As always a Julia Quinn Masterpiece! Her books pull you into another time and in to the world of romance!

Thoroughly enjoy all of Julia Quinn's books. I love that I get to immerse myself into a Bridgerton family love affair.

First Comes Scandal is a friends to lovers historical romance from Julia Quinn. Unfortunately for me, it was a DNF at 20%, as another review experienced. While I'd read many of her Bridgerton novels, and enjoyed a few, there was a blandness to this novel and lack of tension/attraction to heighten my interest between the hero and heroine, the former of whom is being pressured by his father to "rescue" the latter through marriage due to the loss of her reputation from an unsavory kidnapping. I simply didn't enjoy it--the first few chapters of the hero feeling annoyed and sorry for himself, the heroine ruminating and helpless, and confused as to hero's appearance. Then the hero wondering if he could see her another way zzzz. It was simply dull. I give it three stars because I know that Julia Quinn fans will likely enjoy it very much.

I received an ARC from Netgalley; all opinions are my own.

I know I can always count on Julia Quinn for a charming read, and this definitely was! The book had her trademark wit, charming conversations, and good sexual tension between leads. Nicholas and Georgie were both wonderful characters (although I wish that we could have been in Georgie's head more. Even though the book was probably split pretty evenly between them both, it felt that we were inside Nicholas' head more).

That being said, there were a few things that just felt out of place here. Some of the historical accuracy with Nicholas training as a doctor felt off, and there were multiple moments where Georgie winked winked nudged nudged at modern readers, such as when she was wondering when women would be doctors and knowing that it wouldn't happen during her lifetime but would happen. Quinn has written other more modern heroines before, but even with Eloise and Hyacinth being modern in some ways, it just never felt quite as blatant.

I think that this is a great book for anyone who has enjoyed Quinn's previous books, but if you are new to her writing I would recommend some of her other titles first.

DNF at 20%

I was in the mood for a historical and thought I'd try an upcoming JQ release even though I haven't read anything new by her in years. Well, apparently there was a reason for that. I have a ridiculous amount of nostalgia for JQ's backlist, but the magic just isn't here anymore. Either I've changed a lot as a reader or JQ has changed as an author. I'm not sure which is true, but it doesn't really matter. This was uninteresting for the first 20%, and I have no intention of forcing myself to finish the book.

The Bridgerton clan always delights, and this prequel is no different I love the sass and feminism in Georgie, and I love that Nicholas was not the traditional reformed rake. Great story!

I wasn't sure how I felt about the main male character all but forced to do the right thing by his father. I almost stopped reading it because of that. But I decided to give it a try. It was a good read. I didn't feel the bond between the characters like I normally do though.

Here's my truth: Everything Julia Quinn writes is historical romance gold! First Comes Scandal, book #4 in the Rokesbys series, proves that Quinn is the queen of the craft! Her heroines are smart. Her heroes are worthy. Her plots are practically perfect. :-)

I always love Julia Quinn, and First Comes Scandal is no exception. This is the the latest book in her Rokesbys series, and it is *SO* sweet. I mean, just, incredibly, toothache-inducingly sweet. I finished it in a night and I wanted to expire from the sweetness after I read it. 11/10.

So many familiar tropes combine here into a truly beautiful storyline. I enjoyed the inevitable fall into true love. I loved the characters, the dialogue was on point and finally, it's the Bridgertons!!

Vintage Quinn. Georgiana and Nicholas's story is a fresh take on a scandalized woman makes a happily ever after with a reluctant groom tale. Fans of the series will not be disappointed.

Julia Quinn never disappoints! It was fun to revisit the beloved Bridgerton family in this prequel, which came with the usual combo of wit, romance, and charm. Always looking forward to seeing what Quinn does next!

Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series contains some of my all-time favorite historical romances, so when she started writing these prequel books I was completely on board. First Comes Scandal is the fourth book in Rokesby series, pairing Georgiana Bridgerton with Nicholas Rokesby. Georgie's reputation is ruined from a foiled elopement, and Nicholas is summoned from Edinburgh to deal with the situation.

The good: All the characters are very likable. Nicholas is training for a career. Georgie is so bright. Everyone banters in a good, intelligent manner. 10/10 on the banter front. Do you like cameos of little Bridgertons? We're up to C in this book, so you get scenes with Anthony, Benedict, and Colin.

The bad: I felt like there were chunks missing from this book. Nicholas is summoned home; the Bridgertons invite the Rokesbys over to dinner. He proposes and she turns him down. Her former suitor falls out of a tree, Nicholas treats him, and that's the end of that subplot. They get engaged. We somehow skip entirely the scene of their second attempted kiss as well as their wedding, and jump right to travel. We jump again to Georgie stuck in the hunting lodge for a week (the road trip took two weeks, but we only see the first two days). They rent a house; Georgie has an asthma attack. The epilogue then jumps to Nicholas being completely done with medical school??? I just felt like there were plot points I would have liked to see addressed, that were instead completely glossed over. The ending in particular felt so abrupt.

For a friends to lovers story, there wasn't much development to either of those? We only know they're friends because JQ tells us so; they only interact once before Nicholas proposes. The travel section seemed designed to merely prolong the consummation of their wedding night, but they're immediately good and have no problems there. I think I would have preferred something where Nicholas proposed solely out of friendship, and only realizes that he wanted a more romantic relationship after some character development and plot progression.

There were also some weird sections where I felt like JQ had not done sufficient research. Nicholas is in medical school, training to be Dr. Rokesby, but it's the 18th century--I am an avid reader of Patrick O'Brian, so I'm pretty sure that he would have been called a physician. When the man runs into the inn shouting "Is there a doctor in the house?" my eye started twitching. He would have called for a physician, or even a surgeon, but a doctor??

Likewise, in Chapter 17, Georgie has an internal monologue complaining about corsets. First of all, it's the 18th century, and she would have been talking about stays: the Online Etymology Dictionary says that corset meaning "stiff supporting and constricting undergarment for the waist, worn chiefly by women to shape the figure," is from 1795. Second of all, stays did not severely restrict your movement! Prior Attire on YouTube has a lot of videos about how historic women dressed, and stays were designed to be supportive, not restrictive. If you have difficulty breathing while wearing them, you're not wearing them right!

In short: good characters, good dialogue, but the book as a whole felt rushed and incomplete.

First Comes Scandals is not my first Julia Quinn novel, but it is the first book in the Rokesbys series that I have read and I was absolutely charmed. Thank you NetGalley, I will most definitely add this entire series to my TBR list.

Georgiana Bridgerton, Georgie, was the best heroine; smart, funny, and witty. And, Nicholas, well he was absolutely dreamy. Georgie and Nicholas practically grew up together, but never saw each other as anything other than friends. That is, until Georgie finds herself with a reputation in need of saving. Initially reluctant, Nicholas and Georgie finally agree on marriage and discovers that they may just be the perfect match.

I loved Nicholas and Georgie's relationship because it was one based on communication, no unnecessary misunderstandings, thank you. I also loved Georgie's inquisitive nature and the fact that Nicholas encouraged her and was never condescending.

This was a lovely and quick read with a delightful HEA. I cannot wait to read more of this series.

Nicholas Rokesby doesn't understand how he has become the solution to the problem that the attempted kidnapping of Georgie Bridgerton has caused. He has his medical studies to worry about and Georgie doesn't want to marry someone simply to save herself from ruin. The two of them are friends and neither expected the other to be anything more than that, but eventually they agree to marry, and soon, their mutual appreciation and genuine caring turns into a love for each other.

Julia Quinn's writing always tells a story with humor, and this title is no exception. Their adventure in setting a broken arm is an especially enjoyable scene. Readers are also given a glimpse at the eldest Bridgerton siblings (from the original Bridgerton series) as young children in a series of exchanges that are entertaining for those who know the characters, but don't detract for first-time readers.

Overall, this title was a very enjoyable read and exactly the type of quality I would expect from the author. I would recommend without hesitation.

I loved this! Julia Quinn has become a favorite romance novelist of mine. She writes smart and nuanced characters. This one had such a likable hero and heroine. I loved rooting for them the whole time. They were so sweet and vulnerable with each other, building a partnership and friendship. And I particularly liked that the crisis of the novel wasn't hinged on conflict between the main two characters. Georgiana Bridgerton is in a terrible position, but not at fault. Her long time friend and neighbor, and current medical student, Nicholas Rokesby steps in to help. This is a friends to lovers story and a new favorite of mine.

I read this book in one day. I stayed up late, walked around with my phone just so I didn't have to put it down. Julia Quinn is a master storyteller and I've yet to be disappointed by any of her novels. Georgiana and Nicholas were a perfect love story. The way their relationship developed was poignant and very real. We got to see the Bridgerton siblings as young children, which made me smile, but also see Edmund and Violet together.
What I will say is that I laughed so hard I cried in this novel. It rivals my favorite scene by Julia in The Viscount Who Loved Me. I can't say enough good things about this story.

First Comes Scandal opens with the hero being recalled home from Edinburgh by his father for no known reason. What our hero doesn’t know is that his father and mother have put on their matchmaking caps and determined that he’s to marry his neighbor, the heroine. The arrangement has come about because the heroine's reputation has been ruined by an unscrupulous fortune hunter.

This book is part of the Rokesby series, which is also the prequel series to the ever-popular Bridgerton series. As a prequel populated by a few of the characters who also play central roles in the Bridgerton series, we get a few cameos here, which is fun - particularly a younger Violet Bridgerton and her growing brood of alphabetically named children.

A few interesting things stood out, including that the hero is a doctor who’s been studying new medicine in Edinburgh (which I feel is slightly unlikely, not least because of his advanced ideas about bloodletting, which actually makes this more readable - these days it would be hard to read about a hero who believed in bloodletting, but also because it’s the 18th century, and wouldn’t Scotland still have been upset about losing the last rebellion a few decades before?). Not many heroines start out ruined who don’t also end up with their ruiner by the end of the novel, in my experience, and I really liked that he was a minor annoyance when he appeared at all. Frankly, deliberately ruining someone is reprehensible behavior, so it’s nice to read a romance novel that doesn’t romanticize that.

It’s not an enemies-to-friends trope precisely, although the two protagonists do start off on the wrong foot because of all their tender feelings. The romance isn’t drawn out, which is great, nor was it insta-love, I do think the plot suffered because the romance was resolved so early on in the book. My interest in the story dropped off after they were married until a tiny conflict that was thrown in at the end.

This is a sweet historical romance, perfect for any fans of the Bridgerton and/or Rokesby series, and will suit readers who like reasonable (not insta-love or unbelievable) romance arcs, good banter. It’s fun, lighthearted, buoyant.

An average, but nice enough addition to the Rokesbys series. What I did like: a virgin hero, the hero having a profession (I need to seek out more historical romances with the heroes as doctors!), grumpy cats, and a smart heroine who wants to work in medicine. Quinn is a good writer and I always enjoy the banter between her leads, as well as the fun secondary characters.

But overall, I am sad to say I was quite disappointed with this addition to the Rokesby's series. "First Comes Scandal" is a sweet romance but it didn't stand out to me in any way. This is a friends-to-marrieds-to-lovers story so most of the focus is placed on the two characters and them getting to know each other, and any small conflicts along the day are resolved quite quickly and cleanly. I felt these quick resolutions hurried along the emotional relationship when I would've preferred more development, and made the whole book feel rushed and a bit unfinished.

Nicholas Rokesby's father summons him home from medical school in Edinburgh and orders him to propose to Georgiana Bridgerton, who is embroiled in scandal after being abducted by a scoundrel. Nicholas and Georgiana have know each other all their lives, and are good friends, but they neither wants to marry the other. Or do they?

A fun, frothy romance, with delightful characters full of charm and wit.