Only a Promise: Ralph's Story (A Survivors' Club Novel Series Book 5)

Ralph Stockwood and Chloe Muirhead, who both carry a lot of emotional baggage, enter a marriage of convenience. Both decide to settle for a marriage based on respect but nothing more. Of course, nothing ever goes as planned.This was a fabulous novel. The author does an amazing job building the characters and taking them through challenges as they discover their love for each other. It is not an easy journey, but it is satisfying to watch two very likeable characters discover happiness together. In addition, the author does a great job with descriptions, transporting the reader to streets and ballrooms of England just after the Napoleonic Wars. I highly recommend this novel.

I've had mixed feelings about the Survivors' Club Series of books. Although I've read most of them, they've not been my favorite of Ms. Balogh's books. I would have to say the Bedwyn Series is my favorite among her offerings. But I decided to read this recent book and found myself truly dialed into the story. Now, here's where I must admit that the Survivors' Club members have been so low on my interest barometer that I didn't even recall the character of Ralph Stockwood, much less his back story. Basically, Ralph suffered serious wounds in the Napoleonic Wars, but the most serious wounding of all was the guilt he struggled with for talking his three best friends into signing up with him. This guilt has consumed his life for several years resulting in an actual type of death to his emotions and now he walks about as a type of "living dead" person - kinda like a zombie now that I think of it. He has managed to learn how to survive from day to day mostly through the help of The Survivors' Club members who are the only people in his life for whom he can actually acknowledge any type of feelings of love. Of course he does have feelings for his family members but he was so emotionally devastated following the war, he lived for three years at the retreat provided by the Duke of Stanbrook where he struggled with taking his own life. He's damaged, pure and simple.Ralph has come to a time in his life when he is being pressured by family and circumstances to get married. He reluctantly decides to take a wife from among the offerings on the Season's Marriage Mart but it will not be a marriage that includes love - he has nothing to give. When his grandmother calls him home from London to the ducal estate to help him realize how seriously ill his grandfather, the current duke is, Ralph meets his grandmother's companion, Chloe Muirhead - a woman whose brother he knew in school and a man who always frustrated Ralph to no end. Ralph immediately sort of dumps Chloe into the same bin as her brother in his mind and emotions. Yes, Ralph has allowed his emotions to pretty much rule his life - not much of a rational thinker. Chloe has her own back story - a sad story, the circumstances of which cut her delayed "Season" short and then when she tried once again a few years later, another circumstance resulted in her disappearing from Society and holing up with her grandma's bosom buddy, who happens to be Ralph's grandma. She's now 27, totally on the shelf and bored beyond belief with her life and tragic circumstances.Not having read any of the blurbs about this book or any reviews, I was struck dumb when I saw how Ralph's and Chloe's relationship would take off. In fact, when Chloe asked Ralph to marry her, I thought, "Well, okay then, I can get into this story." it was somewhat of a roller coaster ride for awhile which I loved. There were a couple of reasons that I'm only giving this book four stars. The next part is ***Spoilerish*** so don't read on if you don't want to know a couple of parts that I. Did. Not. Like.I hated it that Ralph did not see to Chloe's sexual needs until a few weeks into their marriage. True, he may not have felt that was part of the agreement he made. But he did promise to treat her well and be courteous to her. He took her sexually and she enjoyed the scraps that she got - basically the weight of Ralph atop her and doing his thing. She was an innocent in sexual matters. He wasn't a rogue or a rake by any means, but he certainly had enough experience to see to her needs as he proved a few weeks into the story. This seemed beyond selfish on his part and actually out of character. He didn't even kiss her during the first few weeks - not even on the day they married. Make excuses for him all you want, but his promise to be courteous to her as his wife apparently didn't extend to the bedroom relative to her enjoyment. He had sex with her twice every night and once three times, and of course he enjoyed it or we all know he wouldn't have been able to get it going. So, that was a big problem for me.Regarding Ralph's promise to never take Chloe back to London, all bets were off once he became the duke so I gave him a huge pass on that one. I did think the basis for his emotional death was a bit of an overkill. I know, I know, without it there would be no story. But really? His friends had minds of their own, they were big boys. When Ralph is set free emotionally, of course these truths are finally seen and we have another member of The Survivors' Club free to enjoy life more fully. This is my favorite of the series.

Book 5 of the survivors club series is about 26 year old Ralph, heir to a dukedom, who has serious physical and emotional scars from the napoleonic wars where his 3 best friends were killed, and Chloe, a Baron's daughter who has been mistreated by society and discovers a shameful family secret

I am a huge fan of Mary Balogh books. I have nearly every book she has ever written. The Survivor's Club books are a wonderful series. Which makes me feel badly that I did not find this book to be perfection.Ralph was in the Napoleonic war and he was not only severely injured, but he also watched his 3 best friends die right in front of him. The war and the deaths of his friends have left him feeling as though he does not deserve to live. His guilt is even greater than normal survival guilt, because he feels if not for him, his friends would not have been in the war.Chloe is an unpaid companion for the Duchess of Worthington. She requested the position when she felt she must escape from home because of scandal. Though she is the daughter of a gentleman, she feels there is no future for her other than to make a living in the world.When Chloe overhears Ralph's conversation describing his feeling of emptiness, she gets an idea. She proposes marriage to him because neither of them expect anything from marriage and neither of them expect to find love.This is where I felt things went off the rails. The proposal was before the two had an actual conversation and I don't believe any woman would jump into a proposal with no more knowledge of the type of man to whom she was proposing. At first Ralph says no, then after thinking about things he agrees. He is the heir to a duke, and then a duke himself, and he is very wealthy. I think a man no matter his emotional injuries would find it very easy to find a wife among young ladies who are equal to him in stature and importance and with no scandal attached. Thinking and then deciding on the marriage I understand but it seems things moved very quickly with little or no relationship between the two.Once they are married, situations arise which change the relationship and bring new problems to the marriage. Ralph becomes Duke because of the death of his grandfather and it is imperative they go to London, in spite of the fact Chloe had requested she not be forced to go to London, and the questions about Chloe's birth are running rampant.Ralph is a good person who strongly feels his responsibilities. His fear of meeting the families of his dead comrades is huge in his life. Chloe is afraid of becoming an even bigger scandal and hurting Ralph and his family.The plot is very well written. The twists and turns are wonderfully interesting and hold the reader's interest all the way through the story.There are terrific secondary characters who help move the story forward and provide a sense of inevitability to the story. It is like watching a train wreck, we can see the hurt and pain which is on the way for Chloe and Ralph.I wanted to feel passion and strong attraction. I wanted to feel a sense of emotional bonding between Chloe and Ralph. Everything seemed tepid. Ralph and Chloe are very supportive of one another. The two of them are willing to help one another in any way they can, but what they do for one another is relatively painless. I believe it is important that there be support between husbands and wives, but I would have liked to see a little more of a challenge for both.The writing is excellent. I would expect nothing less from Ms Balogh. But, for these two characters, I would have liked there to be more heat. That is just me, I am a fan, and I have enjoyed some remarkable characters in her books. I look forward to the next book in the Survivor's Club series.

An enjoyable series, however like one of the other reviews, Kindle version, I couldn't remember at first which one of the Survivors Ralph was.Ralph has come back from the Peninsular Wars badly physically injured but emotionally shattered and the latter has left him a reserved, emotional cripple frightened of allowing himself to feel. His has survivors guilt, he blames himself for the death of his 3 close friends, who all at the age of 18 followed him into the army. Perhaps somewhat arrogantly, he feels that he controlled them and they only joined up because he did, thereby denying that they had wills of their own and merely followed him like sheep. Ralph the grandson and heir of a Duke, has the honorary title of Earl. His grandfather is in his 80's and in poor health, so his grandmother summons Ralph to the ducal estate to remind him that it is his duty to marry and beget an heir and that he better get a move on with the process. Although Ralph realises that he must marry he is reluctant because he thinks that beyond position and money, he has nothing to give a wife i.e. no emotion/feelings.Chloe Muirhead is a guest of Ralph's grandmother, her grandmother was a friend of the Duchess. Chloe has had a bad time at the hands of the ton. Her debut season was ruined and cut short by the antics of her younger sister, then last year another catastrophy occurred and Chloe's fight or flight reaction to problems tends to be flight. She is now 27 years of age and all she wants is a nice husband, a home of her own and children, but is not likely to get any of those. Upon hearing the marriage conversation between Ralph and his grandmother, she is bold enough to approach Ralph to offer him a marriage of convenience. He will give her a home and children and she will be a good wife and mother but not expect love from him. All she asks is that they stay at his country estate and not go to London, she has no wish to face the ton again.Enjoyable, although Ralph is so tightly wound and repressed emotionally, frightened to allow his genuine feelings for his wife to emerge, that his character/personality is held back until towards the end of the book.A slight quibble, who chooses the covers for books? Because whoever has chosen this one has not done a good job. The girl on the cover is very pretty, she looks to be of Chinese extraction or perhaps Philippino, with dark hair and brown eyes. She however, is not the flame redheaded, green eyed Chloe of the book. I do like my covers and the stories within to have some resemblance to each other.I'm looking forward to Imogen's book and do hope that MB intends to write a book for George. George, who lost his only son in the Peninsular Wars and his wife soon afterwards committed suicide, deserves a HEA. Perhaps a nice widow who is still young enough to bear him a child.

What a great premise! Promises made and promises broken. Two damaged but endearing characters, each needing something the other can supply, and in the midst of their new, convenient marriage, the promises made in their arrangement collapse.How they deal with each other, the circumstances they find themselves in, and how make it through, is a fabulous read.Highly recommended

This is a very good book to read. One gets into the story from page one and eager to find out what happens next, how it develops (although of course, we know there is always a HEA). The author did a great job! Although I never read any of the series, this one could stand alone.I will not write about the plot as the other reviewers have done so. What I can say is that I loved the heroine Chloe. I felt for all that Chloe went through, I understood why she ran away from London a couple of times. She did not deserve all the stigma as they were all not her fault. Ralph also had his own demons to overcome, namely guilt and forgiveness. His 3-year recuperation from the Peninsular Wars were difficult, but he actually only healed in body (albeit all his physical scars), and he found the only way to get on with his life was to shut all his emotions away. And he was successful.His marriage to Chloe was surprising, to him and to her, I think. Why he would want to marry her I could only blame on laziness and perhaps the conscience of "ruining" a young girl's life. Why she married him seemed more realistic and believable.The supporting characters were all very well-handled. I loved her papa and brother! What strength in Graham's convictions. I loved how the relationship between Graham and Ralph was handled, how each saw, in the end, that they were not enemies, and they did not hate each other. For Chloe, her battles within herself was very believable, her strength was amazing. When Ralph thought that Chloe was stronger than him, I felt for him.In the end, one sees that neither one was complete - each needed the other to give themselves their own strength. It was very fortunate indeed that they met. And I fully understood the bargain, and could not help smiling when both of them found it very difficult to distance oneself from another human being, especially when you are living and having sexual relations with each other. How many human beings can harden their heart to not feel, I do not know.Overall great although the repetition of what the terms of the bargain was was irritating at times, but I could overlook that.

As usual, first rate. Mary Balogh is a star. deeply plausible flawed hero racked by guilt as his best friends were killed beside him in the Napoleonic wars, 18 year old ex Etonians fired with patriotic fervour; a young woman whose only hope was marriage; a marriage of convenience that turned to something else; dark currents in family life; undercurrents in society; compromises, acceptances and of course true and transformative love. The Survivors' Club series is getting better and better; it is wonderful to meet and remeet the characters. Yes we have our hea; but the issues are real.

Another well written book from Mary Balogh. It starts very well, we quickly get into the emotions and feelings of the characters. My only point to take is the last quarter of the book. It gets extended too much by going on and on with same thing in the heads of our H&H. The ending is over melodramatic for my taste, you not only need a box of tissues, you need a towel to mop all the tears.