I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Slightly Wicked
by
Mary Balogh
historical romance that was published by Dell Books on October 2011 and has 342 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Slightly Married, Slightly Tempted, Slightly Scandalous, Slightly Dangerous, A Summer to Remember, Simply Unforgettable, Simply Love, Simply Magic, The Proposal, The Arrangement, Only Enchanting, Only a Promise, Only a Kiss, Only Beloved, Someone to Love, Someone to Hold, Someone to Wed, Someone to Care, Someone to Trust, Someone to Remember, Someone to Honor, Someone Perfect, Someone to Cherish
Second in the Bedwyn Saga historical-romance series revolving around the Bedwyn family in the Regency England of 1814. The couple focus is on Rannulf Bedwyn, the third-oldest brother of the unmarried Duke of Bewcastle, and Judith Law, the impoverished second daughter of a rapidly floundering reverend.
My Take
Balogh actually does a nice job of paying attention to period detail although there were a few slip-ups with, I want to say anachronisms, but since they were future phrases…does that make that futurisms?? I also like her characters. They have depth, passion, and I couldn’t put the story down for all the joy with which Balogh writes.
The Story
It’s Branwell’s fault. Well, that and her father’s for allowing him to get away with ruining the family. Now she, Judith, is going to Aunt Effingham’s as an unpaid drudge. Well, it does answer one question at least. Traveling by stage is definitely not exciting or adventurous.
Who knew adventure could come in the wake of an overturned stagecoach? And the handsome stranger who took her up before him to get help from the village? A ride that had Judith casting caution to the winds and building a memory to savor for the years to come.
Little does she know their paths will cross again…he to woo her silly cousin as she runs hither and yon at her aunt’s beck and call.
The Cover and Title
The cover really doesn’t fit the story. It’s a shiny black background with black embossed scrollwork and a feather with red print for the title. Half of the tagline does not ring true. Yes, Rannulf was “utterly impossible to resist” hence the decisions Judith makes, but I never got the impression that “he was wild, wicked, or dangerous”.
The title actually does fit the story as Judith is Slightly Wicked in her decisionmaking.
