I’m sure as fellow book readers you will understand what I mean when I say that sometimes books make you do bad things for your health and safety.
I’ve had a cold since Monday and sleep is something I should be getting plenty of right now. I headed to bed on time for once last night, and settled in about 10:15 PM with my copy of this e-book, figuring I’d read for five minutes or so and then turn in. There aren’t many books these days, even my favorites, that can overcome my love of sleep. But for whatever reason, I just kept reading last night. And reading. Once I hit 11:45 PM I knew I needed to put the fool thing down and go to bed, but I just. Couldn’t. Stop. It was 1:15 AM by the time I finally forced myself to stop reading, and by that time I’d made it most of the way through the book. And honestly, the only reason I was able to actually put it down was because I’d gotten to the sexytimes finally.
I don’t know, I just reallllly liked this? It hit me just right. I loved Anthony, that stubborn a-hole. I loved Kate. Her love for her sister, her feisty nature. I loved them together. Hate to love romances can go very wrong, but when they are right they are SO RIGHT. Right in the swooners. Definitely need to buy my own hard copy of this one.
I enjoyed this book so much I have a hard time believing that books three and four can get any better than this one, but they are apparently everyone’s favorite in the series. To that, I say: BRING IT ON, JULIA QUINN. But I will fuck your shit up if you make me lose anymore sleep.
I realize this review is mostly about me and not the book, but tough shit. I got four and a half hours of sleep last night.
One more thing, though. For some reason I headcast Hayley Atwell as Kate, but for the life of me I couldn’t figure out who I’d cast as Anthony. The closest I could get was Henry Cavill, but he’s really not feisty or mischievous enough. Heellllp. It’s driving me crazy.
[4.5 stars]
I’m sorry the book kept you up all night? No, I’m really glad you liked it. Anthony’s stuffy nature gets on a lot of readers’ nerves and I get that, but I also just love him and Kate together so much. Best caught in a compromising position scene I can think of.
Hailey Atwell would make an amazing Kate. Henry OMGHSGL Cavill is far too burly to be Anthony. The Bridgerton brothers men are all tall, but more slender, I think. What tall, arrogant-looking, chestnut-haired actors are there?
He didn’t used to be so burly, though. I was picturing more early HC when he was all lanky. I thought maaaaybe Michael Fassbender, but he’s too serious. I’m going for the right feel (and handsome of course) rather than strictly adherent to physical characteristics and I am coming up totally dry.
Also, people think he’s stuffy? I didn’t get that from him at all. I got emotionally repressed, definitely. But that’s gone by the end anyway.
When I was reading I kept thinking of someone like Dan Stevens with brown hair (which he occasionally has). I find his face pretty, but punchable. :)
http://www.popsugar.com/celebrity/photo-gallery/36315831/image/36315860/Suddenly-Matthew-Crawley-Disney-prince-material
That might work! I thought about him but dismissed him because I was picturing him still with his baby fat. He looks so different now!
Is this where I say I don’t like Anthony? I DON’T LIKE ANTHONY! I do really like Kate. I mostly liked their book. He just rubs me the wrong way.
This is my Benedict. Does that help?
https://mrsjulien.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/reynaldo-gianecchini.jpg
*swoon* He’s absolutely perfect for Benedict. You’re very good at this book casting business. So basically a slightly, older, more serious version of him for Anthony and a shorter, little bit younger version with green eyes for Colin. I can live with that.
He’s from my list of real men who look like they walked out of a romance novel.
I’m sure that is one amazing list. Henry OMGHSGL Cavill should totally be on said list, he’s just not a Bridgerton. Possibly one of the Carsingtons. He could maybe be Rupert Carsington.
I refer to the list with regularity, but I have never actually made it. I think about putting such a list on my blog, but it seems so prurient somehow.
He’s too good looking! He’s like an alien from space! Guys like that freak me out!
Romance heroes are supposed to be unbelievably good-looking though. It’s why I tend to go for the slightly funny-looking guys, like Cumberbatch, Fassbender and Hiddleston, who are best captured in motion, not still images.
You think Fassy is funny looking?
Yeah, all of my main crushes tend to be on the more feminine, gentle side of masculinity, and most romance heroes are . . . not. None of my main go-to fantasy crushes work for those types of hero.
What makes Fassbender so compelling and attractive is very rarely captured in still images, when he can almost look quite ordinary. Then you see him in movement and he’s absolutely mesmerising. Also, he has a shark’s grin. Fassbender’s probably the most masculine of all of my crushes. I like the “pale, breakable-looking British guys” as Bonnie Burton on Vaginal Fantasy described them. My husband fits the profile all too well.
I enjoyed this book too – I think Anthony comes across a little stuffy because he had to take on the head of the family role so early. So it was great to read how he was able to find love with someone unexpected and shake up his carefully planned path forward.
I guess I just don’t think of him as stuffy because it’s clear he feels emotion very deeply, and he seems like a lively guy. For me, stuffy means boring on the outside AND inside.
I love both Kate and (eventually) Anthony. I love every Bridgerton, even if their book is my least favorite (Gregory, I am looking at you with sadness.) Also, I tend to blame books too, even though it’s really my own insomnia that’s keeping me up, and the books are just keeping me company. And then people wonder why I like books better than them…
Hope you’re feeling better soon!
The books are just doing their job. It’s like alcohol. You have to use them responsibly.