Review: Only a Promise by Mary Balogh

Elizabeth’s Thoughts

One of the things I love about the Survivors Club series is how well each book works all by itself. They are all interconnected, but it does not feel as if any information is missing if you are reading the books out of order.

Only a Promise focuses on Ralph and Chloe. Ralph is dealing with a boat load of survivor’s guilt and feels he has nothing to offer; He is basically coasting through life. Chloe is in a tough spot through no fault of her own. She is significantly older than most single women of her class and has two aborted London seasons under her belt. Chloe is staying with a longtime family friend who also happens to be Ralph’s grandmother when the two meet.

These two wounded people are great fun to watch together. The situations they found themselves in almost right away caused Chloe’s true personality to come out and it was wonderful to see that she was a much stronger character than she first appeared. Watching the “real” Ralph slowly emerge was a heartwarming part of the story, even if he tried to fight it.

There is no one big conflict in Only a Promise, but a slow build of a relationship from a marriage of convenience to a true relationship between two people who have a lot more to offer than they believe. One fun barometer of their relationship is the way Ms. Balogh deals with their sex life. What starts off as a very mechanical act with a sole purpose (to produce an heir) gradually becomes what most loving couples expect in the bedroom.

If you haven’t read any of the other Survivors Club books yet, this would be a great place to start. Only a Promise is a sweet, emotional story showing two hurt people that the right person can make you stronger and that love really does exist.