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readyforit's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
4⭐️1.5🌶️
I really enjoyed this book! I wasn’t sure if I was going to continue with the bridgerton prequels bc I had just finished the main books and novella and I didn’t feel like getting myself into a series again. I’m glad I didn’t skip this one tho! This book has a lot of familiar tropes to romance (fake relationship, miscommunication, amnesia), but the plot is pretty different to all the other bridgerton books. In the last book we found out Edward (the 2nd oldest rokesby) was MIA somewhere in the colonies, and I thought maybe we would get a kidnapping story, but this book picks up when he is in a makeshift hospital with Cecelia (his best friend and fellow captain’s sister) nursing him back to health. Cecelia is introduced as his wife and while he recognizes her, he has no memory of meeting her or marrying her due to amnesia from his head wound. She was searching for her missing brother and found Edward in the hospital and tried to visit him but they’d only let family in, so she’d burst out that she was his wife, except she hadn’t met him before that day. Cecelia goes on to nurse him back to health, always meaning to confess, but she’s determined to find her brother, and people are more interested in helping captain rokesby’s wife. They slowly fall in love while living in an inn in NYC. Edward is the BEST MMC I think she’s ever written. In a world of boys, he’s a gentleman🫶 he’s SO gentle, caring, and sees his “wife” as an equal. There are plenty of “my wife” moments: careful how you speak to my wife, apologize to my wife, etc. Cecelia has a pretty dry sense of humor and she and Edward have great banter. I really liked that her personality was in between the extremes of meek and mild type of woman that tends to be in historical romance and the adventurous Billie bridgerton type. She was just a girl who knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to ask for help to get it. I really enjoyed the freedom that Cecelia enjoyed while in NY. She sailed to America alone and she could do normal things like run errands without the company of her husband or a chaperone, like is typical with the previous books. She and Edward also had the freedom to fall in love without the pressure of the ton watching their every move. Their love is very “you can hear it in the silence, you can feel it on the way home.” This book is slightly spicier than some of the bridgerton books bc they’re already supposed to be married, and I would say it’s a little more descriptive than some of the books, but not as spicy as Francesca’s.
I think you could probably read this as a standalone if you don’t mind spoiling the end of the previous book, and I would probably reread just this one in the future! Once again, Rosalyn Landor killed it with the audiobook narration. I’m going to miss listening to her whenever I finish this series.
I really enjoyed this book! I wasn’t sure if I was going to continue with the bridgerton prequels bc I had just finished the main books and novella and I didn’t feel like getting myself into a series again. I’m glad I didn’t skip this one tho! This book has a lot of familiar tropes to romance (fake relationship, miscommunication, amnesia), but the plot is pretty different to all the other bridgerton books. In the last book we found out Edward (the 2nd oldest rokesby) was MIA somewhere in the colonies, and I thought maybe we would get a kidnapping story, but this book picks up when he is in a makeshift hospital with Cecelia (his best friend and fellow captain’s sister) nursing him back to health. Cecelia is introduced as his wife and while he recognizes her, he has no memory of meeting her or marrying her due to amnesia from his head wound. She was searching for her missing brother and found Edward in the hospital and tried to visit him but they’d only let family in, so she’d burst out that she was his wife, except she hadn’t met him before that day. Cecelia goes on to nurse him back to health, always meaning to confess, but she’s determined to find her brother, and people are more interested in helping captain rokesby’s wife. They slowly fall in love while living in an inn in NYC. Edward is the BEST MMC I think she’s ever written. In a world of boys, he’s a gentleman🫶 he’s SO gentle, caring, and sees his “wife” as an equal. There are plenty of “my wife” moments: careful how you speak to my wife, apologize to my wife, etc. Cecelia has a pretty dry sense of humor and she and Edward have great banter. I really liked that her personality was in between the extremes of meek and mild type of woman that tends to be in historical romance and the adventurous Billie bridgerton type. She was just a girl who knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to ask for help to get it. I really enjoyed the freedom that Cecelia enjoyed while in NY. She sailed to America alone and she could do normal things like run errands without the company of her husband or a chaperone, like is typical with the previous books. She and Edward also had the freedom to fall in love without the pressure of the ton watching their every move. Their love is very “you can hear it in the silence, you can feel it on the way home.” This book is slightly spicier than some of the bridgerton books bc they’re already supposed to be married, and I would say it’s a little more descriptive than some of the books, but not as spicy as Francesca’s.
I think you could probably read this as a standalone if you don’t mind spoiling the end of the previous book, and I would probably reread just this one in the future! Once again, Rosalyn Landor killed it with the audiobook narration. I’m going to miss listening to her whenever I finish this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Sexism, Death of parent, War, and Death
Moderate: Colonisation, Pregnancy, and Vomit
Minor: Racism and Slavery
There is a brief mention of slaves since this is during the revolutionary war in NYCangelofthetardis's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I now realise I've been suckered in a bit by the fact these are labelled as Bridgerton prequels... the first one (and clearly the last one too) has an obvious tangential link, but the series as a whole is definitely focused on the Rokesby family. While it doesn't matter a whole lot if you like the author generally, it is a classic case of the publishers rebranding books off the back of the success of the TV series. Fortunately, all I wanted tonight was some easy reading, so I'm not as worried about it as I might have otherwise been.
This one does revert to type and feels a bit more formulaic and trope-heavy than the previous books. It's just as chilled reading-wise, but somehow comes across as having had less thought put into the overall story. Amnesia, fake marriage, one bed and miscommunication abounds, but the overall plot feels based on quite thin foundations. I therefore didn't find myself enjoying this one nearly as much as book 1.
Similarly, the characters don't feel as developed. Our leading lady, Cecilia, starts off with a promising backstory and a familiar streak of modernity, but this is quickly diminished. While she is not simple subservient housewife material, she does lose her sparkiness and transforms into a more conventional period character. And her decisions to not impart certain information just drives me mad. Edward Rokesby is a little more rounded out and I generally liked his soft-in-the-centre character, but again there just isn't enough depth to them for me.
To me, the most impressive part of this is actually the backstory - set during the American War of Independence, it gives the reader something of an idea of the conditions and geography of the place, and an insight into what the soldiers' experiences might have been like. It's not overly detailed, and it does only explore one small corner of the conflict, but it's a decent introduction for someone who knows pretty much nothing about that era.
There is certainly nothing "wrong" with this book and it is an enjoyable read, but nor is there anything that really hooked me this time around.
This one does revert to type and feels a bit more formulaic and trope-heavy than the previous books. It's just as chilled reading-wise, but somehow comes across as having had less thought put into the overall story. Amnesia, fake marriage, one bed and miscommunication abounds, but the overall plot feels based on quite thin foundations. I therefore didn't find myself enjoying this one nearly as much as book 1.
Similarly, the characters don't feel as developed. Our leading lady, Cecilia, starts off with a promising backstory and a familiar streak of modernity, but this is quickly diminished. While she is not simple subservient housewife material, she does lose her sparkiness and transforms into a more conventional period character. And her decisions to not impart certain information just drives me mad. Edward Rokesby is a little more rounded out and I generally liked his soft-in-the-centre character, but again there just isn't enough depth to them for me.
To me, the most impressive part of this is actually the backstory - set during the American War of Independence, it gives the reader something of an idea of the conditions and geography of the place, and an insight into what the soldiers' experiences might have been like. It's not overly detailed, and it does only explore one small corner of the conflict, but it's a decent introduction for someone who knows pretty much nothing about that era.
There is certainly nothing "wrong" with this book and it is an enjoyable read, but nor is there anything that really hooked me this time around.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Grief, War, Death, Colonisation, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racism, Death of parent, Rape, Blood, Alcohol, Drug use, Violence, Slavery, and Animal death
haley49's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I loved everything about this romance from the start of the relationship to the spice scene to the individual characters—even the third act was well-done. It was such a fun read. The grief could’ve been done better but there are worse flaws.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent, War, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Grief
Minor: Classism, Alcohol, Misogyny, Blood, Racism, Slavery, and Abandonment
co_reads's review
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Instead, her brother died, the mystery as to where Edward was when he lost his memory was that he got clobbered over the head by a fisherman (that is never really explained) and both characters lie to each other repeatedly over and over again. They mystery seemed to be building up to something much more exciting and then everything just fizzled out.
Even the ending left me cold - she runs away and he follows abandoning his spot in the British army (although he does give notice, it is out character). Then they get married on the ship. That's it. He even lies to her during the reconciliation scene.
The only reason I kept writing is because I love Julia Quinn's writing style (but even in this book found some anachronisms extremely distracting which is not usual for me at all). I don't imagine I will ever reread this one but I will still try out some others.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Blood, Slavery, Violence, and Vomit
Minor: Racism
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