Mary Balogh: Gentle Conquest

Gentle Conquest was published by Signet in December 1987. Mary Balogh writes a story about Georgiana Barton who marries Lord Ralph Chartleigh, a man that her parents picked out for her. He was not the dashing suitor she herself would have picked and how she plans to change him after their marriage is the plot of this story.

Allan Kass illustrates a tender moment in the life of our couple as they walk through a walled garden. They are dressed in morning informal dress. Note how her dress blends in with the scenery and the touch of the garden with the rose at her waist. The hero tenderly holds her close as they walk.

Regency dress imitated the Greek mode during the 1810's. Lord Elgin had brought back Greek statues and tablets back to England and this influenced the style of dress with clean, straight lines and little trim or embellishment. Mens dress was influenced greatly by Beau Brummell, who advocated no wigs, bathing daily, and clean linen!

Allan Kass lived in Montana during the time that he created book illustrations and used the townspeople and ski bums as models! I hope that some of them have seen their likeness in some of these covers!

Mary Balogh: The First Snowdrop

The First Snowdrop was published in September 1986 by Signet and written by Mary Balogh. Alexander Stewart marries Anne Parrish in haste and leaves her to resume his hedonistic life in London. The twist and turns of their relationship are the plot of this book.

Allan Kass creates a striking room for our couple. I can't tell if there is a great window or a picture in the background with the lake and pagoda. The heroine seems to be imploring the hero for something. She is dressed in a fine golden yellow that sets off her auburn hair. Note her bracelets and earrings. Our hero is stark in a black jacket and beige trousers. He wears an ornamental watch fob on his waist. The room is simply, but elegantly furnished with an Aubusson carpet and extra chairs. This could be a dining room; note the ornate chandelier.

I am fortunate to have 2 of Allan's paintings in my possession and the originals are so beautiful that it's hard to express their loveliness. One of the reasons I love book covers is that it is an inexpensive way to "own" art! Unfortunately, publishers have gone the way of photoshop and canned pictures to illustrate books nowadays and it is a shame. Hopefully others will appreciate the great illustrators and their work of the 1970's-1990's!

Mary Balogh: The Ideal Wife

The Ideal Wife was published by Signet in October 1991 and written by Mary Balogh. Mary Balogh writes an interesting tale of a new Earl being pushed into marriage by his relatives when he meets a poor distant relative named Abigail. She seems the answer to the matchmakers, but she has a secret. What happens next is regency romance that only Balogh can write! Allan Kass paints a beautiful cover of our couple waltzing. Note her magnificent ball dress to befit a countess! I like the sewn on jewels on her sleeves and the gold brocade trim. I like that it's different colors, too. Note the couple behind them: the man's uniform and the high feather plume in the lady's hair! Also, the ballroom is simply elegant with a wedgwood blue theme. I think it's interesting that sometimes Allan painted couples by themselves, with just furniture or gardens to set a scene, and other covers have more people on them as a setting. This cover is beautiful and could have stood alone with just our hero and heroine, but having the second couple dancing gives the cover a different feel. Allan mentioned in a letter that it was funny because after he moved to Montana, he had hoped to paint western themed covers, but he got "New England Churches" instead!! Those of us who love regency romances are glad that the publishers gave those books to him to paint!!

Mary Balogh: The Famous Heroine

The Famous Heroine is another Signet regency by Mary Balogh and was published in June 1996. This book is about Cora Downes, a merchant's daughter, who becomes the darling of the ton when she saves a duke's son from drowning. Lord Francis Kneller is intrigued with her and what happens when they need to marry is the plot of this story.

Mary Balogh enjoys having continuing characters in her books, and Lord Francis is a minor character in a few of them. Check her website at www.marybalogh.com to see how books connect.

Allan Kass paints a cute illustration with our couple outside in a London park. Note her cheery yellow outfit that compliments his bluish purple jacket! The orange trim compliments her dress. I like the shaggy dog in the background!

At this time, it would have been very unusual for a merchant's daughter to marry into high society unless she had money. Most aristocrats knew what was expected to their families and would marry within their class. England was still a class driven society during the regency. In this story, Cora is accepted by the Duchess, who plans to marry her to a gentleman.

Mary Balogh: The Double Wager

The Double Wager was published by Signet in June 1985 and written by Mary Balogh. Allan Kass illustrated a beautiful cover with our couple in a curricle. A curricle was a light, 2 wheeled vehicle driven by 2 horses. Our hero takes the heroine for a ride in the park. Couples could be alone while driving without a chaperone. Allan's work shows a small lake with swans in the park with another couple strolling. Note her afternoon dress and matching accessories. Our hero wears a riding coat with stiff driving gloves to protect his hands.

Interesting wagers are the plot of this story as our heroine looks to marry during the season. The fun is what happens when our hero is also wagering on love!

Betting and wagers were a large part of regency life. Everyone from the Prince down wagered. Many fortunes were lost at cards and horse racing, lotteries, and personal wagers were also popular among gamblers. Ladies were usually discreet, but still played cards and placed wagers.

Mary Balogh: A Gift of Daisies

A Gift of Daisies was published by Signet in February 1989 and written by Mary Balogh. This story is unique in the fact that the hero is the Reverend David Gower, soon to be vicar. He is in London staying with a cousin while looking for a good woman to be his wife, but he is attracted to the young, lively Rachel Palmer. She, however, is searching London for a perfect match! Could these two unlikely people end up together? Allan Kass paints a cover that takes in both the title of the book and the profession of the hero with the heroine carrying daisies while the church is in the background. It's a beautiful scene in a garden. Maybe he was sitting on the bench reading when she walked up? I also love his vicar's garb while she wears a cheery striped spring dress! The differences in their outfits signify their differences in status. In upper class families, the oldest son inherited the estate, while any other sons went into vocations like the army, church, and law; sometimes whether they wanted this job or not! Our hero seems to have a sincere calling for the church, but most unmarried women didn't look for a vicar to marry because he would not have a large income. Some vicars would add to their income by taking on more than one parish or by having an independent income or inheritance.

Mary Balogh: A Counterfeit Betrothal

A Counterfeit Betrothal was published by Signet in June 1992 and is another hard to find book by Mary Balogh. Allan Kass paints a beautiful cover with our couple outside in a garden. Our heroine looks as if she has been cutting daffodils for an arrangement. Note the flowers all around her and the beautiful periwinkle color of her dress. The hero gazes up at her in a friendly manner. It's a simple, but very colorful and serene setting.

Lady Sophia isn't interested in marrying but she is trying to bring her separated parents back together again. She plots with Lord Francis to enter a pretend engagement in order to accomplish this task!

Divorce was rare during regency times and very hard and costly to get. Couples who didn't get along many times separated and lived apart until they reconciled or one died. In a time where a lot of marriages were arranged, it's amazing that many marriages stayed together!