When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn

Everything was so much simpler…
When he was wicked.
In every life there is a turning point.

A moment so tremendous, so sharp and breathtaking, that one knows one's life will never be the same. For Michael Stirling, London's most infamous rake, that moment came the first time he laid eyes on Francesca Bridgerton.

After a lifetime of chasing women, of smiling slyly as they chased him, of allowing himself to be caught but never permitting his heart to become engaged, he took one look at Francesca Bridgerton and fell so fast and hard into love it was a wonder he managed to remain standing. Unfortunately for Michael, however, Francesca's surname was to remain Bridgerton for only a mere thirty-six hours longer — the occasion of their meeting was, lamentably, a supper celebrating her imminent wedding to his cousin.

But that was then…Now Michael is the earl and Francesca is free, but still she thinks of him as nothing other than her dear friend and confidant. Michael dares not speak to her of his love…until one dangerous night, when she steps innocently into his arms, and passion proves stronger than even the most wicked of secrets…

Isabel Says

Alot of people don't like When He Was Wicked. I mean a lot. I don't know anyone who likes this book. Except me. Yes, I LOVE this book. I'm probably going to get flogged, but oh well. Now, these are the reasons I've heard why they don't like the book.

1) It's too dark for a Bridgerton book.

JQ's Bridgerton series is light hearted and feel good. There isn't too much drama. It's witty and funny. WHWW is dark. First her husband dies, then she miscarries, then Michael comes back from India with Malaria. Yeah, when it rains it pours. So it is a darker book than from what we're used to with the series. Which is exactly why I liked it. It was different. I admit I was expecting something along the line like her other books and I was pleasantly surprised.

2) Francesca was happily married before.

Someone said, if Francesca was beaten or treated badly, it would've been different. But she was happily married and then widowed. It didn't bother me she was happily married because we really didn't know the guy. I didn't have an attachment to him. Had JQ wrote snippets of them in previous books, then yeah I would've had a hard time with accepting her book. Plus, if she did have an unhappy first marriage, you really think the Bridgerton brothers would've allowed her to be treated badly? You think she would've put up with it? I think not.

Plus it was nice that Francesca actually loved her first husband and had a loving marriage. Almost every book I've read where the heroine was already married, she had an unhappy marriage.


3) We don't know Francesca

This, I kind of agree with. We hardly ever see her mentioned in the books. The only time we see dialouge with her is in An Offer From a Gentleman.

JQ does write that Francesca had felt different from the rest of her sibilings. Not shy, just more reserved. But still, it would've been nice to read more about her in previous books.

Those are the main reasons I've heard. Francesca wants to have to have a baby and to do that she realizes she must get married. She's not expecting to have what she had with John with her first husband.

But then she starts feeling things for Michael. Passion. And it scares her. She thinks she's dishonoring her first marriage. She feels guilt for feeling these things. I don't blame her. I think I would be the same way to tell you truth.

I like this book. It's one of my favorites in the series. And it's probably the most erotic out of the series. The scene where they take shelter from the rain. Damn. I've reread that scene several times.

You should also know, that timeline wise, this books happens before and during Romancing Mr. Bridgerton. You'll see mention of Penelope and Eloise unmarried. So don't get confused.

Favorite Quote:

He moved, and she moved beneath him, and they were both already aroused that it
was a mere moment later that they exploded. And he, who had slept with
countless women, suddenly realized that he'd been nothing but a green boy.
Because it had never been like this. That had been his body. This was his soul.

Grade: B+

Dylan's Review:

Hero: Michael Stirling
Heroine: Francesca Bridgerton-Stirling
Grade: B+ (A very high B)

Okay, wow. This book was wicked. And I absolutely LOVED it.

This book is as Izzy mentioned much more erotic then the other Bridgerton books, is that a drawback for me? Heavens no, it made me love the book all the more and like Izzy once again, this book is one of my favorite books of the series.

This book was a much better book for me than Eloise's book was, and though now that I look back on reading To Sir Phillip with Love, I DID like the book but not nearly as much as I liked When He Was Wicked. Oh gosh, I really loved Michael Stirling.

To have loved his cousin's wife for so long and then the guilt he felt when said cousin died, leaving the woman he has loved for so long, widowed. Good gosh, what a predicament that left him in. He spent a great deal of the book guilt stricken because he couldn't help thinking that maybe subconsciously, he had somehow brought about the death of his cousin for coveting his wife for so long.

Okay, yeah this book was a really great one but from the very beginning I loved Michael Stirling. You could tell he felt horrible about his feelings for Francesca, you could tell he didn't WANT to feel any of those feelings, that he worked extra hard to make sure noone was the wiser of his true feelings for Francesca, most especially Francesca herself.

I really enjoyed this book and yeah it was a bit dark with all the sicknesses and the deaths but that didn't stop me from liking it or even liking it less because it didn't fit in with the rest of the Bridgerton books. It may have not been like the rest of the Bridgerton books, but Francesca was not like the rest of the Bridgertons, she was different and so I thought JQ did a great job with this book by making it different and more...Francesca.

Even not really knowing who Francesca because she didn't really appear all that much in the other books, that again was just...Francesca to me. Yes, Francesca was mentioned in the other books but she didn't really play any part in the books but that again just went to show that Francesca was different.

One of my favorite things about the book was the cute little snippets of letters at the top of each chapter, this one was one that made me sigh...Michael is such a cutie patootie.

...Did Francesca say that she misses me? Or did you merely infer it?
-from the Earl of Kilmartin to his mother, Helen Stirling, two years and two months after his departure for India.

And then this one...

...but as you have written, Francesca is managing Kilmartin with admirable skill. I do not mean to shirk my duties, and I assure you, had I not suhch an able stand in, I would return immediately.
-from the Earl of Kilmartin to his mother, Helen Striling, two years and six months after his departure for India, written with a muttered, "She never answered my question."

Oh I just love that man!

I liked this book, I liked how hot it was and I liked how the story ended. I just downright liked this book. Now come along Izzy, we shall stand together in our flogging.

The Duke and I
The Viscount Who Loved Me
An Offer From A Gentleman
Romancing Mr. Bridgerton
To Sir Phillip, With Love
When He Was Wicked
It's In His Kiss
On the Way to the Wedding