Reader Review: This book contains two novels. The Temporary Wife is about the heir of a duke who is determined not to marry the woman of his father's choosing. Instead, he interviews and marries a governess who is desperately in need of money to support her brothers and sisters, making a deal with her that she be his wife for a few weeks, after which she will be paid off and return to her family with a generous annual stipend. He takes her back to the family estates that he fled 8 years ago to prove to his father that he is not to be controlled. His wife handles the snubs dealt out by his family with aplomb, and is able to eventually win them (and her husband) over with warmth and understanding. The themes of redemption and reconciliation remind me of another of my favorite Balogh books, The Notorious Rake. I loved the interactions between Charity (the temporary wife), her husband, and his family, though it was painful to watch Charity being used as a pawn in the bitter relationship between her husband and his father. The Promise of Spring tells of a May-December marriage between a 35-year-old woman and her brother's 25-year-old friend. Their happy marriage is threatened by Grace's self-doubt (because of the age difference) and the reappearance of her old childhood sweetheart. I loved the gentle and steadfast Perry, who truly loves his wife. Grace is a woman with a tragic past that must find the courage to forgive herself and to allow herself to be happy.

In two classic tales of Regency-era romance from New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh, the vagaries of love have a way of challenging the most convenient arrangements.
 
THE TEMPORARY WIFE
Miss Charity Duncan has no illusions about Lord Anthony Earheart’s proposal. The arrogant aristocrat has made it painfully clear what he wants: a wife who will enrage the father he despises and then disappear from his life. In exchange, Charity’s family will receive the money they desperately need. But after Charity agrees to this mockery of matrimony, she soon discovers a startling fact: She has fallen for Anthony, and breaking their marriage vows may also break her heart.
 
A PROMISE OF SPRING
Grace Howard has every reason to be devoted to Sir Peregrine Lampman. After all, the gallant gentleman rescued her from poverty by making her his bride. Even more nobly, he did not withdraw his affection after she confessed to a youthful folly that had compromised her virtue. But Grace did not tell the whole truth about the handsome lord who betrayed her—and now the one thing she’s kept from Perry threatens to destroy her last chance at true love.


From the Paperback edition.

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