On the way to the wedding by Julia Quinn

***

Shades of The Graduate here in a climactic wedding scene. Overall, very predictable and the whole wedding thing seemed out of character. Just didn’t work for me. Unfortunate ending for the Bridgerton saga.

Genre: historical romance

Read: 31/05/2008

Persuading Annie by Melissa Nathan

****

A bit reminiscent of the earlier Jilly Coopers this. Partly because of the characters, partly because the plot is very like oooh I can’t remember. The one where she is a flipperty gibbet and he comes in to sort out her family’s company. Anyway, thats the plot. They met in the past and now he wants revenge. It is a much bigger/deeper book than the Jilly Cooper, but strangely has barely any interaction between the hero and heroine. I seem to remember this from a previous book too. Quite odd. The character stuff is great though. The supporting characters have a real life of their own.

Genre: contemporary romance

Read: 31/05/2008

The Viscount who loved me by Julia Quinn

***

I don’t know what happened. I loved this one last time, but now it is boring. Bridgerton fatigue has set in. Anyway, one of those where the hero falls for a girl then falls for the sister. Entertaining but blah.

Genre: Historical

Read: 31/05/2008

Romancing Mr Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

****

This book solves the great mystery of the Bridgerton series. Who is Lady Whistledown? There is also a story of unrequited love. A little implausable but fun.

Genre: Historical

Rad: 31/05/2008

Harriet by Jilly Cooper

*****

Marvellous stuff as always. This is the one where she gets pregnant by an attractive idiot and ends up nannying for a writer. Hero a bit too opaque (as always) but its part of the charm in this retro romance. I’ve read this more times than I can remember.

Genre: romance

Read:
31/05/2008

When he was wicked by Julia Quinn

***

More of the same chick-lit historical. A bit of a change for the Bridgerton series. This is one sibling that apparently doesn’t fit into the family so much. All the same, I am tiring of the Bridgertons.

Genre: Historical (barely)

Read: 31/05/2008

An offer from a gentleman by Julia Quinn

*****

Good re-working of the Cinderella story. Fluffy, but doesn’t cop out on reality entirely (as we find out in later books).

genre: historical romance

read: 17/05/2008

The ideal bride by Stephanie Laurens

**

Somebody stop me reading any more of these!

They’re alright. Solidly written but boring. Shes a diplomatic widow. Hes planning to go into diplomatic work and needs an appropriate wife. A more boring pair I cannot imagine. She understandably has had enough of the diplomatic life but he is determined to marry her and drag her back into it. Its a tragedy really.

There was a mysterious subplot going on but it turned out to be a damp squib. If this didn’t come from the library I’d be asking for my money back.

genre: historical romance

read: 17/05/2008

Married in a rush by Julie Cohen

***

Not brilliant but good. Its a Julie Cohen after all.

genre: romance

read: 17/05/2008

Sex, straight up by Kathleen O’Reilly

***

Not sure about this one. Chance meeting in the Hamptons followed up by another chance meeting at work. Characters have no sense of humour, but there is a lot of interesting background detail about auction houses. I was bored. Oh and there was a series in the offing too – the smug married brother was all over it. Not to mention the feckless brother who is obviously next in the series. Well-written enough, just not my kind of thing.

genre: romance

read: 17/05/2008