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| Getting to know the aunt... of my "friends". |
Aaah, I finally found it in the bookstore! And, just before the national elections in the Philippines, too.
I thought I'd need something to get my mind off the 'craziness' after the elections, so I thought of re-reading "The Viscount Who Loved Me" from the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn. I thought I could use some quick wit and a good laugh to distract me away from the TV screen with a bunch of local "journalists" and their "opinion cronies" whose views are blatantly and shamelessly biased anyway. Anthony and Kate's banter might prove more useful, and far more entertaining. But I needed to visit the bookstore to pick up a few things and some magazines... and then something pulled me towards the "fiction" shelves, and true enough, Anthony's aunt 'smiled' at me! JQ's promise of bringing back some Bridgerton coolness was fulfilled right before my very eyes: "Because of Miss Bridgerton".
The much awaited book came out in the shelves and on-line last March... but, for some reason, it wasn't available in the Philippines. The whole month of April saw me getting frustrated as I can't download it on my iPad nor can I find it in the local bookstore either. I 'busied' myself with JQ's The Bevelstoke Series to assuage some of my frustration. Uhm, yeah, these things are this important to me! Haha... The Bevelstokes books were okay, but I absolutely loved "What happens in London"! The main characters, Olivia Bevelstoke and Sir Harry Valentine, were great; and so was Sebastian Grey, Harry's cousin. I should love to write about it at some point.
But I digress... anyway, just when I've finally given up and just resigned to reading "Because of Miss Bridgerton" (BoMB) during the break from the University in June-July, there it was dominating the historical romance section. There were only four left... I was tempted to buy all four copies, but I looked back to my 'miserable existence' in my search of the coveted book, and I took pity on those who were also in search. I took one copy and raced to the cashier to pay and read it pronto... in case the world ends in a few hours, at least, I've already read the book! đ
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Anthony's aunt is fiery
Sybilla Bridgerton, or 'Billie', was one fiery tomboy. She was the eldest in the Bridgerton brood, with eight years between her and the heir to the Viscountcy, her brother Edmund, Anthony's father. In the book, Billie was a 23-year-old ball of live-wire energy. Edmund was still in Eton for his schooling, and Billie was home in (the now famous) Aubrey Hall in Kent with her 14-year-old sister, Georgiana or 'Georgie'. Billie was one practical young lady with deep interest in running his father's estate, and she's adept at it, too. She was intelligent and dependable. For all the awkwardness of her unladylike ways, she was respected by everyone in the estate for her knowledge of agriculture, which she worked hard for by reading relentlessly, and her wisdom in deciding the best possible solution when a problem occurred in the estate. She just knew how to fix things.
Three miles away from Aubrey Hall was Crake House where their nearest neighbors, the Rokesby family, with the Earl of Manston as head of the family, lived. The two families were of such strong alliance in friendship for centuries that they were almost a single family. The Bridgerton and Rokesby parents were wishing that such alliance be formalized in a marriage between their children.
Billie grew up as best of friends with Mary Rokesby, the only girl and the 4th child in a brood of five. Billie was such a spirited girl that she ran around wildly with the older Rokesby boys, Andrew and Edward - in breeches - in their beautiful surroundings in Kent. It was easy to imagine where all that love of the country among the older Bridgerton boys in the next generation, Anthony and Benedict, came from... well, aside from the long walks and horseback rides they took with their father, Edmund, of course. Billie was such a true-to-heart country girl... and Andrew and Edward shared this passion of hers. But she was always at odds with the very proper and stiff heir to the Earldom of Manston, George Rokesby. As Billie was reckless, daring and frank, George's behavior was often calculated and guarded - too formal for Billie. On the outside, one of them couldn't be anymore the opposite of the other, and they judged each other harshly. But the turn of events threw them together. And, when they had a closer look at each other, it brought to focus the things that they appreciate in each other. And, love bloomed naturally... and reading about how it did was, indeed, very delightful.
I love how they found so much in common with each other while they played Pall Mall, ganging up against a person they both unexpectedly found 'evil' and, therefore, became their common 'enemy'. Although it was nothing compared with the Pall Mall game in "The Viscount Who Loved Me", it was one of the coolest moments in the book... aside from the opening scene, of course, on top of the roof.
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The banter is great but the story is pale
As usual, JQ showed how good she is in writing those witty banters - she's just brilliant! There were a number of unforgettable scenes as Billie and George outdo each other in conversation to undo the tension between them. As they tried resisting the urge to insult each other, they found out that the cerebral tension turned the corner to emotional tension, and then to an intense attraction that they didn't recognize as they never associated this with one another - given their history. Needless to say, it was sweet to see the two main characters turning different corners in the plot, surprising themselves each time, and then ultimately finding their 'happy ever after' at the end of the road.
If it was just the characters and the minor characters that mattered in a book, BoMB was great... although I would've loved to learn more about the easy-going Andrew and his uncomplicated view of life. He reminded me of Seb Grey in "What Happens in London", who lighted up the scene whenever he appeared, and of course, Colin Bridgerton in all the previous Bridgerton books. đ But, in my very humble opinion, and recalling the first eight Bridgerton books, the characters had to revolve around a story that challenges the reader's reasoning and imagination - for the book to be a legitimate cerebral entertainment. I am sad to say that the story was not as compelling as the other works of JQ. She started many things that roused curiosity as the story proceeded to unfold, and then all just fizzled to nothingness as the story closed 'abruptly'.
I really think that George's 'undercover' activities in London did not necessarily enhance the story as they just made it convoluted. I wish there were more details on Billie and Mary's friendship, and a little something on Edmund, too. I guess, JQ was giving his Bridgerton fans something to keep tuned in to the series. Very
clever... because now, I am curious about Edward and his plight in 'the Americas', and what will happen to Andrew as he recuperates in Kent. It's interesting how Georgie would bloom into a Bridgerton beauty, and if Nicholas, the youngest Rokesby, would notice the way George noticed Billie. And, I know that JQ said she wouldn't want to write a book on Edmund and Violet... I would love to see if she'd change her mind at all.
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