"On the Way to the Wedding." A romance novel by Julia Quinn. Avon 2006. $7.99. 384 pages.Julia Quinn’s “On the Way to the Wedding” makes you forget the trifles of your life and leads you into Quinn’s romantic world.
Quinn’s writing has earned a reputation for warmth and humor, and her dialogue is considered among the best in the industry. She has been profiled in TIME Magazine (a rarity among romance writers) and has even competed on the game show “The Weakest Link.”
Some people believe in true love, but other people don’t. The hero of the novel, Gregory Bridegerton, believes in true love and is convinced that when he finds the woman of his dreams, he will know in an instant that she is the one. When he meets Hermione Watson for the first time, Quinn writes: “He knew that she was the one. He stood frozen, transfixed. The air didn’t rush form his body; rather, it seemed to slowly escape until there was nothing left, and he just stood there, hollow, and aching for more.” However, Hermione does not have the same feeling as Gregory.
Hermione’s best friend and the novel’s heroine, Lucy Lucinda, is engaged, but she does not know what true love is. She will marry her fiancé not because of love but because of the wishes of her uncle. She believes Gregory is a good man and is worthy of her best friend’s favor. So, she helps Gregory to win Hermione’s heart. However, because of an accident, Hermione married Lucy’s brother. Shortly thereafter, Lucy and Gregory shared an unexpected kiss and Lucy realized she had fallen in love with him. “She was in love with him. She was in love with Gregory Bridgerton. The realization couldn’t have been more clear….”
The story begins with an unnamed man trying to stop a wedding. Finally, when he arrives at the church and asks the bride not to marry the other man, the story suddenly stopped. Who is the bride? Especially, when you read the first half of the story, you may think the bride is Hermione. The uncertainty is the wonderful part of the story. It is definitely a love story, but with some mystery. Because of that, I can’t wait to finish reading it.
"On the Way to the Wedding" is the eighth and final book in the Bridgerton series. Quinn’s series portrays how the eight children of the Bridgerton family followed their mother’s advice to believe in true love, and the process of finding their destined partners. Family life dominates every one of Quinn’s books. Although the children of the Bridgerton family always quarreled with their siblings, when one of them had problems, other family members didn’t hesitate to help them. The depictions of the family love in the Quinn’s books are moving and real. Quinn seems to tell readers that she cannot only write touching love stories but also make readers feel warmth through her pen.
"On the Way to the Wedding" is a superb entry in which Julia Quinn mocks her previous Regency romances with an agreeable twist on love at first sight. Quinn’s subtle style of writing brings you a new experience of the romantic novel.
-Reviewed by: Jui-Chen Liao
1 comment:
Ms. Liao,
This is interesting. A book with a cheap romance cover is receiving serious criticism, and not only from you but also TIME magazine. I wonder if Julia Quinn is related to the noteworthy journalism student Matt Quinn? I really enjoyed your review. You can't judge a book by its cover.
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