Rate: 4/5
Medium: ebook
Overview (Spoilers Abound):
With the current political climate, I can’t help but gravitate toward lighter romance novels and thankfully, the Bridgerton series has never failed to distract and entertain. I have been particularly to When He Was Wicked ever since a friend had said Francesca’s story was her favorite of the large family.
In When He Was Wicked, we are finally treated to Francesca’s love story. I was caught off guard in earlier novels when we learned she’d already been married to the Earl of Kilmartin and was widowed young. I should have doubted Quinn as she had a unique love story in mind for heartbroken Francesca.
Francesca is strong, unbelievably so. In the face of so many tragedies, she has to pick up the pieces and run the Earl’s estate all on her own. Despite all the loss, she takes on these daunting responsibilities and does quite well. To contrast, her late husband’s best friend and cousin, Michael who is the new heir, is so devastated by the loss of John, he runs away for years to India to try to forget his problems and his hidden love.
While I adored Francesca, I could hardly stand Michael’s chapters. He ran away from his problems and while he secretly agonized over his hidden love for Francesca he abandoned her when she needed him the most. And while grief does strange things to people the way I was not able to reason away his actions.
If I’m honest, I’ve held a grudge against Colin since his book, but he was one of my favorite parts of this read. He needled Michael perfectly, and he needed someone to give him a hard time. The time frame of this story was another interesting aspect with how Francesca’s overlapped with his Colin and Eloise’s love story.
Other than Michael being a grump, my other main complaint was the love story itself, which was less than romantic. Michael ultimately decided he needed to seduce Francesca and trap her in marriage. While the results were steamy, the overall feel was uncomfortable and ick.
I know I’ve pointed out some key problems with this read that make the story feel forced, but perhaps these critiques are founded in the high expectations I have for the Bridgetons and Quinn. So, while I still enjoyed When He Was Wicked, this story did not have the same magic as its siblings.
Additional Insight (Spoilers Abound):
- Getting a glimpse of Francesca and John’s life in the moments before the unexpected death were heartbreaking.
- Malaria was an interesting twist that made Michael more less of an angry grouch.
- Why was Francesca left out of her family’s news and weddings? Why did everything need to be so rushed?
The Critiquing Chemist 