El corazón de una Bridgerton

Francesca is the quiet one of the Bridgertons, marrying for love to John Stirling, Earl of Kilmartin she was happily married, never realising that his rakish friend Michael was in love with her and envied them their relationship. When John dies suddenly they are both grief stricken and now Michael is the Earl. In a fit of horror at it all Michael runs away to India, somewhat guilty that a little piece of him is glad John is dead because he can now pursue Francesca.
Several years later Francesca decides to look for a companion and maybe children but Michael returns from India and is distracting, but it feels like a betrayal to John for her to fall in love again.
It does look fairly deeply at loss and the difficulties people can have with widowhood and fertility problems but honestly the fertility issue was slightly gilding the lily. Entertaining and fun but complex. ( )

So far my least favorite of the series - and not for the romantic lead either! For once it was a Bridgerton I was annoyed with. Francesca was such a bore in this one. I got her behavior at first but after it continued to drag out I found myself wishing she would get Malaria as well. Just be with the guy you're having amazing sex with - what is so hard to grasp?! Francesca's husband died suddenly after only two years of wedded bliss. She and Michael (his best friend, cousin, and heir to the title) try to cope with the hole in their life. For Michael it is extra hard because he has coveted Francesca for so long. From the moment he laid eyes on her he wanted her - but would never act on it (even though he is a rake) because he loved and respected John too much. With John out of the picture it's suddenly too much to handle. Will they or won't they? This book spans years so readers have plenty of time to figure it out. ( )

Francesca has always been the Bridgerton that readers and viewers don’t know much about. In the first season of the TV series, she spends 99.9% of her time in Bath. In the books, she seems to spend all her time in Scotland. The reader doesn’t even get to hear about her wedding as it takes place between books, nor that she has been widowed. She’s always been on the fringes of the family, perhaps drowned out by Hyacinth, Eloise or a game of Pall Mall. But When He Was Wicked is Francesca’s time to shine as the reader finally gets to know her. It’s a great story of love, loss, duty and desire.

Francesca has always been a little overwhelmed by the rest of her family. She’s not as loud and opinionated but rather quiet and happy to be in a smaller group. She married John in a love match and moved to Kilmartin, where he was the earl. Unfortunately, he died young and Francesca, deep in grief, has hibernated. John’s cousin and his (and Francesca’s) best friend, Michael, is now the earl. But in his grief, he ran away to India. Four years later, Michael is back. Francesca has been managing the estates well and she’s also come to the conclusion that she needs to marry again. She wants a baby and she’s pragmatic that she won’t find the kind of love she had with John. Michael is also being pressured to marry and produce an heir to the earldom. His problem? He’s been in love with Francesca for years and years. How can he make her see that he can love her, but in a different way to John? And that neither of them will be betraying John’s memory? His method is unconventional, but passion seems to be the key to Francesca’s heart…

When He Was Wicked is completely different from the previous books in the series, keeping it fresh and unexpected. Francesca is such an unknown that it’s delightful to get to know her better. She’s clever and quiet, but she knows her own mind. She’s also not afraid to break the rules when it suits her and she’s not easily shocked. (Good thing, as Michael delights in trying to shock her multiple times). Francesca is older and more experienced in this novel, lending an insight into adult life that her sisters haven’t really had to deal with in their books. It was a pleasure to get to know her, and like all the Bridgertons she knows how to be witty. Michael is almost the antithesis of Francesca, being the light-hearted poor cousin initially and then running to another continent in his grief. It took him some time to accept that he now has the role meant for his cousin and reform his rake status (which like another rakes in the series, is somewhat exaggerated). He’s kind and patient with a good turn of phrase, both wicked and otherwise. (Julia Quinn’s sparkling dialogue is on fire in this novel – it’s on point every time). The story is just gorgeous, easy to read and easy to engage with. It feels modern, perhaps because the sex scenes are definitely not Regency level, but I think because the plot is an age-old dilemma (friends to lovers). It’s delightful and reminds me of why reading should be fun.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com ( )

Michael has love Francesca since he first saw her only hours before she married his cousin and best friend. Two years later, John dies unexpectedly and Michael can't deal with his feelings and flees to India. 4 years later he comes back and Francesca is out of mourning. Is it possible for them to be together. Could she love him?

I liked it. It was different. I will admit that it dragged quite a bit towards the end and I was ready for it to be over. ( )

yearning! grief! lady on top! this book has it all. ( )