What Happens in London (Bevelstoke #2)

Nov 04, 2009 Angelc rated it 3 of 5 stars

"What Happens in London" has so many rave reviews, that maybe my expectations were a little too high. I do think Julia Quinn's writing style is excellent, so much thought goes into every single page. The main characters' witty banter and snappy inner dialogue were so much fun to read. I absolutely loved the supporting character, Sebastian! He was just too much fun to read about, especially his love for the silly "Ms. Butterworth" novel. He was such a vivid character who just jumped off the page...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Sophie Barnes rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: julia-quinn

This was a fun read with a touch of uniqueness, I thought - given that a lot of the plot/dialogue takes place through two windows belonging to neighboring houses. Add a bit of suspense toward the end and this became even more enjoyable.
Our heroine (a.k.a. Olivia Bevelstoke)accidentally spots her new neighbor (our hero - a.k.a. Sir Harry Valentine)in his study while looking out of her own bedroom window. What ought to have been a quick glance, however, quickly develops into a week long period of...more

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Oct 11, 2009 Cynthia rated it 3 of 5 stars

SUPER fluffy. Even for a Quinn. But in a cotton candy delicious kind of way. Very much a comedy first, and romance second. The end has some ridiculous contrived issues to overcome (ransom, I don't even know who you are!) that were completely unnecessary.

Neither the title, nor the cover fits the book very well, which is frustrating, as I could imagine some fantastic replacements:

- The Benefits of Conversing Through Windows
By Lady Olivia Bevelstoke, Avid Window Fan

- How to Throw in Possibly Deep/...more

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Jan 20, 2010 Blodeuedd Finland rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

Ever since I saw this one around blogland, I wanted it, then I saw the trailer and wanted it more. Then I visited one of the biggest cities in the country and yes of course I fell to temptation and bought it. And I am glad I did.

This was a funny book, I could giggle and smile. It was such a cute and sweet book. I really liked Olivia, sure she was silly, listening to her even more silly friends. Which leads to her spying on her neighbor, and she thinks she is getting away with it but he has been...more Ever since I saw this one around blogland, I wanted it, then I saw the trailer and wanted it more. Then I visited one of the biggest cities in the country and yes of course I fell to temptation and bought it. And I am glad I did.

This was a funny book, I could giggle and smile. It was such a cute and sweet book. I really liked Olivia, sure she was silly, listening to her even more silly friends. Which leads to her spying on her neighbor, and she thinks she is getting away with it but he has been aware for days. This then leads to more funny things, like when she first meet in real life. What can I say, they do not like each other at first. But they are falling, and I love when she realize the has fallen for him.

As for Harry, aww I love him too, he is rather nerdy, he likes sitting at home translating and gets really caught up in his work. He has not been as lucky with the ladies as his cousin (the hero in the 3rd book). But you just have to like him. He then is being told to spy on her since there is a certain prince, and well this prince could be a threat in these dangerous times. Napoleon, war, what more to say.

As for the prince, ugh, not liking him. Sebastian Grey then, well, dunno, I did like her brother, and I did like hearing about her friend Miranda. Who I later learned was the heroine of book 1.

Why did I like this book then, well the chemistry between Harry and Olivia. Her being silly, him falling for her. The funny things that happened, the general sweetness of the story. Oh and this one scene with Sebastian and the book. Loved it.

But there was one negative thing about the book, the first 300 pages were great! Then came some sex that threw me off. Not that it was anything weird about it, I had just not expected it cos the book felt rather sweet and I thought ok no sex in this historical for once. It was just rather not sexy. And it is not cos I am such a conservative reader when it comes to historical books. It was just--unexpected.

Then the story took another turn, and it could have ended before. I guess that I just didn't think the last part of the book was up to standard with the first part.

But then the last couple of pages saved it again and I smiled. And loved it. This is the best book so far this year, and I am fairly sure it will be on my best of 2010 when December comes.

A final note, can be read without reading book 1, cos we all knwo in the end who is gonna end up with whom when we open a book.

Blodeuedd's Cover Corner. Rather refreshing not to have the guy without a shirt and the woman falling over him (of course I love those ;)
Reason for reading: My own book
Final thoughts: Read it!

(less)

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Jan 16, 2010 Barbara M. rated it 3 of 5 stars

3 Stars...I liked it

So I have to start off by saying Julia Quinn is at times laugh out loud funny...the banter she creates between her characters is just hilarious. However...

I DO NOT buy romance novels for comedy relief...

There were a few things about WHIL that are still bothering the stew out of me...

~What happend to the romance aspect of this book?! Yes we have a girl and a boy who fall in love, but I know Quinn has more than this in her...I've read almost all of her books and most of them mo...more

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Mar 06, 2012 Rachna R rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was in a terrible mood when I started this so it says a lot that I burst out laughing with glee a good few times and spent a lot of the rest of the time smiling stupidly. Wonderful! Harry is definitely one of the few male leads I've found actually interesting without being over-the-top with angst or manpain, and Olivia is a delight - fabulous! Their rapport was lovely, and the supporting characters were great, and I enjoyed this so much.

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Jun 18, 2013 MRB rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm not a blindly adoring JQ fangirl who automatically thinks that everything she churns out is literary gold (or, um, even literary stainless steel), but when JQ is at her best or even close to best, there are very few writers of any genre or era who can charm and delight me more.

I absolutely, unreservedly loved this book. There are more technically flawless, smoothly paced books I've read over the past year, but very, very few which elicited this degree of personal attachment and that "awww, s...more I'm not a blindly adoring JQ fangirl who automatically thinks that everything she churns out is literary gold (or, um, even literary stainless steel), but when JQ is at her best or even close to best, there are very few writers of any genre or era who can charm and delight me more.

I absolutely, unreservedly loved this book. There are more technically flawless, smoothly paced books I've read over the past year, but very, very few which elicited this degree of personal attachment and that "awww, see, THIS is why reading is my favorite thing to do on this planet" adoration.

I always struggle to discuss writing style since it's so wholly subjective and difficult to define: an author's style either works for you or doesn't, and JQ's just happens to work for me so very, very perfectly that I can merrily excuse imperfections in her plotting and pacing. It's eminently witty, sharp and brimming over with clever insights and unexpected jolts of poignancy. And suffice it to say that within the first 20 pages I found her characters far more vividly defined and root-worthy than many authors manage after 420 pages.

Harry emerged immediately as one of my very favorite Quinn heroes---which means he's one of my very favorite heroes, period. Because in addition to the writing style gushed about above, the thing I've always appreciated most about Quinn's books is that she (usually!) creates heroes who are genuinely kind, decent, and well-meaning men. Imperfect, of course, but in amusing, colorful and relatable ways. In a genre that seems to increasingly define the 'ideal' hero as someone who's vicious until the final ten pages, creepily controlling and in desperate need of both rehab and anger management, Quinn's heroes are remarkable for the mere fact that I'd genuinely like and respect most of these men in real life. They are (with a few very disappointing exceptions!) men I'd actually love to be with, men who you could adore and admire and, unlike far too many of today's extreme "alphas", never worry about having to obtain a restraining order against :)

Olivia, meanwhile, was one of my very favorite Quinn heroines: a woman who's smart, endearingly but not excessively quirky, and passionate about things other than just husband hunting. Like her wonderful hero, she's very relatably flawed but never to the point where she becomes more maddening than root-worthy.

As you've no doubt figured out, I absolutely adored Harry, adored Olivia and adored them as a couple. Adored them so deeply, in fact, that I'd be using a stronger verb than adored if my fatigued brain could think of one! If you like your H and h to have to endure tons of angst, internal conflicts and turmoil, this may not be the ideal pick for you: Harry and Olivia have a few obstacles en route to the sweetly inevitable HEA, but theirs is mostly a witty, warm, and, for me, refreshingly low anxiety journey :)

I ended up really liking the mild to moderate thriller elements in this one, though I'm admittedly partial to romances that are about something other than just the romance. But even if the 'Quinn tries to incorporate a splash of Hitchcock' idea makes you cringe, rest assured that there's still so much to love here: namely, some truly phenomenal dialogue, two of the more lovable and amusing H and hs I've come across, and ample amounts of the spirit-boosting warmth, cleverness and charm for which JQ is justifiably known.

I read and love many, many books, but of the two hundred or so that I've devoured this year (why, no, I DON'T have a life!), this was among my top five favorites. I totally get and respect arguments that it wasn't among JQ's very 'best', but it happened to be among my most personally beloved :) Enjoy! (less)

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Mar 15, 2012 Carrie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, humorous, historical, mystery, read-2012, spy-secret-agent

Narration by Rosalyn Landor.

3.5* Grade B/B-

Harry has become one of my favorite heroes ever. I loved him! He reminds me somewhat of Jane Austin's Mr. Knightly in that he just wants a boring, quiet life. During the rather confusing "suspense" of the book, I was entertained by Harry wistfully thinking about retiring to the country and counting up sums in his ledger. Olivia is a fun character, too, and I enjoyed her mental "lists." Their relationship had a sweet quality to it and that was just what...more

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May 12, 2013 Tonileg rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, historical, seriously-damaged-h-h

Second book in the Bevelstoke series which I read the first book The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever this past winter and it caught me so much that I had to go out and order this and the third book,Ten Things I Love About You.
Historical English romance about a beautiful woman that is waiting for love so has had to reject a lot of suitors so people think that she is cold and picky when she is just waiting for 'the One' like her best friend Miranda and her older brother. Miss Olivia Bevelst...more

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Jun 08, 2010 Jill Dunlop rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have to admit I wasn't going to read this story. I am not one for spy plots in romance (Joanna Bourne being the exception) and plus I had already had over 10 books on my wishlist for June when this book was released. Then I started noticing all the positive reviews around the blogosphere and I couldn't resist adding it to the pile. While not being my favorite read of 2009, I was still happy to have picked it up. I couldn't help but be charmed by Harry.

Over tea with her friends, Olivia Bevelsto...more

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Nov 01, 2009 Cheryl rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, julia-quinn, books-i-own, all-time-favorites

Great Story!! I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy, fast moving and entertaining book! At the end I laughed and cried b/c it was so sweet and funny!

One little thing that bothered me was the fact that Olivia's parents were not around much. She was unchaperoned much of the time and it just didn't seem right. Her parents seemed oblivious to anything she did!

I loved this story and highly recommend it! Great sequel to The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever

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Jan 18, 2013 Philippa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013

2013 is apparently shaping up to be the year in which I read lots of genres that I wouldn't normally go near, and then end up loving them.

Surprise surprise - I never read romance! Never ever! I have nothing against a bit of romance as a subplot, but my problems with pure romance novels tends to be that a) the writing is (generally) awful; b) the girl is (generally) a cliche and/or really irritating; c) I get really bored of just romance really quickly. Buuut this one came very highly recommended...more

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Nov 21, 2012 Dione Sage rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, romance, drama

I honestly had this book on my shelf and had decided I was not going to read it any time soon. From reading the description of the book on the back cover I assumed it didn't sound like a book I would find particularly interesting. I was wrong. What Happens In London, was a great read. I couldn't put it down (I know I say that about a lot of books because I usually don't like to stop reading). There were several parts of the story that had me giggling or laughing out loud. The characters are witt...more I honestly had this book on my shelf and had decided I was not going to read it any time soon. From reading the description of the book on the back cover I assumed it didn't sound like a book I would find particularly interesting. I was wrong. What Happens In London, was a great read. I couldn't put it down (I know I say that about a lot of books because I usually don't like to stop reading). There were several parts of the story that had me giggling or laughing out loud. The characters are witty and charming. The heroine in the story, Olivia Bevelstoke is from description, one of the prettiest girls in London but the refreshing part is that she finds beauty to be more of a burden because that means that most people do no expect anything else from her. The hero in the book, Harry Valentine is a smart, respectable and secretly passionate man. It seems as if he has everything in his life organized. That is until both Harry and Olivia's lives cross paths. They don't even like each other at first and then other circumstances seem to continue to bring them together and the bickering turns into more of a friendly banter. The story line then of course blossoms from their with secret missions and hidden pasts.
The more I read the more I fell in love with the story. Also as I already wrote, the book had me out right laughing. I love a decent blend of whit and sarcasm mixed with a slow tale of blossoming attraction. Instant attraction has never been something I liked and these characters built up to a romance. Another thing that normally has me cringing is when a heroine seems to be dimwitted and I liked that Olivia wasn't cast as a helpless romantic that was dingy, clingy or needy. The hero even had a few flaws that were endearing. Harry was handsome but not the most handsome in London and he was smart and had a fun side to him. I really enjoyed reading this book and will say that it even brightened my day. The only bad thing about the book was that it kept me from doing several errands I should have been doing today but when you pick up a book that captures your interest...well I can only speak for myself but I find it incredibly hard to put the book down!(less)

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Jun 30, 2012 Maria rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-or-stand-alone-love-story, historical-romance

My very first Julia Quinn book :D.

What Happens in London is just downright HILARIOUS! I burst out laughing practically after every few pages. At every corner, Quinn never fails to somehow create a situational comedy or have some ridiculous circumstance spring on the characters.

I especially like the two main characters, Sir Harry Valentine and Lady Olivia Bevelstoke. Harry is my type of guy--more cerebral, with a sense of humor and a realistic preference to the quiet, peaceful life. I just love,...more

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May 24, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-reads

Having started with book 3 in the series (Ten Things I Love About You), I moved back to book 2 - Olivia and Harry's story (and they seemed like a sweet couple from what I read in book 3).

So, Sir Harry Valentine (love the name) is an ex-cavalry translator of Russian for the War Office and he leases the house next door to Olivia's faimly. To the south. Olivia - gossiping with her friends - is soon apprised that Sir Harry is rumoured to have killed his fiancee. She starts spying on him, which he no...more

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Jan 19, 2012 KatiD rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-review-ish

I'll be honest and say that I bought What Happens in London by Julia Quinn with some trepidation. My hesitation was mostly based on the idea that her last three books haven't worked all that well for me. I absolutely hated The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever and her last experiment, The Lost Duke of Wyndham/Mr. Cavendish, I Presume didn't really work well for me (I found the "hook" tedious). But Kate really loved WHiL, and she and I have very similar reading tastes when it comes to histor...more I'll be honest and say that I bought What Happens in London by Julia Quinn with some trepidation. My hesitation was mostly based on the idea that her last three books haven't worked all that well for me. I absolutely hated The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever and her last experiment, The Lost Duke of Wyndham/Mr. Cavendish, I Presume didn't really work well for me (I found the "hook" tedious). But Kate really loved WHiL, and she and I have very similar reading tastes when it comes to historical romance.

Here's the blurb:

Rumors and Gossip . . . The lifeblood of London

When Olivia Bevelstoke is told that her new neighbor may have killed his fiancÉe, she doesn't believe it for a second, but, still, how can she help spying on him, just to be sure? So she stakes out a spot near her bedroom window, cleverly concealed by curtains, watches, and waits . . . and discovers a most intriguing man, who is definitely up to something.

Sir Harry Valentine works for the boring branch of the War Office, translating documents vital to national security. He's not a spy, but he's had all the training, and when a gorgeous blonde begins to watch him from her window, he is instantly suspicious. But just when he decides that she's nothing more than an annoyingly nosy debutante, he discovers that she might be engaged to a foreign prince, who might be plotting against England. And when Harry is roped into spying on Olivia, he discovers that he might be falling for her himself . . .

So, cute, setup, yes? She's a somewhat nosy, pampered debutante, he's a retired military officer who had a difficult childhood, and now works for the War Office. He first notices her when he finds that she's spying on him from her house. She's heard that he killed his fiancee and all sorts of other salacious gossip, and she's curious. He realizes immediately that she's spying on him, and begins acting strangely just to egg her on. He dons a silly hat while he's working, he burns sheafs of paper, he fantasizes about jumping on the desk and doing a little dance. Olivia is fascinated. She's quite sure he's up to something, but she's never sure what.

They finally meet at the infamous Smythe-Smith musicale (one of my favorite aspects of the Bridgerton novels) and they take an almost immediate dislike of each other. But as Harry is given an assignment from the War Office to watch one of Olivia's suitors, an arrogant Russian prince, he begins to see how smart she is, what a wonderful sense of humor she has, and more than that, how overwhelmingly attracted he is to her.

I really, really wanted to love this book. Quinn's older books work for me on almost every level. The Viscount Who Loved Me is one of my favorite historicals. This book seems a departure from the Lost Duke/Cavendish experiment: full of witty repartees, frenetic internal monologues, and funny set ups. But for me it seemed almost that Quinn was trying too hard. She absolutely has made a name for herself with her sparkling dialogue and the difficult and hilarious situations she forces her characters into. But this book just felt forced to me. The internal monologues were frenetic, almost frantic in their endeavor to be "funny." I'm trying to put my finger on why Quinn's wit didn't work for me in this book. I found reading the book to be exhausting. Like a tennis match viewed in fast forward. The dialogue pings back and forth rapidly, so fast that it seemed choppy to me. Which meant that rather than sparkling, it was frenetic.

The main couple has decent chemistry and the heat level is Quinn's usual. I just had a hard time connecting with the book because I felt the effort behind the writing. It was as if Quinn was trying really hard to get back to the breezy style she utilized so deftly in The Bridgerton series. So, while I enjoyed the characters and thought the book had an interesting set up, overall I found it to be a less than satisfying read.

Final grade: C-(less)

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Nov 16, 2011 Nana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Suka bangeeet....

Kayanya emang gue sukanya sama novel-novel Julia Quinn yang ada unsur petualangannya deh, gak sekedar cinta-cintaan doang.

Gue suka sama buku ini sama kayak gue suka

dan

. Intinya gue suka dengan kehidupan hero dari Departemen Perang. Bridgerton series sih lewaat.. Splendid dll juga lewaatt..

Cerita novel ini bermula dari gosip temen-temennya Olivia Bevelstoke yang bilang kalau tetangga baru Olivia, Sir Harry Valentine, adalah seorang pembunuh! Gara-gara itu, Olivia jadi sering...more Suka bangeeet....

Kayanya emang gue sukanya sama novel-novel Julia Quinn yang ada unsur petualangannya deh, gak sekedar cinta-cintaan doang.

Gue suka sama buku ini sama kayak gue suka

dan

. Intinya gue suka dengan kehidupan hero dari Departemen Perang. Bridgerton series sih lewaat.. Splendid dll juga lewaatt..

Cerita novel ini bermula dari gosip temen-temennya Olivia Bevelstoke yang bilang kalau tetangga baru Olivia, Sir Harry Valentine, adalah seorang pembunuh! Gara-gara itu, Olivia jadi sering ngintipin Sir Harry dari jendela kamarnya. Kebetulan, jendela kamar Olivia dan jendela ruang kerja Sir Harry berseberangan. Sir Harry tahan banget seharian duduk di meja kerjanya dan kadang-kadang pake topi aneh, ngebikin Olivia penasaran, padahal Sir Harry sengaja suka bikin hal-hal aneh karena tau dia diintipin Olivia. Tentang kenapa Sir Harry betah lama-lama di meja kerjanya, itu karena dia seorang penerjemah, jadi ya kerjanya emang seharian nerjemahin dokumen di meja kerja.

Ketika akhirnya mereka bertemu juga di suatu pesta dansa, dua-duanya malah saling sebel, tapi Sir Harry terpaksa harus mengubah perasaannya karena Departemen Perang lalu menyuruh Sir Harry mengawasi Olivia dan seorang pangeran Rusia bernama Alexei yang diduga anak buah Napoleon. Si Pangeran ini diduga naksir sama Olivia. Sir Harry pun harus pdkt sama Olivia dan malah jadi berantem melulu sama si Pangeran yang kaku dan sok banget. Harry juga sadar kalau akhirnya dia bener-bener jatuh cinta sama Olivia.

Baca novel ini bikin geli dan ketawa sendiri, soalnya banyak banget adegan yang bikin ketawa. Percakapan Olivia dan Harry lewat jendela kamar, buku novel aneh yang nyeritain tokohnya mati dipatok burung merpati, sepupunya Harry yang ganteng tapi suka nyeleneh, lalu persaingan Harry dan si pangeran Alexei bener-bener seru. Sayang, akhir bukunya kurang greget, terlalu terkesan buru-buru pengen nyelesein ceritanya, lalu juga adegan "ahem-ahem"-nya agak maksa deh.
Tapi tetep, karena ide ceritanya oke, saya kasih bintang 5.
(less)

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Sep 25, 2011 Taghrid rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is one of the best books I have read so far. I have to admit that the beginning wasn’t so much amusing as the middle and the end; however the story evolves to be one of the most romantic ones ever.
Lady Olivia Bevelstoke is the daughter of the Earl of Rudland. Olivia has never been in love although she has been proposed to by many men. As a new man moves into the neighborhood, rumors starts to spread around claiming that this man, Sir Harry Valentine, has murdered his fiancé. Intrigued by th...more

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Sep 25, 2011 Twiggy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, humour

Witty and good humoured book which will leave you smiling.

Lady Olivia is the toast of the ton. That said she is somewhat bored and is having a rather trying time of not letting anyone know what she actually thinks.

When a new neighbour, Sir Harry Valentine moves in, Olivia finds herself spying on him.

Enter a Russian Prince, who is a bit of a bore, and a comedy of errors ensues.

The dialogue is sparky and high jinks occur due to a lurid gothic novel.

There is great chemistry between Olivia and Har...more

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Jun 21, 2011 Elena rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, romance

3.5 stars. This book features a hero, Harry, who is fluent in three languages, as good at dancing as he is at shooting (that is, very), witty, and handsome. The heroine, Olivia...is pretty. She speaks only English, has no skills to speak of other than creating silly lists in her head, doesn't like to read (except the newspaper), and isn't terribly graceful. Great. In fact, Olivia is so uninspiring that there's a scene in which Harry lists the reasons he loves her, and he actually has to make som...more 3.5 stars. This book features a hero, Harry, who is fluent in three languages, as good at dancing as he is at shooting (that is, very), witty, and handsome. The heroine, Olivia...is pretty. She speaks only English, has no skills to speak of other than creating silly lists in her head, doesn't like to read (except the newspaper), and isn't terribly graceful. Great. In fact, Olivia is so uninspiring that there's a scene in which Harry lists the reasons he loves her, and he actually has to make some up. Seriously. Exact passage from the book:

"I love that she's kind to small children and large dogs."
What? She looked at him askance.
"I'm guessing," he admitted. "You seem like the sort."

So, er, that's nice.

That said, I still enjoyed this book a lot, because Julia Quinn has an excellent sense of humor. Romance novels are rarely worthy of laughter unless it is laughter of mockery or disdain, but Quinn manages to make me laugh every time. I still pick up her books from time to time for this reason, and because her heroes don't fall into the trap of being overprotective idiots who deserve a good punch in the face, as so many romance heroes do.

However, her external plots are in serious need of assistance. Every Quinn book I've ever read has had some plot device danger randomly tacked onto the end of the book, because apparently she can't have a crisis without the heroine being in physical danger but also can't be bothered to pull the physical danger aspect of the plot forward so that it's intertwined with the rest of the novel. There was such potential with this book too--Harry works for the War Office, there's a Russian prince who may or may not be plotting against England, etc. It sounds like the recipe for an exciting plot. Instead, there's a random, tacked-on kidnapping that's resolved fairly quickly, and then everyone lives happily ever after.

I've said it before, and I'll said it again: I love Julia Quinn's sense of humor, but I dearly wish she had a better sense of plot.

This book is worth it for the laughs though. A nice, fluffy read for when you just need to turn your brain off for a while and read something cute and happy.(less)

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Aug 28, 2010 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

Okay, I don't normally read romance. Not because I look down on the genre or people who read it -- different people enjoy different things, and I don't enjoy romance novels.

It has something to do with the usual dynamic, with this woman presented as "strong" and "different," but invariably beautiful and intelligent and weak-kneed about this certain man and thinks it's romantic when he orders her around.

Or maybe it's the all-too-frequent trope of man and woman meet, man and woman hate at first s...more Okay, I don't normally read romance. Not because I look down on the genre or people who read it -- different people enjoy different things, and I don't enjoy romance novels.

It has something to do with the usual dynamic, with this woman presented as "strong" and "different," but invariably beautiful and intelligent and weak-kneed about this certain man and thinks it's romantic when he orders her around.

Or maybe it's the all-too-frequent trope of man and woman meet, man and woman hate at first site, man and woman have sexual tensions galore, man rapes woman but it's not really rape because she enjoyed it even though she kept saying no and never gave permission, woman then falls in love with man.

Or maybe it's the appalling inattention to historical detail.

Or maybe it's just the fact that there's only so many synonyms for "cock" or "breast," and apparently "cock" is too foul to use in many romance novels, so you end up with ridiculous phrasing like, "Hard, thick, shaft."

I'm absolutely certain that someone who adores romance but dislikes my favored genres (sci-fi, fantasy, non-fiction) could, if they so desired, list off various things they dislike about my beloved genres. And they might even be right -- but I either overlook/ don't care/ don't see these flaws as important.

All that said, I like Julia Quinn. I like that she seems to be laughing at herself, and she seems to have a sense of humor. I like how her writing is all playful and bubbly, and even though she follows certain tropes (true love is always recognizable by weak knees and a willingness to follow orders when he's the one giving them!), it all seems so light-hearted.

Plus, I can't feel anything but pleased and encouraged by the fact that sex, when it finally happens, happens in the latter part of the book. After they've already had multiple conversations and realized they're in love. I don't like the trend of romance novels for sex being the impetus to love. That's not cool.

I mean, I have nothing against loveless sex, or sex for passion or pleasure's sake. And I'm sure that some people get into a no-strings attached sexual relationship and end up falling in love. But the thing is, generally a the realization of love doesn't come from a night of hot sex, and romance novels perpetuate a damaging belief with that.

So I think it's pretty cool that Quinn always has the relationship build first, then mixes in the sex.

I've read other romance writers, and I have to say, Quinn is the most readable. I usually find myself laughing out loud or grinning stupidly at least twice during one of her books, and usually more frequently. I recommend her highly.(less)

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Jul 17, 2010 Jessi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, romance

Summary: When Olivia Bevelstoke is told that her new neighbor may have killed his fiancée, she doesn't believe it for a second, but still how can she help spying on him. Sir Harry Valentine works for the boring branch of the War Office, translating documents vital to national security. He had all the training to be a spy, so he notices Olivia watching him. He discovers that she might be engaged to a foreign prince, who might be plotting against England. And then Harry is roped into spying on Oli...more

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Jul 07, 2010 Brigitte rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this book last night. Overall, I thought it was charming and a fun, light read. While I did not *love* it, I did enjoy it in spite of myself. Why do I say in spite of myself? After I read the first few chapters, I found I did not like the heroine (Olivia) at all. I found her to be shallow, childish, and a little less than intelligent (she likes to read the paper, therefore the reader must conclude she is smarter than people give her credit for? Sorry, no. Many of her actions refute that a...more I read this book last night. Overall, I thought it was charming and a fun, light read. While I did not *love* it, I did enjoy it in spite of myself. Why do I say in spite of myself? After I read the first few chapters, I found I did not like the heroine (Olivia) at all. I found her to be shallow, childish, and a little less than intelligent (she likes to read the paper, therefore the reader must conclude she is smarter than people give her credit for? Sorry, no. Many of her actions refute that assumption). And while I never completely warmed to her character, I began to like her a little more through her conversations with others. The banter between Olivia and her twin, Winston, was fun, and several of her conversations with the hero, Harry, had entertaining moments as well. The device used to put the hero and heroine together was a little on the thin side, but once they were thrown into each other's company, some of the situations were charming and well...cute (the conversations between windows, plotting against each other while remaining ever so polite, the growing friendship, etc). The initial conversations between Olivia and Harry were a little anemic, but they eventually developed into some truly witty exchanges.

There were a few things that stopped me from enjoying this title as much as most of Julia Quinn's other books. This is petty, but I am getting tired of the over use of the phrase "I will kill you!" No, I am not taking an anti-violence stance, but having recently re-read some of Quinn's titles, I have noticed that several times (in each novel) a character says this phrase (or a very similar variation). There has got to be another phrase that can exhibit frustration and anger. I am tempted to pull out all of Quinn's novels and turn it into a drinking game (Anthony is saying "I will kill you" to Kate - take a drink...Anthony is saying "I will kill you" to Colin - take a drink...Olivia is saying "I will kill you" to Winston - take a drink...Harry is saying "I will kill you" to Sebastian - take a drink...you get the idea).

Then there is Sebastian. His character is funny and entertaining, but he seemed to have a flashing neon sign that said "I am the hero of the next novel!" There was a great deal of attention paid to him, considering he was a secondary character. At the beginning of the story, it almost felt like we were getting more background on Sebastian than we were for Olivia. We already know he acts like a dandy, but is actually quite shrewd (doing a little work for the War Office, perhaps?) He is a would-be heir who has vast knowledge of gothic novels (does he write them under a pseudonym in order to offset his lack of income?). The character is wonderful, but every once in a while, it seemed like the title of the book should have been "What Happens in London With Sebastian". At times, his presence eclipsed the main characters.

As others have mentioned, there are a few parts of the story that just seem to get left hanging. The Prince seems to turn into a different person from one moment to the next. What about Edward? He is angry and following in the footsteps of their father, but after one angry, drunken outburst, he is suddenly at ease and the relationship between he and Harry is "fixed"? What about Anne? Does Harry get to know her and her family again now that he's happy with Olivia? I missed it. Is Harry's mother dead? Is she still sitting in the family home, devoid of any emotion (staring at a wall, presumably) And if she isn't dead, did Harry (or his siblings) reconcile with her? If there isn't going to be a wrap up of these relationships, why bother to mention them in the first place? After all, Anne, Edward, and their mother helped make Harry's character what it is at the beginning of the novel. Does Harry cut them off because he has a happy life with Olivia? Is there contact....what? Most of the "hanging" storylines could be wrapped up in a few sentences. Is it possible there was an epilogue that was accidentally left out when the book went to print?

Am I sorry I read this title? No. If fractions of stars could be given as ratings, I would have given "What Happens in London" three and half to three and three quarters stars, but it isn't possible, so I rounded up to four. Would I recommend this book to others? Sure. It isn't stellar, but there were enough fun moments to make it worth the read.

P.S. Although I was told that publishers insist on trailers for a lot of books, I still maintain that the trailer for this book posted on Amazon is lame. That poor young woman (who I'm sure is talented - no insult is intended to her) looks nothing like the character Olivia is described to be (IMO). (less)

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Apr 06, 2010 Christine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

It took me a while to decide to read this one because some of this author's latest works have been ho-hum, including the prequel to this book. I'm glad I finally decided to give it a shot.

Part of the reason I think I enjoyed it too much is that I've read a few too many romance novels recently that focus too much on the physical. And don't get me wrong, the sexual tension is present in this book, but that's not what made it good. It was the pure, simple honesty of the developing relationship, fro...more

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Aug 14, 2009 Jill Treftz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Okay, so I've said before that I'd read anything Julia Quinn wrote--and I'd probably love it. I mean, I liked Splendid, her first book, and it's...spotty at best.

But this one? Finally, Julia Quinn has created a hero that I want for my veryvery own. I mean, I love her heroes--all of them. But there's never been the one that I just absolutely lust after. Until now. Harry is *fantastic*. He's a translator, for heaven's sake! He's badass and smart. He likes trashy novels, and reads them to the heroi...more

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Jul 19, 2009 Julie (jjmachshev) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-reads

Light-hearted fun with a bare wisp of a sideplot; "What Happens in London" concentrates almost 100% on the humorous story of a hero and heroine who dislike each other at first sight, very much so. But of course, once they spend time together they quickly realize they are perfect for each other.

Olivia is many things: titled, beautiful, intelligent, and curious. And it's her curiosity that first has her spying on her neighbor. She's sure the rumor that he killed his fiance isn't true, but still. S...more

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Jul 09, 2009 Janice (Janicu) rated it 4 of 5 stars

http://janicu.livejournal.com/77446.html

The Premise: This is the book after The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever and focuses on Olivia Bevelstoke, Miranda's best friend. Olivia's friends have gossiped that her new neighbour, Sir Harry Valentine killed his fiance, which she doesn't believe, but it makes her curious so she begins to spy on him from her window. Meanwhile, Harry knows Olivia is watching. He works for the War Department as a Russian translator, and he spends a lot of time in hi...more http://janicu.livejournal.com/77446.html

The Premise: This is the book after The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever and focuses on Olivia Bevelstoke, Miranda's best friend. Olivia's friends have gossiped that her new neighbour, Sir Harry Valentine killed his fiance, which she doesn't believe, but it makes her curious so she begins to spy on him from her window. Meanwhile, Harry knows Olivia is watching. He works for the War Department as a Russian translator, and he spends a lot of time in his office pouring over things to translate. He figures he may as well give Olivia things to look at. Olivia thinks Harry is up to something because she sees him quickly burning papers and wearing odd hats, not knowing it's all for her benefit. Neither is happy with the other once Harry finally confronts Olivia about her nosiness, but fate keeps putting them together: the War Office asks Harry to keep an eye on a Russian prince who in turn has his eye on Olivia.

My Thoughts: This was a really sweet romance without the extreme ups and downs in feeling that Olivia's friend, Miranda went through (My review of her story: LJ | vox | wordpress). At first the hero and heroine don't really like each other, Harry is annoyed at her spying and she's annoyed at being caught, but they soon realize that they get alone pretty well and a friendship develops. When the they realize they love each other, it's very romantic and happy rather than a tortured thing (and I didn't feel sickened by the sweetness so for me the process felt just right). I quite enjoyed that both accepted it, and Harry in particular was very straightforward in thought and in deed once he'd made that decision:

"I can't help it," he said, his words ticklish against her skin. She could hear his smile in his voice. He sounded happy.
She felt happy. And more.
"You were there," he said, one of his hands moving down her side, around her back. "You were there, and I had to kiss you, and that's all there was to it."

Of course the book has the same great dialogue I saw in The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever , and I am quickly becoming a fan of it. It wasn't very hard to enjoy the book when both characters were so likable as well. I thought that Olivia stays true to the character she had in The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever, but we learn some new things about her like her enjoyment of the newspaper and the quirk of making lists in her mind, which seems to happen when she's particularly bored or trying to keep herself calm.

There are some really funny parts, like when the hero and heroine are both reading a gothic romance. The gothic romance is quite over the top (um.. death by pigeon?), and Olivia exclaims aloud at some of it (a situation I can relate to), but things get even more amusing when Sebastian, Harry's best friend, enthralls an audience with the book. Sebastian seems geared to be the next hero in a Quinn novel, and he should be an interesting one - he's got a very irreverent sense of humor and enjoys great popularity with the ladies.

I wonder if some of the younger men here will get their own books eventually. I'm thinking of Winston, who is Olivia's twin, and Edward, who is Harry's younger brother. I was especially interested in Edward, who had a maybe a slightly darker experience to their father's drunkenness than Harry and wanted to learn a bit more about him and his relationship with Harry. There were some references to resentment that Harry "left him" to join the military but that thread wasn't expounded enough for me.

Overall: A book with a great beta hero, excellent dialogue, some laugh out loud moments, and sweet romance. A keeper. It picked my spirits up after a bad day. (less)

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Jul 26, 2012 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, i-want-a-man-like-that, love-the-protagonist, would-watch-if-it-was-a-movie

I have the first book in this series on my to-read list, but when I went to the library they only had this one on the shelf. There was mention to the couple in the first book, but it can clearly be read as a standalone. I've been really wanting to read a good historical romance after how crappy the last one I read was. This book wasn't my favorite, but it wasn't the worst either. I enjoyed reading it, but there are better regency books out there. I like my romance books with humor and this book...more I have the first book in this series on my to-read list, but when I went to the library they only had this one on the shelf. There was mention to the couple in the first book, but it can clearly be read as a standalone. I've been really wanting to read a good historical romance after how crappy the last one I read was. This book wasn't my favorite, but it wasn't the worst either. I enjoyed reading it, but there are better regency books out there. I like my romance books with humor and this book wasn't as funny as I'd hoped. Prince Alexei was the biggest creep of all time. Whenever he showed up in a scene, he was just gross and I wanted him to go away. The parlor scene where he talked about his bodyguard always being around was super uncomfortable and I couldn't believe he was saying what he was saying.

I wasn't too keen on Harry at first because he's not the typical rakish type in most romance books. He did grow on me as the book went on. I was kind of annoyed at how long it took for the romance aspect to heat up between Harry and Olivia. It wasn't until like half-way through the book where there was some chemistry between them. I applaud the author for having the characters relationship start slowly, but I wish there would have been more of them sooner on. Harry and Olivia made a really cute couple farther into the book. I loved their arguments and their interactions once they started to like each other. For the most part, their story wasn't all that angsty, so if you're hoping for soap-opera worthy drama, go elsewhere. I thought the ending drama was sort of stupid, but thankfully, it's not that big of a part in the story and the aftermath is glossed over and cliffnoted. The proposal scene at the end was hilarious and the book finished on a good note for me.

I'll probably go back and read the first book, but I'm more interested in the next one. Sebastian seemed amazingly adorable. I liked Harry well enough, but with his lady killer ways and the theatrics, Sebastian seems like the type of hero I'd prefer to read about.(less)

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Oct 31, 2011 Fanny Roswita Ria rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: gramedia, historical, romance

Alur ceritanya agak2 aneh,,dimana si Olivia harus memata-matai Harry yang diduga membunuh tunangannya. Tetapi berakhir dengan rasa suka menggoda yang dimiliki Harry terhadap Olivia krn reaksi gadis itu terhadap kejahilan Harry. semua tokoh cerita ini mengambang penjelasannya. Tidak diceritakan bagaimana kelanjutan hidup Ibu Harry setelah dia meninggalkan rumah dan ikut pelatihan militer.

Tidak diceritakan bagaimana gosip Harry membunuh tunangannya bisa menyebar atau mengapa Edward jadi suka mabuk...more

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Oct 25, 2011 Lori McD rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, cozy-mystery, easy-read, favorite-author, guilty-pleasure, regency, romance, some-steam, british-lit, 2011_read, favorites

Oh my! IMO, this is perhaps my favorite Julia Quinn book since The Bridgerton series!!! YAY!

We are reacquainted with Olivia Bevelstoke from "The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever". Olivia is in Town for the Season with her parents and her twin, Winston. She may be in her second Season, but Olivia is still considered quite the catch -- a diamond of the first water. However, she's getting a reputation for being too picky; after all, she rejected six or eight perfectly good proposals last year...more Oh my! IMO, this is perhaps my favorite Julia Quinn book since The Bridgerton series!!! YAY!

We are reacquainted with Olivia Bevelstoke from "The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever". Olivia is in Town for the Season with her parents and her twin, Winston. She may be in her second Season, but Olivia is still considered quite the catch -- a diamond of the first water. However, she's getting a reputation for being too picky; after all, she rejected six or eight perfectly good proposals last year. The ton is starting to think that Olivia thinks herself too good for them. What does she want, a prince?

Well, perhaps a prince wants her. A Russian prince, that is, and one who is being watched because the Home Office wants to find out what said prince is up to. And Olivia's new neighbor, Sir Harry Valentine, has been ordered to watch both the prince and Olivia, looking for signs of treason. Olivia and the ton are already intrigued by Sir Harry. Several rumors about him are swirling, including that he murdered his first fiancee. The man is positively secretive! And so, while Sir Harry is watching her, Olivia is watching him.

This story had the banter and wit and comedy and grace I've come to expect from Ms. Quinn. And there were many LOL moments, including Sebastian reading and acting out Miss Butterworth and the Mad Baron to an audience that included the prince, his bodyguard, Olivia's butler, Sir Harry's brother, and 3 of the housemaids!

Sure, the formulaic part of romance comes in a bit at the end, when Olivia is kidnapped. (Really, Ms. Quinn must love a good kidnapping... it occurs frequently in her books!) But even then, she manages to give us a good turn or two. And of course, the hero and heroine realize how truly wonderful they are together and how madly in love they are.

And the proposal scene is perhaps one of my most favorite scenes, ever.

I also love how Ms. Quinn manages to bring in some of the same elements into her books, such as the Smith-Smythe musicals (or is it Smythe-Smith) and Miss Butterworth and the Mad Baron. It always makes me look at the year that the current book is taking place in. I keep hoping for a peek at some of the other characters and stories that I so love of Ms. Quinn's -- a Bridgerton or Lady Whistledown or some such...

Truly enjoyed this book. And while it's considered 2nd in a series, I don't think you have to read "The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever" first to enjoy this book.(less)

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