Rane Aria

In Dark Angel, Jennifer has been engaged to a man although she hardly knows but loves deeply for the past five years they’ve been engaged, as the engagement announcement t draws closer, she finds herself the object of a notorious earl’s attention Gabriel Fisher, the Earl of Thornhill. Gabriel is playing a game of revenge and using Jennifer as a pawn, but when the game soon becomes a game of love, one neither are winning to lose! Like many Mary Balogh fans, it’s very hard to find books on her backlist without making a huge dent on the pocketbook. These re-issues are a true gift to use fans, giving us not only the chance to read more of her amazing works but save us from the outrageous cost of these out of print books. While reading Dark Angel and Lord Carew’s Bride I couldn’t help but have a few old live lesson sayings pop up in my head one such in Jennifer’s case was “Love is Blind” for Jennifer, her love for Lord Lionel Kersey truly blinded her to the man he truly is. While a good character, she sometimes wished the blinders would come off before it was to late, with MB her books show that life teaches hard lessons and for Jennifer life did, but instead of getting her down, she finally picked herself up and dusted herself off and became a stronger and better woman out , this also made her able to forgive Gabriel for the game he played, which only made her stronger and amazing in my eyes, showing her growing from a naive young girl to an wise woman. With Gabriel “revenge is a dish best served cold” instead of thinking of his actions before her set out to do harm in his game, Gabriel quickly became one of the victims and hurt the woman he loved. Gabriel also showed another human side in all of us, wanting to hurt those whom have done wrong to our loves one. What we forget is the innocent are the ones that usuallyget hurt. Gabriel’s learns this lessons the hard way, but he’s willing to make amends, and while he also made me made in his actions in the end I like Jennifer couldn’t fault him when he finally broke down hiding his tears to ask for Jennifer’s forgiveness and love. Mary Balogh’s Dark Angel shows sides of human nature, but also shows the good in all of us and the healing power that love and true forgiveness can do... 5 out of 5 stars In Lord Carew’s Bride, Jennifer’s cousin Samantha Newman has been hurt deeply by love and doesn’t trust her emotions, willing to go on in life alone, she’s surprised at the deep connection to feels to a disabled gardener Hartley Wade, Hartley secretly Lord Carew, but enjoys just being with Samantha as himself and not some wealthy peer, but soon he’ll risk everything on the chance of love to be with Samantha as they start to heal the wounds of their hearts Lord Carew’s Bride I saw shades of a later favorite novel of Mary Balogh in it, Simply Love, not because of the disable lead character but because it showed the true inner strength of heart and love. “Once Bitten Twice Shy” Samantha was used and tossed away by Jennifer’s old evil and thankfully ex-fiancee Lord Lionel Kersey, not trusting her heart and love, she decides she rather be alone, until she meets Hartley Wade whom she feels finally at peace for the first time in a long time with, just being with him brings her a great joy. Even after six years, Samantha hasn’t been able to forgive herself for being played the fool by Lionel and for even for thinking she was in loved with the jerk, she doesn’t trust herself or her emotions, placing a great doubt in her mind, about her love for Hartley if it’s love or isn’t it? Even when Lionel returns she doesn’t know if she’s still in love with him. Samantha is finally learns to move on and let go and to let love into her heart. She also decides that she could care less for Lionel and shows him by a well place kick to his groin and a few slaps across his face where he stands with her. I cheered for Sam in the moment and cried when she finally told Hartley “I Love You” Hartley was A-m-a-z-i-n-g, I was surprised how quickly he fell in love with Samantha, but it works. It’s Hartley’s love that pushes him to go and find Samantha again, it’s love that gives him the strength to protect his lady love and give Lionel his just dues! Hartley lived with a lie that caused him to become disable, but this disability didn’t break him it only made him a stronger man, with a kind heart. Hartley proved over and over again his love but also a greater inner strength. I adored Hartley and everything about him, he held a deep understanding of people and their emotions, and knew what Sam was feeling and going through, he never gave up hope and I was so happy Hartley and Sam got their HEA together. In Lord Carew’s Bride, Love showed that it will find a way, and sometimes it’ll take you totally by surprise and bless you with a truly great gift....5 out of 5 starsOverall: two amazing books, that show the human heart’s breaks and heals and the truly amazing gift we could ever receive: Love