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The Proposal cover art

The Proposal

By: Mary Balogh
Narrated by: Rebecca De Leeuw
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Summary

Award-winning and New York Times best-selling author Mary Balogh delights fans with historical romantic tales that touch the heart. After her husband dies in a freak accident, Lady Gwendoline Muir never dreams she’ll love again. So when soldier-turned-nobleman Lord Hugo Trentham stirs feelings in her that have lain dormant for years, she can’t help but imagine his strong embrace. Hugo finds himself drawn to Gwen, but he’s never courted a woman before. Can he muster the right words to make Gwen open her heart and love once more?

©2012 Mary Balogh (P)2012 Recorded Books, LLC

What listeners say about The Proposal

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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  • F
  • 27-08-16

Take a Chance

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

As a book, possibly. As an audiobook read by Rebecca De Leeuw, probably not.

Would you be willing to try another book from Mary Balogh? Why or why not?

I don't think so, it was hard-going and laboured. The story was a decent one, but in my opinion was too protracted. It wasn't very elegantly written. Personally, I think it could have been completed with several fewer chapters, whilst still telling the story of 2 people who had experienced tragedy and the consequences of its legacy, and how they overcame their obstacles. She was from the aristocracy while he was awarded his title through his military prowess but was from the middle classes. While I thought the heroine very accommodating of his prejudices against her class and her understanding and acceptance of his, I thought he was just rude and quite arrogant in his prejudices of her situation. I didn't warm to him and I thought some of the dialogue from his mouth in regards to his male needs was ugly and base. Read Lucinda Brant, Stella Riley or Laura Kinsale for a really good, elegant and eloquent read.

Would you be willing to try another one of Rebecca De Leeuw’s performances?

No. Her diction was ok on the whole, other than the word "off" which she pronounced as "awf". It might sound a little thing, and wouldn't have been so bad if the word appeared once or twice in the book, but the author was obsessed with this word. I wasn't consciously counting but it must have been around 40 times that the word was mentioned. I actually started to groan every time the woman said the word, and it got to be quite comical, which then detracted from the story . It was at odds to all her other pronunciations, and really jarred my ears. Owch. I want to enjoy listening to my books, not have my teeth set on edge. Sorry.

Could you see The Proposal being made into a movie or a TV series? Who would the stars be?

Its too dull to be made into a film, unless it was just the reader that made the book boring

Any additional comments?

I struggled on to the end as I had paid for the audiobook and was therefore determined to finish it, but I shan't re-listen to it again, and it will be consigned to my audio library, Maybe in book or kindle form it would be more enjoyable? Nothing ventured, nothing gained......it might have turned out to have been a gem, sadly not this time.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable

Love conquers all and there is a lot of trauma, insecurity and class difference to overcome. The narrator was very good.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Understanding guilt, pain and inferiority complex.

This not probably everyone idea of a love story, but it is very poignant.
The hero is dealing with the death of his men and his acceleration into the upper-classes. A class he has be brought up to abhor, as lazy and frivolous. He also has a huge inferiority complex, which he tries to hide, by being defensive.
The heroine is the daughter of an Earl, yet her marriage left her with her own nightmares. She has dealt with them, by ignoring them.
They are immediately attracted to each other, but both have to overcome their demons.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
  • BB
  • 25-02-24

Gentle giant meets dainty flower

I liked the idea of survivors of war meeting up yearly to regroup and recuperate.
The sheer confidence of hero and heroine’s first encounter seems so unlikely that it it’s almost probable
Whether in real life their separate worlds would have blended is questionable but it all came together to make a very beautiful story.
However, heroine’s continued insistence that there will be no marriage, whilst doing the opposite behind closed doors was grating on the nerves

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Simply WONDERFUL…

This book is from start to finish WONDERFUL- the characters are charming and loveable… the plot great 👍

And the narrator did a fantastic job in keeping one enticed from start to finish…

Now I shall look forward to the next book in this series :-)

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The Best Series

The first in the Survivors Club, which I started out of sequence, reading the 2nd ‘The Arrangement’ first. But if you can, read this one first. It kinda sets the stage and introduces everyone, although you can catch the drift with any of them.

This has been a year of Mary Balogh for me, and wonderfully, this series seems to be my favourite (I’ve read 3 prior), this series has so much depth due to its subject matter - the real aftermath of war. The psychological scars as well as the physical wounds - coupled with “getting on” with life, family and relationships! This series is well worth investing in. Mary Balogh writes endearing characters and her world is inclusive, the odd character from a previous series may well have a cameo.

This was fantastically narrated by Rosalyn Landor, accents, timbre and status beautifully rendered.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • SJ
  • 18-12-23

Poor performance

I read the book ages ago and thought I now listen to the audio book. Unfortunately, the performance wasn't great, especially the strange pronunciation of 'of/ off', and it distracted from the story.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Speedier narration helped

Easy to read / listen, as usual with Mary Balogh. Believable people who had depth of character. The narration was realistic, although a bit slow, and this was getting in the way. At 1.2 I found it much improved.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loved this.

I listened to the other survivors but not as I should have, leaving this one to last I think other peoples reviews put me off, saying the narrator wasn't right.
Well I really enjoyed her narration and would listen to her again.
The story was lovely and so sad in places, Gwen was a lady with a backbone and Hugo too, both damaged but together they compliment each other and will hopefully live happy ever after.






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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Surprisingly good

I read the reviews, and as it was free and an author I particularly liked. I listened along. I had agreed with previous comments about the narrator, until a few chapters in. When I suddenly realised I was enjoying her narrative. Everything settled down, and I thoroughly enjoyed this incredible book. Two lovers, both dogged by their own nightmares and demons. Coming from different backgrounds, and expectations. Bringing the two families together. This is an unusual , poignant,kind of romance. Well worth the read.

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