Unveiled (Turner #1) by Courtney Milan

Unveiled by Courtney Milan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


It is difficult to write a review for this book now for an important reason:
- immediately after completing it I started reading the short story that appeared between it and the second book in the series. There might have been minutes between the end of one and the start (I’m referring to reading, though the series does follow a chronological order).

So, some of the easy things I can mention:
1) this is the first book I’ve read by this author that was not part of Brothers Sinister series (or, in other words, this is the fifth book, and 8th overall work that I’ve read by this author, counting short stories (and not counting the book and short story I read after reading this one).
2) This book takes place roughly around 1837 and ends roughly around 1840.
3) Set in southern England. Which I say because part of the book is set in Somerset, which is in South West England; while part of the book is set in London, which is in South East England.
4) The book is sexually graphic.
5) The people involved, the main characters I mean, are in their 20s.

This is an odd book in its way. A good many historical fiction romances tend to involve titled people and/or people of that blood. This one does as well, don’t get me wrong. It has the heir to a Dukedom and the daughter of a Duke as the circling main characters. Except…

The lead female character works as and calls herself a nurse. And when asked, gives a name other than her own. As far as the future Duke knows, his love interest is a servant. A relatively high ranked one that appears to hold herself well, and be well respected by others in the household, but still a servant. There are reasons for this. I’ll get to them.

And the future Duke? It’s true that the blood in his veins, to put it bluntly, is of a ‘higher class’. His, hmm, which one was it? His grandfather was either a Duke or an Earl. I believe a Duke. That grandfather’s son (hmm, I think there might be more generations involved) married a wealthy but ‘common’ woman. Ash Turner grew up, partway, as the son of a mill owner (father), and a religious zealot who descended into madness mother). Partway because the father died, and the mother gave away their money – an ancestor married for money, but by the time Ash reached adulthood, that Turner money was gone. He had money, but he got it himself, made it himself, doing something in India. By being a businessman.

So, while he is – now – the heir to a Dukedom, he wasn’t always. Oh, he was somewhere in the line, but there were people in between him and being a Duke, a lot of people. Which he removed. The current Duke, you see (and all of this occurred before the start of the novel, and is known by the reader fairly soon afterwards, well the Dukedom part), married for love. His mistress. Of no special class or status. His parents, the Duke of the time, ejected her from the family, but couldn’t dissolve the marriage.

That Duke, still living, later remarried. He and his Duchess had three children – two boys and one girl. All of whom are adults, and living, at the start of this book. As is that current Duke. So how did Ash become the heir apparent? By going to court and pointing out that the Duke is a bigamist, that the children are illegitimate. He turned them into bastards (literally, in the ‘a person born of parents not legally married to each other’ way).

So – the book opens with Ash and his brother Mark riding horses toward the estate in Somerset that probably will become his (the current Duke’s children have been declared illegitimate, and another court (same court?) has allowed Ash to make an examination of the accounts, but Ash has not been formally named heir – that’s one of the main things in this book, one of the main conflict points, the illegitimate children fighting Mark’s attempt to be named heir to the Duke; and to pass a law legitimizing them – making them unbastardized).

Once Ash and Mark arrive, they find the servants standing around outside to be reviewed. Ash catches sight of one of them in particular and tells Mark that she’s his (or words to that effect). That’d be . . . I forget the name she used, Miss Lowell?, but she is also Lady Margaret, or was until Ash made her a bastard.

Going back to the current Duke’s children attempting to fight to pass a law (which apparently is possible) legitimizing them – Margaret is there as her father’s nurse under an assumed name to act as a spy – to find something, anything, to use against Ash. To fight against him being officially named the heir.

And so the two circle each other. One is the daughter of the highest ranking hereditary title in the British Isles (outranking Marquess, Earl, Viscount and Baron); the other is attempting to become named heir to that same dukedom. These are not commoners, though one comes more from the business class background, and the other is holding herself out as being a servant . . . and if she and her brothers fail to get a particular law passed she’ll remain what Ash made her – illegitimate, a bastard, someone who would have to find work as a servant or the like.

This is where having read this book, a short story, and another book before writing a review becomes problematic. I know I liked the book. I know that I, mostly, enjoyed the book. But it is difficult, now, to give a more detailed listing of my feelings/emotions/thoughts on the book.

Rating: 3.75

June 28 2018



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Catch Me by Lorelie Brown

Catch Me by Lorelie Brown

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I've read two books by Brown before I read this one. I loved both of them. But have been very reluctant to try anything else by her for a rather simple reason - those two other books had something in common that the rest didn't have - those two books were FF romance books. The rest are/were MF romance books. Which is odd, in it's way, to be a deterant since I also read MF romance books. But still. Made me hesistant.

So, eventually, I finally broke down and tried one of them. The only one that interested me enough to try it. A western/historical novel. Set in the territory of Arizona, and the state of Texas. With a couple of minutes, so to speak, spent in New Mexico.

Because her father is deathly ill, is in an medical institution in Texas, and because 1) everything that could be turned into money has been turned into money - and hasn't been enough to pay the bills; 2) and because the local bank - which is owned and operated by her father's long time friend - turns down her request for help; a young woman of, if I recall correctly, 22 robs the local bank. And then zooms on over to Texas to turn the money over. To pay her father's bills.

Her father, who had been and still technically is, the sheriff of this small town is, naturally, not exactly pleased with her actions. But she had to do it. Because.

The mean old man who owns the bank, naturally, won't let her get away with this and so hires a bounty hunter. A very successful one. He's to hunt down, capture, and bring back this woman who has wronged him.

And so that man does. And he and the woman interact. And, for reasons that largely escape me, they engage in physical relations while she's a prisoner and being brought back to that small town.

The book had some interesting elements, and moments, but was rather too . . . melodramatic. And, sure did include much sexual relations in deed. A little too much. I was, frankly, bored during those moments, but don't assume they were poorly written (or written perfectly and with skill), for I mostly just skimmed those portions. Not really my kind of sex (less the MF nature of the thing, and more the kind presented as in - prisoner/captor + a bit of angry energy mixed in).

Well, I've now done it. Completed an MF book by that author who has given me two FF books that I've loved. I'm strongly inclined to now forgo the other MF books previously released and just take the FF (and potentially the MF) as they come down the pipeline.

That is all.

Rating: 2

December 14 2016



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The Viscount who Loved Me by Julia Quinn

The Viscount Who Loved Me (With 2nd Epilogue) by Julia Quinn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I have read 347 books this year (so far). 239 of those 347 books rest on my LGBT shelf (69% of total; 210 of those 239 books being lesbian fiction – 87% of LGBT)). There’s a point, of course, in me mentioning this in this review here instead of, say, some ‘end of year review’ type of review. Let me think, it’ll come to me – right, simple enough – my point is that I haven’t read many non-LGBT books this year, and three of those ‘not many’ (108 books) are by the author of this book (2.7% of the total).

Okay, I indulged myself because I have less to say about this book, this time, and was looking for things to say. That paragraph above filled in for my normal ‘I’ve read x number of books by author y’ I sometimes include. 3 books by Quinn, all read this year, all part of the extended Bridgertons series (first was the first book in a prequel series; other two are part of the earlier published 8 book Bridgertons series).

Violet and Edmund (brother of Billie – star of the first book in the Rokesbys series (Because of Miss Bridgerton - set in 1779) had 7 children before Edmund died in 1803 – Violet was pregnant at the time with Hynacinth . . . I think (or they had 8 children before Edmund died). Book 1 of the series, The Duke and I, was set in 1813 and involved the eldest female child of Violet and Edmund – Daphne. Book 2, this book here, deals with the eldest male child – Anthony, and is set in 1814 (no, the books don’t move 1 year in time, somewhere along the line, maybe with the fourth book, we leap to 1824). The rest of the books in the series follow the six other children (actually, that reminds me that technically there are 9 books in the Bridgertons series since there’s a short story collection at the end).

Anthony is fast approaching his death – at least he thinks he is; his father, you see, that being Edmund recall, died when Edmund was 38 (and Anthony was 18). And since he, Anthony, doesn’t believe he could surpass his father in anything, he ‘knows’ that he will be dead by at least the age of 38. If not earlier. For that reason and because he saw what happened to his mother after his father died, he has decided to not pursue a love marriage (since the father and mother were obviously in love). Most of his life that meant that he wouldn’t pursue marriage at all; instead he had been a rake. The kind who had many mistresses, but no loves, and no marriages. But at this late stage Anthony recalled that he is the eldest child, there is a title on the line, and so he’ll get himself a wife. He’d find one attractive enough to keep his interest, someone he can be friendly with, but by no means will he allow himself to fall in love with this woman. For that spells doom.

So that’s what he sets out to do at the beginning of this book – find himself a woman to marry and bred with. Which is how he ended up targeting one Edwina Sheffield – newly debuting into society, and declared by many (all?) as the . . . whatever they call the most attractive women – I’ve forgotten now. Edwina is sisters, younger, to Kate Sheffield. Kate being the other main character in this book.

Kate, for her part, is also debuting for the first time into society. Though already almost 21. The family, you see, isn’t exactly wealthy enough to launch two daughters in two different years. And so they waited. A little late for Kate, a little early for Edwina (who is 17). Kate has attractive features of her own, but being in the same family as, and in the same room with Edwina normally causes people to overlook these attractive features (she’s neither fat, nor plain, nor is she unsightly). Kate mostly doesn’t care about that, at least she either says or thinks, because her goal is to find her sister a good match.

And Kate knows, knows, that that man is not one Anthony Bridgerton. No, not because Kate fancies him for herself. No, it’s because Anthony is the biggest rake of the time. Naturally, then, this means that Kate and Anthony are on a collision course. Anthony could, of course, set his sights on someone else, but he’s both stubborn and lazy. He randomly, without ever even setting eyes on her, decided on Edwina for his future Lady Bridgerton. And the fact that she, at some point, mentioned that her sister’s approval was important to her, and that sister, Kate, clearly hates him does not move Anthony from his goal.

And so – bickering, humor, reappearance of the two leads from the previous book, a few of the other relatives from that book, parties in London, parties outside of London, walks in gardens, interactions with a dog, and much fixation on breasts proceeds to unfold before the readers eyes (the men in Quinn’s books seem much taken with breasts – dreaming of fondling and suckling on them; taking every opportunity to do more than dream of that action . . . etc. etc.).

I’ll leave with two last notes.
1) As I think I’ve hinted at, bluntly stated, or however it was conveyed before – there is a strong feeling of sinking into a Georgette Heyer/Jane Austen type of world when you read these books by Julia Quinn – but these books, the Quinn ones, do not hold back on the graphic nature of human relations – there’s much of that indeed. Graphically conveyed. Take it as a warning or inducement to read the books.
2) Two of the three Quinn books I have read came with ‘second epilogues’. These epilogues were written and released separately from the original books, but are now packaged with the books. I do not recall specifically why I skipped the 2nd epilogue the first time it came around, but I read it this time. Which lead me to certain information that I wished to not know yet – though it was heavily hinted at (that or I picked it up from the series books descriptions; actually it might be in the family tree). Plus – it left me with a bitter taste in my mouth – a feeling of dislike for more of the characters than just Anthony.
I, despite my vague dislike of Anthony, liked and enjoyed this book. I would rate the book somewhere in the four something range.

Rating: 4

December 8 2016




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The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

The Duke and I (With 2nd Epilogue) by Julia Quinn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Note: My rating is for the original work, not the expanded work - as in, I read the original book and the first epilogue, but have not yet read the second epilogue which was written some time after the original book appeared.

Violet Bridgerton has four unmarried children, Anthony (29), Benedict (27), Colin (22), Daphne (21), Eloise (17), Francesca (16), Gregory (12), and Hyacinth (10; and yes, that's in order of ages, and yes the family does in fact go A to H in order). Her, as in Violet, husband died at some point prior to the start of this book. I know - now - but didn't at the time, when he died - he died in 1803 and it is currently 1813. So Violet has been a widow for 10 years, and became a widow at the age of 37 (making her 47 now). And has four children to find spouses, and two more coming fast into 'needing' a spouse found.

This book here specifically focuses on Daphne, though Anthony and Colin play big-ish roles, and Benedict and Hyacinth are not that far behind (Gregory is probably at or just behind Hyacinth in 'screen time' but I think of him as having less for some reason). Eloise and Francesca are there in the book as well - and there are family 'stuff' that occurs, but they mostly aren't in the book - the most a reader gets is the fact that they look very much alike, and Simon (the outsider) couldn't tell them apart.

Right, so Simon. He's the other main character. He is Duke of Hastings. A prequel tells the tale of Simon's emergence into this world - no I mean birth from mother, not emergence into society. The Hastings, as in Simon’s parents, had tried very hard to have living children, but they kept failing – stillborns, and other mishaps occurred. Finally, when the Duke was 40 (or, no, it was the wife who was said to be forty – one of the reasons the doctors said that they should stop trying, because she kept failing, and she was 40 now). Right, messed that sentence up. So, finally when the Duke was presumably older than 40, and his wife was 40, a baby was finally born alive. The Duke was so happy that he proudly wandered around holding the child, completely unnoticing as his wife bleed to death. They were kind of friendly with each other, the duke and duchess, but it wasn’t a love match and it didn’t really impact him much, apparently, when the wife died – since he has his heir now. I mention all this because I’m leading to the part wherein the duke is a massive asshole, and when it turned out Simon had a few issues with talking, like not talking for his first years, the father decided he was an idiot and pushed him from his life. Therefore warping young Simon’s mind.

The story opens with Simon just back from his world travels (there’s an easy thing I can insert here to say why he was on his world travels, but I’ll leave something, eh, for people to read for themselves). And the Bridgertons (well, the three older brothers, the mother, and Daphne) at a party that the duke (since Simon is now the duke) visits. Simon had been at school at the same time as Anthony and they are friends – he, as in Simon, knows the Bridgetons. Though he hasn’t yet meet Daphne.

Daphne, we the readers, learn quickly really desires to find a husband. So she can have a big family. But she isn’t having much luck finding that husband – because, and there are several theories about this, but her own theory (based on some things people have said and the like) is that she is seen as too much of a friend – ‘different’ than the ‘other young unmarried women’. She’s, therefore, someone men can relax around – and apparently men don’t marry such women. Apparently. Though some men do still pursue such a woman – the very old, the very dim, and the very stupid – and the first meeting of Daphne and Simon occurs while Nigel, one of Daphne’s dimwitted pursuers, is very aggressively indicating that he wishes to make Daphne his wife. One thing leads to another, and obviously Simon can’t leave a woman to be violated (or something like that) in a back hallway at a party, so he steps forward, only to see Daphne punch out Nigel.

So – there are similarities between the two Quinn books I’ve read. Large families (at least on one side), one of which is a wiser than her years youngster (I’m referring to Billie’s sister (from ‘Because of Miss Bridgerton’) and Hyacinth); and strong women. The strength is ‘explained away’ somewhat the same way – both had brothers (or more exactly, in the case of Billie, grew up very close to another family who had many brothers). Billie, though, is a more independently minded woman than Daphne.

Right, so – Simon finds out immediately that he’ll be swamped by young unmarried women and their mothers if he goes to parties – which is okay, in its way, because he never planned to go to parties – except that his friends, while he was away on his world tour, went and got married – and they, with their now married wives, wish to have the duke at their parties. I mention this because Daphne is in a somewhat similar/different situation (similar in being pushed by mothers (her own), and um . . stuff, my brain just shut off so I’ll push past). I mention because Daphne and Simon come to an agreement to pretend to court each other because Simon thinks this will cause him some greater ability to dodge these unmarried women and mothers (Daphne thinks otherwise), and Daphne does this because she expects that being courted by a Duke will push her out of the ‘she’s just a friend’ zone. And so the two court.

The first book I read by Quinn also involved the Bridgertons, but was a prequel book. Because I have the dates, I can note that Because of Miss Bridgerton is set in 1779, Violet was born in 1766 (though she married into the family, so I should use Edmund (the dead husband's name) for this - he was born in 1764, so he was 13 during the events of 'Because of', and dead during the events of the Bridgerton series. If I recall correctly, Edmund wasn't around in that earlier book either, because he was away at school. I think.

I liked the first book I read by Quinn more – the ‘Because of Miss Bridgerton’, because I liked the characters more, and it seemed to have a touch more humor (though both have humor).

Rating: 4.78

December 2 2016




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Love in an Elevator: A Romantic Comedy Anthology

Love in an Elevator: A Romantic Comedy Anthology by Aven Ellis

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


7 Chick Lit stories, 1 Dick Lit story, some by authors I've read before.

Hold the Lift by Aven Ellis
Age 23, Denver, Writer/reporter, athlete, MF

Woman arrives back to her apartment building after a long day of making fajitas. Smells like that. Is vaguely worried about how bad she smells. Doors begin to close, an English accent calls out 'hold the lift' - woman debates about doing so or letting the doors close. Holds the lift. Man gets on. Elevator goes up. Gets stuck. They are forced to spend hours talking. They get to know each other and like what they find. Eventually elevator repaired and their life (and story) continues.

Neat enough story. First thing I've read by this author.

Rating: 4.25

November 6 2016

Down, then Up by Beth Labonte
Las Vegas, Writer, Age - 31?, Second Chances, Flashbacks

One of the two authors in this collection that I have previously read.

A woman is on a Bachelorette trip, for her sister, to Las Vegas and she thinks it is worse than being on death row for a murder you did not commit, or winning the jackpot but losing the ticket in a fire. All because she gave up alcohol or something like that.

Late one night Lauren Oswald, the star of this particular story, is sent no a mission by her drunk sister and her sister's equally drunk friends - go forth and acquire donuts. Lauren initially thinks of fighting this request but then notices that one of the women seems to be on the edge of barfing. And then she recalls that she might actually like getting away for a while. So she does - darting out the door to find donuts.

The mission is derailed/redirected, adjusted immediately. When the elevator door pops open and Lauren spots the one man she didn't want to see - her ex-boyfriend from college. Who she hasn't seen for something like 10 years.

She briefly thinks of not getting on but does.

Whereupon a series of flashbacks and 'current present events' unfolds. Showing Lauren and Jamie Mullins (that ex-boyfriend) marching forward from introduction to each other, friendship, relationship, then splitsville, to leaping forward 10 years to 'today'. Though the first flashback occurs 13 years earlier.

Quite deep and enjoyable story - complete in and of itself - a full story, not just a snippet like many short stories can be.

Rating: 4.45

November 20 2016

Going Up? by Whitney Dineen
New York, Blue Collar, Mob Boss/Mafia

Another author I've read before.

A woman goes to New York from Western PA to try to succeed at her chosen profession (massage), but fails to get much luck. Takes a job as an elevator operator in an upscale location to pay the bills ($28.50 an hour to operate an elevator, mmphs).

Ends up flirting with one of the people who regularly rides the elevator who she thinks is a handy-man. Gives a massage to a mob boss (different guy), gets conned out of her fee by an old woman, etc etc.

Her grandmother owns and runs a biker bar, her mother . . . um, is equally 'independent' (word choice used in story) but I can't recall what she does, something about pottery, and her grandfather could be a mob boss . . . possibly/potentially.

This is actually a pretty interesting slice of life story involving a young woman finding a long lost family member. Problem, though, is that this story is in a romance collection. And the romance? Very thin. Very. Basically it consisted of 'young woman meets young man, they flirt, now they are a couple'. And so . . . lower rating. Sadly.

Rating: 3.5

November 21 2016

Taking a Chance by Becky Monson
New York, Facing Fears, Age-20s

Haven't read this author before.

A neat story about a woman somewhere around 23 years of age who is attempting to fulfill her dead sister's bucket list - she made a promise. Even if most of the things on the list are things that she's afraid of (like heights, and close spaces, and people, and germs), but she made a promise.

She bumps into a man in the elevator on the way up to the top of the Empire State Building who attempts to help her when she begins to show signs of panicing. panic-ing. hmms. He is about 27 or something like that.

I initially gave the story a rating of 4.45, though it probably deserves something higher than that.

Rating: 4.50

November 29 2016

Happy to be Stuck with You by Rich Amooi
Humor, Finance, Dick-Lit

Certain amount of humor does not overcome some of the short-comings inherent in this story. I was reluctant to read this one, but I figured I shouldn't prejudge a story just because it's by a man and starts in the point of view of a man - and calls itself chick-lit when it's clearly dick-lit.

But then the POV shifted to a woman and . . . I wanted to just toss the story and not finish it. But it is just a short story. And. Stuff. For better or worse it was not easy to read that type of female character and know that it is by a male author - granted it isn't easy to read when know female author, but harder to take with male author.

Then there was that 'smile' 'beautiful' comment and I wanted to shove a ice pick into the guy's dick.

So, this story didn't work for me.

Rating: 1.5 - 2

November 29 2016

Upstairs, Downstairs . . . and the Lift Between by Geralyn Corcillo
England, Class/cultural differences

Haven't read this author before.

A woman has saved up five years so that she can have a 'country estate party' type of 'fantasy' experience in an old Baron estate in England. She herself is from California and works with computers.

She is a bright bubbly type, full of energy and joy. Brightens every room she enters. She's Maisy.

Then there's a fella named Mark. He's always running all over the place, working on/for Drakenfall -the name of the country estate.

Then Mark and Maisy meet, and both take a fancy to the other. But . . . one is a guest, and the other works downstairs. Soooo....

Lovely story. A few things of annoyance, but easily brushed past. Oddness about the narrator - vaguely confused, but I think everything was actually narrated by some old woman who watched everything unfold. Not exactly a POV I've come across a lot in my reading. Some vaguely disinterested/interested third party narrating stuff.

Rating: 4.9

November 29 2016

The Only Way is Up by Lindy Dale
Australia, Writer

Haven't read this author before.

A rather emotional woman, and a rather unprofessional man end up having their lives entangled. Twice. First when the woman fainted in an elevator and woke up to a man kissing her (him: I was giving you mouth to mouth!; her: You were sexually assaulting me!), then again when it turns out that the man had actually being heading to the hotel (in which the elevator was lcoated) to meet the woman (though neither recognized the other upon first meeting - the man didn't know what the woman looked like, and the woman didn't know her publiscist was sick and that his boss would be handling her on her book tour).

Well. PR man acts very unprofessionally. Writer woman acts professionally in public, and quite emotionally out of the public eye. Naturally they are perfect for each other.

The 'neatest' thing about this specific story is the part where it was taking place in Melbourne Australia.

Rating: 3.3

November 29 2016

Out of Order by Dee Ernst
Building Super, Paralegal, Writer, Morristown New Jersey, age: 40s

Haven't read this author before.

The lead female in this story has a rich aunt who lives in Morristown. She's going to Paris for a week, and needs her niece to live in her place to watch her dog. The LF (heh) is a paralegal with a writing fetish. Hmm. That isn't right. Fetish. hmm. Well, she writes in her spare time but is not confident enough to attempt to get her stuff published.

Neat thing about the story - both lead female and lead male are in their 40s.

Lead male is a building super (manager) and, apparently, something of a 'hunk'.

Which can cause 'issues' since the lead female has a lot of trouble acting like herself around handsome men - she turns into the type of woman who tries to guess what the man really wants then force herself to be that. She's attempting to stop being that type of woman.

I rather liked this specific story. So much so I've already picked up another book by this author (well, to be fair, what I picked up was the first book in her mystery series - which was free).

Rating: 4.44

November 29 2016

Overall

Hold the Lift by Aven Ellis - 4.25
Down, then Up by Beth Labonte - 4.45
Going Up? by Whitney Dineen - 3.50
Taking a Chance by Becky Monson - 4.50
Happy to be Stuck with You by Rich Amooi -2.00
Upstairs, Downstairs . . . and the Lift Between by Geralyn Corcillo - 4.9
The Only Way is Up by Lindy Dale - 3.30
Out of Order by Dee Ernst - 4.44

Overall average rating: 3.9175



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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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