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The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband: A Bridgertons Prequel
The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband: A Bridgertons Prequel
The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband: A Bridgertons Prequel
Audiobook10 hours

The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband: A Bridgertons Prequel

Written by Julia Quinn

Narrated by Rosalyn Landor

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

There were Bridgertons before the eight alphabetically named siblings. In this second of the Bridgerton prequel series, following Because of Miss Bridgerton, we go back to where it all began. . . from #1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn.

While you were sleeping...

With her brother Thomas injured on the battlefront in the Colonies, orphaned Cecilia Harcourt has two unbearable choices: move in with a maiden aunt or marry a scheming cousin. Instead, she chooses option three and travels across the Atlantic, determined to nurse her brother back to health. But after a week of searching, she finds not her brother but his best friend, the handsome officer Edward Rokesby. He's unconscious and in desperate need of her care, and Cecilia vows that she will save this soldier's life, even if staying by his side means telling one little lie...

I told everyone I was your wife...

When Edward comes to, he's more than a little confused. The blow to his head knocked out three months of his memory, but surely he would recall getting married. He knows who Cecilia Harcourt is—even if he does not recall her face—and with everyone calling her his wife, he decides it must be true, even though he'd always assumed he'd marry his neighbor back in England.

If only it were true...

Cecilia risks her entire future by giving herself—completely—to the man she loves. But when the truth comes out, Edward may have a few surprises of his own for the new Mrs. Rokesby.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperAudio
Release dateMay 30, 2017
ISBN9780062388193
The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband: A Bridgertons Prequel
Author

Julia Quinn

#1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn began writing one month after graduating from college and, aside from a brief stint in medical school, she has been tapping away at her keyboard ever since. Her novels have been translated into 43 languages and are beloved the world over. A graduate of Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges, she lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest.  Look for BRIDGERTON, based on her popular series of novels about the Bridgerton family, on Netflix.

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Reviews for The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband

Rating: 4.198207161354582 out of 5 stars
4/5

502 ratings24 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Lovely story and amazing narration job. Congrats to the production
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    It was OK. Not a lot of depth in characters.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    These stories just get better and better. Loving the series
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    It kind of dragged. I liked the concept but the execution kind of fell flat. There was too much drama around the whole situation. Cecilia spent a lot of time whinging about how bad she felt and how she couldn't tell Edward that they weren't really married. She had plenty of opportunities she just didn't want to.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    I had a very hard time reading this. I had to take multiple breaks bc I don't like the heroine much. Cecilia is just too annoying imo. Lying and lying to Edward even when they already got news about her brother. Ugh. Also maybe bc I just love Billie so much and Cecilia being so damn jealous of her irritated me a lot.

    I love JQ and her books but this is one that I will never reread.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I normally love Julia Quinn's novels. However, despite the fantastic title, The girl with the make-believe husband is the most boring book that Quinn has ever written. Somber, even sad, and boring, with the exception, perhaps, of the letters that are interspersed within the story.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Not bad, but too long! Too many unnecessary characters and ending was a bit rushed.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I originally started reading/listening to audiobooks by this author due to the Bridgerton series, but wow, this book was even better. I enjoyed it more-so and look forward to the next book!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This the second installment in this series. A little heavy on the angst and “back and forth” in this one, but overall a good listen. This is a pretty good series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I am so in love with these characters. The last chapter is my absolute favorite. I am very glad I was listening to it in the car alone so I didn’t have to explain to anyone why I was laughing!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    4.5 stars! This one was so good too! I’m loving this prequel series so much.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Enjoyable, but problematic -- as per usual, Julia Quinn delivers with endearing characters on interesting adventures, and this is one of the first I've read that deals with the American Revolution from a redcoat perspective. Interesting! Both cool and original to set a regency romance in New York.

    The frame for Edward and Cecelia's romance stretches credulity a bit -- Cecelia has traveled, solo, to America, in the early days of the revolutionary war, in order to find and care for her missing soldier brother. Through chance, she ends up finding his unconscious best friend in hospital instead, and claims to be his wife in order to care for the gentleman. This I find surprisingly possible. The amnesia and backstory of falling in love by letter are remarkably compelling. Cecelia's flat-out refusal to confess her impersonation to someone she purports to love? Pure dramatics, and frustrating dramatics at best. I get that if romance heroes/ines actually communicated with their partners the books would be a lot shorter, but my tolerance for internal agonizing over lies is rapidly diminishing. Sack up, Cecelia, and prove to be the strong heroine you seem to be elsewhere in the book.

    advanced reader's copy provided by edelweiss.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Cecelia travels to America to find her brother who was injured in the war but can't seem to get any answers. That is until she tells everyone she is the wife of the unconscious officer Edward. Then he wakes up! and she is forced to walk a tightrope between being honest and finding her brother. There's intrigue and humor and attraction - it's a lovely little story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    For the most part, I read historical romance because it so often features my favorite tropes (plain spinster heroine, etc). There are a couple of authors that do not play to those tropes, but I love their writing and characters and plots enough to read all the books anyways. Julia Quinn is one of those authors. I loved this! It was funny, it was sad, it was the perfect book to curl up with and shut out the world. I can't wait for the next
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband
    3.5 Stars

    Cecelia Harcourt travels to Colonial New York to care for her injured brother, but upon her arrival discovers that he is missing and his best friend, Edward Rokesby, is in a coma. Under the pretense of being his wife, Cecelia nurses Edward back to consciousness, but soon discovers that he has no memory. As Cecelia and Edward grow closer, Cecelia's dilemma increases. Should she tell him of her deception or keep it secret to discover what happened to her brother? Will Edward forgive her once he realizes the truth?

    A well-written and engaging story, but the keeping secrets trope is annoying and undermines the romance for much of the book.

    Cecelia's courage and devotion make her an admirable heroine, and the initial reasons for her deception are understandable. Nevertheless, her continued lying and attempts to conceal the truth are inexcusable, especially once she learns of her brother's fate.

    Edward is a wonderful hero. Decent, caring and loyal, he does not deserve Cecelia's lies and Quinn is forced to work hard to redeem her heroine and create a satisfying romance. Although she is successful and the final chapters are lovely, it is all bittersweet due to Cecelia's actions throughout.

    The mystery revolving around Thomas Harcourt's disappearance has the potential for exciting intrigue, but the eventual explanation is nonsensical and glossed over too easily and too quickly.

    In sum, not Quinn's best work, but her writing is excellent and the letters at the beginning of each chapter are charming and go a long way to making Edward and Cecelia's relationship believable. Looking forward to the next installment in the Rokesbys series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Takes place during the Revoluntary War. Cecelia sails from England to NY to look for MIA brother and when she arrives. the only lead she has is that his best friend Edward is in the hospital suffering in a coma from an injury to his head. In order to be allowed to see him, she must be a family member and she claims she is his wife. After taking care of him for weeks, he wakes and is astonished to see her and says her name, Cecelia. His commanding officer now has no doubt that they are married. Slowly Edward gets better but still has amnesia while they try to find out what happed to Thomas. They fall more and more in love before all the secrets come out.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A lovely retelling of the marriage of convenience/pretend marriage trope. Julia Quinn has done a beautiful job with the Bridgertons and this prequel is every bit as good.

    One small point - I couldn't understand why Lady Margaret didn't inquire into Cecilia's health when they were unable to attend the gathering. As his godmother and certainly a force in his life, for her to remain absent as long as she did felt off to me. In spite of that, I loved this story from start to finish. In fact, I fell in love with Rokesby, and I don't have a lot of book boyfriends, so well done.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Good book. Cecilia is alone in the world after her father's death, except for her brother, a Captain in the army who is posted in the Colonies, and a very unpleasant cousin. When she receives word that her brother has been injured and her cousin makes unwelcome advances, she takes ship for America to nurse Thomas back to health. Unfortunately, when she arrives, Thomas is missing, and no one can tell her anything about him. She does discover that Thomas's best friend, Edward Rokesby, is in the hospital in a coma. If she can't help Thomas, at least she can help his friend - except that the powers-that-be won't allow anyone but family into the hospital. Desperate to help, she declares that she is Edward's wife, not thinking what will happen when he wakes up and exposes her lie.When Edward regains consciousness, he's very confused. First, he's missing a large chunk of his memories from the last several months. Second, he recognizes Cecilia as his friend's sister, thanks to a miniature that Thomas had, but he doesn't remember marrying her. But with everyone around him treating her as such, he allows himself to be convinced.I enjoyed the development of Edward and Cecilia's relationship. They had already become friends thanks to a long-running correspondence through sharing Thomas's letters. I loved the excerpts from those letters included at the beginning of each chapter. Each one showed a little bit more of the progression of their friendship. With Edward's release from the hospital, they are thrown into constant contact with each other. They are brought closer by their shared concern for Thomas and their determination to discover what had happened to him. Proximity also brings out other things. Edward is attracted to the woman he believes he is married to, but can't do anything about it until he is more fully recovered. I also loved his protective streak, as he found himself wanting to save her from worry over her brother. It was also sweet to see his realization that he had started to love her through her letters and to get to know her had finished the job. Cecilia has a rougher time of it. There is no doubt in her mind about how deeply she cares for Edward, but she feels horribly guilty about the lies she has told. First, she worries that telling him the truth could cause a relapse. She also fears what will happen to her once she does. Then the lies keep building up, and she continues to put off telling him the truth. She knows she has to tell him before he regains his memory, but she just can't bring herself to do it. I ached for Edward when the truth came out, first for his sense of betrayal and then for his fear that she doesn't really care about him. Cecilia's love for Edward has her wanting what is best for him, which she feels is not her. She can't bring herself to tell him face-to-face and tries to escape on her own. Edward's big moment is romantic and amusing, thanks to Cecilia's cabinmate and the ship's captain. The epilogue was great and has me anxiously awaiting Andrew's story.The concurrent story of Thomas's whereabouts and what led to Edward's injury and memory loss was interesting. Edward's frustration over being unable to remember what had happened to him was obvious and heartbreaking. I fully understood his anger with his commander once his memories did return. I ached for both Edward and Cecilia as they learned more about what had happened to Thomas. Thomas's letter to Edward just about broke my heart.I loved the setting of the American Colonies during the Revolutionary War. It is a time period rarely used during historical romances which is too bad. It seems to me that there is great opportunity for some more unusual storylines.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Would you like to read a story about the two most boring people one could imagine? People who can make urgent transatlantic passages, life during wartime, near death, loss of a beloved family member, amnesia, and a relationship built on a giant lie dull as dirt. Here you go. Moved from 1 to 1.5 stars because the last 30 pages were sort of great. Much better than these tepid characters deserved.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In a word: different. Hero wakes from head injury with memory loss, and a wife, who he doesn't remember, but knows from long distance letters. Since he's been K.O.'d a while, he's not really capable of heroic feats just yet. So the story is a much slower pace than the first Rokesbys novel. Heroine has to nurse him back to health a bit.

    When it picks up, the ending and funny and beautiful. Forgiveness and understanding very important to the characters. LOVED the Epilogue. Even though it's kinda cliffhanger-y.

    When do we get more Rokesbys?? I may have to re-read this first book while I wait.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Granted, Edward Rokesby, didn't remember much about the last few months, but surely he would remember marrying the charming Cecilia Harcourt, but she swears that they're married and he's not going to argue much. He knows her from her letters to his friend; her brother, Thomas Harcourt. Thomas is missing and the truth about this is embedded in Edwards' memories.It's charming and fun and I liked the characters. Fun but with some great character moments that were often hard-hitting.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I normally love Julia Quinn's novels. However, despite the fantastic title, The girl with the make-believe husband is the most boring book that Quinn has ever written. Somber, even sad, and boring, with the exception, perhaps, of the letters that are interspersed within the story.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I'll admit I was probably predestined to love this book, just because it's 1) loosely based on While You Were Sleeping and 2) written by Julia Quinn. I am happy to report that even though 1) the story ends up very different from WYWS in a significant way and 2) some of Ms. Quinn's recent efforts haven't been my favorites (blasphemy, I know) I absolutely loved Cecelia and Edward's story.Having the story take place in the colonies during the Revolutionary War was an interesting decision. I wasn't sure at first, what to make of a book in the Bridgerton universe that doesn't take place in England, but I can honestly say that once the story got going, I didn't miss London or the ton at all. Since Edward wasn't fit to fight for the bulk of the story and New York Town was under British control at the time, there wasn't a lot of war drama going on, but that's fine, because Cecelia and Edward brought their own drama to the table. I loved the way Ms. Quinn used letters in this book--how Cecelia and Edward fell in love through them, and the way she used snippets of those to start each chapter. The ones that weren't received or weren't sent practically slayed me, and the two toward the end that were in there in full? Oh. My. Gosh. Reduced me to tears. In fact, the whole end of the novel was fantastic, full stop. I wanted to stop time right there and then and just bask in the perfectness of the moment as I got to the end.(Except for the bit where she teases us about Andrew's story. Seriously, Ms. Quinn, are you trying to kill me here? How am I supposed to be able to wait patiently after that?)The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband (phew, that title's a mouthful) can absolutely work as a standalone, since its events occur concurrently with the first book in the series ( Because of Miss Bridgerton ) and Cecelia and Edward have no idea what's going on back home until the very end either. In some ways, it might even be better that readers don't realize a certain plot point that concerns book one until the end anyway ;)Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A-I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Cecilia Harcourt has come to New York in search of her missing and injured brother. Instead, she finds his friend, Edward Rokesby, unconscious in the hospital. In order to tend to him, she pretends to be his wife only for him to wake up with part of his memory missing. He accepts her story, partly because he's been corresponding with her through her brother. Until he finally gets his memory back!I wasn't sure about this book initially, but my doubts were soon dispelled. The Colonial setting was perfect, and I liked the historical details very much. Cecilia is delightful. She is daring without being too bold, a perfect heroine. Edward could be cranky, but his secret romanticism overcame any flaws. I loved how he stole her letters and miniature. Using the letters to show how their romance started and grew was a great touch. It allows the reader to understand why Edward accepted the marriage even while he couldn't remember anything about it. He was already half in love with Cecilia by the time he met her. I wanted them to find Thomas, but you can't have everything.This is another wonderful book by Ms. Quinn. Now I have to wait for the next one.