Reviews

Slightly Scandalous by Mary Balogh

shamaeem's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

rebeccarc's review against another edition

adventurous emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

sm_almon's review against another edition

emotional funny medium-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

4.0

Count me among the number of readers who were initially not enthused about reading a book about Freyja Bedwyn, but who ended up really enjoying this book in the end.

I found Freyja a hard character to empathize with in the previous Bedwyn books, but the way she and Joshua spark off each other is genuinely charming, and the buildup of their relationship over the course of this book was genuinely heartwarming.  Plus, it was lovely to spend time in a location outside London.  This ended up as one of my favourite Bedwyn books!

sofia_santana's review against another edition

emotional funny slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

katielauramc's review against another edition

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

bookish_caprice's review against another edition

slow-paced

3.25

kacelaface's review

5.0

Read this years ago and gave it 4 stars. Definitely a 5 star as a reread! That rarely happens.

amlibera's review

3.0

Well delineated characters and less of a creaky "big bad"setup in this third installment of the Bedwyn family story. Some nice surprises and explorations once the action moves out of Bath and to Cornwall.

devilbunny6's review against another edition

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

katdid's review

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

So I guess there's a bit of hate/disinterest directed towards Freyja by readers due to the events of A Summer to Remember, but I haven't read that one so I had no skin in the game. I really enjoyed all the early interactions between Freyja and Joshua (in my mind his name was often Marcus for some reason?) esp. the one at the Pump Rooms -- I also liked how most of the peripheral characters enjoyed it afterwards too. I appreciated that Freyja was depicted as no beauty but I thought she was a great example of how other traits can be stimulating (I could go on a whole RL screed hear about how even negative stimulation is stimulation and that's why people get in pickles but anyway); I really enjoyed all the argy-bargy between her and Josh and how in their own ways they never let the other get away with anything.

I loved all the Cornwall stuff and especially having a lot of the Bedwyns there for it, my only regret was that I fully expected Wulf to arrive for the ball in all his full snobbery but alas.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism

Minor: Sexual assault and Murder