Ten Things I Love About You [Mass Market Paperback]

Julia Quinn (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 25, 2010

“Delightful.”

—Nora Roberts

 

A perennial New York Times bestselling author, whose books have reached as high as #1, Julia Quinn returns with Ten Things I Love About You, another clever, witty, and delightful historical romance. Author Jill Barnett calls the incomparable Quinn, “Truly our contemporary Jane Austen,” Time magazine says her books are, “Smart, funny”—and this absolutely delicious tale of a beautiful country girl equally desired by an aging lecherous lord and his handsome rogue of a nephew is further proof that, “1. [Quinn’s] characters are engaging, fun, and witty. 2. [Her] dialogue is engaging, fun and witty” (Orlando Sentinel).

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Ten Things You Should Know About This Book

1. Sebastian Grey is a devilishly handsome rogue with a secret.

2. Annabel Winslow's family voted her The Winslow Most Likely to Speak Her Mind and The Winslow Most Likely to Fall Asleep in Church.

3. Sebastian's uncle is the Earl of Newbury, and if he dies without siring an heir, Sebastian inherits everything.

4. Lord Newbury detests Sebastian and will stop at nothing to prevent this from happening.

5. Lord Newbury has decided that Annabel is the answer to all of his problems.

6. Annabel does not want to marry Lord Newbury, especially when she finds out he once romanced her grandmother.

7 is shocking, 8 is delicious, and 9 is downright wicked, all of which lead the way to

10. Happily. Ever. After.

About the Author

A New York Times bestselling author of twenty-two novels for Avon Books, Julia Quinn is a graduate of Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges and lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest.

New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James is a professor of English literature who lives with her family in New York but can sometimes be found in Italy.

Connie Brockway, the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-two books, is an eight-time finalist and two-time winner of the RITA® Award. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and two spoiled mutts.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon (May 25, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061491896
• ISBN-13: 978-0061491894
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (104 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #268,497 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Julia Quinn started writing her first book one month after finishing college and has been tapping away at her keyboard ever since.

The New York Times bestselling author of nineteen novels for Avon Books, she is a graduate of Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges and lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#16 in Books > Romance > Historical

#21 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Romance > Historical Romance

#16 in Books > Romance > Historical

#21 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Romance > Historical Romance

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

68 of 74 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as satisfying as her other books June 1, 2010

By C. Young

Format:Mass Market Paperback

This is not one of Julia Quinn's best works. Her trademarks - the subtle humor and likable protagnonists - are still there, which made this book a pleasant read. But readers are unlikely to remember this book a couple of weeks after they've read it nor will they be likely talk about it years after it has been published like they do the Bridgerton series.

At the start of the book, Annabel Winslow is in a pickle. Having newly arrived in London for her first season and being in possession of a voluptuous figure, is being openly courted the the Earl of Newbury, who is at least 75 and a nasty brute to boot. Annabel does not want to marry him, of course, but feels that she has no choice since her father has recently died and left the whole family, includeing Annabel's mother her 7 siblings, almost destitute. Then, while attending a party in the countryside, Annabel met Sebastien Grey, the Earl of Newbury's nephew. And suddenly she found herself not only courted by the lecherous uncle, but also the charming young nephew. Should she follow her heart so that she can be with the one she loves, or should she marry the loathsome earl just so she can put food on the table for her family and make sure that her brothers get to stay in school?

Once again, as with all of Julia Quinn's books, the book's strength lies in its protagonists. Both Annabel and Sebastien are very likable people, with a lively sense of humor. Annabel, in particular, manages to retain her sense of humor and not to become a martyr or doormat even when faced with the prospect of marrying a man she absolutely loathed. Sebastien, on the other hand, is the kind of beta-hero Juali Quinn has become a master at creating - charming, carefree, but not afraid to get his hands dirty when somone he loves becomes threatened.... Annabela and Sebastien made a wonderful pair and the chemistry between them is palpable.

Despite the likable protagonists, my quibble with this book is the same ones I have with the previous book in the series, What Happens in London. Julia Quinn's books have always been light-hearted. But with the best of her previous books, even at its most light-hearted there is poignancy to her stories that made the happy ending all the more emotionally satisfying. This has been conspicuously absent from her last 2 books. Even a lot of the humor seem to fall flat and felt forced. There's also a lot of backstory that was left unexplored that could have made a book a little meatier, instead of the fluff that it is. For example, it is mentioned a couple of times in the book the Sebastien suffers from insomnia due to his war time experience, but that was mostly left unexplored. So what was the point of including it in the first place?

So while this book was a pleasant way to while a way a couple of hours, it's not one of her best. And if you have never read Julia Quinn before, I wouldn't recommend that you start here. Read more ›

70 of 85 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars 10 things to dislike about this book June 15, 2010

By booklover

Format:Mass Market Paperback

1. The cutesy title should have told me that the
2. the nauseatingly overlong, obnoxious lists coupled with
3. the lack of a gripping plot and
4. characters that are 'nice', but not memorable would have served to forewarn me about
5. the failure of the author to measure up to her previous body of work, especially the early Bridgertons.

Then I would have realized that

7. the book would be a waste of time
8. and that I would forget it quickly, which explains why
9. this is such a difficult review to write as I
10.can't remember much about it!!

38 of 46 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Return of Julia May 26, 2010

By CK VINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I actually have to say that even though I loved her books, her newer ones were not my favorites. This book has captured everything Julia Quinn--her humor, wittiness, charming heroes, and likable, strong heroines. She brought back cameo's of some of her characters from other books which gave the feeling of a nice high school reunion. LOVE the book, and I can't wait for her next book to come out.

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed reading it all night, forgot the plot and characters by morning May 26, 2010

By NYromancereader

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I stayed up til midnight reading "Ten Things" last night. This morning, preparing to write this review, I realized I couldn't remember the characters' names, the main plot or much of anything else besides smiling at the dialogue and the unfolding relationship of the hero and heroine.

Julia Quinn writes (aside from the rare clunker) lovely, witty books that percolate along, delighting the reader with the characters' warmth and repartee. She even proved (in "When He was Wicked") that she can handle heavy issues as well.

"Ten Things" is a nice little bonbon, but it doesn't have the same depth as some of her best Bridgerton books. It was nice to see that Sebastian wasn't just the shallow (if charming) ne-er-do-well he appeared to be in the last book and the revelation of his secret life was a genuine surprise, but I'm disappointed Ms. Quinn didn't more fully explore his war-related PTSD (as I said above, she's certainly more than capable of pulling it off). Ditto Annabel--she was poor and desperate, but I thought Ms. Quinn would have been able to make Annabel's dilemma even more claustrophobic and heart-wrenching without resorting to a caricature villain--gross, selfish, and w/o a shred of humanity.

That said, I *did* have fun reading it, though I skipped the climactic (if you'll pardon the pun) love/sex scene at the end so I could go to sleep, which says something about my lack of engagement with the characters. And a 3-star Julia Quinn book is still head-and-shoulders above the average romance novel.

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Light and delicious May 27, 2010

By R. Stickley

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This story is absolutely delightful! These protagonists do not instantly fall in love, but they do have an immediate mutual attraction. She is in a fix; as the eldest child she must marry well in order to provide for her impoverished widowed mother and seven younger siblings. The only candidate is a good friend and contemporary of her grandparents, who wants her only for her likely fertility and child-bearing qualities. She is revolted, but knows her duty and intends to do it.

Here are a few pertinent facts about Sebastian Grey: 1) he suffers horribly from insomnia, 2) he was a sniper during the late Napoleonic Wars, 3) he and his uncle loathe one another 4) he is his uncle's apparent heir, since the unexpected death of his cousin, 5) he is charming and beautiful, 6) he really likes women, and has been involved with many--the negative side of this never, ever enters our lovely story, 7) he is a man of honor, though this is not generally known, 8) he has a secret, 9) well, this one would be a spoiler, and 10) though he doesn't know it at first, he has met his soul mate.

This story is light, humorous, highly engaging, and very well done.