51 of 51 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Can people not read?, October 12, 2004
To all those who gave this book a negative review because it wasn't all sweetness and light, I have to question your reading comprehension skills. If you knew from the other Bridgerton books that Frannie loved her husband very much, and you know (if you bothered to read the back of this one) that her beloved is now dead, how could you have not realized that this was going to be a darker novel? She is in mourning! She is not going to be boisterous and charming like her siblings. If she had been, you probably would have trashed Quinn for not making her somber enough. I haven't lost a spouse, but I imagine that falling in love again would be agonizing, and I think Quinn portrayed this brilliantly. As she did with Michael, who is struggling with his own guilt. But none of this should have been a surprise to anyone who took the time to figure out the plot ahead of time. If you were shocked by the more serious themes of this book, you have only yourselves to blame for not paying attention. Julia Quinn is an amazing writer, and I love that she used this book to show how broad her talent is. Not all of us want our authors pigeon-holed into writing the same book over and over again, only changing names and basic plot points. Brava, Ms. Quinn, and don't let a few folks who can't handle variety dampen your spirits.
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42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An Emotional Read By JQ! Really Worth Picking Up!, August 6, 2004
Okay as you have probably already read this JQ book is a little different from Ms. Quinn's previous stories regardless of the series title. In this latest Bridgerton effort Ms. Quinn is short on humor and more focused on real emotion making this a much more emotional read then we are used to by this talented author. Does this make the read bad? Of course not. In fact it's nice to see Ms. Quinn stretch her talent by attempting to write a story that touches more on deep feelings regarding loss and confusion rather then wit and humor.
This story is actually suppose to take place simultaneously as "To Sir Phillip With Love" and "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton". Francesca Bridgerton is now a widow and is dealing with the death of her husband John. His cousin and good friend Michael has not known a time when he has not been in love with Francesca. For him it was love at first sight after their first meeting. His life is retched because he can't seem to find love anywhere except with the one that he can't have. After the death of John, Michael leaves for India and spends four years living away from Frannie with the hope that "out of sight, out of mind" will cure him of his love. This is not to be and when he returns he finds himself fighting his true desire once Francesca makes the announcement she wants a baby and is now willing to find another husband. Wish that it were him.
Francesca has mourned her sweet husband for four years and has decided she must join the ranks of the living. This means shedding her mourning and taking her place in society once again. While Michael has been abroad she has seen to his holdings and is happy to see his return. Of course she is unaware of the tender feelings he holds for her, so their reunion is not as happy or as sweet as Michael would have liked nor is it easy. Their seperation was set in motion by each other's pain and loss. Slowly they re-build their very strong relationship and feelings start to change for Francesca. She is starting to notice Michael as a man, a very handsome man, and seeing him less like a brother. How can this be? It's so wrong! Or is it? Will these two special people be able to see what is right in front of their faces and take a chance on love, or will Francesca loose Michael just when she realizes how much he means to her?
This was not a book filled with witty dialogue or funny jokes. Yes, there is some rather funny interaction between Francesca and her family and at times between Francesca and Michael. But these are few and far between. This story really takes a look at deeper emotions and as a result Michael and Francesca are not the normal kind of character's you find in Ms. Quinn's books. To me this was a nice change and I found this book to be more appealing then a few of the past Bridgerton books that have been release. I highly recommend this read if you care to find more then humor between the pages. This was a well developed story and one that I found a pleasure to read!
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78 of 86 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
not the usual, but just as good, June 29, 2004
It seems to me that with each new novel Julia Quinn is trying to separate her stories more and more from the cookie cutter formula. In fact, she sets herself up for quite a big challenge with When He Was Wicked.
First of all Ms. Quinn defies convention by giving her heroine a husband with whom she is deeply in love--a husband who is not the hero of the story. Secondly, the hero of the story, Michael Stirling, is in love with our heroine before the story even begins.
Unlike many of Ms. Quinn's novels, this is no lighthearted read. The subjects of death and guilt play a major role in the lives of her characters. However, I disagree with the review. I do not believe the heavy subjects "weighed the book down," but rather fleshed it out instead. Had Ms. Quinn skimmed quickly through the grief, her characters would have lost much of their depth and a lot of my respect. Yes, there were moments when I felt a bit impatient. But the emotional build-up comes to such a splendid (and trust me, I mean splendid) climax when the hero and heroine come together, that I felt it was all worth the wait.
As to the characters, Michael Stirling ranks as my second favorite male right after Colin Bridgerton (who has a couple of lovely cameos in this one, by the way). He's the classic rake, only slightly altered by Ms. Quinn's lovely sense of character and honor. My biggest disappointment with this novel, however, was Francesca. She's much less quirky and a lot less interesting than her siblings, unfortunately. She troops through the novel like quite a martyr, which while I found admirable, it wasn't quite as endearing. However, the secondary characters are the typical Bridgerton fare, funny and entertaining as usual.
Also, the dialogue in this one does not disappoint and is just as snappy as Julia Quinn fans have come to expect. I was surprised to find that Ms. Quinn even wrote the tragic scenes with a very realistic, touching ability.
All in all, I was not disappointed by this book. I think it's refreshing to have an author in the genre not afraid to challenge herself with each new novel. And I love the fact that the conflict in Ms. Quinn's novels comes completely from the lives and troubles of her chracters--no cheesy evil villains or subpar mystery plotline here.
I don't recommend this one if you're looking for a lighthearted escape. It's a lot more involved than JQ's other novels, but just as quality. Personally, my only disappointment is that now it will be yet another long wait until the next one.
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