Romantic Fiction, Reality Shaping and The Work

[Mikkael]

Yes, super books, right? If you want to stay a little longer in that time period, I would recommend A Splendid Defiance, which is set at the same time when Kate is at Thorne Ash doing her creative accounting with the ledgers so the Cavalier garrison, stationed at nearby Banbury Castle and the focus of the book, isn't too pleased with her. A great read also!

Thank you for the recommendation Laurs! I had read so far and mostly books from Mary Balogh, in whose I got used to a certain frame of story, which often offered really great insights into personal struggles for inner freedom and much more. With Mrs. Riley books it has expanded into history and doubtless she is as skilled writer as MB so I'm curious how deep she can go. There is novelty in her writing and following her long tales while the tension is growing until unfolding is at hand, is very satisfying. I'm intrigued what else she has in store and I reckon soon I'll be joining night owls yet for another adventure.

 

[Breo]

I am late to this Romance Novels project and am really grateful for participating now. It is such an emotional nourishment. I started with Mary Balogh´s Survivors Club Series and have read the first two books, 'The Proposal' and 'The Arrangement'. In 'The Arrangement', I started to wonder and pause and process more and more. Sophie, the main female character, "the mouse" with a lion´s heart, through her braveness, towards the end triggered some intense moments of releasing tears and heartpain - along with a deep joy for this release. It´s healing to encounter (in these fist two books) Mary Balogh´s emotionally intelligent survivor characters, that keep loving and really love each other. And it´s also healing to learn the emotional richness that these characters are capable of.

 

[Breo]

For anyone looking for a list which books of Mary Balogh are from which series, there is this list on her homepage (2024):

 

[Mari]

I started with Mary Balogh´s Survivors Club Series and have read the first two books

Great to see more people joining in!

I wrote before:

I would suggest Bedwyn then Survivors because she pick a character in Badwin to finish in Survivors.
So „the right“ order would be:
Bedwyn prequel (2 books), then Bedwyn saga, then Simply quartet.
Then Survivors.

But you can easily go back.

I’m in the process of rereading all of them, all the way from the Bedwyn prequels , and I‘m currently on the first of the Survivors book.

I see now how much I missed from the first time when when I started reading the novels (in general); I was then too involved in the story.

I now train myself not to get angry or nervous and to simply put myself in their shoes and to live their lives, and to figure and understand why they made certain decisions.

It makes then my own issues swim to the front, and I realize that I have many things in common with some characters, and their stories shed a different light on how to handle my own issues, sometimes even things I didn’t know I carry or things I thought are „not a big deal“ or things I buried a long time ago.

 

[Mari]

Some of you may have noticed that Grok is now free, so I´ve tried to ask a few questions and went to a rabbit hole of testing what it would say.

One of the questions I´ve asked was:
"Would you say that some of the romance novels written by Mary Balogh also embody Stoic principles?"

Answer:

Mary Balogh's romance novels, particularly those set in the Regency and Georgian periods, often explore themes and character development that can be seen to align with Stoic principles. Here are some ways in which her works might reflect these ideas:

1. Virtue Over Passion - Balogh's characters frequently grapple with the balance between their passions and their duties or moral codes. Stoicism emphasizes living a virtuous life, which includes controlling one's passions to achieve a state of eudaimonia (flourishing). In novels like "Slightly Dangerous" or "The Arrangement," characters like Wulfric Bedwyn or Vincent Hunt show restraint, dignity, and a commitment to virtue, even when faced with personal desires or societal expectations.
2. Acceptance of Fate - Stoicism teaches acceptance of what one cannot change. Many of Balogh's characters, especially those dealing with personal loss, war injuries, or societal expectations, learn to accept their circumstances while still striving to find happiness or meaning in life. In the "Survivors’ Club" series, characters like Hugo Emes and Ralph Stockwood come to terms with their physical limitations and past traumas, reflecting Stoic resilience.
3. Control Over Emotions - Stoicism advocates for emotional regulation, not suppression but understanding and managing one's emotions to lead a balanced life. Balogh's heroes and heroines often evolve from being driven by emotion to learning control and wisdom. For example, in "Simply Magic," Susanna Osbourne must navigate her emotions to achieve personal growth and relational harmony.
4. Living in Accordance with Nature - This Stoic principle suggests living in harmony with the way the world naturally is. Balogh's characters frequently find peace or happiness by aligning their lives with the natural order, whether that's accepting societal roles, acknowledging human nature, or finding contentment in simplicity. The character development in "Someone to Love" where Anna Snow learns to embrace her new life and identity, embodies this principle.
5. Moral Integrity - Characters in Balogh's novels often face moral dilemmas and choose paths that reflect high personal integrity, akin to Stoic ethics. In "Only Enchanting," Flavian and Agnes deal with societal pressures but choose paths that maintain their moral compass.
6. Self-Sufficiency and Inner Strength - Stoicism values the ability to find contentment and strength from within. Many of Balogh's protagonists, particularly in her series where characters deal with significant personal challenges (like the "Westcott" series), find their strength through introspection and self-reliance, which is a Stoic ideal.

While Balogh's novels are primarily romance, and thus focus heavily on emotional connections and love stories, the character arcs often include elements of personal philosophy that echo Stoic principles. These themes are woven subtly into the narratives, enhancing the depth and development of her characters. However, it's worth noting that romance novels inherently celebrate emotions, which might sometimes be at odds with Stoic teachings, yet Balogh manages a balance where emotional growth and Stoic-like resilience coexist.

 

[Maya]

Thank you @Mari for puting those Bedwyn prequel, Bedwyn saga, Simply quartet, etc.... in right order.

I'm back to Mary Balogh and really enjoyed first book ( One night for love).
It schook me to my core and with every single Neville's kind, loving, understanding word adressed to Lily - I cried my soul out.
Imagining how it would be to have a man who sees, hears and feels you like that. And who keeps his word.
Out of this world.
All I can see in my life are men who - can't, don't care enough, don't want to struggle, don't know how.
So sad. They are as far from stoic principles as they could be.

 

[Voyageur]

In the past, had started a Grace Burrowes series (not on the list) called the Windham Series. Had not meant to do this following another of her short series called Mischief in Mayfair (also not on the list). The latter series comes from 2021 publications, and involve a group of men from the war damaged and struggles - Colonel Sir Orion Goddard, Alasdhair MacKay and Captain Dylan Powell.

What I had not realized at the time of reading was that the story of Colonel Sir Orion Goddard's sister comes from the last book of a 12 book series (True Gentlemen series) titled The Last True Gentleman, which is the story of Sycamore Dorning. Thus, his and her story factor in the series above. So, upon realizing, jumped back and read this last book, and if interested in the series it could/should be read first.

Anyway, if I do get around to reading the True Gentlemen series, I'm now going backwards.

Over the year, yes backwards it was into a series before that became the new place marker for the rest to follow.

Here is what it looks like (ahead of Mischief in Mayfair):

True Gentlemen Series​

1. Tremaine's True Love, which starts the series with Nita Haddonfield, sister of the Earl, Nichols's Haddonfield, who meets Tremaine St. Michael. Nita is a skilled physical in herbs and practices.
2. Daniel's True Desire is the story of Daniel Banks, a man of the cloth, the new Vicar, who arrives in the village and meets Kirsten Haddonfield, another sister to Nichols. This begets;
3. Will's True Wish, the story of Will Dorning (later the Dorning clan) who meets Susannah Haddonfield, tieing these families together.
4. His Lordship's True Lady, is a book in the series that includes (as he also ties to the other families), Hessian Kettering, who meets Lily Ferguson. This ties into;
5. My Own True Duchess, which is the story of Jonathan Tresham who meets the widow, Theodosia Haviland. This comes back around to the Dornings;
6. A Truly Perfect Gentleman looks to Grey Dorning (Earl of Casriel) who MUST marry, and marry for money, as he has two sisters and 5 other brothers and the farm and community to support from an estate that is broken, and with brothers who are semi-aimless, yet each has individual traits yet to be envisioned - yet). So, Grey goes to London....
Noted is that Grey's brother Will is the first to court and marry, and he has a strong learning in raising and training dogs, so a good story on that.
7. A Lady of True Distinction follows Hawthorn Dorning, where essentially the farmlands fall to him to make right - spring, summer, fall and winter. Nothing easy, although he has help from his brothers. Hawthorn then meets Margaret Summerfield.
8. A Woman of True Honor then looks to Valerian Dorning, who also works on the farm and is skilled at the pen, writhing a books first draft and meeting Emily Pepper.
9. A Lady's Dream Come True looks to the Dorning son, Oak Dorning. Oak is a painter who wanders away from home to earn fees, and in the process he meets Verity Channing.
10. My Heart's True Delight is the story of Ash Dorning, who as the second youngest of sons has a serious problem with cyclical depression of a sort, which usually causes him to withdraw from society. Oak has always had strong feelings for Della Haddonfield, another sister of Nichols Haddonfield., or is she his sister? Oak is drawn back into Della's life, who also suffers under psychological spells .
11. Truly Beloved is the story of Fabianus Haviland (Viscount Penweather) who meets Lady Daisy - Somehow I missed reading this story, yet there it is.
12. and finally, The Last True Gentleman focus on the youngest son, Sycamore Dorning who meets Jeanette (widow, the Marchioness of Tavistock). Sycamore is the owner of a gaming hell (super club that used to belong to Jonathan Tresham).

The father of Nicholas Dorning was a botanist, a very good one, and what remains of his work before he died is important to the stories. As one can see from the first names (less Grey), each son (and daughter) was named for a plant; Will, Willow. There is a sister Jacaranda. Hawthorn of course, Valerian as a herb, Oak, ash and Sycamore.

Each of the stories, from the Haddonfield's to the Droning's, or for the men and woman who enter into the lives of the central character, comes with difficulties; some tragic and outright vile.

These stories - the people in them, then mesh with the Mischief in Mayfair stories and their characters. As said on the latter, the MM series has a look at the streets of London and the military veterans who returned home to a society that cared little.