Because of Miss Bridgerton is book 1 in the regency romance series Rokesbys, a Bridgerton prequel by Julia Quinn. The Bridgertons and Rokesbys children have grown up with each other, being each other’s closest neighbours and their parents being great friends. Therefore, it was almost guaranteed that Billie Bridgerton would marry one of the Rokesby brothers at some point, but never would it be George Rokesby; they vex each other immensely, constantly jab and mock each other. So when one cat causes Billie more pain than she bargained for, they are quite literally stuck with each other. Was that the first push they needed to notice that loathing each other was a complete waste of time?
Billie Bridgerton had me chuckling and smiling from the very first page. I just adore her. She’s headstrong, stubborn, independent, prefers to do everything herself because it will be done correctly, happiest in the comfort of those she knows, quick-witted and humorous, feels restless if she is not doing everything all at once, hates feeling useless, hates the stereotypes of what she is told she should be doing as a lady, feels the time slowly ticking before a world she has made her own slips away, and dreads the future after the change of hands from her to her younger brother is made. She’s never treated softly because she is made of strong stuff and cannot possibly cry. No matter the circumstances and many more things, I felt closely akin to her throughout the book. I hate how the world made her feel as though all she did was wrong, that she didn’t fit their world, and that she wasn’t appreciated for all she did. But because she was set in her mind on things, it took her a while to realise George was much the same, and her view of his opinions on her made her realisation of love come much later. But who doesn’t love it when the male character falls first? I loved watching her slowly come to the realisation that he was there, that he felt the same, and that she loved him just as much as he loved her, almost as much as I loved their verbal sparring. This was truly a funny and all-too-sweet romance, with the cheekiness of dreamy George thrown in.
Now George Rokesby was much the same and well matched to his female main character counterpart, but Billie was quick to action and not to think, George was the opposite. Being the one to inherit the earldom from his father, he was pigeonholed into a life of not having the freedom like his brothers, like Billie, to act without thought and to fight for his King and country. He felt useless and ashamed that he was deemed more important than his brothers by birth, and I feel that made him slightly angry at his father and at what he saw as Billie’s freedom. I think the only break from society’s view of him was the time he got to mock and banter with Billie. Admittedly, he fell first for Billie, but as observant as he was, he saw Billie for who she was and how she was truly feeling, and he loved her for it. He didn’t want her to fit what society deemed the perfect mold. Watching George become more playful and flirty and jump to Billie’s defence was a joy to witness. I smiled and laughed so much through this read, but George’s lines and actions had me blushing. I’m not ashamed that the buttoned dress comment made me squeal.
From that very first kiss, they both knew nothing would ever be the same and the tension as I waited for one of them to step forward and make the next untoward ‘mistake’ was so good! The way Julia Quinn mixes humour, emotion, and sexual tension so seamlessly during Because of Miss Bridgerton, I cannot wait to reread this book in the future. George and Billie are so well matched that, while I was annoyed with one or the other at some points during the book, it was extremely short-lived. And while I can gush about these two characters and how I enjoyed each rally they had, delighted in the jealousy they felt like they had claimed each other long before they realised it, and how well they were crafted, I have to mention that I loved getting pieces about the Bridgerton and Rokesby families, and I look forward to getting more from them in the next few books.
If you saw my Instagram stories, you saw just how much I loved this book and how many lines I had highlighted. Picking the right ones for this review was a chore, but oh, how I loved George and Billie! There was not a single thing I disliked about Because of Miss Bridgerton. The wait for them to kiss, the banter, the realisation of love, the feelings, the possessiveness of George, and the stubborn will of Billie. Honestly, I could go on and on, so it comes as no surprise that I will be rating this Bridgerton prequel Five out of Five Stars and will no doubt be reading it again in the future.
First, I would recommend this to Regency romance lovers; snap this one up immediately. Then to anyone who loves well-matched banter and stubbornness between the main characters, such an endearingly sweet read with a mild to decent spice level, laughing, blushing, and wanting to hit one of the main characters in equal measure, some lovely little insights to the rest of the family, and for lovers of the happiest of HEA’s. I loved the Bridgerton books, and Julia Quinn has not failed me yet. Thank you very much for George; he has found his home in my book boyfriend collection. So if you have not started one of Julia Quinn’s books yet, what are you waiting for?!
Favourite Quotes
“He’d almost kissed her. His eyes had dropped to her mouth and he heard the tiny rush of her breath across her lips, and he’d felt himself leaning, wanting… Burning.”
page 142
“He smiled, and his gaze grew hot. “That’s my girl,” He murmured. “I’m not-” “You will be,” he growled,”
page 243
“It was all mad, so completely wrong and yet so deliciously perfect.”
page 245
“Except that in a few years reckless would give way to eccentric. And after that it was all downhill to crazy.”
page 331
“Was this how it was supposed to feel? As if she were incomplete without him?”
page 348
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Finer Details:
Title: Because of Miss Bridgerton
Author: Julia Quinn
Pages: 375
Publisher: Piatkus
Publication: 2016 (This edition 2021)
Language: English
Rating: 5/5