Balogh has a bit of a formula, but she creates such wonderful characters and has such varying twists along the way that I don't really care. This book also contains what I believe to be the best proposal I've ever read. I hope I'm not giving too much away! ( )

SUMMARY (Bedwyn Family, Book 4):
The first half of the book takes place in Brussels after Napoleon has escaped Elba and is trying to make a last stand; the second half takes place in England. Gervase Ashford, Earl of Rosthorn is thirty years old and has not set foot in England for nine years after being banished by his father after a mysterious event (don't want to spoil); all we do know is that it somehow involves the Duke of Bewcastle and Gervase has sustained a deep hatred for the man ever since. When he sees a beautiful young lady at a ball in Brussels and learns that she is none other than Lady Morgan Bedwyn, the youngest sister of the Duke of Bewcastle, he sees the perfect way to exact his revenge.

Morgan does not know why the Earl singles her out for his attentions and chalks it up to his notorious reputation as a rake and nothing more. What starts as a mild flirtation (with sparks flying) becomes much deeper and more personal with the backdrop of the Battle of Waterloo and Morgan's worry and subsequent grief at Alleyne's presumed death. A true friendship develops during an intense week filled with death and sorrow and Gervase begins to appreciate Morgan for the woman she is, not for whose sister she is.

Gossip regarding Morgan and Gervase's relationship precedes them to England, so when he escorts her back (with a seasick maid stuck in the cabin during the trip), the ton is already titillated by the brewing scandal. To cut through some of the back and forth that occurs in London, basically Morgan discovers what prompted Gervase's attentions to her and decides to punish him by accepting his (twice-necessitated) proposal of marriage, making him fall in love with her, and then breaking his heart by ending the betrothal. Old demons are faced, broken relationships mended, Bedwyn siblings and their spouses appear, and (of course) a HEA results.

REACTION:
Balogh is a *big* fan of these fake/will-be-broken-off betrothals and she's such a good writer that I honestly wouldn't have minded another one, except for the whole premise of this one is somewhat ridiculous: Morgan accepts his umpteenth offer in order to punish him? She's going to play the part of the happy bride-to-be just so that she can humiliate him by breaking off the engagement (hopefully after he's fallen in love with her)? Just doesn't seem logical, and as/after she makes the decision we don't know much of Morgan's thoughts for a while, so I was at a loss as to why she took that route. SLIGHTLY TEMPTED is my least favorite of the series, but Balogh is a talented writer so she has set a high standard for herself to live up to. All in all, it's at least an entertaining read if not the normal stellar-keeper that Balogh delivers and you won't want to skip Morgan's story if you're reading all the Bedwyn books.

MAIN CHARACTERS:
There is a huge age difference between them - Morgan is 18 ("fresh out of the schoolroom") and Gervase is 30 - but I thought that Balogh dealt with it well. Gervase had been wounded by past betrayals and become so cynical and jaded during his years of exile, that a young, optimistic woman seems like a good fit for him. Also, it was nice to see a relationship where a friendship developed between the hero and heroine; I think that the week Morgan and Gervase spend together in Brussels helping the wounded soldiers and trying to find out what happened to Alleyne was one of the better parts of their romance.

Aside from that, I had problems with the hero and heroine. They both had wonderful potential, but Balogh didn't do as thorough a job in her character development and exploration as she normally does. It's hard to explain, but one example is what I said about Morgan's betrothal decision above. Another example: Gervase's character is similar to Joshua's (Freyja's husband and the hero of SLIGHTLY SCANDALOUS, Bedwyn Book 3), in that they both seem to be roguish devil-may-care flirts and nothing more (they also have the same laughing/mocking eyes). However, in Slightly Scandalous, Joshua's persona and his inner struggles were fully explored and depicted in a way that created a believable three-dimensional character. Here, I found it hard to get a handle on Gervase - so much of the time when he was conversing with Morgan he seemed to be flirtatious and trivial, so that I could never really appreciate (or tell!) when he was supposedly being serious and authentic.

BOTTOM LINE:
If you're reading all the Bedwyn books you won't want to skip Morgan's story, but don't expect the excellent romance that Balogh normally delivers. However, if you're looking for Balogh keepers and re-reads, buy A SUMMER TO REMEMBER (Bedwyn prequel), THE SECRET PEARL, and/or SLIGHTLY MARRIED and SLIGHTLY DANGEROUS (the two **best** Bedywn books!).

(Written December 11, 2008 on Amazon.com) ( )

"Slightly Tempted" is the fourth book in the "Slightly" series. It follows Morgan Bedwyn, the youngest girl and indeed, the youngest child. The action begins in Brussels in mid-1815, where 18-year-old Morgan has gone - not far into her first season - to be closer to what is sure to be history in the making. Intellectual, sensitive, and somewhat mystic, Morgan is not impressed by the young men who surround her and urge her "not to worry her pretty head" about the preparations for war occurring around her. Enter Gervase Ashford. The eldest son who has recently inherited the title of Earl of Rosthorn, Gervase has spent the last nine years effectively banished from England. He blames his banishment on Morgan's eldest brother, Wulfric. Seeing in Morgan a chance to avenge himself on the man who wronged him, Gervase sets about to woo her. As the war closes in, Morgan finds herself unable to leave Brussels because her brother Alleyne - who works for the Hague - has gone missing. Abandonded by her chaperone, Morgan finds herself effectively in the care of Gervase, who finds himself feeling guiltier by the minute for avenging hiself on her...

This is certainly one of my favorite books of the "Slightly" series. The excitement of the backdrop of the battle of Waterloo, the grief of Alleyne's "death," and Morgan's sensitive nature all combine to make this one of the most emotionally powerful of the series. I adore Gervase - he's a good man without being perfect, and with a good deal of emotional growing to do and a lot to learn from Morgan, even though he thinks he's far wiser than she is. Morgan is also a fascinating charater - instead of being flighty or tomboyish, she's more of a mystic; a spiritual sort of intellectual who in the end must learn to heed the very lessons of trust that she teaches Gervase.

One of the most poignant moments in this book - which actually has nothing to do with Morgan, really - is the moment where you realize that the Bedwyns has reached the very bottom of despair. This, of course, is the scene where Morgan finds Wulfric weeping in his library after Alleyne's memorial service. ( )

Synopsis: Slightly Tempted is the fourth novel in the Bedwyn family series of regency romances by Mary Balogh. This novel tells the story of the youngest Bedwyn sibling, Morgan. Only 18 years old, she is already a bit jaded to the frivolities of ton life. When she is offered the chance to accompany a friend's family to Brussels on the eve of the renewal of war with France, she cannot pass it up. She is truly interested and concerned in the business of the brewing war. Meanwhile, the handsome Gervase Ashford (the newly minted Earl of Rosthorn) is mouldering away in Brussels. Having been exiled for 9 years from England by his father for crimes he didn't commit, Gervase is thrilled to run into Morgan, the very sister of the man he blames for much of his troubles. He plans to seek revenge upon Wulfric Bedwyn by seducing his sister and generating a scandal. He has only begun to succeed at his plans, flirting shamelessly with her on numerous occasions, etc., when the battle of Waterloo erupts.

While most young aristocratic women are content to stay at home safely behind closed doors, Morgan boldly ventures out to the city gates to help others treat and care for the wounded soldiers pouring into the city - all despite her own fears for her brother, Alleyne, who has been commissioned by the embassy to take an important missive to the front lines of battle. It is at the city gates where Gervase finds her tending the wounded and offers to go look for her brother. When Alleyne cannot be found, Gervase tries to comfort and aid Morgan, offering her friendship and support. The two become true friends over the next several days as Morgan continues to tend the wounded while holding out hope of her brother's return. Finally, news arrives that confirms that Alleyne must surely have died at the battle, and Morgan turns to her dear friend for comfort in a night of passion. She will not marry him though, so he compromises by escorting her back to England to break the news to her family. They find that their scandalous behavior in Brussels has been reported in London, and Gervase has unwittingly had his revenge against his enemy Wulfric after all. Only by then, he doesn't want revenge, he only wants Morgan. And when she learns the truth about his motives on first meeting her in Belgium, she does not believe that she can trust him again. In her anger, she vows to go through a mock-betrothal only to make him fall in love with her and then cruelly abandon him.

Like so many good books, it is really hard to do this story justice. I absolutely loved this book. I loved the two main characters, I loved the setting, and I loved the struggles the characters went through.

I just love it when the characters are as dynamic as these two. They both change over the course of the story. Morgan discovers some of the real world from which those around her have tried to shelter her all her life. She is awakened to many harsh, bitter realities. At the same time, she discovers a deep feeling of friendship with Gervase, something she has never had before. I also think Gervase is a great hero. He, too is jaded - but for different reasons. He has been terribly wronged in his past, and cannot see beyond his need for revenge. With gentle guidance from Morgan, Gervase learns to forgive and let go of his desire for revenge. And through teaching Gervase about forgiveness, Morgan herself learns to forgive.

Of course, the scenes with the other Bedwyns were great also. I got really caught up in Morgan's desperate hope for Alleyne to be found, even though I knew that he wouldn't. And then watching the family mourn the loss of their brother was really heartbreaking. Especially Wulfric. You get a few more glimpses of Wulf's backstory in this book - as well as a glimpse of his hidden vulnerability as he grieves for his brother. I am looking forward to reading his story in Slightly Dangerous.

Favorite parts: When Gervase keeps riding out of Brussels to look for Morgan's brother. She is the sister of his age-old enemy, and yet he devotes himself to doing whatever he can to serve her. It reminded me of Darcy's devotion to Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice when he searches London for the evil Wickham and then fixes everything - all so that Elizabeth won't be hurt. It's a mark of how much Gervase really cared for Morgan.

I also really liked the part where Morgan shows Gervase the painting by the river and he understands that the painting is about how the trees and the water and everything else in the world are all connected. He asks if he can keep the painting and says: "I will hang it in my bedchamber so that I may see it every day. After you have broken my heart and left me, I will remember that we are always and ever connected." (I had to get out my tissues.) ( )

Meet the Bedwyns - six brothers and sisters - men and women of passion ad 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 Morgan Bedwyn, the willful youngest daughter, discovers that true love is a temptation no woman can - or should - resist....