nataliagpwrites: BOOK REVIEW: THE VISCOUNT WHO LOVED ME

Hello there! Thank you for joining me for another week. Today, I bring you a review of a re-read. I read all of the Bridgerton saga back in 2021, and it pulled me out of a reading slump. Usually, I don't worry about those: I read what I want, whenever I want and, if I'm not in the mood, I've learned to give myself all the time I need to be back to devouring books. But back then, I had to force myself out of it due to a depression I was going through for a long time then due to family grief. Since I had already watched the first season of the show covering the first book, I started with this one instead, the second and I loved it so much that I bought it last month and it arrived in June.

My plan was to wait until November so I could include it in my plan for a romance challenge my friend Neus organises every year (I'll tell you more about it when the time is approaching, but if you understand Spanish you can watch her videos about it). Plus I also want to own two more of the saga and perhaps do the reading of the three. But I could not help it, I was looking forward to re-read it again that I ditched it from my already programmed plan for the challenge (It may vary, although I am usually very fixed-minded in my plans, but who knows what could happen) and read it now.

And now I question myself: Is Julia Quinn that good of a writer?

For those who don't know, this book is the second one in the Bridgerton saga and it's mainly about how the eight Bridgerton siblings find love in the Regency era. In this one, we know the story of the elder brother, Anthony, viscount Bridgerton, who is mostly known for being a Rake (yes, with capital R), until he is too aware of his own mortality and decides to find a wife. He seems to find the one in Edwina Sheffield, one of the prettiest women from the ton. But courting her will not be easy: Every suitor will have to pass Katharine Sheffield's judgment first. And Edwina's elder sister is such an admirer of Lady Whistledon's Society Papers that she believes every word written there regarding Anthony's reputation. And from day one she leaves him very clear that she will not allow the courtship, while Anthony finds amusing how opinionated Kate seems to be. Along the way, they find out they are more similar than they believe, and even though there is attraction, the duty to their families comes first for both of them. Or so they think...

Don't get me wrong: I have LOVED the novel as much as the first time, I am happy I purchased a physical copy, I am in love with the cover, with the edition (I will always be a paperback defender if the edition is good enough because cheap books are a blessing for the wallet), with the story, with everything. But it also reminded me why out of the eight books of the Bridgerton saga, I've only enjoyed the three I intend to own: Sometimes, the dialogue is stupid and repetitive. And I am not an expert in the genre, but I have read other authors that write way better, meaning that: If the characters are stupid, they are purposedly so, with an intention. In this book, for example, the repetition of dialogue or the interjections which do not correspond with the intelligence of the character, gave me some food for thought. Granted, this saga has more than 20 years, maybe by then, one could ignore the repetitions. Now you can as well, because the storyline is well built, but you cannot help noticing. Hence why I gave it four stars again.

It is not a bad saga, in fact, I do like that you do not need to read them in order to understand the storyline, but I don't think one should recommend it as a whole if you are not truly convinced, just their favourites. Once I own the other two, (Romancing Mr. Briderton, book 4 and It's In His Kiss, book 7 - which gave me Northanger Abbey vibes because they have to solve a mystery- I will give my opinion as well, because I barely remember them, just the feeling that I liked them, love them even (that's why I buy books now).

What about you? Do you know the Bridgerton Saga? Do you watch the show? I have to say that, given that I read the whole saga after watching the first season, I already had a preconceived idea of the characters from the Netflix show and perhaps that's why I do not like all of them. This reminds me: If you wish to watch the Queen Charlotte Spin-off and read the book too, read the book first. It has different things here and there but it's the same story, only that novel-like developed and more descriptive. I have to confess I was reading it, but I have left it momentarily and probably fully abandon it because it's the same as the series. Nevertheless, you will enjoy the show after the book because there are other plots they add and because it's always better to put visuals to something you had to imagine first. I feel I would have enjoyed the book more if I had done it this way.

That's all, folks! See you next Friday.