Book review of The Viscount who Loved Me by Julia Quinn, an historical romance novel set primarily in regency London.
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Synopsis
Kate Sheffield is determined to protect her younger sister, Edwina, from society’s rakes while they are in London for the season. This creates quite a problem for Anthony Bridgerton, who has decided that it’s time he found a wife. Edwina fits his requirements, so he pursues her.
As the sisters get to know Anthony, Kate realises that Anthony isn’t as terrible as she had thought. But just as she removes her objection to Anthony courting Edwina, Kate and Anthony are found in a compromising situation involving a bee.
Their ensuing marriage works out well, until Anthony realises he might be falling in love with Kate. Because of his certainty that he will die sometime in the following nine years, this terrifies him. Can he and Kate defeat their demons? Will they be able to love each other freely?
Review
The Viscount who Loved Me is the second of Julia Quinn’s books about the Bridgerton siblings. It tells the story of how Anthony, the eldest Bridgerton, finds love and marries the next viscountess.
I liked how Kate isn’t the ravishing beauty who is the typical heroine in romance novels. She has an inner beauty that Anthony eventually recognises, but she is always compared to the more fashionably beautiful Edwina. It’s such a refreshing change from the norm.
Kate is brilliant. She is intelligent, has a sharp wit, and cares for others. When Anthony is less than perfectly polite, Kate doesn’t hold back from being rude right back. And the way she delights in Anthony’s discomfort is hilarious.
I also loved the relationship between Mary and Kate. They have a really strong bond and I might have forgotten they weren’t mother and daughter if it wasn’t mentioned so much. Mary is so unlike the stereotypical evil stepmother I just had to like her.
My favourite scene has to be the scene where they all play Pall Mall. It showed Anthony’s devotion to his family and further built his relationship with Kate. Before this, Anthony was difficult to like (not great for a romance hero); his views on marriage and how he treated Kate were so annoying. I also loved the glimpse of Daphne and Simon, the protagonists from the first book in the series (The Duke and I).
The Viscount who Loved Me is full of hilarious dialogues. Anthony and Kate have the best banter. They also exchange veiled insults and share tender moments. It was such fun to read.
Unfortunately, the steamy and tension-filled scenes between Anthony and Kate became a bit lukewarm towards the end of the book. Their banter is no longer fun and light, but grows serious.
Conclusion
Have you read The Viscount who Love Me? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.
If you haven’t, you can buy it at Book Depository (they have free international shipping!) or Waterstones (free delivery on UK orders over £25, will ship internationally).
