I read "The Ideal Wife" many years ago, and truth to tell it is one of my favourite Mary Balogh's novels. So that I was rather surprised by some of the negative reviews I read to date. This may have something to do with the fact that "The Ideal Wife" was published originally under the Signet banner where the historical romance novels were very much of the more traditional variety: sweet, engaging and not padded with intense and sizzling scenes of a sexual nature. Personally speaking, some of the authro's latest offerings have not always been my cup of tea, but I was in the mood for something romantic and uplifting and it was with relief that I noticed "The Ideal Wife" on the recent releases shelves.

"The Ideal Wife" is not going to please everyone: the characters are not fully developed (except for Abigail's brother, Boris, strangely enough), and the storyline is a very simple one with few frills: Miss Abigail Gardiner is in desperate need of a new position; plucking up her courage, she turns up at her distant relative's door, hoping to persuade to assist her. What she hadn't anticipated was that the new Earl of Severn, Miles Ripley, would ask her to marry him instead. Having just recently inherited his title, Miles lives in dread of his managing mother and sisters plans to marry him off to the beautiful Frances Meighan. Miles has no intention of marrying Frances, but how to avoid that particular marriage trap? Marrying Abigail seems like a very good idea -- she needs his protection and he needs a wife he can tolerate. But can Miles and Abigail make this marriage work? They come from very different social worlds after all, and then there is Miles' disapproving family to contend with; also unbeknownst to Miles, Abigail has a whole lot of secrets that she's keeping from him. The more time Miles spends with his new wife, the more he is charmed by her, and he is determined to make this marriage work; while Abigail has never been happier in her life. But will her secrets tear then apart?

"The Ideal Wife" is a very easy book to get into. And the authour's light prose style definitely helped with the smooth unfolding of the plot. I did however have a few reservations about "The Ideal Wife" that I do not recollect having the first time I read the book -- for example it's left to the reader to decide if Miles and Abigail are ever able to bring his mother around to their side wholeheartedly; and then there is Miles' not very believable reactions to Abigail's true nature. Miles thought that he was marrying a quiet, sensible, plain woman; when he dawns upon him that Abigail is actually quite impulsive, gregarious and rather attractive, he's not disconcerted or confused, he's just amused and pleased that he chose so well. And while I enjoyed the unfolding romance between Miles and Abigail (it did have a fairy-tale like air), I did find Abigail's decision to hide the fact that she's being threatened from Miles a bit trying on the nerves. On the whole though, "The Ideal Wife" was a nice, uncomplicated, romantic read that I would definitely recommend.