"A Touching Tale to be Savored"

Kit Butler is notorious for his laughing eyes and his playful pranks. He had been in the army and has been on the town for the last few years. His father and brother told him to leave home and never come back but when his eldest brother died, he became the heir apparent. When he heard that his father had arranged a marriage for him and was urging him to come home, he rebelled. He wanted to go home but on his own terms and certainly not to wed the woman that his father has chosen. He decided to look around for a more likely bride and set out to woo Lauren Edgeworth.

Lauren is twenty-six and certainly on the shelf at that great age. She had experienced an embarrassing situation regarding marriage the year before and was now determined to live her life the way she wanted. She is a staid, up-tight woman who seldom smiles and always does the right thing. One look at the beautiful Lauren and Kit decides she would be the bride for him. He makes a bet with his friends that he will marry her within a certain length of time and take her home as his bride. His father could certainly have no objection to the oh-so-very-correct Lauren Edgeworth.

Lauren is amazed at Kit's pursuit and doesn't believe it for an instant. She has no illusions about herself and feels that she is undesirable. They make a bargain that she will go home with him for the summer posing as his fiancé and he will give her a summer to remember. Well, of course, Lauren and Kit get much more than they bargained for, making the book a memorable reading experience. I have thoroughly enjoyed all of Mary Balogh's books and this one goes to the top of the list. It is an extremely enjoyable read -- the only bad part was finishing it. I wanted to gobble it up but at the same time, I didn't want to finish it. I loved both characters. Kit with his laughing eyes -- what a remarkable picture that makes and how he teaches Lauren to laugh!! Oh my! And Lauren is a more apt pupil than she realizes. Ms Balogh has written another winner and I will certainly have this one out again for a second and third read. A SUMMER TO REMEMBER is a book not to be missed by any and all romance readers.

Reviewed by Marilyn Heyman
Posted April 2, 2003

Mary Balogh is at her spellbinding best in a new novel that features Lauren Edgeworth from One Night for Love as her heroine. The nationally bestselling author of More than a Mistress and No Man's Mistress weaves a tantalizing web of seduction, wit, and intrigue sure to delight her legions of devoted fans. Here she brings together an unlikely duo--a notorious rake and a very proper lady--who plot to scandalize society and win freedom from matrimony for them both. It was merely a partnership. Love had nothing to do with it. But then again, nothing is ever as it seems in the irresistible novels of Mary Balogh.

Summary

He may be a lord, but he is no gentleman. Kit Butler, Viscount Ravensberg, is cool and dangerous--one of London's most infamous bachelors. Marriage is the last thing on his mind. But Kit's family has other plans. Desperate to thwart his father's matchmaking, Kit needs a bride...fast. Enter Miss Lauren Edgeworth.

A year after being abandoned at the altar, Lauren has determined that marriage is not for her. When these two fiercely independent souls meet, sparks fly--and a deal is hatched. Lauren will masquerade as Kit's intended if he agrees to provide a passionate, adventurous, unforgettable summer. When summer ends, she will break off the engagement, rendering herself unmarriageable and leaving them both free. Everything is going perfectly--until Kit does the unthinkable: He begins to fall in love. A Summer to Remember is not enough for him. But how can he convince Lauren to be his...for better, for worse, for the rest of their lives?

Not even the most devoted gambler would take odds on this match as Mary Balogh surprises and delights yet again in an unexpected love story that will hold you in thrall until the last glorious page is turned.