TEST
To celebrate the arrival of Netflix’s Bridgerton, AAR is running, in reading order, our reviews of the original nine books in the series.
(originally published on July 13, 2004)
Julia Quinn delivers another winner in the sixth addition to the Bridgerton series. Francesca and Michael’s story is interesting and definitely not typical.
Michael Stirling meets Francesca Bridgerton and falls head over heels in love with her days before she is to marry his cousin, John Stirling, the Earl of Kilmartin. Michael loves his cousin too much to admit how he feels about the future bride, so he locks those feelings inside and becomes her best friend instead. Francesca is unaware of Michael’s love for her. She marries the earl and becomes best buddies with her husbands’ heir. Their friendship is full of jokes, laughter, and long walks. Michael takes comfort in knowing that the two people he cares about most are happy, but in order to keep from wallowing in self-pity he becomes more of a rake than he was before; a subject that Francesca is ever so curious about.
All is well until one night while out on a walk with Michael, Francesca’s husband, John, dies in his sleep. Francesca and Michael are both overwhelmed with grief. She turns to Michael, her best friend, for support; but Michael is dealing with his own grief and guilt. Michael runs away to India to hide from Francesca, and from his responsibilities as the new Earl. When he returns four years later to take over the title, he realizes that his feelings for Francesca have not gone away. He knows that it is his duty to find a wife, but to make matters more complicated he has a secret ailment he must keep from public knowledge.
Francesca has spent the last four years managing the earldom for Michael, but they have not been in contact. When Michael returns, she realizes that she needs to get on with the rest of her life and starts to look for prospective husbands. This is the part of the book that is angst-ridden. The tug-of-war of emotions between the characters’ feelings of guilt, love and lust went on a tad to long for my liking. In the end, they do reconcile their emotions with their lives, but it took a while to get there.
Francesca and Michael’s story is atypical for Quinn. You have a heroine who was very much in love with her husband and until his death was very vibrant and full of life. After his death she grieved, changing her character and her personality. As a reader even I grieved for John; this alone sets this book apart. Both Francesca and Michael each individually dealt with the grief of losing John, Francesca by turning inward and Michael by running away and becoming a responsible man. Then after having dealt with the grief and finally moving on, they realize that they both want to be together which causes them both to have guilt about any relationship that they may have.
Quinn kicks up the sex a bit in this book, mostly because Michael was a rake and his skills in the bedroom far exceeded Francesca’s experience. The love scenes are not only spicy but quite poignant, since Michael and Francesca must deal with John’s ghost as well as their passion for each other.
The latest addition to the Bridgerton series, When He Was Wicked, is darker than the other entries in this series but holds its own and does well as a stand alone in the series. Francesca and Michael’s story is entertaining and different, and for those wondering if Quinn can do angst, the answer is “yes, and quite well.”
Grade: B
Book Type: Historical Romance
Sensuality: Hot
Review Date: 20/12/20
Publication Date: 2004
Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.
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I too love this book, and I especially love the epilogue – probably because I couldn’t have children but was lucky enough to adopt – I think Julia Quinn captures the heartbreak and joy so well.
It’s my favorite of all her epilogues.
This is Julia Quinn’s best book by a mile. DIK for sure!
This was my favourite book of the series when I first read it, and is the only one that I ever return to now.
Michael is such a wonderful MC and their relationship is so beautifully written.
Staggered that it only got a B!
Same here, Wendy – this is one of the best books in the series, IMO – it’s a DIK for me.
Ditto, it’s the only one I reread!
A go-to Quinn for me; this is marvelous and the relationship between the hero and heroine beautiful.
This isn’t my favorite Bridgerton but probably my second favorite. I wonder if the positions would jockey should I reread them.
This is one of my favourite books of the series (and one of my favourite JQs). I like the darker tone and the premise is still not used very often.
I’m a bit confused. The review says, “while out on a walk with Michael, Francesca’s husband, John, dies in his sleep”. Was he asleep or out walking when he died?
Oops! Fortunately (for me), this one was written way before my time as editor ;)
I read this when it was first released, and IIRC John, who is tired and not at all feeling well encourages his wife and cousin to go out for a walk, and while Francesca and Michael are out on that walk, John dies in his sleep.
This is my favorite of Quinn’s novels, and I really like her darker voice as an author. I am also though very drawn to unrequited love stories and this one is a solid one in that subgenre.
100% agree, Blackjack. This is definitely my favorite of hers.
This one is another Quinn I like–it’s definitely darker.