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

Call me a snob or a hater, but I have a hard time getting into a story if the prose is rough. Viscount read like someone left their assignment to the last minute and had to make word count. If the pacing was snappier I'd probably be more forgiving of its clumsy character development, modern dialogue, and borderline abuse. As it stands, I'm calling myself done with the Bridgerton books.

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claudiamacpherson's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful 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

4.0

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eddine's review against another edition

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funny inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

yuppp def much better than the first book. loved the banter bet our two mcs

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nightfell's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-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

3.5

To be clear, the only reason I read this book was because I watched season 2 of Bridgerton and it was so good that I had to read the book to remain mentally stable. And although I still think the show was better at depicting every aspect of their characters and their relationships, the book was highly entertaining and I do not regret picking it up.

The book is quite different to the show as Kate and Anthony resolve their issues, both inner and external conflicts, without much resistance and fairly quickly. I think the book could have been so much better if their rivalry lasted longer as well as more obstacles and just more of a story. The book felt very simple and on the surface, which made it an easy read, I just thought it had the potential for more.

Having prior knowledge about all the characters coming into the book made it easy to get into, however I think it would have been regardless, and all the characters are somewhat likeable. Kate is great, I loved her on the show and so It was easy to love her in the books, she was very witty and I enjoyed her dialogue with Anthony and the other characters.
Antony on the other hand, was largely what made this reading experience so entertaining, and it is partly because his character is different in the show (to some extent). In the book he is very much so a misogynist, and his comments in this light were funny to me, idk what that says about me. I just couldn't take his character seriously, and how his lustful yearning was expressed through his inner monologue was so bizarre. I distinctly remember reading about his 'sudden urge to see her toes' ??? I was stunned, but not surprised because he really thought the most randomly obscure lusty thoughts about Kate, and it made the book all the more enjoyable.

Despite the weird writing at times, they did have some really cute moments and I love their relationship, even if it did feel like a caricature of what it is in the show. I haven't read the other Bridgerton books, and likely won't, however they are the best couple and I'm so glad it was adapted. I would recommend reading this to show fans if they're at all curious to see their roots, and to anyone in want of a fun, quick romance.

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traeumenvonbuechern's review against another edition

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Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

So Julia Quinn can't include marginalized characters in her books because of "historical accuracy", but she can include a corgi, a dog breed that wasn't officially recognized until a century later...

I think this quote from a (now deleted) Tiktok video sums it up pretty well:

"In fiction, there's no way you can be 100% historically accurate. You pick and choose what you want to be accurate about, and what you choose is a reflection of your values."

That being said, I enjoyed this book much more than the first one, and if it weren't for the author's horrible comments about the lack of diversity in her books (see my review of The Duke and I and the links below), I might have even given it four stars.

I think I will continue to read the other books in the series, but I will listen to them through my library and spend my money on more diverse historical romances instead.

Here are two Twitter threads you should check out if you want to learn more about why there are no marginalized characters in JQ's books:

https://twitter.com/StorySorcery/status/1508938254334283787?t=bGBU7gyUw6mwCfGZAWAfjg&s=19

https://twitter.com/StorySorcery/status/1508970472746229762?t=toJlcWOB1SjJXkvhZgTnhQ&s=19

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