Customer Reviews

Ten Things I Love About You

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

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.

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!!

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.

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.

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.

Annabel Winslow is the eldest of eight children, daughter to a disgraced Ton darling who married a small-time Gloucestershire countryman (and is now widowed). It all falls to Annabel to save her family from the poor house, and she is quickly shepherded off to London for her first season of husband-hunting. Luckily for Annabel she (and her wide hips) have caught the eye of Lord Newbury. He is a friend of her grandparents. Her grandparents! She looks set to marry a man three times her age, but who can save her and her family from destitution.
If only she hadn't stumbled upon Sebastian Grey on Hampstead Heath. If only Sebastian wasn't Lord Newbury's hated nephew. If only Annabel hadn't liked kissing Sebastian quite so much.

This is the third book in Julia Quinn's `Bevelstoke' series. The first book was `The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever', and the second book was `What Happens in London'.

It is from that second book that the hero of '10 things' is derived. Sebastian Grey was best friend and cousin to the male protagonist of `What Happens' and he absolutely stole the show in that book. Sebastian was wholly funny and charming - at one point completely stealing the limelight when he dramatised a scene from a gothic novel that had the housemaids crying and a Russian prince applauding. I could not wait to read his HEA because he so captivated me in `What Happens in London'.

Sadly, I was disappointed in Sebastian's book. I liked it, I didn't love it.

My first complaint had to do with Annabel and Sebastian's first meeting. The all important first meeting between a romance novel hero and heroine is crucial; it sets the tone for the whole romance and is the igniting factor for the characters interest, and the readers interest in the characters.

Annabel literally stumbles across Sebastian Grey in the dark of Hampstead Heath. Both of them are attending a Ton party, which Annbel promptly escapes from in order to avoid Lord Newbury's groping hands. When she falls over him, Sebastian is sprawled out on a picnic blanket having just completed an interlude with a married Ton woman.
It sounds seedier than it is - Sebastian is fully clothed and the Ton woman long since departed when Annabel finds him. But still, this first meeting annoyed me. Sebastian can tell straight away that Annabel is a virgin, and he revels in scandalizing her and admitting that he was having a romp with a married woman. Regardless, Annabel still finds him charming.
I don't think this is the most romantic way for a couple to have their first meeting. I just imagined Annabel telling her children one day how she first met their father - "oh, he'd just finished having a roll on the Heath with a married matron." Ick.

And it doubly annoyed me that Quinn built Sebastian up to be such a rake, but when he meets Annabel he (and she) promptly forget his previous liaisons. Urgh. I really hate when regency romance writers do this - they try so hard to make a scandalous character, but the second he falls in love all past indiscretions are forgiven and forgotten. Not even Annabel (who stumbled across first-hand evidence of Sebastian's rakishness) again mentions his womanizing and cavorting - not even to insist that he desist once they are married.

I really love Sebastian, and couldn't wait to read his HEA. But I think I preferred him in 'What Happens in London'. In '10 things' he just feels a bit muddled. There's a side-story about Sebastian having been in the war, and perhaps dealing with some post-traumatic stress from his experiences. But this storyline (which could have been the central plot of the book, IMO) didn't really pan out - it felt like a sloppy afterthought that was never properly executed or fleshed out by Quinn. A shame, really, because it could have added a whole new dimension to Sebastian's character.

I didn't particularly like the Newbury/Annabel/Sebastian `love triangle' plot. It's all very convoluted, but I never for one second thought that Newbury was really a threat to Annabel and Sebastian's love. At the end it just seemed like a lot of effort was put into a plot that I never really put much stock into.

One such reason the Newbury plot didn't work for me was Annabel's unconvincing dire circumstances. Much is made of the fact that Annabel's family is fatherless and supporting eight children. But we never read any scenes of Annabel's home life. She talks about them, sometimes, but because I never read a scene describing Annabel's struggling home life I found it hard to have much sympathy for her plight.

Harry and Olivia from `What Happens in London' do make lengthy guest appearances - but I wish they hadn't. Olivia is fine, funny as usual, but I had a real problem with Harry in this book. I loved him in `What Happens', he was a wonderfully romantic Beta hero - but in '10 things' he just comes across as a disinterested, absentee husband to Olivia. In the scenes Harry is in he's reading the paper, seemingly ignoring his wife. Olivia goes on strolls with Sebastian because Harry is too busy with his translations to take his wife out. I really wish Quinn hadn't written them at all because it almost taints their book.

I will also say that '10 things' elicits a few chuckles. One scene involving Annabel's somewhat slutty grandmother, her wandering hands, and Sebastian is quite `laugh out loud' funny.

I was really looking forward to this book because I loved Sebastian's appearance in `What Happens in London'. Unfortunately Julia Quinn didn't meet my expectations. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for a regency romance, or maybe my expectations were *too* high, but I found some faults with '10 Things I Love About You'. It's a shame, because the first two books in Quinn's `Bevelstoke' series are absolute favourites of mine.

Annabel Winslow is in the midst of her debut in London and there couldn't be a better time for it. Since the death of her father, a country gentleman, her large family has become increasingly less financially stable. Now her brothers are on the verge of having to leave school and her sisters have already lost their governess. However, her noble grandparents have deigned to take her under their wings, despite the fact that they had disowned her mother twenty years prior for marrying down. Lord and Lady Vickers, Annabel's grandparents, aren't a patient pair and they have pretty much zero faith in Annabel's ability to attract a suitor. They've decided to take the matter of her marriage into their own hands and have all but accepted a proposal from a desperate widower friend, the disgusting Lord Newbury. Annabel struggles with whether or not to go ahead with the marriage and, to add to the difficulty of her decision, she happens to meet and develop feelings for Newbury's handsome nephew and heir presumptive, Sebastian Grey. Of course, Sebastian has no idea who Annabel is. Hijinks ensue.

Going into this read, I definitely had high expectations. That has often proven to not be a good thing for me when picking up a book but, alas, it was unavoidable. I've read five books in Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series and, though I have my favorites, I have enjoyed them all. Don't get me wrong - Ten Things I love About You is a cute romantic comedy of a Regency. There are some great moments and memorable characters (unfortunately they happen to be the more detestable ones and not the hero and heroine). I even thought the whole "I count in tens too" bit was cute. The romance between Annabel and Sebastian was sweet, if a bit too condensed for my tastes. Overall, I had a really great time reading this one. All of the following minor quibbles are just that - MINOR QUIBBLES.

Sebastian is a charming, rakish fellow. He has a good sense of humor and contributes to a lot of the story's more amusing moments. I especially like his good humor where a certain author, Sara Gorely, is concerned. **MINOR SPOILER** See, since his return from war, he has suffered from insomnia among other issues. The career that he has developed as a gothic romance novelist (Gorely) has helped him some, but he still struggles. **END SPOILER** He has cultivated a reputation as a carefree, but pleasant, rogue in order to hide his more deep-thinking writer-ish nature. Obviously the heroine sees right through this ruse where no one, not even his family, could. Aside from the random way that she jibes mentally with Sebastian (despite a 10+ year age gap), Annabel did not seem to have much of a personality. She is a character defined too much by others. Her feelings of obligation to her family and her longing for Sebastian are, pretty much, the only defining characteristics given to Annabel during the course of the story. I think that had Quinn's novel been a bit longer, this issue wouldn't exist. Of the five novels of her's that I've read prior to Ten Things there was no lack of character development in any of her heroes or heroines. If Ten Things had been longer, the problem could have been avoided. We don't get the opportunity to really know the characters as we should (especially Annabel) and their romance seemed to progress too quickly.

I also believe that Sebastian's residual issues with the war and its affects on his sleep were too easily glossed over in the end. Annabel supposedly helped him with this but, aside from recognizing the troubles behind the charm and asking a couple questions, I didn't see how she helped enough. In fact, after the declarations of love and resolution of the main conflict, Sebastian's issues seemed to disappear in their entirety.

Despite my quibbles with the story, it remains an enjoyable one. Julia Quinn has a knack for writing great feel-good romances. The story definitely had its funny moments and lines, especially whenever Lady Vickers was in the scene. Could it have been more? Sure, but any Julia Quinn book is a great read. Plus, I only wish the best books are longer.

Side note: This book contains characters from the previous Quinn novels, The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever and What Happens in London. I haven't read them yet and I didn't feel like it hurt my understanding any. That said, I might have enjoyed it more if I was returning to characters I loved in a previous read.

We are born with some understanding of where we place in the general rankings of society. There is the possibility to move up in stature as a result of a marital match but for the most part we live and die in the same general area. But this would not be true for Sebastian Grey as he was not born with a title but could in fact inherit one were his uncle not sire a son. His uncle however, really wants anyone but Sebastian to inherit his title and is determined to marry and have a son. Sebastian is therefore seen by proper London society as marriageable because perhaps, just maybe there is a possibility that his uncle at his advanced age would not have a son and Sebastian could become a titled gentleman. Sebastian states clearly that he wants nothing that his uncle has -- or so he thought until he set his eyes upon Miss Annabel Winslow, the woman his uncle decided to marry and the resulting circumstances will have the Ton talking for many a day.

Annabel is not fond of Lord Newbury with his age being the least of her concerns, but she must marry to help support the family who is dependent on her now that her father is deceased. Her maternal jaunty grandmother is trying to fix her up and marry her off even though she sees Annabel as such the unsophisticated country mouse and explains that a woman can marry one man, yet be affectionate with another. Annabel is resolved to her fate until life takes an unexpected turn when she meets Sebastian after she trips over him, literally. He is charming, handsome and so irresistible to women that you would think Annabel might know better than to steal a kiss from him. But he draws her to him so that she becomes blind to everyone and everything when he is near. He makes her feel different, special and beautiful in ways she never experienced, and lets her know that she is desired for reasons other than to produce an heir. But Sebastian's uncle will not take this lying down and when he finds that Sebastian is pursing what he rightfully believes he owns, fists are drawn and a competition for Annabel's affection is issued.

There are secrets between them but none as great as the one Sebastian is holding back from Annabel. He may have declared his love, lifelong devotion and desire to have many children, but will he confess that he is a clandestine writer who pens graphic novels under a woman's name? Can he trust her enough to tell her all his dreams and desires? Sebastian believes he can because while his writing career was a dividing point in his life and had him view himself as before and after he began his writing career he is again standing at the crossroads where he sees what his life is and what it can be with Annabel as his wife.

There are 100 things I love about this book but the main one is that it is a joy to read. Sebastian and Annabel are so full of life and each bring so much of their own story to the book that together they create magic. Julia Quinn is the gold standard for historical romance and her books are something you can anticipate reading with a great story, wonderful characters and a little bit about the gossipy London society thrown in. You know when you read her books that everything will circle around the two main characters and the draw they have for each other, but the additional characters always bring so much to the book without crowding out the main characters.

Mary Gramlich is The Reading Reviewer at [...]

Oh, JQ, you've done it again!

I have several authors on my "when I grow up, I want to be like..." list, and Julia Quinn is definitely somewhere near the top of it. Once again, she's woven light humor, sharp wit, and incredible passion into a lighthearted tale of two people who were never meant to fall in love--but of course, they did.

Annabel Winslow is by far one of my favorite JQ heroines. She's thrust into the desperate situation of being the eldest of eight siblings. Her family's financial future rests solely on her shoulders and Annabel's ability to marry well. The best prospect is the unappealing--and old--Earl of Newbury. Newbury is determined to beget an heir, and much to Annabel's dismay, she is the very picture of fertility in Newbury's eyes.

But one evening, attending a Season event, the lovely Annabel escapes to the heath because--much to her horror--Newbury cornered her and fondled her. Strangely, she finds a man there awaiting an assignation, and they engage in an entertaining conversation. Annabel finds herself wondering who this interesting character could possibly be. She finds out the next day when she runs across Newbury's nephew, Sebastian Grey, in the park while walking with her cousin Louisa.

What ensues after they discover one another's identity is laugh out loud funny. While Annabel would prefer to forget the meeting, Sebastian is fascinated by her. Annabel feels the pressure of her family's position, and attempts to keep Sebastian at a distance while remaining disgusted with his uncle's continued attentions.

This is definitely reread worthy, and I would like to see JQ write Louisa and Edward's stories. They are strong secondary characters I want to get to know better.

I've been having a really hard time getting through Julia's last few novels. The spark that seemed to unfold organically between the characters in previous novels (such as the early Bridgerton books and "To Catch an Heiress")has been replaced with overwrought prose. Quinn is a witty writer, and I very much enjoy her prose...but she doesn't seem to know how to self-edit. Ten Things I Love About You may have been a good writing exercise - in theory - but in practice, it completely fell flat. I found the hero/heroine to have no sexual tension whatsoever, and this could be due to the fact that I was so distracted by the constant "listing." The title allows for a cute blurb, that's about it.