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tenderbrushes 's review for:
Slightly Married
by Mary Balogh
Mary Mary Mary (Balogh) WHAT have you done to my HEART?! I read all the Bedwyn saga out of order so I actually read #1 last. Why? Because every time I came across Aidan in another book in the series, I was like 'ughh him and Eve sound so borrrrring' so I kept putting it off. Well imagine my surprise when this book snuck in and shattered my heart into a zillion pieces and I was left in a sobbing heap on the floor. Good God (as Aidan would say). Eve always seemed so "sweet" and Aidan just read as unreadable (accurate) so it didn't click that this book could actually be good. Instead, it rocked my world.
Aidan never wanted to be a military man, but Wulfric bought a commission and forced him to go. Now at the age of 30, he's been a killing machine since age 18 and is just numbed out to his life. He's forgotten his dreams of being a man of the land, having a family and just living on a farm somewhere. He promises a dying man on the battlefield that he'll take care of the man's sister 'no matter what' which ends up, surprise surprise, leading to him having to marry her to save her from ruination.
Aidan just gives up any dream of a loving marriage or children for 'honor' which basically sums up what kind of a man he is. But then it all goes horribly wrong (before it can go right at the end).
Of course there are lots of fun trainwrecks along the way, her being a coal miner's daughter and all. And him telling himself it can never work.
Eve is a bleeding heart and keeper of broken things. She is taking care of 2 orphans when we meet her. There's a delicious villain here, her cousin, and - well actually 2 if you count her douche of a boyfriend who's been promising her he'll propose to her once he's back from Russia. Meanwhile, they're having a friends with benefits situationship that suits him perfectly. Ugh, hate him.
But Eve and Aidan REFUSE to acknowledge how they feel. Have you ever read a book and wanted to throttle someone? Well I wanted to knock these two's heads together over and over. Everyone else in the book could see they were in love, except for them. Getting to see all the Bedwyns, especially Wulfric who plays a big part on this one, and his reaction to Eve, was just delightful.
The sex scenes were actually quite steamy for a Balogh and my goodness you get the sense that Aidan can really uhhh get things done. These scenes were ringing all my bells quite properly, wow. The final scene in the moonlight had me actually just a sobbing mess on the floor with a washcloth over my face just soaking up the tears. It was THAT beautiful. Goodness gracious she writes beautiful prose. The culmination of these two finally telling each other they loved the other after all this angst just wrecked me. Here for it!
I ADORED seeing Aidan step into fatherhood and his scenes with Becky and David and actually laughing and smiling and being tender were achingly sweet. She perfectly captures life with small children and a pastoral historical perspective that is intoxicating, you are transported to the English countryside and it is blissful (as Aidan would say).
There is no external conflict between these two other than a short-lived jealousy on Aidan's behalf (which is ADORABLE) and I liked that aspect. He had enough inner demons to cause problems for them and it really worked for me.
I'm sad the whole saga is read now and I guess I'll have to find something else to read *sobs quietly into a hankie* Thank you Ms Balogh for the beautiful journey through the Bedwyns' lives.
Aidan never wanted to be a military man, but Wulfric bought a commission and forced him to go. Now at the age of 30, he's been a killing machine since age 18 and is just numbed out to his life. He's forgotten his dreams of being a man of the land, having a family and just living on a farm somewhere. He promises a dying man on the battlefield that he'll take care of the man's sister 'no matter what' which ends up, surprise surprise, leading to him having to marry her to save her from ruination.
Aidan just gives up any dream of a loving marriage or children for 'honor' which basically sums up what kind of a man he is. But then it all goes horribly wrong (before it can go right at the end).
Of course there are lots of fun trainwrecks along the way, her being a coal miner's daughter and all. And him telling himself it can never work.
Eve is a bleeding heart and keeper of broken things. She is taking care of 2 orphans when we meet her. There's a delicious villain here, her cousin, and - well actually 2 if you count her douche of a boyfriend who's been promising her he'll propose to her once he's back from Russia. Meanwhile, they're having a friends with benefits situationship that suits him perfectly. Ugh, hate him.
But Eve and Aidan REFUSE to acknowledge how they feel. Have you ever read a book and wanted to throttle someone? Well I wanted to knock these two's heads together over and over. Everyone else in the book could see they were in love, except for them. Getting to see all the Bedwyns, especially Wulfric who plays a big part on this one, and his reaction to Eve, was just delightful.
The sex scenes were actually quite steamy for a Balogh and my goodness you get the sense that Aidan can really uhhh get things done. These scenes were ringing all my bells quite properly, wow. The final scene in the moonlight had me actually just a sobbing mess on the floor with a washcloth over my face just soaking up the tears. It was THAT beautiful. Goodness gracious she writes beautiful prose. The culmination of these two finally telling each other they loved the other after all this angst just wrecked me. Here for it!
I ADORED seeing Aidan step into fatherhood and his scenes with Becky and David and actually laughing and smiling and being tender were achingly sweet. She perfectly captures life with small children and a pastoral historical perspective that is intoxicating, you are transported to the English countryside and it is blissful (as Aidan would say).
There is no external conflict between these two other than a short-lived jealousy on Aidan's behalf (which is ADORABLE) and I liked that aspect. He had enough inner demons to cause problems for them and it really worked for me.
I'm sad the whole saga is read now and I guess I'll have to find something else to read *sobs quietly into a hankie* Thank you Ms Balogh for the beautiful journey through the Bedwyns' lives.