I have to confess that when I read Remember Love, the first book in the Mary Balogh’s Ravenswood series, I was possibly less fond of Clarissa, for sending her son away when he’d been trying to defend her honor, than I was of Caleb, her husband, whose infidelity (really, infidelities) had started the tragedy that set up this series. Although Clarissa and Devlin made up in that book, and have moved on, I was intrigued to see if this book would deal with that break at all, and was pleased to see that it did. Forgiving is not the same thing as forgetting, nor is the process of rebuilding after a major breakdown such as happened between Clarissa and Devlin as easy as saying the words “I’m sorry,” and “I forgive you.” I appreciated that, as in real life, even though Clarissa and Devlin had genuinely made up and moved forward, Clarissa’s actions that day haunt her still, as she continues to work on forgiving herself.

Matthew has his own family issues and genuine forgiveness to work through in this book, and I liked how their experiences forgiving others and themselves brought them closer together. Of the two of them, he seems to be more sure of himself, a marked change from the scenes of their shared childhood, yet they instinctively lean on one another for support. His quiet but ongoing grief for his late wife and daughter, even as he is growing closer to Clarissa, is something we rarely see in romance novels, and I found his comment about the guilt a man feels when his wife dies in childbirth to be both powerful and moving.

I loved the slow burn of their revived friendship turning into something much deeper, as Clarissa explored life as a widowed “empty nester”. It was sweetly gradual, with renewed affection between Clarissa and Matthew developing into a genuine love. The reactions of her family, first to her wanting to be alone, and then to finding out she was possibly being importuned by the village carpenter, were perfect. Ben’s response in particular, especially given what he and Jennifer went through in the previous book, was beautiful, and I loved seeing how despite not being related by blood, they truly are mother and son. (Ben’s daughter Joy continues to live up to her name and be an absolute joy to read about, and having watched her grow from a baby to an exuberant five-year-old, I’m glad we have three more books to spend with her.)

It’s been nice seeing “older” couples finding their chance at love in Ms. Balogh’s books over the last few years. We had Claudia and Joseph in Simply Perfect, Eleanor and Michael in Another Dream, Viola and Marcel in Someone to Care, Matilda and Charles in Someone to Remember, and now Clarissa and Matthew here. I’ve grown up with Ms. Balogh’s books, reading them in college, (when I was the same age as most romance heroines), putting her books aside for a while, and picking them up again within the last ten years. Like Clarissa, I turned 50 this year, and it’s good to read about heroes and heroines who aren’t just ingénues. At the same time, speaking from the experience of middle age, it’s a blessing to watch as children grow into adulthood, and I’m looking forward to reading Nicholas’, Owen’s, and Steph’s (and perhaps, as he keeps popping up, Bertrand’s) stories as well.

The "Remember" series reads like a best of Mary Balogh's most beloved tropes, this time it's second chance love and finding/being true to oneself. Nothing much happens in these novels beyond two people being in love, but they're lovely to read nonetheless.

Mary Balogh's readers (and all romance readers who enjoy traditional Regency-era stories that are not too steamy) will truly enjoy hearing Clarissa's story. Clarissa is the soon-to-turn-50 Dowager Countess Stratton, the mother and sister of characters who have had their stories told in previous books in this series. She has been widowed for six years, and finds herself at a personal crossroads. She has lived the first half of her life dutifully, as a wife, mother and countess, and is loved and respected by all. Although basically happy, she wants to take some time to herself to figure out what she wants to do for the rest of her life, now that she is relatively free from obligations. She reconnects with Matthew Taylor, her dear childhood friend, who although born a gentleman, now works as the village carpenter. The two slowly and thoughtfully navigate their fledgling relationship, nurturing it, questioning it, watching it grow naturally. A very romantic story I look forward to recommending!

I couldn't wait to get my hands on Clarissa's story.

And I want to say im on the fence kind of about this one.
On the one hand, Mary Balogh did an awesome job showing the friendship between our two main characters. But it was wordy. OMG. And while i appreciated it, it was almost like eavesdropping on someone's conversation but i can't quite decide if it was a good or a bad thing.
I loved loved loved seeing a love story between two characters closer to my own age. But my goodness, almost 50 year olds and over 50 year olds don't have....sexy times on the hard ground without some discomfort lol.

All in all I m still looking forward to Stephanie's story ( with the Twin if Im not mistaken ) , but i'll be happy to read the stories of the other siblings as well.

3/5
Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own

Remember When, Clarissa’s Story is the next title in the Ravenswood series by Mary Balogh. This is an emotionally complex story. The main characters are mature adults at a point in life when things are changing. Clarissa, the Dowager Countess of Stratton, has mourned her cheating husband and raised her children, recently launching the youngest into society. She returns to the family estate alone intending to spend time evaluating what she has done and deciding how she would like to move forward. She encounter’s Matthew Taylor, who although raised as a gentleman, is making his living as the village carpenter. They had been raised on neighboring estates as children and developed a constant friendship that was on the brink of turning into a romantic relationship. Clarissa’s parents arranged a prestigious marriage for her, thus ending the friendship. Although both had married someone else, when they meet again the old attraction begins again. They spend time together, supporting each other through changes in their lives, and the romance flourishes. This is a lovely second chance romance story. Balogh examines several midlife issues such as empty nest, loneliness, change of direction, relationships with adult children, and familial reconciliation, with her usual skill and sympathy. This is a very well-constructed and satisfying read. Strongly recommended.

Refreshing to read a romance with the main characters close to my age. Some parts were a bit slow and wordy. Overall, a lovely book to read.

Love love love Mary Balogh books! I was delighted to see the next title in this series would be about the matriarch - Clarissa! (Although there are characters from the other books mentioned, you don't need to have read the other books to read this one - the author does a fantastic job with this). I loved this second chance romance book! Clarissa and Matthew's romance is so sweet! Looking forward to more!

An absolutely captivating read! This angsty historical romance featuring Clarissa and Matthew, is beautifully written with deeply emotional storytelling. The author's prose effortlessly immerses you in their world, allowing you to feel every heartfelt moment of their tumultuous love story. It's a book that stays with you, painting a vivid picture of love and longing in a bygone era. Highly recommending to anyone who enjoys heartfelt historical romances.

Remember When is the 4th book in Mary Balogh's Ravenswood series. We first meet Clarissa, the Dowager Countess of Stratton in Devlin's book when her husband's infidelity at the annual Ravenswood fete is discovered by Devlin and sends shock-waves through the family and the community. This book picks up years later after Clarissa has launched her baby (Stephanie) into Society and suddenly finds herself on the brink of turning 50 and questioning how the rest of her life will play out. She goes home to Ravenswood for the summer to be by herself and discover who she is now that she is no longer just a wife and mother.
Matthew Taylor and Clarissa were best friends until the day she became betrothed to the Earl of Stratton. Both had been a little bit in love with the other, but Clarissa did what was expected of her and became a countess. Matthew left the country for ten years and came back to settle as the town's carpenter though he was a gentleman's son. Clarissa wants that friendship back and contacts Matthew about building a crib for her another grandchild as a pretext.
This book is a sweet second chance romance that has the reader cheering for both the hero and heroine. Both characters go on a journey of self-discovery that is especially poignant for Matthew. Mary Balogh fans will not be disappointed with this latest installment.
*Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the eArc in exchange for an honest review.

This is my favorite book in the Ravenswood series so far! It’s Clarissa’s story (Devlin’s mother, The Dowager Countess of Stratton) and it’s very sweet.

Clarissa has returned to Ravenswood after a season in London, where she presented Stephanie, her youngest daughter. Stephanie has gone to Pippa and Luke’s home to help her sister in her confinement. Clarissa has been longing for peace and quiet and some time alone. When she is back home in Ravenswood, she goes to see Matthew, her childhood friend, who is a wood carver (and a gentleman) and she commissions him to make a beautiful crib for Jennifer and Ben (Always Remember). The descriptions of Matthew’s carvings sound incredible.

Clarissa and Matthew were close when they were young but went on to marry others and are now both widowed. Now, thirty years later, they enjoy spending the summer going for long walks with each other. Clarissa dreams of having her own cottage near Ravenswood. Matthew has been thinking about his older brother Reginald (Reggie) who he has been estranged from for years. They had a difficult father that was hard on Matthew and something happened between Matthew and Reggie to cause Matthew to leave and never return. There is a theme of forgiveness in this book that was lovely. Clarissa turns fifty in the fall so the main characters are older which was fun. We get to see many characters from the earlier books in the series coming to Ravenwood to visit Clarissa. This was a nice, gentle read and I adored it.