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Mary Balogh penned her first historical romance in 1983. That book, A Masked Deception, was published by Signet in 1985 and won a Romantic Times Award for Regency Best New Writer. Since then, she has written over 100 novels and numerous novellas, with her most famous being the New York Times bestselling Slightly Series, which follows the always intriguing Bedwyn siblings; and the Simply Series, which follows four teachers at Miss Martin’s School for Girls in Bath, England.
As a result of her incredible writing career, she has won many awards over the years, including the Borders Group Bestselling Historical of the Year, several Waldenbooks awards, two B. Dalton awards, and a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award. Her novel, Simply Magic, was a finalist in the Quill Awards.
She was born Mary Jenkins in 1944 in postwar Swansea, Wales, UK, a town that had been heavily bombed and was still under rationing for a portion of her childhood. Though material possessions were few and life was sometimes difficult, Mary had a generally idyllic childhood, in part because of her active imagination.
When she and her older sister, Moira, were young, they had a collection of dolls they would always play with. It was in creating stories about these dolls that Mary first discovered her love of storytelling. She and Moira would fill notebooks with stories and talk about how they would become famous authors one day.
Before Mary Jenkins would become the famous author, Mary Balogh, she decided to become a teacher, as that was a practical goal. Upon graduation from university, she accepted a two-year teaching contract in the small prairie town in Saskatchewan, Canada. Halfway through her contract, she met her soon-to-be husband, Robert Balogh.
After marriage, Mary and Robert settled into the town of Kipling, Saskatchewan, where Mary continued to work as a teacher, eventually working up to the level of principal. They have three children and a number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
During Mary’s early marriage and young motherhood, she was a busy woman working full time as a teacher, devoted mother, and wife, but she always held on to the dream of being an author. When she first read a Georgette Heyer novel, which are well known Regency novels, she was enchanted and transported back in time. At that point, she knew that when she became a writer, it would be the romance and intrigue of Regency England that she wanted to write about.
She finally had her chance to start writing when Sian, her youngest child, was six years old. It wasn’t always easy trying to fit writing a novel in, between teaching and the general duties that come with being a wife and mother, but she managed to write A Masked Deception by hand at her dining room table.
With A Masked Deception, Mary Balogh did an amazing job of bringing the characters to life, creating a version of Regency England that could easily have been taken from a day in the life of Jane Austen. It is a story full of intrigue, as the seventh Earl of Brampton has an illicit affair with a passionate woman he meets at a masquerade ball. His affair with her is a means of escape from Margaret Wells, the seemingly boring wife that he was forced to marry.
Margaret Wells wears a mask to deceive her husband into falling for her persona as a passionate woman on the dance floor. Following the emotional upheavals as these characters find their way through social customs of the early 1800’s while trying to follow their hearts and own desires is an enchanting experience. It is clear why A Masked Deception won the award it did and is still a popular book.
One thing that Balogh does very well is create characters that people can relate to, even though the books take place in a time period that is so different from modern times. Regency England can sometimes be thought of as a time of rigid social structure and extreme excess on the part of aristocrats, but Balogh manages to create the less-than-ladylike characters and turn them into heroines that we relate to and root for.
Throughout Balogh’s books there are courtesans and fallen or otherwise ruined women alongside the traditional aristocrats that commonly grace historical fiction of this time period. This juxtaposition of characters can best be seen in her Slightly series, which follows the six wealthy Bedwyn brothers and sisters. Though they are very wealthy, they are all undoubtedly flawed, but only in the fact that they are human like the rest of us. Not only are they human, but they fall in love with unlikely characters throughout the series through a number of interesting events.
In the very first book of the series, Slightly Married, the Bedwyn getting married is Aidan, the second son, who gets married after making a promise to a dear friend who was on his death bed. The woman he marries is not only very independent and in no need of protection, but she lives on an estate where she cares for orphans and other down-on-their-luck types. Characters like that ultimately draw readers in and keep them coming back for more.
Balogh manages to consistently create stories that are wholly unique despite taking place in an era that is written about extensively. She also does a fantastic job at intertwining the lives of her characters throughout her different novels, making it feel as if these are historical documents rather than the stories of a truly great imagination.
The Slightly series is clearly a Bedwyn saga, with each sibling having their own novel devoted entirely to them, but when reading through other novels of hers such as A Summer to Remember, the Bedwyns, along with other supporting characters, can be found in the background as supporting characters. This type of imaginative story weaving makes it impossible to not want to read every novel Balogh has published.
Book Series In Order » Authors » Mary Balogh
9 Responses to “Mary Balogh”
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Any issues with the book list you are seeing? Or is there an author or series we don’t have? Let me know!
I love Mary Balogh and Rosalyn Landor reading. I have eye issues and listen to audiobooks available to me in my iPad bookstore. I see that all of her books are on audible mostly kindle very few on iOS or downloadable on iPad.
I have printed the list of her books and purchased the ones I could on my iPad, they are: Bedwyn Saga (6), Georgian (2), Horseman(3), Mistress (3), Simply (4), Survivors Club (7) MY favorite, Web (books 1&3), Westcott (9), Beyond the Sunrise (book5), Longing.
I would love to continue listening to her books on my ipad. If there is a way I am not aware of, please share. If not please consider making them available for download on ipad. I’m 65 and have always enjoyed reading. As you can see , I’ve invested a good deal of money. Reading is one of my last favorite joys.
God Bless you and your talent,
Susan
My daughter introduced me to LIBBY – an internet accessible lending library. We are signed up with several different libraries throughout the country and I have listened to my Mary Balogh books exclusively through this site.
I have just about listened to all of them and am getting kind of sad to know that I am reaching the end.
The best things are that they are FREE, there are no ads to interrupt or annoying music to ‘fool’ You Tube and on my cell phone, I can shut off the light at night so as not to bother my husband with it and I can play games while listening. I can’t do those two things with Audibe or on You Tube.
Lately, when I hear about a book on the news shows, etc. that I am interested in I look for the title and if it is available I will most likely be on a wait list but that is okay.
I have just read SOMEONE PERFECT. I have read all of the Wescott books.
When will you have the Wescott series book for Bertrand Lamarr?
Wonderfully organized list of Mary’s book. And I love your beautiful summary of her life and career.
Thanks Pam 🙂
Write faster Mary. Have read all your books and am always on the list at the library for your next one. Thanks for many enjoyable moments.
I am a new reader of your books – and simply love them. Historical romance is a favorite of mine. I have just finished “Someone to Romance” from the Westcott series. I am keeping a list of all your books that I have read so that I can find any that our library does not carry. Thank you for your talent.
I found the Proposal in the little green Libray last week. Read four more of the survivors series.
They are very enjoyable thank you
I have been reading your books for about five to ten years I so enjoy your books so much and collecting them as I go.please keep writing and I cannot wait until I can go out and buy more This is about my fifth ever email so you should feel honoured Keep safe and well Gordon