Someone to Care

Balogh (Someone to Wed) continues the Westcott family’s recovery from the reversal of fortune first unveiled in Someone to Love. Lust, loneliness, and love are not merely for the young, as the former Countess of Riverdale, Viola Kingsley, learns when she escapes from her family only to meet up with the rakish Marquess of Dorchester, Marcel Lamarr. These two once fancied each other in the early days of Viola’s marriage to Riverdale. But now, 14 years later, after her husband’s death and the subsequent discovery that their marriage was invalid due to his secret other wife, Viola takes an unexpected opportunity to engage in a short-term love affair with Marcel. By indulging in his liaison with Viola, Marcel happily delays returning home to his now-grown twins, who are mostly strangers to him, having been raised by relatives. The lovers’ avoidance of responsibility not only bewilders their families but strains their unexpected deepening feelings for one another. Home, they discover, can’t so easily be shut away. Balogh gives the 40-something lovers refreshing complexity, not sugarcoating their character flaws, and these nods to reality will make Viola and Marcel all the more endearing to readers. Newcomers will find this a satisfying entry point to the series, and fans will be delighted to see Viola achieve happiness at last. Agent: Maria Carvainis, Maria Carvainis Agency. (May)