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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
This book was pretty good, but it felt like an outcast to the rest of the Bridgerton books. It was cute though. Relied more on survival and desperation instead of just trying to find love which was a nice change of pace.
While You Were Sleeping set in the American Revolution. A fun slow burner.
Not very many authors are capable of blending sensitive romance with courageous adventure. Julia Quinn transitions between the two with a smoothness and clarity that appeals to readers like me who are fans of both. The Girl With the Make - Believe Husband exudes classic romance while squeezing in a few modern day subjects. With a strong sense of female empowerment Cecilia sets out in search of answers and ends up facing more than she could have imagined. Edward holds the key to all she seeks, if he can forgive her in the end.
Julia Quinn at her finest. When I read the description I was like, enh... I wasn't very excited about the story. Typical of this author, I was sucked in and I couldn't put it down. Now it's time for the long, difficult wait for the next book.
This one took me a little longer to get through then the first one. It was good but like the first one, it didn’t get to the point of me not wanting to put it down until like the last 100 pages or less.
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Review originally posted at http://fictionvixen.com/review-girl-make-believe-husband-julia-quinn/
Julia Quinn has been on my auto buy list for years, her Bridgerton series is still one of my go-to comfort reads. Lately her books are hit or miss for me. Because of Miss Bridgerton, the first book in the Rokesbys series, featuring Miss. Billie Bridgerton was a hit. I loved it and was really looking forward to the next installment. Then I found out Edward’s story featured an amnesia storyline and I was like eh, okay. Still looking forward to reading, but not quite as much.
After Miss Cecelia Harcourt receives a letter saying that her brother had been wounded in the war, she immediately boards a ship and sets out for New York. With the death of her father and her brother, Thomas, being so far away in the middle of a war, she really has nothing left in Derbyshire anyway. When she finally arrives in America it’s to find out that her brother is missing and no one seems to know anything about his whereabouts. His best friend, Captain Edward Rokesby, however, is wounded and hasn’t regained consciousness since being brought to the hospital. Determined to see to his welfare, in a moment of frustration, she blurts out that she is his wife. Then he wakes up and she’s stuck in a lie that she can’t figure out how to get out off.
When Edward Rokesby wakes up in the hospital, he has no memory of the last several months of his life. All he knows is he has a splitting headache and there is a woman claiming to be his wife sitting next to his bedside. He recognizes Cecelia almost immediately, after all her brother carried her miniature with him during their travels, but he doesn’t remember proposing marriage. He doesn’t remember anything of the last three months. But surely he’d remember proposing marriage?
Let me just get this out there, this wasn’t my favorite Julia Quinn. The first half of the book dragged and it was hard for me to stay engaged. Cecelia wasn’t my favorite heroine. While I understood why she lied in the first place I just couldn’t get it out of my head that her entire relationship going forward with Edward would be based on the assumption that they had a prior relationship other than a few letters between her and Thomas that Edward and she briefly corresponded within. And poor Edward, already feeling confused and less than himself because he doesn’t know if his memories would ever return. Edward is a good man, a good friend, and believes the Cecelia when she tells him that they agreed to a proxy marriage arranged by her brother.
The second half picks up after Edward and Cecelia get to know each other a little better and consummate the marriage. But that’s also when Edward regains his memories and the truth of Cecelia’s deceptions are revealed. Not by Cecelia, she doesn’t admit to her lies until almost the very end and even then it’s only in a letter, but at least Edward knows what is really going on. While I did enjoy the ending, I kind of wish the truth had come out sooner and this couple had spent more time together in a more truthful, honest way.
While not my favorite book by this author, she still remains on my auto-buy list and I can honestly say I am looking forward to the next book in the series, which I believe will be Edward’s younger brother Andrew’s. Final Grade-C
Favorite Quote:
What a fool he’d been. What a damned fool.
Julia Quinn has been on my auto buy list for years, her Bridgerton series is still one of my go-to comfort reads. Lately her books are hit or miss for me. Because of Miss Bridgerton, the first book in the Rokesbys series, featuring Miss. Billie Bridgerton was a hit. I loved it and was really looking forward to the next installment. Then I found out Edward’s story featured an amnesia storyline and I was like eh, okay. Still looking forward to reading, but not quite as much.
After Miss Cecelia Harcourt receives a letter saying that her brother had been wounded in the war, she immediately boards a ship and sets out for New York. With the death of her father and her brother, Thomas, being so far away in the middle of a war, she really has nothing left in Derbyshire anyway. When she finally arrives in America it’s to find out that her brother is missing and no one seems to know anything about his whereabouts. His best friend, Captain Edward Rokesby, however, is wounded and hasn’t regained consciousness since being brought to the hospital. Determined to see to his welfare, in a moment of frustration, she blurts out that she is his wife. Then he wakes up and she’s stuck in a lie that she can’t figure out how to get out off.
When Edward Rokesby wakes up in the hospital, he has no memory of the last several months of his life. All he knows is he has a splitting headache and there is a woman claiming to be his wife sitting next to his bedside. He recognizes Cecelia almost immediately, after all her brother carried her miniature with him during their travels, but he doesn’t remember proposing marriage. He doesn’t remember anything of the last three months. But surely he’d remember proposing marriage?
Let me just get this out there, this wasn’t my favorite Julia Quinn. The first half of the book dragged and it was hard for me to stay engaged. Cecelia wasn’t my favorite heroine. While I understood why she lied in the first place I just couldn’t get it out of my head that her entire relationship going forward with Edward would be based on the assumption that they had a prior relationship other than a few letters between her and Thomas that Edward and she briefly corresponded within. And poor Edward, already feeling confused and less than himself because he doesn’t know if his memories would ever return. Edward is a good man, a good friend, and believes the Cecelia when she tells him that they agreed to a proxy marriage arranged by her brother.
The second half picks up after Edward and Cecelia get to know each other a little better and consummate the marriage. But that’s also when Edward regains his memories and the truth of Cecelia’s deceptions are revealed. Not by Cecelia, she doesn’t admit to her lies until almost the very end and even then it’s only in a letter, but at least Edward knows what is really going on. While I did enjoy the ending, I kind of wish the truth had come out sooner and this couple had spent more time together in a more truthful, honest way.
While not my favorite book by this author, she still remains on my auto-buy list and I can honestly say I am looking forward to the next book in the series, which I believe will be Edward’s younger brother Andrew’s. Final Grade-C
Favorite Quote:
Suddenly he thought about how much he hated opening the door to the room, how he never seemed to be prepared for the burst of light.
What a fool he’d been. What a damned fool.
So I'll be honest, this one is 4-ISH stars for me. It definitely wasn't a 3 star book but I'm not sure it is a solid 4 either and there are a couple of reasons for it.
Cecilia lies ... and keeps lying. It's totally understandable how she got into the situation and works well for who they are to each other. (There are cute little tidbits from the letters between Thomas and Cecilia at the start of each chapter that highlight this wonderfully.) Yes, there are opportunities for her to come clean after Edward wakes up, but Quinn makes her reasoning for keeping her secret believable. He's having enough trouble dealing with his memory issues so you totally get why she chooses not to but it definitely makes things difficult for them. And there are some readers who probably won't appreciate the continued lying.
It's also set in American during the Revolutionary War, which is a bit of a change for Quinn readers. We're used to lords and ladies causing trouble for each other in London or the English countryside. While we don't get a lot of the actual war, Quinn does do a good job of delivering the less pleasant parts for us and it gives the book a gritty feel.
While the beginning is a little slow - with the lying and not remembering - the book definitely picks up as they delve deeper into what happened to Thomas and deal with their deepening relationship. Of course the truth comes out, causing a bit of havoc for them, but leads to a really great ending :) Quinn writes some of the best historical romances out there and she definitely has some major skills, which are on display here. The characters are detailed and you totally are there with them as they find themselves in a pretty awkward situation, rooting them on to what surely will be a HEA.
*** I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***
Cecilia lies ... and keeps lying. It's totally understandable how she got into the situation and works well for who they are to each other. (There are cute little tidbits from the letters between Thomas and Cecilia at the start of each chapter that highlight this wonderfully.) Yes, there are opportunities for her to come clean after Edward wakes up, but Quinn makes her reasoning for keeping her secret believable. He's having enough trouble dealing with his memory issues so you totally get why she chooses not to but it definitely makes things difficult for them. And there are some readers who probably won't appreciate the continued lying.
It's also set in American during the Revolutionary War, which is a bit of a change for Quinn readers. We're used to lords and ladies causing trouble for each other in London or the English countryside. While we don't get a lot of the actual war, Quinn does do a good job of delivering the less pleasant parts for us and it gives the book a gritty feel.
While the beginning is a little slow - with the lying and not remembering - the book definitely picks up as they delve deeper into what happened to Thomas and deal with their deepening relationship. Of course the truth comes out, causing a bit of havoc for them, but leads to a really great ending :) Quinn writes some of the best historical romances out there and she definitely has some major skills, which are on display here. The characters are detailed and you totally are there with them as they find themselves in a pretty awkward situation, rooting them on to what surely will be a HEA.
*** I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***
Okay she needed to 'fess up way earlier in my opinion, but in the end they are cute together so fair.