Slightly Dangerous

June 7, 2004
The long-awaited conclusion to Balogh's Regency-era romance series, focusing on the eccentric Bedwyn family, possesses the same charm and richness of character as her previous books (Slightly Tempted
, etc.), but its plot is slightly more conventional. Balogh's fans have longed to see Wulfric, the imperturbable duke of Bewcastle, fall in love, and Balogh has created the perfect heroine to fell him—Christine Derrick, a lively but lowborn young widow who has a habit of getting herself into very improper situations. The two meet at a sedate house party, where Christine accidentally spills lemonade on the duke and then dares to laugh at him. Wulfric disapproves of Christine's working-class background and unladylike manners, but he can't help being enchanted by her effervescent personality. For her part, Christine disdains Wulf's icy, superior attitude, but she's drawn to him physically. As fans of the genre will anticipate, opposites attract no matter how hard the hero and heroine fight against it, and an unplanned sexual encounter complicates their feelings even further. Although the story lacks some of the dramatic tension of its predecessors, particularly Slightly Sinful
, this book rings with humor and delightful echoes of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
. All in all, it's a memorable conclusion to a charming series. Agent, Maria Carvainis.

February 15, 2004
Balogh goes hardcover with the culmination of the Bedwyn family saga.

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2004
" Slightly Dangerous" is the culmination of Balogh's wonderfully entertaining Bedwyn series, in which each sibling in the aristocratic family finds the love of his or her life. Wulfric, the eldest brother, is known for his icy reserve, and, in fact, the formidable duke effectively stopped marriage-minded pursuits and was content with his mistress until she died. Invited to a house party, he unhappily finds himself in the company of Christine Derrick, the klutzy, impoverished widow of a viscount's brother. Two more unsuitable lovers have never been imagined, but Balogh, famous for her believable characters and finely crafted Regency-era settings, forges a relationship that leaps off the page and into the hearts of her readers. The sixth title in a series would seem an unlikely point to begin, but Balogh includes the other five Bedwyn siblings and their loves in such a way as to delight readers familiar with them, and entice readers new to the series to read the previous installments.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)