When He Was Wicked

Well. Two stars because I really loved Michael and Francesca in the first half of the story—the pining, the sense of responsibility, genuine affection and tortured guilt worked so well, and Francesca's more confident attitude as a married woman was a refreshing dynamic to have with a rake ML.

Then I read the second half, and they became almost unrecognizable.

Michael became a ball of barely contained anger, manipulation and manhandling—yet it is never truly treated as a devolution of his character. He is supposed, to the end, to be her best friend; but from the moment he sets out to marry her, he fails to live up to the title at every turn and the narrative never acknowledges this.

There are attempts being made to show consent, but show more it was unconvincing at best— and the male lead himself is aware of this and doesn't regret it. Michael openly admits to his attempts at seduction and baby trapping Francesca, crowding her, refusing to give her the time and space she asks for so he can pressure her into saying yes. This behavior is never challenged.

There were weird assumptions being made about Francesca being the one who was not fertile— why? Who says it wasn't the husband? Especially odd when considering how John is depicted as a supportive, open-minded man.

Then the weird double standard of a rake holding our leading lady to some higher, purity standards, and complaining that she was using him—when he literally set out to seduce her and impregnate her. He doesn't see the irony in it and only resents her refusal to marry him... after he's seduced her in order to force her hand.

A couple of hot scenes where Francesca acted as a woman with some experience and took control during their sexual encounters; but even those were ruined for me by the manipulative context.

In conclusion. Take a shot every time the author uses the word "wicked" in the second half. It will be as good a way as any to get drunk and get over the character assassination and disappointment after such a promising start, I suppose. show less

Francesca has always been the Bridgerton that readers and viewers don’t know much about. In the first season of the TV series, she spends 99.9% of her time in Bath. In the books, she seems to spend all her time in Scotland. The reader doesn’t even get to hear about her wedding as it takes place between books, nor that she has been widowed. She’s always been on the fringes of the family, perhaps drowned out by Hyacinth, Eloise or a game of Pall Mall. But When He Was Wicked is Francesca’s time to shine as the reader finally gets to know her. It’s a great story of love, loss, duty and desire.

Francesca has always been a little overwhelmed by the rest of her family. She’s not as loud and opinionated but rather quiet and happy to show more be in a smaller group. She married John in a love match and moved to Kilmartin, where he was the earl. Unfortunately, he died young and Francesca, deep in grief, has hibernated. John’s cousin and his (and Francesca’s) best friend, Michael, is now the earl. But in his grief, he ran away to India. Four years later, Michael is back. Francesca has been managing the estates well and she’s also come to the conclusion that she needs to marry again. She wants a baby and she’s pragmatic that she won’t find the kind of love she had with John. Michael is also being pressured to marry and produce an heir to the earldom. His problem? He’s been in love with Francesca for years and years. How can he make her see that he can love her, but in a different way to John? And that neither of them will be betraying John’s memory? His method is unconventional, but passion seems to be the key to Francesca’s heart…

When He Was Wicked is completely different from the previous books in the series, keeping it fresh and unexpected. Francesca is such an unknown that it’s delightful to get to know her better. She’s clever and quiet, but she knows her own mind. She’s also not afraid to break the rules when it suits her and she’s not easily shocked. (Good thing, as Michael delights in trying to shock her multiple times). Francesca is older and more experienced in this novel, lending an insight into adult life that her sisters haven’t really had to deal with in their books. It was a pleasure to get to know her, and like all the Bridgertons she knows how to be witty. Michael is almost the antithesis of Francesca, being the light-hearted poor cousin initially and then running to another continent in his grief. It took him some time to accept that he now has the role meant for his cousin and reform his rake status (which like another rakes in the series, is somewhat exaggerated). He’s kind and patient with a good turn of phrase, both wicked and otherwise. (Julia Quinn’s sparkling dialogue is on fire in this novel – it’s on point every time). The story is just gorgeous, easy to read and easy to engage with. It feels modern, perhaps because the sex scenes are definitely not Regency level, but I think because the plot is an age-old dilemma (friends to lovers). It’s delightful and reminds me of why reading should be fun.

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When He Was Wicked
3.5 Stars

Synopsis
Michael Stirling fell in love with Francesca Bridgerton at first sight. The only problem is that she was about to marry his cousin. Michael vows to keep his love secret but everything changes when his cousin John dies and Francesca is suddenly free. Will she ever see him as anything more than a handsome rake? Can she reconcile the idea of one of her oldest friends with the man for whom she feels a sudden and unexpected passion?

Review
A disappointing addition to the series.

The beginning is incredible and had me on the verge of tears, but the book loses momentum thereafter and it isn't until the last few chapters that things pick up again. Moreover, the witty dialogue and humorous antics that show more characterize the other books are lacking, and the absence of most of the Bridgerton clan is very noticeable. Finally, the timeline is also problematic as the story takes place in parallel with books #4 and 5, and the allusions and references to these stories creates disunity and may be confusing to some readers.

That said, Michael is an amazing hero - so patient, loyal and loving. He is simply fantastic and to be honest, Francesca doesn't deserve him. She comes across as obtuse and irritating. Her constant rejection of Michael had me growling in frustration. Again, it is only at the end that I managed to warm up to her and the final scenes are excellent.

Overall, not my favorite but worth reading just for Michael. show less

I love this book!!! It's different than a lot of books out there in a lot of ways. First, Michael is Francesca's best friend - not some man she saw and fell madly in love with. Secondly, it's Michael who's pining, which seems against the grain - and I'm very glad because I'm tired of it always being the girl's job to pine. Thirdly, it's the first book I've read where the hero suffers from malaria for a significant portion of the book. Fourthly, it's one of the few books I've read where the widow actually truly loved her husband before he died. Fifthly, this book begins very sadly, and a touch of that sadness continues through the rest of the book. Despite that, this book is amazingly good. Very touching, and sweet, and really everything show more a romance novel should be expected to be. Michael, while prickly and tortured, is completely lovable - although far from perfect - and Francesca struggles to come to terms with her husband's death and her growing feelings for his cousin and her best friend. Truly charming!!! show less

When Francesca's husband of only two years, John, dies, she's plunged into grief - and then further into grief when she miscarries her first pregnancy. John's cousin and best friend, Michael, inherits Kilmartin, but runs off to India for four years, leaving Francesca to manage the Scottish estate (which she does quite capably, with John's and Michael's mothers Janet and Helen).

But at last, Francesca decides she wants a baby, which means a husband, so she returns to London for the season - just as Michael returns to England. He has always loved her, but could never reveal his feelings because she was married to John. Francesca valued her friendship with Michael and was hurt when he left the country, but never saw him as a romantic show more possibility. When, with Francesca's brother Colin's prodding, Michael proposes the idea, Francesca can begin to see it...but, feeling guilty over John's memory, flees back to Scotland. Michael follows her, and the two become engaged, and then - once Francesca has spoken to John at his grave - quickly married.

Quotes

Michael had changed. It wasn't that he'd been irresponsible before. It was just that he'd been without responsibilities. And it hadn't really occurred to her how well he might rise to the occasion once he returned to England. (Francesca, ch. 9)

"The fact of the matter...is that most of humanity has more hair than wit." (Kate, ch. 10)

Nothing had the power to irritate like the reflection of one's own behavior in someone else. (Michael with Colin Bridgerton, ch. 15)

If she had a baby, one of her own....would she suddenly realize that this love she felt now for [her nieces and nephews]...Would it suddenly feel like a wisp next to what was in her heart for her own child? (Francesca with Eloise, second epilogue) show less

I think this may be the only JQ book in which the heroine is not a virgin when she meets the hero, which means that this book is a little racier than most of the Bridgerton books. It's also got a much different vibe going on. Lots of people read romance novels because they're full of idealized love, perfect love, completely non-messy love. This book shakes that formula up quite a bit because our heroine, Francesca, has already met and married her perfect man when the book begins. And then he dies. And then Francesca falls for his best friend, his cousin, the man who took his place. That's kind of morally uncomfortable, right? No one wants to fall in love with their dead husband's best friend. It's messy and everyone feels guilty about show more it. But, of course, it's also got that forbidden thing going on...

I'd say this book is overlong and I skimmed through quite a bit of it. It was also a little less funny and little more angsty than I like. But if you're a big Bridgerton fan, you'll love how much the other Bridgertons are in this one. There are important references to the other books, and several characters actual meddle a lot in Francesca's story. It's pretty fun and I'm surprised JQ doesn't do it more often. show less

Oh boy, oh boy, Julia Quinn what have you done?! I absolutely loved this one! And I wasn’t even enjoying it that much in the beginning, but then Michael came back from India and voilá! Oh, where to begin...where to begin...maybe with Michael, since I mentioned him already. Well, what else could I say about a character that reminded me of a mix between Simon from The Duke and I, and Colin from Romancing Mr.Bridgerton? What else besides: I loved him! Poor guy...such an unfortunate man he is having to watch his beloved Frannie happily married to his cousin/brother and best friend John. Worst, to be her confident, her friend, to be near her and never be able to touch her...until his cousin dies. And I’m so very sorry to say, but thank show more the heavens! I couldn’t take more of this man’s misfortune.
Of course that with John's death came the guilt, and I could not believe Michael wasn’t going to make his move on Francesca, now that she was a widow, now that she was free! Nooo, he had to be an ass first and run away for a while, stabbing this reader’s heart with a burning knife. I can’t fully explain how sorry I was for Frannie, because she was so alone, and he really was the only person who could do something about it, who could be there for her. It broke my already stabbed&burnt heart when she asks for him and he flees! What the hell, Stirling??
Frannie's move to find a new husband was really the story's kick-off, and I loved how both she and Michael were shopping for a husband and a wife (not really), but would never think of the other one to fulfill that role, and then...*starts laughing* and then he comes up with that brilliant plan of getting her pregnant so that she has to marry him *ROFL* I had never read such a thing. The GUY planning to get the girl pregnant so she'll marry him. And all the while Frannie was like: Whaa? Ok...you can certainly try...if you want...I mean... show less