caththereader's reviews
67 reviews

Only the Brave by Solmussa

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On the Way to the Wedding by Julia Quinn

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

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

5.0

“Love existed. It was right there, in the air, in the wind, in the water. One only had to wait for it. To watch for it. And fight for it. And he would. As God was his witness, he would. Lucy had only to signal, and he would retrieve her.” GREGORY BRIDGERTON ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! 

I have finally done it! I have read all 8 of the Bridgerton books and it ended on a high note. Gregory Bridgerton is as much of a lover boy as his older brothers with a bit more daring thrown in. Again, Julia Quinn, can you stop inventing more fictional men for me to fall in love with! This is why my standards are too high 😂

But seriously, the relationship between Lucy and Gregory is top notch. It’s a love at first sight remix with a phenomenal, bat shit final third. I relate to Lucy in a way that is scary and I would like for these books to stop calling me out. Lucy is for all those girlies who feel second best to their friend when it comes to male attention and seeing her get her happily ever after made my hear my soar 💕

So yeah, I’ve read the Bridgerton series, enjoyed some more than others but the series really made its mark on me in the final 3 books 📚 If you love regency romance and haven’t read this series yet, what are you doing? Believe me, it’s worth it just to see Gregory grow into the man he becomes 🫶💫

It's In His Kiss by Julia Quinn

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

Lads she’s done it again! As if I needed another fictional man to be in love with and Julia Quinn delivered me Gareth St Clair 🥰 

This man is the epitome of a boy with daddy issues, who I believe and more importantly Hyacinth believes she can fix, and girlie we can and we did! He’s such a fun, flirty man who cares deeply for Hyacinth and all of her views, especially when he deliberately argues with her because he knows they both enjoy it. He had me giggling and kicking my feel, audibly screamed multiple times and I am in love with this man. Alexa, play Taylor Swift I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) ✨

Hyacinth is an incredibly strong, powerful and smart woman who I definitely see myself represented and reflected in. I was being called out left right and centre! Hyacinth is for the girlies who overthink everything and if they can’t do something first time round, will refuse to do it again! That is so me coded. Hyacinth Bridgerton supremacy ladies and gents and I will hear nothing else said about her 🫶

Shoutout to the ladies Violet Bridgerton and Lady Danbury for being the absolute queens that they are. They are Hyacinths cheerleaders and also the first people to bring her back down to earth and I love them for it. Once again, the Anthony Bridgerton cameo is hysterical and I love him so much 🖤

When Julia Quinn gets it right, SHE GETS IT RIGHT! I loved this book and I’m really sad I only have one book left in the series. If you’re into romance, this one has all the hallmarks of a great one - bickering, flirting and jewel heist, what more could you ask for 💫🫶

When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

“I will love you. For the rest of my life. I promise you. I will lay down my life for you. I will honour and cherish you.” MICHAEL STIRLING, I AM SCREAMING BECAUSE WHAT DO YOU MEAN! 

I am once again on the floor for a man from the Bridgerton universe. This book is the definition of a loveable rogue and my god is he loveable. Michael is fully obsessed and head over heels in love with Francesca Bridgerton and he is just the most seductive fictional man I have ever met. Julia Quinn really hits the sweet spot with this man and I do believe that when we get this book as a series I will be screaming into my pillow just as I have done tonight reading this.

This book is spicy in all the good ways. Like consent is sexy ladies and gents, and my god does this man make it sexy. There is a scene in his study and Francesca, I understand completely. I am once again in love with a fictional man and I’m not even sorry about it.

Honourable mention for Colin Bridgerton being a crafty bastard. Seriously, the chemistry is palpable and the flirting is top notch. The epilogue made me cry in all the good ways and was a beautiful exploration of family.

Genuinely, if I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would 🫶💫

To Sir Phillip, With Love by Julia Quinn

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

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

3.5

This book is more of a 3.5 than a 3.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it and thought that parts of it were lovely. I enjoyed immensely when the Bridgerton Brothers turned up and the chemistry between the family and Sir Phillip was by far the best part of the book. Any excuse for more Benedict Bridgerton and I will be right on board. 

However, this was Eloise’s book, so why was the best part with the family and not the in the romance? I think this is the main problem with To Sir Phillip with Love. I couldn’t help but have wanted more for Eloise. Her relationship with Phillip is not as fleshed out as the other books and I don’t think I’m a huge fan of Phillip himself. I don’t know what it was but I just couldn’t warm up to him fully. Their relationship is nice but that’s all. 

And I think that sums up the whole book, it was nice. 

I don’t know if it’s because it immediately follows the whirlwind romance of Benedict and Sophie (for gods sake Netflix, give that man his Sophie) or the dizzying romantic heights of Penelope and Colin (NETFLIX DROP THE TRAILER YOU COWARDS), but this has been my least favourite of the Bridgerton book series so far. 

Sadly, I think Eloise deserved more.

Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

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

5.0

“I love you with my past, and I love you for my future.” He bent forward and kissed her, once, softly, on the lips. “I love you for the children we’ll have and for the years we’ll have together. I love you for every one of my smiles, and even more, for every one of your smiles.” COLIN BRIDGERTON THE MAN THAT YOU ARE! I AM SCREAMING, HOW DARE YOU BE SO ROMANCTIC!

This book is for all of the girlies who have ever felt like a wallflower, like no one has ever noticed you. I have never related to a character more than Penelope Featherington, this woman deserves the world and I will hear no more on the matter. And the blossoming relationship from friends to lovers between Colin and Penelope really is the stuff of dreams.

Seriously, this is my most annotated book, I had to put it down several times to scream with happiness. I wa goggling and kicking my feet, it was perfect. Also shoutout to my favourite chaos Bridgerton Hyacinth for stating everything I was thinking. 

My god, where is my Colin Bridgerton, is it too much to ask for a man to come and finally see me like Colin sees Penelope?

If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would. This was my favourite book in this series so far. 

I am so excited to see Luke and Nicola share their versions of Colin and Penelope’s love story with the world and I am now counting down the days to the 16th of May 🫶💫

An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

BENEDICT BRIDGERTON THE MAN THAT YOU ARE ✨

This is such a fun, romantic, steamy retelling of Cinderella in the Bridgerton universe. I now understand why people are obsessed with Benedict and Sophie because my god, so am I! All I am asking is for a man to be as in love with me as Benedict is with Sophie. “I would’ve married you no matter what.” ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I am completely and utterly in love with Benedict Bridgerton and will hear nothing more on the matter 🫧

The flirting between the two of them is top notch and the way their relationship blossoms between the beginning of the book to the final line, was perfection. It is literal love at first sight and what do you mean he spent the next 2 years searching for her at parties even though he’d only known her for a few hours. The way they love each other and will literally defy society to be in love with each other is a beautiful thing to witness! Your honour I love Benophie and more importantly I would let Benedict Bridgerton do whatever he asked 💫🫶

The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-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? Yes

5.0

“The bane of his existence and the object of all his desires. All at once.” Oh Anthony Bridgerton the man that you are!

As someone who was decidedly obsessed with The Bridgerton series and the second season in particular (I believe I have watched Jonathan Bailey walk out of that river an unhealthy number of times) this book surpassed all of my expectations. Your honour, I love them 🫧

The chemistry between Kate and Anthony is unmatched, its enemies to lovers in a way that literally had me giggling and kicking my feet at 1.30am in the morning. I could not put this book down. It’s such an easy, romantic, decidedly brilliant book that I am incredibly excited to see where we go next.

Kanthony, you have my heart and I have no desire to see it returned. He would literally walk over broken glass for this woman and seriously, is it too much to ask for a man to worship me as much as Anthony worships Kate 🫶💫

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I have finally done it! 

It may have taken me endless cajoling from my mother and the influence of one two many people on my TikTok telling me to read Bridgerton Series, but I have finally read the first book in the series.

To nobodies surprise, I loved it. Some may even say I enjoyed it more than the series. I love the relationship progression between Daphne and Simon, the man is swoon worthy! The relationship between Daphne and her older brothers as well is so much more thought out and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series 🪩

The only thing that stopped it being a 5 ⭐️ rating was the scene that is also in the series where Daphne takes advantage but that is the only part of this I disliked.

Seriously, if you want something romantic, regency era then I would highly recommend this book. It’s funny, it’s light and I literally devoured it this afternoon. If you enjoy romance, The Bridgerton Tv Show or anything Austen vibes adjacent, then I would tell you to run and read this book 🫶💫

Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

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

4.5

I’m in my romance book era and I do not want to leave it!

Tessa Bailey has done it again. This is such a fun read and as a girly who has way too many fantasies about my favourite sports star falling in love with me, Fangirl Down got me hook, line and sinker. 

It’s the perfect grumpy x sunshine romance read with some incredible steamy scenes. THE SHOWER SCENE!!!! I love me a brooding and angry with anyone but her type of man and Wells Whitaker fills that role perfectly. As a fellow fangirl, I understand Josephine and would also jump at the chance to do whatever this man asked me. 

Could’ve done without the proposal literally after a week but apart from that a fun, romantic comedy that I read in 12 hours. Seriously, so easy to read, did not want to put it down!

Who knew you could make Golf sexy 💫🫶