Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Bridgerton Series, Book 4)

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Setting: Regency England

Sensuality: 7

Penelope Featherington fell madly, hopelessly in love with Colin Bridgerton two days before her 16th birthday. Unfortunately, Colin has always seen Penelope as the plump, shy best friend of his younger sister. By the time Penelope is 28 and a seasoned member of the English ton, she's accepted that her love for Colin is destined to remain unrequited and she shall be a spinster forever. Fate, however, has other plans. When Lady Whistledown's Society Papers announce that Colin has returned from his nearly nonstop travels, Penelope is blissfully unaware that her life is about to change dramatically. Colin is equally unaware of the turn his life is about to take. He's not surprised that his beloved mother is determined to marry him off, but he's rather astonished to find himself inexplicably drawn to Penelope. Her dry wit and intelligent mind are delightful, and Colin soon finds himself joining forces with her to deflect his matchmaking mama's good intentions. Together, the two will thwart their mothers' iron wills, face the formidable Lady Danbury, confront the gossips of London society, and resolve the lovely dilemma of falling in love. And, oh yes, there is that matter of the true identity of Lady Whistledown. Will the twosome unmask the elusive journalist? Or will their efforts be doomed to failure like so many others' before?

Romancing Mr. Bridgerton continues author Julia Quinn's wildly popular series of Regency historicals featuring the Bridgerton family, The Duke and I, The Viscount Who Loved Me, and An Offer from a Gentleman. True, the novel possesses all that we've come to expect from Quinn, including deft plotting, witty repartee, a faultless Regency setting, and expert characterization. But perhaps the book's most pleasing facet is Quinn's quietly nuanced handling of the hero's and the heroine's internal growth, which is furthered by their blooming relationship. They're two strong individuals made stronger by their bond. Now that's love. --Lois Faye Dyer

Book Description

Penelope Featherington has secretly adored her best friend's brother for . . . well, it feels like forever. After half a lifetime of watching Colin Bridgerton from afar, she thinks she knows everything about him, until she stumbles across his deepest secret . . . and fears she doesn't know him at all.

Colin Bridgerton is tired of being thought nothing but an empty-headed charmer, tired of everyone's preoccupation with the notorious gossip columnist Lady Whistledown, who can't seem to publish an edition without mentioning him in the first paragraph. But when Colin returns to London from a trop aboard he discovers notyhing in his life is quite the same—especially Penelope Featherington! The girl haunting his dreams. But when he discovers that Penelope has secrets of her own, this elusive bachelor must decide . . . is she his biggest threat—or his promise of a happy ending?

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E-Book Extras: ONE: Behind the Novel: Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn; TWO: The Bridgerton Basics: Ms. Quinn Fills You In

Penelope Featherington has secretly adored her best friend's brother for...well, it feels like forever. After half a lifetime of watching Colin Bridgerton from afar, she thinks she knows everything about him, until she stumbles across his deepest secret...and fears she doesn't know him at all.

Colin Bridgerton is tired of being thought nothing but an empty-headed charmer, tired of everyone's preoccupation with the notorious gossip columnist Lady Whistledown, who can't seem to publish an edition without mentioning him in the first paragraph. But when Colin returns to London from a trop aboard he discovers notyhing in his life is quite the same -- especially Penelope Featherington! The girl haunting his dreams. But when he discovers that Penelope has secrets of her own, this elusive bachelor must decide...is she his biggest threat -- or his promise of a happy ending?

Customer Reviews:

A Writer's Happy Ending.......2006-12-22

As a writer, I have to say this has been my favorite of the Bridgerton series. The two writing characters are so endearing, I was sad when the story was over. Fun, entertaining read, as I always expect from Julia Quinn.

Disappointed!.......2006-12-07

After reading The Duke and I, I had high hopes for this book. I thought it would be a great story after I read the introduction. However, the main characters lack chemistry and I just wasn't excited about them. It was just dull. It's still a decent book, however,not a keeper.

A good story but somehow not quite gripping enough.......2006-12-05

The first couple of paragraphs of this book are fantastic - light-hearted, amusing, witty - and I settled down for a gripping and brilliant read. Sadly I didn't get entirely that. This was a good book, like Ms Quinn's others, but it wasn't quite as good as some and because of that I was disappointed.

This is the fourth book in the series (following "The Duke And I", "The Viscount Who Loved Me" and "An Offer From A Gentleman") and is the story of Colin Bridgerton, third son, and Penelope Featherington. Penelope gets mentioned in most of the other books and in fact there is one scene in "An Offer From A Gentleman" which features Penelope and Colin and is repeated in this book.

In some ways I really liked the premise of this story - it's the good old friends who know each other for years and years and then somehow find themselves falling in love and getting married. It's so nice for the slightly dumpy and apparently dull woman to get the dishy man - most Regencies have beautiful debutants striding onto the scene and ensnaring wonderful men instantly. Penelope waits 12 years for her man - but she gets him!

Penelope is a great character in this book. She's not particularly beautiful but she has brains and wit and somehow in this book she discovers a bit more self-confidence or gumption to change her life a little. Colin also is trying to step out of the shadows of his two older brothers and find a purpose in life - these interactions were well drawn and believable. In fact it's in character drawing that Julia Quinn excels and I very much appreciate the way in which her large cast of characters all have their own behaviours.

A lot of this book is focused on Lady Whistledown - a plot device used well in most of the other books but probably rather outstaying its welcome. Fortunately Lady Whistledown is unmasked in this book - probably rather more of this was made than strictly necessary.

This book also sets the scene for the next ("To Sir Philip With Love") which features Eloise who was Penelope's best buddy. I like the way the books are interlinked and that we can follow on with the relationships of those who've been married off in earlier books.

Overall this is still a good book, much better than most Regencies on the market at the moment, but it's a little disappointing when compared with some of Julia Quinn's others in this series.

Funny and entertaining.......2006-11-10

A very different kind of love story, and yes... this was a love story and one of the better of the series! Penelope had loved Colin for years, and the evolution of his feelings for her was entertaining to read. There was plenty of other Bridgerton's for all the characters to play against, which is one of Quinn's strengths. I particularly enjoyed the scene in which Colin was attempting ask Mrs. Featherington for Penelope's hand.... very funny. I did not, however, enjoy the scene in which Mrs. Whistledown was revealed. It was way overdone and ridiculous to make a grand announcement. I think Quinn could have come up with something better if it was necessary to unmask her at all.

A laugh out loud and entertaining read.......2006-11-06

Penelope has long accepted herself as the ugly duckling, the older sister doomed to spinsterhood because she wasn't beautiful enough to catch the eye of an eligible suitor. Regardless of her station in life, Penelope had already lost her heart...to Mr. Colin Bridgerton, a very handsome, very wealthy, and very eligible bachelor. He, however, hurt her when she overheard him declaring to his brothers that he certainly has no intentions of ever marrying her.

Many years pass and Penelope is well into spinsterhood at the ripe old age of twenty-eight. As for Colin, he developed wanderlust and has spent much of his time traveling. But now his sudden urge to be home has dragged him back to England. Much has changed and never before has he noticed how smart Penelope is, how witty, how beautiful...

My favorite part of this book is the dialogue. It's witty, interesting and very lively. Through dialogue, the characters literally jump out of the book and into your heart. You can't help but laugh your way through this story. It's whimsically woven with such playful and tongue-in-cheek writing that you can't help but smile.

You'll definitely laugh your way through this book. Enjoy.

Romancing the Rogue (Kenyon Family Novels)

Average customer rating:

Just What the Romanticist Ordered
LOTS OF EXCITEMENT
Pretty Good
ANOTHER KEEPER!!
Surely Barbara Dawson Smith Didn't write this?!

Romancing the Rogue (Kenyon Family Novels)
Barbara Dawson Smith
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0312975112

Book Description

When Michael Kenyon, the Marquess of Stokeford, finds his grandmother having her palm read by a gypsy beauty, he's convinced that Vivien Thorne is a fortune hunter.The Marquess is determined to expose her as a fraud-and Vivien is equally determined to claim her rightful heritage.Yet neither the spirited gypsy nor the notorious rogue foresee the white-hot desire that turns their battle into a daring game where to surrender is unthinkable....impossible....and altogether irresistible.

Customer Reviews:

Just What the Romanticist Ordered.......2003-03-18

Those of us that read romance novels essentially know what we'll be getting into before we read Page One. There's a predicability about romance, & that's for the most part why we read it. That's what we're looking for.

The difference comes in w/the characters, the way the tension builds, the sensuality between them, the predictability or, better, the lack of, and the hopefully well-done backdrops for each fantasy story. Because that's what a romance is meant to be: a fantasy whereby a reader can step away from her own reality for even a short time & feel drawn into this make-believe world.

Barbara Dawson Smith has fulfilled all the most important elements in ROMANCING THE ROGUE. The hero & heroine are beautiful. There is just enough tension between them without there being an overt amount of never-ending sparring. The timing is well-done, so that Michael & Vivien are brought together in increments, steps in time, building up to a rather believeable end. And the supporting characters are well-defined.

If I had any criticism at all, it would be minimal. Maybe the book could've supported a wee bit more sensuality. While I could tell the couple were very attracted to each other, the heat of such a connection could've been turned up just a notch. Also, I kept waiting to see Vivien reunite with Brand after she knew him to be her brother. That was a scene that could've held a considerable amount of emotion, & I really wanted to see it happen.

LOTS OF EXCITEMENT.......2001-07-12

A great book, worth reading, Michael and Vivian were exciting fiesty characters and The Rosebuds had me laughing, a delightful, must read book. I couldn't put it down once I started it. Than again I bought all her books and haven't found a bad one in the bunch.

Pretty Good.......2001-03-20

I liked the sexual tension between the characters. This book is pretty good and worth reading. It's my first one by Smith and I plan to read her other novels. My only complaint is slight -- a little too much hatred between the main characters (until the end which more than made up for it).

ANOTHER KEEPER!!.......2000-09-29

Absolutely loved this book--Michael was a to-die-for hero, and Vivien a wonderfully feisty heroine. The Rosebuds had me chuckling out loud--what a trio of spunky old ladies! I closed this book with a sigh, hating for it to end . . . Ms. Smith, do I dare hope we'll see more of this family?

Surely Barbara Dawson Smith Didn't write this?!.......2000-09-28

I have enjoyed Smith's books up to this one, which read as if it had been generated by a computer program, randomized with romance-novel clichés, sentence by sentence...

Book Description

For Amy Logan, living with wildly attractive widower Dan Major for the past three years was a fantasy come true—even if it was only as nanny to his six-year-old daughter. But now Dan had just stunned her with a proposal every woman dreams of—and one she couldn't possibly accept.—

Dan needed a wife, and Amy seemed the ideal candidate. All he had to do was make her fall in love with him. But Amy had other ideas. And soon the workaholic single father was learning the new rules for dating and secretly yearning to give the one thing he never expected to give: his heart.

Book Description

She’s a hell-raising rock princess on the run.
He’s a sexy undercover cop who’s got her in his sights.
They may not know it, but they’re about to make beautiful music together. . . .

Black leather skirt. Spiked blond hair. Tattoos in the most surprising places. And a smile to stop a man cold. She’s Riley Callahan, the hell-on-wheels daughter of a rock superstar–and a government freelancer suspected of leaking confidential information. That’s why U.S. marshal Charlie Zap is hot on her trail. But keeping up with the ultimate party girl takes some fancy footwork . . . until some quick thinking saves her life and ups the ante. Now Zap’s sticking tighter than a pair of skintight jeans and getting a taste of the real Riley–up close and personal.

Riley grew up depending on no one but herself. Now this hunk in biker boots who happened to be in the right place at the right time is claiming to be...her bodyguard?! Riley may be on a mission to clear her famous father’s name, but her sexy new baby-sitter is coming along for the ride. Who’d have guessed they’d be cruising the country in a pink Cadillac–meeting Zap’s endearing family and partying at Graceland with Elvis clones? But the biggest shock is what Zap’s doing to Riley’s heart. Now, if only they can shake the bad guys tailing them so she can find out exactly where romancing Charlie can lead...

Customer Reviews:

Riley rocks.......2003-05-23

I really liked Riley at the beginning of this book. I mean, I really, really liked her. She was fun, independent, and sassy. She was the first romance heroine I've ever encountered with short, spiky dyed hair, a dog collar, and a navel ring. She was everything most romance heroines are not. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I didn't find her unsympathetic at all. I found her a refreshing break from the cotton-candy pink of most other romance heroines. Her careless sexuality, far from being off-putting, was more based in reality. If you like Carrie Brandshaw and pals of Sex and the City, you'd really like Riley.

Where this book started to derail for me was when the hero, Zap, who I found to be totally arrogant and annoying, started to change Riley. Plain dresses and ordinary hair styles & color came first, along with the removal of her body jewelry. At the end, it leaves the impression that only those cotton-candy-pink heroines who are demure and shy about sexuality deserve to be loved. And that I don't like at all.

Entertaining and just plain fun.......2002-07-09

Talk about mismatched lovers. Riley and Zap aren't star-crossed, they're galaxy-crossed, and Riley isn't the standard romance heroine by a long shot. But flashy, trashy Riley is warm-hearted, loyal and vibrant, and Zap, with his Midwestern manners and ideals is her perfect foil. If you're looking for a vivacious romp, with characters who aren't cookie-cutter all-American, then don't look any further. This one's a keeper. As for the teaser chapter? Clown showgirls, ATF agents and male strippers? Personally, I can't wait.

ANOTHER DISAPPOINTED READER.......2002-06-12

Exciting romantic suspense????? Obviously Harriet Klausner read a different book. Maybe something by Susan Andersen? I have to agree with Disappointment from New York. I WANTED to like this book. Reinventing Romeo was a fun read. However, I found myself skipping great portions of Romancing Riley. Too much "head" conversation and not enough real conversation. Riley was just too much period - not sympathetic. Again, I agree with New York. Just could not like Riley. I hope Ms. Lane's next book is better, but the brief preview in the back of Romancing Riley did not bode well.

Disappointment.......2002-02-26

The premise behind the book sounded good and having enjoyed her last book I quickly picked up this Connie Lane. I have to say that for me the character of Riley Callahan was easily the most difficult heroine that I was ever expected to cheer for. Halfway through the book I didn't care anymore what happened to her, I had little if any sympathy for her. All I kept thinking was what the heck does Zap see in Riley besides her blatant sex appeal? Riley was crass, trashy, promiscuous, and arrogant. When all was said and done I truly wished I had borrowed this from the library rather than spent the money to buy it. If you want to read a good Connie Lane, read Reinventing Romeo.

This is was a very fun read.......2002-02-13

This is the first book I read by Connie Lane. I thought it was a good read and would read her other works. I have to admit I really didn't like the female character Riley at first but then I guess she grew on you. Maybe it is because I know girls like her and don't really like them in real life. But it was a fun and quick read.

Romancing The Teacher (Silhouette Special Edition)

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Romancing The Teacher (Silhouette Special Edition)
Marie Ferrarella
Manufacturer: Silhouette
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0373248261

Romancing The Tycoon (Harlequin American Romance Series)

Average customer rating:

The Colby Agency - Highly recommended
fine Colby romance

Romancing The Tycoon (Harlequin American Romance Series)
Debra Webb
Manufacturer: Harlequin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0373750153

Customer Reviews:

The Colby Agency - Highly recommended.......2004-03-10

Personal assistant Amy Wells desperately wants to become an investigator for The Colby Agency. When her boss asks her to personally deliver an investigative report to a client, a series of coincidences and errors lands Amy an opportunity to prove her investigative abilities. Oil moguls Winterborne and Calhoun, always fierce competitors, plan to join their dynasties through an arranged marriage. Mr. Winterborne has hired the agency to check out John Robert Calhoun IV. Amy cannot resist a peak at the report, which proves to be squeaky clean except for the very last page which indicates possible connections to mob activity.

A case of mistaken identity affords Amy an opportunity to prove her worth to The Colby Agency. She intends to do a little personal investigation to ascertain if there can be any truth to the allegations. While she cannot prove wrong doing, Amy falls hard for the sexy John. Certainly her supposed reputation does not match the beautiful, seemingly genuine woman who arrives on his ranch. Suddenly an arranged marriage is beginning to look like a happily forever proposition. But when the weekend ends, the truth must come out and Amy faces the possibility of loosing both her fledgling career and the man she could love for a lifetime.

Author Debra Webb puts together mistaken identity and an arranged marriage in an unlikely combination that readers will find impossible to put down in ROMANCING THE TYCOON. Amy and John are engaging characters that find love only through a quirk of fate. Webb has a gift for weaving an entrancing tale out of improbable events to create a tale both tender and passionate. A quick read fans will treasure, ROMANCING THE TYCOON comes highly recommended.

fine Colby romance.......2004-03-08

Amy Wells works as a personal assistant at the Colby Private Investigator Inc.. Her dream is get out from behind the desk and become a sleuth. Alas however her employers see her as a great electronic and paper filer not as one who works undercover obtaining the information.

Amy delivers a background check that her agency made on oil tycoon John Robert "JR" Calhoun to their client his potential father-in-law. JR has never met his fiancée having agreed to marry at the pleading of his father to save his big oil company with this merger. However he mistakenly believes that Amy is his future bride. She goes along with his misconception expecting to learn his dark secrets like Mafioso ties that would subsequently prove to her boss that she deserves to be an investigator. As Amy and JR become acquainted they fall in love, but she knows he is engaged to someone else.

The plot device has been done a zillion times and the fact that the hero has never even seen a picture of his fiancée though both are offspring of big oil sounds like a Democratic Party effort to expose VP Cheney. Still the mistaken identity story line is fun to follow because of impulsive intrepid and ingenuous Amy who will have readers rooting for her. JR (no one would dream of using that as a nickname of a Texas oil mogul) is a solid counter to Amy. ROMANCING THE TYCOON is a fine Colby romance just not as strong as the previous ones (see GUARDING THE HEIRESS, STRIKING DISTANCE and KEEPING BABY SAFE).

Customer Reviews:

Originally Posted on Romance Junkies in 2005.......2007-05-14

Twenty-four years ago, Lydia Smith watched as her mother, Rose, died in an Arizona desert. She was too young to understand why they were there to begin with, or why her father, Zachary, was no where in sight to help them. But her mother promised that she would always love her, would never leave her, and Lydia has held that promise to her heart all of these years.

Now, though, Lydia is faced with some major troubles. She's been run off the road by a gang of men who plan to do some serious harm if she doesn't tell them where the gold is. Lydia knows right off what they're talking about-her father had been accused of stealing millions of dollars worth of gold bars those twenty-some years ago. Everyone knows about it-the police, the FBI, the newspapers, the public. The only problem is that Lydia has no idea where the gold is, as her father never told her, and was killed before he could pass along the gold's whereabouts, even if he'd wanted to.

On that dark, deserted road, as Lydia tries helplessly to avoid her assailants, a stranger comes to her rescue. Derek Stone knows right away who Lydia is; after all, he was once a world-renowned profiler for the FBI, and he's been after the group known as Canyon Brotherhood for quite some time. Now that he's rescued Lydia, for the time being, he has to keep his true purpose hidden from her while at the same time keeping her from harm. Lydia thinks Derek is simply the owner of On the Edge tours, but no matter how hard Derek is trying to keep his intentions hidden, she's beginning to see that there's more to her rescuer than meets the eye.

As flashes of memory start coming back to Lydia about Zachary and Rose, about the gold that the Colonel and his Brotherhood are determined to recover, danger creeps closer to Lydia and Derek. As desire blooms between the two of them, both Lydia and Derek hope that their own outcome can be more positive than what happened to Lydia's parents so many years ago.

Ingrid Weaver has woven a suspenseful tale of theft and revenge, of undying parental love, and of passion that flares in the midst of danger. ROMANCING THE RENEGADE is a quick, taut read that all lovers of romantic suspense are sure to enjoy.

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ROMANCING SUSAN (Loveswept, No 472)
Theresa Gladden
Manufacturer: Loveswept
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 055344123X
Release Date: 1991-04-01

Romancing the Enemy: The Parks Empire (Silhouette Special Edition No. 1621) (Special Edition)

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Passion for revenge meets passionate love

Romancing the Enemy: The Parks Empire (Silhouette Special Edition No. 1621) (Special Edition)
Laurie Paige
Manufacturer: Silhouette
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0373246218

Customer Reviews:

Passion for revenge meets passionate love.......2007-04-05

Sara Carlton and Cade Parks are perfect for each other, except for one small detail: Sara believes that his father murdered hers. What happens when a passion for revenge meets a passionate love that can't be denied?

Laurie Paige weaves an engaging story of fervent emotion, betrayal, heartbreak, and the healing power of love in Romancing the Enemy. Her characters and story ring true and satisfy the reader.

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