Reviews with content warning for Classism - The Viscount Who Loved Me

Title: The Viscount Who Loved Me
Author: Julia Quinn
Series: Bridgertons #2
Genre: Historical Romance
Rating: 3.25
Pub Date: December 5, 2000

T H R E E • W O R D S

Readable • Entertaining • Chauvinistic

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Anthony Bridgerton hasn't just decided to marry—he's even chosen a wife! The only obstacle is his intended's older sister, Kate Sheffield—the most meddlesome woman ever to grace a London ballroom. The spirited schemer is driving Anthony mad with her determination to stop the betrothal, but when he closes his eyes at night, Kate is the woman haunting his increasingly erotic dreams...

Contrary to popular belief, Kate is quite sure that reformed rakes do not make the best husbands—and Anthony Bridgerton is the most wicked rogue of them all. Kate is determined to protect her sister—but she fears her own heart is vulnerable. And when Anthony's lips touch hers, she's suddenly afraid she might not be able to resist the reprehensible rake herself...

💭 T H O U G H T S

Regency era romance isn't a genre I'd typically have an interest in, however, after starting Julia Quinn's hit series, The Bridgertons, in 2022 I was pleasantly surprised and decided to continue with book two.

It's a tad difficult to take these books too seriously. At times they are downright ridiculous, and of course, require the suspension of reality, yet they are highly entertaining. I cannot say I was drawn into Anthony and Kate's story, although I did appreciate Anthony's hesitancy to marriage. There is so much vanity within these pages that eventually it gets redundant. Kate seemed like a likeable enough lady, and I was satisfied with her HEA.

For me, these books are nothing amazing, yet they are highly readable and always provided an entertaining experience. I can definitely understand why the Netflix adaption is so widely loved (even though I've been told it's very different). When I am in need of a quick, lighthearted read I'll likely continue with book three.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of the series
• Regency era enthusiasts

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"You have to live each hour as if it's your last and each day as if you were immortal."

"You can't shun new challenge or hide yourself from love just because you think you might not be here to carry your dreams to completion. In the end, you'll have just as many regrets as did my father."

"It means that love isn't about being afraid that it will all be snatched away. Love's about finding the one person who makes your heart complete, who makes you a better person than you ever dreamed you could be. It's about looking in the eyes of your wife and knowing, all the way to your bones, that she's simply the best person you've ever known."

Content Warnings

annahamburger's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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haleysversion's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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prashiie's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

"It was that spark. That damnable spark that never seemed to dim between them."

In this book, it's Anthony Bridgerton's turn to get married. According to him love is not necessarily a criteria for a successful marriage and he even tries to avoid falling in love with his (future) wife. Logically, the best plan is to marry this season's Incomparable, Edwina, But hey, when does anything go according to plan?

To marry Edwina, he has to get her sister's approval and his reputation as a rake does not do him any good. Kate, Edwina’s sister, and Anthony start off resenting each other but they both learn that they're more alike than they thought and he quickly discovers that even he can't go against his heart's wishes.

They both have some unresolved traumas and it was interesting to see how they deal with that. Kate had some wise insights: "But what you can do is refuse to allow it to rule your life." Yes, easier said than done, but healing starts by acknowledging the problem and by choosing to work on it.

My favourite character was definitely Mary!

"It's just that when you agree to be a mother to a child you haven't borne, your responsibility is twice as great. You must work even harder to ensure that child's happiness and welfare."

She is such a good stepmother to Kate. The world would be a much better place if every stepparent was like Mary.

This story also had some very steamy chapters, but what else did we expect from a Bridgerton book?

Somewhere in the story they were discussing how Whistledown's identity couldn’t stay hidden.
"Nothing that big can stay a secret forever."
And after reading the epilogue, it was funny to see that The Author's identity is still a secret after so many years. Hopefully we will know more about it in later books!

Content Warnings