Review: The Viscount Who Loved Me (Bridgertons, #2) / Julia Quinn

First publication: December 2000/ Piatkus Books

Pages: 384.

Rating: 4/5

Blurb:

1814 promises to be another eventful season, but not, This Author believes, for Anthony Bridgerton, London's most elusive bachelor, who has shown no indication that he plans to marry. And in all truth, why should he? When it comes to playing the consummate rake, nobody does it better...

--Lady Whistledown's Society Papers, April 1814

But this time the gossip columnists have it wrong. Anthony Bridgerton hasn't just decided to marry--he's even chosen a wife! The only obstacle is his intended's older sister, Kate Sheffield--the most meddlesome woman ever to grace a London ballroom. The spirited schemer is driving Anthony mad with her determination to stop the betrothal, but when he closes his eyes at night, Kate's the woman haunting his increasingly erotic dreams...

Contrary to popular belief, Kate is quite sure that reformed rakes to not make the best husbands--and Anthony Bridgerton is the most wicked rogue of them all. Kate's determined to protect her sister--but she fears her own heart is vulnerable. And when Anthony's lips touch hers, she's suddenly afraid she might not be able to resist the reprehensible rake herself...

Quote:

"Before she knew what she was about, she was jumping about like a crazy woman, yelling, “Yes! Yes! I win!”

“You don’t win,” Anthony snapped.

“Oh, it feels like I’ve won,” she reveled."
— Julia Quinn (The Viscount Who Loved Me (Bridgertons, #2))

"The unexpected moment [is] always sweeter."
— Julia Quinn (The Viscount Who Loved Me (Bridgertons, #2))

"Sometimes there are reasons for our fears that we can’t
quite explain. Sometimes it’s just something we feel in our bones, something we know to be true, but
would sound foolish to anyone else."
— Julia Quinn (The Viscount Who Loved Me (Bridgertons, #2))

Review:

I read this soon after I finished reading The Duke and I. I'm almost forgetting Anthony's character in Bridgerton Series. Maybe because he's not charming enough? Or maybe I'm seeing him a protective brother that I will never have. By all means, he's said to be the famous rake (to Kate especially, since she's so against the idea of her sister marrying Anthony), but I can't picture him that way. Before reading this novel, I didn't know that human could die from a single bee sting and there are people who allergic to bee sting. I've only heard (read: watched documentaries) that a lot of bee sting will poison human blood, etc. I had to say Kate is the most stubborn lady I've met. This is the classic 'fall for your sister' story. Glad this story ends well without complicated 'jealous sister' drama etc. That is one of the reason I like JQ.