BECAUSE OF MISS BRIDGERTON – Julia Quinn
Avon
ISBN: 978-0-06-238814-8
April 2016
Historical Romance

England – 1779

Sybilla (Billie) Bridgerton seems to find herself in unusual situations quite often. Independent, brash, and having a take-charge attitude, Billie is basically running her family farm since her father has not been well. She's well known by the tenants, is knowledgeable about farming, and she takes chances. Unfortunately, today she is stuck on the roof of an abandoned farmhouse somewhere between her family's estate, Aubrey Hall, and the neighboring lands of the Rokesbys', Crake House. Trying to rescue a stranded cat up a tree, Billie has instead fallen out of the tree and onto the roof and has injured her ankle. Lucky for her, one of the Rokesby sons is walking by. Unluckily, it's George, the eldest, and Billie and George don't get along.

Heir to the earldom, George Rokesby is the only son left at home. His two younger brothers are both in the military, although Andrew is home from the Navy with a broken arm. Edward is stationed in America where the colonists are in rebellion. George is the serious son, which is why he and Billie don't see eye to eye. He thinks she's a flibbertigibbet, and she thinks he's a stick in the mud. But he has known Billie all of her life, and he is obliged to rescue her. Sadly, things don't go especially well as he attempts to get her off the roof. He, too, gets stuck up there when the ladder falls.

The thing is, suddenly Billie and George begin to learn more about each other as they wait for help to wander by. While their discussion doesn't begin cordially, George realizes that Billie is trying to hide the fact that she's in a lot of pain. And Billie discovers that George is not as boring as she thought he was. Their two families have been close for years, and it's always been assumed that Billie would marry either Andrew or Edward.

BECAUSE OF MISS BRIDGERTON is a prequel to the wildly popular Bridgerton series. Billie is Edmund's older sister. Billie and George come off as opposites, but they really have more in common than either realizes. Being the eldest brings certain responsibilities, regardless of whether you're a man or a woman. As George relaxes more around Billie, and she sees the true George, the story gets more humorous and eventually romantic.

BECAUSE OF MISS BRIDGERTON is a delightful romp about two really lovely families. Don't miss this one.

Jani Brooks