When He Was Wicked: The 2nd Epilogue

Bridgertons #6.5

by Julia Quinn

Do the best things really come to those who wait? Three years have passed since Francesca's and Michael's marriage, and they are still childless. And Francesca wonders, can a woman be truly and completely happy when a little piece of her heart remains empty? But just when she makes peace with her fate, something unexpected occurs.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Regency, Fiction

22 pages, ebook

First published May 1, 2007

About the author

#1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn loves to dispel the myth that smart women don't read (or write) romance, and and if you watch reruns of the game show The Weakest Link you might just catch her winning the $79,000 jackpot. She displayed a decided lack of knowledge about baseball, country music, and plush toys, but she is proud to say that she aced all things British and literary, answered all of her history and geography questions correctly, and knew that there was a Da Vinci long before there was a code.

A graduate of Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges, Ms. Quinn is one of only sixteen members of Romance Writers of America’s Hall of Fame. Her books have been translated into 32 languages, and she lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest.

The Bridgertons, her popular series of historical romance, is currently in production by Shondaland as a Netflix original series starring Julie Andrews, Phoebe Dynevor, and Rége-Jean Page.

Reviews

[Mo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect Epilogue for a perfect book ... Michael Stirling is one of the best Heroes I have read about ... and I have come across a lot over the years.


... and Francesca is wonderful too. A perfect couple.


And sometimes a "North & South" (Richard Armitage) gif is the only one that will work! xx

[Exina · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was such a sweet surprise!

When He Was Wicked, the story of Francesca and Michael is not my favorite book of the Bridgerton series. But this novella is the best one of the second epilogues. First, it is about the two of them, and not someone else. Second, it is emotional and sweet.

Just perfect!

“He has your eyes,” Violet said, looking up at Francesca.
Frannie nodded, and her smile was almost silly, as if she couldn’t quite believe it. “I know.”
“And your mouth.”
“I think you’re right.”
“And your—oh, my, I think he has your nose as well.”
“I’m told,” Michael said in an amused voice, “that I was involved in his creation, too, but I have yet to see any evidence.”
Francesca looked at him with so much love that it nearly took Violet’s breath away. “He has your charm,” she said.

[Millie]

The best second epilogue yet!! Finally, an epilogue where the hero and heroine are actually present. There’s romance in this one, actual romance, and not purely just a filler of some random side-plot. It’s about them. DOMESTIC FRANCESCA AND MICHAEL YES PLS!

[kris · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I'm happy for Francesca (and Michael), this felt very expected and trite and inadvertently contradictory of its own premise: that a couple can be happy without having children because—of course—this couple has children.

[Brittany McCann · Rating 4 out of 5]

The epilogues are mostly better than the full novels.

I didn't mind this full novel and it was a nice epilogue.

I love how all the epilogues show deeper relationships between the siblings and their mother.

Worth the read.

3.5-4 Stars

[ApoorvaReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars ⭐️

probably the best epilogue I’ve ever read🥺🥺

[Geo Just Reading My Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

După ani întregi de durere că nu reușește să rămână însărcinată, Francesca pare a se fi liniștit în sfârșit. După ani de zile de când s-a recăsătorit, cea mai mare dorință a ei, aceea de a deveni mamă, încă nu s-a materializat.
Totuși, o întâlnire la casa familiei, în Kent, pare a schimba ceva în sufletul ei. Iar anul următor când revine acasă, are o surpriză de proporții pentru familie: un copil!

[LOVEROFBOOKS · Rating 2 out of 5]

My gawd the beginning of this was stilted and boring! I can't believe Julia Quinn even wrote this. The dialogue was repetitious, and boring, with lots of what I like to call "filler and fluff". It wasn't until right around the 50% mark that it got better.

I really did not care for Francesca at all. It didn't help that she wanted to be away from her family (that we love to read about!) and she did not care for Michael like he cared (loved) her for most of the book! On the other hand, I adored Michael and my heart hurt for him. Michael deserved so much better. I think Julia Quinn went about this all the wrong way-with Francesca being married to someone she was in love with for YEARS of this novel. I would have loved to have seen Michael with someone else. Someone truly deserving of him.

Bah Humbug. That's the way I feel about this novel!

[Grecia Robles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creo que este epílogo me gustó más que toda la historia de Michael y Francesca como que me dio paz mental.

[Shallowreader VaVeros · Rating 2 out of 5]

I mistakenly started listening to this epilogue thinking that I had actually chosen to listen to the original book which is one of my favourite ever romances. I really did not like the epilogue II. It damaged the integrity of the original story. SPOILERS FROM HERE ON:





I was really annoyed that there was a miracle baby right at the end. It was way too twee for a relationship that was so deep and complex. It diminished the storytelling. I don't mind the occasional baby ending but this couple really did not need it. In the end, I should have known better and turned the audio off as soon as I realised it was the epilogue. I am just glad I borrowed it and did not buy it.

[Jessica B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect! This was positively the most perfect book in the series. I have always been a fan of the quiet, more set apart from her family heroine. It is not that she doesn't love them, it's just that she is slightly different. I love this story line because it reminds me of myself.

I truly felt Francesca's pain at not having a child and it made me a little teary-eyed. This was a perfect short story, Absolutely perfect!

Julia Quinn has outdone herself again!

[Opalsbookjems · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️— I literally adore Francesca and Michael!😍👏

[Χρύσα Βασιλείου · Rating 5 out of 5]

Τρία χρόνια έχουν περάσει από τον γάμο της Φραντσέσκα και του Μάικλ, κι όμως εκείνη δεν έχει καταφέρει ακόμα να μείνει έγκυος. Και, παρά την απόλυτη ευτυχία που ζει στο πλευρό του άντρα της, αυτό αποτελεί μια πληγή για εκείνη. Ειδικά όταν βλέπει τις αδελφές και τις νύφες της να γεννούν τον έναν απόγονο των Μπρίτζερτον μετά τον άλλον. Όχι ότι δεν χαίρεται φυσικά, ή δεν αγαπάει τα ανίψια της, όμως νιώθει μεγαλύτερο το δικό της κενό και τον δικό της πόνο να κεντρίζεται.
Μια μάζωξη στην έπαυλη του Άντονι, με αφορμή τη βάφτιση της κόρης της Υακίνθης, θα γίνει η αφορμή για να ξετυλιχτεί η μικρή αυτή ιστορία και να πληροφορηθεί όλα τα παραπάνω ο αναγνώστης. Όμως, επειδή μια τέτοια ιστορία αγάπης δεν αξίζει τίποτα λιγότερο από ένα ακόμη happy end (ή ένα γεγονός που θα ενισχύσει το happy end του "κανονικού" βιβλίου"), ένα θαύμα περιμένει τον Μάικλ και τη Φραντσέσκα στο τέλος. Γιατί η αληθινή αγάπη είναι ικανή να νικήσει ακόμα κι εκείνα τα εμπόδια που φαίνονται αξεπέραστα...

Συγκινητικό από άποψη περιεχομένου και απολύτως αντάξιο του "κανονικού" βιβλίου. Σε εκείνο, η συγγραφέας καταπιάνεται με το ευαίσθητο θέμα της απώλειας και του πένθους για ένα πολύ αγαπημένο πρόσωπο. Εδώ, με το εξίσου ευαίσθητο θέμα της τεκνοποίησης. Και το κάνει με την ίδια προσοχή, ευαισθησία και σεβασμό, κατορθώνοντας να διατηρήσει απόλυτα τις ισορροπίες. Το τέλος της ιστορίας φαντάζει αναμενόμενο, όμως και πάλι δεν αφαιρείται τίποτα από την ομορφιά και τη γλυκύτητα που χαρακτηρίζει όλο το κείμενο μέχρι να φτάσει κανείς εκεί.
Επίσης, προσωπικά ευχαριστήθηκα να μετράω μικρούς Μπρίτζερτον! Η επόμενη γενιά είναι εδώ και κάνει ήδη δυναμική την παρουσία της! Για εμένα, που ανέκαθεν αγαπούσα να μαθαίνω τι συμβαίνει στη ζωή των αγαπημένων μου ηρώων ακόμα και μετά το τέλος της εκάστοτε ιστορίας τους, όλο αυτό αποτέλεσε μια ευχάριστη έκπληξη και ένα πολύ απολαυστικό bonus!

[rayhanah · Rating 4 out of 5]

francesca bridgerton, you will always be precious to me ❤️

[Ev. · Rating 5 out of 5]

So. Freaking. Cute.

“He’s beautiful,” Violet said, not caring that she’d been kept in the dark. She didn’t care about anything in that moment—nothing but the tiny boy in her arms, gazing up at her with an impossibly wise expression.
“He has your eyes,” Violet said, looking up at Francesca.
Frannie nodded, and her smile was almost silly, as if she couldn’t quite believe it. “I know.”
“And your mouth.”
“I think you’re right.”
“And your—oh, my, I think he has your nose as well.”
“I’m told,” Michael said in an amused voice, “that I was involved in his creation, too, but I have yet to see any evidence.”

sigh

MICHAEL IS MY FAVORITE AND DON'T CONTRADICT ME ON THAT

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I had the nerve to not tell my mother I was pregnant, BIRTH A CHILD, then magically appear a YEAR LATER, I would never see the daylight again. I jest, but also, WTF is wrong with Francesca? This was the worst epilogue of them all, which says a lot, but Quinn was incapable of making Francesca redeemable.

[Γιώτα Παπαδημακοπούλου · Rating 4 out of 5]

Αγαπημένο ζευγάρι, όμορφη σχέση, τρυφερός δεύτερος επίλογος που ολοκληρώνει τον κύκλο ενός ζευγαριού που πραγματικά άξιζε τον χρόνο και το συναίσθημά μας. Love it!!!

[Kit · Rating 1 out of 5]

Idk, miracle babies aren't my thing.

[Sara]

Don't mind me.
Just crying happily into my coffee.

[L Cherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Epilogue to tie things together. I continue to love this series.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED!!!!!!!! NEEDED!!!!! WANTED!!!!! LOVED!!!!!!!

This was great!!!! Loved seeing the glimpses into all of the siblings’ lives!!!

[Martina · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was so heartwarming seeing them happy and fulfilled at the end of this ❤️

[Zairobe25 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mucho mejor el epílogo que el libro, muy lindo, me gustó mucho.

[willaful · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, this was just shooting fish in a barrel, as far as I'm concerned... of course it made me cry. Count me as one who anxiously scoured the family trees of the Bridgerton books after When He Was Wicked, hoping to see that Francesca finally got to have a complete happy ending. Speaking as someone who's inexperienced infertilty, there are times when I like to see it treated in a more realistic fashion (for example, A Secret Sorrow.) But miracles do happen -- I had one myself -- and if you can't get a perfect happy-ever-after in a fairly lighthearted romance series, where can you?

[Briana Hallin · Rating 4 out of 5]

How does 22 pages make you cry so much!

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This 2nd epilogue was perfection! It was the addition to Michael and Francesca's story that we all needed! Love it and felt all of the emotions!

[Rivka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a favorite 😍😭😍👏🏻😍

[jenna (jennajustreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything I needed and more to end a beautiful story!! Frannie and Michael brought so much emotion and passion! So glad everything worked out how it did for them!

[Bookish ✨]

nie bo jak usłyszałam ze „przejechała palcem po jego maczudze” to myślałam ze wyjdę ale na końcu miałam łzy w oczach. loved them💔

[Tanja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aivan älyttömän ihanasti kirjotettu epilogi🫶🏼🫶🏼