Title: Because of Miss Bridgerton
Author: Julia Quinn
Series: Rokesbys #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Historical romance, Regency romance
Dates read: 21st – 22nd August 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Avon
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: George glanced over at Billie as he straightened.

Sometimes you find love in the most unexpected of places…

This is not one of those times.

Everyone expects Billie Bridgerton to marry one of the Rokesby brothers. The two families have been neighbors for centuries, and as a child the tomboyish Billie ran wild with Edward and Andrew. Either one would make a perfect husband… someday.

Sometimes you fall in love with exactly the person you think you should…

Or not.

There is only one Rokesby Billie absolutely cannot tolerate, and that is George. He may be the eldest and heir to the earldom, but he’s arrogant, annoying, and she’s absolutely certain he detests her. Which is perfectly convenient, as she can’t stand the sight of him, either.

But sometimes fate has a wicked sense of humor…

Because when Billie and George are quite literally thrown together, a whole new sort of sparks begins to fly. And when these lifelong adversaries finally kiss, they just might discover that the one person they can’t abide is the one person they can’t live without…

I absolutely adored reading about an earlier Bridgerton. The Bridgertons series very quickly became one of my favourites, so finding out about a Bridgerton from the generation before. It fulfilled that need to return to the world, whilst still experiencing a whole new journey. Add to that the fact that you can see how similar Billie and Daphne are to one another… it was brilliantly done and a great journey that I seriously, seriously loved.

Having said that, I do wish that Billie made an appearance in the Bridgertons series. I’m fairly certain that she’s the aunt… so I really don’t understand why she is only in this series, and not making cameo appearances elsewhere. One can imagine and dream though.

This is a light, fun and wonderful journey. I love a good regency romance that leaves you smiling. But still has enough going on that you are constantly hoping for the best. I always seem to become very quickly enamoured with the characters in Julia Quinn’s books. And all I want is for the best outcome. Of course, you know that that’s going to happen… but I still spent a lot of time being emotionally invested and hoping that George and Billie would realise what was RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEIR NOSES! They did… but I still had moments of intense feelings.

I think that one of my favourite things about this couple is the way that they flirt. It’s very unorthodox. Kind of like the way I flirt with my husband. They manage to fit barbs, compliments and wit into all of their interactions. It leaves you feeling incredibly happy, complete and hoping for the best of the best outcomes in their lives. Plus, this kind of flirting seems to just show a complete knowledge of and acceptance of each other – flaws and all. The best way to love in my honest opinion…

Not only was this a fantastic romance that left me feeling incredibly happy and content. But it also introduced the game of Pall Mall (which is pretty importance in The Viscount Who Love Me) and The Mallet of Death. I loved the creation of this and I don’t think that I could have grinned any wider during this scene in the book…

<- More Julia Quinn

The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband ->

Image source: Goodreads