Slightly Dangerous

Bedwyn Saga #6

by Mary Balogh

Be prepared to laugh out loud as you read scenes that are so hilarious you cannot imagine any other outcome, and be prepared to weep as these two souls struggle and strain to find common ground. Mary Balogh shows us once again why so many people think she is the mistress of the Regency romance! I wish that I had a dozen roses to give this exceptional novel!”
Paula Klug, A Romance Review

When Viscount Mowbury invites Wulfric Bedwyn, Duke of Bewcastle, to his sister’s country house party, Lady Renable has to scramble to find another lady guest to balance numbers. Christine Derrick, widow and part-time schoolteacher, is persuaded much against her will to be that lady.

The cold, aloof duke and the fun-loving, accident-prone Christine are about as mismatched as a couple could possibly be, and they dislike each other from the start. But there is a definite attraction between them too, and soon Wulfric, much to his surprise, is in determined pursuit of an elusive Christine–even after the house party is over.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Regency, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook

365 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published March 1, 2005

About the author

Mary Jenkins was born in 1944 in Swansea, Wales, UK. After graduating from university, moved to Saskatchewan, Canada, to teach high school English, on a two-year teaching contract in 1967. She married her Canadian husband, Robert Balogh, and had three children, Jacqueline, Christopher and Sian. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading, music and knitting. She also enjoys watching tennis and curling.

Mary Balogh started writing in the evenings as a hobby. Her first book, a Regency love story, was published in 1985 as A Masked Deception under her married name. In 1988, she retired from teaching after 20 years to pursue her dream to write full-time. She has written more than seventy novels and almost thirty novellas since then, including the New York Times bestselling 'Slightly' sextet and 'Simply' quartet. She has won numerous awards, including Bestselling Historical of the Year from the Borders Group, and her novel Simply Magic was a finalist in the Quill Awards. She has won seven Waldenbooks Awards and two B. Dalton Awards for her bestselling novels, as well as a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award.

Reviews

[Dina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars

As the last installment in the Slightly series, this was probably the most anticipated read of my recent reading history. To be fair, I didn't love all the previous books in the series, but I was more than ready to love this one. Why? Because it was about Wulf... *sighs*

As the story opens, Wulfric Bedwyn, the Duke of Bewcastle, is feeling somewhat morose and too old at thirty-five. His siblings are all happily married, procreating and living away in their own residences, his long-time mistress passed away a few months ago and he hasn't replaced her yet, and the parliamentary session has ended, leaving him to dread the lonely summer that awaits him at Lindsey Hall, his country estate. This unusual state of mind prompts him to accept an invitation to attend a two-week house party at one of his friends' sister's estate, something that's completely out of his character. He regrets his decision almost immediately, as he doesn't expect to find any enjoyment there, but he's a man of his word and he's accepted the invitation, so off he goes... only to have his already low expectations crushed right upon his arrival.

Christine Derrick is a 29-year-old widow who's only attending the house party as a favor to the party's hostess, Lady Renable. Considering that Christine's brother- and sister-in-law were also invited to the party and they pretty much despise her, she'd rather be somewhere else, but she couldn't refuse her friend's request. She plans to "hide" in the background and avoid drawing attention to herself, but disaster seems to follow her. It doesn't take long until she catches not only Wulf's attention but everyone else's too. She can't help it. She's just too "full of life" to sit quietly in the corner. Riiiight...

Wulf and Christine are complete opposites. He's aloof, haughty and the Duke of Bewcastle. She's bubbly, clumsy and a schoolmaster's daughter. However, they can't help falling for each other, even though they know they're completely ill-matched. So where does this leave them? Well, if you're familiar with Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, you know what happens next. Wulf makes an offensive proposal, and Christine flatly refuses. He makes another offer, she refuses him again, and they part ways after exchanging some harsh words. But he can't forget her, so he eventually sets out to woo her and prove her that he's more than "just" the Duke of Bewcastle. He's also Wulfric Bedwyn, and the man behind the Duke is worth loving...

Oh man, what can I say? I'm devastated, but this book didn't live up to my sky-high expectations. As I said in the first paragraph above, I was ready to love it, so one could say I was even willing to accept minor grievances. Unfortunately, things didn't work out that way. It took me three days to finish this read, and that's bad considering I was expecting to devour this book in one sitting. So what went wrong?

In one word, Christine. I didn't like her for the most part of the story. She was supposed to be fun and loving, a big contrast to Wulf's character, but I think Ms. Balogh went a bit too far. Christine's antics made her look childish and foolish, not charming and endearing. Many reviewers liken her to Elizabeth Bennett, the heroine in Pride and Prejudice, but I kept picturing Lydia, Elizabeth's silly, idiotic sister. :( It was quite jarring, because Christine also had some moments of great maturity and wisdom. In the end, I just didn't know who (or what) she was.

Now Wulf, ah Wulf! I'm in love with the man! He was pretty much like he was in the previous books: icy and always in control. I was glad to see that Ms. Balogh didn't turn him into an overtly emotional hero only because he was in love. The glimpses into his inner thoughts were sufficient to show that, contrary to what everyone believed, there was a beating heart inside his chest and blood in his veins. Even so, he opened up enough to Christine to tell her about his upbringing and how deeply he was affected by the way he was "molded" to be the Duke of Bewcastle. That was a beautiful and powerful scene, and I had tears in my eyes when I finished reading it.

As for the plot, this book was clearly an homage to Pride and Prejudice, as many reviewers have already mentioned. I don't have a problem with it, as Ms. Austen's classic novel is one of my all-time favorite books, but Ms. Balogh didn't do the job as well as Ms. Austen when it came to making me believe that a hero and a heroine so unlikely matched would live HEA. Strangely enough, the sex scenes were part of the "problem". Wulf and Christine's lovemaking felt cold and I didn't sense any sexual tension between them, so I couldn't help picturing a lukewarm marriage in their future. Paired with the fact that Christine would definitely have a hard time adjusting to being the Duchess of Bewcastle, the whole scenario didn't scream HEA to me.

All in all, this was a disappointing read. Not because it was bad - it wasn't - but because it could have been so much better... I was poised to love it, but ended up finding it "only" slightly better than average. I know I'm in the minority here, as most readers love this book, so don't let my review influence you. If you're following the Slightly series, you definitely have to read this book.

[Juliana Philippa · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEST OF THE SERIES and of Mary Balogh; a perfect ending for all of us Bedwyn family fans

Slightly Dangerous is the sixth and final book in Mary Balogh's Bedwyn family series and takes place two to two and a half years (it spreads out over several months) after Rachel and Alleyne's wedding in Slightly Sinful. It is absolute perfection and reading it will make you giddy - and in several locations laugh out loud. I think it's the **best** of the series, which is saying something since IMO often the final books in series aren't as good as the first ones and with a character like Wulfric ... I mean, after encountering him in six of Balogh's previous books, it almost seems impossible that he could possibly be a hero in his own romance! One is compelled to read the book if only to discover how Balogh could possibly pull off such a thing and what heroine on earth could make it all believable.

MAIN CHARACTERS, Christine and Wulfric:
Mrs. Christine Derrick is 29 years old and has been a widow for two years. She was married at the age of 20 to Oscar Derrick, the younger brother of Basil, Viscount Elrick. She is absolutely enchanting (as Wulfric himself calls her), a heroine full of vitality and genuine kindness who has a passion for life and living and lacks any pretension or artifice. She is sometimes self-conscious, since she has a tendency to get in embarrassing public scraps, but she easily engages and wins over everyone she meets (best of all, she's able to laugh at herself whenever she does blunder).

Wulfric Bedwyn, Duke of Bewcastle is 35 years old and has never been married. When Slightly Dangerous begins his mistress of 10 years has just died and with all of his siblings happily married off (and reproducing at a rate you wouldn't believe!!) he feels uncharacteristically lonely; that's what propels him to impulsively accept the invitation to the house party, something he would normally never do. He is austere, cold, hard, **extremely** haughty and arrogant - every inch the powerful duke that he is - and just the last man on earth whom you could possibly imagine falling in love or feeling passion. Ah, but read this book and you will realize how wrong you are. :-)

They are opposites in so many ways: Christine is lightness and laughter and joy and Wulfric is austerity and haughtiness and oppressive duty. Yet Balogh does such an *incredible* job at writing them and their relationship that the chemistry between Christine and Wulfric is unbelievably magnetic. I mean you have to hand it to her: Slightly Dangerous has a hero who does not - I repeat, DOES NOT - smile or laugh until page 347 (out of 365 pages) and yet the love story between them will sweep you off your feet and you will absolutely adore and believe every single encounter and every single progression of their relationship. Now THAT, in my opinion, is talent.

READ AFTER OTHER BEDWYN BOOKS:
If anyone is considering reading Slightly Dangerous having not read any of the previous Bedwyn books, I would discourage it for one simple reason: to truly appreciate and understand Wulfric's character and heighten your enjoyment of the romance, it helps to be lead up to this point after having read the five sibling romances (and A Summer to Remember if you like, a prequel where the Bedwyn family is first introduced). This book can stand alone I suppose, though one could easily get lost with all of the various Bedwyn siblings, spouses, and children that appear (joy!). But to feel what I described at the beginning - a sense of complete incredulity that Wulfric could possibly be involved in a romance and a burning curiosity as to who such a romance would be with and how it would progress - you would have to already know him from Balogh's previous Bedwyn books. (They're great reads!)

There are many different types of heroes that we encounter in this genre, but no serious-never-smiles hero that you have EVER read could possibly live up to the Duke of Bewcastle. So many times when we read about those types of heroes, they melt surprisingly fast in the presence of the heroine, they begin to change and start laughing relatively easily. To fully be able to comprehend how ice-cold this man is, it helps to know him from the other books; literally, if someone hugged him you feel like they would immediately catch hypothermia. However, we have also been teased with one or two moments in each previous book with a glimpse of not a top-lofty unbelievably arrogant duke, but of a mere man who feels not only duty and responsibility, but who is very alone in all his power and feels a deep love for each of his siblings.

SIGH-FILLED HEART-MELTING SCENE (one of many):
"I would be consumed by you," she said, and blinked her eyes furiously when she felt them fill with tears. "You would sap all the energy and all the joy from me. You would put out all the fire of my vitality."
"Give me a chance to fan the flames of that fire," he said, "and to nurture your joy."

BOTTOM LINE:
**READ IT** (after having read the other five books in the Bedwyn series)!!! Buy the book (definite keeper and re-read) and prepare yourself for a read-in-one-sitting romance filled with Bedwyn siblings and spouses, a hint of Pride and Prejudice, laugh-out-loud scenes, unbelievable chemistry, dialogue and thoughts by the hero that will have you sighing constantly, and a delightful heroine.

P.S.
1) WHY does Balogh always write "head over ears" in love instead of "head over heels"???
2) Stop complaining about his quizzing glasses everyone - they're horrid, yes, but Christine thinks so too and the two scenes where she lets her annoyance and humor about them show are priceless!
3) And sorry but I have to write the following: This is to all historical romance writers out there, including Balogh - curls are NEVER EVER EVER brushed! As a young woman who has had ridiculously curly hair all her life, I can tell you with utmost certainty that *no one* with curly hair would EVER dream of brushing their curls! Show me someone who does and I'll show you someone who looks like they just put their finger in an electrical socket. Sorry, but just had to get that off my chest.

[Penny Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one. This is the first book by Mary Balogh that I've read and I found it to be wonderful.
So... let's talk about the Richard Armitage, shall we?







As soon as I read the description of the Duke, I pictured Richard Armitage. Granted, I might have enjoyed this book so much because of the resultant mental imagery. However, I suspect I actually liked it because of the stellar writing, wonderful dialogue, and the interesting characters.

[Addie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am re-reading all my 5 star rated romance novels. There are 60 on my shelf. This is book 36.

(Tropes: Unstarched (hero), Widow, Class Difference, Opposites Attract, Unrequited Love, Enemies to Lovers)

This is how my 36th re-read held up.



This book. THIS BOOK.

While not perfect…it’s perfect. I love this book. I haven’t read it in several years, and as always I worry when I pick up one from my 5 star bookshelf, but thankfully this held up.

Maintains 5 stars

*****
He did not want a duchess.
More especially, he did not want a duchess who was not his social equal, who looked pretty at all times and startlingly lovely when animated but was not at all elegant or refined, who behaved impulsively and not always with proper decorum or gentility, who drew attention to herself every time she became enthusiastic about something and then simply laughed when things went wrong instead of being suitably mortified.
*****

Quick plot: Cold and reclusive Wulfric Bedwyn, finds himself at a house party where to his great irritation can’t help but be drawn to the commoner, widowed and all-wrong-for-him, Christine Derrick.



Wulfric is SO up his own ass, we really should not like him. But at the start it’s Christine charismatic character that really holds the attention. She is not impressed by the lofty duke; laughs at him, puts him in his place and drives him batsh*t crazy.

- He was asking why he had amused her. Amused was not quite the right word, but she had laughed at him—as she was doing again now.
“You were so very outraged—you are so very outraged,” she explained, “that I failed to obey your command.”

- The Duke of Bewcastle was also watching, a look of supercilious weariness on his face. But Christine took no notice of him—beyond noticing that expression anyway. He might have a reputation for lowering the temperature of any room that he occupied, but he was not going to chill her spirits.



She really distracts us from Wulfric’s arrogant and sullen behaviour until we get to see his strong character and reasons for his behavior unfold. At first a silly wager drives Christine to spend some alone time with him but to her horror she can’t help but notice her attraction to him.

- The Duke of Bewcastle was definitely handsome in his cold, austere way. But he had something else beyond that.
He was sexually appealing.

Wulfric is baffled by his attraction.

- It did not amuse Wulfric to discover himself drawn to a woman who had none of the attributes he found admirable in women. It positively disturbed him to find himself wondering what it would be like to bed her. He was not in the habit of looking upon ladies—or any woman, for that matter—with lascivious intent.
But he was drawn to Mrs. Derrick.

- He could not imagine finding a maze amusing, but he did not want to turn back yet. He wanted to spend a little more time in the aura of her light and vitality and laughter. He wanted to spend more time with her.



And their attraction is really something

- And then they were stranded within a foot of each other with nothing else to say, it seemed, and nowhere else to look except at each other. The sense of seclusion deepened. Somewhere not far off a bee droned.
The flush of color in her cheeks deepened and her teeth sank into her lower lip. He possessed himself of one of her hands and held it between them with both his own. It was warm and smooth-skinned.
“I will simply concede defeat, then,” he said, and raised it to his lips.
His heart for some reason was pounding hard enough in his chest to make him feel slightly dizzy. Her hand trembled in his own. He held it to his lips far longer than was necessary.
But would even a single second have been necessary?
Or wise?
She was gazing at him with wide eyes and slightly parted lips, he saw when he raised his head. She smelled of sunshine and woman again.
He leaned forward and set his lips to hers.
And felt an instant shock of intimacy and desire.
Her lips were warm and soft and inviting. He tasted her, touched her with his tongue, probed the soft flesh behind her lips, breathed in the warmth of her, drugged his senses with the essence of her. He held her hand between them and felt as if some core of ice that had always held his emotions safely imprisoned was dripping warm melted water into his veins.
He did not know if she slipped her hand from his or if he released it. But however it was, her arms twined about his neck, one of his circled her waist, the other her shoulders, and they came together in a close embrace, her soft, warm, shapely body arched in along the length of his.
He teased her mouth wider with his own and pressed his tongue deep inside. She touched it with her own and sucked it deeper.



This still doesn’t mean he knows what to do about it, and the idiot asks her to become his mistress.

- “I would prefer it if you would remain here and count slowly to ten after I leave,” she said. “The charm of your company has worn thin, I am afraid.”
…..
Wulfric sat very still, staring ahead at the hedge and concentrating upon tucking his emotions neatly back inside that safe ice core.



But at the last night of the party, their attraction proves too strong.

- With his thumbs he traced the lines of her eyebrows, her cheekbones, her chin. He ran one thumb lightly across her lips, drew down the lower one, and moistened the pad by running it across the soft flesh within. She touched the tip of his thumb with her tongue, luring it into her mouth before sucking it deep. She was hot, soft, wet.
He withdrew his thumb and replaced it with his mouth.
But only briefly.
He drew back his head a few inches and gazed into her moonlit eyes.
“I want you,” he said.
Even as he spoke he was aware that she could break the spell with one word. And part of him willed her to do just that.
“Yes,” she said on a whisper of sound.



At this point Wulfric, is ready to propose, but Christine pulls the rug out under him before he gets his words out.

- “What just happened here was not the beginning of anything but rather the end. For some reason that perhaps neither of us fully understands, there has been this something between us. Now we have given in to it and satisfied it. Now we can say good-bye and go our separate ways tomorrow and forget each other.”
Even as she spoke she realized what utter drivel she was mouthing.
“Ah,” he said faintly. “Will we?”
“I will not be your mistress,” she said. “I did this for myself, for my own pleasure. It was pleasant, I have satisfied my curiosity, and that is that. The end.”



Wulfric isn’t quite ready to give up, but Christine does not make it easy, and I certainly see her point and fully respect her for it.

- “I did not think you indifferent to me,” he said. “And contrary to popular belief, one coupling does not kill physical attraction. Your prospects of living a fulfilled life here seem slender. Life as my duchess would offer you infinitely more. Do you say no, Mrs. Derrick, only to punish me? Will you perhaps punish yourself too in the process? I can offer you everything you can ever have dreamed of.”
The fact that she was tempted—drat her, she was tempted—fanned the flames of her anger.
“Can you?” she asked sharply. “A husband with a warm personality and human kindness and a sense of humor? Someone who loves people and children and frolicking and absurdity? Someone who is not obsessed with himself and his own consequence? Someone who is not ice to the very core? Someone with a heart? Someone to be a companion and friend and lover? This is everything I have ever dreamed of, your grace. Can you offer it all to me? Or any of it? Any one thing?”



Pride severely wounded, Wulfric retreats, but as faiths will have it, paths cross.

- “Is the world not large enough for the two of us, then, Mrs. Derrick?”
“Sometimes,” she said, “I wonder. And I do not suppose you have many kindly thoughts of me. It cannot be every day that a lowly commoner refuses two very different but equally flattering offers from a duke.”
“You assume, then,” he said, “that I have had thoughts of you, ma’am?”
Her terrible discomfort fled, and she leaned a little toward him and laughed aloud. “I love it,” she said, “when you can be provoked into spite. Or perhaps I insult you by accusing you of that. A more genteel word would be set-down. It was a rather magnificent one and certainly put me in my place.”
He gazed haughtily at her.
“And I love it, Mrs. Derrick,” he said softly, “when you can be provoked to laughter—even when you do it with just your eyes.”



Unable to give up Wulfric asks her to come to his (one and only) house party.

- You are as you are, and I am sure that in your own world you do very well indeed. You command respect and obedience and even awe. They are necessary attributes, I daresay, for an aristocrat in your position. They are just not attributes that I look for in a lifelong companion.”
“I am a man as well as a duke, Mrs. Derrick,” he said.
She wished he had not said that. She felt as if a giant fist had caught her a blow in her abdomen, robbing her of all breath and strength in her legs.
“I know.” She was whispering. She cleared her throat. “I know.”
“And you have not been indifferent to that man,” he said.
“I know.”
He touched the gloved knuckles of one hand to her cheek for a brief moment, and she closed her eyes and frowned. Much more of this and she would be bawling—or casting herself into his arms and begging him to propose marriage to her again so that she could have the pleasure of living unhappily ever after with him.
“Give me a chance,” he said. “Come to Lindsey Hall.”



And it’s at this house party we not only get to see how Wulfric’s (out of character) behaviour is amusingly viewed by his family, but also how hard he tries to show Christine there is more to him than a cold duke.

- “I believe I could stand the power of your light, Mrs. Derrick. My own identity would not be diminished by it. And yours would not be diminished by my power. You once told me I would sap your joy, but you belittle yourself if you truly believe it. Joy can be sapped only by weakness. I am not, I believe, a weak man.”

- During the few days she had been at Lindsey Hall she had already discovered that there was a real person lurking behind the formidable figure of the Duke of Bewcastle.
They were one and the same, of course, the man and the duke. Not for a moment did she suspect that he was somehow mad, that there were two quite different persons living within the same body. But she was not sure she wanted to see any more of the man or know any more about him. Her life had been so very safe again for almost three years.

- He walked out along the branch that extended over the water, holding onto another branch for balance as long as he could and then doing it on his own. He went to the very end of the branch, tested it for strength, bent his knees a few times, flexed his arms. He was, Christine realized, playing up to his audience, which was loving it.
And then he dived in headfirst, his arms stretched above his head, his legs straight and together, his feet pointed. There was hardly a splash as he went in.
There was, however, a collective gasp from the bank, followed by a cheer. Christine clapped her free hand over her mouth until his head broke above the surface and he shook the water out of his eyes.
“Someone,” he shouted, “should have warned me that the water is cold.”
It was the moment at which Christine slid all the way—irretrievably—in love.
And then something extraordinary happened—something else extraordinary, that was. Lady Hallmere stepped up in front of her, frowning ferociously, and hugged her hard, the duke’s clothes squashed between them.
“If this is what you have done for him,” she said, “I will love you all my life.”



***

Why was it, she wondered, that opposites attracted? And they were such very extreme opposites.

[Lady Wesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

March 30, 2017
Read my full review here

13 January 2015

I have a Facebook page which I use primarily to follow my favorite authors. Yesterday, however, I posted this photo on Mary Balogh's page and mentioned that it reminded me of Wulfric and Christine.



Almost immediately, Mary Balogh her own self responded, "Yes, indeed. I believe it was created for them." Don't you get a little thrill when authors you admire "speak" directly to you?

Then I noticed the stats: activity on my page is up 78,500% in 18 hours. I don't really care about stats, as the page is just a convenience, but it's interesting to see the influence of a popular author.

I love Mary Balogh, and this is my favorite Balogh book. Highly recommended!

5 November 2011
I read this before all the other Bedwyn books and liked it a lot. Loved the Duke, and Christine was delightful.

January 19, 2012 - Just reread, and decided to bump it up from 4 to 5 stars. I definitely recommend reading these in order because the Duke plays a crucial role in each story, which helps the reader understand him better in this one.

It was fun seeing all of the Bedwyn siblings and their spouses together. Oh, and all of their children, which they are producing at an alarming rate. For once, I can forgive the usually obligatory epilogue where the baby arrives.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Review 2018] What can I say???? I've read this book three or four times now, and each time I love it more. It's right up there as one of my fav ever HRs (and I've read a lot of them). I just finished it again, sniffing my tears back pretty much through the last chapter, and I feel like anything else I pick up is just going to be a let-down......... I've got a book hangover.........

This book is Mary Balogh in top form. I don't love all of her books, but this one is so beautifully written. After having just (re)read all of the other books in this series, the MC Wulfric Bedwyn is a character you feel you already know and like. Now he gets his own story. And because he's waited so long, it seems even more powerful.

Wulfric became head of his family at age 17. He has put duty and responsibility first in his life, with personal satisfaction on a 'back burner'. Now 35, he has seen all of the five younger siblings he helped to raise, marry and find their own happiness. His life seems a little empty, lonely even. But that's an indulgence he refuses to allow himself to dwell on.

Christine, 29, is a widow living in genteel poverty with her mother and spinster sister. A friend invites her to a house party to even up the numbers. And there, they meet.........

The story is paced beautifully. The differing (even opposite) characters of Christine and Wulfric are carefully established. Wulf is cold, serious, aristocratic, haughty, controlling. Christine is warm, sunny, loving, charismatic, klutzy, able to laugh at herself. She's the kind of person always at the centre of all the fun and laughter. The person everyone is drawn to. And Wulf is surprised that he is drawn towards her too. Strangely, Christine feels the pull of attraction towards Wulf as well.

Both MCs think they dislike each other, even though they both feel the sizzling hot sexual tension between them. Kind of enemies-to-lovers trope. Wulfric can't think of anyone less suitable to be his duchess. Christine thinks he is cold and heartless. But yet, they both fall deeply in love.

Balogh writes their story so beautifully. Their developing love gradually unfolds over time. They begin to reveal more about their inner lives to each other, and their pasts as well. This is something Balogh does so well - allowing her characters to strip away the outer trappings so we can finally see the depths to the characters. So they can deal with their pasts, and move forward to the future.

There are so many beautiful scenes in this book, that I never tire of reading. Such as the moment when they quarrel and Christine throws Wulf's eyeglass up a tree - then when he retrieves it she sleeps with it beside her pillow. The moment when they have been apart for months and Wulf sees her again and realises he is still infatuated. No - realises he is deeply in love. The moment when he tells his family he is bringing some guests to his home, trying casually to act as if he has no special interest in Christine, even though she is secretly his guest of honour. And the beautiful scene in the dovecote, when they make love with the sunlight slanting through the coloured glass windows and playing across them in the bed together....... *sigh*

So. I think it's the pacing, the characterisations, and the depth of feeling in this book that get me every time. A beautiful read. A strong writer in her very best form.

[Lady Wesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course it's five stars!

Slightly Dangerous was released in 2004, as the culmination of Mary Balogh's Bedwyn Saga series, which follows the lives of Wulfric Bedwyn, Duke of Bewcastle, and his five siblings. It has gone on to become her most popular book, with a 4.6/5 rating on Amazon and 4.2/5 on Goodreads, and is firmly placed among the top ten in All About Romance's Top 100 Poll. I have read almost everything published by Mary Balogh, and this one is by far my favorite. I am tempted to stop my review right here, because if these ratings by hundreds of readers don't convince you that it is a book worth reading, I'm not sure that I can add anything. Nevertheless, I shall try.

Wulfric Bedwyn is the consummate arrogant, cold-as-ice duke, wealthy and powerful and not inclined to suffer fools or much of anyone else for that matter. We have come to know him gradually in the first five books of the series, and there have been glimpses of a man who loves his brothers and sisters deeply, even as he exerts his considerable power to control their lives and to interfere with matches that he considers unsuitable.

As this book opens, all of his siblings are happily married and have moved away from the family estate, Lindsey Hall. His long-time mistress has died recently, and although Wulfric cared for her he did not love her and thus his grieving is more for himself than for her. Wulfric is feeling at loose ends, so when his friend invites him to a gathering of intellectuals at Lord Renable's estate, he accepts and then immediately regrets his impulsiveness. His impeccable manners, however, will not permit him to cry off, but his regret increases when he discovers that the house party is filled with the usual frivolous haute ton characters.

Christine Derrick also is a guest at the house party, as she is a friend of Lord Renable's wife Melanie. She has been invited only at the last minute to round out the numbers, and she really doesn't want to go, but she also hates to leave Melanie in a bind. Christine is twenty-nine and the widow of the younger brother of Basil, Viscount Elrick. Her marriage began with love but turned out badly as her husband became possessive, demanding, and downright paranoid, wrongly accusing her of having affairs. Unfortunately, Basil and his wife Hermoine believed these accusations and they have declined to offer her any support and cut off all contact with her. Christine lives in a cottage with her mother and elder sister, a schoolteacher whom Christine sometimes assists.

Christine is the utter opposite of Wulfric. He is the ultimate aristocrat; she a poor widow. He is intimidating and humorless, wielding his omnipresent quizzing glass like a weapon; she is full of life and light and joy, completely lacking in artifice or pretense. He is the soul of propriety; she tends to act impulsively, sometimes getting into embarrassing scrapes which she gaily laughs off. But as the house party gets underway and even though she is not of the same class as the other guests, she quickly enchants them all. Except for Wulfric.

Actually, they got off to a bad start. In a classic scene, Christine leans over the balustrade to peer at the arriving duke and, when he looks up, accidentally spills lemonade in his eye. Thinking her a servant, he growls and scowls; she lightly utters, “Sorry,” and disappears in embarrassment. When Wulfric spots her later that day among the guests enjoying afternoon tea, he employs his typical method of intimidation: staring at her through his quizzing glass. When Christine stares back and refuses to be cowed, he crosses the room to speak to her, and neither of their lives ever will be the same.

Many readers have compared this story to Pride and Prejudice, and while there are some similarities to Lizzy and Darcy, Mary Balogh has created her own characters in Wulfric and Christine. To begin with, while Austen left Darcy as something of a mystery by telling the story largely through Lizzy's eyes, Balogh shifts her point of view between the two main characters. I daresay the reader understands Wulfric's motivations much more than Darcy's. Balogh's couple is much more mature than Lizzy and Darcy, and each has suffered disappointments before meeting one another. Moreover, Wulfric is orders of magnitude richer and more powerful than Darcy, and he is exactly the type of aristocrat who Christine abhors. He is rather appalled by her as well, as she repeatedly behaves with a lack of decorum that he finds unladylike. And yet, Wulfric finds himself unwillingly drawn to her to the point that he rushes to her assistance when said unladylike conduct puts her in mortifying situations. Christine is slower to see Wulfric's admirable traits, but eventually she is as unwillingly attracted to him and he is to her.

Under the circumstances, Wulfric does what a duke would do – he offers Christine carte blanche, which Christine angrily rejects. Oh, but this is just the beginning of a back and forth that plays out over the next several months in Gloucestershire and London and at the Bedwyn country estate Lindsey Hall. And while Christine is a delightful character, I find that Wulfric is really the star of the book. He truly is the quintessential top-lofty duke, and Balogh does not do him the disservice of having him melt into a pile of goo when he falls in love. Other authors have written similar characters – indeed they are a staple of historical romance – but Wulfric Bedwyn stands at the top of the heap. There is an old Italian phrase, "capo di tutt'i capi," meaning the boss of all bosses, and I like to think of Wulfric as the "duca di tutt'i duchi." Perhaps I can be forgiven for falling in love with him myself.

This is a beautiful love story, wonderfully told by Mary Balogh, and recently, for the first time in several years, the audio version narrated by the incomparable Roslyn Landor is available once more. Landor has recorded most of Balogh's audio editions, and in this performance she never puts a foot wrong. This is not surprising, however, since Landor is one of the top four or five best narrators of historical romance. I will just add that even if you haven't read any of the earlier books in this series, Slightly Dangerous is excellent as a standalone. In short, it is a classic. Do read it or listen to it. Or better yet, do both.

[Lori ◡̈ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know this is a much loved story by many of my friends, but I just did not click with it. The heroine was cringe-worthy. I do not enjoy spending my relaxing reading time cringing in embarrassment for the hero/heroine.

She was very spontaneous, careless and clumsy and got herself into embarrassing situations in front of the ton and made herself a laughingstock. And this supposedly ‘cold as ice’ hero (he had ice chips for eyes, by the way) all too quickly fell for her during a house party.

This, after their first meeting of each other with the heroine leaning too far over the upstairs stair-railing to peek at this duke, and carelessly spilling her lemonade into one of his eye balls, which burned and left his eye red for awhile afterwards.... (eyeroll).

Soon afterwards, they meet again while a group of high-class ton go for a stroll thru the garden, and this heroine takes it upon herself to climb a tree to help a child get down and on her way down the tree she rips her dress in half, in front of everyone. Just ridiculous childlike behavior.

I stopped reading because I just didn't buy this ice cold duke and this clumsy accident-prone lady falling in love.

[Grecia Robles · Rating 5 out of 5]

*** 5 Cold as Ice STARS***

MADRE
DEL
AMOR
HERMOSO… Que bonitooo!!!

Este es mi libro favorito de TODA la serie y tenía que ser así ya que Wulfric es su protagonista.
Con este libro y en sí toda la serie, a Mary Balogh ya la puedo poner en mi lista de autoras de histórica

Este libro es el LIBRO, es uno de los mejores que he leído en histórica y no he leído tan poquitos y es que toda toda la historia me gustó mucho el background del personaje de Wulfric durante toda la serie hace que en su libro lo disfrutes más.

Sé que muchas comparan este libro como la nueva versión de Orgullo y prejuicio y sé puedo entender la comparación pero a mí ese libro no me gustó y este me encantó, sé que me van a crucificar pero I don´t care Mr. Darcy no me enamoró y a Wulf LO AMOOOO LOCAMENTE CON LOCURA desde que apareció en el primer libro mi detector de book boyfriends se activó.



Wulf mi precioso Duque de Bewcastle es lo más bonito del mundo y si alguien merecía ser feliz era él y sí es frío todo un tempano de hielo, arrogante y estirado pero tiene un alma preciosa, pareciera que no puede sentir amor pero es la persona con más capacidad de amar que existe y tiene amor infinito para dar.

—Amo a Wulfric Bedwyn con locura —le aseguró ella con una nota traviesa en la voz.
¿De verdad, amor mío? ¿Lo bastante como para arriesgarte conmigo? Porque debo hacerte una advertencia. Los Bedwyn tenemos una tradición según la cual, aunque tardemos en casarnos, cuando lo hacemos les entregamos a nuestros cónyuges toda nuestra devoción y fidelidad. Si te casas conmigo, serás el objeto de mi adoración por el resto de tu vida.

Christine es todo lo opuesto a Wulf pero precisamente es lo que él necesita, ella me gustó mucho pero era demasiado cabezota e hizo sufrir mucho a mi Wulf y en una escena realmente quise estrangularla pero después la volví amar porque hizo feliz a mi Wulf y eso no tiene precio.

Al final lloré como magdalena de la emoción y felicidad creo que ando hormonal pero es que este libro y sobre todo Wulfric me provocaba bastantes sentimientos ya tenía bastante tiempo que un personaje no me enamoraba hasta el punto de la obsesión.

[Preeti · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars-To the slight touch of Pride and prejudice and a hero like John Thornton from North and South.😛😛

(Opposite attracts, dislike/hate to love, slow-burn, vibrant heroin-starchy hero, widow, class-difference, heroines I am in love with)

"I believe you were put on this earth to bring light to your fellow mortals."

I think I have already said this to all and sundry but in case you have missed someone screaming 'Wulfric' last time, I will repeat it.😂😂  I wanted to read this book since I have read Slightly Married years ago, but I am a girl with a faulty memory. 

So, I was not surprised when this book surpassed all my expectations, what surprised me was the reason. I had always wished to read this book because of Wulfric but damn!! How could I have underestimated Mary Balogh's ability to write a remarkable heroine, great banter and terrific relationship development???

>Plot

Wulfric is the duke of Bewcastle. Now that all his siblings have married and are occupied with their lives, Wulf is bored. And, out of this boredom, he accepted an offer to a house party.  Christine comes from the countryside but was married to a viscount's brother. But, after his death, she has returned to her previous life. 

They both have opposite personalities and outlooks in life. But, surprise!! Surprise!! They feel a strong pull towards each other yet they can't help but disapprove of each other too. 


Wulfric reminded me so much of John Thornton. He was not grumpy or broody, he was just a stickler for the rules of society. He did things as a duke and fulfilled all his responsibility but comes out as cold and calculating.
His reaction to Christine shocked him. He never thought he could ever want a woman who doesn't know how to conduct herself like a lady. She is clumsy, likes to climb trees, mountains and enjoys every moment of life. 

"Indeed, you are the very antithesis of the woman I would have chosen.”

He Would constantly fight this attraction because he is not able to comprehend what the hell is going on with him.

"And infatuated be damned. He was near to being blinded by his attraction to her. He was in love, damn it all. He disliked her, he resented her, he disapproved of almost everything about her, yet he was head over ears in love with her"

"I find myself constantly infuriated and enchanted by you, unfeeling “Often both at the same time. How can one explain that?”🤣🤣🤣

Christine on the other hand has already suffered in her first marriage so she is not at all enthusiastic about getting married again, particularly not to a cold, unfeeling man.

Things I adore about this book

1. Christine Her first marriage was a love union but it didn't end well. Yet, she took enjoyment in small things, she loves people in general and nothing could squish her essence. Her character is so well-written.🥰🥰

2. Banter/clash of wits The banter was not like some other romance books, where the couple fight just for the sake of fighting. Here, they both constantly clash because of their opposite belief system. 

"I would prefer it if you would remain here and count slowly to ten after I leave,” she said. “The charm of your company has worn thin, I am afraid.”

3. The 2+1 proposal- So, you remember the rejected proposal scene from Pride and prejudice??? This was something like that but more.
a. He asks her to be his mistress-

A home of my own,” she said. “A carriage. Jewels, clothes, money, entertainment. And, best of all, you bed me regularly. It is an almost overwhelmingly flattering offer. But I really must decline, you know. It has never been my ambition to be a whore.”

b.He proposes marriage-

"A husband with a warm personality and human kindness and a sense of humour? with a heart? This is everything I have ever dreamed of, your grace. Can you offer it all to me? Or any of it?”

c.He proposed againnnnn- 

First,” he said, setting his hands behind his back, “I must tell you that I can never be the man you dream of—” Yes, you can,” she said quickly, interrupting him. “You can and you are. I am not sure what was on that list I gave you last year, but it does not signify. You are everything I could ever dream of and more.”🥰🥰🥰

I loved that Miss Balogh didn't give a personality transplant to Wulf, just because he is in love. She let him show Christine that he is more than a mask. That he cares for his family and other people.

The book could be read as a standalone because up to the 80% mark we do not see much of other Bedwyns but it was great to see the reunion of the family. 

Okay, if still, it's not clear how much I enjoyed this book, I will let you all know that I was both listening to audiobook and highlighting the ebook, at the same time.😇😇😇😇

[V. A Court of Wings and Ruin is NEW ADULT/EROTICA but Goodreads editors won't tell you to include it in the choice awards · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ish
OW and OM warnings H had a mistress for 10 years and he went into a dark placed when she died. Heroine had a previous marriage and she was supposdely deeply in love with her husband

I needed a little bit of classic/historical romance and I'm glad I found this one. I like the hero well enough, he wasn't a manwhore and I love his tortured nature. My only problem is that I always prefer when the first and most important woman in H's life is the heroine. He had a long term relationship with another woman and that makes me love and hate the book at the same time. I love how cute he was mourning his ex, and being utterly alone without love. I love that he was commited to this woman even in a time when mistresses weren't seen with good eyes. But as I said, I would have preferred if the heroine had been her first. She was a widow, and that means H wasn't her first either.


I still enjoy this because the whole point is that they already suffered while they were on their own. Lonely searching for love and then ... love found them!

Is that cute or what? I don't know whether people who prefer contemporary manwhores or virgin heroines (my favorite trope) will enjoy this one, but I think they might!

[Donna (Currently Busy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one series where I'm glad I read the books in order, beginning with Slightly Married. As I read each one, the Duke of Bewcastle (Wulfric Bedwyn) has either a critical supporting role or is mentioned as an important component in each of his sibling's books. This novel is his story and was well worth reading last. He's the most influential sibling and leader in his family. This book explains why and how he became the man he is.

In the beginning of the book, we find 35 year old MMC Wulfric Bedwyn reflecting on how to spend his time following the end of his annual political responsibilities. About three years has passed since Lord Alleyne Bedwyn's marriage. So all of his brothers and sisters have families and are settled in life. The Duke feels he has dutifully discharged his responsibilities to each. At this particular time though, all of them have their own family issues requiring them to stay at their respective homes instead of joining the Duke at Lindsey Hall in Hampshire. Or Bedwyn House in London. Both residences will be empty. And since the Duke's mistress, Rose, passed away the prior February, he's feeling a vast emptiness in his life. So he decides to take up a friend's request to join him at a two week house party in Schofield Park thinking it's going to be fishing outings and intelligent conversations among his peers. But it's not. It's an engagement party.

FMC Christine Derrick, a 29 year old widow has been approached by Lady Melanie Renable of Schofield Park to reconsider her invitation to the house party she's hosting for her niece's betrothal. Needing an even number of men and women, Melanie pleads with Christine to change her mind. Since Lord Mowbury invited the Duke of Bewcastle, she's needing another woman to balance out the guest list. Mrs. Derrick has very good reasons for not wanting to attend, but decides it's something she should do for her friend. And it's at this house party that both main characters first meet.

If a reader has finished the prior books in the series, then they know the Duke is not a warm individual. His eyes are greyish blue - like icebergs - or a wolf's. And his demeanor is intimidating. He's been known to make a point by merely raising one eyebrow or bringing his quizzing glass up to his Ducal eyeball. He doesn't smile and he's extremely wealthy. (I have to note that the quizzing glass plays a major supporting role in the book, but more on that later.)

Christine Derrick is the exact opposite of Wulfric. She has the energy and enthusiasm Julie Andrews exhibits in The Sound of Music - but without the music. She's the daughter of a former and now deceased gentleman school master, and lives with her mother and older spinster sister. She loves interacting with children and aids her Vicar brother-in-law and sister with their children and other students attending the school. Christine is also poor. After the death of her husband, her in-laws (Viscount Elrick - Basil Derrick and his wife, Hermione Derrick) cut her out of any future financial support after settling Oscar Derrick's debts. (Oscar's death is one of the underlying mysteries of the story that kept me engaged.)

Throughout the two week party, Christine finds the Duke pretentious and toplofty. Wulfric thinks Christine's behavior is unlike any woman he has ever met. He finds her attractive and yet he reminds himself in almost every chapter that her behavior is not that of a potential duchess. (Which is why I struck half a star from my rating.) But deep down, the Duke finds Christine appealing. By the end of the two weeks, Wulfric can't stop thinking about her and her ebullient behavior. Other things happen, but it's important not to spoil it by revealing those situations. It's something the reader should experience in order to fully understand the story. Both MC's return to their regular lives and try to get each other out of their minds. And hearts.

Everything changes about six months later when they both find themselves at the same couple's wedding in London. The event ultimately puts into motion a plan the Duke devises to prove himself, so to speak, to Christine. Wulfric invites Christine to Lindsey Hall for the Easter holiday.

"I want to prove to you, that I have at least some of those attributes you dream of finding in a man."

In addition to her in-laws and other family members, Christine concedes to travel to Hampshire for Easter. The time she spends there with the Duke and his family allows her to learn more about him as a man, brother, and Uncle. Wulfric and Christine talk and quarrel. She accuses him of wearing a mask and then throws his quizzing glass up into a tree because it's driven her nuts throughout the book. To her surprise, he climbs the tree and drops the quizzing glass down into her hands. She puts it in her pocket and sleeps with it under her pillow that night.

"I believe you were put on this earth to bring light to your fellow mortals, Mrs. Derrick."

Among solving the mystery of Oscar's death, the Duke also finally spends some time alone with Christine. He takes her to Dovecote and it's where the reader learns... so much.

"I cannot offer you anything I am not, you see, I can only hope you are able to see that any person who has lived for almost thirty-six years is vastly complex. You accused me a few evenings ago of wearing a mask, and you were wrong. I wear the mantle of Duke of Bewcastle over that of Wulfric Bedwyn, but both mantles are mine. I am not less of a man because I choose to put duty first in my life. And then you wondered if I am a cold, unfeeling aristocrat right through to the very core. I am not. If I were, would I ever have been first enchanted by you and then haunted by the memory of you? You are not at all the sort of person Bewcastle would even notice, let alone choose to woo."

If readers have completed the first five books in the series, then they know Wulfric became the Duke of Bewcastle at 17. Seventeen! After his father was diagnosed with a health issue when Wulfric was 12, tutors, trainers, and stewards were brought in to teach Wulfric everything about the Dukedom. At 17, he inherited his father's title, a lot of property, great wealth, and the responsibility of his siblings. He didn't get to enjoy most of his childhood. And he had to grow up fast. Which he did. It's no wonder the man never smiled. At least not for the first 85% of this book.

Does Wulfric ever laugh and smile? Oh yes, he does and it's the quizzing glass that does the trick. At the ball he hosts at Lindsey Hall on one of the final evenings of the holiday, a waltz is getting ready to start and Christine has promised him the set. He's across the room from her and he pulls out his quizzing glass. When he raises it to his ducal eye, he notices Christine pulls out his old one and raises it to her eye. He was "...shocked into uttering a short bark of laughter. Then he smiled at her slowly until his whole face beamed his amusement and affection."

It's a good book that ends a great series. It might not be for everyone, but it was definitely a wonderful reading experience for me.

[Preeti ♥︎ Her Bookshelves · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully done, sweet and heartwarming romance.
As much as I started adoring the vivacious and irrepressible h, it’s the H who steals the show. A better replication of Mr. Darcy I’ve yet to read! He’s cold, aloof, unsmiling and as ‘toplofty’ as they come.
His eyes, she noticed, were like two chips of ice. Their normal charming selves, in fact.

But for all his ‘quizzing glass put-downs’ of her, he falls for the sunny and charming h in his typically silent but profound way. And the story is about how he woos her awkwardly yet so sweetly, while she retreats for reasons of her own.
I understood the h’s reasons for hedging but still my heart ached for him and his loneliness. I wish the h had been able to see through his cold exterior to his honorable and loving heart a lot sooner!
I didn't like some of her more harsh and overdramatic lines like ...
“You would sap all the energy and all the joy from me. You would put out all the fire of my vitality.”
“Give me a chance to fan the flames of that fire,” he said, “and to nurture your joy.”

So while he falls for her easily despite warning himself of her 'social unsuitableness', she takes her time to be sure and goes through 'falling in love' to actually 'loving'.
The revelations and the mild shocker at the end also lift the story.

[Ceki · Rating 3 out of 5]

As far as I am concerned, Slightly Dangerous ends at the 45% mark because that's when Wulfrick's (and mine) heart break.

Wulfrick is very similar to Anthony from The Viscount Who Loved Me and Marcus from It Happened One Autumn in terms of his personality: he is snobbish, appears to be cold-hearted and indifferent, and takes his title very seriously. However, he is also very responsible, looks after his siblings and bravely holds the burden of his aristocratic title and all the responsibilities that come with it. He is not just a brother to his younger brothers and sisters but also a father - the same role that Anthony decided to take on.

He is also very lonely because he has been shaped to be a duke since an early age.

He had always been alone in all essential ways - since the age of 12, anyway, when he had been virtually separated from his brothers and put directly under the care of two tutors and closely supervised by his father, who had known that his death was imminent and who had consequently wanted his eldest son and heir to be properly prepared to succeed him.
He had been alone since the age of 17, when his father had died and he had become the Duke of Bewcastle. He had been alone since the age of 24, when Marianne Bonner had rejected him in a particularly humiliating manner. He had been alone since his brothers and sisters had married, all within a two-year span.

I respected him for his strength and also for the fact that he was never a manwhore or purposely mean to anyone. He was just acting aloof and indifferent because he was afraid to let anyone close.

That is why I hated Christine, the heroine, even more. Her bubbly and cheerful nature came off as immature, irritating and unbelievably forced. I really could not understand why would Wulfrick fall for her because even though we are reminded all the time that she is not a "flirt" - she is. I was sick and tired of her smiles and running around like a dimwit. Additionally, she also appeared condescending and cruel on more than one occasion. And let me just say that the same can be said for such persons in real life as well - those that appear bubbly and overwhelmingly cheerful on the outside are usually the meanest and cruelest bitches on the inside.

Even when Wulfrick dropped the M-bomd asked her to be his mistress after they had shared a passionate kiss at the beginning which would have made me lower the rating immediately, I wasn't annoyed at him at all. It was quite understandable for a man of his station and upbringing to act in such a way plus they didn't even know each other for a long time at that time. I liked Christine's response and was looking forward to the plot development... but that is when everything went downhill.

Immediately after that Wulfrick goes after Christine and proposes to her. I disliked this because I knew that it was rushed and that the only way the author would resolve it is by bringing some kind of a terrible conflict into the story, which is exactly what happened around the 45% mark. Christine rejects him, but it is the way she did it that pissed me off:

"Can you?" she asked sharply. "A husband with a warm personality and human kindness and a sense of humor? Someone who loves people and children and frolicking and absurdity? Someone who is not obsessed with himself and his own consequence? Someone who is not ice to the very core? Someone with a heart? Someone to be a companion and friend and lover? Can you offer it all to me? Or any of it? Any one thing?"

Bitch please!! And these words are uttered by someone "who is cheerful as sunshine and kind to everyone", yeah right! Wulfrick never hurt her on purpose and she was always responsive to his kisses. Yes, he offended her with the M-bomb but she already gave him hell because of that so her repeated cruelty made me hate her even more (if that was possible).

Of course, nothing was the same to me after this. They separated for a couple of months and then met again. The rest of the book was about Wulfrick tiptoeing around her and trying to change her mind by proving that he indeed has a heart. Poor bastard, he really deserved better.

But I can't give it less than 3 stars because I really liked his brooding character. Also I love the first encounter between Wulfrick and Christine she poured lemonade into his eyes for god's sake lol

As for Christine...


SAFETY GANG: safe with exceptions There are mentions of Wulfrick's ex mistress who died of illness a couple of months before he meets Christine. Also, during their separation he has a dinner with some actress/singer with the intention of asking her to be his mistress but he never does it and nothing happens between them (because he's still licking his wounds after Christine rejected him.

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Expectations have been my enemy so far, in this series. My favorites were the ones I had the lowest expectations for. No longer. I expected this one to be good, hoped it would be, and it exceeded those expectations.

You know going in (because you've read the rest of the series, right? Right?!?) that Wulfric is going to be a tough nut to crack. His defenses are so far up he might as well be all wall. We've seen his love for his siblings, so we know he's worth it, but it's going to take some doing for an outsider to break in. As such, Christine wasn't really much of a surprise. There weren't a lot of personality possibilities for someone capable of bringing Wulf into enough vulnerability to fall truly in love. And yet, if not a surprise, she was certainly a delight. I love that she's so free with her joy and that she's so open in her entertainment and fun. I loved seeing her deal with his stoicism and reserve. And I really loved seeing her fall for him as she penetrates his defenses and gets to know the man underneath.

And Wulf himself was everything we thought he'd be. I particularly enjoyed, though, the sense that Christine wasn't so much changing him as restoring him. This was a subtle nuance to the story that I rather latched onto and enjoyed thoroughly.

So yeah, a worthy wrap-up. I'm not sure this beats Slightly Sinful. They have similar themes of restoration and Balogh pulls both off magnificently. This one might edge SS a bit for its lighter intrusion of modern mannerisms, but then lose that edge as the side characters weren't quite as fun. So a draw. At any rate, well worth getting this far in the series and a great read.

A note about other reviews and comparisons to other works: Others try to point out the similarities with Pride and Prejudice. Personally, I think it's a strain. He doesn't insult her. She's not so much prejudiced as informed. He's fully aware of her charm from the first. The only real similarity is his bumbling initial overtures and that's a very faint similarity to try to rest on. Now if you'd compared it to Beauty and the Beast you have a much stronger case...

A note about Steamy: Standard for the series, so two mid-sized explicit sex scenes that put it in the middle of my steam tolerance. They also play key roles in the emotional arc of the story, so they're pretty well integrated and thus not gratuitous.

[Vintage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slightly Dangerous definitely has a Pride and Prejudice vibe with the Regency walking stick firmly up the ice cold H’s derriere but with a heroine that is more a manic pixie girl than an Elizabeth Bennett.

The misunderstood heroine, a proverbial free spirit - breath of fresh air etc, is invited to a house party by her bossy higher society friend. She’s one of those friends that knows what is best for the heroine. I was prepared to seriously dislike her, but Balogh does what she often does, creates a flawed but true friend that backs the heroine and her antics up when even closer family turn their back on her. Part of the heroine’s backstory is she is rumored to have been a relentless flirt that drove her to her young husband’s death.

The Duke is both attracted and appalled by the heroine who could care less initially. He makes her an offer she refuses much to his surprise and lays down her opinion of him quite ruthlessly. That doesn’t stop her from succumbing to his silent and deadly Dukish charms.

There is a rocky path to the HEA, but along the way a villain is uncovered and the Duke thaws quite nicely.

I really enjoyed this as the opposites attract is a trope I like. I would have preferred a slightly more toned down heroine, but she’s true to herself. Wulfric, yes Wulfric, takes the honors.

[Starr (AKA Starrfish) Rivers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the few books I have in both paperback and e-copy on my Kindle. That's how much I love it. I paid for it (likely more than) TWICE!!

This is my absolute fav of the Bedwyn series. I LOVE Wulfric!! Always have! Even when he was at his most top lofty in other books in the series. I always knew he had a soft mushy inside. What I love about his book is that he never truly become soft and mushy. He's always himself - reserved, introverted, icy, haughty, but oh so passionate and deeply loving, and his emotions run so very deep and very true.

I absolutely ADORE this type of Hero!!

There were parts where Christine, the heroine, pissed me off. Esp. when I know Wulfric so well. And all the times and things she says to hurt him. Often, intentionally. (But then, my current fav book, Pure Ecstasy has a heroine who intentionally hurts the Hero as well, diff context, diff story, but perhaps I should not judge Christine so harshly)

Still! They both fell in love with each other before 50% was done with the book. Tho they both fought it in their own ways, his behavior towards her only improved over time, as he tried to win her over, as he risked baring himself to her and expose all of his vulnerabilities. But SHE only got more offensive as time went on. The more he showed her who he was, the more she tried to rile him up and get him to fight with her. I really don't like her in those scenes, which were too many, and I'm still angry about it. I think she's too judgmental whereas he was simply realistic and perhaps too honest and blunt about the reality.

In some ways, this book was modeled after Pride and Prejudice. I can see all the parallels, but Elizabeth from P&P would never have said such caustic, hurtful things, and say them repeatedly, to Mr. Darcy. In this vein, I really disliked Christine for a good portion of the book.

But overall, her bubbly life-loving personality made it impossible for me to dislike her. She is a good match for Wulfric after all. I jut wish she didn't hurt him so much during the "courtship."

Still my fav of the series. So I can't really give less than 5 stars. I'd give Christine a 3.5 but Wulfric more than compensates for her lower rating!

On a scale of 5, Wulf is a slam dunk 10!!

[Sam I AMNreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am officially Balogh'ed out. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy this, but I feel like I'm just going to skip the final novella and be done. I think I'm tired of the incessant pursuit of the heroine by the hero, I think I'm done with the fact they are all so singular for a while.

I think Balogh has the tendency to push me right up to the edge in how insufferable some of her heroines in particular are. This book was no exception. Whether it was because we knew Wulf already or Christine was illogically rude and presumptive to him, it was a wild experience for me. I don't usually have issues with the heroines, I think there's a mile of leeway I give to their behaviors and annoying traits but Christine just pushed me right up to the edge.

So, to me, in the end, this is Wulf's book. And that's no surprise, because it actually is Wulf's book. But Christine didn't come off to me as someone with much substance or development. i felt like we saw her really only through his eyes, and she was only fully realized in our minds due to his interpretation of her. I would've enjoyed this nearly as much if he just lived out his life in quiet contentment among his family and I guess that's saying something about the romance. It was just...his book!

All that said, who doesn't like the buttoned up becoming a little undone and out of character, and to Balogh's credit he was never far away from the character we saw through the series. I appreciate the consistency and voice. He really was one of the most reserved heroes I've read, and I enjoy that. I like that he was the very essence of "still waters run deep," which is obviously part of why Christine's mischaracterization of him constantly grated on me. For whatever reason, I was hoping for someone that assumed the best of him, but I couldn't see why she'd fall for him believing what she did.

So mark it down, I was on the hero's side for once. Less successful for me than I hoped, but still worth a revisit someday.

[🐝 Shaz 🐝 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really nice story.
The reclusive Duke of Bewcastle , meets the widowed Christine. They both don’t want marriage.
Interesting story .
Probably should have read this in order of series. So I could understand who was who . Keeper for when I read the rest of series.

[Lady Gabriella of Awesomeness (SLOW) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Pride-&-Prejudice-with-a-slight-twist stars

[Dab · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little worried that Wulfric would be too much of a haughty aristocrat to be a passionate romantic hero, and I was right. He was a cold fish.

He reminded me of Mr. Darcy, with all the arrogance, icy stares, and condescending proposals. (We all know that if Jane Austen had been a little more realistic, Darcy would’ve first asked Elizabeth to be his mistress too.) He loosened up a bit towards the end, though, and wasn’t a total cold fish anymore. A lukewarm fish, maybe? Definitely nothing hot.

Christine was his polar-opposite sunshine type, which was necessary, because who else would have the patience for that man and his quizzing glass? She was also a badass—my favorite moment was when she snatched that glass from his hand and tossed it into a tree. YES!!!! Finally!!! I wanted to do it since the first book!

What I absolutely adored was the Bedwyns—their family dynamic and their matchmaking shenanigans. It was so much fun! I love cameos—it feels like meeting old friends. Even Aidan grew on me since his book.

Overall, a solid four-star read. What am I going to read next, now that I’ve finished the Bedwyns?? 😭

[Izzah ꒰Hiatus ಇ Duchess of Cabria꒱ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finishing on a high~

Mini side note: This is my review #1001~ I hadn't realized I had made it to the quadruple digits, kinda proud of myself 🙈✨

This wasn't perfect even though I liked the characters and the plot in general. However, I'm a sucker for a fairytale ending, the types of ending some people roll their eyes over or feel are too unrealistic (think The Proposition by Judith Ivory) and a lot of the little things that were bugging me were swept under the rug~


── ❥・┆ Peeking under the rug (in the spirit of fairness)

↬ There isn't a single HR author that hasn't paid homage to Austen. Some do it successfully, some do it tactfully, some doing plagiarizingly.

Balogh, I think, did it a bit too zealously. Some elements naturally worked (like the hero feeling annoyed at himself for liking someone so obviously unsuitable to him) and others didn't (like the uncouth proposal)

↬ The heroine's reluctance until almost the last second. Why couldn't we get page time of the MCs being happily married/engaged like all the other siblings? Almost all got of them got happy alone time before the story ended (I think Morgan being the only other one where it ends at their wedding)

↬ The awkward wooing at the hero's estate. While not all of it was awkward (love the dovecote scene and his "I wear the two mantles" scene), the hero having created the whole house party to bring the heroine to his estate but then having zero idea how to go about convincing her that he's not completely heartless didn't fit with his ruthless, gets-what-he-wants personality.

What's worse is that he did know. He talks to her about who he is, how he became what he is, relaxed and played once, got angry at her (proving he has stronger feelings). It seemed that the first few stumbling attempts were just filler.


── ❥・┆ Putting down the rug and looking at the pretty colors

↬ The ending. ⚠︎ Spoiler ⚠︎ I'm not a fan of infertility stories but I particularly hate stories of women that want children and are unable to have them. It would be a crime to have this specific heroine not being able to have kids. Yes, some will grumbled that she didn't conceive in the 7 years of her first marriage only to conceive within the first year of her second, but if she hadn't this wouldn't have felt like happy ending for me. But this is very subjective. It worked for me but it's possible that this wouldn't work for many others.

↬ The hero picking up the mini-villain by the neckcloth like so much garbage *swoonnnn*

↬ The siblings and their spouses conspiring to matchmake.

↬ The yanking and throwing of the quizzing glass. Epic. I knew from the first book that this pretentious duke's soulmate would be the one to final take away the oh so symbolic quizzing glass.


── ❥・┆ Final thoughts

While I think some of the heroine's antics were taken too far (how did she tear her dress in such a way that she was left almost naked? I just can't picture that...), I think this sort of heroine was what this particular duke needed.

For five books we've been given glimpses of the man that loves too deeply. The man that isolates himself to such extremes it's harmful to himself. His own siblings all have a moment of 'ah, he does love me' in each of their books that broke my heart for all of them, but my heart broke for the duke five times more than any other character.

His story is more impactful with those scenes so fresh in my mind.

Only a truly uninhibited person would be able to break the isolation Wulfric's been living in. His control is so extreme, his own family isn't certain their brother loves them, ffs. The last thing he needs is a 'very silent, very demure' heroine.

That said, the heroine is not perfect. I didn't like that she was presented as this person so full of joie de vivre for 80% of the book, only for her to turn coward at the last stretch and insist they are unsuited. It didn't even make sense, she's never minded what others thought of her.

However, like I said at the beginning, the ending made a lot of the small annoying detail fade into the background and left me feeling with a happy glow~

4 “if there is anything I can do to assist you in bringing your wish to fulfillment, my love, do let me know.” ★

[StMargarets · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not really a review. This was just recommended to me and since I've read and re-read this book (and the entire series) many times, I thought I should add my voice to the "Slightly" love.

For once, the last book in a series does not disappoint. We've had glimpses of the softer Wulfric throughout the series as he deals with his brothers and sisters's romances and life dramas. He appears to be a hard, cold man. A stickler for duty. The due north to everyone's moral compass. And he is - most of the time.

Christine, the perfect heroine for him, is able to reach the man underneath - but not without pain for herself and for him. The disastrous first proposal (shades of Pride and Prejudice) hurts both of them. It's the midpoint of the novel and there is delicious angst because the reader wants these two to be happy and it's not possible at that moment.

There are also funny scenes - the quizzing glass in the tree has to be my favorite and it moves the narrative to a lighter note so that the group happiness at the end doesn't feel tacked on or inauthentic. It's a true HEA.

Yes, there are the Mary Balogh touches such as outdoor sex and the freeing benefits of swimming. If historical accuracy is important, then this probably isn't for you. Read for the romance of a truly wonderful hero and the heroine who deserves him.

[Pepa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reseña completa: https://masromance.blogspot.com/2023/...

Una joyita!! ¡qué bien me lo he pasado con esta pareja! Wulf necesitaba una protagonsita así, que lo descolocara con su frescura, su alegría y su naturalidad
Wulf es un personaje estupendo, y la dualidad entre duque/hombre que crea la autora me ha encantado, es así y no cambia, ni al final dellibro, como en muchas ocasiones
Christine es una alegría y con la valentía suficiente para plantarle cara, no como el resto de los humanos... las conversaciones entre ambos me han encantado y esos toques continuos de humor con las desgracias que le pasan a ella, me han arrancdo más de una carcajada
Totalmente recomendable, es el último de la serie, y creo que merece la pena leerlos seguidos... para ver el crecimiento del protagonista, pero se puede disfrutar también .,,,

[Viri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Y ahora que hago con mi vida?

Después de haber terminado esta serie!?

El final es sumamente apresurado pero él y ella me conquistaron.

No me pareció un Darcy... Era Wulf para mi 🙌🏻😍

[OLT · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5 stars) I'm a used-to-be Mary Balogh fan, having tired of her mannered, repetitious, very prim and stylized way of writing. But I do not tire of this particular novel of hers from 2004 and have reread it several times in the 16 years since it was released.

This particular HR does not have as much of the almost interminable and repetitious internalizing of the main characters that is so often found in a Balogh novel. Nor do we find the rakish, misogynistic jerk of a hero or the wishy-washy heroine so often populating Balogh's romances.

No, this story, the last in her 2003-2004 Bedwyn "Slightly" series about a duke and his younger siblings, each one having their own problems and inevitable romances, that began with SLIGHTLY MARRIED, is my personal favorite. It is just about as perfect as a Balogh HR can be.

Wulfric Bedwyn, Duke of Bewcastle, is in my short list for beloved dukes in historical romances. He shares a place in my heart with Jo Beverley's Duke of Rothgar and Eloisa James's Duke of Villiers. Villiers is a bit of a naughty boy, but Bewcastle and Rothgar are of a different type: They take their position in society and their ducal responsibilities very seriously and they take their position as head of family just as seriously.

Although extremely principled, on the surface Bewcastle appears to be staid, cold, humorless, and unfeeling. Well, of course, you just know that's not really the case. And it takes our heroine here, Christine Derrick, to thaw him out and humanize him. Christine is not of the peerage, as the daughter of a village schoolteacher. She had married into the peerage some years ago, but her husband died young and she left London under a bit of a cloud and returned home to live with her mother and sister.

She and Bewcastle are thrown together at a pre-Christmas house party at the home of Christina's upper-class friend who lives in the village. They are chalk and cheese to each other because Christine is irrepressibly happy, optimistic and full of "joie de vivre". (We already know what Bewcastle is like.) She is not good "ton". Too friendly, too open, not of especially good breeding. Yet he is drawn to her.

What a lovely opposites-attract story this is. It has a PRIDE AND PREJUDICE feel to it. And I've loved P&P since the first time I read it in middle school and may possibly have reread it more times than Disraeli claimed to have. So it is only natural that this one by Balogh, which feels P&P-ish to me and has one of my favorite historical romance dukes in the HR world, has also been reread by me a good many times. And that's saying something, because there are very few historical romances written during my lifetime that I will bother to reread.

[Lizzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simply wonderful! I recently re-read this wonderful story, and I loved it all over again. Starting when Wulfric Bedwyn, cold as ice and self-contained Duke of Bewcastle, accepts an invitation to a house party simply because he is lonely, Slightly Dangerous charmed me.

Wulf falls completely, and in spite of himself, for a woman he would normally avoid. A life-loving woman that is always having fun and getting into scrapes, Christine is totally unimpressed with the duke and his quizzing glass.

I loved it for its simple and realistic plot, for its hilarious dialogue, and its characters that are so beautifully drawn. I was completely charmed by this intricate and passionate story. You have to have already read the previous five books to fully enjoy Wulf’s story. Perfect ending for the Bedwyn Saga. Congratulations, Mary Balogh.

[Izzie (semi-hiatus) McFussy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️ The last 30% was adorable. The thing is, *time and time again Balogh’s stories don’t resonate with me. This wasn’t any different. Also, my bad, I jumped to the last book in the series, because see*, the story didn’t exactly work as a standalone. All the Bedwyn’s had encores in this book, plus there were another dozen characters give or take to sort out.

Quibble: Balogh infused Christine with a clumsiness that was supposed to be humorous, but her mishaps were less than unoriginal. (Has anyone counted how many dresses were sacrificed, aka torn, in the making of an HR?) She was also supposed to have a sense of humor which Balogh never provided examples of except one, which was indeed, cute. The rest were telling not showing:

“Mrs. Derrick is a jolly good sort actually,” Alleyne said. “She has some lively conversation and a healthy sense of humor.”

Yet her section of the table, as first Joshua and then Alleyne conversed with her, fairly sparkled with wit and humor—or so it seemed to Wulfric, who could not actually hear a word of what was being said. Neither could I.

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down. Sure, it’s Pride and Prejudice dressed in new finery, but the new finery is well-considered, expertly crafted, and lovingly embellished. I found the hero wonderfully sympathetic, although he very much deserved the early scorn Christine heaped upon him (while not being able to keep her eyes from straying to him early and often). The heroine was lively and engaging, and her reluctance to entangle with the Duke had sensible reasons, which he addressed and overcame step by step. The only false note in the book came at the end, when the duke comes to call on her mother—after getting Christine’s permission—and she tries to say no to his proposal once again, knowing how badly it would hurt him. That was neither kind nor honorable, but also short-lived. This book immediately jumped into my shortlist of favorite historical romances.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

That's it. Favorite Mary Balogh book, no question. It was just too much fun. I'm fairly picky when it comes to my Pride and Prejudice adaptations, so I worried going into this one. But it was so utterly delightful from page one that any apprehensions I had were immediately swept away under the force of Christine and Wulf's wonderful, at times hilarious, story. I laughed so many times. And I love that Ms. Balogh turned it into a second chance at romance tale for each of her protagonists. Not a second chance with each other, but with the possibility of seeing happiness and choosing to keep it.