"Morality is not a simple thing," she said, "though it should be. It sounds simple enough when one listens to sermons and reads good books. But it is not. Love and morality are not always in agreement, and sometimes love is stronger. Perhaps it should not be, but it is."

My second Mary Balogh! This is a rambling review so apologies for jumping all over the place. Siân Jones is the illegitimate child of a lord and a Welsh woman who lived as his mistress. Siân returns to her mother's Welsh village (Cwmbran) after her mother's death, however she struggles with belonging as she was educated in private schools and her mother's status as a lord's mistress hangs over her (often more so in her own mind). Alexander, Marquess of Craille is a widower with a young daughter who has come to Cwmbran to oversee the mine he inherited. He learns of charterist meetings being held by cover of night and while spying on one such meeting, Alex first meets Siân, who is doing some spying of her own. This intense meeting between the two leads to a first kiss.

I made a note that Longing reminded me of Patricia Gaffney's Forever and Ever and though Longing is not as exacting of a class commentary as Gaffney's work, the way Balogh writes about the people of Cwmbran and their relationship to the land and their culture was a highlight. For instance, there is a mountain the community gives great significance to: charterist meetings are held here, lovers meet "on the mountain" for trysts that solidify their commitment to marry, the Scottish Cattle met out punishment on the mountain to folks who fall out of line.

For me, the main love story within Longing was not as developed as the secondary love story or the relationship Siân had with her birth father (crying! so many tears!). Alex really wants to improve conditions for his workers (and does want to make Cwmbran his home) but it feels like hollow efforts: it’s all about industry for Alex not about community. So, as a leading man I was never invested in Alex’s outcome (however I absolutely LOVED Siân; this book is filled with complex women). I want to briefly mention Siân's fiancé, Owen, who was written with such nuance! I don't want to spoil his storyline, but Owen stuck with me after the story ended and I think about his character arc often. So although the MMC wasn’t my favorite, for me, there is a depth to Balogh’s secondary characters and to the sense of time and place.

I do think the big bad villain was involved in a few too many of the plots and that took me out of the experience - I'd rather him have been the foil to our secondary love story instead of this that and the other. So although there is some unevenness, I was compelled to read on to learn all I could about these people and their mountain. ( )

I usually enjoy stories that break from the norm of historical romance, and Longing is just such a book, exhibiting a number of unique qualities. The typical Victorian romance would probably be set in England amidst the backdrop of ton balls and house parties, but Longing is set in a small industrial village in Wales. Although the hero owns a large, ornate castle, very little of the action takes place there, and except for a couple of brief afternoon teas, none of the usual social trappings occur. The majority of scenes take place in the humble confines of the town of Cwmbran (Coom-bran), and better yet, the beautiful hills surrounding it. The heroine has a stunning voice and competes in a music festival, which surrounded by the loveliness of the hills, kind of reminded me of The Sound of Music. I really felt like Mary Balogh captured the allure of the land and the culture of the proud people of Wales. Longing also has a strong historical element, detailing the Chartist Movement, the first and largest organized labor movement of its kind, which was meant to bring about political and social reform particularly for the workers in mining and industry. I can see how these topics might not be very exciting to some readers, but since I've always had an interest in politics and social issues, it was rather intriguing to me. The author even included a couple of the real-life organizers of the movement as characters. I really liked how the author took a middle-of-the-road stance, showing the good and bad on both sides of the issue. Of course, there were mine owners who didn't want to give the workers basic rights and better pay for fear of loosing profits, but there were also those among the Welsh, known as Scotch Cattle, who attempted to strong-arm anyone who refused to follow their cause by terrorizing them. Overall, Longing was a very different sort of historical romance and in many ways that was a good thing.

I must say that the book was very aptly titled, because nearly everyone in the story, particularly the hero and heroine, experiences a deep longing or Hireath in the Gaelic language. Mary Balogh has a slightly different writing style than what I'm used to, almost what I might call a more literary style. There are certain elements in her prose, such as some repetition, which in other hands would probably annoy me, but Ms. Balogh's writing has a very lyrical quality to it which draws out the feelings of yearning so that the reader can palpably sense them. Admittedly though, this also gave the story a rather languid pace, when at times, I would have preferred for things to move a bit faster. I'm a big fan of love-overcomes-all stories, but this one just took a little too long to get there for me. The hero and heroine pine for each other and for the things they believe they cannot have right up until the last few pages. When taken in the proper historical context, I can't exactly fault them for waiting so long, and in the meantime their interactions were very tender and sweet. One of my favorite scenes was after the music festival when they were crossing back over the mountain and took a moment to revel in the simple, quiet pleasure of each other's company. Ms. Balogh may have a more subdued method for conveying emotion, but I found it to still be pretty powerful nonetheless.

Sian was the illegitimate daughter of an English aristocrat who had been raised in relative luxury compared to how she lives at the beginning of the story. She is cramped into one small house with her grandparents and widowed uncle, and after the death of her husband, has also braved the hardships of working in the coal mines. Sian is a woman who is caught between two worlds, not feeling like she completely belongs in either one, but striving hard to be accepted by her mother's people. Then Alex, the owner of the mine and ironworks, comes to town and shakes up her well-ordered world by offering her a position as governess to his young, vivacious daughter, which she eventually accepts because a part of her misses that easier life. Sian was a pretty stubborn lady which at times served her well by giving her incredible strength to endure extreme difficulties and stand up to those who would bully her. At other times, her obstinacy was somewhat annoying, particularly when she kept insisting to herself that she could never be a part of Alex's world and therefore belonged with another man. Overall though, I understood Sian's actions most of the time and had to admit having respect for her even when she was making choices that I probably wouldn't have.

Alexander inherited the village of Cwmbran and all it's industry from an uncle who had no heirs. Previously, Alex had lived a quiet life on a rural estate in England, and when he comes to Wales for a change of pace, he doesn't really know anything about running a mine and ironworks but is determined to learn. He is an idealist who truly believes in mercy and justice, and is very open-minded to the plight of his workers. He wants to help them better their lives, but on a much smaller, more local scale than most of the Welsh people are hoping for, so he is constantly running up against stubborn opposition to his ideas, both from them and from other mine owners in neighboring valleys. Alex also takes his responsibility to his workers very seriously with the obligation weighing quite heavily on his shoulders. I really admired his commitment to social justice and change and his determination to keep going even though he sometimes felt like it would be easier and everyone would be happier if he just went back to England. Alex was a very sensitive, gentle man especially with Sian and his daughter, Verity. He was much more of a beta hero, in my opinion, although he did have a bit of an alpha protective streak, but was very controlled in meting out punishment. He was also a fabulous hands-on father. The only thing that bothered me slightly about Alex was that he offered more than once to make Sian his mistress, but I thought the author did a good job of showing that he was merely a product of the era and social station into which he was born. It was abundantly clear that he loved Sian to distraction, and I do believe that if it wasn't for the social strictures of the time, he would have had her down the aisle in a heartbeat. Overall, Alex was a very appealing hero, and I'm not sure I could have resisted the way Sian did even when he was only offering for her to be his mistress.

The main thing in this story that wasn't really my cup of tea was the unexpected love triangle between Alex, Sian and Owen, a Welsh ironworker who had been courting Sian for a while before Alex came to town. I'm simply not fond of love triangles in general, but this was something of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, I felt that the scenes with Sian and Owen at the beginning took away time that she could have been spending with Alex, and I also felt that Sian was perhaps giving up a little too easily by accepting second best. On the other hand though, I grudgingly concede that it did add a lot to the conflict and the sense of “longing.” This whole part of the story was very complex with Owen not being quite what he seems in the beginning, but also never quite being the villain either in spite of him doing some pretty bad things with which I strongly disagreed. This being the case, my feelings surrounding the love triangle element were pretty complex as well. In some ways, Sian's back and forth between Alex and Owen frustrated me even though I knew her feelings for each of them was very different, yet at the same time, I understood it in a way as well.

In spite of a few elements which I normally don't care for, Longing was a fairly pleasant read. It was something of a Cinderella tale, but with much more realism than the average fairy tale type story. Because of it's uniqueness, it managed to feed a different part of my brain than some other romances, while still being equally enjoyable. Longing was my first read by Mary Balogh, and even though I've seen some mediocre ratings for it, this book turned out to be a good choice for me. I've heard many favorable things about Ms. Balogh as an author, so I look forward to checking out more of her books soon. ( )

I'm surprised at how much this book upset me -- I realize that it's an older title and I think that is evident in the style and subject matter. I found myself unable to read it without my modern sensibilities, and frankly, there was just too much non-consensual power play for me to find it at all palatable. I understand that in some ways the point of the book is that Alexander will get over his ignorance and prove to be an ally to the unions in this welsh mining epic, but I just can't get over a couple of points.
1: He consistently kisses Sian without her permission, and with her in a place of being clearly terrified of him. Even if that was ok somehow (nope), he is in such a high position of power over her that she can't refuse him. It's gross.
2: It's an effective picture of the base unfairness of the time and place, and I just don't think there is a convincing way to sell me a romance between an impoverished coal scuttler and a Marquess. I also don't accept that Alexander can be so ignorant of his role in the mining scheme -- it's sadly believable, but still criminally ignorant.
Blah. Sorry, Mary Balogh. I generally love your work, but this one is not something I can get behind. ( )

Alex, Marquess of Craille, has inherited a Welsh castle and the valley where it resides, including the coal mine and ironworks that support the people of the valley. Sian Jones is a widow who works in the mine. She is also half-English and well educated as the result of being the illegitimate daughter of another English landowner.
I admit I had some trouble getting into this book. I read a bit and put it down for a while, finally picking it up and finishing it now. I'm happy I did. This is not a typical Mary Balogh book. Another reviewer likened it to Gaskell's North and South, and I have to agree. It has a lot to do with the impact of the Industrial Revolution on the beautiful green valleys of Wales, the resulting worker strikes and organization, and the difference between the classes in that period. It makes for absorbing reading once you get into it and put aside the idea that this is not a typical Balogh book.
Alex is an honorable man, willing to learn about the lives of his new people and how he can make them better (much different from his fellow owners). I found Sian more problematic. Her deep-seated desire to fit in with her Welsh side was noble but ultimately frustrating for me, especially after her punishment by the Scotch Cattle. Her treatment didn't seem to justify the loyalty she felt.
This is a beautifully written story, as are all of Balogh's works. Her descriptions of Wales makes me long to visit once more that beautiful country. ( )

My first experience with this author met with an unfortunate dead-end, the book being abandoned due to irritating sniping and relationship interactions that drove me up a wall. So it was with a smidge of hesitation that I embarked on another work by Balogh. Yet, the pretty cover (yes, I’m a cover slut!), the intriguing story premise surrounding the romance, and the author’s reputation made me decide to give another go here. Paid off in spades!

First off, I tip my hat to Balogh in her efforts to give us a fascinating historical background to go with her romance and plot. She excels in both atmospheric details and incorporating actual history into the tale. I could viscerally picture the settings in my head: the Gothic type castle architecture of Alex’s home, the smoke rising over the Welsh hills from the ironworks and mines, and the wild beauty of those same majestic peaks. Then there are the details of the Chartist movement incorporated into the story, with actual people, meetings, and marches woven throughout to give historical weight.

I really enjoyed our leads in this one. Their personalities felt balanced with both good and bad qualities, giving them a 3D feel not often felt in historical romances. I liked Sian’s stubbornness, strength of will, and soft, caring inner core. She was comfortable in her own skin and wasn’t afraid to break her own trail in life by the end. She wanted to fit into her mother’s community but wouldn’t squeeze into a preconceived mold to do so; I admired her for that.

Alex’s sweet and sensitive nature was a nice departure from your usual romantic hero. Now don’t think that makes him a soft touch and a wimp; by the end, he got macho when he needed to and showed people what’s what. Yet, I liked that his first inclination wasn’t to huff and puff to show his masculinity; his preference for compromise and working with people to meet a mutual goal was an incredible show of maturity and again, being comfortable in his own skin.

I loved their interactions and romance. With the right balance of sexual tension and heightened emotion, it kept me flipping page by page till the very end. I really liked that the author stayed away from the interaction model she used in the previous book I read by her. There wasn’t a constant exchange of sniping remarks and bantering; this relationship had more depth and sweetness that I enjoyed. I found myself more emotionally engaged by this book than I usually get, enough that I finished in a marathon session lasting till 1AM.

I also appreciate the role that sex played in this book. The scenes were utilized as something that moves the story or character development forward. Nothing was used as fluff or fan service; every encounter had a reason for occurring or had a lovely sense of spontaneity that drew me further into the relationship rather than disengaging from excessive porn. I liked that weightiness.

This book redeemed Balogh for me. I enjoyed every aspect: the different historical factors in the book, the characters, the main relationship, and the utilization of sex in the narrative. I had to finish the book in one last rush read-a-thon since I just couldn’t tear myself away from the story. I highly recommend this book to fellow historical romance lovers; it’ll be a tale that you’ll want to put real life on the back burner for. ( )