When He Was Wicked is a historical romance novel written by Julia Quinn and is the seventh in her Bridgerton Series. The series follows the romantic journey of eight siblings and how they handle British society when it comes to marriage and love. It was published by Avon on 29 June 2004.
The book follows Francesca Bridgerton, who has been recently widowed and is left feeling depressed and lonely. She longs to start a family of her own but cannot bear to move on from her dead husband. However, a spark ignites within her with the return of her husband’s cousin, Michael Stirling, who has unrequitedly loved Francesca from afar for years. However, feelings of guilt and betrayal prevent Francesca and Michael from pursuing a relationship. The two struggle to come to terms with their conflicting feelings throughout the course of the novel, with many obstacles also being put in their way.
The series has been adapted into a Netflix series by Shonda Rhimes under the title Bridgerton and was released on December 2020. The show stars Ruby Stokes as a young Francesca Bridgerton. The book has been praised and spent four weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, making its debut at #5.
