Eh

I was really excited to read this book because I really like Julia Quinn's books, especially the Bridgerton series. But I really think Ms. Quinn peaked too early with the series. The second book, "The Viscount Who Loved Me," is one of my favorite romance novels, so really this eighth and final installment just couldn't compare.

It wasn't that it wasn't a good book, per se. Ms. Quinn's writing, along with Eloisa James's and Mary Balogh's, is the best in the Regency romance genre. But this book just felt like it was lacking in something I will call "Umph." After seven books reading about the Bridgerton siblings, I still felt like I didn't know much of anything about the hero. His personality was not distinct from the other Bridgerton characters. And the drive of this story was pretty much love and the different ways that people experience falling in love. Unfortunately, I wasn't really convinced that the hero and heroine loved each other as much as they said they did, basically because all they ever did was say it, over and over again. Back it up with something!

Also, I think I was a little disappointed because I was expecting more of a dramatic and unifying ending to the Bridgerton series. Ms. Quinn has written eight of them, and she writes about one book a year. I picked up on the fouth book, but that was still five years ago! I've been waiting a long time for this chapter to close, and I just wanted something more climatic.

But, if you've never read a Bridgerton book and you like romances that are clever and well-written, you'll like this book. But here is where it falls in my overall rating for the series:

1. The Viscount Who Loved Me
2. Romancing Mr. Bridgerton
3. An Offer From A Gentleman
4. The Duke and I
5. It's In His Kiss
6. To Sir Phillip, With Love
7. On The Way To The Wedding
8. When He Was Wicked

Lindsey's Grade: B- (you're right Mike, I just can't do it!)