Suprisingly, this is a rather generically disappointing offering from Julia Quinn! Its the same old stale tale of the boring brown eyed girl who falls for the handsome blonde man....only, all brown eyed girls aren't boring, and some handsome men in literature are as interesting as tofu. Nevertheless, I bought the book because I love Miss Quinn's work, and reluctantly I followed along as 10 yr old Miranda Cheevers feeds a puppy love for her best bud's older brother, well into her late teens and beyond. Ten years later, the two carry on an elicit affair, which had such a boring cauliflower ending that lacked the zest, zeal and humour that I generally receive from this author.
Julia Quinn's latest novel is well-written and poignant, but not quite up to her much-beloved Bridgerton series standards. What I missed most was the humor! It was so noticeably absent--and such a part of Quinn's trademark voice--that I think it made the book even more sad than it should have been. I really liked her cast of characters, but the plot's pacing seemed a bit off. Sometimes I flew through the pages, the rest of the time I trudged along, hoping something would happen. I guess anything after the long-running Bridgerton series would seem a let-down, but this one lacks the charm of her earlier works: Brighter than the Sun is one of my favorite Pre-Bridgertons. I'd still recommend reading the Secret Diaries of Miranda Cheever, but I do admit to a tiny twinge of disappointment.
I don't think this book was up to Quinn's normal standards (ie. the Bridgerton Series), but it was an entertaining regency romance. The diary she wrote put an interesting twist into the story, but I never really connected with some of the characters. The brother of her friend was never really developed, and he just seemed a blah person thrown into the storyline.
I have read every single book by Julia Quinn and have loved them all. She is an excellent writer! She makes a book interesting, the characters are likable, the story is entertaining and she is funny! This book is no exception. I would buy it again, and will continue to buy anything she writes.
Thank you
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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