From Publishers Weekly
Smart, playful and deliciously satisfying, Balogh's newest Regency-era romance takes a popular romance formula-the marriage of convenience-and gives it a creative twist. In the author's previous Bedwyn family installment, Slightly Tempted, diplomat Alleyne Bedwyn disappeared during the Battle of Waterloo and was presumed dead. As readers soon learn, however, he's merely injured. Alleyne owes his life to Rachel York, a well-bred young woman who's down on her luck-so down that she's taken refuge in a Belgian brothel run by four lively Englishwomen. To make matters worse, Rachel and the women have been cheated out of all their money by a fake clergyman. Alleyne wakes in the brothel where Rachel has been nursing him with no idea who he is, but he nevertheless devises a madcap scheme to help the women regain their fortune: he'll pose as Rachel's husband so that she can claim her inheritance, which is due to her upon her marriage. As the two engage in their merry charade, they fall in love, but they also come to terms with what's important in their lives. Balogh once again delivers a clean, sprightly tale rich in both plot and character. Rachel's colorful brothel companions steal almost every scene, and silver-tongued Alleyne easily charms his way into the reader's heart. With its irrepressible characters and deft plotting, this polished romance is an ideal summer read. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Alleyne, a Bedwyn brother, is shot and thrown from his horse during the Battle of Waterloo. When he first regains consciousness, but not his memory, he finds himself in a brothel surrounded by whores and thinks he must be in heaven. The next time he wakes, angelic Rachel convinces him that she only looks innocent. The women of the house, who were robbed and duped by Rachel's ex-fiance, a purported minister, are dead set on retribution, and wait eagerly for Alleyne and the one-eyed sergeant who brought him to them to heal and assist them. Alleyne, who still does not know who he is, proposes that he pose as Rachel's husband so she can claim the inheritance her uncle will not let her have until she turns 25 or marries. Even though Balogh has already used the device of a pretend fiance or spouse in the Slightly series, it hasn't become stale, and like all her other feel-good romances, this one is so captivating one is loath to reach the last page. Diana Tixier Herald
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
Praise for Slightly Scandalous:
"With its impeccable plotting and memorable characters, Balogh's book raises the bar for Regency romances."
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"The sexual tension fairly crackles between this pair of beautifully matched protagonists...this delightful and exceptionally well-done title nicely demonstrates [Balogh's] matchless style."
--Library Journal?
Slightly Sinful FROM THE PUBLISHER
Meet the Bedwyns--six brothers and sisters--men and women of passion and privilege, daring and sensuality....Enter their dazzling world of high society and breathtaking seduction...where each will seek love, fight temptation, and court scandal...and where Alleyne Bedwyn, the passionate middle son, is cut off from his past--only to find his future with a sinfully beautiful woman he will risk everything to love.
As the fires of war raged around him, Lord Alleyne Bedwyn was thrown from his horse and left for dead--only to awaken in the bedchamber of a ladies' brothel. Suddenly the dark, handsome diplomat has no memory of who he is or how he got there--yet of one thing he is certain: The angel who nurses him back to health is the woman he vows to make his own. But like him, Rachel York is not who she seems. A lovely young woman caught up in a desperate circumstance, she must devise a scheme to regain her stolen fortune. The dashing soldier she rescued from near-death could be her savior in disguise. There is just one condition: she must pose as his wife--a masquerade that will embroil them in a sinful scandal, where a man and a woman court impropriety with each daring step...with every taboo kiss that can turn passionate strangers into the truest of lovers.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
Smart, playful and deliciously satisfying, Balogh's newest Regency-era romance takes a popular romance formula the marriage of convenience and gives it a creative twist. In the author's previous Bedwyn family installment, Slightly Tempted, diplomat Alleyne Bedwyn disappeared during the Battle of Waterloo and was presumed dead. As readers soon learn, however, he's merely injured. Alleyne owes his life to Rachel York, a well-bred young woman who's down on her luck so down that she's taken refuge in a Belgian brothel run by four lively Englishwomen. To make matters worse, Rachel and the women have been cheated out of all their money by a fake clergyman. Alleyne wakes in the brothel where Rachel has been nursing him with no idea who he is, but he nevertheless devises a madcap scheme to help the women regain their fortune: he'll pose as Rachel's husband so that she can claim her inheritance, which is due to her upon her marriage. As the two engage in their merry charade, they fall in love, but they also come to terms with what's important in their lives. Balogh once again delivers a clean, sprightly tale rich in both plot and character. Rachel's colorful brothel companions steal almost every scene, and silver-tongued Alleyne easily charms his way into the reader's heart. With its irrepressible characters and deft plotting, this polished romance is an ideal summer read. Agent, Maria Carvanis. (May) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.