Somebody at Goodreads needs to make ratings up to 10 rather than 5, and even then, that might be debatable because I would rate this book at least ten million billion TRILLION stars. Sometimes, I really, really hate trying to review books because every once in a while you get that one book that just blows everything else out of the water and you're just sitting there, left with absolutely nothing to say - and the only thing that you can do is probably make weird, possibly inappropriate noises that you HOPE conveys how much you love this one singular little paperback. 
 Okay, so this book -- my GOD, this book. 
 Julia Quinn 
 , you have absolutely ruined me with this book. I really did my best to try and put off reviewing this book because I knew I was going to go a little crazy with it, and sure enough, I'm proving that point. I couldn't hold back anymore because it was just begging for me to praise it and far be it for me to ignore such a cleverly written piece of historical romance. Please let me stop digressing here so I can finally rave about this book. 
 If you are at all familiar with Julia Quinn's books (and if you aren't, why the hell not?!), then you will be familiar with the Bridgertons. It's a book series about an entire family; Violet Bridgerton's children in particular - whose first names, funnily enough, are all derived from the alphabet, from oldest to youngest: Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, and so on until the last of the kids, Hyacinth. Each one, naturally, have their own story, but this one that I'm completely bonkers over (I know, who says bonkers anymore? Me, apparently!), is about Colin Bridgerton and his story with Penelope Featherington. 
 Now, Penelope Featherington has been one of those background characters that have popped up repeatedly in a couple of the books before her novel debut. She is best friends with Colin's younger sister, Eloisa and has been a constant presence at the Bridgerton home, a fact which no one minds. I believe it's in Benedict's book where we realize (or maybe have had an inkling all along) that she is completely and utterly in love with Colin - and this realization is only made known at her reaction to his careless remark regarding a possible marriage to her: "... I am certainly not going to marry Penelope Featherington!" 
 Insert facepalm here. 
 So now this book. Colin is .. well, he's Colin. He's funny, outgoing, engaging, slightly goofy and terribly handsome to boot. And there's Penelope, sweet, quiet, with an edge to her that's surprising because she's played the Wallflower for so damn long. You completely sympathize with Penelope and you want nothing more than her happiness because you know, you just know that there is absolutely no one else more deserving of that. And naturally, you want Colin Bridgerton to be her happy ending. You want it so badly that you can taste it! This book is everything. You get to watch Colin slowly fall in love with Penelope, and Lord help me if it isn't the cutest thing to see, either. AND THEN! When her secret is revealed, you just cannot believe it but at the same time, YOU CAN and you can't even be angry because 
 PENELOPE 
 just completely pulled the rug over everyone's eyes and it's so damn brilliant you can't help but applaud her and just reiterate how damn awesome she is. 
 And of course, Colin's reaction and how he deals with his jealousy and how proud he is of her at the same time and that ending with that complete show of support and you see just how much he loves her - with everything that makes him who he is. 
 Dammit. DAMMIT. Dammit, I need a hug.