Romantic Fiction, Reality Shaping and The Work

[Mari]

The second book of „Devil Riders“ - „His Captive Lady"

What a horrible, terrible destinies!!!!
So much pain and sorrow that person endures.
I was crying all trough the last chapters - at one point tears were just dropping down as I was reading and couldn’t stop them.
Reading and crying....

Poor Harry with his feeling of worthless...
Poor Helen with her loss...
Poor Torie being tossed on the floor of that god forsaken place...

The book was so tensed and I knew in the back of my head it will have a happy ending but I was so enveloped in the story that I didn‘t even try to guess the end.
So I just cried and cried....

Exelent book! So much love and care and so warm characters and such a powerful story!

 

[Redrock12]

I finished the 4th book of the Survivors Club, my favorite series so far. Previous series had one or two outstanding books, but for me and so far, each of the Survivors Club books is outstanding in and of itself. In a sense, they're all so irreversibly damaged, but somehow, it's okay. Love conquers all, despite physical disabilities and differences.

I like how you put it above, it is very apropos.

Just finished the 4th book as well, Only Enchanting. I can't add much, if anything, to whats already been said by @iamthatis And @Gaby. I felt that the relational histories of both protagonists were much more complex than the previous novels. That mysterious and cosmic action called love (coupled with honesty and truth) manifested itself when Flavian and Agnes committed themselves to making their marriage work, in spite of their differing personalities and family histories.
A real page turner.

 

[Drazen]

I finished The Temporary Wife and A Promise of Spring. Both are great.

The first one shook me like no other so far, the way Anthony and his father interacted in the end caused strong tightness in my throat, tears just poured down my face. I am familiar to some extent with many difficulties Anthony had to endure in relationship with his father, but I feel grateful that some extremes he had experienced were not needed to be part of my reality. It is easier to hold grudge and to judge other for all wrongs you think he caused you, but if you honestly try to look and find the roots of why someone is how he is, then you can see that you haven’t really considered all angles, and in the end you find out that you wouldn’t change those experiences after all, because they pushed you to SEE what you needed to see about life, yourself, others, and what you need to work on for true growth. Such experiences in the end brought Anthony to Charity, and she enabled him to see, and to heal his heart. I don't think he would want to change his past and not met his love, the one who brought Light into the darkness of Enfield Park.

The other book, for me, was a reflection of how, to some extent, STO reality could be like. The village of Abbotsford, and the Amberley itself throughout the Web trilogy, the beauty of nature that surrounds them and the inner beauty of most of their inhabitants, all are conducive to healing, love, connecting with others and Universe itself. I like Perry very much. His love for Grace is true one, he chose not to interfere with Grace’s free will, throughout her inner turmoil. Much like Edmund and Alexandra in their story.
I felt joy and relief when Perry and Grace were coming back home after their journey to the outside ‘STS world’, where they actually needed to explore of what they are made of and who they really are in dealing with the ‘Lizard being’ Lord Gareth Sandersford. It was like they were coming back to the STO world after some invaluable experience was acquired, which would need some more time to finally settle and the lessons be used for definite change, but it took no long for them to open their hearts to each other and welcome Spring into their existence. It reminds me how we, in our reality, are looking forward to our collective Spring, something like A Promise of STO World.

So, next to go through is Survivor’s Club. I’ve started with The Proposal and I already like Hugo, his piercing honesty in interaction with Gwendoline.

 

[Konstantin]

Just finished the first book from the Mackenzie series. An interesting development of the whole story. At the beginning I thought that this won't be interesting as the previous books that I read but as the book goes the story became more and more interesting.
It is different from Anna Campbel- Sons of Sin and Balogh - Courting Julia because the story is much wider, there is more characters, more action.
There were a few pornographic scenes but overall I like this book. The characters are with their own issues. like childhood trauma and it is a good story of how things like that can make huge damage for life. With love and care for loved ones, nothing is impossible, even repairing the damages that are so deep.
I hope that the rest of the books in this series will be an interesting read.

 

[Anthony]

The S Club series ended with the founder of the group, the Duke of Stanbrook (George), right to the very last pages

Spoiler: Spoiler of sorts

all united on the beach

. Enjoyed it - and tears, absolutely. Balogh had also turned it up a notch in the last two books with a little more local intrigue based on some, more or less, highly antagonistic characters. The sixth to last book brought home the horrible experiences suffered by Imogen, and this whole book was nicely penned together, including the four legged furry menagerie - and I had, possibly as others did who read it too, this joyous attachment to the bulging eyed one, Hector. that guy.

Several times through the series, Balogh writes about the 'balance of opposites', how seemingly terrible life situations and experiences bring about something positive, and this is clearly evident in the last book. If George, the Duke of Stanbrook hadn't experienced the death of his son and wife he probably wouldn't have started his work to help people recovering from the war experience, and there wouldn't have been the friendship between the 7 main characters and their subsequent love stories and growing families. It just makes you pause and think about suffering and the value of it, instead of jumping to conclusions.

 

[Voyageur]

Thought to mention something regarding Lily, not the Lily of Marry in Scandal, no, the Lily that was only briefly mentioned in Balogh's Survivor Club series starting in The Proposal. Lily does not really enter that series to any degree other than she was the lost sister-in-law to Hugo's Gwen, married to Neville, the Earl of Kilbourne. She was said to have entered the church on the day that Neville was to marry Lauren, and in front of all those present of the ton in church that day, she stopped the wedding cold. This Lily had been at war in Portugal and something happened to her (no hints).

When downloading the original Balogh series I had made a mistake, and with that error somehow another book tagged along in the order. When looking for a new series to start had recalled that that book was there unread, so opened it up. This book is the story of Lily that fits right into the Survivor Club series - fills a gap that would otherwise be unnoticed. I like this about Balogh, her ability to take up an obscure, and yet a related character in her story and develop that character thread that one might otherwise briefly read about and move on.

For anyone who has read the Survivors Club or is to take it up, the story of this Lily might be added at the end. The book is named 'One Night for Love'.

 

[Voyageur]

Edit:

I like this about Balogh, her ability to take up an obscure, and yet a related character in her story and develop that character thread that one might otherwise briefly read about and move on.

Need to correct this (checked something) concerning this book of Lily. In actuality, Bologh wrote this book in 1999 and the Survivors Club followed in 2012. So in a way, The Survivors Club series is built up around the story of Lily and not as I had stated above.

 

[whitecoast]

In these Balogh books, Love is almost like a 'strange attractor' - it exists as a hidden character, reaching into the present lives of the characters from a beautiful future, and starts pulling the hearts of the two people, arranging their lives and interactions in such a way that they stumble right into that future of love - quite the cosmic drama.

Yeah, in the romantic books I see at work Gurdjieff's maxims about love.

Conscious love evokes the same in response.
Emotional love evokes its opposite.
Physical love depends on type and polarity.

People enter into these relationships with lots of damage and negative or false beliefs about themselves or others. But the attraction they feel toward one another (physical love) acts as a force which promotes a healthy friction between the couple's weaknesses. This is much better than a confluence or positive feedback loop between the weaknesses, which leads to mutual feeding and toxic relationships (the emotional love component). And it is in the conscious work and development of external considering that they build a fulfilling life together (conscious love).

To apply the Law of Three to these romantic situations:

Conscious love acts as the positive or affirming force, while the emotional love acts as a negative or denying force. The physical love acts as as the reconciling force that, if the type and polarity is proper, helps to energize the conscious love to overcome the denying emotional force of the negative programs.

Currently on Survivor's Club Book 4. Some parts made me laugh out loud. Book 3 was quite enjoyable, even if I myself don't always find all the struggles of the characters immediately relatable. We can all remember times we've experienced anger, not being respected, fear, shame, or also grief about ourselves or the dirty laundry that families can sometimes have.

 

[iamthatis]

Conscious love acts as the positive or affirming force, while the emotional love acts as a negative or denying force. The physical love acts as as the reconciling force that, if the type and polarity is proper, helps to energize the conscious love to overcome the denying emotional force of the negative programs.

I would say that physical love is the affirming force, emotional love (the dopamine cycles of the limbic brain) is the negative force, and conscious love is the reconciling force. Why? It is only through the right relation that our negative and positive aspects are reconciled. Conscious love, or conscience, is what teaches this right relation. It is the higher principle of consciousness, conscience, or Reason, that tames the 'Beast' in us. Knowledge does this. Learning lessons. Knowledge of this type, in my view, does not come from physical love. How could it?

I finished the 4th book of the Survivors Club, my favorite series so far. Previous series had one or two outstanding books, but for me and so far, each of the Survivors Club books is outstanding in and of itself. In a sense, they're all so irreversibly damaged, but somehow, it's okay. Love conquers all, despite physical disabilities and differences.

I like how you put it above, it is very apropos.

What you wrote perfectly encapsulates the beauty of this exercise for me - it's the same for all of us here. We have all, in our own way, walked a path through the war of this 3D life. We have emerged with the scars and trauma to show it. But the love here, both in this exercise, and on this forum, indicates that 'somehow, it's okay'.

In what you wrote, I hear the voice whom the C's have called the 7D feminine aspect. She says: 'Thou, I love'.

 

[Human]

Need to correct this (checked something) concerning this book of Lily. In actuality, Bologh wrote this book in 1999 and the Survivors Club followed in 2012. So in a way, The Survivors Club series is built up around the story of Lily and not as I had stated above.

According to her site, Balogh's One Night for Love is part of Bedwyn Prequels:

Series | Mary Balogh | 35 Time New York Times Bestselling Author

marybalogh.com

I've read book #1.5 of Survivors' Club series - The Suitor - it's nice, short story of how real love can change a man to the man, endure difficult times and inspire courageous actions that after the fact turn out to be right actions.
I've read it after SC book #2, it doesn't make much difference, but I'd suggest to read it in order Balogh conceived it.

 

[Voyageur]

According to her site, Balogh's One Night for Love is part of Bedwyn Prequels:

Thanks, and I don't think that series is on the master list (and perhaps there is a reason for that). I guess this is something to think about wherein she wrote a lot from 1999 to that series Survivors Club (starting 2012). Probably should not chase this around, book by book without knowing, so had a look at the Prequels you mention.

Here is what comes up:

One Night for Love	(1999)	Description Book eBook
A Summer to Remember	(2002)	Description Book eBook
Slightly Married	(2003)	Description Book eBook
Slightly Wicked	(2003)	Description Book eBook
Slightly Scandalous	(2003)	Description Book eBook
Slightly Tempted	(2003)	Description Book eBook
Slightly Sinful	(2004)	Description Book eBook
Slightly Dangerous	(2004)	Description Book eBook
Once Upon A Dream	(2016)	Description Book eBook

Thankfully, the one I'm reading is the first of this series - and to add where I had said "no hints" here is one:

In The Proposal story by Gracie, Lily was illiterate, and here with Balogh, Lily is also illiterate. Unlike the Gracie Lily, who grew up around the influences of the ton, this Lily clear did not. However she is far more literate in terms of outside experience than many in the ton, and this sets up some interesting situations.

 

[NewEngland Seeker]

Balogh's Synchronicity was bound to happen with this exercise! Love it!

I'm currently reading that one (fourth book), and like it too so far. But my favorite of the series so far is the third book. I found the plot to be quite creative, and I liked the fact that the characters were honest with each other from the beginning. It was heart-warming to see how they got to know (and love) each other.

Anne Gracie is still my favorite though. But Balogh's plots and psychology sure are something!

I'm currently on 2nd book and looking forward to the entire series.

I'm with you on Anne Gracie as my favorite too.

The S Club series ended with the founder of the group, the Duke of Stanbrook (George), right to the very last pages

It sounds like an example of how helping others with their suffering leads one to heal their own. A true STO consciousness.

In these Balogh books, Love is almost like a 'strange attractor' - it exists as a hidden character, reaching into the present lives of the characters from a beautiful future, and starts pulling the hearts of the two people, arranging their lives and interactions in such a way that they stumble right into that future of love - quite the cosmic drama.

Balogh's main characters are the best versions of friends and lovers.

I finished the 4th book of the Survivors Club, my favorite series so far. Previous series had one or two outstanding books, but for me and so far, each of the Survivors Club books is outstanding in and of itself. In a sense, they're all so irreversibly damaged, but somehow, it's okay. Love conquers all, despite physical disabilities and differences.

From your healthcare professionals point of view, it is enjoyable to see how people overcome their traumas to become more human. Whereas, the current victimhood consciousness does just the opposite.

So, next to go through is Survivor’s Club. I’ve started with The Proposal and I already like Hugo, his piercing honesty in interaction with Gwendoline.

Hugo is such a hoot, the very name fits the character, must have been chosen as a tongue-n-cheek.

Need to correct this (checked something) concerning this book of Lily. In actuality, Bologh wrote this book in 1999 and the Survivors Club followed in 2012. So in a way, The Survivors Club series is built up around the story of Lily and not as I had stated above.

Thanks for this info, I did pickup on Lily's story in book one, I suspected her trauma was detailed in another book, so it is good to know which one.

Currently on Survivor's Club Book 4. Some parts made me laugh out loud. Book 3 was quite enjoyable, even if I myself don't always find all the struggles of the characters immediately relatable. We can all remember times we've experienced anger, not being respected, fear, shame, or also grief about ourselves or the dirty laundry that families can sometimes have.

I have been laughing with 1 & 2 as well so Balogh is good for the laughter gene.

I've read book #1.5 of Survivors' Club series - The Suitor - it's nice, short story of how real love can change a man to the man, endure difficult times and inspire courageous actions that after the fact turn out to be right actions.
I've read it after SC book #2, it doesn't make much difference, but I'd suggest to read it in order Balogh conceived it.

Thanks for the tip, adding to my list.

 

[PERLOU]

J'ai terminé le 4ème tome des Archanges du Diable - Rien que la passion d'Anne Gracie, hier soir, ce livre m'a beaucoup plu, une très belle histoire...
J'ai commencé "Des fleurs dans la tourmente de Laura Kinsale"
J'espère recevoir les 3 livres que j'ai commandés rapidement car je n'en ai plus d'avance ...

I finished the 4th volume of Les Archanges du Diable - Nothing but Anne Gracie's passion, last night, I really liked this book, a very beautiful story...
I started "Flowers in the Torment of Laura Kinsale".
I hope to receive the 3 books that I ordered quickly because I have no more in advance ...

 

[trytofly]

I'm starting the fourth book in the Westcott series. And this series is definitely one of my favorites so far.

In the last third of the book "Someone to Wed", I passed
from tears to laughter without any transition. It is these kinds of emotions aroused that make some books so precious and exceptional for me.

I will have to wait until the beginning of December to read the fifth book in the series which will be released in French.

After about forty books, I unfortunately come to the end of the list of recommended books which are translated into French. So a little more than a third.

 

[trytofly]

I failed to include what I wanted as a spoiler so as not to overload the thread in my previous post for French speakers. So I try again!

The titles of books in French are generally very different from the original version, here is their list to find them more easily, if it helps those who are interested:

Spoiler: list english/french

__________________________________________________________________
[Mary Balogh]

Heartless * Le Banni
Silent melody *

(SURVIVOR'S CLUB ****** LE CLUB DES SURVIVANTS)
The proposal * Une demande en mariage
The arrangement * Un mariage surprise
The escape * L'échapée belle
Only enchanting * Rien qu'un enchantement
Only a promise * Rien qu'une promesse
Only a kiss * Rien qu'un baiser
Only beloved * Rien que l'amour
The suitor *

(FOUR HORSEMEN TRILOGY *
Indiscreet * Passion secrète
Unforgiven *
Irresistable *

(THE COURTING JULIA TRILOGY *
Courting Julia *
Dancing with Clara *
Tempting Harriet *

The first snowdrop *
An unacceptable offer *
The obedient bride *

(DARK ANGEL *
Dark angel/Lord carew's bride [tome 1] *
The ideal wife [tome 5] *


(HUXTABLE QUINTET * LA FAMILLE HUXTABLE)
First Comes Marriage * Le temps du mariage
Then Comes Seduction * Le temps de la séduction
At Last Comes Love * Le temps de l'amour
Seducing an Angel * Le temps du désir
A Secret Affair * Le temps du secret

The temporary wife/A promise of spring *

(DELL HISTORICAL ROMANCE *
The temporary wife / A Promise of Spring *
Web of Gold {The Gilded Web ?} *
Web of Love *
The Devil's Web *

(WESTCOTT SERIES * LA SAGA DES WESTCOTT)
Someone to love * Celui qui m'aimera
Someone to hold * Celui qui m'embrassa
Someone to wed * Celui qui m'épousera
Someone to care * Celui qui me désirera
Someone to trust * La valse de Noël (sortie le 02/12/2020)
Someone to honor *
Someone to remember *
Someone to cherish *
____________________________________________________________________

[Anna Campbell]

Untouched * L'inaccessible

(SONS OF SIN * LES FILS DU PECHE)
Seven nights in a rogue's bed * Le château des miroirs
A rake's midnight kiss * Le plus précieux des joyaux
What a duke dares * Follement amoureuse
A scoundrel by moonlight * Le scélérat

(LAIRDS MOST LIKELY *
The laird's willful lass *
The laird's christmas kiss *
The highlander's lost lady *
The highlander's defiant captive *
The highlander's christmas quest *
The highlander's english bride *
The highlander's forbidden mistress *

_____________________________________________________________________

[Anne Gracie]

(MERRIDEW * LES SOEURS MERRIDEW)
The perfect rake * Le plus doux des malentendus
The perfect waltz * La première valse
The perfect stranger * Sauvetage amoureux
The perfect kiss * Baisers parfaits

(DEVIL RIDERS * LES ARCHANGES DU DIABLE)
The stolen princess * Le cavalier de l'orage
His captive lady * La dame de mes tourments
To catch a bride * Une lady à épouser
The accidental wedding * Rien que la passion
Bride by mistake *

(MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE * MARIAGES DE CONVENANCE)
Marry in haste * Noces hâtives
Marry in scandal * Scandale
Marry in secret *
Marry in scarlet *

______________________________________________________________________

[Jess Michaels]

(THE 1797 CLUB *
The daring duke *
Her favorite duke *
The broken duke *
The silent duke *
The duke of nothing *
The undercover duke *
The duke of hearts *
The duke who lied *
The duke of desire *
The last duke *

__________________________________________________________________________

[Scarlett Scott]

(SINS AND SCOUNDRELS *
Duke and depravity *
Prince of persuasion *
Marquess of mayhem *
Earl of every sin *
Duke of debauchery *

(NOTORIOUS LADIES OF LONDON *
Lady wallflower *
___________________________________________________________________________

[Jennifer Ashley]

(MACKENZIES AND McBRIDES * LES FRERES MACKENZIE)
The madness of lord ian mackenzie * La folie de lord mackenzie
Lady isabella's scandalous marriage * L'épouse de lord mackenzie
The many sins of lord cameron * Les péchés de lord cameron
The duke's perfect wife * La duchesse mackenzie
A mackenzie family christmas: the perfect gift *
The seduction of elliot mcbride * Les noces d'elliot mcbride
The untamed mackenzie (in print in the scandalous *
The wicked deeds of daniel mackenzie * Daniel mackenzie, un sacré coquin
Scandal and the duchess (in print in the scandalous *
Rules for a proper governess * La préceptrice de sinclair mcbride
A mackenzie clan gathering (in print in a mackenzie *
The stolen mackenzie bride * L'appel des highlands
Alec mackenzie's art of seduction *
The devilish lord will *
A rogue meets a scandalous lady *
A mackenzie yuletide (in print in a mackenzie clan c *

____________________________________________________________________________

[Grace Burrowes]

(TRUE GENTLEMEN *
The duke's disaster [tome 0.5] *
Tremain's true love [tome 1] *

(CAPTIVE HEARTS *
The laird [tome 3] * Le chef du clan

_____________________________________________________________________________

[Laura Kinsale]

My sweet folly *
______________________________________________________________________________

[Elisa Braden]

(RESCUED FROM RUIN SERIES *
Ever yours, Annabelle: rescued from ruin prequel [tome 11] *

_______________________________________________________________________________

[Caroline Linden]

(THE WAGERS OF SIN *
My Once and Future Duke * Le pari du péché
An Earl Like You * Le prince charmand existerait-il ?
When the Marquess Was Mine * Sur la Route de Maryfield (sortie le mercredi 3 fév 2021)

________________________________________________________________________________

[Anna Harrington]

(THE SECRET LIFE OF SCOUNDRELS *
Dukes are forever *
Along came a rogue *
How I married a marquess *
Once a scoundrel *

(CAPTURING THE CARLISLES * LES CARLISLE)
If the duke demands * Si le duc le veut
When the scoundrel sins * Un moment de faiblesse
As the devil dares *
How the earl entices *
What a lord wants *
After the spy seduces *
If a lady lingers *