Eine meiner Lieblingsbuchserien ist die Regency-Romance Reihe von Julia Quinn. Jedes der Bücher erzählt die Love-Story eines der Kinder von Violet und Edmund Bridgerton.
Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory und Hyacinth. The Duke an I
Relentlessly pursued by match-making mamas and their charges, Simon Bassett, the handsome Duke of Hastings, has grown tired of the societal chase. Tired too is the lovely Daphne Bridgerton, whose matrimonially minded mother is set on finding her daughter the perfect husband. Neither Simon nor Daphne is happy with this annoying state of affairs and both would give anything for a little peace and quiet. Their mutual wish for a respite from the ton's marriage mart leads to a pretend engagement--a scheme that is threatened with exposure by Daphne's suspicious older brother, who happens to know Simon's way with women very well. The two never anticipated that a mutual attraction would lead to the very thing they set out to avoid--a wedding. But Simon fears that his painful past may keep him from being able to truly love anyone. And though Daphne cares for him deeply, she won't settle for anything less than his heart.
The Viscount who Loved me
Wise, lovely and kind, Kate Sheffield is determined that her beautiful half-sister, Edwina, marry a reputable man in The Viscount Who loved Me. Unfortunately for Kate, Viscount Anthony Bridgerton--London's most eligible bachelor and a notorious rake to boot--sets his sights on Edwina, and what the viscount wants, the viscount gets. Only this time, Anthony must win the elder sister's approval before he may charm the young beauty into marriage.
Hardly a problem for the impossibly handsome viscount, that is until the determined Kate, whose deep, dark eyes and lush mouth send his senses racing, presents a challenge that Anthony cannot refuse. Worse yet, Kate's response to his playful advances only confirms the ardent attraction that both seem desperate to deny. Anthony is faced with a dilemma. On the one hand, the perfectly amiable Edwina, while on the other, the most stubborn, single-minded--yet confoundedly desirable--female ever to grace a London ballroom. Anthony's quandary comes to a fast and fateful conclusion when he and Kate are caught in an innocent but compromising position. There's no choice but to marry, a resolution that leaves both parties uneasy. For despite their growing feelings, each struggles with personal demons that may destroy any chance for true happiness.
An offer from a Gentleman
Miss Sophie Beckett is the illegitimate daughter of the Earl of Penwood in Julia Quinn's An Offer from a Gentleman. Raised in his home, Sophie has a tolerable existence until the Earl marries and her life takes a distinct turn for the worse. Sophie's new stepmother hates her, and when the Earl passes away, she relegates Sophie to the role of servant. Sophie's days are pure drudgery until one night when her fellow servants conspire to help her attend a masquerade ball.
Her life changes irrevocably when she meets handsome Benedict Bridgerton and falls head-over-heels in love. Benedict is equally smitten but when the clock strikes 12, his beautiful mystery lady runs from him leaving only her glove in his hand. He searches London for her but she seems to have vanished. What Benedict doesn't know is that Sophie's stepmother has discovered her outing and thrown Sophie out of their London townhouse. Sophie leaves London and it isn't until three years later that Benedict and Sophie's paths cross once again when he saves her from the unwanted attentions of a drunken lord. Sophie recognises Benedict immediately but much to her dismay, he doesn't know her in her maid's dress. Soon, however, Benedict falls in love with Sophie all over again. Both struggle with their feelings for each other, their unwillingness to compromise their principles and the seemingly insurmountable wall separating a member of the nobility and a servant. To add to their difficulties, Sophie's vindictive stepmother discovers her presence in London and sets out to make her life even more miserable.
Romancing Mr. Bridgerton
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?
To Sir Philip with Love
The novel opens as Eloise, a 28-year-old "spinster," flees London to visit her secret pen pal, Phillip, a troubled botanist and widower. The two plan to see if they are compatible, but Eloise's hopes plummet when she discovers that Phillip is not the romantic charmer of her dreams, but a grumpy father of twins. She agrees to remain for a fortnight, however, and as she interacts with him and his unruly children, she learns that he has a good heart, even if he is an emotionally distant father. Weighty issues such as abuse and discipline threaten to overshadow their relationship at times, but Eloise's sunny disposition brightens the novel, as does the arrival of her four brothers.
When he was Wicked
Unlike the hero of Quinn's newest Regency-era romance, who falls in love with his cousin's wife upon first sight, readers won't be swept off their feet by the protagonists of this tale. Indeed, while Michael Stirling, dubbed the Merry Rake, is charming enough, subdued Francesca Bridgerton rarely seems worthy of his pursuit. All is well at the novel's outset, aside from the fact that Michael covets his cousin, the Earl of Kilmartin's, wife. Then, barely two chapters into the book, his cousin suffers an aneurysm and dies. Devastated and unable to cope with his new position as earl and his feelings for Francesca, Michael flees to India for four years, only to return still very much in love and suffering from malaria. In London, the two attend social events, trade quips and try to restore their friendship, but the more intimate they become, the more their feelings of guilt gnaw at them. Guilt is the only thing that stands in the way of the couple's happiness, and it's often frustrating to witness their slow, overwrought progression from denial to acceptance. While this book possesses some of the qualities that Quinn's fans have come to expect—sprightly prose, feverish love scenes and well-developed secondary characters—it is weighed down by the sheer intensity of the protagonists' grief.
It´s in his kiss
Too intelligent for her own good and best friends with Lady Danbury, one of society's most outspoken grande dames, Hyacinth is in her fourth season on London's Marriage Mart and again unimpressed by the male selection. Only Lady Danbury's handsome, pockets-to-let grandson Gareth St. Clair can hold his own in a conversation with her and sometimes even leaves her in a speechless, stomach-flipping state. When Hyacinth offers to translate the diary of Gareth's deceased Italian grandmother, the pair find themselves comparing notes, then exchanging kisses and finally burglarizing his estranged father's house at midnight. But the diary also holds secrets that could jeopardize their new love. Practically bouncing with humor, this book will keep readers happily on edge, waiting to see how the final unmarried Bridgerton will fare in Quinn's talented hands.
On the way to the Wedding
Unlike most men of his acquaintance, Gregory Bridgerton believes in true love. And he is convinced that when he finds the woman of his dreams, he will know in an instant that she is the one. And that is exactly what happened. Except...
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