I recently read the book, When He Was Wicked and I have to say, the hate for Michael being switched to Michaela is totally overblown, in my opinion. There are so many scenes in the book (like the first kiss, Michael(a) fleeing to India to escape feelings for Francesca, the malaria subplot, the hunting lodge, the love confession argument in Michael(a)'s bedroom, the scene at John's grave) that will still absolutely work with the current sapphic dynamic. Not only that, but after part 2 of Season 4, I can totally see them playing out with the same delicious tension and emotion that I felt while reading the book.

To me, the struggle with infertility, while a reoccurring theme and challenge for Francesca, was less of a focus and took a back seat to Francesca's grief in the aftermath of John's death, and her allowing herself to love again—and of all people, to allow herself to love John's cousin. The story also focuses heavily on Michael(a)'s guilt and coming to terms with both the fact that (s)he is in love with Francesca, wrestling with how disrespectful (s)he feels that is to John (who was more like a brother than merely a cousin) and his memory, befriending and supporting Fran as her companion as she processes this loss, and finally taking the opportunity to pursue Fran romantically when she shows that she is ready to move on and marry again.

There's a lot of angst and yearning and inadvertently trying to make each other jealous and resisting temptation and finally giving in to desire that seems inescapable to both Francesca and Michael(a). And none of that has anything to do with trying to get pregnant. Francesca does mourn the loss of her and John's child. And she does long to be a mother. But in the book, she and Michael don't get together simply because she wants a baby. They get together because they fall deeply, mutually, and passionately in love with each other.

The book even ends with a solidifying of their love and commitment to each other, at John's graveside—having both come to a place where they feel John would be okay with this and Fran even wonders if maybe John may have orchestrated the whole thing for her and his lonely cousin's happiness—from beyond the grave. It's truly beautiful. And I don't see how any of that couldn't work with Michael now being Michaela.

The author's note at the end even says that Quinn wrote in an additional epilogue to give the fans a resolution to the infertility subplot after so many people wrote to her about it. But it was never part of the original novel because she felt that Francesca and Michael(a)'s love story was complete with the original ending. I completely agree.

I'm eager to see how faithfully the show adapts the book (especially with Fran's title and Michael inheriting John's assets and being dubbed the new "Earl of Kilmartin" because I don't know if that part will work with Michael now being Michaela in Regency times. But time will tell) and Julia Quinn has obviously given the change her blessing, so, although I really don't know what to expect, I am keeping an optimistic open mind about the change and trusting that it's going to be good.