughty Earl and is about to become betrothed to a Duke until she tries to elope with a footman. Despite the fact that their fathers are enemies, Reginald and Annabelle find themselves forced into an arranged marriage.
Their story is told both in the present as well as in flashbacks to their childhoods when they were neighbors who weren't allowed to even acknowledge one another. As with all of Balogh's stories, the eventual happily-ever-after is never in doubt. However she has way of creating characters with depth that you can't help rooting for and the plots are never quite as predictable as you assume and she manages to throw in a surprise twist before the ending. A Matter of Class is a fun and lighthearted escape to the Regency Era.
#NetGalley #AMatterofClass

'A Matter of Class' was a sweet, well-paced novella that covered the tale of aristocratic Anna and new-money Reggie, whose families, despite being neighbours, have a very cold and distant history. The story was filled with great banter between the two, and honestly, I actually enjoyed the length of the story because I felt like it didn’t have the filler of the “will they won’t they” game. The flashbacks also added another dimension to the story as well as to the nature of the characters, Anna and Reggie. Now, CAN WE TALK ABOUT THAT TWIST??? I’ll admit—I was not expecting that, and it actually caught me so off guard that my mouth was hanging open for a solid five minutes. Overall, this book felt like how I would enjoy a warm cup of tea—cosy vibes, a paced-out period of enjoyment, and a smile on my face. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and is looking for a quick but unique read!

Thank you to Hachette Books and Mary Balogh for this ARC of 'A Matter of Class' in exchange for my honest review. This review was published on both Goodreads and NetGalley (12/5).

This was a sweet short romance and just what I needed! Mary Balogh is one of my favorite regency romance writers! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was so clever and sweet. It’s a short read but has such cozy vibes and Balogh always brings the feels. Unfortunately some of her feels involve painful sex, which I would love if she’d stop doing. Who told her that sex needed to hurt? Foreplay is your friend Mary, either close the door on the sex scenes or teach your heroes about cunnilingus. This is actually one author I would encourage to try some plagiarism and steal the smut from someone else. I’m giving this 4.5 stars because I deduct a half star for the following quote: But it was pain that was also pleasure. And desire.
Anyhoo, this book was originally published in 2009 and I believe she is rereleasing it as I got it from NetGalley as an arc.
Skip the sex scene and it’s a nice, cute read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I'd heard of the author but had never read her work before, and let me say that I fully adored this novella.

So many historical romances I've read recently haven't been written in a way that would be more true of the time, and this was. I was very impressed with the writing and storytelling talent.

I can't write anything about the storyline without giving up too much, so I'll just add that it was a joy to read.

I also can't believe that it took me this long to read Ms Balogh and I will definitely be reading more of her books!


Thank you to Hachette Books and NetGalley for the DRC!

Absolutely loved this! Such a great twist on your typical romance of this time period. My only complaint is that it read more like a short story. I could have taken it being a full on 200-300 page book.

Mary Balogh writes in the gentle romance style of Georgette Heyer and this short novella, originally published in 2009, is among her best. It has nice pacing, strong characters, and a cute twist at the end. Yes, most will figure out the twist about midway but that doesn't lessen the enjoyment.

Story: Reggy Mason is the 25 year old wealthy son of a coal entrepreneur. Although extremely wealthy, his family with their northern accent and ways are shunned by regency society, even though Reggy has gone to the best schools. His next door neighbor, Annabelle Ashton, daughter of the Earl of Havercroft, has just found herself disgraced after attempting to run off with a handsome footman. Reggy's father has finally found his way into high society now that the impoverished Earl desperately needs his daughter to save him from ruin. A marriage is hastily arranged between the two - but can it actually work?

The story is quick and told in alternating POVs: Anna and Reggy. Reggy is enjoying his single life and Anna is smarting from her humiliation at being caught running away from an arranged marriage to save her father. Every other chapter gives us past glimpses as both come into contact with each other over years at a secret place near a river separating their two estates.

In all, definitely a lovely and quick read from a smartly told romance. You'll fall for these two by the end despite both seeming to be wasting their life in the beginning. There is a Q&A with the author as well as a reader discussion section at the end. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Two who want to be together but class makes it impossible. Of course they find a way.. it might surprise you when everything is revealed. This is a reprint of a story from 2010. I read it then so knew what was going on from the first.

This was a sweet, fast read with a wonderful twist at the end. That twist is somewhat predictable, but still so incredibly delightful!

Annabelle and Reggie are neighbors who meet in the woods as children. They become friends despite their fathers hating each other. As an adult, Annabelle is embroiled in a scandal and her [now nearly bankrupt] father needs her to marry quickly to save her reputation and their finances.

This is a great introduction to Mary Balogh. It's a short, enjoyable read!

I remember reading this many years ago and really liking it! The new cover looks absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to recommend it to my romance-loving patrons.

I loved this story from beginning to end when I first read it years ago, and I’m so thrilled it got a gorgeous cover update! This romance is definitely one of the most clever books I’ve ever read and highly recommend to any book lover.