In ONLY BELOVED, author Mary Balogh gives us a middle-aged couple who both believe any grand passion is behind them. Little do they know.

Dora Debbins is a spinster music teacher and quite satisfied with her life (apart from one tone-deaf student whose parents see her as a prodigy). George Crabbe is a widowed duke, content to let his nephew inherit the title. When George decides that he would like a companion-wife, his mind instantly recalls Miss Debbins, the talented musician who entertained at his friend's home a year earlier. He decides to pay a call and pop the question.

Dora is shocked by the unexpected proposal, but even as he waits for an answer, she realizes this is a rare opportunity. At last, she can enjoy a life she thought was only a dream -- and with the handsome and distinguished gentlemen she has dreamt of since their brief encounter a year ago.

During a whirlwind trip to London and preparations for the wedding, Dora and George get to know each other and find their initial attraction blossoming. They also each realize that their new partner has a deep and penetrating wound from the past. George knows Dora's background -- her father accused her mother of adultery in a very public scene, and her mother subsequently ran away with a younger man. Dora, however, can't get George to confide in her about the death of his wife and son years before. It's a secret that will lead Dora to make a very dangerous choice that puts her life in peril.

ONLY BELOVED is a comfortable story, centered on two people who start with a strong attraction and develop a deep and abiding love. It's a real joy to read a romance about an older couple, both comfortable in their lives but wanting more. She takes her time nourishing their love, but it's still a fast and exciting read. I wouldn't describe it as a sweet romance, but most of the love-making is left to the imagination.

ONLY BELOVED is the final book in the Survivors Club series, and all the earlier couples appear frequently throughout. It's an ideal read for those who enjoy Regency romance and second chance stories.