Mary Balogh is my favorite historical romance author and with good reason. She writes characters that are relatable in their imperfections and who aren't always what you expect to find within the pages of a romance book. And that is very much the case in Remember When.

Clarissa is nearing 50 and uncertain about what the next stage of her life will bring. Matthew is just past 50 and content with where he is at. Their romance is borne of a long-neglected friendship and the need to find out what who they are now that the first blush of young is in the past. It's not a fast-paced, flirty jaunt, nor is it an sexy, steamy laugh-out-loud romp. Rather, Remember When is a thoughtful look at what happens when everything changes around you and the comfort you once experienced is no longer to be found. The relationship between hero and heroine faces obstacles big and small—not the least of which is the constant well-meaning meddling they encounter—but the inexorable growth of their feelings for one another is underscored by the discovery that beyond youth is a life made all the richer by having experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows life has to offer.

Beautifully written and with some genuinely heartfelt moments, Remember When leaves behind it a hopeful warmth; one that says all is not over because a milestone age is reached or a mistake has seemingly been left too long to right, but that life is just beginning if only you are brave enough to look for it.

Remember When
by Mary Balogh
Pub Date: Jan 07 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Dowager Countess of Stratton, Clarissa Ware, née Greenfield, has just presented her younger daughter to the ton, and the rest of her life belongs only to herself. She returns to Ravenswood, intending to spend the summer alone there. But the summer has other plans for her.

Born a gentleman, Matthew Taylor has chosen to spend his life as the village carpenter. Growing up, he and Clarissa were close—dangerously so, considering his family’s modest fortune. As a young man, he never would have been a suitable match for the daughter of the wealthy Greenfields. Clarissa married Caleb Ware, the Earl of Stratton, so Matthew married another, though he was widowed soon after.

Now everything is different—Clarissa has already lived the life expected of her by society. And Matthew is as attractive and intriguing as he was when they were young. As their summer friendship deepens into romance, they stand together on the precipice of change—essentially the same man and woman they remember being back then, but with renewed passion and the potential to take their lives in an entirely new direction.

Remember When by Mary Balogh is a heartwarming second chance romance that had me rooting for both the hero and heroine. As both characters embark on a journey of self-discovery, the emotional depth of Matthew's transformation is particularly moving. Fans of Mary Balogh will be delighted by this latest installment, as it delivers a satisfying and captivating story.

Rekindling friendship with the one who got away, so to speak, is a wonderful plot and story in this particular book. They’re both in a transitional age and at a point in their life where they are ready to value their personal life as family members are raising their own family.

There are some wonderful pieces and points within the story that I can definitely relate to since the main characters are turning 50. It brings to mind how those around that age point want to look back in the past, slow down a bit, and find their peace. I loved that whole portion of the story.

I also love the rekindling of the friendship and the growing carefree love. Both of the characters were so sweet and I love their interactions and the love story between them. It was something that had never gone away. I am a sucker for a second chance at romance.

But there were some parts that really got to me in terms of a lot of repetition. Age was pounded into our heads. Family drama over the fact that the main female lead wanted to find her own space was a major part of the story. The number of characters tended to be close to overwhelming, especially since I had not read prior stories.

There was some family drama with Matthew and misunderstandings that need to be corrected and I simply loved the ending where everything came together. Balogh is a genius in the slow, comfortable romance growth, full of sweetness and caring.

If you read this series, you’re probably going to love this ending story. Remember When will spark that “what if” internal dialogue and that can be a good thing.

I love the way Balogh brings her characters together to remind us of past books, and manages to make each story fresh.
The book begins with Clarissa, age 17 (who will become the mother of the characters in previous books) meeting for the last Matthew Taylor, 18. They have been best friends throughout childhood and are a little in love, but Clarissa tells him she will be married to the Earl of Stratten.
30 years pass and we have seen the in many of the books. We learn Matthew's 'fascinating backstory.
Clarissa has been a widow for 6 years, and all her children are grown. She comes back to her estate to find herself as she turns 50. This is the second or third older couple book in the series, and as an older woman I appreciate these stories.
Clarissa is trying to be alone, but her children keep visiting, not quite believing her. Once rumors of her growing relationship with Matthew get back to her children, they try to convince her even more to come visit.
Mathew and Clarissa have always understood each other and this understanding is needed for both of them, as it seems they are at a crossroads in their lives.
Balogh is always a slow, comfortable read full of love. I have been reading her for years and truly appreciate her thoughtful writing.
I highly recommend this series.
I received an EARC from Netgalley and the publisher, and this is my honest review.

I love a good second chance romance and I wish I could say I love this book more, but l just didn’t. This was way too slow paced, there wasn’t much of a point of conflict, the angst level was low, and the steam level was low. I think it’s nice that it featured older characters in their 50s, but I wish there was more meat to this, no matter how true to life it may be. This might have been better as a novella but 269 pages was alot. Nice for those who want closure on the Ravenswood saga.

REMEMBER WHEN is book number four in the <i>Ravenswood,/i> Regency era historical romance from long-time author Mary Balogh. Balogh was one of my gateway romance authors way back in the day. Her writing has matured over the years, and has become even gentler and more introspective. I stopped reading Anne Perry Victorian mysteries a decade ago because Perry stories became repetitive monologues musing about morals and social mores, and I feel like Balogh has hit that stage now too. Perhaps this is a function of age and/or years of writing?

Not much happens in REMEMBER WHEN. This is a second chance romance between two middle-aged individuals. The romance is gentle and sweet. There is very little conflict. But there is a lot of navel-gazing. I quickly grew wearied of the endless musings about life changes and what makes one happy.

The best part of this book, as with all of Balogh’s books, is the large cast of characters, family and acquaintances, who each get their own book in the series. The heroine here is the mother of children who have already found their Happily Ever After in previous books (and one who will get her HEA in the next book, the youngest daughter Jennifer).

It is refreshing to have an older heroine, as so many romances feature hot young women in their twenties. Mature characters are always appreciated, especially as I age myself! The hero went off to find himself in foreign lands for several decades, and there’s a loose and reductive inclusion of mindfulness and Eastern meditation in REMEMBER WHEN. This series has been hit or miss for me, and Balogh’s REMEMBER WHEN is firmly in the miss column for me. Hopefully the next book will be more lively and less introspective.

In this installment of The Ravenswood series we get to find out what is in the future for Clarissa, the Dowager Countess of Stratton. It is really nice to see a mother later in life find what she wants in life and find her happiness. I don't always like the later in life romance because so often the back story is sad. Even with that I still really enjoyed this story. Getting to see Clarissa and Matthew find their way to each other was so touching and sweet. If you love Mary Balogh books you will not be disappointed. If you haven’t read any of her books I would definitely pick up one and giving it a try.

This was a sweet book. I’m sometimes wary of the later in life romances but this was done very well. The two main characters are multifaceted and three dimensional. I enjoyed it.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Clarissa is looking forward to the peace and quiet of Ravenswood. She is not excited about turning fifty. She meets Matthew who she was friends with when they were younger. I liked the chemistry between them.

"Remember When" by Mary Balogh is the 4th book in the Ravenswood Series. This time around we learn Clarissa's ( the Dowager Countess Stratton) story. What lies ahead for a soon-to-be 50 year old widow whose children are all grown and whose social responsibilities have been handed off to her daughter-in-law, the current Countess of Stratton? Delve into this tale of a middle aged woman who is trying to determine her place and purpose in this new phase of her life.. Maybe even be open to a second chance at love. Fans of Mary Balogh will enjoy this.

A lovely second chance romance featuring childhood friends Clarissa and Matthew, who separated as teenagers when she married into the aristocracy and he left the country for a decade and returned as a woodworker. Now both widowed, the two reconnect when Clarissa comes home to spend a summer alone at her estate. Are they going to have another chance at love, or are they just courting scandal?

Like most of Balogh's books, this one has a lot of talking. I know real people repeat themselves and talk about the same things over and over, but we didn't necessarily need to see that play out in real time in this book. Often a character will remember a past event in their mind, and then tell the other person about it in detail. We don't need both.

That being said, it's a pleasure to see main characters over the age of 25 in a romance. Although Matthew and Clarissa are only 50 or so, but they've lived full lives by the time they find each other again.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

What are you going to do with your third act? That is the question Clarissa is asking now that her youth and raising her children are behind her.

Clarissa is trying to disconnect from her family and find herself now that her role in society has altered. Matthew is trying to connect with his family long lost to the misunderstandings of impulsive youth.

After a recent health battle, I could relate to a lot of the internal monologues and discussions between Clarissa and Matthew; after traumatic events, how do you reinvent yourself or find yourself again?

Several thoughts of Clarissa’s that hit hard with me -
-she looks into a mirror, even though she knows her chronological age, she sometimes still sees that young girl she used to be
-when she thinks about how she may have dreamed her way through life as if it was something that happened to her rather than something that was intentional
-how she needs to begin to enjoy her life rather than having the compulsion to always be doing something useful, always trying to please and behave as expected

Seasoned romance, second chance romance, and really a maturation or continuation of a young love…this book is Mary Balogh at her best.

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

Mary Balogh is one of my favorite historical romance authors ever and this series is such an easy read that makes me happy!

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.