Because of Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

Because of Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This was a surprisingly readable book - one that I would not have even thought to look at but for the fact that I was 'frustrated' that I had nothing much to vote for during a round of GoodReads choice voting. So was looking over the books - trying samples and the like. Tried the sample for this one and instantly acquired it.

Set in or around 1779 in Kent England, the story alternates points of view between one George Rokesby (heir to the land, title, and most of the fortune of the Rokesby’s), and one Billie Bridgerton (eldest child of the Bridgerton’s, a titled family that lives 3 miles from the Rokesby’s – though because this is England in the 1700s, being the eldest doesn’t mean anything if one is also a female (otherwise it means everything)).

We meet George and Billie for the first time on a roof. Near a cat. For, you see, Billie had been attempting to save said cat from up a tree. But I said we had been on a roof, yes? Yes – Billie and cat had fallen – a great distance – from said tree to said roof (said said said, mmphs . . . hehe). Billie has injured herself and has no means of getting down even if she hadn’t injured herself. So she was quite happy when George and wandered by – even if he is the one Rokesby brother who she is on a somewhat near to dislike level relationship. George proceeds to get himself stuck up on the roof as well – a matter of an annoyed cat darting at the wrong time, a near fall, and a foot that accidentally knocked over a ladder. Whereupon another Rokesby brother wandered by – and saved them both (though not the cat; considering that they left the ladder up, and cats are quite resourceful, don’t worry for the cat).

So – right from the beginning you, the reader, meet three of the characters and learn something about their personalities. Andrew is flippant, always joking, and making clever remarks. Billie is the kind of woman who is ‘singular’ – wearing ‘breaches’ out and about when women of the time didn’t do that kind of thing (though she does wear dresses most of the time – so yes, that book cover that shows a woman in a long green dress is her). George is the eldest Rokesby and less . . . or more . . . hmms. Less playful and more serious.

A great book, a fun book, a much more modern book than I expected to find – modern in terms of the information and graphic nature of the scenes – it still is a book set in the 1770s, it just allows the fact that the people are in fact human and have human . . . reactions, adventures, etc. Basically, what I am saying is that this is not a ‘Clean Romance.’ I believe this might be the first book that I’ve read set back in the 1600-1700-1800s that was in fact graphic. And I’ve read a lot of books set back then. So it was somewhat jarring when George suddenly had an erotic dream involving fondling breasts (or, later, when he was awake and wandering around – having to ‘hide an erection’ because of his arousal); then, of course, there were the actual interactions between Billie and George – considering that George and Billie were contemplating the fact that the mere fact that they might get stuck on the roof for an entire night might end up forcing them to marry each other – the stuff they actually get up to, shockingly enough, goes a lot further than that.

I rather liked both of the main characters – though both had tendencies wherein I was reminded that they both were in their twenties, and not as characters tend to be in books like these (well, at least men – many of whom seem to be in their thirties – and courting women in their teens (or women who are so ‘old and spinsterish’ to actually be in their 20s).

It should be noted, I suppose, that this is a prequel series. Which should be noted. But I can’t really say anything more than that – since this is also the first book I’ve read by this author. This is the prequel series to a later series titled Bridgertons (though that somewhat confuses me considering the role and importance of George – since the Bridgerton and Rokesby are said to be great friends and see each other as family - and George is the eldest and heir of the Rokesby’s . . . and is a new character. Confused as to how this can be a prequel series in that situation – you’d have thought George would have turned up before now; especially since Billie is described as being the elder sister to Edmund – who, apparently, plays some role in the Bridgerton series). The first book in the Bridgerton’s involves a ‘Daphne Bridgerton’ – not a name that appears to have come up in this book here.

Hmm. Billie is the oldest in this book. She’s supposedly the elder sister to Edmund – who appears to pop up in the later series. But, looking at a chart I saw on a review for the first book in that later series, neither person appears. That lists Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth. Hmms. I should pay better attention. Of course. The first book in the later series starts in 1813. This book here, ‘Because of Miss Bridgerton’, is from 1779. So I’m confused as to the mention of Billie being the older sister to Edmund that is made in the Q&A for the book.

Second book involves Anthony and takes place in 1814. Benedict is in book three. Colin in book four. Eloise in book five. Francesca in book 6. Hyacinth (who the heck is that?) in book 7. Gregory in book 8.

Ah. Edmund is the father of all those Bridgerton people. He’s too young to be in the ‘Because of Miss Bridgerton’ book – off at school and off ‘screen’, and ‘too old’ for the later series.

Right, sorry, got distracted trying to link things up. Hmms.

Rating: 4.88

November 9 2016



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