Tangled Affections (New Beginnings Book 3)

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View all 13 comments. Aug 07, Caz rated it really liked it Shelves: I see that the book has engendered very mixed reactions over the years, and although I can understand why, I enjoyed it, principally because Mary Balogh is so skilled at portraying the emotional lives of her characters in a way that makes them feel very real to the reader.

The book opens as Lady Rebecca Cardwell is saying a fond farewell to her husband, Julian, before he departs with his regiment for Malta, and then the Crimea. But his devil-may-care attitude, and particularly his womanising eventually has disastrous consequences which ultimately result in his death. David has been in love with Rebecca for years, since long before she married Julian, and even though he knows that she will never love him, he offers her marriage, telling her that he can provide her with a home of her own and a purpose in life.

He makes it clear, though, that while he is proposing a marriage of convenience, he wants a wife to share his bed and, hopefully, give him children. Initially, Rebecca is stunned and turns him down. Yet she has to admit that since his return, she has seen a much quieter and more thoughtful man, and believes that perhaps he has outgrown his youthful exuberance. At first, David thinks he has made a fairly good bargain, although his father is sceptical and warns him that he wants more than Rebecca will be prepared or able to give him.

The marriage takes place and the newlyweds travel to their new home where Rebecca is delighted to discover that there is plenty for her to do and looks forward to being useful and taking her place as the foremost lady of the local community. But their married life gets off to a rocky start.

Rebecca is equally confused. The couple settles into a way of life that sees them living and working together as little more than business partners, but Rebecca wants a real marriage and has no idea how to achieve it while David distances himself from her; his jealousy of Julian and the guilt, the secrets and the lies that shadowed their relationship distort his view of the situation and lead him to believe that Rebecca is disgusted by him. I am not normally a fan of stories in which so many misunderstandings and secrets abound, but I did enjoy Tangled.

True, there were times I wanted to beat both protagonists over the head with a big stick and tell them to just be honest with each other; but somehow, Mary Balogh has made their reluctance to confide in each other believable. The deeper emotions are brilliantly illuminated, and the author has very skilfully illustrated the importance of sex in the development of the central relationship. I especially liked the way in which the author shows that Rebecca is falling in love with David while being completely unaware of it, and how she shows the depths of his quiet, unrequited love for his wife, but as individuals, they are complex, flawed and not always easy to like.

Rebecca puts Julian on a pedestal and is unable — or unwilling — to see any of the shortcomings of which the reader — and David - is aware. She elevates him practically to sainthood after his death, and there are times when her continual harping upon his perfection gets very irritating. But with those things said, both characters feel very much like products of their time, and I applaud Ms. Balogh for creating and keeping them that way in spite of the sometimes negative effect on their overall appeal.

While the secret-keeping is frustrating and the central characters could sometimes be a bit irritating, my principal criticism of Tangled is with the ending. Granted, the outcome was a foregone conclusion if David and Rebecca were to get their HEA, but the action that leads up to it is so completely out of character for the person concerned, that I had to read and accept it as a necessary plot device rather than a natural direction of the story. This is an angsty and emotional book, and I can understand that the secrets, misunderstandings and - for want of a better word, passivity - of the protagonists may mean it is not one that everyone will like.

But the depth of the emotion contained within its pages and the skilfully developed, strong connection between the protagonists are sufficiently compelling as to allow me to overlook any weaknesses and commend it as an absorbing and thought-provoking read. Apr 24, Christine rated it it was ok Shelves: Though I found this book compelling on many levels, I could not truly like it in the end. There were a number of very emotional moments, which is something I look for in my favorite books, yet throughout the entire book I knew that the problems between the hero and heroine were entirely of their own making, and that honesty would have taken care of most of them.

Backbone might have taken care of the rest. Rebecca grows up with both Julian and David, and though she is expected to ma Though I found this book compelling on many levels, I could not truly like it in the end. Rebecca grows up with both Julian and David, and though she is expected to marry David, she chooses Julian -- the sunnier one, because David took the blame for a number of mischevious sometimes cruel things.

He did this, in theory, to protect Julian, but I found the extent of his covering up, his enabling, to be a little ridiculous. Julian and David both go off to war, but only David returns. He proposes to Rebecca because he loves her, she accepts out of convenience, and they have a difficult marriage. The story actually takes place over the course of a number of years, so they go through a few honest transitions during that time. And on the plus side, this book contained a certain degree of honest and plausibility.

These characters were not unbelievable. Nevertheless, I didn't like them. Neither David nor Rebecca made a move to find or embrace their own happiness. Both let circumstances rule them the entire book, and even to the end. I read to the end, partly because I was drawn into the emotions, and partly because I kept waiting for one of them to wake up and claim their own happiness. I rated it two stars because it didn't happen. I have rarely seen such passive characters both of them in a romance novel. I won't go into details for anyone who might still be skimming, but seriously?

They should have solved their own problems, instead of letting someone else do it for them in the most ridiculous manner I can possibly think of. View all 3 comments. Jan 20, Carol Storm rated it it was amazing. One of the greatest of Mary Balogh's full length historical novels, this romance is both dark and convoluted.

I love the fact that the setting is the Crimean War, almost fifty years later than the usual Regency period. There's a very modern feeling to the way the story develops. The heroine is in love with her husband, who is absolutely no good, and she detests his best friend, who seems cold and distant but is actually loyal, determined and caring. One of the most enjoyable things about this boo One of the greatest of Mary Balogh's full length historical novels, this romance is both dark and convoluted. Both these stories feature exactly the same kind of triangle, contrasting the charmer with no guts and no heart Julian with the charmless but mature and devoted Dark Horse David.

Rebecca is a mature, thoughtful, courageous young woman who has to face some truly terrifying suspicions and fears and a very difficult pregnancy before coming to the joyful truth about her new husband and her new future. The darkness and intrigue in the book are really unique to Mary Balogh, a perfect combination of classic Gothic and modern JFK style conspiracy theory. Feb 13, Shivani Singh rated it did not like it. I have felt so angry after reading it. The heroine was so pigheaded and selfish that at times i wanted to kill her and the hero deserve much better than someone as blind as her.

God i never hated any female protagonist before as much i hate this one. Nov 07, Suzanne rated it really liked it Shelves: A deeply emotional story, with a happy ending that is arrived at only after painful frustration for the reader, as well as the hero and heroine. Set in Victorian England, the characters make life-altering choices regarding, honor, duty, love, and sexual gratification that realistically reflect the values and range of behaviors of the historical period. In Tangled, Balogh skillfully uses the marriage bed an emotional battleground, reflecting the couple's fears, frustrations, and ultimately, their A deeply emotional story, with a happy ending that is arrived at only after painful frustration for the reader, as well as the hero and heroine.

In Tangled, Balogh skillfully uses the marriage bed an emotional battleground, reflecting the couple's fears, frustrations, and ultimately, their fulfilling personal and physical marital intimacy. A somewhat tortuous read, but one that continues to linger in my mind. Jun 07, LaFleurBleue rated it really liked it Shelves: This is indeed a puzzling and troubling book, quite typical of some other heart-wrenching romances Mary Balogh wrote earlier on.

The actions, silences, lies through omission, dissimulations, are very well justified all along the book, through the feelings of each character. However sticklers to honesty and absolute full disclosure would not feel very satisfied with this book, as everything relies on that - not telling the full truth and nothing but trying to protect someone else.

The heroine, tho This is indeed a puzzling and troubling book, quite typical of some other heart-wrenching romances Mary Balogh wrote earlier on. The heroine, though passive and very obedient, is probably very representative of her time and consistently persistent in her ways, though she learnt to be more liberated in some ways.

I really liked how the author managed to show her growing affection for her second husband, despite her being aware of it. The ending was really surprising and absolutely not what I expected, as I was really wondering how they would finally get untangled. Dec 10, Steph rated it did not like it.

As a rule, I love Mary Balogh but this book is one of my least favorite in the genre that I've read. I finished it a month ago and still feel disturbed. And the resolution was just depressing and not at all uplifting. This is one I truly wish I'd never read. Jun 06, Jessa rated it really liked it Shelves: Ooo boy, the angst was high in this one. I love a stoic hero who suffers and pines for the one he loves. I hesitate to call this an enemies to lovers since it's so very one sided on Rebecca's part, but there's definitely so much satisfaction in the animosity she holds for David and the slow burn to realizing what a damn good dude he is.

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Julian is one of those interesting characters that you love to hate but can't really hate. He's probably one of Mary's more complex side characters. Didn't make it to the full five stars because of some ending issues I have, but a very good historical IMO. The sex scenes are not as explicit and lengthy as in many modern erotic romances, but the progress of the main relationship is intimately connected with sex; the main couple would not have achieved a love relationship without learning about each other while also developing their sexual relationship.

The book has three main sections: In the opening, the heroine Rebecca is married to Julian. This section ends when Julian is reported killed; the reader knows that David is involved somehow in his death. In the middle, David returns to England and marries the widowed Rebecca. Point of view is very important in this novel. We can clearly see that for her, the physical intimacy of sex leads to emotional intimacy with her partner. We root for her to overcome behaviors, forced on her by the historical period in which she lives, that are blocking her happiness.

See the full review at Heroes and Heartbreakers: Sep 08, Daisy rated it really liked it.

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This was one of those books that just made me sob for almost its entire duration. And I think that was more so because of how simple yet emotive Balogh's style of writing was. David has loved Rebecca all his life, but instead she chooses his charming foster brother, Julian. But although Rebecca loves Julian irrevocably and their marriage is happy, Julian is a womaniser.

Having grown with together, David is intensely protective about Julian despite his shameless and nature and his love for Rebecc This was one of those books that just made me sob for almost its entire duration. Having grown with together, David is intensely protective about Julian despite his shameless and nature and his love for Rebecca compels him to shield her from the truth about Julian's nature.

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During the Crimean War, Julian dies and after two years David returns home and finally offers Rebecca a marriage of convenience. It was heartbreaking to read of David's quiet unrequited for Rebecca. And the twist at the end just broke my heart even more. The weird thing is that after reading the one and two stars reviews here I totally understand where they come from. The characters in this book are such that you will either love them, or become immensely frustrated by them, and for some reason I fell into the former category. I wasn't sure whether to smack him or hug him.

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I get his anger and I am glad he understood but come on. I have never "shipped" a couple so hard in my life. Wells writing is beautiful and engaging. I say the angst factor was right on and there was enough twists to keep me guessing. Not my first Elizabeth Wells book and definitely not my last!! Jun 23, Dani Winland rated it it was amazing. Elizabeth Wills does what any great writer does, and draws you back into the story, and boy is there ever a story!

For my full review, go to www.

Jun 13, Randi rated it it was amazing. Warning, this review has spoilers I've been a fan of Elizabeth Wells for years, her books are intense and gripping and romantic, and her talent for writing shines through on every page. She doesn't just tell a story, she lives a life through the pages of her books and takes us right along with her. I have followed the progress of this series of books and was not so patiently waiting for this third book to release. After getting the chance to finally get my hands on it, I wa Warning, this review has spoilers We got to see a small glimpse of Riley in the first two books, but it's easy to see that it didn't even begin to scratch the surface of who she really is.

We have a woman who was horribly mistreated for years, and as so often happens to people who have been abused like she was, she felt it was deserved, justified, and it shaped the way she viewed life and what she thought she was capable of. This life that was forced upon her the things she was manipulated into doing and thinking about herself, shaped the person she became and caused her to Then we have Jon, he loved her and she hurt him. I loved Jon, but at the same time I kind of wanted to be mad at him for not understanding what she had gone through, and for blaming everything that followed between the two of them completely on her, but as so often happens in life, he wasn't getting the full story.

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He didn't see the abuse and she was so far under the influence of her abuser, that she couldn't tell him what was wrong, because she didn't even really know herself. That's what kept me from truly being mad at him, because in a way, he was a victim as well. And then he is finally ready to learn the truth about what went wrong between them and any lingering anger I felt towards him vanished completely in the fave of his understanding and acceptance of who she is and what she's been through.

This book has flawed characters that go through a lot of growth and come out the other side better people. Elizabeth Wells has a way of writing that makes one feel as if you really know the characters. I almost feel like I've read about old friends of mine, and I'm happy for them. In the end, I think they got exactly what they needed. From each other and from themselves.

May 23, VMChick rated it it was amazing. I liked how Riley worked through her issues and was able to find her happy ending. I also really loved her relationship with her daughter. Trying to keep this spoiler free! Jun 17, Ashley rated it it was amazing. I can't fight my affections for this novel! Wills did a great job with the characters and making me feel invested in them instantly. It was wonderful to get to the end with these guys and experience the love along the way: I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily reviewing.

Jul 02, Letha Wilkinson rated it it was amazing. This is another great book to add to this series. This books reminds me of a baseball game, JT and Ri lose the first eight innings but never count them out, they come back for a big win in the ninth! Great job Elizabeth Wills! Spunky N Sassy Rating: This book was heartbreaking and beautiful.

I loved the whole series. Jun 11, R yatsko rated it it was amazing. The Third book in this series! Brace yourself for all the emotions come pouring out of the pages A must read book, and must read series! Jun 14, Danielle Wormald rated it really liked it. This is book 3 in The Affections series however like I did this can be read as a standalone!

I think I read most of it on the edge of my seat! A definite must read! Reese rated it it was amazing Jul 19, Tracy rated it liked it Oct 12, Karen rated it it was ok Jun 27, Susan Owensby marked it as to-read Feb 28, Tammy Cole marked it as to-read Apr 25, Jenene marked it as to-read Apr 25, Ana Rita marked it as to-read Apr 26, Tamara marked it as to-read Apr 26, Tiffany marked it as to-read Apr 27, Stefanie marked it as to-read Apr 30, Christy marked it as to-read Jul 20, Tanya marked it as to-read Jul 20, Brittany Damron marked it as to-read Jul 20, Scowling down at the green, velvet monstrosity that's laid out across her bed, she crosses her arms just below her chest, forcing her breasts to bunch and swell upwards.

She pops out a hip and Eugene's fingers twitch at the thought of how that hip would feel if he grasped it. He clears his throat and easily demonstrates how to latch the hooks and eyes that run down the dress' back. Of course he knows how they work. Buttons, clasps, zippers, ties, you name it and he has at one point figured out how to work it.

Most likely he did it while drunk and in the dark. Rapunzel tries it once and then excitedly practices on three more, her thin fingers running up the hooks like the wings of a moth. With a bit of difficulty, she pulls them all open again, and in a flurry of spinning fabric, she grabs up the dress and throws it over her head. For a moment she's completely obscured in a mass of green, then one hand appears followed by another.

She pulls her head out and shoves the dress down to rest on her hips. She grins up at Eugene, looking far too proud of herself considering that her many layers of skirts are all crumpled together so that the floor length dress barely reaches her knees. Eugene has to help her straighten her skirts, and before he knows it, he's on his knees in front of her, reaching under her dress to smooth one layer of netting after another.

He's helped with this kind of thing before - usually after a fling in a broom closet. Usually the girl whose dress he's straightening tries to muffle her giggles and Eugene doesn't help at all by trailing little kisses along her thigh. He notes that Rapunzel has very nice thighs, but he resists the temptation to touch them.

She grins at him as he stands. It's not a come-hither grin or a grin flushed from the tingling proximity of his warm hands. It's a grin of gratitude for a job well done and a grin of triumph for their conquest over the dress. He takes her by the shoulders and turns her around to provide assistance when it becomes clear that, even though she now knows how they work, she still can't fix all the latches on her back by herself. He marks the elegant column of her neck. It would be so easy to bury his face against the junction of her throat and shoulder or her jaw just below her ear, breathe her in, fill himself with her scent — warm and earthy and womanly.

He imagines that if he runs the pads of his fingers along the bare curve of her shoulder blade, he'll be able to feel her shiver. He'll be able to hear her breath catch. A week later the door to his bedroom creeks open in the middle of the night and he sits up, alert in the dark. He's generally a light sleeper, having been on the run and having spent time with people who would stab him in the back just as fast as he would turn on them. Since he moved into the palace the guards have taken to patrolling regularly past his room.

Their armor makes them clank as they walk and it wakes him up every time. But this intrusion on his sleep is different. She pads across the floor and slips under the blankets to snuggle up close to him, her skin cold from the evening chill. She presses her face against his bare chest and leaves a damp streak of tears against his flesh.

Without thinking, he wraps his arms around her to comfort and warm her through her thin nightgown. The silk bunches as he caresses her back. He's starting to feel a bit more awake now, and starting to realize that there's a certain danger to her being here. Regardless of that, he can't turn her away when she's in need.

She shivers and hesitates. It was all white. A bright white that stung my eyes. So white that I couldn't tell where the walls were or the ceiling or where they met the floor. There was just nothing. And I called out for my mother, but she wasn't there. I called out for you, but you… you weren't there either.

Not anyone, and I was all alone. She didn't specify if his absence was because he was dead or because he had abandoned her. He has a feeling she knows which one it was. Either way it couldn't be pleasant. It was so big. I felt like I would fly apart so that little pieces of me could fill the space. I was too small and I wanted to be in my tower. My tower would hold me together.

It would hold me in. But I was falling. I was falling and falling and I knew that if I had my hair I could throw it and catch myself on something, but I reached for it and it was gone too. She had lost everything, and it was all his fault. He hadn't asked her what she wanted. He had just ripped everything away. Something tightens inside his chest. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere.

She pulls back and looks up at him, her eyes dancing with tears and starlight in the dark. He feels that familiar tingle in his arms and the warm coals that light just beneath his navel. But then she's pulled away again to smile, and she shifts back to tuck her head under his chin.

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