This book is a great addition to the Rokesbys series. I found it very funny and charming. Julia Quinn has such a witty way of writing, I just can't stop reading it. Definitely recommended!

If you love the Bridgertons, you'll want to read this. Appearances from earlier characters are woven into the story, and Georgiana & Nicholas's relationship develops naturally.

I tried so hard to enjoy this book, but had to give up halfway through. I'm a fan of the Bridgerton series and Julia Quinn's writing in general but this book has pacing issues and dragged quite a bit. The first 8 or so chapters consist of Georgiana fighting against her fate...over and over. Far too repetitious for me.

When I started reading romance, I started with historical romance, and one of those was the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn. So I was happy to read this, which is to be the last book in the Bridgerton series.
This is a friends to lovers story and a prequel to the original Briderton series. It was great seeing some of the original characters as children in this book. The trope in this one is typical for historical romance, a lady ruined and a friend or some other man stepping in to save her reputation. I always find these stories to be a bit of a commentary on the fact that women had so little independence during that time period. What I did like was how Nicholas gave Georgie some independence and stood up for her. It was fun seeing these two fall in love, they were both extremely likable.
This story was cute and light. I enjoyed it and am sad to say goodbye to the Bridgertons.

Julia Quinn is one of the authors who introduced me to romance novels, and her Bridgerton series was (and still is) an important part of my reading repertoire. Being able to return to the Bridgerton universe and get the backstory of characters mentioned in the original Bridgerton series is phenomenal. I love it when authors are able to explore the entire world that they create, and Julia Quinn does so very well. With a marriage that started off as a convenience growing into something more, First Comes Scandal is a heartwarming, funny, and sweet book that lives up to the expectations I have whenever I pick up one of Julia Quinn's novels.

Julia Quinn’s books are always a comforting escape. I enjoyed First Comes Scandal, especially the hero. I enjoyed watching him surprise himself by falling for the herioine. I very much enjoyed that the hero had an actual occupation, and getting to see how that impacted their lives was a nice change of pace from the more common “he’s just a lord” type of story. A good addition to the series.

If you are looking for a fun and light escape from reality - First Comes Scandal is there for you! Nicholas Rokesby is summoned home from medical school and his father tells him Georgianna (Georgie) Bridgerton has been ruined by scandal. The two families have been friends forever and so Nicholas should step up to do the right thing and marry her.

Nicholas has known Georgie since they were kids and doesn’t think of her as a romantic interest. And Georgie has no idea that’s why Nicholas has suddenly come back.

I LOVED the first half of this book so much - the banter is amazing! Georgie is my favorite kind of heroine - smart and funny and not willing to take any crap. I also loved getting to see young Anthony and Benedict and baby Colin!! The butlers from both families were some of my favorite side characters!

However, I felt that some substance was missing - there wasn’t really any conflict. I felt like the second half of the book lost some of the earlier magic but I’m still so glad I read this and will be reading the other Rokesby books soon!!

Thank you so much to Avon and Netgalley for the advance reading copy!

Julia Quinn attempted to create a different approach to her usual romance writing style in First Comes Scandal. The protagonists in this book are marrying out of convenience rather than love and the story took a much slower approach to the development of their relationship versus the quick fiery romance of past Bridgerton books. While I enjoyed this book and the characters that are a classic signature of this author's writing style, it definitely took me more time to read it than usual. I recommend this book for previous reader's of Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced reader's copy in return for my honest review.

When you crack open a Julia Quinn novel, particularly when a Bridgerton is involved, you know it will be good. Quinn delivers in this Bridgerton prequel. She thoughtfully explores women's experience, albeit wealthy women, during the regency era while still engaging readers with a full dose of romance and fun.

Based on what I’d heard about this book, it seemed everyone either really loved it or could leave it. I love Julia Quinn, so I was eager to read the newest installment in the Bridgerton prequel/ Rokesby series. Nicholas and Georgie’s story hooked me immediately. Although others mentioned the length of time it took for the story to get moving, their dialogue was funny enough that it flew by for me and I barely noticed. It was so sweet to watch these two realize their friendship could become more as the story progressed.

The pros for this book outweighed the cons for me. The young Bridgertons in the book (Anthony, Benedict, Colin) were so adorable. I loved that Georgie was a cat person. The representation of chronic disability in a historical was something I don’t often come across either. Nicholas was an actual nice person- he didn’t feel the need to be a jerk, but he showed his human side at times just like everyone does.

My biggest complaint was the rushed ending. I didn’t understand how things all got wrapped up so quickly at the end because it wasn’t really explained. The epilogue was nice, but it also didn’t really explain how the events of the last chapter had wrapped up, how Nicholas had finished school, or give more info on what had happened in their lives since the end of the book.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Let me start by saying how much I adore Julia Quinn's books. No one writes banter like her, and she never fails to make me giggle as her characters verbally spar back and forth with one another. At this point, I kind of feel like the Bridgerton's are my family, and I welcome any opportunity to join them for dinner and watch them fall in love.

Georgie Bridgerton is up this time, in the latest installment of the Rokesbys series. (Note: this book works fine as a stand-alone, but I would recommend reading the others for the simple fact that they are just as delightful!) After being kidnapped, her reputation is ruined. Luckily, her old family friend Nicholas Rokesbys, an aspiring doctor, steps up to save the day, offering to marry her in the midst of her scandal. However, their marriage of convenience soon turns out to be much more.

I loved how much Georgie intelligence was celebrated in this novel, and how Nicholas trusted her to be independent, despite the conventions of the time. They were both wonderful characters that made for a very fun read! Fans of Regency romance should definitely check this one out.

Disclaimer I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I want to start by saying that I'm finding it really, really hard to read anything at the moment, let alone review it. So this book is almost an automatic 4-5 stars just from the fact that it did manage to hold my attention for long enough for me to read it. Julia Quinn has always been at her comedic best when writing families, and this is a Bridgerton prequel, so family is very much foregrounded here. Georgie has been ruined through no fault of her own, and Nicholas, as a family friend, has been commanded by his father to marry her, in order to make things right. Nicholas and Georgie share a comfortable, sibling-like friendship, and neither is pleased by this turn of events - Nicholas, because he is not even permitted the opportunity to volunteer, and Georgie because she has no desire to be required to be grateful to the man she marries.

And yet.

This book is very, very low conflict, and very funny. The friends-to-lovers romance is sweet, and Georgie and Nicholas are basically two smart, likeable people who deserve happiness and find it. There are badly behaved cats and discussions of medical ethics, and an unusually non-rakish hero, and it's lovely.

The only thing holding me back from giving this book five stars is that Quinn keeps sidling up to interesting questions and plots and then scurrying away from them. Don't get me wrong, I am THERE for low conflict books right now, but if you are going to hint that things are not quite right somewhere, or outright threaten the hero with being kicked out of the university... flicking straight to the next chapter in which apparently everything is now fine again without actually resolving it is not really ideal. I'd like to have a little bit more resolution. Yes, we can assume that things are OK, but I'd prefer to know for sure. Likewise, the hero and heroine kept on sidling towards some interesting conversations about representation in medicine and the ethics of research etc, and then... continuing on their fairly conventional way. I would have liked a little more.

But having said that, I did find First Comes Scandal to be a quick, joyous and enjoyable read. It reminded me of some of her early Bridgerton books, and that can never be a bad thing. 4.5 stars from me.

I found this book to be charming. Two characters who grew up together, and as adults finally discover they are perfect for each other. This was the perfect read while I was stuck at home under "stay at home" restrictions.

Another solid tale full of the witty, engaging dialogue Julia Quinn is so well known for. The love story is more a quiet, slow burn than many of the Bridgerton novels but I appreciated the fact that she explored gender themes of the time in conversation between Nicholas and Georgie. This book is about love but it's also about unfair societal expectations and limitations placed on women. I appreciated the added depth this brought to the story.
Seeing some of the Bridgerton characters (lil Anthony! lil Benedict!) I have appreciated & come to know over the many novels of the Bridgerton series was a bonus surprise. It was like grabbing a cup of tea and catching up with old friends. The cat shenanigans got a little bit much for me (I'm a dog person, what can I say) but other than that this was a welcome distraction from the current state of affairs.

First Comes Scandal: A Bridgerton Prequel is the fourth book in the Rokesbys series. It was wonderful as a stand-alone and even though I haven’t had a chance to read the entire series I’m sure the other books were fantastic!

The author is one of my favorites and I love how her stories flow so smoothly and she always has the most adorable couples. I always enjoy reading books based on large families and this author has a way of capturing the essence of large families and their dynamics. This book’s troupe was a marriage of convenience between two friends that turns into love. It was enormous fun watching the attraction grow between Georgiana (Georgie) and Nicholas, especially since they had never viewed each other romantically. Their witty humor, fun banter, and the funny cat incidents kept me laughing and had my attention from the beginning to the end of the book.

Nicholas Rokesby was in Edinburgh finishing his medical studies when he received a note from his father requesting him to return home quickly. After traveling for over two weeks while worrying about the urgency, he was glad to finally be home. When he learned that Georgie had been kidnapped, he was concerned but when his father informed him that he needed to marry her he was shocked. They had practically grown up together since their parents were close friends and he had always thought of her as a sister. As a student, he didn’t have the time for a wife, and he didn’t want a loveless marriage. While trying to decide if he could be happy married to Georgie, he started to notice the woman she had become. He was shocked when Georgie refused his proposal.

Georgiana Bridgerton had been kidnapped by Freddie Oakes and her reputation was ruined even though it wasn’t her fault. She was fiercely upset that he wasn’t affected by the gossip and she was the one who was suffering when she hadn’t done anything wrong. She was horrified when Nicholas asked her to marry him because she knew he had been ordered to by his father. She didn’t want to marry someone who pitied her, and she instantly declined. Later she realized she should have considered it because they could potentially have a good marriage. She found herself admiring him and deciding to be brave, she asks if she can reconsider his proposal. After agreeing to a marriage between them, they had to rush since Nicholas needed to get back to school. On the long trip to Edinburgh, their attraction towards one another grows and love develops between them.

This was a fantastic book to read and provided a lot of amusement. It was paced perfectly and flowed smoothly from scene to scene. The characters were well developed and were perfect for each other. I loved seeing Nicholas and Georgie slowly grow to love one another and recognize they were meant to be together.

Is banter enough for a book with almost zero plot? I was bored throughout the book and was thirsting for something to latch on to. This was a marriage of convenience but it needed more than good dialogues and a long journey to Scotland.

I would only recommend this HR if you love the Bridgertons series. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

First Comes Scandal by Julia Quinn is a historical romance. What a solid good romance. There was laughter and simple romance. No complications, no overly drawn out drama due to miscommunication. I really enjoyed this read. It was fast, simple and enjoyable. I give this book a solid 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an ARC. This is an honest review.

Georgiana Bridgerton is in a quandry. Although she escaped from a kidnapper after a matter of hours, it was enough to ruin her. To save her reputation she must marry her kidnapper who wants her dowry, or find someone else to marry quickly.

Nicholas Rokesby, neighbor and family friend, is called home from medical school by is father to marry her. What follows is a laugh-out-loud romance.

It's refreshing that Nick is a nice guy, not a rake, and hasn't slept with hundreds of women. There is a feminist slant to the book that is probably out of place for 1791. For a male at that time it's unusual that Nick will let Georgie decide where they'll live and deal with the agent. He encourages Georgie in her interest in science and medicine but a female of the time is not allowed to pursue these interests.

I thought the ending was rather abrupt. I was actually surprised when I reached the epilogue and the story just fizzled. I would have like to have known more about their family life and how Nick finally became a doctor after the problems that were caused with his instructor.

I'm giving it five stars for the humorous tone (the broken bone saga is hysterical). It was just what I needed at this time of self-quarantine and craziness in the world.

This is part of the Bridgerton series a series of prequels to the original series and I have read all the Bridgerton stories but only a few of these prequels. This I believe is the fourth and I have read 2-3 of them. This is an awesome romance and I really enjoyed it.

Its kinda different but one thing I really like is that we are getting close to the Bridgerton series. In this book we meet Edmund and Violet and see how in love they were and we meet some of the kids that we will see again all grown up in the series.

This story is about Georgina Bridgerton who is in trouble, she has been compromised and refuses to marry the scoundrel. Her families best friends are the Rockesby's and they send for their son, Nickolas, who is in Scotland learning to be a doctor. He is friends with G but never saw her as anything but a friend until this visit.

But he and G start to get to know each other on this trip and something very magical starts to happen between the two. This was an absolutely enchanting story. Very different than any of the other stories the author as written but I really enjoyed it.

This is a very Julia Quinn book. I've read some of her books to b such an easy breezy read, and this is no exception. Quinn has a way of making her books fun and funny to read. They're so entertaining, and her heroines are such an entertainment to read their adventures. They're funny, smart, willful and full of strong characteristics. The romance is sizzling which and they two protagonists come to a head over their attraction and their situations. It was a fun read over all.