Gwendoline, the widowed Lady Muir, is content with her life
living with her mother in the dower house at Newbury Abbey
surrounded by loving friends and family. She has no desire
to marry again though she is increasingly aware of an
underlying loneliness. While on a solitary walk to escape a
difficult friend she is visiting, Gwen severely sprains the
ankle already weakened by a previous injury. When a dour
giant of a man comes up the slope, she's not sure if he's
there to rescue her to take advantage of their isolation to
injure her.
Hugo Emes, Lord Trentham, is at Pendriss Hall, the home the
Duke of Stanbrook, for a reunion of the Survivors' Club, a
group of men and one woman who at one time lived at the Hall
while recovering from the emotional and physical wounds of
war. Hugo, seen as a hero and awarded a title for leading
the charge of Forlorn Hope, is weighed down by the darkness
that has taken root from the war and the burden he feels for
his family following the death of his father. He wants
nothing more than to tend his garden and his lambs while
living quietly in the country. He is on a walk along the
beach contemplating taking a wife when he sees Gwen fall.
Though he steps in to provide aid, he wants nothing to do
with this lady from the upper-class. As Gwen recuperates at
the Hall, an unexpected attraction sparks between the two.
Do they believe in love enough to find a way for their
worlds to come together?
THE PROPOSAL is sure to please fans of Mary Balogh who have
long awaited Gwen's book. Readers will find the story
behind the accident that caused Gwen's limp, her deceased
husband, and their marriage compelling. Hugo and Gwen have
complex and sad personal histories that Ms. Balogh uses as
the primary source of tension and uncertainty in their
relationship. They are navigating a maze of personal
demons, societal expectations, and familial obligations as
they find their way to their happily ever after. There are
wonderful moments of levity and wit that balance out the
story. Hugo and Gwen make a wonderful couple who bring out
the unexpected best in each other.
THE PROPOSAL is the bridge between Ms. Balogh's earlier
series and her new series, The Survivors' Club.
THE PROPOSAL Gwendoline, Lady Muir, has seen her
share of tragedy, especially since a freak accident took her
husband much too soon. Content in a quiet life with friends
and family, the young widow has no desire to marry again.
But when Hugo, Lord Trentham, scoops her up in his arms
after a fall, she feels a sensation that both shocks and
emboldens her.
Hugo never intends to kiss Lady Muir, and frankly, he judges
her to be a spoiled, frivolous—if beautiful—aristocrat. He
is a gentleman in name only: a soldier whose bravery earned
him a title; a merchant’s son who inherited his wealth. He
is happiest when working the land, but duty and title now
demand that he finds a wife. He doesn’t wish to court Lady
Muir, nor have any role in the society games her kind
thrives upon. Yet Hugo has never craved a woman more; Gwen’s
guileless manner, infectious laugh, and lovely face have
ruined him for any other woman. He wants her, but will she
have him?
The hard, dour ex-military officer who so gently carried
Gwen to safety is a man who needs a lesson in winning a
woman’s heart. Despite her cautious nature, Gwen cannot
ignore the attraction. As their two vastly different worlds
come together, both will be challenged in unforeseen ways.
But through courtship and seduction, Gwen soon finds that
with each kiss, and with every caress, she cannot resist
Hugo’s devotion, his desire, his love, and the promise of
forever.
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