The Incurable Matchmaker (Signet Regency Romance)

She is a straight-laced widow - beautiful but insecure and was relatively happily married to a kind but not very exciting man. He is a determined and self-confessed rake and dedicated libertine and womaniser. One drunken evening Jack, the Marquess of Kenwood, accepts a wager that he can seduce the virtuous widow, Diana Ingram. He manages to get himself invited to a house party where she will be present. Their host is the Countess of Rotherham who is the 'Incurable Matchmaker' of the title. This is just a lovely story of a summer house party at a country estate, there are quite a few other interesting characters and sub-plots going on but mainly the emphasis is on Jack's pursuit of Diana and his attempts to get her into his bed. She is unwillingly attracted to him and during the course of the party involving picnics, rides, walks and dances they get to know each other rather better. He, who has rarely taken the trouble to really get into the mind of any of his many casual past partners, gradually realises that here is a person who has hopes and dreams and feelings that can be hurt. She finds out that behind the facade of the thoughtless rake is a man who has been damaged by his past and is, in fact, just as human and capable of emotion as anyone else. The story of their self-discovery and of their discovery of each other is charming and believable. Its a lovely light-hearted read with plenty of good emotional content too. Since many of Ms Balogh's books are being re-issued lets hope that this one is too but if not see if you can find it second hand.

Jack, Marquess of Kendall, is bored. So one night at his club when his friends are discussing his amazing success with women and his apparent record of never being turned down, he agrees to a wager that he can persuade any woman his friends name to sleep with him. She must be a lady of quality, but no debutante. A drunken friend mentions his widowed sister-in-law, Diana Ingram, as someone who would be a tough nut to crack in this regard: she's unfailingly virtuous. Jack - extremely drunk himself, and assuming that any widow must be missing lovemaking - accepts the bet.Jack and Diana meet - and Jack almost wins the bet - under very unusual circumstances when they are both marooned at the same inn on the way to a house party. Confusion leads to Jack ending up in the wrong bedroom and, in a beautifully sensual scene, they almost make love. But when Diana comes to her senses she is mortified and wants to avoid Jack hereafter. The problem comes when they both arrive at the house party and discover that the hostess is determined to throw them together. Lady Rotherham is the incurable matchmaker of the title, and she is determined to marry them off.Jack is vehemently opposed to marriage and doesn't believe in love. Diana believes that lovemaking goes along with commitment and love. So how do these two come together?Well, this is my only problem with the book. The two protagonists provide readers with a lot of amusement - their conversations are certainly very entertaining. But I never actually felt that I *saw* Jack fall in love with Diana, and I certainly never saw the reasoning for him giving up his opposition to marriage. One minute he wanted an affair - although he certainly was beginning to sympathise with Diana's wish for commitment - and the next he was in love with her. There was a step missing, to my mind.One quibble, besides. Jack's friend and Diana's brother-in-law, Ernie, is described as Lord Crensham. But he's a younger son - his oldest brother is the Viscount. So how come Ernie has a title?

This is my second Mary Balogh book, and I was absolutely enthralled. It is so funny , witty and romantic. The sparring between the hero and heroine is especially enjoyable. I have now ordered nearly all of the author's books and just can't wait to read them