Snow Angel (Signet Regency Romance)

Stranded in a snow storm - could be a bit cliche but what a great start to another original Mary Balogh story. Young widow of a much older man and product of what was a very happy and loving marriage, Rosamund Hunter is rescued from a snow storm by the charming and handsome Justin Halliday. He is on his way for a final fling with his mistress before giving her up to make a commitment to marry a girl recommended by his family. The two of them wind up stranded in a lonely hunting box for a few days waiting for the snow to melt so that Rosamund can carry on with her journey and re-join her brother. They are both desperately attracted to each other and finally succumb and have a very passionate affair lasting all of two nights. Neither tells the other the entire truth about exactly who they are and they agree to part not expecting ever to see each other again. They end up a few weeks later at the same house party hosted by the Marquess and Marchioness of Gilmore to facilitate the betrothal of their granddaughter and Rosamund's brother's daughter Annabelle to.... Justin Halliday, the Earl of Wetherby. Of course Rosamund is one of the guests and what's more is therefore aunt to the future fiance of her one time lover. The rest of the book tells the story of the house party and brings in plenty of other great characters. Of course Justin is torn between his duty to Annabelle, the family's expectations and his attraction to Rosamund. She is equally divided, still attracted to him but not willing to ruin her niece's chances. As you might imagine their problems are eventually solved, no one is hurt and all ends happily.

I really loved this book! Mary Balogh is a *master* of the short Regency romance and "Snow Angel" is a wonderful example of just how *good* such a story can be. Both the hero and heroine were imperfect but *vastly* likeable, the secondary characters were well-developed (one of them almost steals the book!), the story was well-written and wonderfully angsty (my favorite type!) and the sexual tension perfectly done. Rosamund Hunter is a young widow, recently out of mourning for her much older husband. Traveling with her overbearing elder brother Dennis, Rosamund gets into an argument with him about a new suitor who he is promoting and walks away from his carriage in a huff just before a major snowstorm hits the area. When Dennis is delayed by an accident, Rosamund finds herself walking alone in a blizzard. Justin Halliday, the Earl of Wetherby, is traveling by in his carriage and sees her struggling in the cold; he offers her a ride and shelter from the storm. Rosamund accepts before she realizes that she will be *alone* with the very handsome Justin at his friend's hunting box for the duration of the storm. Rosamund and Justin, wildly attracted to each other and thrown together in an isolated place for three days, eventually agree to have a brief affair. Rosamund's husband was a much older man and she is curious about passion with a younger man. Justin makes it clear from the onset that he is planning to get engaged in one more month (an arranged marriage) and he intends to be faithful to his betrothed--so their affair has no future. They share three magical days and then separate as the snow begins to melt to go on with their former lives. Despite their best efforts, Justin and Rosamund find that they are unable to forget each other. They meet again by chance under the most awkward of circumstances (the houseparty to celebrate Justin's upcoming engagement) and try to deny their mutual attraction and avoid each other. But fate keeps throwing them together and they are unable to resist each other's company. I loved the characters of both the hero and heroine--wonderful, but flawed people who give in to an irresistible impulse to become lovers and later find themselves struggling to act honorably and deny their seemingly impossible love. The secondary characters are also marvelously three-dimensional--especially Joshua and Annabelle, but even Rosamund's prosy suitor is given a heart. (In fact, Joshua is *such* a great character that he almost steals the book from Justin.) My only complaint with this book is the same one that I had with Mary Balogh's "Tempting Harriet" (also a wonderful book!)--the hero throughout the book doggedly continues his courtship of the very eligible and unenthusiatic girl of his *mother's* dreams, while secretly eating his heart out over the heroine. His courtship goes past the point where he can honorably back out--so the happy ending depends on the bold action of others. I find this passive road to a

Fate connected two people, Fate severs two people, and Fate will intervene for two people. The widow, Lady Rosamund Hunter, cannot believe her brother's plans for her future and she angrily responds. What right does her brother have to offer her hand in marriage? Rosa Hunter now finds herself trudging along an uninhabited, snow-covered country road. He sees the walking figure, forsaken, along the icy roadside and immediately stops to offer his assistance. But during the next three, storm-enhanced days, Justin Halliday, the Earl of Wetherby will offer far more than mere assistance. For three glorious days Rosa and Justin simply enjoy each other - personally. Both know the score. This will be a three-day love affair, a harmless liaison, a mutual enthusiastic encounter, which will and must end. Their plans sound so mature, so civilized, but Fate has its own plans. Mary Balogh writes another interesting story. It is rare to discover a poorly conceived story from the Balogh pen. However, if there is a complaint with SNOW ANGEL, it may exist in the shortness of the stirring love affair and in the length taken before the two lovers are finally appeased. A Signet Regency Romance with a publish date of June, 1991. Sadly, a book which is no longer published and is available only through the secondary market. Grade: B+ Reviewer for: www.romancedesigns.com