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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
This book felt like a sexier, more mature, fast-paced and romance-focused version of Pride and Prejudice. It was nice to get both the perspectives of our protagonists. The protagonists were so lovable too because they were older and did not have to deal with quite so much of the "proper" behavior that young men and women often do in historical fiction due to their statuses. Also, with that age came confidence in themselves that was so nice to see, and they were not afraid to be true to themselves and pursue what they wanted. I blazed through reading this and enjoyed watching the story unfold and the main relationship develop. It was so nice to have a romance book that focused on having the characters develop interest and naturally fall in love with each other.
LOVED IT!! I Loved Wulfric I found Christine to be frustrating and annoying mainly because she obviously liked and eventually loved Wulfric but acted like she didn't and refused to marry him! She has her reasons but she doesn't give him a chance. Eventually he realize why and finds out who is the reason for why she her 1st marriage failed why her 1st husbands family didn't like her much. From then on she does gives him a chance... THANK THE LORD... FINALLY!! LOVED THE EPILOUGE!!! WANTED MORE!!!!! GREAT READ!!!!!!
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I would give this a solid 4.5 I was looking forward to this one (stern man finds love... yes please). I did not like the past 2 books so I had high hopes. First, like others, I got serious Pride and Prejudice vibes. It's all I could think about while reading many of the scenes.
There's a good lesson here in that women don't tend to like to be insulted when being proposed to...
Ok, I digress. The characters in this book, Wulfric and Christine both have distinctive personalities that you can understand and empathize with. You always can understand their motivations, which was a real issue for me in the Morgan story of book #4. It pulls very directly in classic tropes and archetypes and so it felt like a very traditional historical romance novel, which I really enjoyed. The pacing is excellent. The side characters add rather than detract from the story. I appreciated that the family played a role in this book.
I also like how neither character has to fundamentally change who they are for the other or compromise themselves greatly. The acceptance they have for each other at the end - loving for all their good qualities and their faults - was such a good choice for this novel. Also, he is never really unkind and cruel to her (which is a trope I am getting really tired of in romantic historical novels).
Plot --- 4.5/5
Main Characters --- 4.5/5
Supporting Cast --- 5/5
Steam Level ❤️ --- 5/5 (If you like the opposites attract/ stern man finds love with independent woman /pride and prejudice kind of love... you will enjoy this.)
Steam Level
There's a good lesson here in that women don't tend to like to be insulted when being proposed to...
Ok, I digress. The characters in this book, Wulfric and Christine both have distinctive personalities that you can understand and empathize with. You always can understand their motivations, which was a real issue for me in the Morgan story of book #4. It pulls very directly in classic tropes and archetypes and so it felt like a very traditional historical romance novel, which I really enjoyed. The pacing is excellent. The side characters add rather than detract from the story. I appreciated that the family played a role in this book.
I also like how neither character has to fundamentally change who they are for the other or compromise themselves greatly. The acceptance they have for each other at the end - loving for all their good qualities and their faults - was such a good choice for this novel. Also, he is never really unkind and cruel to her (which is a trope I am getting really tired of in romantic historical novels).
Plot --- 4.5/5
Main Characters --- 4.5/5
Supporting Cast --- 5/5
Steam Level ❤️ --- 5/5 (If you like the opposites attract/ stern man finds love with independent woman /pride and prejudice kind of love... you will enjoy this.)
Steam Level
My Bedwyn binge has finally come to an end with Wulfric and his manic pixie dream widow, Christine. Christine is very fun and impossible not to love (unless you are her late husband or his brother and sister in law), or so they keep telling us, but she's unsuitable because she laughs too much and gets into unladylike scrapes in which her clothes are ruined. Wulfric is the most repressed character I have ever read, and his mid life crisis is falling in love with, insulting, and having interludes with Christine. These two are Lizzie Bennett and Mr. Darcy on steroids (there are like, several rejected proposals of various kinds), but they suffer by comparison.
My issue with them is that Christine very rightly determines that Wulfric will suck all the joy out of her, and I'm only half convinced she was wrong by the time they get together. It's probably realistic how incredibly difficult it is for him to relax and grow as a person, but damn if I didn't get tired of him making the same stupid mistakes over and over.
My other issue with this entire series is probably a product of its time, which is that the characters lose a lot of their shape as the story progresses. The ladies (except Freyja, bless her) all end up super sweet and patient and are not really permitted to have flaws other than resisting marriage. The dudes also just resist marriage until they don't, and are either emotionally constipated and full or irresponsible and dull. There's a ton of repetitive internal monologue across the board.
Anyway. I enjoyed learning about Wulfric's back story, and it was genuinely great having an adult widow as the female lead because being compromised is simply not a concern for her, even if she isn't immune to scandal. I also liked the way the conflict played out; it made the requisite nasty family members still sucky, but in a nuanced way.
This was a very good payoff for the series. Rosalyn Landor gave her usual performance, which is a good match for this material.
My issue with them is that Christine very rightly determines that Wulfric will suck all the joy out of her, and I'm only half convinced she was wrong by the time they get together. It's probably realistic how incredibly difficult it is for him to relax and grow as a person, but damn if I didn't get tired of him making the same stupid mistakes over and over.
My other issue with this entire series is probably a product of its time, which is that the characters lose a lot of their shape as the story progresses. The ladies (except Freyja, bless her) all end up super sweet and patient and are not really permitted to have flaws other than resisting marriage. The dudes also just resist marriage until they don't, and are either emotionally constipated and full or irresponsible and dull. There's a ton of repetitive internal monologue across the board.
Anyway. I enjoyed learning about Wulfric's back story, and it was genuinely great having an adult widow as the female lead because being compromised is simply not a concern for her, even if she isn't immune to scandal. I also liked the way the conflict played out; it made the requisite nasty family members still sucky, but in a nuanced way.
This was a very good payoff for the series. Rosalyn Landor gave her usual performance, which is a good match for this material.
I noted in maybe the second or third book in this series that the perfect woman for Wulf would be one who sees him raise his quizzing glass in that hauteur manner and then laughs in his face at how ridiculous he looks.
Christine went beyond delivering. She saw that quizzing glass and developed a one sided rivalry and let Wulf know all about it.
Christine went beyond delivering. She saw that quizzing glass and developed a one sided rivalry and let Wulf know all about it.
The Bedwyn finale is a BANGER!! Dear god I love an emotionally unavailable Englishman. The Duke of Bewcastle has been a presence in all the other books, quietly serving as the backbone of the family while the rest of them get in and out of scrapes and fall in love. But he’s so focused on duty and honor, he never gets the chance to have fun. Then Christine whirls into his life, pure chaos and delight, and she’s eager to laugh at herself, at him, and at everything. He can’t stop thinking about her! He goes Full Darcy and negs her mid-proposal! She throws his quizzing glasses into a tree and then mocks him with them across a ballroom! The whole time I was reading my heart kept trying to burst out of my chest. I loved everything about this and everything about Wulfric Bedwyn.
Slightly Dangerous gave exactly what I needed—love, not lust. The romance between Wulfric and Christine was mature, emotional, and beautifully paced. The tension was there, and it kept me turning pages, completely invested in their dynamic.
One thing I really appreciated was how Christine didn’t accept Wulfric’s proposal immediately. She took her time, thought about it seriously, and didn’t just jump at the title or the man. That made her feel real to me—like a woman who values herself and her future.
My only lingering question comes from the epilogue. Christine was said to be barren, so the mention of a child confused me a bit. Was it adoption? A miracle baby? It wasn’t totally clear, and I wish it had been addressed more directly. Still, it didn’t take away from how much I loved this story.
If you’re looking for a historical romance that brings emotional depth, slow-burn chemistry, and satisfying growth, this is it. Wulfric Bedwyn may be icy at first, but the way he thaws? Chef’s kiss.
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes