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    Slightly Wicked
    Slightly Wicked
    Slightly Wicked
    Audiobook11 hours

    Slightly Wicked

    Written by Mary Balogh

    Narrated by Rosalyn Landor

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    With his laughing eyes and wild, rakish good looks, Lord Rannulf Bedwyn is a hard man to resist. To Judith Law, a woman in need of rescue when her stagecoach overturns, Rannulf is simply her savior, a heroic stranger she will reward with one night of reckless passion before she must become a companion to her wealthy aunt. Imagine Judith's shock when the same stranger turns out to be among England's most eligible bachelors . . . and when he arrives at Harewood Grange to woo her cousin. Certainly, they had made no vows, no promises, but Rannulf never did forget his uninhibited lover-nor did she forget that one delicious night. And as scandal sets the household abuzz, Rannulf proposes a solution. But when Judith refuses to have him-in love or wedlock-Rannulf has only one choice: to wage a campaign of pure pleasure to capture the heart of the woman who has already won his.

    Contains mature themes.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateDec 20, 2016
    ISBN9781515976707
    Slightly Wicked
    Author

    Mary Balogh

    New York Times bestselling, multi-award-winning author Mary Balogh grew up in Wales, land of sea and mountains, song and legend. She brought music and a vivid imagination with her when she came to Canada to teach. There she began a second career as a writer of books that always end happily and always celebrate the power of love.

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    Reviews for Slightly Wicked

    4/5

    394 ratings15 reviews

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    • 4/5
      If I had to choose between the first one of the series and this one, I'd definitely say this one. It's much more spicier and also has a good balance between sex scene and scenes that help develop the main characters relationships. My only complaint is that the secondary plot lind of overshadows the main plot. But all in all, a great book.
    • 3/5
      Judith Law, an impoverished clergyman's daughter, is traveling to become her grandmother's unpaid companion when the stage coach overturns. Lord Rannulf Bedwyn happens to be riding by and, interested in her beauty, offers her a ride to the nearest inn. Judith is convinced she will never have a chance at love or marriage, and intemperately allows herself to be seduced. After a few wonderful days together, she sneaks away and catches another stagecoach to her richer relations'. They might never have seen each other again, and Judith might indeed have died an old maid, except that Rannulf is being pressured to marry Judith's younger, richer cousin. And so they happen to meet again, and as the houseparty continues, each realize that they love the other. But Rannulf is the son of a duke, and Judith's family is increasingly poor due to her brother's profligate spending. Neither thinks a marriage between them would be at all suitable.

      I liked the first Bedwyn story better, but this one has a lot of charm. Aside from their romance, Rannulf and Judith each have other friendships and subplots. Rannulf has always been rich and has never much stirred himself, but coming in contact with the ruin Judith's brother has brought upon his family makes him think about his own dissolute habits. And Judith's friendship with her grandmother, and mixed feelings about her beauty, give her depth. Most of all, this book heightened my anticipation of reading some of the other Bedwyn's romances: Lady Freyja, for instance, who rides hard and treats her suitors like they're comrades in arms, but is still getting over a broken heart. And the Duke himself, the freezingly cold, intensely proud, always controlled young man who rules the Bedwyns with just a hissed whisper.
    • 5/5
      Great storyline with plenty of true romance and somewhat real life problems
    • 4/5
      Slightly Wicked is the second book in a historical romance series by Mary Balogh. Each book follows a different Bedwyn sibling as they find romance. This book introduces the third son, Rannulf, and as he is on the way to visit his grandmother, he meets Judith Law, who as a poor relation, is on her way to live with her aunt. With a rainstorm making travel impossible, they are thrown together but each hides their true identity and share a passionate couple of nights.When Judith arrives at her aunt’s, she is given baggy clothes to wear and has to cover her red-gold hair with caps. She is made to stay in the background as the aunt doesn’t want any attention to be taken away from her own daughter as they are planning to capture a rich duke for her to wed. Of course, when the duke arrives he is none other than Rannulf. Rannulf finds himself strongly attracted to Judith and his close observation of her results in his protecting her from the unwanted attention of Judith’s step-cousin. After having been thwarted this cousin swears revenge on both Rannulf and Judith.A fun story with a definite “Cinderella” slant. Although there were some unbelievable plot points, I enjoyed reading of the two main characters as their lust for each other slowly develops into a trusting friendship and eventually a strong love. I am looking forward to reading more about the Bedwyn family.
    • 5/5
      Part Jane Austen wit, part Shakespearean comedy. Cleverly done and very enjoyable.

      2nd read- I've decided it's a mix of Shakespearean comedy, Jane Austen (particularly Pride and Prejudice), and Cinderella. =D Maybe even a little Ugly Duckling thrown in. It has a nice cast of characters, the leads are all likable, the villains are terrible, different trying characters are appropriately exasperating, etc. The leads have a few daft moments, but they're pretty brief, and the rest of the time they're respectably intelligent. Overall it has lots of laughter and enjoyment for me.
    • 4/5
      Generally good, solid stuff (Cinderella!) but it relied on a certain kind of tension in the second/later chapters that was not really convincing. I liked the characters and all their various relationships, but could've used more between Judith and Ralf by that point. I got this sort of pursuing her, sort of not vibe...But so solid, I'd revisit so 3.5 rounded up.
    • 4/5
      I loved reading Judith and Ralf’s long story to HEA. But there is attempted rape here by a dickhead villain which bummed me out as as his villainess was due to Regency toxic masculinity; there were some crap women too which was annoying; if only Freyja could have planted a facer on that aunt.
    • 4/5
      Moving on to the next sibling in the Bedwyn family... there's the heroine who has been constantly put down and is now facing a life as a poor relation who in a desire to grab a bit of life and has a brief affair with the wealthy and high ton Bedwyn brother. But fate brings them back into each other's circles and of course that ends in a happily ever after. Didn't like the hook as much as the first novel in the series.
    • 4/5
      A terrific series about the Bedwyn children. This is my favorite family of Mary Balogh!
    • 4/5
      Judith Law is daydreaming about a different life other than the one in front of her. A life that is filled with love and adventure when an accident lands her with an opportunity to have a small adventure, little does Lord Rannulf Bedwyn known that this adventure is going to be a complicated tangle that he's not sure he wants to detangle himself from.It was fun, light, predictable fun.
    • 4/5
      First read in August 2010
      Re-read Slightly Dangerous and wanted to go back and read the whole family to see Wulfric. This was an enjoyable read with both Rannulf and Judith starting out lying about who they are and having an two night passionate affair. Then they end up at the same house, her as a poor relation, not much better than a servant and him a quite eligible Lord, son and brother of a Duke. Her brother has left her family impoverished though she is the cousin of the woman Rannulf is meant to court for the benefit of his Grandmother. The mother is a conniving mama, and the step-brother the slim ball. Balogh seems to have these in ever book.

      Re-reading I would still give it the 4 star for romance. With an exciting back plot.
    • 3/5
      I've always enjoyed the situational flip where Ralf gets to see Judith first as a beautiful, independent actress and then later as a frumpy, ignored companion. While at times the whole Cinderella transformation feels belabored, Balogh did a good job supporting this plot device with costume changes. Not my favorite of the series, but a good romance nonetheless.
    • 4/5
      I have to admit this entry in the Bedwyn series was a pleasant surprise. The protagonists, Ralf and Judith lack definition in their appearances in the other books of the series. So I didn't have high expectations for their story. I found myself drawn in to the story and rooting for Ralf and Judith. The plot is a little predictable, but Balogh does her usual job of creating interesting supporting characters such as the two grandmothers. If you are a fan of the Bedwyn series, you won't be disappointed.
    • 4/5
      "Slightly Wicked" is the second book in the "Slightly Series." It follows Rannulf Bedwyn, the third son. Along the way to visit his grandmother, Rannulf comes across Judith Law, who has been stranded by a carriage accident on muddy roads. Judith is on her way to her aunt's house, where she is to take the position of a "poor relative" due to her family's faltering financial situation. Seeing this as the only chance in her life for adventure, Judith - claiming to be the actress Claire Campbell - spends two nights in a hotel with Rannulf before bolting off and returning to the reality of her life. Thinking that those two nights of passion will sustain her for the rest of her life, Judith is shocked to find that Rannulf is actually courting Judith's spoiled younger cousin - at his grandmother's request.I enjoyed this book a great deal. I loved Judith - she is a complex, strong, yet realistic heroine, and I loved how through the course of the book she comes to see her own worth and her own beauty. A good deal of this book focuses on Judith moving from hiding and hating herself to loving and rejoicing in herself - a change she makes with the help of Rannulf's friendship and love. Rannulf is a good character as well. However, he does not have the individuality of some of Balogh's other male characters, and I found him a (relatively) weak lead. There is a surge in the plot in the last third of the book, but while a lot happens, it does not become confusing or detract from the romantic struggle of the story.
    • 2/5
      Terrible bodice ripper