Because of Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

DNF 

Sometimes you read a book and the pages fly by. Other times, you read a book and each page drags on and on. You set the book aside for other, better books. But each night, when you go to bed, you see the book sitting there on your nightstand. Judging you. Mocking you. BECAUSE OF MISS BRIDGERTON is the latter.

In other words: BOOOOOOOrriiiiiiin. Boring. Yes.

I've noticed this problem with a lot of newer historical romances (like, written within the last five years or so). They play it way too safe. Rather than coming across as politically incorrect, they do their best to be as inoffensive as possible, with no mention at all of any sort of unsavory topics like plague or war or racism, sweeping those all under the fringed jacquard carpet to indulge in a bit of costume romance. The dresses make it seem historical and everyone speaks very prettily, but the focus of these books is solely romance and beyond that, not a whole lot of conflict.

I think I like Julia Quinn's earlier romances more, because they at least had a bit of fire to them. This book was dull. When we begin the novel, the heroine is up a tree trying to rescue a cat. Then getting down from the roof takes about two chapters. There's a couple more chapters at a dinner table where they all tease each other and the heroine, Billie's, sister feels left out. Then there's talk of a party. Then the hero, George, and the heroine, almost kiss and immediately go on the defensive to themselves that they don't really like each other, not really.

How dull. I had to DNF at that point, because the whole thing felt so tedious. I buddy-read this with Karishma and she liked it at least, so maybe if you enjoy light, fluffy reads, you will too.

1 to 1.5 out of 5 stars