Quotes from Brighter Than the Sun

Julia Quinn ·  384 pages

Rating: (9.3K votes)


“He smacked the heel of his hand against his forhead, as if that could knock the mental picture out of his head. Hell, he though irritably, he didn't want to knock the image just out of his head. He wanted to send it clear across the room and out the window.”
― Julia Quinn, quote from Brighter Than the Sun


“Am I not allowed to speak in hyperbole?"

"Only," he said, a bit too smoothly, "if you are talking about me."

Ellie's face slid into a smirk. "Oh, Charles," she exclaimed, "I feel as if we have known each other for a million years." Her tone grew more ironic. "I am that weary of your company.”
― Julia Quinn, quote from Brighter Than the Sun


“Your fangs are showing, Miss Lyndon."

"Are they?" she asked, reaching up to touch her face. "I shall have to remember to retract them."

Charles burst out laughing. "You, Miss Lyndon, are a treasure."

"That's what I keep telling everyone," she said with a shrug and a wicked smile, "but no one seems to believe me.”
― Julia Quinn, quote from Brighter Than the Sun


“I wanted to skewer her with a stare, flay her with a frown, impale her with a—I say, what are you doing?"

Charles would have answered her, but he was laughing so hard he was doubled over.”
― Julia Quinn, quote from Brighter Than the Sun


“Ellie fought the urge to stamp her foot. "I meant it this time. Do you accept my apology?"

"It appears," he said, raising his eyebrows, "that you might do me bodily harm if I do not."

"Ungracious prig," she muttered. "I am trying to apologize."

"And I," he said, "am trying to accept.”
― Julia Quinn, quote from Brighter Than the Sun



"What do you say, Miss Lyndon? Shall we have a go at it?"

" 'Shall we have a go at it?' " Ellie choked out. Really, this was not the proposal of her dreams.

― Julia Quinn, quote from Brighter Than the Sun


“I'd wager you have a vengeful streak a mile wide," he muttered.

"I am the least vengeful person I know," she said with a sniff. "And if you think otherwise, then perhaps you ought not to marry me."

"You're marrying me," he ground out, "if I have to drag you to the altar bound and gagged."

Ellie smiled waspishly. "You could try," she taunted, "but in your condition you couldn't drag a flea."

"And you say you're not vengeful."

"I seem to be developing a taste for it.”
― Julia Quinn, quote from Brighter Than the Sun


“He raked his hand through his hair. 'This is more difficult than I'd anticipated.'
Good, she thought. If he was going to break her heart, she didn't want it to be easy for him.
'What I'm trying to say is that I had it all wrong. I don't want a wife who...'
'You don't want a wife?' she choked.
'No!' he practically yelled. Then he continued in a more normal tone, 'I don't want a wife who will look the other way if I stray.'
'You want me to /watch?/
'No, I want you to be furious.'
Ellie was by now on the verge of tears. 'You deliberately want to make me angry? To hurt me?'
'No. Oh, God, you've got it all wrong...I just want you to love me so much that if I did [be unfaithful] - which I'm not going to - you would want to have me drawn and quartered.”
― Julia Quinn, quote from Brighter Than the Sun


“Somebody up there is deuced mad at me," she yelled, "and I want to know why!"

The heavens opened in earnest and within seconds she was soaked to the skin.

"Remind me never to question Your purposes again," she muttered ungraciously, not sounding particularly like the God-fearing young lady her father had raised her to be. "Clearly You don't like to be second-guessed."

Lightning streaked through the sky, followed by a booming clap of thunder.

"Damn!" she grunted, her bonnet sagged against her eyes, blocking her vision. She yanked it off, looked at the sky, and yelled, "I am not amused!"

More lightning.

"They are all against me," she muttered,"All of them." Her father, Sally Foxglove,
Mr. Tibbett, whoever it was who controlled the weather—

More thunder.”
― Julia Quinn, quote from Brighter Than the Sun


“Ellie had a feeling he thought she was exaggerating. "I am not jesting. Yesterday she presented me with two lists. The first consisted of chores I must perform in addition to those I already do."

"What, did she have you cleaning out the chimney?" Charles teased.

"Yes!" Ellie burst out. "Yes, and it was not a joke!"
― Julia Quinn, quote from Brighter Than the Sun



“He poked her shoulder. 'Ellie? Ellie?'
'What? Oh, I'm sorry.' Her face colored, even though she knew he couldn't possibly read her thoughts. 'Just woolgathering.'
'Darling, you were practically hugging a sheep.”
― Julia Quinn, quote from Brighter Than the Sun


“There was something about Miss Lyndon that made him glad she was on his side. Not that he thought she would make a vicious enemy, just that she seemed loyal, level-headed, and fair. And she had a wicked sense of humor. Just the sort of person a man would want standing beside him when he needed support.”
― Julia Quinn, quote from Brighter Than the Sun


“I believe I told you I am utterly serious. I never lie."

"Now that is a clanker if ever I heard one." she retorted.

"Well, then, I never lie about anything important."

Her hands found their way to her hips and she let out a loud, "Harumph.”
― Julia Quinn, quote from Brighter Than the Sun


“I shall freckle."

"That doesn't bother me," he said with a shrug.

"It bothers me!"

"Don't worry. They'll be on your own face, so you won't have to see them."

Ellie gaped at him, astounded by his illogic.”
― Julia Quinn, quote from Brighter Than the Sun


“Claire hasn't told me why she behaved as such, although I have a good idea.'
'I suspect you do,' Ellie said quietly.
'Thank you for not embarrassing her before Charles.'
'She didn't need her heart broken twice.”
― Julia Quinn, quote from Brighter Than the Sun



About the author

Julia Quinn
Born place: New York City, NY, The United States
See more on GoodReads

Popular quotes

“...I'd killed my self-defense instructor. Shit.

I ran to where he lay and stumbled to a crouch at his side, touching his shoulder. "Craig?"

His eyelids fluttered. A few panicked heartbeats later, he opened them. Then he grinned.

"Yeah, that's what I'm talking about! You gotta learn to hit people." He was breathing hard. He had to gasp the words out. I'd probably knocked the wind out of him. "Now, never do that to me again."

-Kitty and her self defense teacher”
― Carrie Vaughn, quote from Kitty and the Midnight Hour


“By the way'[Gabriel] said,' everyone else had better keep out of here. After you spend so much time in lockup, you get to like your space. You get kind of territorial. I wouldn't want anybody to get hurt.' ... Gabriel gave [Kaitlyn] a long, measuring look. Then he flashed a brilliant, unsettling smile. 'You can come in any time you like”
― L.J. Smith, quote from The Strange Power


“I myself beheld the King
Charge at the head of all his Table Round,
And all his legions crying Christ and him,
And break them; and I saw him, after, stand
High on a heap of slain, from spur to plume
Red as the rising sun with heathen blood,
And seeing me, with a great voice he cried,
"They are broken, they are broken!" for the King,
However mild he seems at home, nor cares
For triumph in our mimic wars, the jousts—
For if his own knight cast him down, he laughs
Saying, his knights are better men than he—
Yet in this heathen war the fire of God
Fills him: I never saw his like: there lives
No greater leader.”
― Alfred Tennyson, quote from Idylls of the King


“Where there's black, even grey looks white,”
― Sergei Lukyanenko, quote from Twilight Watch


“Clark sighed and shook his head at the tedious road ahead. Information, that’s what this whole mess was about. Knowledge truly was power, and men like Ellis understood that Clark could help give them the knowledge they needed to grow their billions and protect their kingdoms. Even over the roar of the surf Clark heard Ellis enter the house. Clark and Ellis shared a thirst for power and that was about it. Where Clark was calm and discerning, Ellis was volatile and brash. The man had a way of wearing people out through frontal assault after frontal assault. Nothing tricky, no feints, he just hammered you into submission. Clark found it all very interesting. He was a true tactician, and often relished outmaneuvering people like Ellis, but tonight, in the warm Caribbean air he would prefer drinks, some light fare and the smooth skin of a young woman flown in from Miami.”
― Vince Flynn, quote from Separation of Power


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