The Viscount Who Loved Me

- Julia Quinn -

Heroine: Kate Sheffield, the older sister of the most sought after belle of the season, Kate is determined to make sure her sister doesn't marry a rake like Anthony Bridgerton.

Hero: Anthony Bridgerton, the oldest of the eight Bridgerton siblings, Anthony's intense grief over the untimely death of his father left him convinced that he too was fated to die young and therefore he is determined never to fall in love so he will never have to feel the pain of knowing he will leave them behind.

Julia Quinn really is a master at dialogue - the interactions between the character, and particularly between Kate and Anthony as they spar with one another, read as so natural and lively and fun.

The circumstances leading to the actual wedding were almost identical to that of "The Duke and I", with the couple caught in a compromising position and forced to marry, but I really appreciated the fact that once they married, Anthony and Kate were remarkably upfront with each other: getting to know each other, working through their fears and generally behaving like a very well matched and realistic couple.

I am not generally a fan of the "I love him/her but must never let them know" trope because it can just seem so ridiculous and lead to totally unbelievable situations as they try to hide their completely obvious feelings, so I really appreciated the fact that, though it was used here, it wasn't completely overwrought: Kate asked Anthony honestly for his opinion when she feared he was picturing someone else whilst he was with her, Anthony ultimately realised that he could not deny his love for his wife, even if he was going to die young he wanted to enjoy life while he could.

This series so far has created such entertaining and believable family dynamics and it really is such fun to read.