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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
emotional
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Infertility
Okay this one didn't feel like a total waste of time when I finished it. Francesca is my favorite Bridgerton so far (I still have 2 books to go) and meachel was the least toxic Bridgerton hero.
I'm giving it a 4 because I like it better than my my second torable Bridgerton book (Romancing Mr. Bridgerton) and I gave than one a 3. But really this one is more of 3.5
I'm mostly glad the heroin wasn't virgin marrying a total playboy. She was an almost virgin marrying a total playboy. But still Quinn kept the a know it all in sex vs an innocent inexperienced girl dynamic which I wholeheartedly hate.
I'm giving it a 4 because I like it better than my my second torable Bridgerton book (Romancing Mr. Bridgerton) and I gave than one a 3. But really this one is more of 3.5
I'm mostly glad the heroin wasn't virgin marrying a total playboy. She was an almost virgin marrying a total playboy. But still Quinn kept the a know it all in sex vs an innocent inexperienced girl dynamic which I wholeheartedly hate.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This installment of Quinn's Bridgerton series focuses on Francesca, but really it mostly focuses on Michael Stirling: the man in love with her against all his best judgment. Can there be a happily ever after when you are in love with your cousin's wife?
I feel bad about this knowing how beloved the series is, but hear me out. At this point in the series, some things are starting to wear a little bit. The tale of the reformed rake (Simon, Anthony, Benedict, and Colin) has already played out so many times with the Bridgerton boys in the series that it feels really stale. In this book in fact, there's such an immediate push against this so early on, *such* a case being made for Michael's obsession with Francesca that I don't even find the rake bit at all believable. It's clear that Michael is a one-woman man from the start. Of all the Bridgertons, Francesca (even in the show) evades me utterly--falling into the background somewhere. Even though, as usual, Quinn alternates between the love interests' perspectives, Michael tends to take over the narrative. We get nothing in this book about anything that sets Francesca apart, except for her (apparently) very blue eyes---and I'm sorry, that's not enough. After the banter with Daphne and Simon, the interesting shift between the sharp and gentle sides of Kate, even--and I'm stretching a bit here to be diplomatic--the bravery and industriousness of Sophie, we need *something.* I never get a feel for who Francesca is, much less what makes her special. It's never clear why Michael is so besotted, and without anything to latch into most of the book feels like a teenager going on and on about some unrequited crush. Sadly, (I think because of where this falls in the larger narrative) there is no Lady Whistledown here for commentary and we just get surprisingly uncommunicative letter fragments to head off chapters. It feels like filler and makes us miss Whistledown all the more.
There was an opportunity here. Fertility issues are lightly touched on. Quinn seems to be open to tackling serious matters: Simon's stammer, childhood trauma, grief--and especially at the time the novel is set, this would have been a really interesting conversation, but it's dealt with so lightly that it feels almost more insulting to what women struggle with than had it not been brought up at all.
So far, this is currently my least favorite of the series, to the extent that I might have stopped here but I am looking forward to see how Colin and Penelope's story works out. I had to read this one out of sequence because it was just available to me sooner. In the books, Colin is my favorite Bridgerton and the only one that really seems like his own person. Fingers crossed.
I feel bad about this knowing how beloved the series is, but hear me out. At this point in the series, some things are starting to wear a little bit. The tale of the reformed rake (Simon, Anthony, Benedict, and Colin) has already played out so many times with the Bridgerton boys in the series that it feels really stale. In this book in fact, there's such an immediate push against this so early on, *such* a case being made for Michael's obsession with Francesca that I don't even find the rake bit at all believable. It's clear that Michael is a one-woman man from the start. Of all the Bridgertons, Francesca (even in the show) evades me utterly--falling into the background somewhere. Even though, as usual, Quinn alternates between the love interests' perspectives, Michael tends to take over the narrative. We get nothing in this book about anything that sets Francesca apart, except for her (apparently) very blue eyes---and I'm sorry, that's not enough. After the banter with Daphne and Simon, the interesting shift between the sharp and gentle sides of Kate, even--and I'm stretching a bit here to be diplomatic--the bravery and industriousness of Sophie, we need *something.* I never get a feel for who Francesca is, much less what makes her special. It's never clear why Michael is so besotted, and without anything to latch into most of the book feels like a teenager going on and on about some unrequited crush. Sadly, (I think because of where this falls in the larger narrative) there is no Lady Whistledown here for commentary and we just get surprisingly uncommunicative letter fragments to head off chapters. It feels like filler and makes us miss Whistledown all the more.
There was an opportunity here. Fertility issues are lightly touched on. Quinn seems to be open to tackling serious matters: Simon's stammer, childhood trauma, grief--and especially at the time the novel is set, this would have been a really interesting conversation, but it's dealt with so lightly that it feels almost more insulting to what women struggle with than had it not been brought up at all.
So far, this is currently my least favorite of the series, to the extent that I might have stopped here but I am looking forward to see how Colin and Penelope's story works out. I had to read this one out of sequence because it was just available to me sooner. In the books, Colin is my favorite Bridgerton and the only one that really seems like his own person. Fingers crossed.
It’s 1:30am
I cannot sleep
I finish the Bridgerton book I added to my library last week
What more can I say
I cannot sleep
I finish the Bridgerton book I added to my library last week
What more can I say
emotional
lighthearted
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:
No
It was the most spicy (sexual arousing) of all Bridgerton books I've read this far, but the story itself was rough for me. I'm not sure I liked the story itself. I love the character (only Francesca), but not so much her story!
Vermoedelijk niet het juiste moment geweest om dit te lezen. Ergens soms wat confronterend. Maar snel door met deel 7.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
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:
Complicated
(bridgerton tv adaptation discussion at the end!!)
this book changed my life the first time i read it, and changed it again when i read it now, for the second. easily my favorite "traditional" romance book. i love this book so much - love francesca, love michael, love their dynamic. nobody has ever done "he fell first and hella hard and she fell later but just as hard" better than them. i loved every second! julia quinn, you are a MARVEL!!!
i really related to francesca - easily one of the most relatable FMC's in recent memory. and i loved the way they made michael and francesca's love story forbidden for an actual, real reason - none of that nonsense about brother's best friend or coworker (i.e. obstacles that are portrayed as barely surmountable when they are in reality not a big deal). i ~felt michael and francesca's complex webs of emotion so rawly and clearly: guilt, desire, jealously, self-loathing, covetousness, grief, confusion, disbelief, friendship, love. francesca thinks of him as her dear friend/confidante, and her husband's cousin (basically brother), while michael thinks of her as the one woman he desperately wants yet can never have, and also his best friend john's wife. now imagine that sticky situation compounded by the LOSS of john and francesca's unborn baby.
i loved everything about them individually AND together, which is extremely rare for me. michael's protectiveness, his friendship, the way he respected francesca to an utmost extent. and francesca's courage and resilience in weathering the worst, then finding a way to move forward. her wit and her independence. i loved the discussion surrounding her infertility. i love EVERYTHING!!
however, i'd also be remiss if i didn't discuss the adaptation of francesca's story into television - and the way michael has been gender-swapped to a michaela. i, better than anyone else (since francesca's story is my favorite of the whole bridgerton series) understand the initial spike of disappointment upon hearing that francesca and michael's story from the books wouldn't be closely adhered to. that being said - my initial (very brief) reaction was quickly overcome by a huge feeling of excitement and anticipation. first off, francesca and michaela had such a jaw-dropping amount of chemistry in a literally 30 SECOND CLIP that i had to rewatch it at least fifteen times. i am SO excited to see how bridgerton adapts the story we all know and love to a wlw love story, which will retain ALL the original emotions that together make the foundation of michael(a)'s and francesca's love story: guilt, desire, grief, etc. they both loved john, and now he's gone and they can't help but love each other. in fact, these emotions will be TRIPLY compounded by the fact that homosexuality was illegal and extremely taboo in 19th century london, especially amongst the upper classes.
i am very curious to see how/if they incorporate the infertility storyline - maybe john and francesca suffered from infertility, but she didn't miscarry their baby after he dies, and she gives birth to a boy? cause otherwise her whole situation as the countess of kilmartin is put in great jeopardy (as is michaela's) bc women had literally no property rights at the time. it would be too fucking heartbreaking and not very bridgerton-like if they both had to marry fucking men against their will when they secretly loved each other. anyways so excited franchael(a) forever!
this book changed my life the first time i read it, and changed it again when i read it now, for the second. easily my favorite "traditional" romance book. i love this book so much - love francesca, love michael, love their dynamic. nobody has ever done "he fell first and hella hard and she fell later but just as hard" better than them. i loved every second! julia quinn, you are a MARVEL!!!
i really related to francesca - easily one of the most relatable FMC's in recent memory. and i loved the way they made michael and francesca's love story forbidden for an actual, real reason - none of that nonsense about brother's best friend or coworker (i.e. obstacles that are portrayed as barely surmountable when they are in reality not a big deal). i ~felt michael and francesca's complex webs of emotion so rawly and clearly: guilt, desire, jealously, self-loathing, covetousness, grief, confusion, disbelief, friendship, love. francesca thinks of him as her dear friend/confidante, and her husband's cousin (basically brother), while michael thinks of her as the one woman he desperately wants yet can never have, and also his best friend john's wife. now imagine that sticky situation compounded by the LOSS of john and francesca's unborn baby.
i loved everything about them individually AND together, which is extremely rare for me. michael's protectiveness, his friendship, the way he respected francesca to an utmost extent. and francesca's courage and resilience in weathering the worst, then finding a way to move forward. her wit and her independence. i loved the discussion surrounding her infertility. i love EVERYTHING!!
however, i'd also be remiss if i didn't discuss the adaptation of francesca's story into television - and the way michael has been gender-swapped to a michaela. i, better than anyone else (since francesca's story is my favorite of the whole bridgerton series) understand the initial spike of disappointment upon hearing that francesca and michael's story from the books wouldn't be closely adhered to. that being said - my initial (very brief) reaction was quickly overcome by a huge feeling of excitement and anticipation. first off, francesca and michaela had such a jaw-dropping amount of chemistry in a literally 30 SECOND CLIP that i had to rewatch it at least fifteen times. i am SO excited to see how bridgerton adapts the story we all know and love to a wlw love story, which will retain ALL the original emotions that together make the foundation of michael(a)'s and francesca's love story: guilt, desire, grief, etc. they both loved john, and now he's gone and they can't help but love each other. in fact, these emotions will be TRIPLY compounded by the fact that homosexuality was illegal and extremely taboo in 19th century london, especially amongst the upper classes.
i am very curious to see how/if they incorporate the infertility storyline - maybe john and francesca suffered from infertility, but she didn't miscarry their baby after he dies, and she gives birth to a boy? cause otherwise her whole situation as the countess of kilmartin is put in great jeopardy (as is michaela's) bc women had literally no property rights at the time. it would be too fucking heartbreaking and not very bridgerton-like if they both had to marry fucking men against their will when they secretly loved each other. anyways so excited franchael(a) forever!