I’m happy to announce that I just finished the second Bridgerton novel by Julia Quinn, The Viscount Who Loved Me. I was worried about not finishing on time by March 25th, which is when Netflix’s Bridgerton returns with Anthony’s story. In other words, when The Viscount Who Loved Me debuts on Netflix. I honestly can’t wait to watch the new season and compare the show to the novel! 😆

But before any of that, here is my take on The Viscount Who Loved Me.

A Fun Read

As pointed out, this Bridgerton novel is all about Anthony Bridgerton and his love interest, Katharine (Kate) Sheffield.

It’s about how Anthony, convinced that he will die at an early age as his beloved father had, vows to marry out of everything except love. He chooses to marry a decent, intelligent-enough young lady named Edwina, who is the season’s diamond of the first water. But he gradually falls in love with her sister, Kate, who distrusts and detests him with all her might.

I sincerely enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers trope. It really is entertaining to watch two people who hate each other fall in love. The Pall Mall scene where Kate beats Anthony by hitting his ball into the lake is golden! 😁 I love how their rivalry continues well into their marriage, as shown in the second epilogue.

Anthony & Kate

But what I really appreciated was reading Anthony and Kate help each other overcome their traumas. I think Julia Quinn did a great job exploring both Kate’s and Anthony’s demons.

At first I couldn’t believe the lengths Anthony took to avoid love. His adamant conviction of a premature death was hard to wrap my head around. But the more I read, the more plausible it all became. I was further convinced after reading the author’s note, which explains that Anthony’s reaction to his father’s early death is something that is common among men.

The Viscount Who Loved Me is a pleasant read. It explores deep topics like loss, trauma, and their lasting effects. But unlike To Sir Philip, With Love, this novel shows its protagonists overcoming their wounds together. Whereas Sir Philip expects Eloise to solve all his problems (and she does), Anthony and Kate solve their problems together by being there for each other.

They each face their fears while standing next to one another. Anthony and Kate are such a lovely couple who become stronger together. It has been wonderful reading about their story. 💖

Pet Peeve

Despite my compliments, there was something that bothered me while reading the novel. It was the fact that even after falling for Kate and kissing her in his study in chapter 7, Anthony still pursues after her sister Edwina.

In the beginning, I was somewhat able to understand his decision to marry Edwina and the lengths he took to avoid love. But after kissing his future sister-in-law, it sounded incredibly weird. Like, there are other women out there he can marry not out of love. It just boggled my mind that Anthony would continue to woo Edwina after kissing Kate and thinking that she just “felt right.” (pg 109).

Anthony and Kate’s story all works out in the end, but I found this to be extremely perverse of Anthony. And just cruel to Kate.

Netflix’s Bridgerton Season 2

I’m truly glad to have finished the novel on time. I’m now ready to watch the next season of Bridgerton on Netflix! I can already tell that Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley are going to be incredible together as Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma. (They changed her surname from Sheffield to Sharma for diversity purposes.) Here’s the official teaser:

Though she doesn’t exactly fit the physical descriptions written in the novel, Simone Ashley totally has Kate Sheffield vibes. I think she’s going to be stellar like Regé Jean Page was as Simon Bassett, Duke of Hastings.

Well, now I’m off for the third novel, An Offer From A Gentleman! 🥿✨✨✨

Check out my post on the 4th Bridgerton novel, Romancing Mister Bridgerton right HERE.

For my review of the 5th Bridgerton novel, To Sir Philip, With Love, click HERE.