Review--Someone to Hold (Westcott, #2)

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Someone to Hold (Westcott, #2)Someone to Hold by Mary Balogh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've never read a Mary Balogh novel I didn't like, but I've found some more satisfying than others. This one falls into the category of "enjoyable, but it didn't rock my world."

We knew the story of Camille Westcott from the first novel in the series, how she lost her place in the world when it was discovered she and her siblings were illegitimate. Camille is adrift in Regency society, afraid to leave her grandmother's house in Bath until one day she gathers herself together and applies for a position as a teacher at an orphanage.

There was a great deal to like about this book. Camille was a character who had to discover her own inner strength and be willing to get messy and make mistakes. Joel Cunningham, the hero, works hard to make his own place in the world as an artist and the two have a believable relationship.

Where the book lost me was when Joel underwent a change in status, resolving much of the couple's difficulties. In addition, everyone seems to adore Camille in her school, and she's an instant success. Plot issues were a little too neatly resolved for my tastes.

However, one comes to romance novels expecting a Happily Ever After, and Someone to Hold delivers. Balogh is an auto-buy for me, and I'm looking forward to the next Westcott novel.


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