Slightly Tempted

Bedwyn Saga Series, Book 4

By: Mary Balogh

Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor

Young. Ravishing. Exquisitely marriageable. From the moment he spies Lady Morgan Bedwyn across the glittering ballroom, Gervase Ashford, Earl of Rosthorn, knows he has found the perfect instrument of his revenge. But wedlock is not on the mind of the continent's most notorious rake. Nor is it of interest to the fiercely independent Lady Morgan herself...until one night of shocking intimacy erupts in a scandal that could make Gervase's vengeance all the sweeter. There is only one thing standing in his way: Morgan, who has achieved the impossible - she's melted his coolly guarded heart. For Gervase, only the marriage bed will do, but Morgan simply will not have him. Thus begins a sizzling courtship where two wary hearts are about to be undone by the most scandalous passion of all: glorious, all-consuming love. Contains mature themes.

©2004 Mary Balogh (P)2017 Tantor

Another good story!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I would recommend any Mary Balogh book as I have never read or listened to one I haven't thoroughly enjoyed so far.

Any additional comments?

I was so excited to listen to the next in this series and it was very much worth the wait. I have been following this family through each finding their true love and have enjoyed each one. I am giving this 4 stars because some of the actions on both main character parts seemed out of place at times and not what their personalities, according to their descriptions, would do or react to. I did love listening to it though and feel 4 stars carries an "I loved it" sense but not over the top LOVED it, as I did with the previous stories in this series. Still, I recommend it and will listen to this series again.

Covers A Lot of Ground

This must have been a tricky book to write. Not only does it span the timeline of events surrounding the battle at Waterloo, it also examines different cultures, as well as many conflicting emotions, behaviors and consequences.

To keep the reader up to speed, and straightened out, probably wasn’t easy to do. It’s probably the most significant book of the series so far. Nothing earth shaking or life changing, but it is a good listen that prompted me to think about certain things to the point of research.

I believe the characters in this one were a vehicle for commentary, and the book wasn’t not so much about the characters themselves.

Balogh is a good storyteller. I could do without the spicier scenes in order focus on the story itself. Sex is sex. It’s always going to happen. Always going to happen in much the same way. I’d prefer not to hear about the “liquid” sounds, thank you very much. Including that kind of detail, against the backdrop of such historical importance, is beneath both the author and listener.

Not as compelling

This book was not as compelling to me as the other Bedwyn books. The narrator saved it.

Cute.

Cute story line I’m really liking the family. The French accent love it, it was a rough start for me I think about the war but it started to get good almost towards the end still good

What is not to enjoy?

Mary Balogh creates such detailed worlds that I start each book knowing I will be delighted and irritated and happy and sappy and heartbroken and have I forgotten any adjectives? This fourth book has Lady Morgan Bedwyn on stage (though eventually the entire family is again involved - thank you). In Brussels just before Napolean's second attempt at world domination, she meets Gervase Ashford, a top-lofty rake. No more plot spoilers here except to note this is one tough HEA and one worth the effort. (I note here, when I wanted to scold and shake my finger, I reminded myself Morgan was an 18-year-old daughter of a duke - naive and pampered - so I pulled away and stopped trying to direct the story). And high praise, again, for Rosalyn Landor as narrator - simply wonderful.