I know that I bid adieu to the Bridgerton series after watching season 2. But I must write one more book review of the series, as I’ve already finished the third Bridgerton novel by Julia Quinn, An Offer from a Gentleman aka Benedict’s story.
I had read it before season 2 in hopes of being able to identify hints at Benedict’s upcoming love story. I wanted to be ready to recognize Sophie Beckett (Benedict’s future wife) when she showed up on the screen. To my disappointment, Netflix had hinted at neither the third novel nor Sophie. And Benedict will most likely NOT have the spotlight next season as they have switched up the order. Plus, they no longer do a good job focusing on the hero and the heroine (as shown in season 2), so I don’t expect his season to be that great either.
So despite my disappointment and lack of enthusiasm for Bridgerton, I present you a review of An Offer from a Gentleman since I already read it. And I’m happy to say that Julia Quinn’s third Bridgertonnovel is better than the second season of Netflix’s Bridgerton.
An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn. Image from Amazon.
Here we go! π
Tale as Old as Time
Cinderella’s transformation from Disney’s Cinderella (1950). It’s the most beautifully animated scene ever! π From https://giphy.com/explore/cinderella
An Offer from a Gentleman is a Cinderella retelling. But instead of Cinderella, we have Sophie Beckett, an illegitimate daughter of Richard Gunningworth, the Earl of Penwood. Though all the servants and the earl himself realize that she is his bastard daughter, he takes her in as his ward and remarries a woman named Araminta. When the earl passes away, Sophie is stuck with his new wife and her two daughters, Rosamund and Posy. Just like Cinderella, she is mistreated by her step family (except for Posy) and degraded to work as their servant (with no pay).
But one night, Sophie gets a chance to attend a grand masquerade ball hosted by Lady Bridgerton with the help of the housekeeper of Penwood, Mrs. Gibbons.
Instead of the fairy godmother, we have Mrs. Gibbons in An Offer from a Gentleman. Image: Disney Animation Studios.
There, she and Benedict Bridgerton (instead of the Prince) fall in love at first sight. Alas, Benedict loses Sophie after she escapes from the ball without telling him her name, and Sophie reluctantly returns back to servitude. With one pair of glove (instead of a glass slipper), the only clue he has to her identity, Benedict searches for his love in vain.
Prince Charming and Cinderella from Disney’s 1950 Cinderella. Image: Disney
Years later, Sophie and Benedict meet again when he saves her from getting raped by the son of her employer. But Benedict doesn’t recognize her (as they met wearing masks at his mother’s masquerade), and long story short, he falls in love with her again.
This Bridgerton retelling of Cinderella can’t be bad, as the fairytale has withstood the test of time. And Julia Quinn adds more fun to the classic tale by having Benedict torn between two women who actually are the same person. He can’t forget his “lady in silver” he met at the masquerade while he falls in love with a maid named Sophie Beckett.
Benedict (Luke Thompson) from Netflix’s Bridgerton season 2. Image from Bustle. Credits to Liam Daniel/Netflix
In chapter 11, Benedict kisses Sophie and is about to say that he’s never felt the way he did before, but Sophie doesn’t know how to feel about that since he’s kissed her before at the masquerade:
Dear God, was she jealous of herself?”
Page 171, An Offer from a Gentleman
I’ve never read about a heroine having to deal with self-jealousy. It was interesting! π
Quinn also adds more drama to the classic tale by exploring class differences of the Regency era and by having the heroine put in jail by her evil stepmother. But all ends well in the end and Sophie and Benedict have their happily ever-after.
Benedict was as unromantic as he could be when he asked Sophie to be his mistress, but considering the importance of class during the Regency era, it was realistic. (And he eventually redeems himself by choosing to marry Sophie despite what society would think of them.)
Lastly but not least, I liked Quinn’s writing of Posy Reiling, Sophie’s step sister. Unlike how both of Cinderella’s sisters are cruel in the original fairytale, Posy was kind hearted – just too young to help Sophie when they had lived together under Araminta. It was nice to see Posy save the day by helping Sophie AND stand against her abusive mother. I truly enjoyed reading the second epilogue where Posy gets her own happy ending.
Posy reminded me of Cinderella’s step sister Anastasia in the Cinderella sequels where she becomes kind and meets someone she loves. Disney’s Cinderella sequels – Cinderella II: Dreams Come True (2002) and Cinderella III: A Twist in Time (2007).
Benedict was my favorite Bridgerton brother, so this novel was even more pleasant to read. And it was wonderful to find out that he meets and marries Sophie, a beautiful, kind character based on Cinderella. She, along with Kate Sheffield/Sharma from The Viscount Who Loved Me are some of the most wonderful heroines I’ve read about.
Though I don’t expect much from the Netflix series anymore, I do hope they cast a great Sophie as they had done for Kate.
Who will be Sophie Beckett? (Photo by Felicity Lynn.)
Similar to Other Bridgerton Novels
Photo by GΓΌlfer ERGΔ°N.
Though I enjoyed the 3rd Bridgerton novel immensely, I did realize how similar it was to the other Bridgerton novels. After reading four Bridgerton novels, I noticed how Julia Quinn employs many of the same vocabulary, plot points, and male inner dialogue in her works.
She definitely likes to join couples together in the beginning with marriages of convenience (Daphne & Simon, Kate & Anthony, Eloise & Philip). All four heroines of the novels I’ve read are inexperienced with men (Penelope, Eloise, Kate, Sophie) and the couples always face problems in their relationships after 3/4 into the novels. And the male leads all sound the same when they’re angry. Their inner dialogues are, in my opinion, indistinguishable.
Portrait of the three Bridgerton sisters, Eloise, Daphne & Francesca. From Netflix’s Bridgerton Instagram Page
Here’s a short comparison of the conflicts that arise three quarters into the novels:
π§‘The Viscount Who Loved Me – Anthony and Kate didn’t really fight. But there was this big conflict when Anthony withdrew himself from his wife when he realized that he was falling in love with her. (Because he felt that he would die young like his father, he didn’t want to fall in love.)
πAn Offer from a Gentleman – Benedict and Sophie fought big time when Sophie refused to become his mistress & when Benedict discovered that Sophie was in fact, his “lady in silver.” These two conflicts arose at about the same time, around three quarters into the novel.
π€Romancing Mister Bridgerton – It’s been a while since I read it, but I believe Colin and Penelope fought when Colin discovered that Penelope was Lady Whistledown and when he was jealous of her achievements (Goodness, Colin). Again, the fights happened after the halfway point.
πTo Sir Philip, With Love – I distinctly remember because I hated the novel so much: Eloise and Philip fought when Philip refused to discuss an important issue Eloise had brought up. (And he made a big fuss about it.)
And Anthony, Benedict, and Colin all have these bro-talks (not really talks but meet ups) with one another after which they realize how much they love their wives. After which the conflicts are resolved and the novels come to ends.
Portrait of the three older Bridgerton brothers. (Left to Right: Colin, Benedict & Anthony) From Netflix’s Bridgerton Instagram Page
In terms of repeated vocabulary, there’s the very modern interjection “Damn,” and the word “humbling.” And many more, but I can’t remember which pages they were on. Neither do I have the books with me anymore.
Here’s an enlightening, funny video created by a talented YouTuber named Julia Cudney, who’s read all 8 Bridgerton novels. She reviews and compares the novels excellently, with even spreadsheets!
Conclusion
I enjoyed reading An Offer from a Gentleman because…
1, It’s Benedict Bridgerton’s story.
2. It’s a Cinderella retelling – how could I not?
3. Hard-working, resilient & principled, Sophie Beckett is a lovely heroine!
4. Julia Quinn added fun changes to the classic fairytale.
Plus, there’s a masquerade ball! Photo by Julio Rionaldo.
Of the four Bridgerton books I’ve read, I’d say my favorites were π€ Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Book #4) and π An Offer from a Gentleman (Book #3). The 2nd novel in the series, 𧑠The Viscount Who Loved Me was good and I enjoyed the enemies to lovers trope, but I really didn’t like the perverse persistence Anthony displayed in the novel. (Click HERE to read my review.) And of course, my least favorite was the 5th novel, π To Sir Philip, With Love.
At this point, I’m ready to move on from Bridgerton. I’ve heard many praises about Francesca Bridgerton’s story, When He Was Wicked, from a number of Bridgerton fans, yet I’m not interested in Francesca enough to read her love story. (She barely has any lines in the Netflix show. Plus I read that she falls in love with her late husband’s cousin. It sounds awfully similar to To Sir Philip, With Love where Eloise falls in love with her late cousin’s husband, and knowing how much I disliked that novel…I’m not too excited for Francesca’s story. But maybe I’ll give it a go in the future.) Neither am I curious about the futures of the youngest Bridgertons, Hyacinth and Gregory. So…
So long, farewell Bridgerton! π
P.S. To read my review of the second season of Netflix’s Bridgerton, click HERE.
P.P.S. Check out these An Offer from a Gentleman covers from around the world! They’re beautifulπ Visit Julia Quinn’s website HERE to see them all.
Dear reader, I have just finished season 2 of Netflix’s Bridgerton, as you can tell by my introduction. And I have much to say about it, both good and bad.
The most anticipated series to return last month, Bridgerton season 2 brought back the Regency romance hype with its psuedo-Regency glam of glitters and florals. And really, this season was a feast for the eyes and ears as was the last. It had, once again, delightful set designs, fireworks and modern pop songs played by the orchestra.
πLovely Cast
^Above: Photos of the lovely Bridgerton cast shared by Netflix and the cast (Penelope & Daphne) on Instagram.
Though the much missed Duke of Hastings did not return, the rest of the cast did and were as likeable as ever. The lovely Bridgerton family, the always posh Queen Charlotte, sweet Penelope, pleasantly sharp-tongued Lady Danbury, and many from season 1 returned.
The handsome Jonathan Bailey stole the show this time, as this season is his season. (It’s based on the 2nd Bridgerton novel, The Viscount Who Loved Me, aka Anthony’s story). Though his acting can be sometimes overdone with visible trembles and wide-eyed expressions, I can’t imagine anyone else playing Anthony. Jonathan Bailey is Anthony Bridgerton! π
Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton. Photo from Shondaland. Credits to Liam Daniel/Netflix.
πWonderful New Characters
New characters from Julia Quinn’s novel, The Viscount Who Loved Me, were introduced in the second season: Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley), Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran), and Mary Sharma/Sheffield (Shelley Conn). As stated in my previous post, I think Simone Ashley was perfect for the role of Kate Sharma. She has this air of confidence about her and seems to possess the inner strength that Kate possesses. Charithra Chandran and Shelley Conn were wonderful as Edwina and Lady Mary, too, with their soft manners and lovely dispositions.
Simone Ashley, Charithra Chandran, and Shelley Conn (Image fromShondaland.)
And Simone Ashley is simply gorgeous! (From bridgertonnetflix on Instagram).
Characters not from Quinn’s novels were also introduced, including Lord Jack Featherington (Rupert Young) and Theo Sharpe (Calam Lynch). I found the new characters created by the Netflix team to be interesting additions to the ton (at least in the beginning). Especially Theo, who I’ll cover in just a bit.
And Newton the corgi was SO cute! He was a very good actor, too.
His smile! πΆ Wish I could share this extremely adorable scene where Newton looks up at Anthony through a door, but due to copyright, I can’t share screenshots from the show. π Image from https://www.instagram.com/p/CbxwnHLJJo9/
Newton the corgi judging Anthony’s character from the official season 2 trailer.
Netflix seems to be smitten with Newton, too, based on their Twitter profile.
πCharithra Chandran Shines as Edwina
Edwina Sharma (Image from Charithra Chandran’s Instagram page.)
And the way Edwina accepts the unacceptable and moves on by the end of the series really made me like the character more. The way Edwina is written by Netflix’s Bridgerton writers along with Charithra’s acting really made the actress stand out.
What really irritated me when reading The Viscount Who Loved Me was Anthony Bridgerton’s perverse persistence at marrying Edwina Sheffield. He 1) fell in love with Kate 2) acknowledged that he couldn’t keep himself away from her 3) then kissed her. But in the novel, he persistently and very perversely chooses to marry none other than Edwina, Kate’s sister even after kissing her.
If Anthony was convinced of his early death due to the traumatic death of his father and vowed to marry not out of love, he could have chosen someone else. Someone who didn’t have a sister he kissed and wanted to kiss repeatedly. And it didn’t make sense that he, a viscount, couldn’t find anyone in all of Britain pretty enough whom he didn’t love. He says in the show himself in the first episode that he looks for someone “tolerable, dutiful, [with] suitable enough hips for childbearing, and at least half a brain.” He even adds that having “at least half a brain” is “not so much a requirement but a preference.”
Anthony’s Actions Are Dishonorable to Say the Least
So it didn’t make sense in both the novel and the show that Anthony couldn’t find anyone in the entire kingdom, that he had to resort to the queen’s opinion and marry the diamond of the first water.
I mean, if he just had to marry the diamond of the first water, he could have married the next diamond of the first water after realizing that he was dreaming about the diamond’s sister. Even if he were to follow his father’s footsteps and die young, he had time considering the fact that his father passed away sometime into his marriage after Violet had given birth to all of the Bridgerton siblings (except for Hyacinth).
It was really perverse of Anthony to pursue the sister of someone he was attracted to, someone he kissed and wanted to kiss whenever they were alone together.
The Changes From the Novel
So I was really glad to see that Netflix scrapped away the perverse persistence shown in the novel and instead had Anthony fall in love, acknowledge that he wanted Kate, but only choose to move forward with the wedding because of Kate’s unwillingness to hurt her little sister.
And it was realistic to have Edwina fall in love with Anthony when he approached her with the intent of marrying her because Anthony is one of the most eligible bachelors of the season. He has good looks, good nature (despite being a rake), and a loving family. But the novel’s down-to-earth Edwina doesn’t fall for him in the least. She allows herself to be courted by Anthony even when she isn’t interested because of her family’s economic situation. She remains uninterested in him and wishes him for Kate after quickly realizing that something is between the two. Such plot works, too. And it is rather pleasant not to witness two sisters fall for the same guy. But I think it is much more realistic to have the younger sister be naΓ―vely romantic and fall in love with a highly distinguished gentleman courting her publicly.
Honestly, I wish Eloise Bridgerton ends up with Theo, because he is a much, MUCH better match for her than Sir Philip Crane. Not only are they cute together, but also Theo treats Eloise better. In the few minutes shown in the series, Theo sets aside books Eloise might like and listens to what she has to say. This is so much better than Sir Philip, who in To Sir Philip, With Love chooses Eloise as his wife just so she can take care of his kids while he does what he wants to do (he actually admits it himself) and doesn’t listen to what she has to say. I believe he calls her noisy and loud- I don’t have the book with me at the moment so I can’t give the exact page numbers. But I do clearly remember thinking that Eloise deserved someone better than him after reading the novel. <For the full review of To Sir Philip, With Love, click HERE.>
Eloise and Theo. Image from TV Insider, credits to Liam Daniel/Netflix.
I hope Netflix’s Bridgerton stays away from the novel for Eloise’s story. Even the Philip before he loses Marina seem a totally wrong match for Eloise. (It was suffocating to watch poor Marina in her loveless marriage with Sir Philip in Episode 4 of Season 2).
Speaking of Philip, I’ll move onto what was bad about Bridgerton season 2.
The Bad: Bridgerton Is Only Tolerable
After the second season, I think my sentiments toward the Netflix sensation is as Anthony had described what he wanted his wife to be: “tolerable.” Bridgerton season 2 was tolerable, but not as fun as it had once been. And I honestly have better things to watch. Here are my reasons:
πToo Much Going On
Bridgerton season 2 was fast-paced with much happening to many different characters. Though the focus was on Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma, I think this season was less focused than the last. Season 1 was all about Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Bassett, with the lives of those around them being touched upon. And the only hint at the next season was Anthony declaring that he’ll get himself a wife he doesn’t love. Season 2 was busy making sure that Anthony and Kate were falling in love while Anthony was courting Edwina, all the while introducing new characters and keeping in touch with old characters. All this happening while the show was setting up the stage for the next two scheduled seasons (with Eloise finding out that Penelope was Lady Whistledown & etc.)
Photo by Judson Moore.
πUnnecessary Appearances
Collin’s visit to Marina for Sir Philip Crane’s appearance was unnecessary. Unpleasant, even. And why is Will appearing so much when even the Duke himself isn’t? Moving on to the newest addition to the Featheringtons: Cousin Jack. Though Cousin Jack was an interesting add to the cast in the beginning, his scheme turned out to be a waste of screen time. He is even scheduled to go back to America. Why was he even introduced then? Theo, too. He looked so good with Eloise, but he and Eloise seem to have ended.
To be honest, the season wouldn’t have been much different if these characters hadn’t appeared/reappeared.
I think Bridgerton season 2 was trying to do too much at once compared to season 1 while trying to let all side and minor protagonists have their moments (even Will with his new business). They even added another swing scene with Benedict and Eloise encouraging one another. Sweet scene, but once is enough, I think, for a TV series with only 8 episodes per season.
Season 1 was like a feast with the main dish placed in the middle with side dishes not getting in the way. Season 2 had its table overloaded with food, with the main dish being slightly larger than the side dishes that all clamored for its spot.
His absence created a large hole in the plot. For instance, it didn’t make any sense for Simon to not attend Anthony Bridgerton and Edwina Sharma’s wedding (that was cancelled). He was Daphne Bridgerton’s loving husband and Anthony’s close friend. Yet, he was nowhere to be found at the wedding where even the queen was in attendance. His absence made it seem (unintentionally) that Daphne’s marriage was in trouble again after all the other troubles from season 1.
(This article from ScreenRant even says the holes left by Simon were so large in season 2 that killing off the character would have been better for the plot. Really, Simon was such an important character to not return in season 2.)
βShondaland thinks that itβs very important that people see themselves reflected on screen,” says Kathryn. “I think thatβs how you truly connect to your audience and those stories.”…
Bridgerton received widespread publicity for so-called ‘colour-blind casting’ in a genre traditionally populated by white actors, but Kathryn disagrees with the use of that term.
“Itβs not colour-blind casting, itβs colour-conscious casting. Iβm very much playing a mixed race modiste β¦ nobodyβs blind to the fact that I am the colour that I am in this story.”
– Kathryn Drysdale (Madame Delacroix)’s interview on The Afternoon Show (The BBC Scotland article can be viewed HERE).
The South Asian representation shown in this season was wonderful. But if the show truly were color blind, why are there such little/no representation of Meso and South American, Middle Eastern, East Asian and Southeast Asians? There have been two seasons, and about half of the cast are Caucasian while the other half African. And one can see that all the recurring characters that aren’t in the novel are either African or Caucasian, too. Minor side characters from the novel are turned into major roles and given to African actors and actresses, namely Lady Danbury, Queen Charlotte, and Marina Thompson.
Nothing is wrong with all this. It’s just that the “color blind” or the “color-conscious” (as explained by actress Kathryn Drysdale) label and advertisement the show uses is inaccurate and really misleading.
Dear Shondaland, you’re not color-blind. Neither are you color-conscious. You have mostly black & white vision.
πDiverged Too Far
Photo by Jens Lelie.
By the end of the 2nd season, Netflix’s Bridgerton seems to declare that it will be an entirely separate work from Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton novels. Anthony and Kate just got married and already Eloise had discovered that Lady Whistledown is actually her best friend Penelope Featherington.
I wish Netflix stuck to Quinn’s novels while omitting/changing the parts that don’t work. For instance, the scene where Daphne violates Simon could have been scrapped out as pointed out by many in the first season.
YouTuber Jack Edwards’s review of the first Bridgerton novel. He is one of the many who have pointed out that the controversial scene from the book could have been removed from the first season.
πLeft Out the Good Parts
Kate and Anthony’s love story could have been explored more as the novel does. The wonderful scenes where Anthony and Kate help each other face their traumas and heal together were largely missing, as Kate’s fear of lightnings were nonexistent in the show. And the scene where the soprano Siena and Anthony are alone together with Kate hiding under his desk would have been really interesting (and relevant!). If the showrunners wanted to reintroduce old characters from season 1, Siena should have reappeared for Anthony’s story, not Marina, Philip, Will, Alice, etc. She was his lover he proposed to in the previous season!!! (And a major reason why he forgoes love in the second season!)
Snapshot of the Bridgerton novels by Julia Quinn in order from left to right. From Google search.
Julia Quinn’s timeline for the novels worked. The transition from one sibling to another in alphabetical order following Daphne worked. But Netflix seems to have thrown that out, as Eloise already knows who Lady Whistledown is, and this is Romancing Mister Bridgerton stuff. (Though they did a better job writing Eloise’s reaction to the revelation than Julia Quinn. Eloise in one of the 2nd epilogues doesn’t really reacts to/cares about her friend being the secret writer.)
It would have been better to stick to one sibling’s story per season, as Quinn’s novels do.
I have more negative things to say about the second season (e.g. characters like Eloise losing their charms), but I’ll stop here. The post is long enough.
I think the second season would have been better if it had stuck to the novel while changing/omitting Quinn’s weak points. It would have been a solid second season if they had focused on Anthony and Kate, with little bits on the surrounding characters and hints at Benedict’s story. They could have introduced Sophie Beckett of all people! It was a real disappointment that Sophie wasn’t introduced while the antagonist the protagonist of the fifth novel had his screen time. And while some random Lord Featherington aka “Cousin Jack” appeared in every episode.
If the Netflix team had…
focused on Kate and Anthony’s love story (sticking to Julia Quinn’s plot but improving it)
left out all the unnecessary moments showing Cousin Jack, Theo, Will, Alice, and etc.
hinted at the 3rd novel while focusing on the 2nd (as the first season had focused on the 1st while hinting at 2nd) instead of setting the stage for the 4th and 5th novels,
the second season would have been even better than the first, as there wouldn’t have been the controversial scene of season 1.
Conclusion
Season 2 tried to include too many things. Image by Joanna Kosinska.
Bridgerton season 2 was a tolerable watch. A lot was happening, with mess upon mess the characters had to deal with (i.e. scandals, broken marriage, broken friendship, heartbreaks & more). But with so much going on, the show was all over the place. I have a feeling that Netflix will try to jam-pack Julia Quinn’s 4th and 5th novels (and maybe 3rd & 6th too?) all in the next two seasons. Who knows? But I definitely felt that season 2 was less focused than the last.
Despite the controversial scene, Season 1 was much more focused than Season 2. Image from Seventeen.
Farewell, Bridgerton
Bridgerton has its strong and weak points. And the show can’t satisfy everyone. So after having watched the second season that was scattered all over the place, I plan to move on from Bridgerton. I might look up what happens in the next two seasons in the future. But I definitely wouldn’t be as excited for its return as I had been for this season (i.e. draw fanarts).
I hereby end my review with a video of Nicola Coughlan (Penelope) and Claudia Jessie (Eloise) giving a tour of the Bridgerton sets:
P.S. To read my review of the 2nd Bridgerton novel, The Viscount Who Loved Me, aka Anthony’s story, click HERE.
P.P.S. Here are some season 2 reviews I found to be insightful:
The countdown has really begun for Netflix’s Bridgerton Season 2! Just 10 more days until the series return with Julia Quinn’s second Bridgerton novel, The Viscount Who Loved Me.
And the music, the costumes, and just the overall magic of everything coming together.. Bridgerton was a feast to behold and I can tell by the official trailer and clips that it still will be in 2022.
Keep Calm & Make Fan Art
Anyways, though I should have been wrapping up my third Bridgerton novel, I could not help but make a fan art of the upcoming season. Though delightful as it is to read about Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Beckett’s story, I’m too excited to NOT make fan art at this point.
So I present you my very own fan art of Bridgerton Season 2, Kate & Anthony inside Pall Mall balls:
It was a bit difficult to depict the beautiful Simone Ashley and handsome Anthony Bailey as accurately as I could, but fun nonetheless. π
HERE is another official trailer of Bridgerton Season 2 from Netflix!
*To read about my review of Bridgerton novel #2, The Viscount Who Loved Me, click HERE.
**To visit the official website of author Julia Quinn, click HERE.
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! π
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! π I love how their rivalry continues well into their marriage, as shown in the second epilogue.
Image from Netflix’s official Bridgerton Instagram page. Can’t wait for the Pall Mall games!
Anthony & Kate
The new cover of The Viscount Who Loved Me from Amazon.
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.
Young Anthony and his father Edmund Bridgerton, to be played by Rupert Evans. Image: Netflix.
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. π
Sneak peek photo from Shondaland! Image: Liam Daniel/Netflix.
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).
New characters for season 2: Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley), Mary Sharma (Shelley Conn), and Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran). The casting is perfect! Image: Netflix.
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.
Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley). Photo from Shondaland. Image: Netflix.
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:
Like the rest of the ton who watched Netflix’s first season of Bridgerton, I fell prey to the addictive series. And I fell hard, looking up details for the next season once season 1 ended ended and starting to devour the original novels written by Julia Quinn. Just a week ago, I finished reading Brigerton novel #4, Romancing Mister Bridgerton, instead of reading The Duke & I and The Viscount Who Loved Me first as would have be in order and proper.
I made the transgression as I already saw the story of Daphne and Simon via Netflix and preferred to read their story when I didn’t remember all the details. And I wanted to find out about Penelope’s fate more so than Anthony’s. Though I adored Anthony Bridgerton (played by Anthony Bailey) and was curious about his happy ending,
1) Penelope Featherington was such a lovable character (one of my favorites in Bridgerton) played by Nicola Coughlan,
2) and she’s Lady Whistledown.
So I skipped over a couple of novels and started binge-reading Romancing Mister Bridgerton. And I have no regrets whatsoever!
Penelope & Colin’s Story
It’s an entire book devoted to Penelope Featherington, a close friend of the Bridgerton family aka the BFF of Eloise Bridgerton, and her life-long crush who never really paid any attention to her: Colin Bridgerton. At least not romantically. It details how the two fall in love. Or rather, it shows how they truly get to know each other beyond mere acquaintances and become each other’s soulmates.
Julia Quinn does such a lovely job showing the two family friends become lovers that the novel leaves you smiling at the end. But I must add that like the Netflix series, it’s definitely not for young readers.
On Bridgerton
The biggest reason I started watching Bridgerton was because I had heard that it was set in the Regency Era. And although I truly adore all things Regency, Georgian, and Austenian, I was equally fascinated by the Netflix series’s unhistorical elements: the diverse cast and the pleasantly garish costumes. It was such a daring, interesting move made by the production/creative team.
And as proven by the countless fans including myself, it turned out to be refreshingly enjoyable and successful!
One thing that drew me further into the series was the excellent choice of the cast. They’re all excellent actors and actresses – I was able to see that while watching the series. But after reading Quinn’s novels, I can’t help but wonder what a great job they did with the casting. Nicola Coughlan is Penelope Featherington; Luke Newton is Colin Bridgerton. And everyone else, too, are perfect portrayals of the fictional characters of the Bridgerton world.
Not to mention the chemistry amongst the cast! Whether it be amongst the Bridgerton siblings or between Simon Bassett and Daphne Bridgerton, their relationships are incredibly believable.
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More to Come
Beautiful photograph by Katherine Hanlon.
After finishing Romancing Mister Bridgerton, I am now almost done with Eloise’s story, To Sir Philip, With Love. I must admit I prefer Penelope and Colin’s story over Eloise and Philip’s story. Where the former’s deal with friendship, love, and secrets, the latter’s deals with heavier topics like suicide, loss, childhood trauma, and parenthood in addition to love. And Sir Philip Crane is unbearable most of the time as opposed to Colin who becomes intolerable a few times (like when he was jealous of Penelope’s talent & success). Though one must consider that Philip has gone through so much, I can’t help but think that Eloise, the witty, unique heroine, deserves someone better.
I can’t wait to read the rest of the Bridgerton novels, especially Benedict’s story, An Offer from a Gentleman, as Benedict is one of my favorite characters (after Penelope and Eloise). But I’ve read someone say that in the novel Benedict asks his love interest, Sophie Beckett, to become his mistress and that…is unromantic to say the least.
Well, season 2 starts March 25th 2022! Click HERE for the first look showing Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma (Kate Sheffield in Quinn’s book, The Viscount Who Loved Me). π
The Time Traveler is an upcoming author who holds great appreciation for both classic literature and history. The author aspires to publish historical fictions and other written works in the near future, in hopes of creating works that entertain, inform, and inspire.
The author also appreciates all things aesthetic and enjoys traveling around the world to learn and observe.
