Beyond the Sunrise

This is certainly one of my favourites. It's hot, sexy, romantic and definitely historically accurate for the most part. The characters development is really good and I cared about their love story which with some writers I never do. This is definitely one of my favourite Mary Balogh books.

Beyond the sunrise is one of my favourite books. I have had it now for several years and I just love reading it over and over. The characters are so well written that they seem like they could be real life people. The character of Jeanne Morisette was the best heroine I have ever read. She is witty and charming and has a lot of spunk. She has sharp remarks for everything. She is the kind of person who thinks on her feet and it's a quality that is really endearing. The character of Robert Blake is perfectly matched for our heroine. Although he thinks he can not trust her, he ends up trusting his heart in the end. Of course he doesn't realize it that he was following his heart the whole time. He may think that his love for her has faded, but in fact it only increased.I thought the story was wonderful, the characters came to life and were a joy to read. The scenery Miss Balough sets is breathtaking. I almost imagined I was there. This was a great book and I recommend it to anyone who likes Miss Baloughs stuff. I sure do.

All of Mary Balogh's books are wonderfully written, elaborate love stories that make the heart weep and cheer. And none more so than "Beyond the Sunrise." This novel captures the spirit of a bygone era. The protagonists, Jeanne and Robert, meet in Regency England, fall madly in love and are forced apart by the cruel hands of their respective fathers. Jeanne returns to her native France while Robert enlists in the army. They meet 10 years later at a ball in Portugal. He recognizes her immediately, she doesn't him. This time fate is not the only thing keeping them apart. War does as well, a particularly brutal war on the Iberian peninsula. It pits them as spies on opposing factions. Passion flares but so does betrayal and heartbreak, and only through sheer perseverance and determination, does love triumph.Balogh is a magically gifted storyteller. She writes dialogue that is purely brilliant and that Hollywood should take note of. You can actually visualize the characters acting out the scene. Her settings are brutally realistic, with as much detail on flora and landscapes as to the cut of a man's uniform. The men are real men with real feelings, the women, true but never weak. Her characters are thoroughly fleshed out and multi-faceted. They seem human, which is rare in a Romance novel.You will love this book, even if you don't like Romance novels. It is a classic, and one that every writer could take a lesson from. I have read and reread this novel at least 20 times and it never ceases to make me weep of despair or cry for joy. It is truly moving.