The Girl With The Make-Believe Husband - A Bridgertons Prequel

As always, Julia Quinn writes a masterful story full of wonderful characters and interesting action. I love that she weaves previous characters into current storylines and look forward to each and every book she writes. My only complaint is that I finish the books too fast and must wait for the next one to be published!

Very enjoyable read. Her historical romances always have great characters and witty dialogue. This is no exception. This book has a nice combination of unrequited love and a bit of rebirth for both Cecelia and Edward. It's also the first historical romance I've reade that takes place during the revolutionary war featuring a story from the English point of view while in the warring colonies. I will put the Bridgerton series on my reading list!

One of the things I truly love about Julia Quinn is her ability to take cliched, often tired, story lines and make them beautiful and original again. I absolutely love her style of writing as well as her sense of romance. Her heroines are always witty and charming while holding their own individuality and strength. Her heroes all love wholeheartedly, with great passion and devotion. Not a single character could be deemed perfect and I love that! Its as if every story is a different seduction that I can't put down no matter how hard I try. And to top it all off they all intertwine in some form or another. I've read everything by Mrs. Quinn and I can say without a doubt that I love each novel in their own special way. I feel like a small part of my life has been spent in the Bridgertons world. This is Another classic that I will surely read again soon! I await the next book with baited breath! *Swoons*

This was a wonderful romance and I absolutely loved it. Julia Quinn is one of my most favorite authors and her stories never disappoint and this one was no exception. Cecilia was a brave heroine who found herself in a bad situation and with a big lie hanging over her head. Edward was just a wonderful hero and I enjoyed every moment of his romance with Cecilia. The way it all came together in the end was great, Highly recommend.

I'm really enjoying this series and look forward to the next installment. I've found it very hard to find good reads recently, and I knew from the first page that I was going to enjoy this one. I'm a great fan of Julia Quinn, and wasn't disappointed. The mystery of what happened to Edward and Thomas was not fully resolved, so I'm assuming unraveling the mystery will continue in Andrew's story.

I LOVE books by Julia Quinn. The Brigertons will always be my favorite! It was a pleasure to read another prequel. I can't wait for the next! Julia Quinn is a masterful storyteller. There is always a tinge of sweetness that tugs at your heartstrings.

Oh this was such a good book, though the synopsis didn't really equate to the actual story. But I purchased it on the many previous books I've read of Ms. Quinn's, and found it, as with all her books, absolutely wonderful. I would recommend this to anyone!

I loved this sweet story. Cecelia and Edward were wonderful characters and I really enjoyed this book. Julia Quinn did a beautiful job drawing you in... emotionally and otherwise. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend reading it.

Edward is best friends with Cecilias brother while stationed in New York and learn to be pen pals by adding to the correspondence between the siblings. Cecilias father dies and she sails for America to nurse her brother who has been wounded. Due to a misunderstanding everyone thinks Cecilia is married to Edward and the story goes on from there.

Julia Quinn has created such a vivid world in her books and honestly I cannot get enough of her period romances. I have read all the Bridgerton books numerous times. This book is well written, funny and introduces some more charming characters. I enjoyed this book more than "Because of Miss Bridgerton" but I loved Billy's story as well, this book just had a broader landscape. Over all I would recommend reading this book if you love other Julia Quinn publications.

This story is what you would expect from Julia Quinn. I have enjoyed each story of hers that I have read. She wraps you in the world of her heroes and heroines and all of the books that include the Bridgerton family are entertaining and captivating. You will not want to put this one down!

I have never once been disappointed in her books, and this was no disappoint this time ether. Anyone who has known someone fighting in a war will be very touched , but even those who have. Will feel every emotion so well written here, as well. There is such humanity in this novel that every page seems personal.
Enjoy!

Cecilia Harcourt loved her brother Thomas. They were all each other had. They had a father but he wasn't there for them in the way they were there for each other. Cecilia wrote to her brother who was in the army constantly. In writing to her brother she got to know her brother's best friend and roommate Edward Rokesby.
So when she finds herself in Manhattan Island looking for her brother, she doesn't hesitate to come to the aid of Edward. Cecilia learns Edward is in the hospital and poses as his wife. When Edward wakes up and can't remember anything from the last four months Cecilia lets him believe they are married. Cecilia and Edward both are trying to find out what happened to Thomas who is missing. Edward is also trying to recover his memories.
Although the book is a bit predictable, it is a good story that is thoroughly entertaining. Cecilia has a great personality and courage that is sometimes lacking in some classic heroines. Edward is predictably overprotective. He is immediately upset when he learns of the housing arrangements for Cecilia and demands she be placed somewhere better. I love how they both love each other despite having never met in person before. I really enjoyed it and the slight plot twists made the story different and kept me engaged. Cecilia and Edward fall in love and inevitably Edward regains his memory and the mystery is solved. However this brings about new challenges for them both.

This book is a prequel to the Bridgertons series and the second novel in the Rokesby series. I was waiting for this book for over a year and I have to say it was so worth the wait. I absolutely adored both the hero, Edward Rokesby and heroine, Cecilia Harcourt. As I read through the book and the letters written by them to each other via Cecilia's brother, I fell deeper and deeper in love with the hero and heroine and their story. I also felt that the feel of this book was a little different from Julia Quinn's other books. This is not as humorous as her other books and is on a more serious vein but still utterly captivating. I could not put it down and read it through my long haul flight.

This book is falsely advertised. It is said to be a prequel to the Bridgerton series which implies that it will have the same wonderful atmosphere as the delightful Bridgerton series. This characters in this book are far from charming. The story is dark and foreboding and the characters have absolutely no sparkle at all. There is not a nanosecond of humor in it. A few times the heroine has something cross her face that might be construed as a smile, but that is it. One Bridgerton character is mentioned who is an ocean away and who bears no relevance to the plot. This isn't even a good bodice ripper, much less one of the quality we expect of Julia Quinn.

This book right away had two strikes against it in my mind -- the first being the way too overused and unbelievable amnesiac hero, and the second being the way too stupid and juvenile heroine who begins the most important relationship in her life with a lie. And then spends the rest of the book agonizing over the lie all the while compounding it and yet without ever acknowledging its consequences. The whole scenario makes it impossible to generate any kind of belief in the characters or their situation, or any sympathy for their feelings, which are completely built on a foundation of deceit. How can you reconcile such a silly and pointless lie with the otherwise sterling deeds and thoughts of this woman? Is this supposed to be clever, or poignant, or appealing in some way? Because it's not. At best, all I could feel was what kind of person could do such a thing? and how could any writer develop these characters in any positive way? And at worst, they just irritated the hell out of me. I struggled to finish the book, knowing there would be the formulaic happy ending yet not really caring one way or the other. I ended up liking the heroine's brother, revealed only in letters, much more than either of the protagonists. Really a sad waste of Ms. Quinn's talents, which are so remarkable.

3.5 Stars

I haven’t read a Julia Quinn book in a while. What intrigued me about this one is that it’s a Bridgerton prequel. It made me wonder what came before the Bridgertons. Cecelia and Thomas, that’s who.

The Girl With the Make Believe Husband is the appropriate title for this book. When Cecelia Harcourt arrives in America having left England after learning her brother Thomas has been injured, she discovers Edward, her brother’s good friend, is injured and in the hospital. In order to be able to see and help take care of him, she lies and tells them she’s his wife. She plans to tell him the truth if and when he finally awakens. However when he does, he has no memory of the last three months.

Edward Rokesby awakens to a wife he doesn’t remember. He remembers her brother Thomas but not her. He definitely doesn’t remember a marriage between them, but he’s weak from a head injury and takes her at her word. They’re married. By proxy. Not the way he ever thought he’d be married.

Each chapter begins with a snippet of correspondence between first Cecilia and her brother and then Cecelia and Edward. We learn quite early that they became acquainted through those letters. A true friendship is formed and the face-to-face meeting makes them like each other all the more.

And therein is the sweetness of their romance. It’s a slow build as they get to know each other. Immediately, Edward is as protective of Cecelia as she is of him, while she is also racked by guilt at deceiving him. She’s constantly find reasons to put off telling him the truth while she worries about what’s happened to her brother.

I found the story drags in places; Edward healing and their search for Thomas. I thought given Ms. Quinn’s penchant for humor, I would find some of that within these pages but that wasn’t the case. Both Cecelia and Edward are good people but not terribly exciting. Cecelia remains in a suspended state of guilt and even more so when she discovers Edward is supposed to marry a neighbor from home, Billie Bridgerton. Their only conflict is that she’s lying to him about being married, and while that should be enough to sustain a story, here it doesn’t quite do the trick. At least not for me. I like my conflicts more fraught with tension and fierce emotion.

Things do pick up towards the end of the book—when Edward learns the truth. That’s when I saw the spark of emotion I’d been hoping to see much earlier. In Edward though, not so much in Cecelia. The end is what bumped the book up half a star from what I thought I was going to give the book.

If you’re looking for a romance where the hero and heroine are amiable and solicitous to each other throughout most of the book with hot love scenes, you’ll thoroughly enjoy Ms. Quinn’s latest.

~ Susan

Should I base my rating on my feelings at the end of the book?

I could easily tell you that I finished The Girl With The Make-Believe Husband (geez, that’s a mouthful) with a big smile on my face. There’s even a chance I could say that the ending left me satisfied and excited for more. I’d even go as far as to say that that ending was a 5-star ending. Unfortunately, I can't rate a book on the ending alone. For most of this journey, I wanted to throttle the heroine. I could have easily reached into the book, dragged Miss Harcourt out by her hair and lectured her about honesty and growing a backbone. If only the hero hadn't taken a blow to the head. Seriously, I wanted better for him.

I won’t need to go on too much in this review because it’s pretty straight forward. This chickie’s father dies, and a slimy cousin wants to marry her. She decides to travel across the Atlantic to visit her injured brother who is stationed in New York with the Army. On arrival, turns out her brother is missing and his best friend is in the hospital. Now, this best friend is sort of her penpal. They won’t let her see him because she’s not family. Well, her answer to that was to make herself “family”. He wakes up, finds out he has a wee problem with his memory and is gobsmacked to find out he has a wife. What follows is a tale full of…

LIES, LIES…AND A FEW MORE LIES

The End

Ok, I admit, there’s a wee bit more to it than that but I seriously struggled to get past the LIES and it went on for most of the bloody story.

Miss Cecilia Harcourt - LIAR

Captain Edward Rokesby – Son of an Earl, handsome, strong, loyal and a devoted friend.

There are plenty of other things that I grew to admire about Edward but I can honestly say that I struggled to like Cecilia. She came across as weak, conniving and self-serving. Yes, she had her reasons and they weren’t all bad but, to me, her bad outweighed her good.

If this story, and my rating, could be based solely on Captain Rokeby, I would easily rate it 4 or 5 stars. With Miss Harcourt in the mix, I struggled...lordy how I struggled. As I mentioned, I really enjoyed the ending. I just wished that the truth had come out a lot earlier. I wanted to see them together together, not just with secrets and lies marring their happiness.

I am a huge fan of Julia Quinn and will always love her writing. Unfortunately, The Girl With The Make-Believe Husband just missed it by that much (think Maxwell Smart). Of course, this will not make me hesitate to read more of her books in the future.

Julia Quinn is one of my all time favorite authors. She writes stories that touch your heart. And combine that with the fact that this was a fake to real story with a bit of angst...Oh my! I was in heaven!

Edward Rokesby wakes up in a church turned war hospital in New York Town during the American Revolution with his best friend's sister sitting by his side claiming be his wife. But he has no recollection of them marrying, or anything from the last several months. Cecilia has traveled to America to find her brother, who has been injured during the war. How'd she end up claiming to be Mrs. Rokesby? Will she be fortunate enough to make it real once Edward's memories return? Read and find out ;)

Cecilia had such a good heart. She felt guilty, but she had already had feelings for Edward from their correspondence. And Edward was mooning over her as well. My heart broke there towards the end and I actually teared up.

I'm going to have to go back and read Billie Bridgerton's book. I have it but have put off reading it. But now, I'll be getting to it soon. And I definitely can't wait for the next book with the way this one ended.

*thanks to Tasty Book Tours for sharing a copy of this with me*

Julia Quinn is a new author to me but I was ready for a change and ready for a historical romance as it has been quite a while. As I am a fan of "While You Were Sleeping," I knew I would enjoy this as soon as I read the synopsis and I was right, I was in love with this story before I'd even finished it. "The Girl With The Make-Believe Husband" didn't disappoint in providing a sweet and in some moments, bittersweet story about a young woman who crosses an ocean to care for her beloved brother but finds a husband, albeit make believe.

Cecilia Harcourt travels to New York after learning that her brother has been injured in the war. She can not find her brother, but she does find Captain Edward Rokesby, her brothers best friend. Although they have never met, Cecilia looked forward to receiving letters from Thomas because they would always contain a little note from Captain Rokesby. She would include notes of her own when writing to Thomas. So when she sees Captain Rokesby gravely injured, she makes an impulsive decision - she informs the British Army that she is Captain Rokesby’s wife.

The chemistry between Cecilia and Edward was palpable and delightful. It played up to the tropes well: friends to lovers, big brother's best friend, a "marriage" of convenience...

Cecilia and Edward are adorable together. Well worth the time spent reading it. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it and I would recommend 'The Girl With The Make-Believe Husband' to fans of historical romance novels and those of us who believe in the beauty of love from another era.
I am a verified purchaser in Australia

Julia Quinn is one of my favorite authors of Regency Romance and certainly a go-to when I need to escape modern day. There's just something about a regency romance and the "simple" rules of society that calls to me. The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband is a little different then her norm. The story doesn't take place in the 'ton or at a house party in the English countryside (which are always delightful), but on the island of Manhattan during a war. The story is centered around Cecilia Harcourt and her decision to leave England for New York and try to find her injured brother Thomas. This leads Cecilia to an impulsive decision to claim she's the "wife" by a proxy wedding ceremony to Edward Rokesbys, all while Edward is knocked out and suffering a bout of amnesia. The joy of the story is seeing how this plays out.

The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband can be likened to a regency version of While You Were Sleeping. I myself love the amnesia trope as the drama is inherent, there's a sense betrayal and that she might make Edward feel like a fool. And oh, there's the difference between doing something that is right and doing something wrong. Even if it isn't really hurting anyone, can she justify her actions? And what of Cecilia's predicament? She'll return to England at some point, but as who and to where? She's an incredibly brave, bright, and intuitive woman, but she knows she must come clean with Edward about the true state of their marriage. It's inevitable but it can be avoided in the short term. The question really is how will Edward find out?

The reality is that she and Edward have been getting to know each other through the very slow process of letters exchanged between Cecilia and her brother. The story is perfectly plotted and well paced. Every chapter opens with a snippet from the letters and we see how Edward and Cecilia have managed to flirt across the miles. This is not something either of them talk about, Edward because he doesn't exactly remember everything (although really he's just missing the past three months) and Cecilia because it might jar Edwards memory. But they do have a sweet connection and I loved being in their heads as they reason through their actions. They seem to offer each other something that neither realized they needed until they actually meet. There's so much more going on in this story, but you simply must read it to find out. If you love Regency Romance and something a little different, this is a great read.

This will be the first book I have reviewed by Julia Quinn since I started this blog four years ago. I have read and kept the entire Bridgerton Series since I read "The Viscount Who Loved Me" which I adored and loved everyone of them. My favorite is Colin and Penelope's story "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton". I did read "Because of Miss Bridgerton" but did not review it, I don't remember why. It was the first in her new Series "Bridgerton Prequels, Rokesby #1). Now on to my review of this novel (Rokesby #2).

I have always enjoyed her writing and this book was no exception. The story was original, her writing as beautiful and lyrical as always. There wasn't a lot of laugh out loud moments that I am used to in a Julia Quinn novel, but to be fair, this book took place during War where both the hero and heroine were away from their homes.

Cecilia Harcourt found herself in an untenable position and had no choice but to take a chance and leave her home to travel across the ocean to find her missing brother. What she finds is that her brother is no where to be found and his best friend is lying unconscious in an army hospital. The only way she can see him and make sure that he is taken care of is to pretend to be his wife. What happens when he wakes up and finds her there? Will he go along with her story, or if he never wakes up, how will she find out what happened to her brother?

Edward Rokesby wakes up in an Army hospital confused and doesn't has no memory of the last few months. Cecilia Harcourt is here, how and why is she saying she is his wife? Where is Thomas, her brother. He cannot remember what happened to him and doesn't remember marrying Cecilia. He takes her at her word and accepts her as his wife. Now they have to try to put together what happened and where is Thomas?

As a fan of Julia's books I did like this one. It was different in that is was more serious in it's content. Edward is a great hero who brings out the best in Cecilia, who has never had much to be happy about in the life that she has led so far. I think Edward was good for Cecilia in that she never really had much to enjoy about life until she met him. Edward is the kind of man who is compelled to take care of other people, that is why I think he was better off with Cecilia than he would have been with Billie Bridgerton, who was the kind of girl to take charge. In the end this was a good story about two people who find each other in a world of peril, strife and tragedy and make a life together.

Received a Complimentary Copy for an honest review.

OH MY GOODNESS!! IT IS FINALLY HERE!! *major fan-girl moment* The prequel to the Bridgertons series (technically a Rokesbys book) is here!!; and if you couldn't understand me through all that nonsense before, the amazing Julia Quinn is back with a new book, and she manages to do what many fail to do! She has written an amazing prequel, to a equally amazing series!

From the beginning of The Girl with the Make-believe Husband, We find our heroine, doing something mighty brave, but also mighty foolish at the same time! After finding out her brother has been injured fighting in the colonies, Cecilia Harcourt was forced to make a hard decision, marry her cousin, and be in the clutches of her scheming aunt, or go search for her brother and his best friend in the new world...so she did what any sensible young miss would do! She left for the colonies, only to find it even more dire when she arrived! Her brother still missing and his best friend Edward Rokesby, unconscious! Trying to prevent a scandal, Cecilia claims she is Edwards wife, but luckily for her when Edward does come around, he's suffering from amnesia!...And I'm going to leave my recap there, so I don't give anymore details of the book away.

The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband is a darling of a book, and though short (it is a prequel after all), you cannot help but fall in love with every single moment of it.

When you read the book, you cannot help but be blown away by the authors imagination and talent! Honestly, this one book has reaffirmed my love for the authors work, from the character's, to the plot, from taking me out of my comfort zone, and making me fall in love with a new world book, which is something I normally detest. The author has given me a teaser of a new series to fall in love with, while giving me a glimpse of the old series I simple adore.

I give The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband 5 stars!

I like this author so much I usually buy her books but for some reason I put this on my library reserve list. I was surprised when I received it so quickly, and started reading immediately. I soon knew I wouldn't finish as I HATE PLOTS THAT ARE PREDICATED ON LIES. I tried, but I couldn't see beyond the continuance of the lie. It wasn't even a "big misunderstanding" a contrivence I find exasperating at best and insulting at worst.
I took it back to the library long before it's due date, there were many reserves and out of curiosity I asked the librarian to look up the history on reserves. The majority of the copies were returned way before their due dates, there was another copy going out to a waiting patron with a Post-It note that read "Don't waste your time"

Cecilia Harcourt is tending to her father in her ancestral home as her brother, Thomas and his friend Edward Rokesby battle in the Americas. She corresponds with her brother, but slowly messages go back and forth between Edward and Cecilia. When Cecilia’s father passes and Thomas is injured her scheming cousin makes plans to wed her. Of course, the only responsible thing to do is travel to America to find her brother! Quinn hooked me from the start, and I absolutely loved the correspondence we were made privy to at the beginning of each chapter.

When Cecilia arrives she cannot locate her brother but discovers that Edward is unconscious in a church converted into a makeshift hospital. When she is unable to attend him, she declares herself his wife…and then he wakes up!

Poor Edward awakens missing six months of memory and finds himself married. He cannot even remember the wedding. Oh, what fun! While I did get a little annoyed at Cecilia for not being straight with Edward, I understood her reasons and laughed at some of her quick thinking regarding their supposed relationship. Their conversations, the awkwardness, and inner thoughts had me smiling and laughing.

The romance was slow-burning despite the nuptials and had a surprising buildup. Their chemistry felt genuine and I found myself truly wishing for an HEA. The ending had a few twists, a little heartache, and some humor all of which kept me flipping the pages.

Delightful!

The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband is the second book in the Rokesbys series and can be read as a standalone. I could only describe it as a charming and very romantic novel. I was engaged.

Cecilia was such a relatable heroine, and Captain Rokesby was a sweet and caring man, I could easily fall in love with him. They were both highly likable.

I’ll always love Julia Quinn’s books since I’m a huge fan, but I found this novel sadly lacking. I missed a spark, that humor that the author is famous for. It was a slow paced romance and not much happened for 2/3 of the book, but I absolutely loved the ending.

Looking forward to Andrew’s book!

These characters are so real, flaws and all. Most scenes are simple quiet ones between Edward and Cecilia as they come to terms with their feelings and new situation. Cecilia’s internal conflict over their ersatz marriage puts her in an untenable position — lying to the man she has fallen completely in love with, one whom she believes has a future he must abandon due to her folly. And Edward — gah! — he is portrayed as a completely human character rather than a stereotype. He’s not a rake to be reformed or a stuffy prig to be freed — he’s an honest gentleman and officer who is occasionally short-tempered and grumpy but always trying his best. I absolutely LOVE these two together.

Although I am sad to leave Edward and Cecilia behind, I relish every moment I was able to spend with them. One of the best part of books, is you can read them again! The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband by Julia Quinn is definitely going in my re-read rotation. I urge you to read it — at least once!

This is the 2nd read in the series the Rokesbys and though I am an avid fan of Ms. Quinn's Bridgerton series, I did not like this one as much as the first which included a Bridgerton (Because of Miss Bridgerton). Though there were some funny moments with Cecilia and Edward, it was rather lackluster. Edward Rokesby, seems to have lost his memory and upon waking finds himself married to Cecilia whom he only knows because of her brother Thomas, who was a friend and colleague in arms with Edward. The story was good, just not great, it ran on for a quite a bit with Cecilia in desperate need to find her brother and Edward wanting his memory to return. At the end of the book, the last 15%, Edward recovers his memory, finds out the truth with what really happened to Thomas and his make-believe wife and in his anger, rightly so, decides to not let on to Cecilia that his memory has returned. Cecilia does make amends by writing a letter explaining her deceit to Edward, right before she attempts to leave him to return to England. However, it was too late, they both had fallen in love with each other and since her virtue was compromised the only sensible thing would be to really marry his love. 3 solid stars!

This made me so happy! Julia Quinn's books have always put a smile on my face but the Bridgertons truly have a spot in my heart and The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband really brought back those happy fluffy feelings. This was just such delightful, endearing, fun read.

With a bit of an outlandish plot point, a now-orphaned Cecilia Harcourt travels to the Americas to find her brother (Thomas), who appears to missing and instead stumbles upon his best friend, a hospitalized and unconsciousness Captain Rokesby. Edward Rokesby has just regain consciousness and while he has lost his memory of the last six months, he has gained a wife, even if he's a little unsure how.

"She touched her cheek self-consciously. "Have I something on my face?"
"Just looking at you." he said.
"There's not much to see."
This made him smile. "I must disagree."
She flushed, and he realized he was flirting with his wife. Strange.
And yet, possibly the least strange thing of the day."

From the moment they meet, it was pretty darn cute. And despite not having met before this point, it wasn't an insta-love story! How you ask? Because letters. Throughout the book you see the letters that Cecilia and Thomas write to each other. And I love the little bit of awkward flirting between Edward and Cecilia that you get to see in these letters. When they do finally meet, it still is a slow-burn kind of romance.

Sometimes I'm really scared of stories when relationships are basically built on deceit (in this case Cecilia lying that she's married to Edward) but Julia Quinn handled it pretty well and I really enjoyed seeing their relationship develop. Both characters are just delightful. Despite her deception, you can see that she struggles with the guilt of lying and I think that really helped make easy to want to root for her (she's also super lovable). Edward, it took not even a chapter and I was already head over heels. He's the honorable gentleman with charm and a playful streak that'll sweep you off your feet.

On top of the romance, there's also the subplot of trying to find the missing Thomas and recovering Edward's lost memories. Like I mentioned, adored the letters between Thomas and Cecilia and loved getting to see their cute sibling banter. And the Thomas and Edward bromance. It was a heartfelt story.

Edward bids me to say hello and not to tell you that he is miserable sailor. - From Thomas Harcourt to his sister Cecilia.

Overall, this was a sweet, fun, heartstring pulling kinda romance. I loved the ending (aka. the big moment of truth; it was both hilarious and so adorable) and I loved how easy it was to be genuinely invested in Edward's and Cecilia's love story. Definitely a lovely addition to the series.

""You love me."
"Madly." he admitted."

This is the second story in Rokesby series, and it's also a part of the broader Bridgerton series. Speaking of, once you start mixing up the Bridgerton's it means it's time to bid them goodbye. My message to the author: Time to create a new family that, I am sure, we'll care as much as we do for Bridgertons.

That said, I have to admit this story was better than the first and for that I credit the wonderful characters almost as much as the humor. And let's not forget the "amnesia" trope. I'm not sure why I'm a fan of it, but I seem to like the conflict and anticipation of the "reveal". It adds a lot of suspense of will the memory come back and what are the consequences when it finally does.

Edward was one of those characters that you can't help but fall in love with. Cecilia on the other hand was someone I grew to like mostly because of her backstory.

If I had only one word to describe this book, I'd probably skip the "sweet" and go directly to "comforting". It really felt familiar, sweet and comforting, all at the same time.

Melanie for b2b

Gift ARC provided by the publisher

Julia Quinn is one of my favorite authors. She always writes great romances with entertaining plots, endearing characters, and beautiful love stories, and The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband has all this and more.

Cecilia Harcourt’s brother, Thomas, was stationed in the American colonies when the rebellion broke out. The two siblings had always maintained steady communication through letters while he was away, but their letters took on a new significance as the danger of war increases. Cecilia has the reassurance that her brother is well, and he has bittersweet reminders of home. Thomas shares her letters with his closest friend, Edward Rokesby, and Edward slowly becomes a part of the conversation allowing he and Clara get to know each other.

When a letter from Thomas’s commanding officer arrives saying that he is injured and hospitalized, Cecilia travels to New York to find him. When she arrives at the military hospital, he is nowhere to be found and there is no record of him. She is distraught, but suddenly learns that Edward has just been admitted and is gravely injured. The hospital will not allow her entrance to see him; therefore, she impetuously declares that she’s his wife. Edward is in a comma and cannot dispute her claim.

Cecilia takes care of Edward over the course of the next week as he slowly wakes from his comma, but he cannot remember anything of the previous two months when he does. He recognizes Cecilia (from a miniature her brother had) but he can't recall marrying her, and she doesn’t correct him. Being his wife, allows her more opportunity to search for and demand answers on the still missing Thomas.

Edward's recovery is slow, and Cecilia's guilt over her lie increases every day, especially as they begin to get to know each other and become closer and develop real feelings. She’s boxed herself into a conundrum, and feels there is no way out, because she knows he will be angry over her deception and possibly lose him.

The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband is a delicious slow-burn romance. I loved Cecilia and Edward's introduction through letters, and Edward's amnesia and rehabilitation gives them an extraordinary opportunity to get to know each other. Their love develops slowly and sweetly and is deeply romantic. There is enough mystery and suspense to make the story move at a steady pace without taking away the focus on the romance. You can never go wrong when picking up a romance by Julia Quinn.

ARC provided, but this review was voluntarily and honestly written.

Julia Quinn is a new author to me but I was ready for a change and ready for a historical romance as it has been quite a while. As I am a fan of "While You Were Sleeping," I knew I would enjoy this as soon as I read the synopsis and I was right, I was in love with this story before I'd even finished it. "The Girl With The Make-Believe Husband" didn't disappoint in providing a sweet and in some moments, bittersweet story about a young woman who crosses an ocean to care for her beloved brother but finds a husband, albeit make believe.

Cecilia Harcourt travels to New York after learning that her brother has been injured in the war. She can not find her brother, but she does find Captain Edward Rokesby, her brothers best friend. Although they have never met, Cecilia looked forward to receiving letters from Thomas because they would always contain a little note from Captain Rokesby. She would include notes of her own when writing to Thomas. So when she sees Captain Rokesby gravely injured, she makes an impulsive decision - she informs the British Army that she is Captain Rokesby’s wife.

The chemistry between Cecilia and Edward was palpable and delightful. It played up to the tropes well: friends to lovers, big brother's best friend, a "marriage" of convenience...

Cecilia and Edward are adorable together. Well worth the time spent reading it. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it and I would recommend 'The Girl With The Make-Believe Husband' to fans of historical romance novels and those of us who believe in the beauty of love from another era.
I am a verified purchaser in Australia

Julia Quinn is one of my favorite authors of Regency Romance and certainly a go-to when I need to escape modern day. There's just something about a regency romance and the "simple" rules of society that calls to me. The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband is a little different then her norm. The story doesn't take place in the 'ton or at a house party in the English countryside (which are always delightful), but on the island of Manhattan during a war. The story is centered around Cecilia Harcourt and her decision to leave England for New York and try to find her injured brother Thomas. This leads Cecilia to an impulsive decision to claim she's the "wife" by a proxy wedding ceremony to Edward Rokesbys, all while Edward is knocked out and suffering a bout of amnesia. The joy of the story is seeing how this plays out.

The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband can be likened to a regency version of While You Were Sleeping. I myself love the amnesia trope as the drama is inherent, there's a sense betrayal and that she might make Edward feel like a fool. And oh, there's the difference between doing something that is right and doing something wrong. Even if it isn't really hurting anyone, can she justify her actions? And what of Cecilia's predicament? She'll return to England at some point, but as who and to where? She's an incredibly brave, bright, and intuitive woman, but she knows she must come clean with Edward about the true state of their marriage. It's inevitable but it can be avoided in the short term. The question really is how will Edward find out?

The reality is that she and Edward have been getting to know each other through the very slow process of letters exchanged between Cecilia and her brother. The story is perfectly plotted and well paced. Every chapter opens with a snippet from the letters and we see how Edward and Cecilia have managed to flirt across the miles. This is not something either of them talk about, Edward because he doesn't exactly remember everything (although really he's just missing the past three months) and Cecilia because it might jar Edwards memory. But they do have a sweet connection and I loved being in their heads as they reason through their actions. They seem to offer each other something that neither realized they needed until they actually meet. There's so much more going on in this story, but you simply must read it to find out. If you love Regency Romance and something a little different, this is a great read.

This will be the first book I have reviewed by Julia Quinn since I started this blog four years ago. I have read and kept the entire Bridgerton Series since I read "The Viscount Who Loved Me" which I adored and loved everyone of them. My favorite is Colin and Penelope's story "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton". I did read "Because of Miss Bridgerton" but did not review it, I don't remember why. It was the first in her new Series "Bridgerton Prequels, Rokesby #1). Now on to my review of this novel (Rokesby #2).

I have always enjoyed her writing and this book was no exception. The story was original, her writing as beautiful and lyrical as always. There wasn't a lot of laugh out loud moments that I am used to in a Julia Quinn novel, but to be fair, this book took place during War where both the hero and heroine were away from their homes.

Cecilia Harcourt found herself in an untenable position and had no choice but to take a chance and leave her home to travel across the ocean to find her missing brother. What she finds is that her brother is no where to be found and his best friend is lying unconscious in an army hospital. The only way she can see him and make sure that he is taken care of is to pretend to be his wife. What happens when he wakes up and finds her there? Will he go along with her story, or if he never wakes up, how will she find out what happened to her brother?

Edward Rokesby wakes up in an Army hospital confused and doesn't has no memory of the last few months. Cecilia Harcourt is here, how and why is she saying she is his wife? Where is Thomas, her brother. He cannot remember what happened to him and doesn't remember marrying Cecilia. He takes her at her word and accepts her as his wife. Now they have to try to put together what happened and where is Thomas?

As a fan of Julia's books I did like this one. It was different in that is was more serious in it's content. Edward is a great hero who brings out the best in Cecilia, who has never had much to be happy about in the life that she has led so far. I think Edward was good for Cecilia in that she never really had much to enjoy about life until she met him. Edward is the kind of man who is compelled to take care of other people, that is why I think he was better off with Cecilia than he would have been with Billie Bridgerton, who was the kind of girl to take charge. In the end this was a good story about two people who find each other in a world of peril, strife and tragedy and make a life together.

Received a Complimentary Copy for an honest review.

OH MY GOODNESS!! IT IS FINALLY HERE!! *major fan-girl moment* The prequel to the Bridgertons series (technically a Rokesbys book) is here!!; and if you couldn't understand me through all that nonsense before, the amazing Julia Quinn is back with a new book, and she manages to do what many fail to do! She has written an amazing prequel, to a equally amazing series!

From the beginning of The Girl with the Make-believe Husband, We find our heroine, doing something mighty brave, but also mighty foolish at the same time! After finding out her brother has been injured fighting in the colonies, Cecilia Harcourt was forced to make a hard decision, marry her cousin, and be in the clutches of her scheming aunt, or go search for her brother and his best friend in the new world...so she did what any sensible young miss would do! She left for the colonies, only to find it even more dire when she arrived! Her brother still missing and his best friend Edward Rokesby, unconscious! Trying to prevent a scandal, Cecilia claims she is Edwards wife, but luckily for her when Edward does come around, he's suffering from amnesia!...And I'm going to leave my recap there, so I don't give anymore details of the book away.

The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband is a darling of a book, and though short (it is a prequel after all), you cannot help but fall in love with every single moment of it.

When you read the book, you cannot help but be blown away by the authors imagination and talent! Honestly, this one book has reaffirmed my love for the authors work, from the character's, to the plot, from taking me out of my comfort zone, and making me fall in love with a new world book, which is something I normally detest. The author has given me a teaser of a new series to fall in love with, while giving me a glimpse of the old series I simple adore.

I give The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband 5 stars!

I like this author so much I usually buy her books but for some reason I put this on my library reserve list. I was surprised when I received it so quickly, and started reading immediately. I soon knew I wouldn't finish as I HATE PLOTS THAT ARE PREDICATED ON LIES. I tried, but I couldn't see beyond the continuance of the lie. It wasn't even a "big misunderstanding" a contrivence I find exasperating at best and insulting at worst.
I took it back to the library long before it's due date, there were many reserves and out of curiosity I asked the librarian to look up the history on reserves. The majority of the copies were returned way before their due dates, there was another copy going out to a waiting patron with a Post-It note that read "Don't waste your time"

Cecilia Harcourt is tending to her father in her ancestral home as her brother, Thomas and his friend Edward Rokesby battle in the Americas. She corresponds with her brother, but slowly messages go back and forth between Edward and Cecilia. When Cecilia’s father passes and Thomas is injured her scheming cousin makes plans to wed her. Of course, the only responsible thing to do is travel to America to find her brother! Quinn hooked me from the start, and I absolutely loved the correspondence we were made privy to at the beginning of each chapter.

When Cecilia arrives she cannot locate her brother but discovers that Edward is unconscious in a church converted into a makeshift hospital. When she is unable to attend him, she declares herself his wife…and then he wakes up!

Poor Edward awakens missing six months of memory and finds himself married. He cannot even remember the wedding. Oh, what fun! While I did get a little annoyed at Cecilia for not being straight with Edward, I understood her reasons and laughed at some of her quick thinking regarding their supposed relationship. Their conversations, the awkwardness, and inner thoughts had me smiling and laughing.

The romance was slow-burning despite the nuptials and had a surprising buildup. Their chemistry felt genuine and I found myself truly wishing for an HEA. The ending had a few twists, a little heartache, and some humor all of which kept me flipping the pages.

Delightful!

The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband is the second book in the Rokesbys series and can be read as a standalone. I could only describe it as a charming and very romantic novel. I was engaged.

Cecilia was such a relatable heroine, and Captain Rokesby was a sweet and caring man, I could easily fall in love with him. They were both highly likable.

I’ll always love Julia Quinn’s books since I’m a huge fan, but I found this novel sadly lacking. I missed a spark, that humor that the author is famous for. It was a slow paced romance and not much happened for 2/3 of the book, but I absolutely loved the ending.

Looking forward to Andrew’s book!

These characters are so real, flaws and all. Most scenes are simple quiet ones between Edward and Cecilia as they come to terms with their feelings and new situation. Cecilia’s internal conflict over their ersatz marriage puts her in an untenable position — lying to the man she has fallen completely in love with, one whom she believes has a future he must abandon due to her folly. And Edward — gah! — he is portrayed as a completely human character rather than a stereotype. He’s not a rake to be reformed or a stuffy prig to be freed — he’s an honest gentleman and officer who is occasionally short-tempered and grumpy but always trying his best. I absolutely LOVE these two together.

Although I am sad to leave Edward and Cecilia behind, I relish every moment I was able to spend with them. One of the best part of books, is you can read them again! The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband by Julia Quinn is definitely going in my re-read rotation. I urge you to read it — at least once!

This is the 2nd read in the series the Rokesbys and though I am an avid fan of Ms. Quinn's Bridgerton series, I did not like this one as much as the first which included a Bridgerton (Because of Miss Bridgerton). Though there were some funny moments with Cecilia and Edward, it was rather lackluster. Edward Rokesby, seems to have lost his memory and upon waking finds himself married to Cecilia whom he only knows because of her brother Thomas, who was a friend and colleague in arms with Edward. The story was good, just not great, it ran on for a quite a bit with Cecilia in desperate need to find her brother and Edward wanting his memory to return. At the end of the book, the last 15%, Edward recovers his memory, finds out the truth with what really happened to Thomas and his make-believe wife and in his anger, rightly so, decides to not let on to Cecilia that his memory has returned. Cecilia does make amends by writing a letter explaining her deceit to Edward, right before she attempts to leave him to return to England. However, it was too late, they both had fallen in love with each other and since her virtue was compromised the only sensible thing would be to really marry his love. 3 solid stars!

This made me so happy! Julia Quinn's books have always put a smile on my face but the Bridgertons truly have a spot in my heart and The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband really brought back those happy fluffy feelings. This was just such delightful, endearing, fun read.

With a bit of an outlandish plot point, a now-orphaned Cecilia Harcourt travels to the Americas to find her brother (Thomas), who appears to missing and instead stumbles upon his best friend, a hospitalized and unconsciousness Captain Rokesby. Edward Rokesby has just regain consciousness and while he has lost his memory of the last six months, he has gained a wife, even if he's a little unsure how.

"She touched her cheek self-consciously. "Have I something on my face?"
"Just looking at you." he said.
"There's not much to see."
This made him smile. "I must disagree."
She flushed, and he realized he was flirting with his wife. Strange.
And yet, possibly the least strange thing of the day."

From the moment they meet, it was pretty darn cute. And despite not having met before this point, it wasn't an insta-love story! How you ask? Because letters. Throughout the book you see the letters that Cecilia and Thomas write to each other. And I love the little bit of awkward flirting between Edward and Cecilia that you get to see in these letters. When they do finally meet, it still is a slow-burn kind of romance.

Sometimes I'm really scared of stories when relationships are basically built on deceit (in this case Cecilia lying that she's married to Edward) but Julia Quinn handled it pretty well and I really enjoyed seeing their relationship develop. Both characters are just delightful. Despite her deception, you can see that she struggles with the guilt of lying and I think that really helped make easy to want to root for her (she's also super lovable). Edward, it took not even a chapter and I was already head over heels. He's the honorable gentleman with charm and a playful streak that'll sweep you off your feet.

On top of the romance, there's also the subplot of trying to find the missing Thomas and recovering Edward's lost memories. Like I mentioned, adored the letters between Thomas and Cecilia and loved getting to see their cute sibling banter. And the Thomas and Edward bromance. It was a heartfelt story.

Edward bids me to say hello and not to tell you that he is miserable sailor. - From Thomas Harcourt to his sister Cecilia.

Overall, this was a sweet, fun, heartstring pulling kinda romance. I loved the ending (aka. the big moment of truth; it was both hilarious and so adorable) and I loved how easy it was to be genuinely invested in Edward's and Cecilia's love story. Definitely a lovely addition to the series.

""You love me."
"Madly." he admitted."

This is the second story in Rokesby series, and it's also a part of the broader Bridgerton series. Speaking of, once you start mixing up the Bridgerton's it means it's time to bid them goodbye. My message to the author: Time to create a new family that, I am sure, we'll care as much as we do for Bridgertons.

That said, I have to admit this story was better than the first and for that I credit the wonderful characters almost as much as the humor. And let's not forget the "amnesia" trope. I'm not sure why I'm a fan of it, but I seem to like the conflict and anticipation of the "reveal". It adds a lot of suspense of will the memory come back and what are the consequences when it finally does.

Edward was one of those characters that you can't help but fall in love with. Cecilia on the other hand was someone I grew to like mostly because of her backstory.

If I had only one word to describe this book, I'd probably skip the "sweet" and go directly to "comforting". It really felt familiar, sweet and comforting, all at the same time.

Melanie for b2b

Gift ARC provided by the publisher

This novel finally ranks amongst Quinn's best romances and it is definitely different from her previous production both in terms of setting (North America during the Revolutionary war) as well as in terms of plot elements. We have at least two cases creating suspence (the hero's memory loss and the search for the heroine's brother) that provide the background for the development of a romance that was long in the making: H/h had started corresponding by chance and a connection had been built before fate would bring them together.

Since the blurb provides enough clues to the general frame of the story, anything else would be a spoiler in a plot that has some unexpected twists aside from the expected revelation of the heroine's initial deception and the hero's reaction. Let me then just tell you that I enjoyed this book enormously, much more than the preceding Miss Bridgerton. 'Nough said

I've been dying for The Girl With the Make-Believe Husband for ages. Two reasons: First, Julia Quinn has never let me down. She's never not delivered an adorable book. Second, who could resist the While You Were Sleeping angle in historical romance? And of course, Julia Quinn didn't fail me--nor did the premise!

As much as I love my historical romances set in England, it was a lot of fun to read a story set in the US, especially during the American Revolution. It's interesting to see this time from the British perspective since, being an American, we're always given stories from our side. However, the revolution itself doesn't play into the story much, aside from location. It's almost more that a war of some kind is going on, but it's not all that specific to this war. Still fun, just not integral.

What I think is so fun about Edward and Cecelia's relationship is that they actually know each other a bit before the events of the book--though they've never met in person. In letters exchanged with her brother, Cecelia and Edward have written short notes back and forth, getting information secondhand though Thomas. The content of these notes is revealed over the course of the book, and it's fun to see the original base of their relationship while they're falling in love.

The only less than fun part is Cecelia's guilt over lying to Edward. Her actions are...understandable, at the very least, but it doesn't make the situation any less awkward. Over and over again, I just wanted her to tell him! On the flip side, I thought the ending was absolutely perfect. I don't want to say what happens, but I finished the book grinning like a total fool.

If you're a fan of Julia Quinn already, it should be a no brainer to pick up The Girl With the Make-Believe Husband! If not, (first, WHY?) how could you say not to a sweet romance that takes off from a beloved romantic comedy? It's the best of both worlds!

When you read a Julia Quinn romance there's a sense of serenity and sentimentality, a feeling of being wrapped up in a comfy quilt. With this latest release readers will find themselves quickly immersed in a strong-willed heroine's journey to America in hopes of saving her brother who finds herself unexpectedly joined to her brother's friend instead. Against a backdrop of war and uncertainty two people find themselves clinging to each other in a tenuous connection that started out as a lie but soon became oh so real.

Cecilia Harcourt's world was very small as her life revolved around her tiny village. With virtually no friends and a father who kept her at arm's length, the only person who truly cared for her was her brother Thomas. Hearing of his being injured has her setting out for America to help him heal. With him gone missing she's left with no where to turn to for help until she discovers his friend Edward Rokesby convalescing. In a moment of desperation she blurts out an untruth but it doesn't make her any less determined to see him recover as well as getting to the truth of her brother's disappearance. Being in close quarters with Edward has them getting to know more about each other, more than the brief sentences she sent in letters to her brother. She shares introspective feelings and heartfelt emotions as the two of them progress from friends to lovers under the guise of being married. With his memory returning though she knows time is running out for them as the truth of her feelings for him becomes clearer. Cecilia was the quintessential English miss, never doing the unexpected until her brother was in danger. Coming to America brings out a backbone in her that has her doing whatever necessary to help Edward and get answers about her brother. Knowing that her dream-like time with Edward's coming to an end has her making unexpected choices that show her embracing living over propriety. Cecilia's immensely likable and loyal. She made a bold decision that was not done maliciously and it ate at her. Her reasons for keeping the truth quiet did eventually become personal, but every step she took in her journey was done out of love.

Edward grew up in grandeur but longed for excitement which he found in war. He also found a good friend and an unconventional romance with a kind-hearted and loyal young woman. Their connection started out subtly but it quickly came to consume him and is what had him embracing her lie. With his memory gone due to injury he must rely on Cecilia, just as she must rely on him to get to the truth about her brother, which puts them in close quarters. While Edward heals much time is spent getting to know one another which ultimately turns a lie into the truth. When he discovers the outcome of her brother, along with the truth about their relationship, it leads to great heartache and sacrifice and an ultimately immensely satisfying conclusion. Edward's a true gentleman, always worried about Cecilia's reputation. His infatuation with her started out innocently through a sentence or two in her brother's letters home but they became far more important as time went on. He became attracted to her words at first but then it was her kindness and loyalty which had him eager to embrace the lie she told everyone and is why he went out of his way to claim her to one and all. Even when the truth is revealed he didn't act out in anger. He always put her first which laid a solid foundation for a relationship that started out wrong but quickly became oh so right.

Though the premise of this tale is a bit silly, I still found myself charmed courtesy of the talented Ms. Quinn. The story often drags but it's the high quality of characterizations that kept me furiously forging on. The romance between Cecilia and Edward is sensual, and far from scorching, but their appealing connection kept me invested in their futures. The banter between them was equally engaging and though there was shyness early on it took on a fun and flirty vibe as the story progressed. The mystery surrounding Thomas intrigued me early on as much was hinted at, a sense of something nefarious, but unfortunately the culmination was left lacking. I thought a bomb was on the horizon when the truth about Thomas came out but it was more of a whimper. All-in-all this was a sweet and sensual tale of friends becoming lovers and in that simple summation this story succeeded. While it's not the best work from this author it's still a tale that gave me lots of warm fuzzies and is a fine addition to reader's bookshelves.

3.75 STARS!

>>>>>>>> My Synopsis (Review Follows)<<<<<<
Once upon a time a young lady did the unthinkable. She honestly didn't mean to do it. She'd gone with the most honorable of intentions, her only wish was to find her brother whom she'd been told was there and nurse him back to health. Yet when she arrived and no one seemed to know where the young man had gone, one thing just naturally lead to the other. She heard his best friend had arrived and was suffering from life threatening injuries so she tried to see him. When they told her she couldn't, she just couldn't stop herself and it just came out. A huge, horrible, enormous, behemoth of a lie came out--she told them he was her husband.

Oh the scandal of it all...

>>>>>>>> My Review<<<<<<
This book is a prime example of why I love Julia Quinn novels. They contain all sorts of romantic goodness mixed in with an irresistible combination of witty banter, charming humor, and sexual tension/attraction that always leave me reminiscing of the days when I first fell in love with my husband. Ms. Quinn has a wonderful imagination which she uses to create humorous situations that tickle the funny bone, wonderful characters that you wish you could befriend, and stories that when you finish, leave you smiling, grinning, and anxiously awaiting her next book release.

Cecilia Harcourt finds herself in dire straights. Her father died a few days ago, then she receives word that her brother was gravely injured, followed by her cousin showing up on her doorstep. Her cousin is next in line for inheriting the entailed family estate, and is hoping for word of her brother's demise. When her cousin starts making unwanted advances towards her, she decides to go in search of her brother intending to nurse him back to health and ensure he doesn't die. Unfortunately, when she arrives in New York there appears to be no sign of him. Luckily, she's smart and thinks fast.

Edward Rokesby has suffered a head injury. When he emerges from his coma he wakes to find he's married but can't remember anything which transpired in the last several months. Did he marry his best friend's sister? He can't recall, but he finds he doesn't mind the idea so much. He definitely could see himself marrying Cecilia, the question is did he?

I couldn't help but give this one 5 out of 5 roses. If you're looking for an example of how to take a fan favorite, in this case the movie 'While You Were Sleeping', and rewrite it making it your own this is the way it's done. Ms. Quinn captured the magic of the original by using some of the key elements of the story and then refreshed it by changing the time period and setting and adding an original spin with a healthy dose of her own magic, thereby, making it into something new. She owned it and that is not something easily done. I adored seeing Edward and Ceilia simultaneously get to know each other through their correspondence, of which snippets are included at the head of every chapter, and in the story's real time, which encapsulates the body of the story. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one earned a STEAM--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.

This is not my first novel by Julia Quinn and it will definitely not be my last! As usual, her stories are great and one can relate to the characters. The writing is aligned with the period where the action occurs and there are as well moments that will for sure bring a smile.

Cecilia has never met Edward Rokesby, but they have shared some lines in letters she addressed to her brother. They have started a long distance friendship and at some point in their letters, they became attached. But when her brother went missing and Cecilia’s future was in danger, she goes out looking for him. To her surprise, she ends up tending for Edward in a hospital and assuming a pretend role of a wife. When he wakes with no memory of the past few months, she will have to find the perfect moment to reveal the truth to him. But his name open up so many possibilities to find her missing brother and Edward’s heath is still fragile, that finding this moment never seems to be the right one.

A book full of funny moments and dialogues, “The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband” offers us some glimpses inside military camps, the newly discovered territories from the New World and the life from that time. Cecilia is a respected woman, but without a husband she has no means to support herself, especially since her father left everything to the care of a shady cousin. She finds the courage to travel across the ocean, never even imagining ending up next to officer Rokesby. The attraction they feel for each other seems sudden, but they had so many letters exchanged, that the feeling has grown up in time. So for Edward it would seem logical that his best friend insisted on a marriage between him and his sister.

The conflict building up inside Cecilia’s soul was very well captured in words. I could very much relate to her and I could understand the difficulty of her choices. And spending time with an attractive man would make things much more complicated, or maybe pretending to be a wife comes much more easer. All these secrets will come to light in a great ending – my favorite scene from the book!

All in all, I loved this story and if you are a fan of historical romance or romance in general, I am sure you have read at least one book from Julia Quinn and my review will come as a confirmation. If you have not yet enjoyed one of her titles, please do start with this one, as it will for sure be to your liking.

**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book.**

Cecilia has just made a decision that will have steep consequences. She lied and pretended to be the wife of a soldier. She had good reason, though. This man is the best friend of her missing brother, who she's desperate to find. So if pretending to be the captain's wife is what she has to do to stay close, she'll do it. He's unconscious anyway. What's the harm?

That is, until Edward wakes up to find the sister of his comrade standing over him. He's never met this woman but he knows her, from an exchange of letters. He wonders if he's dreamed her to life but is surprised to hear someone refer to Cecilia as his wife. Surely, he would remember marrying her, right?

That's when things start to get interesting. Edward's memory loss makes it impossible to know for sure if he did indeed marry Cecilia, though he certainly hopes that to be the case. And Cecilia needs the charade to go on for a while longer so she can find out the truth of what happened to her brother. But while she's tending to Edward and searching for her brother, Cecilia may just forget to protect her heart.

I loved everything about this book. I would give it six suns, if I could. From the first page, I fell in love with our characters and my affection for them only grew as the story went along. I read this entire book in practically one sitting and couldn't put it down. I carried it to the bathroom, people. That's how much I enjoyed it.

The plot was one I've seen before but not in this way. The declaration of fake marriage wasn't done maliciously and it wasn't continued for selfish reasons. Not really. I could see Cecilia struggle with wanting to come clean and fighting her growing affection for her fake husband. And it was so sweet to watch her care for Edward when he needed her the most. The pacing was steady and wasn't filled with shocking or over-dramatic situations, which I think is why I liked it the most. It was believable.

The romance was so sweet and I swooned several times. I also teared up once or twice, too. My heart broke for Cecilia, knowing she was in a place where her secret coming out would have dire consequences. And Edward was such a likable character that I didn't want his heart to shatter, either. I ached right along with them.

But that ending? Woooo! That was a whole lot of fun. I am so glad that this didn't follow the typical romance novel formula. This was a roller coaster of emotion but there was a certain thread of hope there the entire time. I just knew it would work out. It had to. These two characters couldn't have been more right for each other.

In closing...
I have to know how George and his new wife came to be, which is apparently the first story of this series. And I'm on pins and needles for Andrew's tale, too. This is my first Julia Quinn novel but it absolutely won't be my last! Five suns!

Full review on Up 'Til Dawn Book Blog

Edward Rokesby is in something of a predicament that Cecilia Harcourt may be able to help with. You have to feel sorry for the predicament that Cecilia is in as well. But there are times where the author will have you laughing. We grow up being told not to laugh at someone else’s misfortune but with this author’s writing style it was hard not to. It’s also a reminder of what I loved about this author. And it’s also a reminder that I’ve been bad since I haven’t read any of her work in a while.

When I was in high school I hated history but if they included some of the historical romance authors I bet I would have aced the subject. I also had to hit my hand because I thought how this book read like an old-fashioned romance book – since it’s been a while since I read my first romance novel. This is when I scold myself because I’m not that old.

I have not read book one of the Rokesbys series but didn’t feel that I needed to. It can certainly stand on its own. And that’s something else this reminded me of – what I loved about her Bridgertons series. This book is slow-paced so you will want to make sure that you’re sitting in a very comfortable chair. But because there are points were it is slow don’t give up and just read through it because the author will not disappoint. Edward and Cecilia will have you relaxing so if you’re having a relatively bad day what a great book to pick up and read.

There are times where I like to listen to music as I read but I think in this case the music would be too much of a distraction. It’s not one of those books that you want to have a read marathon but once you do put it down you’ll find yourself picking it back up to see what’s going on with our couple. The ending references back to Billie Bridgerton so you may want to check her book out next. And so you don’t have to go searching for it, the title of her book is Because of Miss Bridgerton, which just so happens to be the first book in the Rokesby series. It also references the next book in the series but you will have to be patient with that one because that story isn’t expected until next year.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

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

As a long-time fan of the Bridgerton series and of Julia Quinn’s flair for humorous dialogue and vibrant characterization, I could not resist the appeal of a Bridgerton spin off. This story is set in New York, in the 1770s. The British Army was occupying the city at the time. This setting is rather unusual in historical romance and I liked the idea of a story based on the amnesia trope. Julia Quinn revisiting “While you were sleeping” was definitely intriguing!

Cecilia Harcourt is a young aristocrat from Derbyshire who has recently lost her father. She has travelled to New York in search of her brother Thomas, an officer in the British Army. Her decision to make the journey is brave and completely out of character. It is motivated by her concern for her brother’s health. He was recently injured, but seems to be nowhere to be found. Instead, she has located his closest friend, Edward Rokesby. He is staying in hospital, injured and suffering from amnesia after a coma. She decides to take care of him, as he obviously needs her help. To have the right to stay by his side, she professes to be his wife. And from there, everything escalates and Cecilia is caught in a tangled web of lies. Edward trusts her and she doesn’t know how to explain her deception. He has an ironclad sense of honor and her lies won’t sit well with him. She has taken control of her destiny and she can’t go back to England without discovering what happened to her brother.

This story was predictable, but it’s handled by the author in such a way that I was anxious to see the story unfold, not to mention that I was rooting for the characters. I love Julia Quinn’s writing style, her well thought-out plots, quirky characters and witty dialogue are an absolute delight. What was missing in this book is a strong emotional connection between Edward and Cecilia. There was no spark, no chemistry until the last part of the story. I really enjoyed the ending, though.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher.

So I'll be honest, this one is 4-ISH stars for me.  It definitely wasn't a 3 star book but I'm not sure it is a solid 4 either and there are a couple of reasons for it.

Cecilia lies ... and keeps lying.  It's totally understandable how she got into the situation and works well for who they are to each other.  (There are cute little tidbits from the letters between Thomas and Cecilia at the start of each chapter that highlight this wonderfully.)  Yes, there are opportunities for her to come clean after Edward wakes up, but Quinn makes her reasoning for keeping her secret believable.  He's having enough trouble dealing with his memory issues so you totally get why she chooses not to but it definitely makes things difficult for them.  And there are some readers who probably won't appreciate the continued lying.

It's also set in American during the Revolutionary War, which is a bit of a change for Quinn readers.  We're used to lords and ladies causing trouble for each other in London or the English countryside.  While we don't get a lot of the actual war, Quinn does do a good job of delivering the less pleasant parts for us and it gives the book a gritty feel.

While the beginning is a little slow - with the lying and not remembering - the book definitely picks up as they delve deeper into what happened to Thomas and deal with their deepening relationship.  Of course the truth comes out, causing a bit of havoc for them, but leads to a really great ending  :)  Quinn writes some of the best historical romances out there and she definitely has some major skills, which are on display here.  The characters are detailed and you totally are there with them as they find themselves in a pretty awkward situation, rooting them on to what surely will be a HEA.

*** I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***

Writing at its finest, it can't much better than this! High 5 Stars! Julia Quinn is an absolute genius, her characters and stories just come alive right before the readers' eyes. I absolutely loved The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband; what a tale and a ride you will go on! We first meet Cecilia Harcourt at the bedside of her husband Edward Rokesby. He's a British soldier during the Revolutionary and had gone missing for some time, but was found with a huge gash in his head and unconscious. On the search for her brother, Thomas, in order to get in to speak with Edward, Cecelia informs the general that she's Edward's wife. Only she finds him unconscious and she takes him under her wing and nurtures him. As he awakens, he isn't sure where he is or who he's with, but he learns that he's married to Cecilia and he knows she's his best friends sister but has no recollection of the marriage or where he's been these past weeks. He's literally lost his memory.

Despite not remembering anything about the marriage, Edward vows to take care of Cecelia and aids her in her quest to find her brother Thomas. Onward they go searching for Thomas and through their journey and adventures, they begin to fall in love; however, Cecilia is holding a very dark secret... she's truly not Edward's wife, it was all a farce. Can she go on like this and pretend to be his wife? Or will she open up to Edward? Will he still love and accept her or turn her away?

I just can't say enough about Quinn's writing, she's absolutely one of the best historical romance writers out there, truly a talented lady. This was my first book of Quinn's to read and I must admit I'm now hooked and have become a die-hard fan! I highly recommend this book, be prepared to stay up all night long reading, be sure to have a big teapot filled to the brim and a lot of scones!

I loved the idea of THE GIRL WITH THE MAKE BELIEVE HUSBAND. Imagine waking up after a severe head injury with the last six months of your life missing, including your marriage to your good friend's little sister.
Cecilia finds herself in a dire situation. Her brother is a British soldier in the colonies during the revolution and their father has passed away. She will be at a nasty cousins mercy if something happens to him. She sails from England because she hasn't heard from her brother who is missing. She ends up caring for Edward, her brother's friend who was injured. When he wakes up, he can't remember much of the last six months. No one is more surprised than him when he hears that he is Cecilia's husband.
Cecilia and Edward are such likeable characters. She is a brave woman who comes to America because of love for brother Thomas, but because of social mores, she spins a web of lies to get someone to help her. Edward is familiar with Cecilia only through her witty letters to her brother. He wants to help too, because Thomas was his best friend. Cecilia feels guilty with the lies, but it is for a good reason. As they search into Thomas' disappearance, they begin to fall for each other, but what will happen when Edward gets back his memory?
Besides the romance of the main characters, I enjoyed the history with life of the British living in the colonies during the Revolutionary War. The novels I've read during this time have been told from the American point of view. It gave the history buff in me something to think about. I've wanted to read something by Ms. Quinn for a while, so I am glad that this story crossed my path and I will definitely continue with this series!

It's been a while since I last read a Julia Quinn book. I know, she has a lot of books. If you seen my TBR list you would be like how the heck is she ever get that done in her life time. Anyway, I wanted to read the book for the title alone. Seriously, The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband. First off, it's a mouthful and doesn't really roll off the tongue, but it's fun to say.

We have Cecilia Harcourt who is worried about her brother and decides to cross the sea to find her brother in America. After all he's fighting for the British, when she gets there she doesn't find her brother but his best friend, Edward Rokesby. She's worry about both of them, but she can't be near Edward cause she's not family. So, she pretends to be his husband while he's out. Eventually, he wakes up, and tries to make sense of all that happens. So, through most of the book we have Cecilia and Edward looking for her brother, and at the same time getting the run around. Plus, Cecilia is trying to keep up the lies she has told everyone, while trying to find her brother.

All right, I did like The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband. I found it entertaining, and yes I was waiting for the ball to drop with Cecilia's lie. Overall, the story was pretty good. If you are like me, and haven't read the first book, you are pretty safe. The story focuses on Cecilia and Edward trying to get Edward's memory, and try to find her brother. You're staying in colonies in this story.

Copy provided by Avon via Edelweiss.

It's been ages since I've picked up a Julia Quinn book and I'm not sure why. As with all of her other books (especially her Bridgerton's series) I absolutely adored, loved and am obsessed with this book! I always tell everyone who loves romance and a HEA (Happily Ever After) that this is the author who writes Regency Romance for EVERYONE, even those who don't like Regency Romance!

For those of you who want to pick up this book don't worry, you don't have to read the previous book or any of her other books to enjoy this one!

The Setting - Unlike any of Julia's previous books this one is set in New York during the Revolutionary War. I loved it because of the beautifully descriptive writing, it pulled me in and made me feel as if I were actually there. I felt for Cecilia and Edward being surrounded by war in a foreign country.

The Romance- There are these heartfelt letters written initially between Cecilia and her brother Thomas and eventually Cecelia and Edward start writing to one another (before ever meeting face to face) and they were adorable! The romance in this story is the epitome of what I look for in a book. Quite honestly it's hard for me to put into words, it's more of a "SQUEE I LOVED IT"!

All-in-All: This book is perfect for...
Historical Romance Fans.
If you love the Amnesia Trope.
In search of a swoon-worthy, giddy HEA.
Or if you'd like to branch out and try Regency Romance for the first time!

Julia Quinn has another hit on her hands. In this Bridgerton Prequel for this new series of her most famous family she has found a good start. I would say it is the second have of Because of Miss Bridgerton.
Edward Rokesby and Thomas Harcourt are in the new colonies due to the war. Edward and Billie Bridgerton have been friends all their lives. Now he is a captain in the British army and injured.
Thomas Harcourt was injured and his superior wrote to the sister and now she has traveled to the American colonies to nurse him back to health. When she gets there no one knows where he is. Upon hearing that his friend Edward has been injured, Cecilia wants to talk with him to see if she knows where her brother is. When she learns that he is in a coma she blurts that she is his wife.
Edward wakes up and has no memory of getting married or the last three months.
Cecelia gets a reprieve with this news to continue looking for her brother and nursing Edward.
The two work on recovering his memory and get real close at the same time.
What happens next is something you will just have to read. If you loved the wacky Bridgerton books you will love this series. Julia Quinn gives you all you are expect in her adventurous, funny, and loving families. She has very developed characters and great plots that anyone can relate to and enjoy.

>Book Review – The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband

>I am an independent reviewer. This book is a Bridgerton prequel novel and ends in an HEA. The book takes place during the colonial war. Cecelia’s brother, Thomas and his friend, Edward, are in the colonies fighting for England. Cecelia has never met Edward, but writes to both of them. Edward finds himself falling in love with her through her letters. As Cecelia receives a letter stating Thomas was injured, she travels to the colonies to find him. She cannot find Thomas, but finds Edward, who is suffering from amnesia. In order to nurse him, she has to pretend to be his wife. Edward believes he is married and Cecelia cannot tell him otherwise.

>The idea of compromising a woman just by sharing a room is shown. Cecelia knows she is ruined, but uses her married status to try and find what happened to Thomas. There is a great mystery as to what happened to Edward as well. Of course Cecelia and Edward truly fall in love. The story has a bit of intrigue, a lot of romance and fun. This book is appropriate for an adult audience. I am giving the story 5 stars. Regency romance lovers will not be disappointed.

I almost loved this book. I felt excited while reading it and it felt like the books I was used to reading. Edward, our hero, is one of the best heroes I have read in a while. I love the idea that this man got his happy ending. Our heroine, Cecilia, would have been a great heroine if it wasn't for one not to tiny detail. She kept lying to Edward until the last chapters of the book. I was on her side for most of the time, but I wanted her to admit the truth to him and have them searching the fate of her brother as two people with no secrets between them. Maybe then the book would have gotten a five-star rating. I was also disappointed with the way that chapter ended. I kept expecting to find out that a couple of things we were told were lies and everything was going well. The ending of this book definitely hooked me for the third book and now I am also planning to read the first book because I feel like it will be very enjoyable and probably a 5 star read. Not all of the secondary characters were likable, but I suppose I shouldn't expect that. They didn't matter after all. The people who did were very kind and interesting. For me, the only thorn in this book is Cecilia and her lies. It tainted an almost great reading experience. Still, I would recommend the book.

Facing the probability of marriage to an oily and grasping cousin, Cecilia Harcourt escapes by sailing to America to search for her brother Thomas, missing in the War of Independence. Unable to find Thomas, Cecilia finds instead his friend and comrade Captain Edward Rokesby lying injured and in need of care. In order to provide much needed care she declares herself to be his wife. When Edward finally recovers consciousness – but not his memory – she continues the deception in order to have his help and support in searching for her brother.
The romance between the English man and woman, each struggling with matters of conscience, plays out in 1779 Manhattan Island and is a prequel to the author’s ‘Bridgertons’ series.
The novel has a well-constructed plot, well-drawn characters and vivid dialog. The reader is privy to the internal struggles of both main characters without unnecessary moralizing. This imaginative book places a romance of the British aristocracy into an American setting. The author maintains the tension of the undiscovered lie almost to the end and the denoument is both amusing and satisfying.

I read BECAUSE OF MISS BRIDGERTON so I was excited for this book to come out. Like everyone else, I wanted to know what was going on with Edward in America. It’s been awhile since I read it but it seems to me JQ has toned her writing down a bit since THE BRIDGERTONS. Don’t get me wrong, it's still good but it just doesn't have that zing. Anyhoo…

The only word I can come up with to describe this story is original. With a touch of sad. And serious undertones. The glimpses at the beginning of the chapters are quite funny at times. And insightful to how Edward and Cecilia’s relationship started. I won’t say any more than that.

Edward is patient, kind and understanding. Rather normal actually. Determined too. And he’s a good friend. He wasn’t going to let anything get in his way of finding Thomas.

Cecilia dug herself a hole and she couldn’t get out. Granted, she had good intentions. But… Cecilia Harcourt is a survivor, I’ll give her that.

All in all it was a good story. It has it’s ups and downs. Fast parts and slow parts. But it’s JQ so you know you have to read it. I know I'll probably read it again.

I received a copy for review at Celtic Dragon Book Reviews. All opinions are my own.

This was a good story that caught me from the beginning. I enjoyed reading about the journey, just glad I wasn't the one that was on the boat back then! Anyway this love story will have you shedding a few tears but you'll smile more. The unexpected banter between Cecilia and Edward was outstanding, a great beginning for a series. As this was my first Julia win story, I plan to see what else she has available.Due to sexual situations, this historical love story is recommended for readers 16 and older. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book via Tasty Book Tours through Edelweiss for an honest blog tour review.
Favorite Passage ~
• "Change what you can and accept what you can't."

4.5 STARS

"The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband" by Julia Quinn. I adored this book. I liked the characters. I liked the storyline. I liked Ms. Quinn's writing style and the pace of the book. It was truly an enjoyable read. Cecilia lies to gain access to her brother's best friend, Edward, who is injured and unconscious in a military hospital. Edward awakes to find his "wife" sitting beside him - Cecilia. Both characters were very likable to me - Edward, struggling with the loss of his memory, was very endearing. Cecilia, while I wasn't thrilled with how long the lie continued, still found a place in my heart. She began this farce because of her deep love and connection with her brother, and in some ways, her love for Edward, despite never having met in person, only through words in a letter. Watching the journey these two take to hopefully find true love and a HEA was a joyful ride and I couldn't put the book down. Being a fan of Historical Romance, especially British and American, this story was right up my alley and I loved every minute of it

Another Julia Quinn’s historical romance and I am all in. I love reading her romances. There is always a laugh or two and some type of hijinks or another going on that gives a good read. This time was no different. Cecilia had to tell one little lie to keep her on her path to finding her brother. She just did not expect that lie to change her life or her heart.

Edward has a lot of catching up to do. He was injured and lost a lot of information. Now awake, he has a wife that he had to get to know all over again. As time continues on, he finds that things are not what he had been told they were.

I just love Julia’s books. They transport me to a time and place that I can only imagine. I live these worlds through her telling of a specific story with specific people. She sets this deceptive marriage up for a happy ending with new life breathed into the characters and the belief that life could have really been this sweet. This was a sweet slow-paced romance that had many obstacles to traverse.

I bought this one in paperback and I have to admit I wish I haven't. The plot was boring, I saw and read this so many times that at this point it makes rarely an interesting read. It depends a lot on the writers proficiency and skill in writing to reinvent something or in this case rewrite.
The characters were nothing special, h was annoying and she went on >>>SPOILERS>>> with her lies for no apparent reason aside from being coward and daft. The H on the other hand fell in love with her on the account of the letters that were only a paragraph or so in addition to her brothers letters...I mean it just hadn't work for me maybe for the next reader it will be perfect...tastes differ.
To conclude I have formed an opinion of Ms Quin's writing, the books that are silly and with a healthy dose of humor are something where she thrives, this where there should be angst and a great dose of seriousness I think she should skip. This is just an opinion...

'THE GIRL WITH THE MAKE-BELIEVE HUSBAND' by Julia Quinn is book Two in the "Rokesbys" series. This is the story of Cecilia Harcourt and Edward Rokesby. I have not yet read the previous book in this series so for me this was a standalone book.
Cecilia just has her brother for family other than a scheming cousin who is not a good family member at all. So Cecilia decided to go look for her brother who has been injured in battle. But she was unable to locate him but found his best friend Edward. Edward was in a hospital and they were not letting anyone near him but family so she claimed to be his wife. Edward's injury were so bad that he was not conscious. When he does wake up he doesn't remember to much by he does know Cecilia. Edward easily believes that they are married.
Anytime I see Ms. Quinn's name attached to a book I know that I will be getting a great story that will keep me entertained.
"My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read."

In her first story outside of England, Julia Quinn takes the reader to Revolutionary New York. Without getting too bogged down in the conflict, she presents her hero, Edward as a British officer who lost his memory. Upon awakening from an injury, he discovers his best friend's sister by his bedside. Cecilia had claimed to be his wife and Edward believes her. Their relationship had previously been built on notes through letters between Cecilia and her brother. In addition to that past, the best part of their relationship was the support between Cecilia and Edward. While he is injured, she cares for him and when Cecilia is given bad news, he supports her tenderly. This was a heartwarming book to read and Julia Quinn has excelled at creating likable and relatable characters. In the story she's created, it actually makes sense for Cecilia to claim to be Edward's wife. Quinn does an excellent job of pulling off one of the most unbelievable tropes- the amnesic hero.

Review: The Girl With The Make-Believe Husband by Julia Quinn
Publication Date: May 30, 2017
Genre: Historical Romance
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Cori
Rated 3.5 Stars

THE GIRL WITH THE MAKE-BELIEVE HUSBAND is the second book in Julia Quinn’s Rokesbys series, but can be read as a standalone. It’s a light and fun historical romance to curl up with this summer. I’ve been on a historical romance reading binge and this was a good one. The romance between Edward and Cecilia was steamy. I thought the plot was good, but I wanted Cecilia to confess her deception sooner and thought it dragged on a little longer than necessary. The ending was satisfying though. I recommend this book for historical romance lovers looking for a steamy love story with a little mystery.

*Review copy provided by Avon Books in exchange for an honest review.

A very dear friend of mine, Nat at Reading Romances, introduced me to Julia Quinn during a reading challenge. I have fell in love with Julia Quinn's writing and her humorous quips. The Girl with the Make Believe Husband was a spin off of "While You were Sleeping". The heroine journeys across the ocean to find her injured brother. In her quest to find him, she finds tangled in a web of lies and suddenly the wife of her brother's BFF, who he himself is lying unconscious in a hospital. This book is a bit different from her previous books, the storyline is in New York, during the Revolutionary War. Follow along on their path to HEA. It's a fun tale, one that will pull you in from the start. I encourage you to read the first book in the series, Because of Miss Bridgerton, so you are able to understand a bit more when prior characters make cameo appearances.

I can always count on Julia Quinn to write an engaging story with characters. I will admit there was a slight bit of concern on my part because I love the ballrooms, the interaction with the ton of London, etc. Taking place in America I wasn’t sure if I would miss all of that but I still ended up really enjoying this story. I loved Cecelia and felt so bad for her as she sought news of her brother. I can only imagine the anguish of not knowing what happened to him and the frustration of not being helped without being the wife of a lord. I enjoyed Edward’s character though I can’t recall much about him from the previous book other than I’m pretty sure he was in it. Still watching the two together was very enjoyable. I am definitely looking forward to more books in this series!

Kind of disappointed in this one, super boring. I was not really a fan of the location either. I thought it would be a nice change of pace, but I did not really care for it. (It was a bit depressing)
I gave it a three only because it's Julia Quinn, but it was really about a 2.5.

But now I need to find out about Andrew. GD!

A great Quinn novel! I was hooked quickly and read it within a day. The characters are fun and you just can't help but like them. It's also laughable as you see the situation and feel like you can understand why she did what she did and why he feels like he feels. It's fast paced, but sweet and a fun read.

Is this really written by Julia Quinn? It is so often just unbelievable, Julia Quinn is usually so adept at writing, that I never actually consider the 'writing', becoming engrossed in the fluid, coherent story. This story opens awkwardly, and the heroine is ... unlikely. It goes on and on! So many details! that seem irrelevant and poorly edited. I listened to the epilogue after just a few chapters , trying to decide if I could listen (audiobook!!:)) to all of it. It is 'almost' a good book, but it is not, unfortunately. It needs another edit.

I don't think I've read any of her other books, but this one was really boring with a predictable ending. Extremely repetitious and really no interesting characters. It was akin to eating a bowl of plain pasta with no flavoring of any kind.

Not very many authors are capable of blending sensitive romance with courageous adventure. Julia Quinn transitions between the two with a smoothness and clarity that appeals to readers like me who are fans of both. The Girl With the Make - Believe Husband exudes classic romance while squeezing in a few modern day subjects. With a strong sense of female empowerment Cecilia sets out in search of answers and ends up facing more than she could have imagined. Edward holds the key to all she seeks, if he can forgive her in the end.

The book was really long and pretty dull.
I feels like Julia Quinn changed her writing style. Why do we like her books? They are very funny, full of wit and leave a warm feeling after finishing a book. But this one had very few funny moments and even those were not that good. The characters are one dimensional, not charismatic, not very interesting, I forgot about them a second after I finished reading the book. It felt like it lasted forever, the pace was very slow. Julia Quinn decided to describe every little thought each character had, repeating herself in every chapter. 80% of each chapter were thoughts, 20% were conversations.
Edward constantly repeats how strong and brave Cecilia is, but I did not find enough evidence to support his claim. Yes, she traveled alone across the sea and cared for him for 3 days while he was unconscious, but oh my word, it's not like she rescued a child from a burning house!
I did not like the book, it was not short and funny, it was long and boring. I do not recommend buying it. I prefer classic Julia Quinn(splendid, Duke and I, brighter than the sun) to this long and cheesy narration. There were no charisma, no sparks, no passion, nothing. Very disappointed to be honest. I expected more

Overall the book was a good, simple read. I liked the characters but I felt there wasn't real conflict. Like everything happened so easily without a real fight. I guess I was waiting for more drama/excitment. So all in all it was a good book but missing something to make it a great book.

This was a wonderful romance and I absolutely loved it. Julia Quinn is one of my most favorite authors and her stories never disappoint and this one was no exception. Cecilia was a brave heroine who found herself in a bad situation and with a big lie hanging over her head. Edward was just a wonderful hero and I enjoyed every moment of his romance with Cecilia. The way it all came together in the end was great, Highly recommend.

She pretends to be his wife to care for his injured self and to find out news about her brother. They fall in love, find out her brother has died and Edward gets back his memory. She leaves him a letter confessing everything and boards a ship to go back to England. He finds her , marries her and they go home finding that his brother has married the childhood friend everyone thought he was to marry. They all lived happily fever after.

The book was really long and pretty dull.
I feels like Julia Quinn changed her writing style. Why do we like her books? They are very funny, full of wit and leave a warm feeling after finishing a book. But this one had very few funny moments and even those were not that good. The characters are one dimensional, not charismatic, not very interesting, I forgot about them a second after I finished reading the book. It felt like it lasted forever, the pace was very slow. Julia Quinn decided to describe every little thought each character had, repeating herself in every chapter. 80% of each chapter were thoughts, 20% were conversations.
Edward constantly repeats how strong and brave Cecilia is, but I did not find enough evidence to support his claim. Yes, she traveled alone across the sea and cared for him for 3 days while he was unconscious, but oh my word, it's not like she rescued a child from a burning house!
I did not like the book, it was not short and funny, it was long and boring. I do not recommend buying it. I prefer classic Julia Quinn(splendid, Duke and I, brighter than the sun) to this long and cheesy narration. There were no charisma, no sparks, no passion, nothing. Very disappointed to be honest. I expected more

Overall the book was a good, simple read. I liked the characters but I felt there wasn't real conflict. Like everything happened so easily without a real fight. I guess I was waiting for more drama/excitment. So all in all it was a good book but missing something to make it a great book.