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A review by angelofthetardis
It's in His Kiss by Julia Quinn
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is Hyacinth's story; the youngest Bridgerton, now all of her sisters are married there's nothing to deflect attention from her own prospects. But she's not like the other girls. But when Lady Danbury's grandson, a notorious rake, asks her for help translating an old family document, secrets are revealed and passions are inflamed...
I think this is my favourite of the books so far. Although all of the Bridgerton girls have agency and appear to be fairly enlightened in terms of marrying for love, Hyacinth is the first who comes across to me as truly ahead of her time. She's relatable, funny, acerbic and just generally doesn't fit the mould of the usual Regency leading lady. That made her so easy to read and like as a character. Likewise, the leading man, Gareth St Clair, is a proper foil for her and their developing relationship sings from page one.
I also like the development on Violet Bridgerton's character - she's always been sweet and attentive to her children, but the author has written this book in such a way to give Violet and Hyacinth a special bond. She does play the interfering mother card a little, but there are some genuinely heartfelt moments between mother and daughter which are beautifully done.
Of course, it does help that the plot is fairly predictable, but that doesn't take away from their budding romance. Yes, if you've read one Bridgerton you've basically read them all, but they are light and easy reading at their best. And if you're not one for smut, you'll be fairly safe with this one; there are a couple of scenes, but nothing too explicit and certainly a couple of notches lower than the last book.
I feel like the TV series has done Hyacinth a bit of a disservice, as now I've read this I think they've taken most of her character traits and given them to Eloise. Part of me wonders if that's because they weren't/aren't expecting enough series to get to Hyacinth's story, but I'd be interested to see how they develop Hyacinth in light of this, and therefore how many changes they might need to make to the storyline.
Very enjoyable.
I think this is my favourite of the books so far. Although all of the Bridgerton girls have agency and appear to be fairly enlightened in terms of marrying for love, Hyacinth is the first who comes across to me as truly ahead of her time. She's relatable, funny, acerbic and just generally doesn't fit the mould of the usual Regency leading lady. That made her so easy to read and like as a character. Likewise, the leading man, Gareth St Clair, is a proper foil for her and their developing relationship sings from page one.
I also like the development on Violet Bridgerton's character - she's always been sweet and attentive to her children, but the author has written this book in such a way to give Violet and Hyacinth a special bond. She does play the interfering mother card a little, but there are some genuinely heartfelt moments between mother and daughter which are beautifully done.
Of course, it does help that the plot is fairly predictable, but that doesn't take away from their budding romance. Yes, if you've read one Bridgerton you've basically read them all, but they are light and easy reading at their best. And if you're not one for smut, you'll be fairly safe with this one; there are a couple of scenes, but nothing too explicit and certainly a couple of notches lower than the last book.
I feel like the TV series has done Hyacinth a bit of a disservice, as now I've read this I think they've taken most of her character traits and given them to Eloise. Part of me wonders if that's because they weren't/aren't expecting enough series to get to Hyacinth's story, but I'd be interested to see how they develop Hyacinth in light of this, and therefore how many changes they might need to make to the storyline.
Very enjoyable.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content