Samantha has spent years nursing her dying husband. Now that he's died she longs for her freedom and independence, but his family doesn't make this easy. A chance encounter with Benedict Harper leaves her upset and confused, but soon she realizes he's her only hope for freedom. When he helps her escape her in laws and recreate a new life for herself, Samantha may find she can love again after all.

THE ESCAPE, the third book in Mary Balogh's Survivors Club series, is beautifully written and will enthrall readers from the very beginning. Ben and Samantha both have pasts that have kept them from ever finding true love, and are both lost and searching for some meaning in their lives when they meet. Samantha is compassionate, and loyal, with a stubborn and independent streak. Readers will sympathize with her, and find her an easily likable heroine. Ben is determined not to let his war injuries keep him from being a productive member of society. He is strong, handsome, and understanding of others. Ben and Samantha fit together perfectly, and readers will be able to feel their emotional connection.

Balogh describes the setting in such detail, that readers will feel as if they are actually on the Welsh coast. Samantha's home is picturesque as is the small village nearby. The dialogue is crisp and clean, and the ending wraps the story up nicely. Mary Balogh's THE ESCAPE is a love story that will pull on readers' heartstrings.

Book Summary

In this poignant novel of longing and salvation, a hopeful widow and a resilient war hero discover the promise of love’s magic and new beginnings.

After surviving the Napoleonic Wars, Sir Benedict Harper is struggling to move on, his body and spirit in need of a healing touch. Never does Ben imagine that hope will come in the form of a beautiful woman who has seen her own share of suffering. After the lingering death of her husband, Samantha McKay is at the mercy of her oppressive in-laws—until she plots an escape to distant Wales to claim a house she has inherited. Being a gentleman, Ben insists that he escort her on the fateful journey.

Ben wants Samantha as much as she wants him, but he is cautious. What can a wounded soul offer any woman? Samantha is ready to go where fate takes her, to leave behind polite society and even propriety in her desire for this handsome, honorable soldier. But dare she offer her bruised heart as well as her body? The answers to both their questions may be found in an unlikely place: in each other’s arms.