I like Amanda Quick better than Mary Balogh because I like suspense in my romance. Balogh is in fact a better example of straight historical romance. ( )

SLIGHTLY MARRIED is the first in Mary Balogh's Bedwyn family series, though when I read it I'd already read Freyja's (#3), Morgan's (#4), and Wulfric's (#6) stories, as well as A SUMMER TO REMEMBER, which introduces the Bedwyn family. This is definitely one of my favorites of the series and of Balogh's works and I would highly recommend it.

MAIN CHARACTERS, Eve and Aidan:
Both of the main characters were wonderfully written and you definitely read the book rooting for Eve and Aidan to fall in love and stay together. Eve is a wonderful female character - strong (holds her own to the imposing Bedwyn family, which says a lot), courageous, compassionate, intelligent, loyal, and honest. Aidan is one of the harder heroes to get a handle on, in my opinion, but this is due to his complexity rather than a faulty portrayal. Believe me, by the end of the book practically every time he says/thinks/does something you will be sighing his name and thinking he's a prince charming. He's a soldier, so his exterior is very tough, hard, implacable, and honor-obsessed, but Aidan is also very kind, loving, and thoughtful - you start to look forward to each of his humorous comments or almost-smiles with the same excitement that Eve does.

What was great about the relationship between Eve and Aidan was that you really do see it form before your eyes - they've never met before the beginning of the book and there isn't that instant awareness of "I'm-inexplicably-drawn-to-this-person-more-than-any-other-person-ever-etc." which though we love to read about sometimes, is not very realistic. There is still definitely attraction between the two characters and real chemistry, and they are a perfect pair, complementing each other very well.

OTHER CHARACTERS:
The motley assortment of "lame ducks" that Eve has gathered around her are great characters and Aunt Mari's machinations to help Aidan and Eve fall in love were amusing. I would have found Wulfric, the Duke of Bewcastle, extremely annoying, overbearing, arrogant, and etc. if I hadn't already read his story (SLIGHTLY DANGEROUS); because I've already read about his softer side, I was instead just amused by how absolutely arrogant (and surprisingly humorous) he can be. Also, he does come through in the end.

CRITICISM (very small):
I would have liked maybe just one or two more kissing scenes/occurrences between Eve and Aidan and wish that the reunion at the end had been a little more passionate and romantic. But that's all!!

BOTTOM LINE:
Buy it, prepare to not get up until you're done, and settle in for a wonderful read!! I continued through even though I had a pounding headache, simply because I could not countenance going to bed and leaving the book unfinished.

(Written November 29, 2008 on Amazon.com) ( )

A "marriage of convenience" becomes passionately real.

This is the first book by Mary Balogh I have read - suggested by LT members. I am delighted to have found a worthy successor to Georgette Heyer! Ms Balogh has the same understanding of how life really would be in that period; costumes, events, people and scenarios are all coherent and ring true, yet there is the same sparkling sense of fun and witty dialogue. Wonderful! ( )

Fabulous start to the Bedwyn saga! Aiden and Eve remained 2 of my favourites throughout the series. ( )