Sometimes my author spotlight section is a breeze. Other times it's difficult to choose an author from so many great ones. I'm pleased to say that this week's spotlight author was one of the easiest I've done, and what fun it was to write.

At the time I didn't realize it was not the first book in the series (it was actually the 2nd) but by then, I was already hooked. I fell head over heels in love with Anthony and Kate, and just adored that entire Bridgerton family. And while I enjoyed each of the subsequent stories about the Bridgerton siblings, no one could quite hold a candle to the love story of Anthony and Kate. They had it all.

Not until Michael Stirling came along in "When He Was Wicked" and stole my heart, that is. I can't say that Francesca could ever compare to the unforgettable Kate, because she does not, but there was something about her that I did like, and it was quite obvious Michael thought she hung the moon, even though his love for her was for the most part unrequited. Julia wrote a darker, more sexual story with WHWW than she had with any of her other books that I'd read, and I loved it. It was edgier, hotter, and incredibly intense. It remains one of my favorite re-reads ever.

I've had the pleasure of meeting Julia twice. Once was at RWA in 2008, which was lovely but also a bit disappointing because she is one of those authors that is always in high demand, so as much as I enjoyed meeting her, it was for a brief moment while she signed my book. The other time was soon after that, in the fall, when she and Laura Lee Guhrke did a book tour and came to the Chicago area (click link to read more). Squee! It was to a library outside the city, and it wasn't a huge gathering, rather one much more intimate and relaxed. Julia and Laura took turns answering questions about their books, and afterwards we stayed and got to chat for awhile. Julia is just as engaging and friendly as you'd imagine, and I had several of my books signed by her.

I was one of the few readers that actually enjoyed what she did with "The Lost Duke of Wyndham" (loved this story so much! Jack and Grace were so wonderful) and "Mr. Cavendish, I Presume". I preferred the first story to the second, but still, I wasn't as disappointed as some readers were. The concept worked for me.

Now I wasn't as excited about her last book. "What Happens In London" started out with so much potential but just fell flat for me. So much went on with the Russian and some ridiculous plot that keeps the hero and heroine distracted so we don't get to see the love story develop like we do in previous books. I didn't think we needed so much emphasis on the drama when it would have been better suited on the romance.

Still, Julia remains on my auto-buy list. She still writes a more memorable, sparkling story, even when she's not at her best. It's what makes her so unique, and one of my all-time favorites.

What's your favorite Julia Quinn novel?

Would you like to be part of the Bridgerton family?

Labels: Julia Quinn, spotlight

I started watching this over the weekend, and I'm half-way through. It's sad that there's only what, 12 episodes and only 2 seasons. It's quite enjoyable in a creepy, eerie way. And I love the theme music. Reminds me just a little of the carnivals and circuses I went to as a kid. I like Ben and Sofie. And I can't wait to see the rest of the season, but also I'll be sad to see it end. Jeez, I'm such a sap.

Labels: hottie, Julia Quinn, television

Julia Quinn is a auto-buy author of mine, and out of all her books, this one is tied with "The Viscount Who Loved Me" for my absolute favorite book by her. You hear me drone on and on about how I love emotional stories, and this one is brimming with it. It also has one of my favorite themes: unrequited love. After talking about it recently, and getting the chance to meet Julia here in Illinois, I definitely felt the need for a re-read, and yet again, it pulled me in and kept me under its spell until the very last page, with the words still echoing in my mind. That is how a grand romance should be.

Michael Stirling is the kind of guy women go gaa-gaa over; he's gorgeous, funny, charismatic, charming, and he loves the ladies. Being a "Mr." versus a titled gentleman kept the pressure off, and he truly cared for his cousin John, who had the title instead, so this let Michael pretty much live the life he's always wanted. But then he sets eyes on Francesca Bridgerton, and for no other explanation other than the fact that absolutely everything about her called out to him, Michael fell deeply and irrevocably in love with the woman his dear cousin was about to marry.

Yet Michael did not pursue Francesca and try to steal her away from John. He loved his cousin too much for that. Instead he became the Merry Rake, a man content with having numerous liasions and seemingly not having a care in the world. Underneath it all, however, he suffered the pain of waiting a woman he could never have. Never. Michael knew this in his bones. He saw how much in love John and Francesca were, how well-suited and happy together, and because he cared for them both so deeply, he was their friend and companion, spending time with them but living with the guilt of knowing how strongly he longed for Francesca. He would tell them wicked tales of his exploits, always leaving out the more intimate details, and he saw how much this fascinated them, especially Francesca, who was content to lead a stable, married life but understood the thrill of the very naughty.

After two years of marriage, on a night like any other, John passes away very unexpectedly, and Francesca is devastated. Michael is equally desolate, having lost the one family member he cares for beyond all others. But Michael tries to hide his pain and help Francesca through her loss. Only when she needs him the most does he realize that he cannot be there for her, and takes off for India. He must put some distance away from his new life and the old life he wants back. At every turn, his new life is turning more and more into the one once occupied by John, and Michael cannot bear it. His grief is too strong to continue in such a manner, so he runs.

It's now four years later, and Francesca has been living the life of a widow, not once thinking of taking a lover or moving on. But as she's gotten older, she longs more and more for the child she never had with John. She realizes that if she ever wishes to be a mother, she must throw away the comfort of her widows' weeds and consider marriage. But not for love. No, this time Francesca isn't a starry-eyed maiden with romantic dreams. This time she wants to find a good man to wed and start a family. It's time to start living again.

Just as she's making this decision, Michael has returned to England, to the earl's home, as he became the earl with John's passing. In the dead of night the two come upon each other; Francesca shocked to see him suddenly in front of her after so many years, and Michael not realizing that she's still been living there, though it only makes sense. As they become reacquainted over the next several days, Michael learns of Francesca's desire to have a child. This realization starts a slow burn in Michael, who cannot fathom her with another man. But he feels guilty about wanting her so badly, believing that making her his would truly erase John's memory, leaving the living, breathing Michael in its place.

Francesca comes to notice that the Michael who left England so many years ago is not the same man before her now. No longer the Merry Rake, he is a bit hardened, cynical, and doesn't always appear to like her so affectionately as he once did. And to her horror, she begins to notice him as a man, and not just as the friend he was to her and John. She recognizes his handsomeness, his masculinity, and it unsettles her. One evening, the two have a bit of a clash, and their mutual attraction gives way to an explosive kiss. One so devastating, it sends Francesca packing the next day for Scotland. Now it is her turn to run.

Michael feels he pushed her too hard and regrets his actions, but with the advice of an unlikely source, he pursues her to Scotland and finally confronts the woman he has loved for so long. Will Francesca ever be able to accept him as a man she can love as more than just a friend?

"When He Was Wicked" is the 6th book in the Bridgerton series (for those of you who like to read in order), and it is definitely one of the best. I love the glimpses we get of the other siblings, and I also liked how this story was not quite as light as most of the other stories are. This one had darker tones, dealing with death and tragedy and guilt, but I felt the wealth of emotion strengthened the story considerably.

I felt so strongly for both Michael - in love with a woman he never could hope to have - and Francesca - mourning the lose of her beloved spouse and feeling the guilt of caring for his living cousin. Michael's bitterness and dislike of Francesca at times completely made sense with his feelings, especially because despite everything, she had no idea how he felt about her, and he resented how she didn't really "see" him. Inevitably their feelings culminated into physical passion, and Francesca became almost paralyzed when it came to making any kind of decision about her and Michael's future. It was like she wanted the world to stand still, and for awhile it seemed to, in Scotland.

But Michael was just so tired of pretending and wishing, and if he couldn't have all of her, he didn't want any part of her. This forced her to make a decision, but even still, it took more time for her to realize that these feelings she harbored for Michael - the incredible passion and affection - were actually love. Not the same kind she shared with John, as they were two different men, but just as real and beautiful and completely unique to them.

Of course I was all happy for Michael when she finally said the words. It was just that simple. That's all he wanted - her love. She didn't have to plan a big bash and announce it to the world, she just needed to say the words to him. That's all he really wanted, and it was wonderful when he finally got his most deepest wish. Everytime I read that scene, my eyes tear up, but it's happiness coming out, so it's all good.

If there was anything that marred the story, it was that Francesca was rather hard to like. Not because she's mean or selfish or stupid, but because she's very much an internal character and you don't always know what she's thinking or feeling, so it makes her rather difficult to get to know. Yet for Michael, she was enough. She was everything. In her mind she probably puzzled why she was so fortunate to have found love with two such incredible men, but sometimes you can't question the good things in your life, you just have to remember never to take them for granted, to cherish and nurture them. And that's exactly what she did.

This one is on my keeper shelf - is it on yours?

Rating: ***** out of *****

Labels: Julia Quinn, keepers

Here we all are after our fun day. I'm so glad I have fellow romance booklovers to hang with from time to time. These ladies are a blast!

Do you have a favorite Quinn and/or Guhrke book?

Labels: Julia Quinn, Laura Lee Guhrke

Labels: Julia Quinn, themes, unrequited love

• The marriage. I was rather apathetic to the whole thing in the first book, so I wasn't sure how I'd feel about Thomas and Amelia getting married in their own story, but I knew Ms. Quinn would turn me around on that one. I loved watching how they got to know each other while Thomas was still the duke, how their attraction and like for each other grew. It became obvious that they would have a good marriage. I was rooting for them.
• Thomas. Discovering he may not actually be the duke, wow, talk about a life-changing event! Thomas has been groomed for this role since his father died, and he handled the responsibilities admirably. He even put up with his horrid grandmother, the Dowager, as best he could, moreso to maintain his friendship with her companion Grace, but he never took advantage of his power and sent her away (though we know he was beyond tempted). I also liked that Thomas did not question Amelia's interests nor her intelligence. He accepted it at face value not because she was his future bride, but because that's just who she was. I admired how he cared so much for Amelia that he was willing to give her up so she could be a duchess if that was what she had her heart set on. And I was also glad he came to his senses about that as well. Otherwise I wouldn't have liked him quite so much.
• Amelia. Endlessly waiting to marry her duke was not putting her in the best frame of mind, and I was relieved to see she'd finally reached the point where she didn't care anymore what the duke thought of her, at least not as much as she had before. She'd been on his timetable for so long that she figured what difference did it make if she rebelled a little to show him what she was ticked off. I liked her interest in travel and the world, and how she wasn't pleased her mother only considered her to be "adequately" intelligent. And once she got to truly know Thomas, even seeing him at his worst, she still chose him, even when he was no longer the duke, and her life would be impacted by that just as his would be, but she chose to be brave and choose love over duty.
• Jack and Thomas. They hated each other in the beginning, rightfully so. How could they not? The dowager put them each into an unenviable position that would change their lives so drastically that it was only natural they would hate each other. But over time, when they saw the other man's side, and realized how it was difficult all around, they began to respect each other more. I hope that one day the two actually became good friends.
• Thomas and Grace. I'm glad they had each other as friends while living with the dowager. They were both rather lonely, yet gravitated towards each other, and were maybe more themselves because of it. I'm glad neither was attracted to the other, though that wouldn't have been so unusual, but so much more heartbreaking. Instead they were true friends, and I was happy about that.
• The dowager. Was there ever a more unreasonable, spiteful woman? Not one ounce of human kindness in her, but like Grace, I felt a tad bit sorry for someone so bitter and cruel. Still, I would have been more than ready to ship her off to some cold, isolated island without a backward thought.
• The proposal (aka the HEA). Totally, totally the stuff happy endings are made of. I love it when a book gets me all misty eyed, and this one sure did the trick. I thank Julia Quinn for writing a scene that tugged at my heartstrings. She writes the type of romances I love to read, and that's why she will always be on my top 10 list of authors to buy.

So there you have it. Will there be other books in this series? I don't know, it doesn't sound like it, but even if there isn't, I'm so there for the next book.

Rating: ****1/2 out of *****

Labels: Julia Quinn, reviews