"Slightly Sinful" by Mary Balogh

Slightly Sinful by Mary Balogh 2004

"Slightly Sinful" is the fifth installment in the "Slightly" series. It follows the youngest son, Alleyne Bedwyn, more-or-less following the action of "Slightly Tempted." In "Slightly Tempted," Alleyne was thought lost at the battle of Waterloo, where he had gone to deliver an important letter to Wellington. The first chapter of "Slightly Sinful" shows the reader what actually happened. Shot in the leg, Alleyne is thrown from his horse and hits his head, only to wake up later in a brothel with no memory of who he is or how he got there. Rachel York, the heroine of "Slightly Sinful" is the one responsible for rescuing him. Having had all of her money (and that of her friends, whores in whose brothel she is staying - although she is most certainly not a whore) stolen by an unscrupulous con-artist, she had gone to the battlefield to steal from the bodies. Finding she is morally unable to do so, she ends up rescuing Alleyne instead.

This was not my favorite of the "Slightly" series. That said, Alleyne is one of my favorite heroes. There is something charming and sweet about him that makes it difficult not to like him. He's the kind of person you wish you knew in real life. Rachel, on the other hand, is one of my least favorite heroines. She just seems a bit slow. Firstly, she was taken in quite easily by the villain who stole all of her money. Then, she makes basically no effort whatsoever to help Alleyne discover who he is. Why didn't she contact the Hague? Once they knew he was a gentleman, why didn't she make more of an effort to find out who he was? It certainly wouldn't have been that difficult for her, especially once they returned to England. She could have taken him to London, even. While it was necessary that he not know at once for the plot to succeed, it seems a bit of a stretch that so little was done. The only thing Rachel did was write a couple of letters to her friends - which paid off in the end, showing how easy it would have been for Alleyne to discover his identity with a little bit of work. Alleyne's reluctance to find his family once he is conscious and able to walk is more understandable. His fear at finding them and not knowing them is rational and well described. It makes sense that Alleyne is willing to procrastinate until his memory returns. The subplot of Rachel's recovery of her jewels and the reconciliation between her and her uncle is well-written and interesting. But it is Alleyne's story and Alleyne's conflicts that are the central point of this book.

Rating: 1/2

Family-Friendly Rating