Because of Miss Bridgerton
by Julia Quinn
The best thing and the worst thing about a Julia Quinn novel is that you know almost exactly what you are going to get – an enjoyable, light, funny Regency romance. Some Julia Quinn novels go the extra mile (I adored The Sum of All Kisses, and What Happens in London is one of my favorite books of all time). Some contain huge missteps (What the hell is going on in The Duke and I?). But most are pleasant and enjoyable and soothing. They are good, solid, predictable comfort reads.
Because of Miss Bridgerton fits squarely into the “solid but already written many times” category of Julia Quinn books. Neither as madcap as What Happens in London nor as angsty as Sum of All Kisses, it fits neatly in the middle of the Quinn highway.
The book is set in an earlier time than the other Bridgerton books (1779). Billie (Sybilla) Bridgerton has always been a tomboy who gets along great with all of neighboring children, with the exception of George, the oldest brother in the Rokesby family. George finds Billie to be too outrageous, and Billie thinks George is too prudish. Naturally they are thrown into close proximity and fall madly in love. That’s the whole plot – there’s a croquet game, which is delightful of course, and a subplot about George’s missing brother that fizzles out just as it become interesting.
It seems churlish to say, “Well, I like what the author does but she’s done it so many times that I’m bored,” but this was my experience. It’s a perfectly solid, if rather bland book that will appeal to readers who prefer drawing room romances to romances with a lot of intrigue or action. I was not fond of the hero, who is slightly jealous and overbearing, but for the most part I enjoyed his conversations with Billie. The matriarch of the family is delightful, as is the opening sequence on a house roof (it involves an evil cat).
If you like the other Bridgerton books, you will probably like this one just fine. Just don’t expect anything terribly new or different.
– Carrie S
Sometimes you find love in the most unexpected of places…
This is not one of those times.
Everyone expects Billie Bridgerton to marry one of the Rokesby brothers. The two families have been neighbors for centuries, and as a child the tomboyish Billie ran wild with Edward and Andrew. Either one would make a perfect husband… someday.
Sometimes you fall in love with exactly the person you think you should…
Or not.
There is only one Rokesby Billie absolutely cannot tolerate, and that is George. He may be the eldest and heir to the earldom, but he’s arrogant, annoying, and she’s absolutely certain he detests her. Which is perfectly convenient, as she can’t stand the sight of him, either.
But sometimes fate has a wicked sense of humor…
Because when Billie and George are quite literally thrown together, a whole new sort of sparks begins to fly. And when these lifelong adversaries finally kiss, they just might discover that the one person they can’t abide is the one person they can’t live without…
Historical: European, Regency, Romance
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There were a few things in The Duke and I that didn’t sit well with me. What was it that you thought was a misstep?
Sadly, The Duke and I was my first Julia Quinn – but I guess that means the others are better. 🙂
I agree that this book was a rather typical Julia Quinn book (fine by me), but it’s setting up for a potentially intriguing series. First, I believe that this is her first novel set in a different time period than Regency. This one is a Georgian set during the Revolutionary War. The next book will likely feature time in America during the war, which could be a very different sort of book for Julia Quinn. I liked this book. She writes families and dialogue so well that it seemed familiar, especially with the pall mall and the malet of death (apparently a longstanding Bridgerton tradition). I think that it may have been deceptively familiar, providing a solid family base, giving fans what they want, while allowing her to explore new themes in the coming books.