I've got to say that this book is one of the funniest books I've ever read. Which I didn't expect. Sure, Mary Balogh can be funny, but I don't usually associate her books with being downright hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud at this book, sometimes in public places (I apologize to my hairdresser for laughing altogether too much when she was trying to do my hair). You should know that Slightly Dangerous is a wonderful homage to Pride and Prejudice, so if you love that one (And how can you not? Who even are you if you don't love P&P?) you'll be sure to gobble this one up. It's definitely a satire of that beloved Jane Austen novel and P&P is satire of the society Austen lived in. So satire + satire...hilarity ensues.Lemme break it down for you. We've got our hero and heroine, Wulfric Bedwyn, Duke of Bewcastle, and Mrs. Christine Derrick, widow. If you don't know who Wulfric Bedwyn is get out, and go back to read the seven previous novels you skipped in this marverlous Bedwyn Saga. And yes, I'm insisting that you start with the prequels, because they all build on each other, and you miss so much wonderful character development and family dynamic if you don't read the whole series beginning to end. And really, it is a SAGA, and there could be a family tree at the beginning of each installment, it's that complicated, so you really won't appreciate the fabulousness of it all if you don't start on page one of One Night for Love. Anyhoo, meet Wulfric Bedwyn. Cold, toplofty, the quintessential duke. We know brother's got love in his heart (ahem, if we read the previous installments) by the way he cares for his five younger siblings and swooped in to save the day in like every climax of the other books. Dude is boss. And he looks something like this: Dude never smiles. Social gatherings are beneath him and he only attends out of a strict sense of duty. And he never smiles. Got it? Cuz Colin Firth as Darcy never smiles in P&P, right? This is a trick question, as you would know if you've seen the mini-series. Which if you haven't, I am so disappointed in you; that is an offense worse than not having read all of the Bedwyn Saga.Meet Christine Derrick:She is the daughter of a simple country gentleman who before he died, *gasp* had to become a schoolteacher due to limited funds. For awhile, Christine lived among the ton, because she was wed to the brother of a viscount, but alas, he died young. Now she is a simple country lady again, teaching part-time and volunteering and playing with her kiddo nieces and nephews. She has a pair of laughing eyes, or a pair of "fine eyes" as Wulfric thinks (!!!)-Darcy reference alert!-and she is wholly inappropriate. She is always getting into embarrassing scrapes and acting wild and then laughing about it instead of having the decorum to feel chagrined. Girlfriend isn't just a Lizzie Bennet, she's kind of a Bridget Jones.And our man Wulfric is not amused. King of resting bitch face much?Where were we? A synopsis you say? Okay, I can do that. Wulfric and Christine are thrown together at a house party. Right off the bat, Christine is an unapologetic klutz, and Wulfric is not amused. He stares her down formidably (Wulfric is also the king of the quizzing glass and the raised eyebrow.) But Christine does something that no one has ever dared do before. She stares at him right back and laughs at him for being so high and mighty! Then she verbally chastises him for his haughtiness. This pairing was a surprise to me. From what we'd read of Wulfric before in the series, I would have pegged him as falling for a woman of high breeding and impeccable ladylike manners, like Lauren from A Summer to Remember. But this opposites attract-but first drive each other nuts-strategy is perfectly executed by Balogh, and just what Wulfric needed. He needs someone who will stand up to him, doesn't give a hoot about the ton, and will have fun where he is always a stick in the mud. So when Wulfric's thinking what I used to think, "His tastes, he would have thought, ran more to quiet refinement and sophistication," he's dead wrong. Dukey's in for a whole world of trouble surprise. Because "it was of Mrs. Derrick that he found himself thinking altogether too much." Mrs. Derrick and her fine eyes. He's appalled to "discover himself drawn to a woman who had none of the attributes he found admirable in women." And he's not alone. As for Christine, "She disliked the Duke of Bewcastle quite intensely. More, she despised him and all he stood for." Not to mention, she finds him slightly dangerous :) But she can't help feel attracted to his mysterious allure, the quiet power he commands, and his opaque silver eyes. Their chemistry practically sizzles off the page, and I loved and laughed at their banter and misadventures together. Think screwball Cary Grant/Katharine Hepburn comedy thrown into the Regency satire mix, as a delicious cherry on top of this Austen inspired sundae. I did get somewhat annoyed with Christine at a certain point for how she seemed to willfully misunderstand Wulfric for a little too long, even when she's contradictorilly thinking she's in love with him (say what??). But such is the nature of the Pride and Prejudice trope, and here lies the prejudice. Maybe I just felt defensive of Wulfric, because I grew to love him over the last five books, and actually knew him better at certain points than Christine did. Still, the mysteries of the plot are perfectly revealed, and part of the twist I did not guess. Wulfric, as well as being a top-notch romantic hero, eldest brother, and duke, serves as Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot in the denouements of like all these stories, where he unmasks and cuts down the villain. Which is always entertaining! And the happy ending of love, acceptance, and lots of happy Bedwyns put a smile on my face and a song in my heart. *sigh* And yes, I'll be as corny as I want at the closing of my favorite series of romance novels.So add one wacky, hilarious heroine:One hilarious in spite of himself, actually secretly lovable duke:And lots of clumsiness and Wulfric coming to the rescue:And you've got one fabulously amazing romance with a happily ever after fit for the best historical romance series ever:And in the end, Christine be singing,Plus, bonus ingredients that make this book so great:All these things happen and more! It is great, so just READ IT ALREADY SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO LISTEN TO ME RANT ABOUT IT FOREVER!!! Happy reading :)
And then there was Wulf. First off, I enjoyed how the story progressed and 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 a little 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 family. This whole elaborate setup was 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.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)[The siblings along with their spouses gathered together, pondering why Wulf invited people other than family, especially people who didn't seem his type. It was great how things were getting out in the open, like Morgan telling them about Wulf weeping alone and Rachel spoke about his expression while he hugged Alleyne. I was smiling like a fool when they finally figured that Wulf must have feelings for Christine. And of course, they had proof after Alleyne spotted the couple arguing, Wulf hanging in a tree fetching his quizzing glass that Christine had thrown up there. I LOVE that all of the siblings and spouses set out to be matchmakers. Oh the glee! And then Wulf actually figuring it out was icing on the cake. The man doesn't miss a thing.The dovecote scene was perfection. He had that quiet, simple place where he was reminded that he's not only the Duke of Bewcastle, but also Wulfric Bedwyn. It made my heart melt for him even more. Hearing a little bit about his childhood, some of this was told in Aidan's book, and on to adulthood was intriguing. It gives more insight to who he is and why. Another part of the book that I adored was when Becky took her Uncle Wulf's hand and asked him a question about his library. I love how she's not at all intimidated by him. She continued to hold his hand when a discussion about diving came up. Becky even encouraged him to show the other Bedwyn's that he wasn't lying. It was so damn adorable. The entire water scene was one of my favorite parts in the book. I laughed so much. Back to just Wulf and Christine. The ball, what can I say. She made the cold and intimidating Duke of Bewcastle laugh and smile in front of the entire ballroom. And he didn't even know he did it! I didn't the man had it in him. (hide spoiler)]
What do You think about Slightly Dangerous (2005)?
Just wonderful!It was a great reading. There is a very wise and very simple plot. It's progress and development is well paced. Slowly building romance adn love between h/H prepare the reader very sensual love-making scene which is one of the best sex scenes I've read in romance books. And when they accepted to being together, you didn't have to tolerate some nonsense things just the sake of romances.I loved a cool, distance duke started to feel attraction for a woman who normally he would ignore totally. After his feelings grow up he didn't turn into a different person totally oppisite at the begining of the book. He's still same man with same manner but tried to adept his feelings and affections to the woman's merit.I am impressed with Ms. Balogh's ability to weave a story that incorporates such realistic character growth within such a fun, away from unnecessary drama, over-the-top setting. I can find no fault with either progress, hilarious dialogue, or the simple-realistic-spectacular plot. Ms. Balogh is certainly on my auto-buy list for a while; her writing being one of the best in the genre.
—Nefise
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, and the obstacles to it, so organic and believable, and the humor so deft, that I was completely charmed. Will have to go back and read all the other Bedwyn books now.
—Cecilia Grant
Terminei este livro na madrugada de dia 5, e ontem à noite voltei a reler a parte final. Ainda assim, quero escrever, quero explicar o que senti ao lê-lo, e faltam-me as palavras!O início deste livro fez-me logo recordar a história de Orgulho e Preconceito, e em certas passagens de Slightly Dangerous foi impossível não reparar na similitude entre as obras. Na verdade, ler uma história de amor que deve ter identidade própria e recordar outra história através dela não é necessariamente positivo. Esta doce memória de um dos melhores romances de todos os tempos podia ter arruinado Slightly Dangerous para mim. Contudo, o oposto aconteceu. Mary Balogh conseguiu distanciar-se de Orgulho e Preconceito, e se a rejeição inicial que os protagonistas sentiam um pelo outro nos fazia recordar a história de Jane Austen, o desenvolvimento de Slightly Dangerous garantiu a este romance a tal identidade própria tão necessária.Christine e Wulfric são opostos perfeitos, ou pelo menos é o que aparentam ser a qualquer espectador. Diz-se que muitas vezes os opostos se atraem, mas como a autora deixou claro na voz de Christine, nem sempre o facto de se atraírem significa que possam realmente ficar juntos. E este foi talvez o ponto forte deste livro, a desconstrução destas personagens, o aprofundar das suas personalidades, de forma a percebermos como passam da rejeição inicial um pelo outro para algo mais. Este género de romance tem sempre o seu lado mais previsível, embora isso não seja algo mau, porque quando escolhemos ler um romance deste tipo, sabemos à priori o que esperar do mesmo. Mas Mary Balogh conseguiu surpreender-me com a profundidade que a história atingiu, sem contudo ter abandonado todo o seu lado mais leve e engraçado, mais habitual neste registo. Com Slightly Dangerous sorri, emocionei-me logo nas primeiras páginas e passei quase as últimas 100 de coração nas mãos. Com Slightly Dangerous ralhei com os protagonistas, ri-me com a maravilhosa família Bedwyn, irritei-me com um personagem e deslumbrei-me com a descoberta do verdadeiro Wulf, que admirava desde que comecei a ler a Série Bedwyn. Mary Balogh conseguiu realmente o que é difícil numa série, conseguiu que os últimos livros da mesma fossem melhores que os primeiros, conseguiu não desiludir os leitores, pelo contrário, a única desilusão é mesmo o facto de este ser o último livro da série! Isto é quase imperdoável, como é que aguentamos agora não continuar a “conviver” com esta família?Christine é sem dúvida desafiadora, engraçada, alegre, mas conseguimos perceber que tem um lado mais negro também. E Wulf…que dizer? É muito mais, verdadeiramente mais, do que o que aparenta ser. Do que o que a própria família pensa que é. E descobrir e perceber isso à medida que Christine o percebe é delicioso.Só queria mais um epílogo, mais uma história, mais 10 anos com esta família. Na verdade, e como já disse tantas vezes, só queria ter forma de apagar esta leitura da minha memória, apenas para ter o enorme prazer de ler novamente, como da primeira vez. Sei que, embora não vá ter esse gosto porque infelizmente costumo recordar-me de quase tudo o que leio e adoro, hei-de reler toda esta série novamente. E mais do que uma vez também. Hei-de ter 80 anos e sorrirei com os disparates de Christine e com o “degelo” de Wulfric. E hei-de sempre falar destes personagens com imenso carinho e gosto, porque não é sempre que um livro, que uma série, nos deixa assim :)
—Catarina
