Julia Quinn Roundup

I've been reading over the past week or so but with no desire to record anything at all. I continued to love Julia Quinn's fabulous Bridgerton series and made it to Book #8 as quite a happy reader. I love that each book (as each Bridgerton) was unique and different but at the same type reliably entertaining with a satisfying happy ending. Reading these books brought out my inner BSC fangirl. Just like I knew I could trust Ann M. Martin's comforting consistency, I loved knowing what to expect in terms of the setting and background characters in these stories. And I continue to adore the pretty UK covers which have been arriving in my mailbox one at a time over the past few days. I'm just sad that there are no more Bridgertons left to read about.

Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, Julia Quinn

On the sixth of April, in the year 1812 - precisely two days before her sixteenth birthday - Penelope Featherington fell in love. But Colin Bridgerton certainly didn't fall in love with her in 1812 (and not in 1813, 1814, 1815, or - oh blast, not in all the years 1816-1822, either, and certainly not in 1823, when he was out of the country the whole time, anyway..' 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 of as 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?

This book is completely awesome. And I am completely serious. It is my new favorite Julia Quinn title. I loved everything about this one. And of all the adorable UK covers this is my favorite. I love the expression on Penelope's face and her cute red hair. Lady Whistledown's gossip paper has been one of my favorite elements to these books so the plot in this one made me so ridiculously happy. Penelope is such a likable character and after hearing her described as an overripe citrus fruit for the past 3 books you are definitely  going to be rooting for her from the first page. And after the whole overhearing Colin swear he would never marry her debacle in the last book I couldn't handle the suspense of wondering how this one would go. And happily I loved it!

As much as I love the happy ending I think the prologue is my favorite part- it is just perfectly written. I also loved Lady Danbury saying this, "Isn't it nice to discover that we're not exactly what we thought we were."
I also appreciated this from the last page, "happy endings are all I can do, I wouldn't know how to write anything else." I think that's why I've been enjoying Julia Quinn's books so much... in the end when I'm reading for stress relief (which I almost always am lately) I want a story that is funny and romantic with a little suspense but a lot of happy ending.

What I did not love and I find truly bizarre is the ordeal I went through to get my  hands on this book. I am on the waiting list at the library even though I currently have every other Julia Quinn title checked out... someone out there is probably irritated that I have them all but they were keeping me from reading more Bridgertons since I am compulsive and want to read things in their proper order! I gave up on the library and went to two separate bookstores on Saturday. Both had every other Bridgerton book but this one... then I called (I can't lie to my one reader- I had my unembarrassable sister call for me) bookstores to no avail. Finally I gave in and just ordered my own copies of the Bridgerton books but me being me I wanted the pretty UK covers so I ordered them from England, making my wait even longer.

Today was a trying day so I decided I could be wasteful and buy an American copy with its icky cover anyway except it is still out of stock everywhere. At that point I tried to order an ebook from the Harper Collins ebook store. Credit card in hand, ready to purchase, only to find out their ebook store is closed for maintenance. That is when I got really mad. Finally I was able to calm down when I realized I could buy it from the kindle store and read it while gaining eye strain since I don't have an ereader. I realize this book buying saga is longer than my thoughts on the book but I was (and still am a little bit!) mad! It should not be that hard to buy a book. I will say that this book definitely lived up to my expectations!

The Viscount Who Loved Me, Julia Quinn

Anthony Bridgerton needs a wife. Having spent his twenties in a rakish pursuit of pleasure (whilst taking care to ensure the financial security of his mother and seven younger siblings and mother) he knows it’s high time he settled down and ensured the continuation of the Bridgerton line.

Edwina Sheffield is considered the most beautiful debutante of the current season. She is also sweet, innocent and eminently biddable - Anthony is sure she’ll make a perfectly acceptable wife and vows to make her his.

The only obstacle in his way is Edwina’s older sister, Kate. Kate is determined to do all she can to allow her sister the chance to marry for love rather than convenience. And the roguish viscount is beginning to think he may have met his match in Kate’s keen wit and sharp tongue. Until, that is, he makes the mistake of kissing her…

This is the next book in the Bridgerton family series and it might just be my favorite of all the Julia Quinn books I have read so far! This one was really sweet and poignant but not so angsty or sad that it made my stomach hurt. I loved Kate and Anthony's conversations which were more like fights but very entertaining fights. The characters in this book were so well written and believable. I have really enjoyed all of these books and liked the characters but something about these two just seemed more real to me. I wish there was more to read! Hopefully they will feature in some of the other books. I loved Daphne coming back to play Pall Mall in this one.

Millie's Fling, Jill Mansell

When Millie Brady saves Orla Hart's life she doesn't realise how drastically it will change her own – not least because the boyfriend who was asking her to move in with him at the time stormed off in a huff. Actually, Millie's relieved. She's happy to enjoy a man-free summer in Cornwall. But Orla has other ideas. She's determined that Millie should meet the man of her dreams. Trouble is, Millie's taste in men doesn't tally with Orla's. The one who really interests her is Hugh Emerson, and he's the man with whom Orla's adamant she mustn't get involved...

I am so happy when things like this happen: I bought this book in a moment of weakness based on the glittery cover art. I knew nothing about it. Sometimes that leads to serious disappointment but in this case I ended up loving the book. Hooray for glitter not leading me astray!

This story was fun to read but not idiotic. It was light but not ridiculous. It is the best kind of chick lit. I literally LOL'd several times. I loved Hugh & Millie as well as the supporting characters. Hester's experience at the spa is exactly why I don't want to go to spas! It totally reminded me of this (except what happened to Hester might be slightly more mortifying!). Scroll to 1:56



And I learned about another UK candy courtesy of this description:

"Perched on one arm of the wooden garden seat, wearing a pink dress and hugging her knees, was a girl in her late teens with glossy waist-length hair the color of caramel, plenty of orange lipstick painted on her mouth, and a look of adoration in her eyes. It was the kind of look you saw a lot on the faces of the audience at a Tom Jones concert. Sort of dazed and gooey, like a half-chewed Jelly Baby" (p.150)

And this made me laugh:

"I love all this," Orla declared, "its so real and down-to-earth! No glitz, no glamour, no celebrities, just ordinary people living mundane lives, wearing chainstore clothes, and cheap shoes..." (p.156)

I am really looking forward to reading another of Jill Mansell's books!

Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys, Kate Brian

Boys. 7 of them, to be exact.

Megan is used to moving from place to place -- it's typical for an army brat. But she drew the line at South Korea. She insists on staying in the States to finish her last two years of high school. So her parents made arrangements for Megan to live with their friends, the McGowans...and the McGowans' 7 sons.

Turns out, living with 7 boys might as well be a foreign country! The boys are messy. They are cliquey (who knew?). And worst of all, two of the oldest boys are H-O-T. (A problem considering they are supposed to be Megan's "brothers.") Megan is definitely in enemy territory. She needs to win over the boys' hearts without totally crushing her own.

And when Megan starts falling for one of them, sibling rivalry takes on a whole new meaning....

What is a girl to do?

This book was so cute! I went in with appropriately low expectations and was so pleasantly surprised to be reading fluff of the highest quality. I consider myself to be a teen fluff connoisseur and this book definitely met my standards.

It fulfilled all my fluff requirements: likable main girl, plethora of cute boys, & a plot with a non-stressful amount of romantic tension & escapism followed by a happy ending. All these elements combined to help me forget my horrifying week back in first grade hell. I might be purchasing this one for further de-stressing purposes.

And I've got my fingers crossed for a sequel!