When He Was Wicked

When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780739443767.

From Publishers Weekly: Unlike the hero of Quinns newest Regency-era romance, who falls in love with his cousins wife upon first sight, readers wont be swept off their feet by the protagonists of this tale. Indeed, while Michael Stirling, dubbed the Merry Rake, is charming enough, subdued Francesca Bridgerton rarely seems worthy of his pursuit. All is well at the novels outset, aside from the fact that Michael covets his cousin, the Earl of Kilmartins, wife. Then, barely two chapters into the book, his cousin suffers an aneurysm and dies. Devastated and unable to cope with his new position as earl and his feelings for Francesca, Michael flees to India for four years, only to return still very much in love and suffering from malaria. In London, the two attend social events, trade quips and try to restore their friendship, but the more intimate they become, the more their feelings of guilt gnaw at them. Guilt is the only thing that stands in the way of the couples happiness, and its often frustrating to witness their slow, overwrought progression from denial to acceptance. While this book possesses some of the qualities that Quinns fans have come to expect—sprightly prose, feverish love scenes and well-developed secondary characters—it is weighed down by the sheer intensity of the protagonists grief. Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.