Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Slightly Dangerous (Bedwyn Saga #6)

4.18 of 5 stars 4.18 · rating details · 5,533 ratings · 287 reviews

All of London is abuzz over the imminent arrival of Wulfric Bedwyn, the reclusive, cold-as-ice Duke of Bewcastle, at the most glittering social event of the season. Some whisper of a tragic love affair. Others say he is so aloof and passionless that not even the greatest beauty could capture his attention. But on this dazzling afternoon, one woman did catch the duke’s eye—...more

Mass Market Paperback, 365 pages

Published March 1st 2005 by Dell (first published June 1st 2004)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Favorite Historical Romance Novels

54th out of 1,608 books — 2,749 voters

Dukes... Bring 'em on!

5th out of 262 books — 328 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Mar 24, 2012 Dina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

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...more

26 likes · like · see review

Jul 24, 2009 Edna Lyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, historical-romance

And then there was Wulf.

First off, I enjoyed how the story progressed. I liked that it took place a few years after the previous book. Wulf's had time to stew alone without any of his siblings around. It is reminiscent of Pride & Prejudice. I knew this going in and was hoping Balogh would be able to pull it off. She did. There was plenty of sparks with these two and it was a blast to read.

I had no problem with the first half but I wanted to focus more on the second half where Wulf was set...more And then there was Wulf.

First off, I enjoyed how the story progressed. I liked that it took place a few years after the previous book. Wulf's had time to stew alone without any of his siblings around. It is reminiscent of Pride & Prejudice. I knew this going in and was hoping Balogh would be able to pull it off. She did. There was plenty of sparks with these two and it was a blast to read.

I had no problem with the first half but I wanted to focus more on the second half where Wulf was set to woo Christine. Yes, I said woo. The very idea is ludicrous but there you go. He planned an Easter holiday at Lindsey Hall, inviting the entire Bedwyn family with some of Christine's...all for her sake, for her to come so he could prove to her he's more than just the Duke of Bewcastle. Anyone who has read the other books knows that this means Wulf must have it bad for her if he went to such lengths.

The Bedwyns! Oh gosh, they had their own scenes (only two but two more than I expected) aside from Wulf and Christine's POVs. It was pure entertainment to see all the different personalities show up again. (view spoiler) Once again I'll say that they were a great match. This book exceeded my expectations, it paid off to read the other books in the series to get to it...like the saying goes, save the best for last. (less)

7 likes · like · see review

Nov 26, 2011 Jan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, stars5, favorites, z-2011, historical-romance

Oh swoons of swoons. After rereading it's even better. Totally a favorite now, because damnation, this book is delicious.

****
Original thoughts (June 12th 2011):

My first Mary Balogh and I really liked it. Mostly because it involved one of my favorite tropes, that of the starchy hero who gets unstarched. And it was done really well too, because Wulfric never changed his personality, he just showed Christine the man he was beside the Duke. Seriously, he totally melted my heart. I was also totally c...more

3 likes · like · see review

May 21, 2012 Suz rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, romance

Wulfric & Christine. Perfect wrap to the series and there was no fake marriage or betrothal (which was a very nice change in this series).

After slowly warming to Wulfric through 6 books or more to finally end with this rather realistic and plausible story, was refreshing. To end with Wulfric, the ice god, being totally swoon worthy in spite of my misgivings throughout the series, was immensely satisfying.

This is the kind of romance book that makes a believer out of romance skeptics. :)

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 17, 2009 AzuresHeart rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Regency Era Fans

I am rereading this one. I just love it... the very Mr. Darcyish hero who tries hard to keep his Duke face and not fall for the woman who is his exact opposite. I love that he fights and fights for her all the while fighting his own instincts not to do so. That her preconceived notions finally break away. Glad I got caught up again! Wonderful!

6 likes · like · see review

Mar 18, 2012 Jackie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Poor knockoff of Pride and Prejudice: multiple proposals, a few insulting. Then the heroine retorts with a sharp yet heart-breakingly honest answer. Then his mean meddling aunt tries to set him up with his timid cousin. True, this may be small points and overall the novel isn't a replication but enough to annoy me. If you're going to rip off Jane Austen, at least do it well. Except with a whole bunch of siblings (married with kids) for Mr. Darcy aka Wulf. He didn't endear himself to me at all, i...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 28, 2012 Elise Wilson rated it 3 of 5 stars

First, let me confess that I have not read other book in this series, which many folks seem to love. However, based upon the way it is written, I'm able to write a fair review on this one book.

Honestly, I did not like Christine, the heroine. I did like Wulfric, with his Mr. Darcy type characteristics. But it's difficult to appreciate a romance novel when one does not buy into the couple, as a whole. It seems as though Balogh is trying to convince the reader that opposites do,indeed, attract. Chr...more

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 13, 2012 Diane rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: balogh, reviewed

This book, which is the 6th and last of the Slightly series, is my favorite. It has delightful touches of humor and comes close to slapstick in certain scenes. The hero, Wulfric, is a duke of icy demeanor and rigidly correct behavior. He has no tolerance for fools and distances himself from almost everyone, including his many headstrong siblings. But behind the barricades he has erected lies a man yearning to be loved and understood, wanting to reach out but not knowing how. Enter our heroine, a...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 10, 2011 Cecilia Grant rated it 5 of 5 stars

It's all in the execution. If someone had recounted the plot of this book to me - stern, unsmiling duke falls in spite of himself for life-loving widow who constantly gets into scrapes and is unimpressed by his dukely ways - I would have thought, "Yeah, I've read this story a dozen times. Spare me the hoydenish heroine and her joie de vivre," and gone to look for a book with some meaty angst.

But the characters are so beautifully drawn, their conversations so interesting, the growth of their love...more

4 likes · like · see review

Apr 14, 2013 D rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of Pride and Prejudice aching for more who are willing to settle for less

Shelves: erotica, regency, romance

low 3s

CHEMISTRY: POTENTIALLY FUN. oil meets cute with water (shut up), and when oil is a lizzie bennet knockoff and the water wears frilly man blouses like colin firth's, then the author often has at least my initial attention. so far so good.

CHARACTERIZATION: UNEVEN. we're told time and again how comfortable and witty and winning lizzie i mean not lizzie is, but the rest of the time we're being SHOWN how awkward and spastic she really is. which is it? lovable spaz or sunny social maven? decide,...more low 3s

CHEMISTRY: POTENTIALLY FUN. oil meets cute with water (shut up), and when oil is a lizzie bennet knockoff and the water wears frilly man blouses like colin firth's, then the author often has at least my initial attention. so far so good.

CHARACTERIZATION: UNEVEN. we're told time and again how comfortable and witty and winning lizzie i mean not lizzie is, but the rest of the time we're being SHOWN how awkward and spastic she really is. which is it? lovable spaz or sunny social maven? decide, balogh, and then WRITE that character.

PLOT: LOTS O' HOLES. the bestest friend ever SPOILER turns out to be a horrible person, and lizzie-not-lizzie is all, "eh, whatevs. it happens. people worm their way into your affections, win every one of your confidences, and then turn out to be psycho back-stabbers. ffffh. so?" NO. there ought to be much deeper psychological consequences for this sort of betrayal. you don't just LAUGH IT OFF. unless you're a one-dimensional character, maybe? or the author was too tired to pursue HER OWN huge plot reveal to its logical conclusion? blech, balogh. pull it together. pour yourself a hot mug of tea and then DO. THE. WORK.

WORLD BUILDING: UNEVEN. there are some nice, sweet moments in arbors, and most of the action is not about spymasters or assassination attempts but sticks to the drawing room, which is a nice, believable scope for the genre. but balogh is trying to squeeze a heroine with twenty-first-century mores into a nineteenth-century corset, and there are unsightly bulges. READ: lizzie-not-lizzie ends up half-naked or flailing in ponds or rolling down hills in mixed company far too often for her not to be completely socially written off in regency england, and yet she's a darling of society. hmm. not buying it.

THIS IS A SERIES; ARE THERE TONS OF UNNECESSARY REFERENCES TO PROTAGONISTS PAST? SOME. clearly mister darcy is only the latest of his very large family to meet the mate of his dreams (lucky bunch), and the rest of his siblings *do* all show up at his house for easter. this means there are some annoying, unnecessary references to how in love these couples past still are and how perfect they remain for one another, because THAT ONE THING BALOGH WROTE ABOUT? THEIR LOVE STORY? IT WAS NOT A FLUKE!!. (AUTHORS OF SERIES: if the information doesn't forward THIS plot in THIS book, don't include it, even if it makes you go "aww! nur, nur, nur!" because you liked the book you just finished writing) but it's not relentless and so doesn't detract too, too much from the telling.

IF YOU'RE THIS CRANKY ABOUT THE BOOK, WHY EVEN GIVE IT THREE STARS, THEN? well, because though in order to be judged Great many aspects of the book would have required more effort than balogh was willing to put in, lizzie and darcy are for sure a compelling couple in most any setting, and they have more than one lovely moment that elevate this middling work to something sweet.

now i'm off to judge other balogh stuff and report back.(less)

like · see review

Jan 11, 2013 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

4.5 stars. This book is a loving homage to Pride and Prejudice in the best possible way. By that I mean it's a great original story on its own with wonderful, realistic characters, and you don't need to know anything about Pride and Prejudice to enjoy it (I suppose such people must exist out there, hard as it is to believe). However, if you do love Pride and Prejudice, it is so much fun to read this book and find the plot points that were adapted into this story. (It's sort of like reading a fai...more

like · see review

Sep 14, 2012 Nancy rated it 5 of 5 stars

SLIGHTLY DANGEROUS is the final story of the lovely Bedwyn family. Wulfric is the head of the family after the untimely death of his beloved father. He accepted his role as Duke of Bewcastle as a young man and helped his mother with his three brothers and two sisters. But this is his story. The stoic Duke had no time for nonsense, let alone love. No his mistress had served him well for many years, and she was less complicated than a wife. He was not prepared for Christine. The effervescent, clum...more

like · see review

Aug 25, 2012 Natalie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Well, here it is. The last and final Bedwyn book. The one that we were all anticipating because it contained Wulfric's story. Wulfric, the most aloof and stiffly polite member of the family.

I have to start by saying that I was dubious that MB could pull this off. Wulfric is the kind of character that judging from the other books, cares deeply, but has been rigidly taught to control all emotion. He's referred to as a cold fish, and in truth, often acts like it. MB has given us glimpses of him thr...more Well, here it is. The last and final Bedwyn book. The one that we were all anticipating because it contained Wulfric's story. Wulfric, the most aloof and stiffly polite member of the family.

I have to start by saying that I was dubious that MB could pull this off. Wulfric is the kind of character that judging from the other books, cares deeply, but has been rigidly taught to control all emotion. He's referred to as a cold fish, and in truth, often acts like it. MB has given us glimpses of him through the eyes of other Bedwyns, so we were prepared to discover that while the outside may seem stiff and polite, underneath it really was a generous, loving man.

Anyway, all I can say is that I'm glad that Wulfric wasn't the typical tortured hero, where in the end he's able to shed his cold exterior and suddenly be a smiling, joking man who is able to show the world that he really isn't the cold fish everyone thinks him. I believe there was a part of the book where Wulfric is explaining that he can't really change his personality or his habits, because it would alter his entire existence.

I think this was the most significant part of the story, because in a way it's true. Naturally Wulfric is able to show some signs of public affection, because really, what would a romance be if the hero didn't do something out-of-character to show the heroine that he was truly besotted with her? But the stiffly polite, unsmiling Wulfric is the person that we, the readers, have come to know from five previous books. It simply wouldn't have been the same if Wulfric had done a 180-degree turnaround.

I've waxed on and on about that, so I'll try to wrap up this review by saying that this conclusion to the Bedwyn saga didn't disappoint. While Slightly Sinful will always be my favorite, I wasn't disappointed with the much-awaited story of Wulfric. I think it tied up everything nicely.

And I couldn't end this review without saying that I adore authors that allow us readers to continually see how characters from previous books are doing. I confess I'm disappointed with other series where authors don't have time or space to insert them in, so they're left out completely except for vague references. In Wulfric's story, we're privy to his romance, but we also get to have a reunion with all the other Bedwyns, their spouses and the many happy children they've produced. This, to me, is one of the best parts about reading a series. It may be crazy, but I know I'm not the only one that feels this way! :)

In conclusion, a very excellent book. A very excellent story. If you're reading this review and you haven't read Slightly Dangerous or any of the previous Bedwyn books, I would say start from the beginning. While each book can stand alone, this is a series worth starting from the top.(less)

like · see review

May 08, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-reads

A good ending to the Bedwyn series (although I have been told that they appear in other of Balogh's books/series as side characters).

Wulfric would be an easy character to get wrong - he is very much in the pattern of a Mr. Darcy - but the backstory given to him (an isolated childhood, little parental "love") provides a ready-made extra dimension to his character. Christine is very much an unconventional romance "heroine" - outspoken, genuine as opposed to free-spirited, hard to intimidate. I had...more

like · see review

Mar 12, 2012 Blaze King rated it 2 of 5 stars

Contrary to popular belief here, i did not much like the book. Yes, it had the makings of my fav novels, but it lacked greatly in story and plot. Not to mention a poor adaptatiön of Pride and Prejudice. Wulfric was cold in nature, so i kept expecting him to do something desperate and drastic for his love. But he came across too tepid for me. Even the mention of his jealousy once in the book didn't move me. There was no passion between them. All i gathered was an indication that theirs was a phys...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 21, 2012 Allison rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, for-the-girls, romance

This story was like an exaggerated Pride and Prejudice in which the hero is even colder and more arrogant than Mr. Darcy and the heroine is even more the "country cousin" than Miss Benet and in which both get to spend a surprisingly large amount of time alone together discussing how they don't understand each other.

But I liked it for exactly that reason! And I liked it for its unabashedly happy ending. (This is a romance after all). And I liked it for its complex and complicated characters and f...more

like · see review

Feb 05, 2012 Peep (Pop! Pop!) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: addicted-to-ya, read-in-2011, really-liked

It's kind of weird to say that this was sweet, romantic, and oh so romantic, but really, it was! I loved it and highly recommend it to romance readers, even if you're teetering on the historical romance line.

The Duke of Bewcastle and Christine both make wonderful leads. I have seen some people compare it to Pride and Prejudice and that's ok. It's so much fun seeing their journey to love. Both have their quirks and beliefs that just naturally makes them butt heads. You really just want them both...more

like · see review

Jan 24, 2012 Kathy Davie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, romance

Sixth and last in the Bedwyn Saga historical romance series set in the Regency period. The coule focus is on Wulfric Bedwyn, Duke of Bewcastle, and Christine Derrick.

My Take
Oh yeah! The friend who recommended this series was, oh, so right, this is the best of the series. I was barely one-fourth of the way in and it was so satisfying that it could have ended there and I'd've been happy. But it kept going and going and just got better and better.

It's a case of damning with faint praise and the e...more

like · see review

Jun 17, 2011 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. More summer romance reading. This author was recommended by my friend Cari. I have now read four, and this book is my second favorite thus far.

Our heroine, Christine, is born a schoolmaster's daugher, but marries into the ton (i.e., high society in English). Her husband dies in a "hunting accident," for which his family blames her. His brother essentially disinherits her so she returns to the family home and lives a happy but simple existence with her widowed mother and spinster sister.

Christi...more More summer romance reading. This author was recommended by my friend Cari. I have now read four, and this book is my second favorite thus far.

Our heroine, Christine, is born a schoolmaster's daugher, but marries into the ton (i.e., high society in English). Her husband dies in a "hunting accident," for which his family blames her. His brother essentially disinherits her so she returns to the family home and lives a happy but simple existence with her widowed mother and spinster sister.

Christine is one of the most likeable romance novel heroines. She's pretty, but not gorgeous. She's clumsy. Very clumsy. She laughs hard and does not always do what society expects.

She's invited to two week house party of her cousins (by marriage) to round out the male-female ratio after the hostess's brother invites a wealthy duke without his sister's permission. The Duke is the patriarch of the Bedwyn family and his dower name (Wulfric Bedwyn) matches his dower personality.

Christine starts the relationship off with a bang, spilling lemonade in his eye before they have even met. And the mishaps continue. Not surprisingly, the two are attracted to each other.

Wulfric kicks things off on the wrong foot by asking her to become his mistress. Insulted, she of course rejects him. And then rejects his later marriage proposal because she wants someone who is more full of life. As the story unfolds, we learn there is much more than meets the eye with both of them. A key reason I like Mary Balogh books is that she does an excellent job of developing both the male and female leads. I liked this better than a few of her other books because she developed the characters through what they did and how they interacted, rather than simple statements or the characters' own self-talk.

What drove me a bit crazy is the large family. I understand that this is the sixth in a series of books. I have not read any of the earlier novels, but that did not detract from my enjoyment. It drove me crazy that each of the other siblings needed to play a role in the book. And most of them had children. Add that to Jennifer's only family and friends. Too many characters to keep track of and I don't think all of them added to the story.

(less)

like · see review

Jan 05, 2011 Dayatara rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved, loved, LOVED this book!!! After waiting so long to get to Wulfric's story, I was more than ready. I was not very interested in his character after reading a Summer to Remember, but we learned a bit more about him as each book progressed and I became more and more intrigued. So often, an author will introduce a character early on in a book series, then, when they write that character's story, the character doesn't seem to behave the same as they did in the previous books. They become a c...more

like · see review

Jan 03, 2011 Yasmin M rated it 1 of 5 stars

This book is a failed attempt at copying Pride and Prejudice. Seriously, That obnoxious, lusty, delusional and self indulgent loser of a hero just annoyed the hell out of me! I hated him! and what is the point of reading a romance novel if you hate the much coveted hero? What kind of story line is this anyway? He sees her, he degrades her, kisses her, asks her to be his mistress, offends her, then defiles her in like 10 seconds? He could've just raped her and saved us the trouble! And the heroin...more This book is a failed attempt at copying Pride and Prejudice. Seriously, That obnoxious, lusty, delusional and self indulgent loser of a hero just annoyed the hell out of me! I hated him! and what is the point of reading a romance novel if you hate the much coveted hero? What kind of story line is this anyway? He sees her, he degrades her, kisses her, asks her to be his mistress, offends her, then defiles her in like 10 seconds? He could've just raped her and saved us the trouble! And the heroine! She was horrific! She should have been more contained and I beg to differ, she IS a flirt and she IS an embarrassment! Pride and Prejudice's heroine Elizabeth was opinionated, proud, intelligent and righteous! Not loud, flirtatious, rumpled, hypocritical and most of all bitchy! I mean he's condescending and very ungentlemanly and she just yields to his desires like that?! and AFTER she's compromised, she adopts the stance of the respectable woman who does not desire his title or his money??? and his inner thoughts were the most unnerving aspect of this whole story!! As women, we are all well aware that men are..well not exactly as deep, loving or romantic as we would want them to be instead, they are pretty much physical about right about EVERYTHING and that is why novels told in the 3rd person omniscient point of view have been created where a man's thoughts are fabricated by romantic female writers who make men sound as if they are so in love with some woman's character [when we're all well aware they just want to- for lack of better words- bang her] but we all do enjoy those creative lies and that is why all those books out there sell! so, for this particular author to come in and point out to the man's completely passionless, heartless and loveless lusty thoughts, is the worst thing she could've done for this already lacking book. And for the love of God, he could at least SMILE! No one is THAT lifeless and limp! I can't believe I found this book under the criteria of books that have heroes that resemble Mr Darcy! The shame! This brazen character by no means compares to Darcy or his gentlemanly demeanor and his love for Elizabeth. A waste of a perfectly good day. period(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Dec 25, 2010 Jessi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: part-of-a-series, romance

My favorite of the Bewcastle series. Wulfric, the Duke, has always been emotionally unavailable. He had to take over as head of the family at twelve-years-old and has had to bottle up his emotions since then. Now his brothers and sisters are all married and he is content. When Wulfric accepts an invitation to what he thinks is an intellectual gathering, he is shocked to find out it is a gathering of young people. He is distracted when Christine Derrick drops a speck of lemonade in his eye. She i...more

like · see review

Aug 24, 2010 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. My Amazon review copied here.

This is my first Bedwyn book. I’ve read a few other books by Balogh nothing to really wow me though. This book is mostly forgettable. It took me 3 days to read this and when I’m really captured by a book I will read it in one sitting. The 2nd star is for the butt kicking. LOL

The setting and premise have been done before. Nothing really jumped out from the ordinary. Others have done a good job of summarizing so I’ll just move on to my review.
********POSSIBLE SPOILERS...more My Amazon review copied here.

This is my first Bedwyn book. I’ve read a few other books by Balogh nothing to really wow me though. This book is mostly forgettable. It took me 3 days to read this and when I’m really captured by a book I will read it in one sitting. The 2nd star is for the butt kicking. LOL

The setting and premise have been done before. Nothing really jumped out from the ordinary. Others have done a good job of summarizing so I’ll just move on to my review.
********POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW!! ********
There is one bright shining moment that I have never read in any book before. This moment had me rolling in laughter. Unfortunately I don’t think it was meant to be funny, because none of the characters laughed. This moment was the Duke of Bewcastle kicking Justin Magnus in the arse. Even as I type this it still makes me laugh. The image I have in my head is Justin bent over as to hike a football and the Duke striding up behind him with pointy shoe to give him a swift kick. Good thing the Duke has good aim or else he could have severely unmanned Justin. This scene was made even more funny to me because the five characters were all dressed in evening finery and were all upset so this kick seemed to come out of nowhere.

The problem that just made this book a chore to read were the hero and heroine, Wulfric and Christine themselves. More so Christine for me.

Christine is 29 yrs old and has been a widow for the last 2 yrs and had been married 7 yrs before that, however, she comes off as very naïve, childish, and immature. She is said to have a vivacious, lively, upbeat, and chatty personality and while those people in real life are great to be around, there are also those that take those qualities overboard into annoying. Christine I felt was the latter. We open the book with a two week house party and by the end of the party it says Christine made many new friends among the party goers, however I think that highly unlikely. For the men were all doting on her, giving her all the attention and I’m sure lusting quite a bit and for the women since Christine was the center of attention with all the male interest turned her way causing envy and/or jealousy in the said women. I must also point out that after a few of her such gaffes then I too (along with the Oscar and the Elricks)would have felt like she was laughing at my embarrassment instead of the situation she had found herself in yet again.
Even though the laughing seems to be her defense mechanism to deal with the embarrassment. And that’s another thing- most people who are humiliated, mortified, or embarrassed tend to do everything in there power to avoid that or similar situations…not Christine. One gets the feeling she likes the attention she gets when she embarrasses herself. Why else wouldn’t she learn from the incidents? Christine had to have been taught proper behavior, decorum, and manners so all this makes me assume Christine CHOOSES to behave as she does, deliberately.

I can’t say I feel much better about Wulfric. He is introduced as cold, arrogant, haughty, and aloof and to be honest he doesn’t change a whole lot by the end of the story. He does thaw a little in the last 40 pages, but not by much. The more I thought about it, I felt Wulf was just whining. What I mean is he says he’s had to become this cold, arrogant, haughty, aloof person because he had to become a duke at 17 and was taken away and isolated from his family at 12 to start the training to take over the dukedom. But, how hard was it really?- he wasn’t unprepared, his father was wealthy and kept all the estates in great condition, all of the solicitors, stewards, servants, nannies, and tutors were already in place so basically all he had to do was maintain that and keep a watch out for someone who might have taken advantage of him since he was only 17.

As has been mentioned before there are only 2 love scenes and they were both greatly disappointing. The first-can you say wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am? Holy cow, only 2 ½ pages were devoted to it. And can somebody tell me how Christine kept her cream colored gown from getting stains on it? The other is from pages 314-318. Though the second had more feeling I still didn’t feel any passion between them.

Love…(sigh) Christine and Wulf were professing love for each other at about the half way point and yet were still quarreling/hating/opposing each other till the very end of the book. This gave the impression that there marriage would be very contentious and therefore become more a marriage of convenience as time passed. As others have mentioned they had different beliefs, morals, behaviors, ideals, and lifestyles. Five years down the road you could practically see them recluses, because Wulf would be too embarrassed to take her out and would not want guests at his home fore fear of Christine’s gaffes. Especially since he didn’t think any of her previous ones were funny.

One last complaint. The quizzing glass…ugh. I had to keep reminding myself he was 35 or else the picture in my mind would turn to this stooped, gray, very old man that was blind and deaf. I know it might have been the height of fashion then, but to my modern mind it just comes across as silly and stupid. And that is surely NOT what you want your hero to come across as.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 07, 2010 Brigitte rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was not certain what to expect from this story. Like others, I found the heroine to be a little too silly sometimes. I know Balogh was trying to emphasize Christine's liveliness of spirit, but her shennanigans got a little old after a while. There is also a portion of the story that seemed repetitive and pointless to me (Hero, "Let me prove to you I'm a good guy"... heroine, "No." Hero, "I really am a good guy - let me show you"... heroine, "No". Hero, "Seriously - " ...heroine, "No"). I was b...more

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 07, 2012 Wealhtheow rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: regency, historical

As the Duke of Bewcastle, Wulfric Bedwyn has ruled his family for decades. He is perfectly controlled at all times. And, he realizes, he is desperately lonely. The last of his younger siblings has married and moved away, and his life-long mistress has just died. There is no one on earth with whom he is on intimate terms. In an uncharacteristic moment of weakness, he accepts an invitation to a house party. It is there that he meets Christine Derrick, a poor widow whose irrepressable high spirits...more

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 31, 2011 June rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bedwyn-family, mary-balogh, favorite-romance-series, stuffy-hero-funny-heroine, emotional

I loved this book!. I would give it a perfect 10!

Have you ever anticipated reading a book so much only to be disappointed when you finally sat down to read it. Well, this isn't one of them. I couldn't wait to read the Duke of Bewcastle's book. The oldest of the Bedwyn family siblings and the most lofty and autocratic in the bunch. We never see him smile or have even a little of bit of fun, but then he meets Christine Derrick...

From the first moment he sets eyes on Christine (no pun intended), sh...more

like · see review

Mar 19, 2011 MAP rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, romance

Note: This review concerns the series overall, not just this book.

Mary Balogh is lucky she knows how to write charming characters and amusing plots. She is also lucky that Goodreads ratings ask you how much you LIKE the book as opposed to how good a book is. In terms of goodness, this series, is really a 1.5 or 2. But in terms of light, thoughtless enjoyability, it's a 3.

The historical setting hangs on by a tenuous thread, and the characters are constantly getting themselves into situations tha...more

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 17, 2012 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, sexy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Setting: Hyacinth Cottage, Gloucestershire; Schofield Park, Gloucestershire; Bedwyn House, London;

Theme:

Characters:
Christine Derrick – fell in love with handsome, charming Oscar (an earl’s 2nd son), married within a few months, happily for 6 years, unhappily for 2 when he became overly jealous – and died in a duel… she was of lesser nobility, she is genuinely likes people, and people like her, she acts before she thinks, and always made small faux paux that endeared her to others – but she bec...more Setting: Hyacinth Cottage, Gloucestershire; Schofield Park, Gloucestershire; Bedwyn House, London;

Theme:

Characters:
Christine Derrick – fell in love with handsome, charming Oscar (an earl’s 2nd son), married within a few months, happily for 6 years, unhappily for 2 when he became overly jealous – and died in a duel… she was of lesser nobility, she is genuinely likes people, and people like her, she acts before she thinks, and always made small faux paux that endeared her to others – but she became the target of Justin, and her antics were misconstrued, feeding Oscar’s insecurities…. After his death, his family cut her off, and she returned home to her mother – where for 2 years she has found contentment – teaching geography 3 times a week, visiting the less fortunate, writing letters, etc.
Melanie, Lady Renable – her friend and neighbor, who knows what is best for others and acts in their best interest.
Oscar Derrick – Christine’s husband, 2nd son, always needy but his agitation increased as he began to believe that she flirted and inserted herself with men, perhaps even sleeping with them… leading him to gamble far more than he has, and to rashly challenge a duel – where though only shot in the leg, it hit an artery, and he bled to death. All told he died in a hunting accident.
Wulfric Bedwyn, Duke of Bewcastle – alone since the age of 12 when separated from his brothers, trained by 2 tutors to be Duke; became Duke at 17 when father died; alone as his siblings married; alone when his fiance broke their engagement in an awful way (because she was lesbian, and could not bare to marry anyone); alone when his mistress on 10 years died (they had a nice contract – which allowed him to keep his heart in tack).
Justin Magnus – cousin to Oscar, in love with Christine, and he is the one to plant the seeds and fan the flames of distrust of her and her motives with her family…

Summary:
At loose ends, not wanting to be alone, Wulfric agrees to go to a house party thinking it is with intellectuals… but it is for Melanie’s brother’s engagement and most there are young and frivolous. Melanie insists Christine join them… and though Christine hasn’t had new clothes in 4 years, and is no longer of the ton, and her brother-in-law still believes her the cause of her husband’s death, she becomes the life of the party – she is friendly, helpful, and joins in whole heartedly… and if she climbs a tree to rescue a little boy, and her dress is torn (and Wulf must wrap her in his jacket to save her dignity) all just join in laughing with her… The young women make a wager – the winner who can get Wulf to spend 1 hour with them… and the engaged one pays the wager for Christine…
At first meeting, Christine refuses to look away when Wulf catches her eye – even when he raises his eyeglass to his eye… and thenChristine wins it the first day, walking with Wulf around the lake – learning a bit about him, and learning that he is cold and very formal, but she doesn’t tell anyone she won. Wulf is drawn to her, though he doesn’t want to be… they notice each other… they take another walk… and she playfully pulls him into the maze, and they kiss… and he impulsively asks her to be his mistress – which she angrily tells him no… and though she is drawn to him, she doesn’t like him… Justin is doing his thing… they waltz, her foot gets stepped on (by another) and Wulf takes her outside… they kiss… he tells her he wants her… she agrees… they go out of site, have a fairly quick coupling where both climax, still mostly clothed… he moves away from her, turns to her and starts to ask her to marry him, but she thinks he is again going to ask her to be his mistress and cuts him off with another no… the party ends, Wulf goes back to is estate, he is alone… he can’t stop thinking of Christine… 10 days later he shows up at her home, and proposes (even though you’re socially beneath me, even though you are old, even though you draw attention to yourself in unseemly ways)… and though a part of her wishes to say yes, mostly she is angry, and she tells him she would not marry such a cold hearted man, she want someone who can love and accept her… and they run into each other 6 months later (he rescues her when she tries to rescue the glove a courtesan who purposefully dropped it for her recent perspective paramour, and falls into the lake, and her dress is see through, and he puts his coat around her and escorts her home)… then he invites his family to the estate for Easter, and goes to Christine before she returns home, and all but begs her to come to his estate also – he would invite her cousins and brother in law for propriety… she reluctantly agrees. And at his home he is himself… she sees him with his sisters & brothers, and their children – and the distance he maintains from them… the siblings try to throw them together, seeing his attraction… they ride, and walk together, and she tells him of Oscar… Justin approaches him and plants his seeds of distrust… and that evening, Wulf calls Justin, Christine, and her brother in law and cousin into the library, and reveals Justin’s insidious ways, they all see the truth of him and fences are mended where they need to be, and Justin is out of her life… and he enjoys when she rolls down the hillside, and the excited children laughingly does the same… and then he takes her to the dovecote that he has remodeled into his small sanctuary – and shares with her his childhood, and that he is Wulf and he is the Duke, he cannot change… and he asks if he can make love to her, and she agrees… and this time they do so without clothes, and slowly and lovingly… and then as they return to the house, they meet up with the family… at a point in the river where they were never allowed to dive in… yet all did… and after some words with the siblings & warnings to the children, he proves he did dive in when in his youth, and disrobes, and climbs onto a branch, and executes a perfect dive into the water… and his elderly, officious aunt (who had been trying to match make him with someone else) wraps Christine in a hug and with tears thanks her for Wulf… and they waltz at the ball he holds, and it is magical… and as she departs for home, he takes her aside and asks if she would allow him to talk with her mother and sisters to ask for her hand… and he shows up at her home 10 days later, and her mother grants her permission… and he takes her out to the garden again, and lovingly asks her to be his bride… and 2 years later, they have a son and another child on the way… ahhhh

Memorable scenes:
(less)

like · see review

Aug 10, 2012 Kennedy rated it 5 of 5 stars

To the Point: Loved, loved, loved Slightly Dangerous. I loved that all of the other books helped to build up this one. My only complaint is that I wanted more. I am so happy that I read the entire series so that I could be most blown away at the end. If historical romantic novels appeal to you at all, this is a must read. If romantic novels in general appeal to you, this is a must read. If you are not interested in romance, then I don’t even know why you’re looking at this review.

In More Detail...more To the Point: Loved, loved, loved Slightly Dangerous. I loved that all of the other books helped to build up this one. My only complaint is that I wanted more. I am so happy that I read the entire series so that I could be most blown away at the end. If historical romantic novels appeal to you at all, this is a must read. If romantic novels in general appeal to you, this is a must read. If you are not interested in romance, then I don’t even know why you’re looking at this review.

In More Detail: (spoilers) Wulfric is definitely my favorite and that is saying quite a bit because I am impressed with almost all of the characters. I am so happy with the character that Balogh created for him in Christine and I am even happier that I was surprised by the choice. Christine was the character that would not love him because he was a duke, she would love him in spite of him being a duke. I like that Balogh didn’t change Wulf but allowed us to see more of him. I like that Wulf had no intentions of changing Christine. I enjoyed the scene toward the end where they are leaving their wedding and Wulf waves to the children simply because there is really nothing else to do once Christine has stopped and waved at them. I loved when Wulf said that only a weak man would try to lessen her light and that he did not believe he was a weak man. I love that Wulf repeats word for word the things that Christine said she was looking for in a dream husband. I love that he continues to try to pursue her in a way that only he could but that he also did try to fight himself along the way. I enjoyed the section where he was almost angry when he realized he was in love. I loved that Wulf put together what Justin was up to and called him out in a very Wulf way. I am grateful that the “drama” of the novel was so minimal and not overly dramatic or unbelievable but a true bad guy was created. I loved the entire scene at the dovecote. Oh my. And during his last proposal when he includes “my love” in his words well, I swooned. Which reminds me that I get such a great kick out of all the old terminology: swoon, set-down, nob, dalliance, deuce take it, to the devil, bother, fit of the vapors, betrothed, ought not, genteel etc.. I loved that Christine said she loved the Duke of Bewcatle and she loved Wulfric Bedwyn. I loved when through Wulf’s thoughts we know that when she rolled down the hill and into his arms he wanted to plant kisses all over her face. I loved when Wulf asked Christine if she was going to spew nonsense during his final proposal. Freyja’s brief inclusions in the story were all wonderful as were her husband’s (Joshua) – his mostly in response to her. I loved that after Christine was pushed down the hill (she was trying to show the children how to roll and then they pushed her) that Freyja said she was jealous and had to roll too. I loved that Freyja hugged Christine after Wulf dove into the lake and said that she would love her forever if this is what she had done to Wulf. I loved that after Freyja heard the recount of the quarrel that Wulf and Christine had in the forest that she said she had to have her as a sister-in-law and would not be thwarted. I loved that when Wulf was presenting his final proposal he let Christine know that Freyja had said he was to come to her and not accept no for an answer. I loved that before Wulf dove into the lake, Freyja went in front of Joshua and said that he needed to catch her – Wulf was jumping in the lake and she was going to swoon she said. This reminds me of my favorite Aiden part where he says that if he knew he would be involved in matchmaking for Wulf he would have shot himself in battle and blamed the French. I know this story had to end but I would have read anything else that Balogh wanted to include. I would have loved to see the Seargant from Alleyne’s story and heard how things are with him. I wished that Christine had explained to Wulf that she hadn’t taken the second walk as part of a bet and had been willing to cut the first walk short. I also wish she had explained why the first proposal was so hurtful to her. I wish Christine had told Wulf how handsome she thought he was and especially that she thought he was the most handsome knowing that technically he was not. This reminds me that I loved that Wulf told Christine that he thought she was made to bring light and joy. I also loved the section where he said that he did not believe that she was not received well by the ton. I wish they both had verbally shared that they felt passion for each other that they had never felt before. All of these things were not necessary to the story and I understand why they didn’t have to be there, but it goes to explain what I mean when I say that my only complaint is that there wasn’t more. There are many parts of the novel that were predictable and maybe in that sense boring but had they not gone exactly as written, my heart would have broken. So Wulf and Christine do get married, they are in love and their families are happy for them and they do have children and all of their family is in essence safe and happy and in love and this, I realize, is not realistic which is the very reason I adore every part of it. I do not turn to fiction for complete reality. Why would you?

Style: Easy to read, not too many descriptive passages. Historical romance. Pg-13 – R rated sections.
(less)

like · see review

Jan 05, 2012 Nikki rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: own-ebook, holiday-reads, historical, gradual-romance, 3-stars

3 stars.

This is my first foray into Mary Balogh and the book's blurb and reviews got me pretty excited so I bumped it to the top of my TBR. I really, really wanted to enjoy it but in spite of a solid beginning it just couldn't maintain momentum.

Firstly, it was just too similar to Pride and Prejudice. The H/h, the timeline of plot events, the proposals. I'm sorry but you just can't do that with a classic like P&P. Besides the fact that I kept envisioning Jennifer Ehle's cheeky eyes whenever B...more

3 likes · like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (12)

More editions...

Genres

Regency

58 users

Romance > Historical Romance

26 users

Historical Fiction

18 users

Adult

7 users

European Literature > British Literature

7 users

Romance

6 users

Romantic

3 users

Mystery

3 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Mary Balogh

Mary Balogh has won seven Waldenbooks Awards and two B. Dalton Awards for her bestselling novels, as well as a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award.

More about Mary Balogh...

Books by Mary Balogh

First Comes Marriage (Huxtable Quintet, #1)

A Summer to Remember (Bedwyn Prequels #2)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Slightly Dangerous

3 trivia questions
1 quiz

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from Slightly Dangerous

“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, like a foolish schoolboy.
He wondered grimly what he was going to do about it.

He was not amused.

Or in any way pleased.” — 11 people liked it

“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.” — 10 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Slightly Dangerous
avg rating	preview: Slightly Dangerous Goodreads rating: 4.18 (5533 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71648.Slightly_Dangerous?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320440392l/71648.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71648.Slightly_Dangerous?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Slightly Dangerous by Mary Balogh[/url]

Slightly Dangerous (Bedwyn Saga #6)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website