"Slightly Married" by Mary Balogh

Slightly Married by Mary Balogh. 2003.

This book is the first of the "Slightly" series which follows the romantic adventures of the aristocratic Bedwyn family. "Slightly Married" is the story of Aidan, the second-oldest son. At the beginning of the book, Colonel Lord Aidan Bedwyn has been in the army for twelve years. He returns home to inform Eve Morris, the sister of a fallen officer, of her brother's death. Having promised the dying man that he would protect his sister "no matter what," Aidan discovers that, due to stipulations in her father's will, the only way to do this is by marrying her and thereby insuring her ownership of her estate.

This book is a charming read. Aidan is a fascinating character that Balogh lets you see only slowly - the reader gets to know him at the same time Eve does. The plot is simple and to the point, with the vast majority of print taken up by the development of the relationship between Eve and Aidan. This is one of my favorite parts of Balogh's writing - romance, in my opinion, should be a character driven genre. Too many authors are willing to sacrifice character development for a complex and fast moving plot, and this detracts from the emotional involvement the reader has with the characters. Balogh does not make this mistake. While the plot is rather simple, it is a fast moving page-turner and a convincing character-study. Aidan and Eve both feel like real people with real problems - people to whom the reader can relate despite the differences in location and time (and social standing!).

Ranking: 1/2

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