Simply Perfect by Mary Balogh

March the 1st is St Davids Day, so to celebrate Emma over on ASAMUM BOOKTOPIA
is holding a Celebrating Wales day, where bloggers who wish to join in can sign up on the linky and read/review a Welsh author's book.  

Simply Perfect was my choice to read....I had also planned to read A Most Improper Magick by Stephanie Burgis but due to illness haven't been able to - it is going on my 'to buy' list still though :)

Title: Simply Perfect

Author: Mary Balogh

Publisher: Paitkus

Published: Feb 2009

ISBN: 978-0749909093

http://www.marybalogh.com/


Rating: 4/5

The cover on this is very visual.  I love the shade of forest green used for the dress.  Claudia Martin is the headmistress of St Martin's School for Girls.  She enjoys her life bringing hope and culturing the girls in her school, many of whom are charity cases and would otherwise be living on the streets.  

Joseph Fawcitt is an interesting character, he's played the field and knows how to turn his charm on...leaving the girls at St Martin's oogling over him when he pays a visit!  Joseph is being pushed to marry, and is happily about to embrace his father's chosen bride - until he meets Claudia, who becomes something of a unique feature in his life.  He opens up to her and shares a secret which cements their friendship.  

Claudia was jilted as a youth by a duke, and Joseph will inherit his father's title at some point, so she is more than a little weary of how their relationship is going.  I disliked Portia, Claudia's rival, from the beginning.  Her idea of marriage was one completely of convenience, devoid of any love or physical attraction - she wanted him for his title and his title only.  It takes Joseph a while to realize this though.

My favorite quote from Simply Perfect:

"She was quite right.  Nothing had been wrong.  On the contrary, everything had been right - perfect.  And for now it was enough.  Now might be all they had.  He hugged the moment to himself as he hugged her and willed the moment to become anendless eternity."

A very entertaining book, it has some fantastic twists in it - like who the benefactor is of St Martin's school, and the best kept secret by Joseph which he shares at an important point in the story...and he faces the consequences.