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Slightly Tempted
Escrito por Mary Balogh
Narrado por Rosalyn Landor
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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.
Contains mature themes.
Acciones del libro
Comenzar a escucharInformación sobre el libro
Slightly Tempted
Escrito por Mary Balogh
Narrado por Rosalyn Landor
Descripción
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.
Contains mature themes.
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At 21, Gervase Ashford was used as a lady's method of breaking her engagement. He was humiliated, and his father exiled him from England. Gervase spent the next 9 years touring Europe, indulging himself in every debauched pleasure to avoid acknowledging how upset he is. But then, his father dies, leaving him Earl of Rosthorn. Before he can work himself up to returning to England, he comes across Lady Morgan Bedwyn, the youngest sibling of the Duke of Bewcastle. Gervase still blames the Duke for his exile, and decides to ruin Morgan's reputation as revenge. His plot is made easier because Morgan's older brother and guardian, Alleyne, goes missing and is presumed dead at the Battle of Waterloo. Morgan is left in his power, and he promptly ruins her in as many ways as possible. Then they return to England together, and he keeps manipulating events and coaxing Morgan into all these terrible situations. And then we're supposed to feel sorry for him, because when he was 21 he was accused of a crime. (He thinks to himself that 21 was too young to know how to deal with that kind of thing, apparently forgetting that the girl he's currently plotting against is fully three years younger than that.) And then, naturally, they get married.
This is my least favorite of the Bedwyn series by far, for the simple reason that I despised Gervase, from the tip of his phony toes to the top of his self-pitying head. The way he calls Morgan "cherie" in his oh-so-sexy French accent would be bad enough, but he compounds my distaste by reacting stupidly to other people's schemes and manipulating and taking advantage of an 18 year old. His "romance" with Morgan is icky and creepy and just not at all romantic in the least. Morgan, meanwhile, is strangely easy to manipulate into compromising situations. Her first few indiscretions are either accidental or seem very understandable, given that Gervase is a handsome man and she thinks she can handle herself. But after her name gets dragged through the mud and she's being snickered at in the street, to waltz and make out in a private room, without making sure the door is locked, while at a public ball shortly after your brother's funeral? And then to act surprised that you get caught and there are consequences? Beggars the mind. I know she's just a teenager (something Gervase should have thought about, that dastardly creep), but surely such an otherwise intelligent girl should have *some* common sense.
This is my least favorite of the Bedwyn series by far, for the simple reason that I despised Gervase, from the tip of his phony toes to the top of his self-pitying head. The way he calls Morgan "cherie" in his oh-so-sexy French accent would be bad enough, but he compounds my distaste by reacting stupidly to other people's schemes and manipulating and taking advantage of an 18 year old. His "romance" with Morgan is icky and creepy and just not at all romantic in the least. Morgan, meanwhile, is strangely easy to manipulate into compromising situations. Her first few indiscretions are either accidental or seem very understandable, given that Gervase is a handsome man and she thinks she can handle herself. But after her name gets dragged through the mud and she's being snickered at in the street, to waltz and make out in a private room, without making sure the door is locked, while at a public ball shortly after your brother's funeral? And then to act surprised that you get caught and there are consequences? Beggars the mind. I know she's just a teenager (something Gervase should have thought about, that dastardly creep), but surely such an otherwise intelligent girl should have *some* common sense.
"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.
Lady Morgan Bedwyn has gone with a friend to see the excitement of the war with Bonaparte from Brussels, there she finds Gervase Ashford, Earl of Rosthorn who has an ulterior motive in getting to know her. She has to face up to the reality of War and the reality of her feelings for Gervase.It's an interesting read, Balogh doesn't spare the main characters from what happens during the aftermath of Waterloo or from the consequences of actions. I find it interesting and it really got it's hooks into me quite early on. The two main characters sparked off each others and did a good job with the friction between each other.I enjoyed it a lot.
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!
It's unfair that this re-read of the Bedwyn's is plagued with the "Not Wulf" syndrome. His cold, hauty manner makes me die for his story a little bit more every book. In addition, Morgan's story suffers in comparison to one of my favorite "revenge marriage" books, Anne Stuart's BREATHLESS. Balogh's hero is a pale sort of villain after Stuart's Lucien, and I think I would have prefered either less anger at Wulf or more dastardly behavior (though Balogh does a wonderful job having the hero grow into seeing Morgan as an individual in her own right). I remembered the twist behind the drama in TEMPTED early on, and it was a slow, cringing slide waiting for everything to resolve. I enjoyed SLIGHTLY TEMPTED probably one star more the first time around, but I don't think it's my type for a re-read.
Really enjoyed Morgan and Gervase story. Morgan was headstrong and vulnerable and Gervase was oh so charming.
Morgan's story took me forever to read and I barely liked it. She was the most annoying, inconsistent, headstrong, impetuous heroine and the hero did little for me. The best part of this book was the very last line - the cliffhanger lead in for the next book in the series. Hopefully it's better than this disappointment.
Lady Morgan Bedwyn is in Brussels, mere days before the Waterloo battle. In those days she meets Gervase, Earl of Rosthorn and is charmed by him. His motives though are not pure; he seeks revenge against her brother, the duke, for a wrong done to him ten years ago. A wrong that made his father send him away from England for the rest of his life. So Gervase plans to taint Morgan's reputation as her brother tainted his. But upon getting to know her, he begins to see the real woman underneath and appreciate her for what she really is. After the Waterloo battle, he is the one that stays with her, after her uncaring companions left her alone, while she frantically searches for her brother Alleyne. He helps with her searches while she tends to soldiers' wounds all day and he's the one she turns to when she's informed of Alleyne's death. Gervase decides to do the right thing and offer for her when they return to England but the duke rejects his offer despite the scandal already caused. Gervase is tempted to let her be, but he's not sure now whether he wants revenge or her anymore. His last attempt however to compromise her succeeds and they're betrothed anyway. But of course Morgan finds out about his quarell with her brother and figures he never cared for her. They travel to his country estate and pretend to be happily betrothed while Morgan is determined to leave him at the end of the month after breaking his heart.I enjoyed reading this book and it certainly was not bad. The part in Brussels after the battle was great and very intriguing but when they moved to England the story lost its spark. It was just one of the same again, with all the Bedwyns in a large country house with ponds, swimming, games and children. If I hadn't read the previous books in the series I'd probbaly like it more but this time the un-originality DID bother me.
In contrast to her strong willed sister, Morgan is an inexperienced girl who becomes a mark for an older man who sees in her a chance for revenge against her brother. Gervase finds himself falling in love with the woman who rises to the challenge of searching for her lost brother and caring for the wounded coming out of the battle of Waterloo. But Morgan finds that she can't forgive easily the way Gervase has used her. There are old hurts to be forgiven in this installment before "true love" has it's way.
I love the other Bedwyn books, and this one was strangely completely different in tone from the other books in the series, which are light, funny, and sparkling. This one is plodding and serious, and very dull, particularly the first quarter or so of the book.While the other Bedwyns and the men and women they end up with are interesting, singular, and charming, the hero and heroine here are very poorly drawn and not likable at all. Morgan is completely dull and self-righteous, holier-than-thou, giving endless speeches about war and love. In the other books, she is described and acts as a fun, boisterous, and interesting person. In this book, she is deadly dull and so self-important. The hero is so poorly drawn--no sense at all of his personality. His behavior is incredibly inconsistent, and he does many incredibly dishonorable things to Morgan, while Balogh keeps then telling us how guilty he feels, how much he likes her. We're clearly meant to feel sorry for him and forgive his behavior, as Morgan does. We're also told constantly how charming he is, but the author does nothing to show us that he is at all. I guess the one way she tries to show that he's charming is that he has a French accent and calls Morgan "ch?rie" constantly. It is so smarmy and annoying. Also, why does he have a French accent? He was raised entirely in England and his father is English, as was presumably everyone he grew up around, except his mother. Balogh clearly just gives him a French accent rather than giving him a personality. There is also no chemistry between the hero and heroine, and they don't have anything in common, and yet they are instantly in love with each other.Most problematically, the whole plot revolves around (view spoiler) which is an offensive and dangerous plot point to put out there, especially in a supposedly light romance. The big, lurid secret is offensive and ridiculous. It is homophobic, in addition to being antifeminist. Lastly, the horrible thing that is done to the hero in the past is forgiven so easily and quickly that it is simply ridiculous.