Title: The Viscount who Loved Me
Author: Julia Quinn
Publisher/Year: Harper Collins 4/28/15
Length: 400 Pages
Series: The Bridgertons #2
Overview
From New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn comes the second novel in the beloved Regency-set world of her charming, powerful Bridgerton family, now a series created by Shonda Rhimes for Netflix.
1814 promises to be another eventful season, but not, This Author believes, for Anthony Bridgerton, London’s most elusive bachelor, who has shown no indication that he plans to marry. And in all truth, why should he? When it comes to playing the consummate rake, nobody does it better… –Lady Whistledown’s Society Papers,April 1814
But this time the gossip columnists have it wrong. Anthony Bridgerton hasn’t just decided to marry–he’s even chosen a wife! The only obstacle is his intended’s older sister, Kate Sheffield–the most meddlesome woman ever to grace a London ballroom. The spirited schemer is driving Anthony mad with her determination to stop the betrothal, but when he closes his eyes at night, Kate’s the woman haunting his increasingly erotic dreams…
Contrary to popular belief, Kate is quite sure that reformed rakes do not make the best husbands–and Anthony Bridgerton is the most wicked rogue of them all. Kate’s determined to protect her sister–but she fears her own heart is vulnerable. And when Anthony’s lips touch hers, she’s suddenly afraid she might not be able to resist the reprehensible rake herself…
My Thoughts
The bar was set so high coming off of the first book in this series, and seeing the dynamic of Simon and Daphne take their story to intense heights. That all being said, we were already familiar with Anthony and the kind of man he seemed to be….so we knew that this second installment would keep us entertained.
The eldest child in the Bridgerton family carries an insane weight on his shoulders. He’s not just the man of the house and the one who the title and wealth and responsibility falls to but he’s the protector of his mother and his siblings and he only wants the best for them. His father’s death really was too much for him to handle and in fact because Anthony always wanted to be just like his father, he has this notion in his mind that he can never surpass what his father accomplished in life and therefore will die at the same age. That being said, he’s continued his rakish ways, and decides that he will never marry for love since that’s just something that he won’t be able to match what his father and mother had.
Enter Kate – our leading lady in this story. Kate has her own sad story that’s helped make her into the amazing woman that she is today. Her mother passed when she was three, and her father remarried. She’s been lucky thus far since her step mother Mary has always considered Kate to be one of her own children, and treats her the same as she treats Edwina, Kate’s younger half sister. When Kate’s father passes as well, all the stress of finding good matches for both Kate and Edwina falls to Mary, and we watch the impact that it will have on their journey into London’s society.
Edwina like Daphne the year before was decided to be perhaps the diamond of the season – the most beautiful girl looking to find a husband. That bodes well for her and essentially means that Kate will come second fiddle if even that to all the suitors given that Kate is attractive as well but not to the same standards apparently that the rest of the ton see.
Kate’s wit, her humor and her intelligence make for some interesting scenes with the various men in society and when Edwina proclaims that she will not marry anyone who Kate doesn’t approve, that now redirects all men to Kate to get her blessing. Very hard feat to accomplish I must say.
The story from here on out is one that’s completely and thoroughly entertaining. We get to see the spark and passion come rom Kate as she banters with all suitors for her sister, primarily the persistent mr Anthony Bridgerton, and to any reader, we see the sparks fly between Kate and Anthony, even if the banter between them shows a complete non-attraction.
We watch how they come to spend more and more time together and how they realize that their paths and stories are more similar than ever imagined. We know that Anthony still hast his notion that he will never be in love, similar to how Simon said he’d never marry, have children etc, but we also know that the right person will change all that. It’s sweet to see how this story evolves and how the twists and turns and scandals that force it to happen make the story all that more dynamic.
I think that there’s something to be said about following your heart and hoping that there will be a favorable outcome. If you stop to think the impact that this union would have to Edwina for example, you’d wonder where that would leave her and in what emotional state. It’s nice to see that our author set that one up for us so that we get a sense of closure on that part as well. So…all in all a great story that gives us more of the Bridgertons that we love, and makes me even more excited for season 2 on Netflix. Enjoy!