traeumenvonbuechern's Reviews (260)

The Duke Heist

Erica Ridley

4.5

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The Viscount Who Loved Me

Julia Quinn

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

So Julia Quinn can't include marginalized characters in her books because of "historical accuracy", but she can include a corgi, a dog breed that wasn't officially recognized until a century later...

I think this quote from a (now deleted) Tiktok video sums it up pretty well:

"In fiction, there's no way you can be 100% historically accurate. You pick and choose what you want to be accurate about, and what you choose is a reflection of your values."

That being said, I enjoyed this book much more than the first one, and if it weren't for the author's horrible comments about the lack of diversity in her books (see my review of The Duke and I and the links below), I might have even given it four stars.

I think I will continue to read the other books in the series, but I will listen to them through my library and spend my money on more diverse historical romances instead.

Here are two Twitter threads you should check out if you want to learn more about why there are no marginalized characters in JQ's books:

https://twitter.com/StorySorcery/status/1508938254334283787?t=bGBU7gyUw6mwCfGZAWAfjg&s=19

https://twitter.com/StorySorcery/status/1508970472746229762?t=toJlcWOB1SjJXkvhZgTnhQ&s=19

Content Warnings