When He Was Wicked

Oh, well done! This is a fantastic audiobook and a spot on reading by Simon Prebble. I had never read a book by Julia Quinn, but I had listened to Simon Prebble read Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell - over and over again. So it was the reader whom attracted me to this book - and now I've listened to it many times over as it's a beautifully written story. The angst reminded me of Lymond in the Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett when he couldn't have his beloved Phillipa. This story in turn led me to the other Quinn audiobook available at audible, It's In His Kiss, and I loved that one, too - same great reader. I look forward to more audiobooks from this author and I hope they use the same reader - fantastic combination.

I first read the book and absolutely loved it! I couldn't wait to hear it on audio and was not disappointed. The narration is amazing and perfectly brings the characters to life. I've since ordered It's in His Kiss and On The Way to A Wedding and can't wait to listen to them as well. I really hope the earlier volumes of the Bridgerton series will soon be made available on audio, since I think the first four volumes in the series are superior and would love to hear them as well.

If you like Julia Quinn, you're going to love this book. The dialogue sequences are some of the best she's ever written. Are some of the sex scenes over-the-top? Yes. Is it still a good read written by someone who understands loss, guilt and grief? Absolutely. Give it a try.

It was so romantic and easily kept me attentive the whole time. Though for some, it may seem sort of slow. But it builds and is very worth it. And, of course, the narrator's voice is one of the favorites. So it just made it all more appealing.

The quality of this book depends on what you are seeking. If you just want a mushy, predictable story with some romantic moments and steamy scenes, with honestly likeable characters, it hits the spot. If you are a little deeper, it will feel childish to you, like it was written by a high schooler with a good vocabulary. It is not remarkably memorable to me; nothing like Georgette Heyer, Amanda Quick, early Kathleen Woodiwiss, or the infalable Loretta Chase. But with few worthwhile choices on audio, you could certainly spend your free credits more regretfully. I was actually rather into it at one point (somewhere in the middle, I think) but my energy fizzled out before the epilogue when the romance got sappy and drawn out. I, for one, did NOT like the narrator. The heroine's voice is always important to me and this gentleman pretty much ruined it and even put the wrong intonation on phrases which might have worked if said flatly or less dramatically. My guess is that it is better to read this book than to listen.

I love Julia and Simon, although because Simons take on Michaels voice was kinda rough he seemed to me like he was mad when he was supposed to be softer and more intimate. Give this book a try...it is good and the Epilogue II seems to finish the story well.

Simon...don't worry...I still love you!!

Predictable story, but rated R love scenes.

I usually enjoy Julia Quinn's work but this installment in the series is painful to get through. The story revolves around the widowed heroine's reticence to be happy after her husband's death. Loving again feels like betrayal. And so she agonizes for 10 hours while the hero does his best to endure. He does a better job being patient than I did - I grew bored and frustrated with a plot based on frustration rather than tension - when it finally resolved I was too frazzled by the ordeal to care much. A pity.

Honestly, I can only blame myself. What was I thinking, downloading this horrible fluff ball? This book was poorly written, the characters are insipid and the narrative arc really doesn't even exist. This story could have been told in an efficient 15 minutes and it still would have been a hideous piece about very unsympathetic characters. I have no idea how this thing was ever published, and the narrator needs to find a new job, his voice sounded like sand paper. Never again from this author!

This is a harsh story of a man tormented by his "love" of a woman. Not well recieved.