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56 of 57 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
More Than Slightly Brilliant, April 5, 2003
In this first installment of the story of the Bedwyn family, Mary Balogh takes a plot line that has been used hundreds of times before--the marriage of convenience--and somehow makes it seem fresh and new. This is the story of Colonel Lord Aidan Bedwyn, second son of the late Duke of Bewcastle and brother to the current Duke, whose devotion to duty and honor leads him to find love in a most unexpected place. On a dusty battlefield in France, he promises the dying Captain Percy Morris to do "whatever it takes" to protect the Captain's sister, Eve Morris. When Aidan takes the news of her brother's death to Eve, he discovers that she and her "lame ducks," a menagerie consisting of two orphaned children, an impoverished aunt, a lame dog, and a houseful of unusual servants that no one would else would hire, are about to be turned out onto the streets by Eve's slimy cousin, Cecil. In order to do "whatever it takes" to honor his vow to a dying man, Aidan persuades Eve to agree to a marriage of convenience to save her home and inheritance under a clause of her father's will. Eve feels that she has no choice but to accept Aidan's offer, despite the fact that she is in love with a neighbor who is in the diplomatic service and whom she has been expecting home "any day." What neither Aidan nor Eve can forsee is that, by marrying, Eve will inextricably become part of the Bedwyn clan, overseen by Aidan's brother, the imperious Duke of Bedwyn, and that Aidan will just as inextricably become part of Eve's menagerie of "lame ducks." This is a brilliant and beautifully written story of two very different people--different in temperment, station, and experience--who gradually come to know, appreciate and love each other. Like the talented artist that she is, Mary Balogh does not tell us who these characters are, she lets us discover them for outselves, through their words and their deeds. Aidan and Eve grow more beautiful to the reader with each passing page, just as they appear more and more beautiful and wonderful to each other as they reluctantly begin to fall in love. This novel is a work of great art and great heart, and I am eagerly awaiting the next two novels in the series. Bravo, Mary!
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An Engaging Read, April 6, 2003
"Slightly Married" is another great offering from Mary Balogh. While the plot itself is not the most original plot ever, romance readers don't really read for plot, we read for character development. And Balogh delivers some great characters. Eve and Aidan are two people from radically different backgrounds. Aidan is the younger brother of a Duke and Eve is the only daughter of a Coal Miner made good, fit together like the final to pieces to a puzzle. The multi-book - family saga deal is really popular at the moment with mixed results. I have found that often the books are repetitive because the characters seem to be carbon copies of each other. Balogh doesn't have that problem. I can't wait to see what happens next.
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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
True to form, May 2, 2003
I am a fan of Mary Balogh's books in general and very much like those that are interrelated; thus, I am very pleased to be starting a new series - this one that involves the Bedwyn family: The Duke of Bewcastle and his 2 brothers and 2 sisters. First in the series, the hero is Colonel Lord Aidan Bedwyn the second son; he has served in the army since age 18. We first meet him making a promise to a dying subordinate to see that his sister is protected "no matter what". The promise sends Lord Aidan off to Ringwood Manor where he meets Miss Eve Morris. Daughter of a coal miner (who bought his way into the landed gentry) she was raised as a lady, is fiercely independent, and collects "lame ducks". Eve needs to be "protected" from her small-minded rather nasty cousin Cecil - and to do that Aidan must marry her to fulfill a condition in her father's will. So begins a "marriage of convenience". In Balogh's talented hands, this well used "plot" becomes the vehicle whereby we watch the two main characters discover the depths of each other's character and gradually fall in love. Unlike another reviewer, I did not find this book to be "light hearted romance" but something a lot better. As I very much prefer romance stories that are character driven to those that depend on an "exciting" (and too often improbable) plot, Slightly Married is a definite winner for me. Don't get me wrong, there is tension and conflict here, but it mainly involves Eve and her learning to cope with the Bedwyn family and their mode of life. Balogh's firm grasp of the Regency time period is a definite asset here. Along the way we meet and learn a few things about the two youngest members of the family and learn quite a bit more about Lady Freyja and the Duke. I must admit that I am already wondering how the Duke's story will unfold! In the last chapter we are introduced to Lord Ralf who will feature in the next book - unlike a previous reviewer, I was not bothered by this. In summary - if you want your romance story driven by an exciting and fast moving plot with a clear cut villain, then you will likely be somewhat disappointed in Slightly Married. However if you, like me, prefer romances featuring multi-faceted characters with depth, faults as well as virtues, then I highly recommend this book.
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