Julia Quinn Interview on First Comes Scanda

Today we’re welcoming Julia Quinn to Under the Covers for our first-ever Instagram Story takeover, what we’re calling Author Hotspot. A Julia Quinn interview on First Comes Scandal (Rokesbys #4), and she also answered a handful of fun reader questions including her favorite heroes, writing challenges, early romance memories, and one very relatable research rabbit hole.

And if you want our full thoughts on the book, here’s our review of First Comes Scandal.

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Julia Quinn Interview on First Comes Scandal

Let’s start with the important stuff. Which of your characters you kiss, marry or have a summer fling with?

Okay, so I would kiss Michael Sterling from When He Was Wicked. I would marry Nicholas Rokesby from First Come Scandal. And I’d have a summer feeling with any of them.

Which character has been the hardest for you to write?

It is really hard to say which character was the hardest or easier to write because it’s kind of more about the whole book than the individual character. But that said, I think writing about Francesca Bridgerton was really difficult just because she was going through such difficult stuff. And stuff that I think a lot of women can relate to.

And which character, or book, felt the easiest?

I don’t know, maybe the characters from Splendid in my very first book because I had no idea what I was doing. And in some ways that makes it really, really easy.

What attracts you to historical romances?

So I first started writing historical romance because it was what I like to read. It’s honestly as simple as that.

Do you remember the first romance book and have you ever re-read it?

I have no idea what the first historical romance I ever read was. But I do know one of the first was one of those Signet regency romances that they used to have, and it was called Hotspur and Taffeta. I still remember that. And have I read it again? No, but I know I read it more than once when I had it back when I was like 12.

What’s the most memorable research you’ve ever done for a book?

I can’t think of what was the most memorable research I ever did, but I do remember a number of rabbit holes that I’ve fallen down, like the time I decided I had to know the provenance of a specific painting that Jack and Grace were talking about in the lawsuit of Wyndham, because I had to know if maybe Jack had ever seen the painting in person.

And so I spent like four hours that I absolutely did not have. Figuring out like where the painting was, who owned it, at what time on the continent, because I knew that Jack had been there and I’m pretty sure I determined absolutely nothing and I probably should have been writing that whole time.

Readers always ask this: would you ever pair characters together outside their existing happily-ever-afters?

Obviously I wouldn’t, they would always be with the people they ended up with. Right? It’s romance.

Thank you so much for joining us for Author Hotspot! We hope you enjoyed the Author hotspot with Julia Quinn and that you enjoyed her answers. And now all you have to do is go out and pick up First Comes Scandal.

About First Comes Scandal by Julia Quinn

If you want Julia Quinn at her banter-iest, First Comes Scandal delivers: a childhood friends to marriage of convenience setup where Nicholas Rokesby offers Georgiana Bridgerton an escape route after a kidnapping threatens her future. It’s a light, quick read that made me laugh, but it’s also very low angst, so go in for charm and cozy vibes more than fireworks. Read our First Comes Scandal book review.

About Julia Quinn (and where to start)

If you’re new here (or you’ve only dipped a toe into the ton), Julia Quinn is the #1 New York Times bestselling author behind the Bridgerton phenomenon, and the Rokesbys are part of that same deliciously connected world.

If you want the easiest “where do I begin?” roadmap: series order, best entry points, and what to read next depending on your mood, I put everything in one place here in our Julia Quinn Author Guide.

Final thoughts

I loved getting to do this Author Hotspot, and I’m always here for any glimpse into Julia Quinn’s process. If you want to keep going, you can explore all my Julia Quinn posts, take the Julia Quinn knowledge quiz (no pressure… but I am judging lovingly), and of course now is your turn for the hard questions… Which character would you kiss, marry and have a summer fling with? Drop it in the comments!

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