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Slightly Sinful
(Bedwyn Saga #5)
by
When the four lady residents of a brothel in Brussels lose their life savings to a confidence man, their friend Rachel York, who introduced him to them, feels responsible even though all her money has been stolen too. She vows to help them recover their savings, but in order to do that she needs to get her hands on the jewels she will inherit at the age of twenty-five. And
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Paperback, 342 pages
Published
April 27th 2004
by Dell
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Start your review of Slightly Sinful (Bedwyn Saga, #5)

Okay, let's get it out in the open: the premise of this book didn't sound very appealing to me at first. I mean, there's amnesia, deception, and another fake marriage - the fourth fake marriage/bethrotal in the Slightly series, and the fifth if you add A Summer to Remember, which is a prequel to the series. It should have been too much to take, right? Wrong! Somehow Ms. Balogh made it all work by making me fall in love with the H/h, and the rest is history...
The events in Slightly Sinful and Sli ...more
The events in Slightly Sinful and Sli ...more

Jul 17, 2017
Al George
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
02-audio,
02-library
If I get shot or fall from my horse, please deliver me to the nearest brothel.
Not that I plan on any of those things, but one must plan.
Series: Yup
Sexy times: Couple of times. All beautifully handled and nothing too scary. Although there was one devirgining that didn't exactly go as planned.
Plan on reading more by the author: Gotta finish the series, don't I?
Synopsis: Alleyne is high on his horse hurrying back to base command to deliver a letter and get to his sister who sits waiting for him w ...more

Not that I plan on any of those things, but one must plan.
Series: Yup
Sexy times: Couple of times. All beautifully handled and nothing too scary. Although there was one devirgining that didn't exactly go as planned.
Plan on reading more by the author: Gotta finish the series, don't I?
Synopsis: Alleyne is high on his horse hurrying back to base command to deliver a letter and get to his sister who sits waiting for him w ...more

Three and a half stars. Enjoyed Alleyne and Rachel's story. Alleyne is seriously wounded at the Battle of Waterloo, left for dead, and robbed of all belongings. Rachel stumbles across his naked body (yup!) and realises he is still alive. With the help of some others, she saves his life. But he has no idea who he is...... His family in England believe he has perished and they hold a memorial service and grieve for him.
Yeah, the story's a little far-fetched in parts, especially the bits about the ...more
Yeah, the story's a little far-fetched in parts, especially the bits about the ...more

May 20, 2019
Sophia
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-romance
After the events in the last book that left me dying to know what came of Alleyne, I dove in and put my fears to rest. He's a Bedwyn. Even an epic battle couldn't end him. Though, in all seriousness, it was war and a stray bullet did nearly end him save a generous, determined woman and a broken soldier saving Alleyne's life. This was my favorite entry in the series since Aidan's story in book one.
Slightly Sinful is the fifth in the Bedwyn saga and would work fine standalone if necessary. That sa ...more
Slightly Sinful is the fifth in the Bedwyn saga and would work fine standalone if necessary. That sa ...more

I had low expectations for this book because I haven't really much liked Alleyne. He's aloof, cynical, and just a tad out of his depth. Maybe my expectations were simply low, but this book blew them out of the water and I am so happy. The amnesia thing is such a cliché that I was a bit surprised to see Balogh using it. She's better than that, I thought. Fortunately, she really is better than that and used that cliché to pull off a really interesting character arc.
I have no idea what real amnesia ...more
I have no idea what real amnesia ...more

Oh, Mary Balogh - always with the really good stuff, be it excellent use of cliches or exploration of interesting themes within the context of historical romance, but always undermined by some really dodgy stuff.
Yes, yes, this is dress-up-doll historical romance - they've all got their teeth, the women are always surprisingly independent - but you don't get to handwave away the things you don't like (bad dental hygiene, extremely limited spheres of influence for the vast majority of women, the ...more
Yes, yes, this is dress-up-doll historical romance - they've all got their teeth, the women are always surprisingly independent - but you don't get to handwave away the things you don't like (bad dental hygiene, extremely limited spheres of influence for the vast majority of women, the ...more

Throughout the Bedwyn Saga Alleyne Bedwyn has been one of my favorite characters. He is a jolly fellow, quick to laugh and even quicker to help his siblings out with the most recent scrap they've gotten themselves into. In his own book he is no different, despite the fact that he is suffering from amnesia and has no idea who he is.
I had moments when I liked the heroine, Rachel, and other times when she annoyed me. But overall I thought she was a good match for Alleyne.
This book had an introducti ...more
I had moments when I liked the heroine, Rachel, and other times when she annoyed me. But overall I thought she was a good match for Alleyne.
This book had an introducti ...more

In Slightly Tempted, the aristocratic Bedwyn family is rocked by news of Lord Alleyne Bedwyn's death at Waterloo. While searching the battle's casualties for saleables, Rachel York (a well-born woman left penniless by her father's gambling&drinking) comes across Alleyne's body, already stripped by other scavengers. But he is not dead, just gravely injured. Rachel carts his limp body back to the brothel where her old nurse works, and she and the whores nurse him back to health. But Alleyne, alas,
...more

3.5 stars
What to say about this audio-book? Of course, the story was nicely read by Rosalyn Landor. Her different voices and accents for the women were particularly good.
I just didn't love the story.
For example, the constant reference to whores (with hearts of gold, who actually LOVED their profession enough to lust after men and even do it for free- yeah, right, in which universe?) bothered me, and it was a case of protesting too much about how the MC's didn't care that the women were "whores ...more
What to say about this audio-book? Of course, the story was nicely read by Rosalyn Landor. Her different voices and accents for the women were particularly good.
I just didn't love the story.
For example, the constant reference to whores (with hearts of gold, who actually LOVED their profession enough to lust after men and even do it for free- yeah, right, in which universe?) bothered me, and it was a case of protesting too much about how the MC's didn't care that the women were "whores ...more

Great, great read - Rachel and Alleyne are wonderful, and the secondary characters extremely colorful
SUMMARY (Bedwyn Family, Book 5):
Slightly Sinful overlaps significantly (chronologically speaking) with the previous book in the Bedwyn series, Slightly Tempted (Morgan and Gervase's story). Lord Alleyne Bedwyn (26), working as a British diplomat in Brussels, is sent to deliver a letter to the Duke of Wellington during the Battle of Waterloo. He receives a reply letter to deliver and heads back to ...more
SUMMARY (Bedwyn Family, Book 5):
Slightly Sinful overlaps significantly (chronologically speaking) with the previous book in the Bedwyn series, Slightly Tempted (Morgan and Gervase's story). Lord Alleyne Bedwyn (26), working as a British diplomat in Brussels, is sent to deliver a letter to the Duke of Wellington during the Battle of Waterloo. He receives a reply letter to deliver and heads back to ...more

IF I READ ONE MORE BOOK of Miss Balogh with a pretend marriage I am gonna rip my eyes off!
What is the matter with that?
#Audiobook and Rosalyn made it bearable but Oh My God,it is always the same story with the Bedwyns.
2 more to go for my "mad about series"challenge and I am scared that it is gonna be all the same again.What a shame :/
I am done with Balogh after the Bedwyns. ...more
What is the matter with that?
#Audiobook and Rosalyn made it bearable but Oh My God,it is always the same story with the Bedwyns.
2 more to go for my "mad about series"challenge and I am scared that it is gonna be all the same again.What a shame :/
I am done with Balogh after the Bedwyns. ...more

I've loved the whole Bedwyn family! Not my favorite in the series, but well worth the read. Overall I enjoyed it. The ending was my favorite.
The premise of the story with an amnesiac Hero saved by a virtuous woman who is now living in a brothel was scandalously funny, entertaining, and a fun wild ride. I laughed and even teared up a little in the end. I liked the way this story paralleled book #4 so that we really were able to see what happened to the missing Alleyne Bedwyn. One of my favorite ...more
The premise of the story with an amnesiac Hero saved by a virtuous woman who is now living in a brothel was scandalously funny, entertaining, and a fun wild ride. I laughed and even teared up a little in the end. I liked the way this story paralleled book #4 so that we really were able to see what happened to the missing Alleyne Bedwyn. One of my favorite ...more

Well, it was bound to happen at some point. Mary Balogh has finally let me down. Slightly Sinful was just too silly for me. There's an amnesia plot and a troop of whores out for revenge and just...ach. What I tend to love most about this author is how down-to-earth and honest her narratives are. This book, however, was more like a silly romcom than a realistic look at what it takes to make a relationship work. And that's fine, just not the content I'm here for.
...more

The plot and writing is good. I don't think I enjoy slow-burn romances very much. Oh, but what a beautiful family reunion. *sniffles* . Three books down, three more to go! Maybe I'll read Morgan's book next since it's in the same time frame.
...more

Nov 14, 2010
Aly is so frigging bored
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical
2nd read September 2015

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

3.5 stars

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

3.5 stars.
I'm enjoying this series but just not quite enough to make the full 4 stars. ...more
I'm enjoying this series but just not quite enough to make the full 4 stars. ...more

Apr 01, 2017
Lady Wesley
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
listened,
2017-faves
Rosalyn Landor's audio version of this Mary Balogh classic really tickled my funnybone. In Brussels, right before Waterloo, the heroine innocently gets mixed up with four jolly prostitutes, and they take in a wounded Alleyne Bedwyn, who has lost his memory. Also a crusty sergeant who has lost an eye and been dismissed from the army. The seven of them set out for England -- the ladies in pursuit of a charlatan posing as a minister who has stolen their life savings, Alleyne hoping to find somebody
...more

4 stars
It turns out I haven't actually read this book the first time I read the Bedwyn series. Not sure why, but it happened.
In any case, this is the story of Alleyne (the brother who was presumed dead at Waterloo) and Rachel.
It's a fun story. I liked how the entire amnesia plot was handled. I LOVED the side characters who are both colorful and very real.
And that reunion at the end was so, so perfect.
I had some slight issues with Rachel and Alleyne's reasoning in the last third of the book or s ...more
It turns out I haven't actually read this book the first time I read the Bedwyn series. Not sure why, but it happened.
In any case, this is the story of Alleyne (the brother who was presumed dead at Waterloo) and Rachel.
It's a fun story. I liked how the entire amnesia plot was handled. I LOVED the side characters who are both colorful and very real.
And that reunion at the end was so, so perfect.
I had some slight issues with Rachel and Alleyne's reasoning in the last third of the book or s ...more

4.5 stars, SO delightful! Amnesia is a classic dramatic romance storyline, and it's done really well here. I loved every bit of this story, from Alleyne's recovery in the brothel to the farcical deception the group attempted to pull off back in England. Rachel was a fairly unremarkable heroine, but I've liked Alleyne throughout the series, so it was great to see him here, and the side characters really stole the show. Since Alleyne doesn't know who he is through most of the book, we don't get th
...more

Each book in this series, I go into less excited for it not being Wulfic's. Most, though, pull me in almost immediately and I grow to love it (and, admittedly, all of the Wulfric sightings in the background). This one was a chore though, which is sad because I do love Allyene as well. I knew a bit of what I was getting into based on the setup of the previous book, but so much of the early part was cartoonish and different in tone from previous books. It was hard to ever be fully invested. It did
...more

3,5 stars! Definitely better than Morgan's book. I loved the four ladies and even without memory, our charming hero. The reunion with his family was Lovely too!
...more

Nov 23, 2011
Lori
rated it
liked it
Shelves:
easy-read,
guilty-pleasure,
historical-fiction,
romance,
2011_read,
british-lit,
favorite-author,
regency,
series,
some-steam
I really enjoyed this book about Alleyne... I must say that I was quite upset about him being MIA in the previous book with Morgan and Gervase. I was delighted and relieved that he made an appearance at the end of that book! And this book, "Slightly Sinful" is Alleyne's story - what really happened to him at the Battle of Waterloo and why he was missing for so long.
(view spoiler) ...more
(view spoiler) ...more

Lord Alleyne Bedwyn is carrying a letter from the Duke of Wellington at the battle of Waterloo when he is shot in the leg, despite trying to continue his journey he becomes weak from loss of blood and falls off his horse, hitting his head on a tree stump.
Alleyne is found by Miss Rachel York, an orphan fallen on hard times who is currently sharing a house in Brussels with a group of prostitutes, including her former nurse. Rachel and the other women have lost all their money to a confidence trick ...more
Alleyne is found by Miss Rachel York, an orphan fallen on hard times who is currently sharing a house in Brussels with a group of prostitutes, including her former nurse. Rachel and the other women have lost all their money to a confidence trick ...more

Story 4 stars Narration 5 stars. Great series and an amazing narrator. Wonderful characters are the hallmark of this author. Recommended to adult historical romance readers and if you can, try and listen. Roslyn Landor is just the best at narrating historical British romances. She’s a definite selling point when I pick out a listen. Now available on Audible Escape.
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Historical Romance. She finds him hurt and with amnesia, his older brother is a duke. [s] | 5 | 626 | Sep 22, 2020 07:46PM |
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 curl
...more
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Bedwyn Saga
(6 books)
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“Where was Bewcastle?
But then he was there, standing on the terrace some distance away, and such was the power of his presence that everyone seemed to sense it an fell back away from Alleyne even as they stopped talking. There was still all sorts of noise, of course - horses, carriage wheels, voices, the water spouting out of the fountain - but it seemed to Alleyne as if complete silence fell.
Bewcastle had already seen him. His gaze was steady and silver-eyed and inscrutable. His hand reached for the gold-handled, jewel-studded quizzing glass he always wore with formal attire and raised it halfway to his eyes in a characteristic gesture. Then he came striding along the terrace with uncharacteristic speed and did not stop coming until he had caught Alleyne up in a tight, wordless embrace that lasted perhaps a whole minute while Alleyne dipped his forehead to his brother's shoulder and felt at last that he was safe.
It was an extraordinary moment. He had been little more than a child when his father died, but Wulfric himself had been only seventeen. Alleyne had never thought of him as a father figure. Indeed, he had often resented the authority his brother wielded over them with such unwavering strictness, and often with apparant impersonality and lack of humor. He had always thought of his eldest brother as aloof, unfeeling, totally self sufficient. A cold fish. And yet it was in Wulfric's arm that he felt his homecoming most acutely. He felt finally and completely and unconditionally loved.
An extraordinary moment indeed.”
—
15 likes
But then he was there, standing on the terrace some distance away, and such was the power of his presence that everyone seemed to sense it an fell back away from Alleyne even as they stopped talking. There was still all sorts of noise, of course - horses, carriage wheels, voices, the water spouting out of the fountain - but it seemed to Alleyne as if complete silence fell.
Bewcastle had already seen him. His gaze was steady and silver-eyed and inscrutable. His hand reached for the gold-handled, jewel-studded quizzing glass he always wore with formal attire and raised it halfway to his eyes in a characteristic gesture. Then he came striding along the terrace with uncharacteristic speed and did not stop coming until he had caught Alleyne up in a tight, wordless embrace that lasted perhaps a whole minute while Alleyne dipped his forehead to his brother's shoulder and felt at last that he was safe.
It was an extraordinary moment. He had been little more than a child when his father died, but Wulfric himself had been only seventeen. Alleyne had never thought of him as a father figure. Indeed, he had often resented the authority his brother wielded over them with such unwavering strictness, and often with apparant impersonality and lack of humor. He had always thought of his eldest brother as aloof, unfeeling, totally self sufficient. A cold fish. And yet it was in Wulfric's arm that he felt his homecoming most acutely. He felt finally and completely and unconditionally loved.
An extraordinary moment indeed.”
“If you are never frightened, sir, you would never find out what you was made of and what you was capable of doing. You would never become a better man than what you started out being. P'raps this is what you will discover - what you are made of and what you are capable of. And when you finally do remember who you are, p'raps you will find that you have become a better man than he ever was. P'raps he was a man why never ever grew any more once he reached manhood. P'raps he needed to do something drastic like losing his memory so that he could get his life unstuck.”
—
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