Dancing with Clara

by Mary Balogh

Book Overview

Miss Clara Danford had no illusions about Frederick Sullivan. She knew that this handsome man was a rake whose women were legion and whose gambling debts were staggering. When he proposed marriage to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451178734
• ISBN13: 9780451178732
• Release Date: January 1994
• Publisher: Signet Book
• Length: 222 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 4.2" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

One of the best Regencies I've ever read!

A Mary Balogh novel is either a hit or a miss for me. She is capable of creating beautiful, compelling romances like More than a Mistress and The Secret Pearl, but she has written her fair share of middling, disappointing efforts as well. However, Balogh is a wonderful writer. She has a gifted way of making the Regency period come alive. And that is the reason why I'll continue to give her stuff a whirl. Dancing with Clara is out of print and I went through a lot of trouble to obtain a second-hand copy. Why? Because I've heard many wonderful things about this book. And... Oh. My. God!! This is one of the darkest, most haunting and poignant romances out there! This is a very unconventional love story that in all likelihood has a more realistic portrayal of a marriage during Regency England. Frederick Sullivan is a devastatingly handsome gentleman with a big gambling debt. In order to avoid ending up in debtors' prison, he agrees to marry the sweet, albeit plain and disabled Clara Danford. Having lived a dull and sheltered life due to her father's overprotectiveness, Clara wants some beauty and happiness in her life and she thinks she will find that in Freddie. But she hadn't anticipated the heartbreak she experiences when Freddie returns to his old habits of gambling, partying and womanizing after he marries her. He is affectionate and polite to her and he does feel remorse for his out of control lifestyle, but Clara wants his love more than anything else. Will he ever love her? This is a very heartbreaking story. I wouldn't categorize this under romance per se because this novel paints a more realistic portrayal of a married couple in Regency times. However, Clara's unconditional love for Freddie and ability to forgive his indiscretions make this quite a unique romance. This is a roller coaster ride full of emotions and I felt despair, dismay, anger, frustration and heartbreak for the protagonists. Why am I giving this five stars? Because it's brilliant. The author succeeded in moving me as I read this novel. That, at the end of the day, is the author's objective and she more than managed to compel and enthrall me. The protagonists have a great deal of depth and complexity. These aren't cookie-cutter characters by a long shot. Freddie is the proverbial anti-hero. His actions made me hate him at times. But I also felt some compassion for him as well. This is a man who isn't proud of his actions, yet is unable to put a stop to his self-destructive behavior. The worst part is that he does care for Clara and feels undeniable guilt for hurting her. His self-loathing is heartwrenching. I don't like adultery in romance novels, but as a reader of many other genres, I am able to read this with a more objective viewpoint. Besides, Freddie's attempt at being a better person could only endear him to readers. Dancing with Clara is one of the best romance novels I have ever read! I wish Mary Balogh's publisher would reprin

One of the best Regency romances

"Dancing with Clara" is the best regency romance that I've ever read, and I'm not exaggerating. Clara's motivations for marrying Freddie, knowing full well what he was, may be deemed shallow and stupid by some, but Balogh related her loneliness and desire for beauty in her life so well that I applauded her decision. In the strength and vulnerability of her character, she remains one of the most memorable heroines whom I've ever encountered. Freddie's transformation is also well worth the read. So, do yourself a favor and read this!

Not Your Usual Romance

A beautiful man owing too much money to too many people hunts for a wealthy woman to bail him out. Old story, right? Nope. It's never the same old story with Mary Balogh. The willing woman turns out to be plain but discerning Clara, tied to a chair since a crippling childhood illness. Clara knows Freddie is only marrying her for her fortune, but a bleak life stretches ahead and she doesn't want to live it completely alone. Freddie is so charming, so good looking. His cheerful lies relieve Clara's grey life. Freddie hates what he has become but doesn't know how to break the cycle. Clara's money has erased the looming threat of debtor's prison, but he still can't relax into a normal life. He doesn't deserve it. Does he? Clara can't really love him. Can she? You might prefer to read "Courting Julia" first, as Freddie's desperate financial circumstances and extravagant behavior figure in the plot. Then read "Tempting Harriet" to see how happy Freddie and Clara's marriage has become.

Original!

Wow, what a unique romance! Mary Balogh has the reputation of turning out stories with unlikely heroes and heroines and DANCING WITH CLARA is no exception. Miss Clara Danford is a sickly, crippled heiress who desperately wants to have something healthy and beautiful in her life. And she has no scruples about spending some of her inheritance in order to get that. That is why when the virile, handsome rake-wastrel that is Mr. Frederick Sullivan offers for her, she decides to marry him despite her knowing him to be a fortune-hunter.The truth is that Freddie, by which our hero is generally known to his family and friends, is deeply in debt at the beginning of the story. He needs to marry a rich heiress--quick!--to keep himself out of the debtor's prison and his father's wrath. So, yes, the premise of DANCING WITH CLARA is the conventional marriage of convenience, but this is definitely not the same old, same old you might be expecting. Now, Clara is not the typical sort of ugly-duckling-in-disguise heroine. She does not undergo some major make-over or wind up a beautiful swine in the end. Clara remains, throughout the story, simply the same plain Clara, although Freddie comes to regard her in a totally different (and flattering) light as the story unfolds. I've heard some people complain that Clara is too much of a "push-over." To me, however, Clara is just being sensible, patient and understanding. Her willingness to forgive Freddie for his debauchery and unfaithfulness, off-putting as it may be to some readers, is reasonable, consistent with her personalities, and admirable.Freddie, on the other hand, is just as lovable as Clara. It did not take much time for me to warm up to him. (I mean, he can be really charming and gentlemanly if he chooses) Although his intention to marry Clara is less than noble, he is not heartless or cruel in any way: he vows to treat Clara well and strives to bring whatever happiness he is capable of producing into Clara's lonely life. He does indeed do some unsavory things--gambling, drinking himself into oblivion, bedding other women--even after he marries Clara. Nevertheless, he engages in them with a stricken conscience and a deep sense of self-loathing. He tries, oh how he tries, to drag himself away from the corrupting mess of a life he's got himself into, but he is in for a bumpy ride. Watching Freddie struggles to cut off drinking and gambling, sometimes successfully, sometimes only to give in later, is heart-wrenching. And I held my breath for the moment when Freddie came to the realization that his reformation was almost improbable without Clara's love and support......DANCING WITH CLARA is a great testament to the redemptive power of love and to why Mary Balogh is continued to be hailed as one of the best writers in the romance genre. I enjoy it really much, as, I believe, will you.

Superb story. I felt like I was right there!

This was my first book by Mary Balogh and it certainly won't be the last. Freddie is very flawed and filled with self-loathing. He makes so MANY mistakes, but you can't help but adore the scoundrel! He is a handsome "rake" who marries the lame, plain Clara for her money. Clara is no idiot heroine (thank you!). She is well aware of why Freddie is marrying her. She marries him for his handsomeness and because simply looking at him brings some sunlight into her dreary life. Their story is highly original and develops beutifully. The writing is superb. I just loved this book! Very highly recommended.