I consider Mary Balogh the current queen of historical romance writing. I read Someone to Love and immediately followed it with Someone to Hold. The book was amazing. She took an uptight, nasty woman and turned her into a loving caring woman. I found it amusing that the man that did fall in love with her many times referred to her as "the amazon". This book make me laugh but at the same time I felt heartbreak for Camille and all that life had dealt to her. I was happy that Joel was able to see through her wall and bring her the happiness that she deserved. I am definitely looking forward to more books in this series and as always, I will highly recommend Mary Balogh to my patrons.

Balogh continues to satisfy with her strong, well-developed characters and genuinely anguished but dependable conflicts that have plausible resolution. Loved this book - will await the next one in the series anxiously!!

Someone to Hold is the second book in Mary Balogh’s Westcotts series. It can be read as a standalone, however due to reoccurring characters and a continuing story arc, it would probably be best to start with the first book, Someone to Love.

Lady Camille Westcott always strived to be perfect; a perfect daughter, lady, and fiancée. However her world is turned upside down when it is discovered her parents were never legally married making her illegitimate. The former Lady, now a mere miss, with her engagement over, finds herself a social outcast. Wanting a fresh start Camille takes a job to make a new life for herself, starting on a path of growth and self discovery. It is not always easy, but she finds within herself a whole range of emotions she had never before experienced.
Joel is an easy going artist who takes an instant dislike to Camille. Yet as they continue to spend more time together, Joel can’t help but come to understand and admire her. Joel’s fortunes also take an unexpected twist leading him to make some self assessments of his own.

I enjoyed the self reflection and growth shown in the story. I started out not caring for Camille, but after understanding her motivations better I found myself rooting for her. If you enjoy historical romances, this one will be sure to please.

*ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review*

Note: this review may contain spoilers.

Balogh's most recent work is a brilliant, lovely read about having your world collapse around you and having to find the strength and self-sufficiency to go on.

Camille Westcott watched as, with her father's death and the reveal of his first, un-annulled marriage, her entire life came crashing down. Once the daughter of an Earl, she (and her sister) is now a bastard, shunned by Society and forced to take refuge with her grandmother in Bath. Pushed by her circumstance and her own drive to determine who she is now, she begins teaching at the local orphanage.

Joel Cunningham teaches art twice a week at the orphanage and finds the new teacher intriguing. When he's commissioned by Camille's grandmother to paint portraits, he and Camille find themselves pushed together more and more often. As Camille learns who she is, and Joel watches her develop an identity beyond her Societal role, they discover love.

I will admit that this book takes a long time to ramp up. There's a lot of background, family, and social drama to cover before Camille can begin teaching, and before she and Joel can meet and eventually be pushed together. However, once the novel kicks off properly, the rest of the book is like the caress of a perfect late-spring breeze: refreshing, warm, and exactly what one needed without realizing. I loved watching Camille find her backbone, her place, and her sense of self, and I also loved her making her peace with her half-sister. I also loved how we got to see her struggles from her POV, as well as watch her self-actualization from Joel's perspective.

I don't have enough words; this book was breathtaking and lovely.

Camille Westcott lost almost everything when it was discovered her late father was already legally married when he wed her mother, thereby rendering her illegitimate. Her newly discovered half-sister from her father’s legal marriage has inherited the bulk of his estate, and Camille is now living in Bath with her maternal grandmother. While her new half-sister Anna has offered to share in her fortune with her siblings, neither Camille nor her brother or sister will accept her generosity.

Yet Camille still has an unwelcome curiosity about Anna, as well as an unexplained need to prove she can take care of herself. She ends up securing Anna’s old job and room at the orphanage where Anna grew up. There she meets Joel Cunningham, who was Anna’s lifelong best friend. Joel was not someone who Camille would likely have encountered in her past life, but now their stations in life are identical and the two form an unlikely bond.

Mary Balogh is one author who can continue to succeed at writing fresh and original stories despite her impressive backlist of work. Camille and Joel’s romance is a unique tale about two people who were once unlikely to meet but first become colleagues and then improbable friends. Despite Camille still having the support of all her extended family throughout her reversal of fortune, she finds herself turning to Joel for support and then remarkably, finds herself falling in love.

Camille was an unlikeable character in Balogh’s previous novel Someone to Love, which introduced the Westcotts and their new family member Anna Snow. She remains rather unlikeable for the beginning of Someone to Hold. But gradually readers are given further insight and understanding into how Camille is struggling to make sense of her world that has completely turned upside down, and readers will be impressed by her inner strength and her determination to create a new life for herself.

In contrast, Joel is a thoroughly likeable character. Against all odds, and knowing how Camille has refused to acknowledge her relationship with Anna - his dearest friend - he still finds himself drawn to Camille. As she gradually begins to turn to him for support, he finds himself doing the same when a new discovery also rocks the world he has always known.

By the time Camille and Joel are ready to acknowledge their feelings for each other, readers will be firmly in their corner and rooting for these two to become someone to each other, forever.

3.5 stars

I'm just dipping my toe into historical books, but this one sounded intriguing and I was eager to start it.

I liked Camille and Joel well enough. She's a bit stiff and fussy and he's sort of flighty, but it works. And under the circumstances of the story, it fits. I enjoyed the scenes with them together and when they weren't, it's all I wanted.

The plot moved slowly. Like slooooooowly. I struggled to stay interested, but then the chemistry parts would happen and it would be enough to keep me reading. The main downfall for me was the switching of the names. Often the same character would be referenced by their given name and then in the next paragraph, by their title. Eventually I just gave up trying to keep people straight.

Overall, it was an amusing and drama-light piece of fluff.

**Huge thanks to Jove Books and NetGalley for providing the arc free of charge**

Mary Balogh is back! I must admit I was not a fan of the first installment of this series and had serious doubts about continuing but thank go I did. This is a Mary Balogh classic. Joel and Camille, our main characters, are truly multidimensional, flawed yet relatable. The story flows beautifully, really giving the characters room to grow. Unlike the previous book, everything feels organic. Secondary characters, both new and from the previous book, are also well developed and I am excited to read the rest of the series.

Someone to Hold by Mary Balogh is the 2nd book in her Westcott series. In the first book of this series, Camille Westcott lost her inheritance because her deceased father was a bigamist, having been found to have been married before. Our than heroine, Anna Snow, who grew up in an orphanage, was the rightful heir and assumed the family fortune. Anna always wanted a family, but the mother, two sisters and brother refused to acknowledge Anna, even if she wanted to share the fortune. Personally, I did not like Camille at all in the first book. But, in Someone to Hold, we get to see Camille living with her grandmother, in a nice comfortable house, not too far from the Orphanage that Anna used to live in. Camille always presented herself as a lady, to be perfect in every way, and feelings did not count for anything. Whereas, her sister Abby was happy, Camille was miserable. She was betrothed to a man of wealth, until he dumped her after she lost everything.

Camille trys to rediscover herself; she decides to get a job working as a teacher at the same Orphanage. Along the way she meets, Anna’s best friend, Joel Cunningham, who is an artist, and also teaches art a few days a week to the students. Joel has disliked Camille, since he did not like how she treats Anna, but slowly he will begin to see a different side hidden under her severe & abrasive appearance. Joel watches with amazement how Camille steps in and without any experience, does wonders with the children. Joel begins to talk more to Camille, to help give her more confidence and in time they will find their company enjoyable. Camille puts herself in Anna’s shoes, how she lived all her life growing up and eventually working at the orphanage. This will help her understand Anna’s situation, as well as slowly begin to open her cold heart, as she starts to have feelings for some of the children, especially young Sarah. Camille has never known how to love, only to be the perfect lady, which was expected of her in as a Westcott heir.

As Joel and Camille start spending more time together, each of them discover their feelings change to more romantic, which will gradually become love. But both of them believe there is no future, as they are both very stubborn. Joel was a great hero, very nice and sweet to Camille; but he doesn’t see himself ever marrying. His life later in the book, will also take a turn, similar to Anna’s in the last book. Will this help bring Camille and Joel together?

What I really enjoyed about this story was watching Camille slowly begin to learn all about love; learn her own value, rediscover life and hope. It was great to see Anna and Avery again, as well as the other family members that played a big part in the first book. It was very enjoyable to watch Camille rise up from losing everything to change, falling for Joel, and to accept her new sister. Mary Balogh did a very nice job giving us a heartwarming story that also teaches us the little things in life that we take for granted. Well done.

Great way to continue the Westcott series. Author did a thorough job of putting forth a character that truly does a total turn around.in their life. Intriguing and deep soul searching while showcasing the many prejudices we all have, many of which we are not even aware of.

Mary Balogh continues her Westcott series with Someone to Hold. It is Camille Westcott’s story – she’s more bewildered and hurt than angry about her situation. Little by little she wakes up to her new circumstances and decides to actually do something about her new path in life. That path takes her to an orphanage in Bath where she decides she’d like to give teaching a try.

Seemed a bit of a fish out of water story to me but Balogh made it work. I think my favorite parts of the story centered around the orphanage and school scenes. Camille blossomed in her new surroundings and discovered things about herself she didn’t know in her old life. She also discovered Joel, the local portrait artist who volunteered to teach painting at the orphanage school. He grew up at the orphanage and could share that perspective with Camille. The two became friends and then more.

Although I thought the pacing was a bit uneven it was a nice story about finding new possibilities in even the most dire circumstances and about finding family when you thought all hope was lost. Recommended to fans of the author and historical romance.

aaahhh... Camille is so stubborn!!! Let's start with this... Mary Balogh is one of my favorite authors for period romance. I love her characters and the stories she writes. This book is no exception. I read the first one and loved Anastasia's story. I mean, who doesn't love when someone rises up out of the ashes and succeeds? But, I didn't think about how that would really affect the other siblings in the family. This book tells more of those stories. If you like getting involved in a family of stories, and of course, period romances, this book is for you!

I received this book for free from Netgalley. This did not influence my review.

Mary Balogh is a Regency Romance writer whose novels I consistently enjoy. A couple of months ago I read the first book in her new Westcott series: Someone to Love. The second book, Someone to Hold, will be released next month and I was very pleased to receive a copy from Netgalley.

In Someone to Love, one of the women who suffers the most from Anna Snow’s good fortune is the disinherited Lady Camille Westcott. Camille discovers she is illegitimate and has no claim to her title. Although her newly discovered half-sister would love to share her inheritance with the family she desperately wants to be part of, Camille will have none of it.

Now, Camille and Abby, her younger sister, are living in Bath with their still respectable grandmother. While Abby tries to make the best of the situation, Camille has retreated from society. But Camille is no quitter. She answers an advertisement for a teacher in the local orphanage, the same orphanage where Anna grew up and later taught. Her motivations for doing so are mixed, but primarily she wants to do something. And she needs to discover, if she is no longer Lady Camille, who is she?

On her first day at the new job, Camille meets Joel Cunningham, a local portrait painter of some renown, who was and is Anna’s best friend. He also grew up in the orphanage and teaches there part time. He was also in love with Anna, but knows he has to put that love aside. He’s aware of how badly Camille treated Anna in the past, and he has no desire to see her step into Anna’s old teaching position. The two are predisposed to dislike each other.

Naturally, their initial dislike turns to grudging respect to love. Again, what makes Balogh’s novels shine is the characterizations of her protagonists. They are warm, intelligent people who deal with their problems in a mature, reasonable way. They have misunderstandings but don’t let them get ridiculously out of hand. They are frank, honest, and amusing.

It’s wonderful how Balogh can take the nastiest of characters from book one and show her in a different light—the same person, but with a believable change of heart and emotional growth. I don’t know who will be the focus of the third Wescott book, but I’m sure I’ll read it!

With her parents’ marriage declared bigamous, Camille Westcott is now illegitimate and without a title. Looking to eschew the trappings of her old life, she leaves London to teach at the Bath orphanage where her newly discovered half-sister lived. But even as she settles in, she must sit for a portrait commissioned by her grandmother and endure an artist who riles her every nerve.

An art teacher at the orphanage that was once his home, Joel Cunningham has been hired to paint the portrait of the haughty new teacher. But as Camille poses for Joel, their mutual contempt soon turns to desire. And it is only the bond between them that will allow them to weather the rough storm that lies ahead...

Camille Westcott was once Lady Camille Westcott but now that her father has died and it’s been discovered that his marriage was bigamous, Camille is just Miss Camille Westcott. Everything that she has striven for her entire life is now…gone. She’s at loose ends to say the least and after leaving London and hiding in her maternal grandmother’s house for a while she finally decides that she needs to do something. She decides to take a teaching position at the orphanage where her half-sister, Anna, grew up and taught as well. She also takes Anna’s old room at the orphanage even though her grandmother lives not that far away. She needs to do this on her own – be independent and learn how to live without all the comforts. Yes, it’s about changing from who she was but it’s also a bit of a punishment – at least that’s the way she thinks of it.

Joel Cunningham is a portrait artist that volunteers at the orphanage where he grew up. He comes in and teaches art a couple of times a week. When he sees that Camille is to be the new teacher he’s not happy at all. Anna was his best friend and he even offered her marriage at one point and to see the sister that spurned Anna now taking her place makes him mad. She’s all tied up and military efficient and after just having a teacher that wouldn’t let the kids be kids he thinks she’ll fail as a teacher. Except when he first comes in he sees the kids engaged and happy and Joel starts to see Camille in a different light. He is also commissioned by Camille’s grandmother to paint portraits of both Camille and her sister Abby so he is constantly observing Camille to find out who she truly is. He finds that she’s so many different people all rolled into one and even she’s not sure who she is.

Joel and Camille start a friendship that soon turns to more but neither one of them is sure where it’s going, if anywhere. When Camille’s large family descends upon Bath she gets an earful from a couple of different family members that give her a lot to think about. Likewise, Joel, who grew up an orphan finds out who his family is which ends up changing his life forever. The lives of both Camille and Joel are in such flux that neither one is sure where they’re going but they each know who they want with them as they go.

This was a wonderful romance that I very much enjoyed reading. I wasn’t a huge fan of Camille’s in the last book as she was, let’s face it, a total bitch to Anna. I can understand why that was but it didn’t endear me to her at all. Despite that I knew that Balogh would show us another side of Camille and make me like her so I was excited to read her book. I’m so glad I did. It was an unusual romance but it was oh, so satisfying.

To say that Camille had no idea who she was after the big reveal of her illegitimacy would be putting it mildly. She was at such loose ends but was determined to be independent. She had turned down her half-sister’s offer of a quarter of her fortune but her grandmother had given her a large allowance. Camille wanted none of it because she didn’t feel she deserved it. She had tried her whole life to be perfect. The perfect daughter, the perfect lady, the perfect everything. Part of this was because of her father. She wanted his love and figured if she did no wrong he would love her and forgive her for not being a boy (she was the oldest). That didn’t end up happening and it certainly didn’t help her when her fiancé found out she was illegitimate. He dumped her as well. She needed to find out if she could be imperfect and still lead a good life. With Joel she found a friend and confidante but it was still hard for her to let herself go and just…be. He was also confusing in his affections so that turned her round and round. I loved reading Camille’s transformation. The realizations she came to and decisions she made about herself and her life were sometimes harsh but that made the end result so much more satisfying. I ended up really liking her and who she had become by the end of the book.

Joel thought he knew exactly who he was – until the information about his family came to him. He was then at loose ends himself because he thought he never cared to know about them but when he did he found he wanted more and more. Unfortunately he didn’t have the opportunity to learn more after a while and that depressed him. He found that he loved being with Camille despite his first impressions of her but he didn’t know how to handle his feelings towards her and made a mess of things. Luckily he recovered in the end and got his HEA with Camille. He took a little long, yes, but I thought he made up for it in the end. He was in a state of flux too so I could cut him some slack.

The book told a lovely story about Joel and Camille finding themselves. I loved the way Balogh brought them together and had them figuring it all out while falling in love. It was an emotional book that I found to be sweet, tender, touching, funny and romantic – all the things I love. I can’t wait to see what Balogh brings us next in the Westcott series.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5


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Camille Westcott has always striven to be a perfect lady. Now revealed to be illegitimate, she does not know who she is. In an effort to stop hiding from herself and the world, she applies for a teaching job in the orphanage in which her half-sister was raised. There she meets Joel Cunningham, a gifted painter and childhood friend of Camille's half-sister, who teaches art to the orphans several days a week. It is dislike at first sight on both sides. But there is also an unwilling attraction.

Camille is not an immediately appealing character, being prickly and proper. Those who have read the first Westcott romance will also be unhappy with her for rejecting her half-sister Anna, who wanted only to know her family. But, as her background is revealed, the reader, like Joel, comes to a new appreciation for her. Joel also grows and deepens as a character. How these two lonely people learn to open up and accept each other makes for an enjoyable romance.

Recommended.

I simply adored this novel. I was captivated from page one. The heroine had a lot of growing to do, and was faced with difficult circumstances. Her growth and opening up to love was delightful to read. I loved the hero, too--he felt so real. Thank you!

Mary Balogh’s Westcott series revolves around an earl’s family discovering upon his death that he was a bigamist with a wife and child kept hidden from everyone. When the truth comes out there are devastating ramifications for the family left behind. Someone to Hold is the second book of the series but is the first story to take a closer look at how a person rebuilds after such an incredible upheaval.

The lies and betrayals of the late Earl of Riverdale have caused irreparable damage to his immediate family. Without the earl’s fortune to support them, the remaining Westcotts have scattered, with his son joining the military, his widow moving in with her brother and his two youngest daughters living with their maternal grandmother in Bath. Camille Westcott has taken her demotion from privileged eldest daughter to illegitimate middle daughter very badly, especially as her fiancé decided he could no longer honor their betrothal and broke the engagement. Sadly for Camille, his dismissal was just one of many; and her so-called friends were quick to abandon her to her fate. After weeks of sulking in her grandmother’s home, Camille understands that the future laid out for her almost from birth is no longer an option; however at twenty-two she’s unsure what she’s expected to do now.

Hoping to take control of her life for the first time Camille decides to walk a few miles in the shoes of her half-sister and applies for a teaching position at the orphanage in which Anna Snow – now the Duchess of Netherby - grew-up and taught. The headmistress is wary of Camille’s lack of teaching experience but needs to fill the post quickly. It’s a trial by fire for Camille, made even more difficult when she is introduced to Joel Cunningham, one of Anna’s closest friends and someone who knows just how poorly Camille treated her half-sister.

Joel is predisposed to dislike Camille out of loyalty and a fair bit of love for his friend. He and Anna grew up together at the orphanage and while she was lucky to escape her circumstances due to a quirk of birth, Joel has had to work his way into a better life. Fortunately a wealthy patron of the orphanage paid for Joel’s studies at a prestigious art school, paving the way to his career as a portrait artist in Bath. Twice a week Joel gives back to the orphanage by teaching the children art, an occasion he used to enjoy when he shared the classroom with Anna. With Camille assuming the teaching job, Joel dreads spending time with a woman he sees as petty and cruel and a small part of him wants to see her fail.

Camille uses the teaching position to learn a few lessons about herself. Little by little she takes pride in what she’s doing, even if she believes her efforts are a failure. Joel is a casual observer to a few of Camille’s successes but he is put firmly in her path when he’s commissioned by her grandmother to paint her portrait along with her younger sister. Making a study of Camille to find the best way to present her on canvas forces Joel to remove his prejudices and see her for the struggling young woman she really is. Friendship and much more grows as Joel allows himself to connect with Camille rather than compare her to Anna. When a revelation about Joel’s parentage comes to light his reversal in fortune flares old insecurities for them both, jeopardizing the burgeoning love they were only beginning to realize was there.

Someone to Hold might have been a tough story to enjoy if Camille’s character remained the “poor little rich girl” she’s introduced as. There are moments in the earliest chapters of the book that show she’s still struggling with the truth about her father, making her a bit less engaging to me. Ms. Balogh’s genius in developing Camille’s character is that I went on the exact same journey Joel does to fall in love with her as a heroine. I could cringe at some of her lingering pretentiousness but also cheer for her when she makes a breakthrough in her life. Her little victories with the children or her family made me like her for the woman she was becoming. It was an interesting story choice to put Camille in Anna’s place at the orphanage because it gave her perspective on why her half-sister was so desperate to bond with her new family. There is a poignant moment towards the end that shows just how far Camille has matured when she can accept Anna as a full sister rather than distancing herself from the woman by emphasizing the “half”.

Where the story falls down is in presenting all the discoveries Joel makes about his own background and how it affects him. Initially he is quite proud that he’s made something of himself despite coming from nothing; however when he’s informed that his life had been somewhat guided by his biological family it makes him question too many of those once valued achievements. Joel turns to Camille for answers about his changed circumstances but when he dislikes her responses it makes him a bit moody and not as charming as he once was. The revelations about Joel’s family also put several wheels in motion to wrap up the story with a nice little historical bow that diminishes all the hard lessons both characters learned from having to fight for their independence.

I jumped into Someone to Hold without reading the first Westcott book; however I believe moving forward with the story without all the series set-up was a blessing. I could accept that traumatic things happened to the characters but felt more compassion for how they pulled themselves back from that moment rather than feeling their anger during the events. I enjoyed Camille and Joel’s story and now know enough to keep my eyes open for the next chapter of this family’s saga.

A good series about how a regency age Lady copes with suddenly becoming illegitimate. Mary never fails to disappoint!