Only Enchanting: Flavian's Story (A Survivors' Club Novel Series Book 4)

Mary Balogh continues her wonderful historical series about a group of seven survivors of war dealing with devastating physical and mental injuries.THE STORY: Flavian Arnott, Viscount Ponsonby suffered a traumatic brain injury during the war. He returned insensible and his fiancee ended up marrying his best friend. Flavian recovered but still suffers from stuttering and memory problems. Now his former fiancee has been widowed and his mother and sister are determined to match them up again.Agnes Keeping is a widow who has never been in love. She is haunted by her mother's actions and thus is determined to live a life of moderation where passion has no place. When she meets Flavian, she ends up falling in love with him.Five months after their first meeting, the two encounter one another again and the passion between the two grows. Flavian knows that he cannot have Agnes unless he marries her and thus he proposes to her feeling that he will be "safe" with Agnes. When Agnes finds out about his former fiancee, she believes that Flavian married her out of vengeance shattering their new marriage.OPINION: I loved the structure of this book. Flavian suffers from memory problems which leads of a mystery about what happened wtih his former fiancee. His problems with expressing himself lead to questions about what his intended relationship with Agnes is. The story is complex and I have appreciated the way that Balogh seriously explores the injuries that each of the survivors' have. The honest and undramatic way that the ravages of war are explored give this book a realism and emotional heft. I am also a great fan of Balogh's measured exploration of the relationships in her book. The emotional depth of the book comes from the slow and steady exploration of the ordinary interactions between her characters. By the time the happy ending arrives for these characters, the journey has made the ending feel satisfying and complete. I know who Flavian and Agnes are by the end of the book and I have complete confidence that the two will truly be happy. The book is not flashy or fast paced, but rather feels like a walk through a lovely garden.WORTH MENTIONING: I loved that this book paused and gave us an update on all the survivors. The series began with one of the "retreats" of the survivors and this middle book gives readers a new retreat elevated by the addition of three wives which brings life to these haunted people even as their difficulties remain.FINAL DECISION: I think this book is a beautiful addition to the series. I have come to deeply appreciate the care that Balogh gives to the damage that war causes for each individual survivor. That care elevates the romance as each couple deals with the aftermath of pain and disillusionment in their lives.CONNECTED BOOKS: ONLY ENCHANTING is the fourth book in the Survivors' Club series. The book can be read independent of the others in the series, but the whole of the series elevates each book as readers are introduced to the pain of each survivor in turn.STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars. I might have given it 4 stars, but I appreciate its beauty within the series itself with gives it extra value.

I will have to add to the many accolades for this book. I wasn't initially a huge Mary Balogh fan - I think sometimes the premise of her books is a bit of a stretch for me, although I haven't read enough of her work to make comments backed by anything substantial - it's just a vague impression. I do like her writing, however, and you can't help but be swept up in the heartbreaking sense of frustration and loss our H undergoes in this book as he recovers from a serious brain injury. As another reviewer commented, Flavian's "cheese for a brain" is a bittersweet tale of recovery, and I am always a sucker for a story about a damaged hero and the woman that keeps him on track.The dialogue is phenomenal, the plot twists unfolded in a reasonable and satisfying pace, and the love between Flavian and Agnes was breathtaking. I also liked how Balogh left out the more gratuitous details of their love-making - I am not averse to this in my romances, but it would have ruined this story. She did a nice job with inference and allusion. There was that stretch, however, and without giving away the bank, I can only say that the premise by which our H and h get together seemed a little unbelievable. Like characters in another Balogh book I didn't care for, they seemed to act out of character for not only what the times would have called for but also out of sync for their personalities. Putting that aside - and I did - I absolutely loved this. But it's why I gave it 4.5 stars instead of 5.I loved the secondary characters -the other members of the Survivors Club, but also Agnes' sister Dora. I believe I saw some foreshadowing as far as she is concerned, and would love to see what might be next for her. So I think I will probably explore more of Balogh's works, particularly the Survivor's club series, based on how much I really enjoyed this one.My only other concern - I dislike the use of the term "sex" or "having sex" in a historical novel. Balogh uses this term and "bedding" interchangeably, and although I am not an expert at period language, "having sex" or "good sex" seems like modern phrasing, and this was a bit jarring for me. Otherwise, I think the dialogue was perfect.Oh, and I loved the daffodils! I really did.

Mary Balogh writes lovely books.Yes they are romances but she takes trouble with her characters and they all have interesting back stories to make them seem real. I have now read several and have yet to be disappointed.

Libro molto scorrevole, come gli altri della saga. I due personaggi sono estremamente diversi ma il vero amore trionfa sempre.

I’ve just reread this and it’s even better the second time around. It’s one of this author’s slow burners, where things don’t move so quickly but they evolve in a very satisfying way.Agnes is as unglamorous as her name, a widow living quietly with her sister. When their aristocratic neighbors invite them to a ball, Agnes develops a crush on her charming dance partner Flavian, Viscount Ponsonby. But all are surprised when he returns months later and is attentive to the prim widow. Both Flavian and Agnes have baggage, but it’s more believable and interesting than standard HR baggage. A dubious ex fiancé lurks in the background, Falvian’s head injuries haunt him and Agnes’s absent mother overshadows her decisions.I like the emotional depth of the lead characters, the way their relationship starts on a false note (he sees her as ‘safe’) and the way they enjoy each other’s company even when not steaming up carriage windows. Mary Balogh writes escapist romance, but she has a real understanding of love, warts and all, how it happens and the trust that is needed to make relationships work. ‘Enchanting’ is charming, warm, and intriguing. Highly recommended.

Como siempre esta autora me encanta, y con esta historia que continúa el Club Survivors, sigue con unos romances muy de su estilo que no defraudan.

Marie Balogh trouve le moyen de surprendre tout en gardant les "happy ends" . Pas intellectuel mais bien agréable à lire.