Slightly Dangerous [Mass Market Paperback]

Mary Balogh (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 1, 2005

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—and she was the only female in the room who wasn’t even trying. Christine Derrick is intrigued by the handsome duke…all the more so when he invites her to become his mistress.

What red-blooded woman wouldn’t enjoy a tumble in the bedsheets with a consummate lover—with no strings and no questions asked. An infuriating lady with very definite views on men, morals, and marriage, Christine confounds Wulfric at every turn. Yet even as the lone wolf of the Bedwyn clan vows to seduce her any way he can, something strange and wonderful is happening. Now for a man who thought he’d never lose his heart, nothing less than love will do.

With her trademark wit, riveting storytelling, and sizzling sexual sparks, Mary Balogh once again brings together two polar opposites: an irresistible, high-and-mighty aristocrat and the impulsive, pleasure-loving woman who shows him what true passion is all about. A man and a woman so wrong for each other, it can result only in the perfect match.


From the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

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.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

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. Diana Tixier Herald
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Dell (March 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044024112X
• ISBN-13: 978-0440241126
• Product Dimensions: 4.3 x 1.1 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (155 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #88,625 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mary Balogh is the New York Times bestselling author of the acclaimed Slightly novels: Slightly Married, Slightly Wicked, Slightly Scandalous, Slightly Tempted, Slightly Sinful, and Slightly Dangerous, as well as the romances No Man's Mistress, More than a Mistress, and One Night for Love. She is also the author of Simply Love, Simply Unforgettable, Simply Magic, and Simply Perfect, her dazzling quartet of novels set at Miss Martin's School for Girls. A former teacher herself, she grew up in Wales and now lives in Canada.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#49 in Books > Romance > Historical

#68 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Romance > Historical Romance

#49 in Books > Romance > Historical

#68 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Romance > Historical Romance

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

99 of 103 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Do not start this book at bedtime... June 6, 2004

By S. Reader VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I literally stayed up all night to finish it.

Take several handfuls of Bedwyns (all appear with their families), add a cup of Pride & Prejudice, a dash of Notting Hill, and liberally lace the whole thing with vivacity & humor (thanks to the heroine) = the result is a nearly perfect romance and a fitting conclusion to the Bedwyn series. This book is a welcome return to the splendor of A Summer to Remember, but with more humor than pathos. Wulfric was worth the wait.

No, this story has little intrigue and few sex scenes--it doesn't need them. Slightly Dangerous is a rollicking good time and warm, wonderful romance. Wulfric really somes into his own here as we see the man behind the Duke. Christine is vivacious, and even her thoughts are delightfully chuckle-worthy. She will make an unconventional duchess, but Wulf needs someone who'll bring out the boy he used to be, the lonely man behind the cold face of the Duke of Bewcastle. Watching Wulfric mentally roll his eyes at Christine's antics while perversely (and unwillingly) being attracted to her is outrageously fun. Seeing her melt the ice around his heart makes the reader agree with Freyja: "If this is what you have done for him...I will love you all my life."

Indeed, there are few truly interesting secondary characters at the house party, but the focus does remain solidly on the romantic leads. Once the action moves to Bewcastle's estate, the Bedwyns provide plenty of delicious filler. And, in the bargain, we get to catch up on all their families.

(...)Slightly Dangerous is a classic romance. If that's your cup of tea, you'll be thrilled with the final entry in the Bedwyn series. How I'll miss them, but I feel honored, especially after this book, to have shared their lives.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely Conclusion to Bedwyn Series June 11, 2004

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

For some time now readers have followed the saga of the highly aristocratic Bedwyn siblings finding love in some of the most unexpected places. The tone of the "Slightly" series has ranged from raucous ("Slightly Wicked") to tragic ("Slightly Married") and in each book the powerful presence of Wulfric Bewyn has been felt. He is the icy, rigidly controlled Duke of Bewcastle who took on the heavy mantle of the title and responsibility for his five younger brothers and sisters at the tender age of 17.

In this book, Wulfric is thirty-six years old. His siblings have all married and started families. His mistress of ten years has died. Thus, one of the most compelling Regency heroes to come along in years is at loose ends and uncharacteristically accepts
an invitation to a two-week house party. There he meets and reluctantly falls in love with Mrs. Christine Derrick, a vivacious but impoverished widow with roots in the lower gentry.

Wulfric's and Christine's coming together is more than just an "opposites attract" story. It's a deep and moving exploration of the transforming power of love. Neither Wulfric nor Christine are looking for love or marriage. Wulfric doubts that he is even capable of love. Christine has suffered terribly as a result of her early love, her marriage, and the repercussions of her husband's death. Although they fight their mutual attraction and make many mistakes along the way they are hopelessly drawn to one another.

While there are some very amusing clashes between the penultimate toplofty aristocrat and the luminous free spirit who simply "doesn't know how to behave" this novel is at its heart a serious and deep love story. It has some of the most romantic scenes you'll ever encounter (Wulfric's and Christine's first walz, the scene in the dovecote).

It's rich and subtle. It was well worth the wait.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The thawing of an iceberg September 5, 2004

By canadianlibrarian

Format:Hardcover

At the end of Mary Balogh's Summer to Remember, a very haughty family rode up on horseback. They had ancient British names ( Freja, Alleyne, Rannulf) and I suspected that the author may introduce these folks in later books.

Well, they got a whole series to themselves! The "Slightly" series concludes with eldest brother Wulfric's story in Slightly Dangerous. Other reviewers have seemed disappointed with lack of passion and a buoyant "silly" heroine but I disagree. This was a perfect ending to an excellent set of stories about the filthy rich, arrogant Bedwyn family. At age 17, Wulfric Bedwyn took on the responsibility of raising 3 younger brothers and 2 sisters when his father died. He was a very strict taskmaster who rarely showed emotion and never smiled. His icy manner terrified most of London's 'ton' and even his own family tread very carefully when close to him. Balogh introduced a totally opposite female personality to soften the hard-edged Wulfric. Widowed Christine Derrick was a sunny, childlike, loving woman whose overly exuberant ways had often been mistaken for immaturity and flirtatiousness. She is what we hope to be on our good days: always smiling, laughing and UP! Christine and Wulfric immediately acknowledged and acted upon their physical attraction but it took most of the book for them to discover that they "suited." Balogh writes some classic lines in this book. When Wulfric realized he loved Christine, he thought:"...he was in love, damn it all. He disliked her, he resented her, he disapproved...yet he was head over heels in love with her...He was not amused." Christine was equally annoyed:"...She was horribly in love with him. Horribly, she supposed, being the operative word. Ignominiously might be even better." Slowly Wulfric and Christine revealed parts of their lives to each other; they began to to trust each other and finally realized no one else would do but the other.

All the Bedwyns reappeared including many offspring ( whose names I soon lost track of, but it didn't matter). It was great seeing and hearing all of them again. So I highly recommend the finale to the "Slightly" series - Wulfric finds someone to melt his icy heart and accept him for what he is. Warm, loving Christine Derrick makes him smile and laugh for the first time in 20 years.