Michael finally decides to pursue Francesca after she decides that she wants to remarry so she can have children. And the rest of the book is just these two feeling guilty, pushing each other away, grieving, and then feeling a bit more guilty. He just pines away for Francesca while his cousin is alive, and then pines away more when his cousin dies.Īnd all you hear is that 'women are still talking' about what a rake Michael was back in the day.įrancesca's husband, whom she loves very much, dies suddenly very early on in the story. Except you never actually see him do anything even remotely rake-y. The fact that she felt nothing but friendship for Michael and it was all just a one-sided crush on his part for years? I can't decide whether it was creepy or sad.Īlso, Michael is supposedly this notorious rake. Yes, she was marrying his cousin and I liked that she was faithfully in love with her husband. I'm bumping it up to 2.5 stars because I thoroughly enjoyed Rosalyn Landor's narration of the audiobook and it is well-written, but I disliked everything about the plot.įirst, I thought it was weird that Michael fell instantly in love the moment he laid eyes on Francesca, which was made doubly weird when she didn't notice him at all. I thought maybe I just read it wrong back in the day. Ok, so the first time I read this book (11 years ago) I didn't like it.īut I'm trying to read as many of Quinn's Bridgerton books as I can get my hands on, and quite honestly, have enjoyed all of the other stories so far. until one dangerous night, when she steps innocently into his arms, and passion proves stronger than even the most wicked of secrets. Michael dares not speak to her of his love.

Now Michael is the earl and Francesca is free, but still she thinks of him as nothing other than her dear friend and confidant. Unfortunately for Michael, however, Francesca's surname was to remain Bridgerton for only a mere thirty-six hours longer-the occasion of their meeting was, lamentably, a supper celebrating her imminent wedding to his cousin.īut that was then. For Michael Stirling, London's most infamous rake, that moment came the first time he laid eyes on Francesca Bridgerton.Īfter a lifetime of chasing women, of smiling slyly as they chased him, of allowing himself to be caught but never permitting his heart to become engaged, he took one look at Francesca Bridgerton and fell so fast and hard into love it was a wonder he managed to remain standing. A moment so tremendous, so sharp and breathtaking, that one knows one's life will never be the same.

Bridgerton when he was wicked