Rating: 
Summary: Missed the mark
Review: The first book that I read in the Bridgerton series was "To Sir Phillip, With Love." This is actually the fifth book in the series, but I absolutely loved this book so I went out and bought the others. I was anxiously awaiting the release of Francesca's book. And I was really enjoying it until Michael finally made his feelings known to Francesca. Then in completely fell apart.
I was willing to believe that he fell in love with her on sight. She had something about her that captivated him. I felt his anguish while he loved her from afar, and the pain of losing his cousin. I understood his reasoning for traveling for four years. Finally he comes back and he is more in love with her than ever. And now she is starting to see him in another light. Then he kisses her, admits his feelings, and she runs to Scotland because she is overwhelmed by it all. I totally bought into it. It was great. Then he happens to bump into Colin, and Colin says that Michael should just marry Francesca. And do you know what Michael thinks? "I never thought of that." WHAT?!! You have been in love with this woman for years and it never crossed your mind, especially in the years that she has been widowed, that you could marry Francesca?! I realize that his character was such that he felt like he would be betraying his cousin to ever make a move on Francesca, but we are to believe he never thought of a happy, perfect reality where they could be together. PLEASE! And if you have ever read any of the other Bridgerton books, what's with Colin always being the person to make a simple statement that somehow make a super-complicated situation so simple? "Tell your wife you love her" (The Viscount who Loved Me), "Tell her you love her" (An Offer From A Gentleman) and "Why don't you marry Francesca" (When He Was Wicked). After these conversation with Colin, the men finally realize what they want and go after it. Maybe it's just me, but Colin does not come off as that perceptive. So instead of being clever, this just seems to be lack of creativity on the author's part. But I digress. So Michael follows Francesca to Scotland and decides to make her a "slave to her passion" (my statement) and seduce her until she gives in and marries him. And after a long, drawn-out, painful journey (for the reader) it works! Up until this point Francesca is presented as being intelligent and sophisticated. (I also did not see the wit or humor she was suppossed to possess, but, again, I was willing to buy into it.) She was a mature, experienced woman who had known the joys of being married to her best friend and the happiness that it brings. She was not some young, quivering virgin who didn't know anything about relationships. But all of the sudden that is how she comes off. The last 100 pages of this book consist of her whining about her feelings. Does she marry Michael or not? After a while you don't care.
My final issue with this book - why in the heck did Julia Quinn try to set this book in the same time frame as "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton"? Francesca is barely mentioned in that book. Now all of sudden she was acutally present in London almost the entire time? Huh? I think it was insulting to the reader's intelligence to try and pull that one off. Why not move it ahead a few months and have in take place in London while Eloise is in the midst of her romance in the country. That I would have believed. All of Eloise's story takes place outside of London, with barely any mention of city life. There seemed to be no logical explanation why this book had to be set in the time frame that it was. Oh, maybe it was set during Colin's book so Michael had an excuse to go to follow Francesca to Scotland (he took it upon himself to tell Francesca that Colin had moved up his wedding). Ms. Quinn couldn't have found any other reason to send Michael to Scotland. Business with the estate, perhaps? He was the Earl of Kilmartin for crying out loud. He would have responsibilities. Wouldn't he?
All in all , I do like the Bridgerton's, I feel like I know these characters, and I am waiting for the next installment. This book is the weakest in the series (Colin's is not far behind). I gave this book 1 star for making me think it could become the best Bridgerton book. Instead it ended on a very disappointing note.
Rating: 
Summary: Review of When He Was Wicked, Julia Quinn
Review: This is great book. I've read it twice and was just as interested in it the second time I read it. Michael Stirling is a great character. This is a great addition to the Bridgerton series.
Rating:
Summary: Great character driven romance!
Review: This is the first Quinn book in a long time that I could not put down! Compelling characters wrestling with significant personal issues - no mystery sub-plot or stereotype villains to get in the way of a wonderful romance!Michael Stirling and John, Earl of Kilmartin are first cousins - their fathers were twins. They have been raised almost as brothers because Michael's father dies when he was very young. They were not only raised "as brothers" they have a very strong and deep bond of friendship. Michael has never envied his younger cousin, even though (given the inheritance laws of the period) John has a title and fabulous wealth and Michael is son to a younger son and is destined for a career in the army. That is, Michael has never envied John anything until he meets Francesca Bridgerton and falls instantly in love with her - because she is John's fiancée and will be his wife in a day and a half! The book begins by giving us a glimpse of John and Francesca's extremely happy married life and their mutual friendship with Michael; we also get some insight into his strategy for keeping John and Francesca in ignorance of his feelings (his Merry Rake persona). Quinn makes us really care about John so that when he dies very suddenly we can feel the depth of Francesca's grief and Michael's difficulty in offering her comfort. Far more effective than just reporting something that happens about 4 years before the main part of the book begins. Overwhelmed by grief and guilt Michael takes himself off to India for four years, allowing Francesca to run the estate. Finally Michael returns from India - still very much in love with Francesca, and still convinced that there is something basically "wrong" or "immoral" in courting her himself when she announces that she wants to remarry; it would be a betrayal of his regard for John. These feelings of guilt on both Michael's and Francesca's part are what keeps them from a happy future together and the main body of the book is a tour-de-force of character development as we watch both of them work through their grief to acceptance and peace. All I can say is WOW! The Publisher's Weekly review states that the book is "weighed down" by the grief of the two protagonists. I do not agree! Without the need to work through the grieving process there wouldn't be any tension or barriers to overcome - this is the whole meat of the book! You don't have to be a fan of Quinn's Bridgerton series to love this book, in fact maybe it's better if you are not, then you won't have all these high expectations of what Francesca's character is supposed to be like....
Rating: 
Summary: Touching
Review: This one is different than the others and I really enjoyed it. JQ has added more depth to her characters and it shows in her writing. Michael and Francesca are wonderful characters, even though I felt Francesca was a little too stubborn. Michael's character was touching and portrayed appropriately. I did not think this was book was depressing at all because it was written very well. The respect JQ displayed for the grieving period was superb and timely...
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