Miss Claudia Martin realizes society views her as a failure, since she has not married or had children. Instead, Claudia has spent 15 years building Miss Martin's School for Young Ladies into a successful business. After a disastrous love affair in her youth with a member of the peer, Claudia's disdain for aristocrats has grown and she's turned her ambitions to educating young women. When the Marquess of Attingsborough arrives at her school at the request of a mutual friend to take Claudia to London on business, she feels uncomfortable in his presence. This makes no sense to Claudia, since she's regarded as a stern and starchy schoolmistress who's intimidated by no one.

Joseph, the Marquess of Attingsborough and heir to a dukedom, has always accepted his responsibilities. When his father picked a woman for him with perfect bloodlines and social graces, Joseph agreed. Duty and honor means he must try to fall in love with his father's choice, Miss Portia Hunt. After several encounters with Portia, Joseph feels a nagging doubt. Portia is rigid and refuses to veer from the strict social morals. This presents a problem because Joseph has one item in his life that he will not abandon.

After several social encounters, Joseph and Claudia become friends. That friendship disrupts Claudia's feeling of comfort with her loneliness. Remembered dreams long ago put aside return. Joseph tries to show her that life is not perfect, but they can have perfect moments together. Courageous choices must be made if perfect moments are to endure.

Over the years, in her many wonderful stories, Mary Balogh has perfected the Regency romance. In SIMPLY PERFECT, she incorporates the rigid social classes and morality in an emotional and complex love story filled with intense grief and joy. Her indelible characters stay with readers, as will Claudia and Joseph as they struggle with dilemmas that will change the direction of their lives. SIMPLY PERFECT is a superb conclusion to the Simply series.