When He Was Wicked (Bridgertons #6) by Julia Quinn

Summary (from the publisher): 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 . . .

Review: After years of chasing women, Michael Stirling fell in love with Francesca Bridgerton at first sight. Unfortunately, Francesca was engaged to his cousin John. For years, he stifled his feelings and remained good friends with John and became close friends with Francesca. But that all changed when John died, leaving Michael to inherit the family title of Earl and Francesca free to remarry. But can the two move past their grief for John and the feeling that they are betraying him by moving on and into each other's arms?

I loved this installment of the Bridgertons! Possibly my favorite book in the series yet. Not only was it steamy (naturally) but I really liked both Francesca and Michael. I particularly liked that a lot of the novel is from Michael's perspective and I also enjoyed the back story of them being best friends first and feeling conflicted over their relationship because of their shared love for Francesca's first husband. I also felt like Francesca and Michael were relatively well fleshed out characters with believable backstories and good depth. 

Of course, being the Bridgertons, some suspension of disbelief is necessary, such as them spending weeks alone in the countryside together since they are unmarried and the servants discreetly ignoring their love affair etc. It also seemed surprising it took so long for the suggestion that they marry would be brought up; it seemed a natural next step since they were already close and she was left a widow and he was unmarried and inherited the title. 

All in all, an excellent addition to this series. I loved Francesca and Michael's love story and was rooting for them from the start. After disappointment with Eloise's love story in the last book, this was a most welcome breath of fresh air and a very entertaining read. 

Stars: 4

Related Titles: 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts