Odds and Evens

According to my "every other book" theory, I should enjoy this one. And for the most part, I did.

Slightly Tempted by Mary Balogh
(2004, Regency Historical) 7/13/07
Grade: 3.5

In Brussels after Napoleon’s exile, Morgan Bedwyn is frustrated that everyone treats her as a child. Only Rosthorn talks to her as an equal. What she doesn’t know is that Rosthorn sees her as a way to take revenge on her brother. But when Waterloo brings a harsh reality to Morgan’s life, she finds that Rosthorn is more trustworthy than she thought - or is he?

Definitely one of the more enjoyable entries in the Slightly series. Morgan is a vividly drawn character (even though she could have been a stereotypical “feisty young gel”) and her relationship with Rosthorn is a believable friendship. I could really feel the connection between them. The setting was also interesting, an aspect of the Napoleonic wars I hadn’t read about before. The book falls down a bit in the last few chapters. Even though the resolution of Gervase’s family issues is well done, the “will she or won’t she” conflict doesn’t really work. I was also disappointed by the non-death of Alleyne (although that doesn’t happen until the next book). The scenes of grief are heartfelt (especially Wulf’s reaction) but since I knew Alleyne wasn’t really dead, it was hard to be moved by them. The characters seem to “know” he’s coming back, too, since they barely mention him again after the initial grieving period.

Although I don't remember that many books from a decade ago, I can still remember one scene from An Unwilling Bride by Jo Beverley. In this scene, some of the "Rogues" find out that one of their dear friends has been killed at Waterloo. Their shock and grief gave the scene a sense of reality that was very moving. It has stuck in my mind, even a decade later. I never really followed the Rogue books that closely, but I was disappointed when the author revived that character in one of her more recent books. It's not that I wanted this character to die, but the power of that scene was dimmed a little for me. When characters are never allowed to die, or even be less than perfect, it makes the emotional journeys less believable. At least for me.