Q is for Quinn
I’m doing folklore and book review posts to reach and please a larger audience. Previous years have shown select interest in both and to minimise blogging throughout the year, I’m focusing my efforts on April.
Focusing on an A to Z of my TBR (to be read) list, each letter will have books starting with that letter on my list, a book I’ve read and reviewed (with the review!) and one of my books matching the letter with a link about more info about the book.
If you’d rather check out my folklore post for today, go here.
My TBR
About the Book I’ve Read
The Bridgerton family. I know, I’m a bit behind in reading and watching popular series, but I’m getting there 🙂
About the Book
The Duke and I (Bridgertons, #1) by Julia Quinn
In the ballrooms and drawing rooms of Regency London, rules abound. From their earliest days, children of aristocrats learn how to address an earl and curtsey before a prince—while other dictates of the ton are unspoken yet universally understood. A proper duke should be imperious and aloof. A young, marriageable lady should be amiable… but not too amiable.
Daphne Bridgerton has always failed at the latter. The fourth of eight siblings in her close-knit family, she has formed friendships with the most eligible young men in London. Everyone likes Daphne for her kindness and wit. But no one truly desires her. She is simply too deuced honest for that, too unwilling to play the romantic games that captivate gentlemen.
Amiability is not a characteristic shared by Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings. Recently returned to England from abroad, he intends to shun both marriage and society—just as his callous father shunned Simon throughout his painful childhood. Yet an encounter with his best friend’s sister offers another option. If Daphne agrees to a fake courtship, Simon can deter the mamas who parade their daughters before him. Daphne, meanwhile, will see her prospects and her reputation soar.
The plan works like a charm—at first. But amid the glittering, gossipy, cut-throat world of London’s elite, there is only one certainty: love ignores every rule…
Check it out on Goodreads.
My Review
So much fun to read. somewhere between The Mallory Family series and Gossip Girl, the Bridgertons are a boisterous family at the centre of this book and how the eldest daughter, Daphne, wants to get married, yet cannot find the right man. Simon, the eldest Bridgerton’s best friend, has no intention of ever getting married, but comes up with a good way to keep himself away from matchmaking mothers: pretend to court Daphne. This would make her much more interesting to the marriageable men of the ton.
And it works – until they fall in love.
A fun trope with loads of shenanigans. And Simon’s wound (the reason he won’t marry) just makes you want to hold him and tell him everything will be okay.
About the Book
The Viscount Who Loved Me (Bridgertons, #2) by Julia Quinn
1814 promises to be another eventful season, but not, this author believes, for Anthony Bridgerton, London’s most elusive bachelor, who has shown no indication that he plans to marry.
And in truth, why should he? When it comes to playing the consummate rake, nobody does it better…
—Lady Whistledown’s Society Papers, April 1814
But this time, the gossip columnists have it wrong. Anthony Bridgerton hasn’t just decided to marry—he’s even chosen a wife! The only obstacle is his intended’s older sister, Kate Sheffield—the most meddlesome woman ever to grace a London ballroom. The spirited schemer is driving Anthony mad with her determination to stop the betrothal, but when he closes his eyes at night, Kate is the woman haunting his increasingly erotic dreams…
Contrary to popular belief, Kate is quite sure that reformed rakes do not make the best husbands—and Anthony Bridgerton is the most wicked rogue of them all. Kate is determined to protect her sister—but she fears her own heart is vulnerable. And when Anthony’s lips touch hers, she’s suddenly afraid she might not be able to resist the reprehensible rake herself…
Check it out on Goodreads.
My Review
Lord Bridgerton has decided to get wed. He fixes on the belle of the season as she’s smart, pretty and in need of a rich husband. She’d do as the next Lady Bridgerton.
The only snag: her bossy, older sister.
Sparks fly from the moment Anthony and Kate meet. It’s a sweet enemies-to-friends-to-lovers romance. Anthony, to me, is a bit like Darcy (only he’s a rake instead of a condescending idiot).
A really fun regency romance with realistic characters and situations that leaves you with a fulfilling HEA.
About the Book
An Offer From a Gentleman (Bridgertons, #3) by Julia Quinn
Will she accept his offer before the clock strikes midnight?
Sophie Beckett never dreamed she’d be able to sneak into Lady Bridgerton’s famed masquerade ball—or that “Prince Charming” would be waiting there for her! Though the daughter of an earl, Sophie has been relegated to the role of servant by her disdainful stepmother. But now, spinning in the strong arms of the debonair and devastatingly handsome Benedict Bridgerton, she feels like royalty. Alas, she knows all enchantments must end when the clock strikes midnight.
Who was that extraordinary woman? Ever since that magical night, a radiant vision in silver has blinded Benedict to the attractions of any other—except, perhaps this alluring and oddly familiar beauty dressed in housemaid’s garb whom he feels compelled to rescue from a most disagreeable situation. He has sworn to find and wed his mystery miss, but this breathtaking maid makes him weak with wanting her. Yet, if he offers his heart, will Benedict sacrifice his only chance for a fairy tale love?
Check it out on Goodreads.
My Review
A Cinderella-esque tale involving the second Bridgerton brother and the illegitimate stepdaughter of a scheming countess. The countess (Araminta) is so mean, she doesn’t seem to be a real person. Sophie, her stepdaughter, is so downtrodden as a slave in Araminta’s household, it’s a wonder she had enough spark left to slip out to a masquerade ball where she meets Benedict Bridgerton.
The story picks up in part two when Sophie isn’t under her stepmother’s thumb and Benedict is out from under the shadow of his siblings. It’s funny and sweet.
Then the last quarter falls apart in rushed story, change in tone, unclear narrator and the obvious ending. And a weird remark by Lady Whistledown.
It’s an okay Regency romance. Araminta being a bit over the top as a villain nearly had me DNF, though.
Triggers: near rape, blasphemy.
About the Book
Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Bridgertons, #4) by Julia Quinn
Everyone knows that Colin Bridgerton is the most charming man in London. Penelope Featherington has secretly adored her best friend’s brother for…well, it feels like forever. After half a lifetime of watching Colin Bridgerton from afar, she thinks she knows everything about him, until she stumbles across his deepest secret…and fears she doesn’t know him at all.
Colin Bridgerton is tired of being thought nothing but an empty-headed charmer, tired of everyone’s preoccupation with the notorious gossip columnist Lady Whistledown, who can’t seem to publish an edition without mentioning him in the first paragraph. But when Colin returns to London from a trip abroad he discovers nothing in his life is quite the same – especially Penelope Featherington! The girl haunting his dreams. But when he discovers that Penelope has secrets of her own, this elusive bachelor must decide…is she his biggest threat – or his promise of a happy ending?
Check it out on Goodreads.
My Review
A fun friends-to-lovers romance with the ton on the hunt for the identity of Lady Whistledown as the season is so very dull and they need excitement.
I like Lady D and how she befriended Penelope. That cane of hers is more vicious than her tongue.
I liked that Colin finally started to see the real Penelope. But the unruly temper he started to display, like grabbing her arm and bruising it, was uncalled for. Possessiveness can be attractive, but temper tantrums aren’t.
The ending with all its twists and turns, fitting in with the ton’s obsession with Lady W, was fun to read.
About the Book
To Sir Phillip, With Love (Bridgertons, #5) by Julia Quinn
Sir Phillip knew from his correspondence with his dead wife’s distant cousin that Eloise Bridgerton was a spinster, and so he’d proposed, figuring that she’d be homely and unassuming, and more than a little desperate for an offer of marriage. Except . . . she wasn’t. The beautiful woman on his doorstep was anything but quiet, and when she stopped talking long enough to close her mouth, all he wanted to do was kiss her…
Eloise Bridgerton couldn’t marry a man she had never met! But then she started thinking… and wondering… and before she knew it, she was in a hired carriage in the middle of the night, on her way to meet the man she hoped might be her perfect match. Except… he wasn’t. Her perfect husband wouldn’t be so moody and ill-mannered. And he certainly should have mentioned that he had two young – and decidedly unruly – children, as much in need of a mother as Phillip is in need of a wife.
Check it out on Goodreads.
My Review
Probably my favourite Bridgerton novel. Maybe because the twins get up to so much mischief and Eloise knows how to reach them? Perhaps because her brothers all storm Phillip’s home to “rescue” her? I enjoyed the different tropes, how Eloise and Phillip grew from friends to lovers, and that Phillip has such an interest in botany.
It’s a fun read with enough of Eloise’s quirky notes that one (hardly) misses the way Lady Whistledown would break down the gossip of the ton. It’s also set somewhere in the country, so the change from the usual London setting was refreshing.
A fun friends-to-lovers Regency romance.
Triggers: Phillip’s first wife suffered from severe depression and commits suicide at the start of the book. His father had a terrible temper and beat his children with whatever was on hand. If major depression, suicide, or child abuse are triggers for you, you’ll find most of the book triggering as Phillip works through his mental scars.
About the Book
When He Was Wicked (Bridgertons, #6) by Julia Quinn
Everything was so much simpler… when he was wicked.
In every life there is a turning point. A moment so tremendous, so sharp and breathtaking, that one knows one’s life will never be the same. For Michael Stirling, London’s most infamous rake, that moment came the first time he laid eyes on Francesca Bridgerton.
After a lifetime of chasing women, of smiling slyly as they chased him, of allowing himself to be caught but never permitting his heart to become engaged, he took one look at Francesca Bridgerton and fell so fast and hard into love it was a wonder he managed to remain standing. Unfortunately for Michael, however, Francesca’s surname was to remain Bridgerton for only a mere thirty-six hours longer—the occasion of their meeting was, lamentably, a supper celebrating her imminent wedding to his cousin.
But that was then… Now Michael is the earl and Francesca is free, but still she thinks of him as nothing other than her dear friend and confidant. Michael dares not speak to her of his love… until one dangerous night, when she steps innocently into his arms, and passion proves stronger than even the most wicked of secrets…
Check it out on Goodreads.
My Review
Loads of telling, loads of Michael coveting his cousin’s wife (Francesca Bridgerton), and loads of weird and unnecessary religious remarks. I’m not feeling comfortable.
DNF 4%
About the Book
It’s in His Kiss (Bridgertons, #7) by Julia Quinn
IF IT’S IN HIS HEART… IT’S IN HIS KISS
MEET OUR HERO…
Gareth St. Clair is in a bind. His father, who detests him, is determined to beggar the St. Clair estates and ruin his inheritance. Gareth’s sole bequest is an old family diary, which may or may not contain the secrets of his past… and the key to his future. The problem is—it’s written in Italian, of which Gareth speaks not a word.
MEET OUR HEROINE…
All the ton agreed: there was no one quite like Hyacinth Bridgerton. She’s fiendishly smart, devilishly outspoken, and according to Gareth, probably best in small doses. But there’s something about her—something charming and vexing—that grabs him and won’t quite let go…
MEET POOR MR. MOZART…
Or don’t. But rest assured, he’s spinning in his grave when Gareth and Hyacinth cross paths at the annual—and annually discordant—Smythe-Smith musicale. To Hyacinth, Gareth’s every word seems a dare, and she offers to translate his diary, even though her Italian is slightly less than perfect. But as they delve into the mysterious text, they discover that the answers they seek lie not in the diary, but in each other… and that there is nothing as simple—or as complicated—as a single, perfect kiss.
Check it out on Goodreads.
My Review
The weird chapter openings felt like what one would expect in a screenplay… I wasn’t impressed.
I enjoyed Hyacinth and Gareth’s exploits to find the jewels – and would’ve preferred if she’d found them instead of how it unfolds in the epilogue.
It’s a wonder, and perhaps slightly unrealistic, that they had to wait months to get married but didn’t conceive earlier the way they were carrying on… Most of the others had quick weddings even when nothing untoward had happened.
Though I liked Hyacinth and Gareth’s story, there was a little something missing that made it feel like a real Regency romance. Lady D was awesome, as always. Perhaps all the telling in italics opening chapters and ending the book took away some of the magic…
About the Book
On the Way to the Wedding (Bridgertons, #8) by Julia Quinn
A funny thing happened…
Unlike most men of his acquaintance, Gregory Bridgerton believes in true love. And he is convinced that when he finds the woman of his dreams, he will know in an instant that she is the one. And that is exactly what happened. Except…
She wasn’t the one. In fact, the ravishing Miss Hermione Watson is in love with another. But her best friend, the ever-practical Lady Lucinda Abernathy, wants to save Hermione from a disastrous alliance, so she offers to help Gregory win her over. But in the process, Lucy falls in love. With Gregory! Except…
Lucy is engaged. And her uncle is not inclined to let her back out of the betrothal, even once Gregory comes to his senses and realizes that it is Lucy, with her sharp wit and sunny smile, who makes his heart sing. And now, on the way to the wedding, Gregory must risk everything to ensure that when it comes time to kiss the bride, he is the only man standing at the altar…
Check it out on Goodreads.
My Review
Not my favourite trope (interrupting weddings) and not well introduced.
DNF 3%
My Book
Once and Future Queen (Faery Tales #10)
I hope you enjoyed this. For more books I’ve read and reviewed, check out either my Pinterest board about reviews or my Goodreads profile. Alternatively, you can check out my reviews on BookBub. Have you read any of the books? Loved or hated any of them?
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*FYI, my reviews are my honest opinion and if something bothers me, I tell it straight. How else will anything change? My opinions are based on being a voracious reader and book buyer, not an attack on the author.*