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A review by angelofthetardis
First Comes Scandal by Julia Quinn
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The last of the Rokesby series, we find the youngest son, Nicholas, summoned home urgently by his father. The reputation of a lady dear to their hearts is under threat, and everyone knows there's only one way to save her.
This book suffers from a similar issue to the later Bridgerton books - the protagonist has always been the younger brother, so for the majority of the previous books he has been some way in the background. You know he exists, but that's about it. So the author has to take quick steps to establish his character as an adult in the first pages of the book. She's absolutely successful at it - indeed, I'd say this is probably the best introduction I've read of Quinn's to date - but at the same time I do wonder why she continues to choose that same set up again and again. If it were me, I'd have been making the siblings closer in age, setting the stories closer together in the timeline and fleshing all of the characters out as the series progresses.
This one is probably the lightest on plot and development; as with all her books it does flow, but the change from friends to lovers is almost glossed over in here. It's just not got the same oomph. Although the idea is that they realise they're made for eachother, I would say the story overall actually gives me more of the vibes of the marriage of convenience between friends that the characters are so worried about at the outset. Sure, there are feelings there, but they're not in the same league of romantic feelings displayed in the other books. It's comfortable rather than passionate.
I think I'd have been more interested to see what the author would have come up with if Georgianna had stuck to her guns and refused to salvage her reputation. The story could still end with the same HEA, but given that she's given us someone incredibly independent and forward-thinking, I think she deserves better than the convenient escape route.
The characterisation has also lost a lot of its spark since the first book of the series. The friendships between the Rokesbys and the Bridgertons are still there and still lovely, but it's missing the rapid back and forth that gave the series its zing. However, I absolutely love the way Violet Bridgerton is written in this book - you can see the development of the matriarch of the Bridgerton clan, whilst alsongetting the warm fuzzies of seeing her at her happiest with Edmund and the start of her huge family. And while she is slightly more 'proper' than Edmund's sisters, she can definitely still hold her own! And baby Anthony, Benedict and Colin are so cute!!!
Sweet, simple, easy to read, but not my favourite.
This book suffers from a similar issue to the later Bridgerton books - the protagonist has always been the younger brother, so for the majority of the previous books he has been some way in the background. You know he exists, but that's about it. So the author has to take quick steps to establish his character as an adult in the first pages of the book. She's absolutely successful at it - indeed, I'd say this is probably the best introduction I've read of Quinn's to date - but at the same time I do wonder why she continues to choose that same set up again and again. If it were me, I'd have been making the siblings closer in age, setting the stories closer together in the timeline and fleshing all of the characters out as the series progresses.
This one is probably the lightest on plot and development; as with all her books it does flow, but the change from friends to lovers is almost glossed over in here. It's just not got the same oomph. Although the idea is that they realise they're made for eachother, I would say the story overall actually gives me more of the vibes of the marriage of convenience between friends that the characters are so worried about at the outset. Sure, there are feelings there, but they're not in the same league of romantic feelings displayed in the other books. It's comfortable rather than passionate.
I think I'd have been more interested to see what the author would have come up with if Georgianna had stuck to her guns and refused to salvage her reputation. The story could still end with the same HEA, but given that she's given us someone incredibly independent and forward-thinking, I think she deserves better than the convenient escape route.
The characterisation has also lost a lot of its spark since the first book of the series. The friendships between the Rokesbys and the Bridgertons are still there and still lovely, but it's missing the rapid back and forth that gave the series its zing. However, I absolutely love the way Violet Bridgerton is written in this book - you can see the development of the matriarch of the Bridgerton clan, whilst alsongetting the warm fuzzies of seeing her at her happiest with Edmund and the start of her huge family. And while she is slightly more 'proper' than Edmund's sisters, she can definitely still hold her own! And baby Anthony, Benedict and Colin are so cute!!!
Sweet, simple, easy to read, but not my favourite.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Vomit, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, and Sexual content
Minor: Blood, Medical trauma, and Cursing