Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Bridgertons #4), by Julia Quinn
Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
So far, this was definitely the weakest instalment in the otherwise amusing Bridgertons series.
The story isn’t really that interesting and the narrative dragged on rather uninspired so that I was actually bored at times which isn’t exactly my intention when reading a fluffy easy-to-read romance.
What annoyed me the most, though, and made me almost quit this book was Colin Bridgerton himself. So, you know, this series of books is set in the early 19th century and, fortunately, as a society we’ve made a lot of progress – Women’s suffrage, emancipation, feminism, and so on.
And I’m really happy about that.
Thus, I already have to temporarily suspend a lot of truly heartfelt convictions and disengage large parts of my brain in order to be able to enjoy this kind of book: I have to completely disregard more than 100 years of social, societal and emancipatory advances.
I do so and, consequently, tolerate a whole lot of outdated nonsense and I find that all the more difficult if a book isn’t truly worth it. I can do it because I love to giggle at amusing, witty bantering in a love story which, fortunately, happens a lot in the Bridgerton series. I can do it because I truly hope that any reader will know that the story is set in the bad old times and that times have greatly changed for the better.
And I do temporarily suspend my convictions because I crave happy endings – sorry, can’t help it.
How dare you, though, Colin Bridgerton, to be angry at your love interest because she’s acting on her own, because she’s at least somewhat independent?! How dare you berate her for having a secret?!
How dare you, Julia Quinn, to belittle your cast and, in extension, yourself and your audience like that?! (Not to speak of actually harmfully influencing younger, impressionable readers.)
At the one major altercation between Colin and Penelope, I was about to rage-quit because I just couldn’t stand that level of drivel.
And it went on!
»The shock was gone, replaced by a simple, primitive need to claim her, to brand her, to mark her as his.«
Excuse me?! He wants to “brand her”, like cattle?! And how does Penelope react only a little later, thinking about herself?
»She had been born for this man«
Again, I was about to quit when things evened a little out at least and this possessive crap was slightly reigned in.
Ultimately, though, Colin Bridgerton turns out to be just the despicable guy I had him pegged for:
»She had no right to put herself in such a precarious position without consulting him first. He was her husband, or would be, and it was his God-given duty to protect her whether she desired it or not.«
I just hope this series doesn’t get any lower than this because I don’t think I can take much more of this kind of backwards madness.
Two out of five stars.
View all my reviews
