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Longing
Escrito por Mary Balogh
Narrado por Rosalyn Landor
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From New York Times bestselling legend and author of the Survivors' Club series comes a cherished novel about the risks and the compromises that come with falling in love.…
Governess and mistress—he wanted her as both.…
The illegitimate daughter of an English lord, Sian Jones abandoned her heritage to live in a stalwart coal mining community in South Wales. Empowered by their cause, she’s engaged to be married to the leader of a revolutionary movement that is bracing itself against the tyranny of English mine owners. But Sian’s principles are unexpectedly shaken when she accepts a job as governess under Alexander Hyatt, the mysterious Marquess of Craille, the oppressive symbol of everything she has come to resist.
She never expected Alexander to upend all her expectations. He is sympathetic to her cause. He is a loving father. A man of wealth and position, he is fatally attractive. And he is offering his heart to the independent woman who has illuminated his life. Now, caught between two worlds, and between the promises and desires of two men, Sian must make a choice that will define her future—one that can only be made in the name of love.…
Governess and mistress—he wanted her as both.…
The illegitimate daughter of an English lord, Sian Jones abandoned her heritage to live in a stalwart coal mining community in South Wales. Empowered by their cause, she’s engaged to be married to the leader of a revolutionary movement that is bracing itself against the tyranny of English mine owners. But Sian’s principles are unexpectedly shaken when she accepts a job as governess under Alexander Hyatt, the mysterious Marquess of Craille, the oppressive symbol of everything she has come to resist.
She never expected Alexander to upend all her expectations. He is sympathetic to her cause. He is a loving father. A man of wealth and position, he is fatally attractive. And he is offering his heart to the independent woman who has illuminated his life. Now, caught between two worlds, and between the promises and desires of two men, Sian must make a choice that will define her future—one that can only be made in the name of love.…
Acciones del libro
Comenzar a escucharInformación sobre el libro
Longing
Escrito por Mary Balogh
Narrado por Rosalyn Landor
Descripción
From New York Times bestselling legend and author of the Survivors' Club series comes a cherished novel about the risks and the compromises that come with falling in love.…
Governess and mistress—he wanted her as both.…
The illegitimate daughter of an English lord, Sian Jones abandoned her heritage to live in a stalwart coal mining community in South Wales. Empowered by their cause, she’s engaged to be married to the leader of a revolutionary movement that is bracing itself against the tyranny of English mine owners. But Sian’s principles are unexpectedly shaken when she accepts a job as governess under Alexander Hyatt, the mysterious Marquess of Craille, the oppressive symbol of everything she has come to resist.
She never expected Alexander to upend all her expectations. He is sympathetic to her cause. He is a loving father. A man of wealth and position, he is fatally attractive. And he is offering his heart to the independent woman who has illuminated his life. Now, caught between two worlds, and between the promises and desires of two men, Sian must make a choice that will define her future—one that can only be made in the name of love.…
Governess and mistress—he wanted her as both.…
The illegitimate daughter of an English lord, Sian Jones abandoned her heritage to live in a stalwart coal mining community in South Wales. Empowered by their cause, she’s engaged to be married to the leader of a revolutionary movement that is bracing itself against the tyranny of English mine owners. But Sian’s principles are unexpectedly shaken when she accepts a job as governess under Alexander Hyatt, the mysterious Marquess of Craille, the oppressive symbol of everything she has come to resist.
She never expected Alexander to upend all her expectations. He is sympathetic to her cause. He is a loving father. A man of wealth and position, he is fatally attractive. And he is offering his heart to the independent woman who has illuminated his life. Now, caught between two worlds, and between the promises and desires of two men, Sian must make a choice that will define her future—one that can only be made in the name of love.…
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Alex, Marquess of Craille, has inherited a Welsh castle and the valley where it resides, including the coal mine and ironworks that support the people of the valley. Sian Jones is a widow who works in the mine. She is also half-English and well educated as the result of being the illegitimate daughter of another English landowner. I admit I had some trouble getting into this book. I read a bit and put it down for a while, finally picking it up and finishing it now. I'm happy I did. This is not a typical Mary Balogh book. Another reviewer likened it to Gaskell's North and South, and I have to agree. It has a lot to do with the impact of the Industrial Revolution on the beautiful green valleys of Wales, the resulting worker strikes and organization, and the difference between the classes in that period. It makes for absorbing reading once you get into it and put aside the idea that this is not a typical Balogh book. Alex is an honorable man, willing to learn about the lives of his new people and how he can make them better (much different from his fellow owners). I found Sian more problematic. Her deep-seated desire to fit in with her Welsh side was noble but ultimately frustrating for me, especially after her punishment by the Scotch Cattle. Her treatment didn't seem to justify the loyalty she felt. This is a beautifully written story, as are all of Balogh's works. Her descriptions of Wales makes me long to visit once more that beautiful country.
Rating: 4Widowed Alexander moves with his young daughter to one of his estates in Wales. The town is based on a mine owned by Alexander. In searching for a governess for his daughter, Alexander meets widowed Sian Jones, who was educated well beyond the miners around her. Sian is the illegitimate daughter of a nearby mine owner, but her father cast her out when she refused to marry Alexander's overseer, Josiah Barnes. Sian went back to her mother's people, the Welsh mining town, and has spent years trying to fit in. After her husband died, she went to work in the mine to help her grandparents, and miscarried as a result of the hard labor. Alexander is shocked at the poverty of the town, but he feels too ignorant to begin making the changes that his overseer says will drive the mine out of business. A political movement, the Chartists, is being hidden by the town; Alexander stumbles on a secret meeting and is sympathetic but concerned about the political unrest he believes will result. And the Chartists are forcing all the men to join their group, even conscientious objectors such as Sian's young brother-in-law. Those who object are whipped, and sometimes their homes are destroyed. Alexander and Sian are drawn to each other, but Sian has accepted the proposal of Owen Parry, a leader of the Chartists. Alexander is under suspicion by the town, but he tries to make some minor changes to make life better for them. The other mine owners and Josiah Barnes all fight him, and Josiah also is plotting revenge against Sian. This results in Sian being whipped as a traitor, although she told Alexander nothing. She realizes that Owen participated in the whipping, since he was the leader, although he tried to mitigate the punishment. That is the final end to their engagement, as it becomes apparent he would have been rather a bully to her, although he is truly convinced of his rightness. Eventually there is a march by many miners all over Wales, which Sian is forced to join. Alexander goes after her, but finds her in the middle of a massacre; Owen defends her with his life. This is one of the author's best books, a story of difficult love, class warfare, complicated relationships, and reconciliation.
Rating: 4My first experience with this author met with an unfortunate dead-end, the book being abandoned due to irritating sniping and relationship interactions that drove me up a wall. So it was with a smidge of hesitation that I embarked on another work by Balogh. Yet, the pretty cover (yes, I’m a cover slut!), the intriguing story premise surrounding the romance, and the author’s reputation made me decide to give another go here. Paid off in spades!First off, I tip my hat to Balogh in her efforts to give us a fascinating historical background to go with her romance and plot. She excels in both atmospheric details and incorporating actual history into the tale. I could viscerally picture the settings in my head: the Gothic type castle architecture of Alex’s home, the smoke rising over the Welsh hills from the ironworks and mines, and the wild beauty of those same majestic peaks. Then there are the details of the Chartist movement incorporated into the story, with actual people, meetings, and marches woven throughout to give historical weight.I really enjoyed our leads in this one. Their personalities felt balanced with both good and bad qualities, giving them a 3D feel not often felt in historical romances. I liked Sian’s stubbornness, strength of will, and soft, caring inner core. She was comfortable in her own skin and wasn’t afraid to break her own trail in life by the end. She wanted to fit into her mother’s community but wouldn’t squeeze into a preconceived mold to do so; I admired her for that.Alex’s sweet and sensitive nature was a nice departure from your usual romantic hero. Now don’t think that makes him a soft touch and a wimp; by the end, he got macho when he needed to and showed people what’s what. Yet, I liked that his first inclination wasn’t to huff and puff to show his masculinity; his preference for compromise and working with people to meet a mutual goal was an incredible show of maturity and again, being comfortable in his own skin.I loved their interactions and romance. With the right balance of sexual tension and heightened emotion, it kept me flipping page by page till the very end. I really liked that the author stayed away from the interaction model she used in the previous book I read by her. There wasn’t a constant exchange of sniping remarks and bantering; this relationship had more depth and sweetness that I enjoyed. I found myself more emotionally engaged by this book than I usually get, enough that I finished in a marathon session lasting till 1AM.I also appreciate the role that sex played in this book. The scenes were utilized as something that moves the story or character development forward. Nothing was used as fluff or fan service; every encounter had a reason for occurring or had a lovely sense of spontaneity that drew me further into the relationship rather than disengaging from excessive porn. I liked that weightiness.This book redeemed Balogh for me. I enjoyed every aspect: the different historical factors in the book, the characters, the main relationship, and the utilization of sex in the narrative. I had to finish the book in one last rush read-a-thon since I just couldn’t tear myself away from the story. I highly recommend this book to fellow historical romance lovers; it’ll be a tale that you’ll want to put real life on the back burner for.
Rating: 5