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Bridgertons #5
To Sir Phillip, With Love
Sir Phillip knew from his correspondence with his dead wife's distant cousin that Eloise Bridgerton was a spinster, and so he'd proposed, figuring that she'd be homely and unassuming, and more than a little desperate for an offer of marriage. Except . . . she wasn't. The beautiful woman on his doorstep was anything but quiet, and when she stopped talking long enough to close her mouth, all he wanted to do was kiss her...
Eloise Bridgerton couldn't marry a man she had never met! But then she started thinking... and wondering... and before she knew it, she was in a hired carriage in the middle of the night, on her way to meet the man she hoped might be her perfect match. Except... he wasn't. Her perfect husband wouldn't be so moody and ill-mannered. And he certainly should have mentioned that he had two young - and decidedly unruly - children, as much in need of a mother as Phillip is in need of a wife.
an alternate cover edition can be found here
Eloise Bridgerton couldn't marry a man she had never met! But then she started thinking... and wondering... and before she knew it, she was in a hired carriage in the middle of the night, on her way to meet the man she hoped might be her perfect match. Except... he wasn't. Her perfect husband wouldn't be so moody and ill-mannered. And he certainly should have mentioned that he had two young - and decidedly unruly - children, as much in need of a mother as Phillip is in need of a wife.
an alternate cover edition can be found here
372 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2003
About the author
Julia Quinn
139 books43k followers#1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn loves to dispel the myth that smart women don't read (or write) romance, and and if you watch reruns of the game show The Weakest Link you might just catch her winning the $79,000 jackpot. She displayed a decided lack of knowledge about baseball, country music, and plush toys, but she is proud to say that she aced all things British and literary, answered all of her history and geography questions correctly, and knew that there was a Da Vinci long before there was a code.
A graduate of Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges, Ms. Quinn is one of only sixteen members of Romance Writers of America’s Hall of Fame. Her books have been translated into 32 languages, and she lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest.
The Bridgertons, her popular series of historical romance, is currently in production by Shondaland as a Netflix original series starring Julie Andrews, Phoebe Dynevor, and Rége-Jean Page.
A graduate of Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges, Ms. Quinn is one of only sixteen members of Romance Writers of America’s Hall of Fame. Her books have been translated into 32 languages, and she lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest.
The Bridgertons, her popular series of historical romance, is currently in production by Shondaland as a Netflix original series starring Julie Andrews, Phoebe Dynevor, and Rége-Jean Page.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 18,812 reviews
November 24, 2018
This is fifth in the series and the couples from the others show up periodically in this one. They aren't terribly important, though, so this one is relatively self-contained. It's probably good if you've read Romancing Mister Bridgerton, though.
Wow was this one a waste of time. I definitely expected better characterization for Eloise but she's mostly just generic Regency girl with a side of "doesn't she talk a lot?" Phillip, on the other hand, is a self-centered snot-weasel and never actually gets past that. He sure loves his plants. And that's fine, I guess. But he neglects his children and seriously expects to spend all day every day at his "work". I'm not sure what that work is, but there sure seemed to be a lot of it judging by how much time he spends doing anything else (i.e. none). I almost threw a fit when (this happens in the first quarter, so I'm not going to spoiler-tag it) it becomes clear that something is wrong with his children and he's all "I'm such a bad father, I'd better make sure I keep my distance. Oh, and if I can find the perfect mother for them, that'd make everything all right. Heck, it'd practically make me father of the year!" So his plan to help his children is a) avoid them and b) find someone else to fix it. I should have stopped reading then because .
And then he shows Eloise his idea of "seeing if we suit" by . I can't even tell you how broken that is and am struggling to come up with some reasonable explanation for what Quinn was thinking for that scene. Personally, it sealed my dislike of Phillip and made me uninterested in him altogether.
I have no idea why I completed this. It literally never got better. Even when they got married, he's still a complete waste of ink. He's all overjoyed that
Don't get the idea that he's the only thing wrong with the story. Warning flags went up when the letter excerpts that were supposed to show them connecting were so banal. And then we have Eloise who talks a good game about how she has a billion siblings and is down to all the tricks. Except the ones the twins play on her, of course. She thinks she manages a stalemate with the eight year-olds but if you actually kept score, they cleaned her clock. Yeah, her kindness won out, and that's a good thing, but so much for the characterization that she's all that because of her background.
Anyway, this is one star and almost all of that is Phillip. Eloise's character issues would have dragged a normal story down a star, but Phillip already tanked this one so deep there was no going deeper.
A note about Steamy: There are three explicit sex scenes. I think. I didn't care enough to keep more careful track. The middle of my steam tolerance at any rate. They're all magically delicious because Phillip and Eloise are so well suited, you know...
Wow was this one a waste of time. I definitely expected better characterization for Eloise but she's mostly just generic Regency girl with a side of "doesn't she talk a lot?" Phillip, on the other hand, is a self-centered snot-weasel and never actually gets past that. He sure loves his plants. And that's fine, I guess. But he neglects his children and seriously expects to spend all day every day at his "work". I'm not sure what that work is, but there sure seemed to be a lot of it judging by how much time he spends doing anything else (i.e. none). I almost threw a fit when (this happens in the first quarter, so I'm not going to spoiler-tag it) it becomes clear that something is wrong with his children and he's all "I'm such a bad father, I'd better make sure I keep my distance. Oh, and if I can find the perfect mother for them, that'd make everything all right. Heck, it'd practically make me father of the year!" So his plan to help his children is a) avoid them and b) find someone else to fix it. I should have stopped reading then because .
And then he shows Eloise his idea of "seeing if we suit" by . I can't even tell you how broken that is and am struggling to come up with some reasonable explanation for what Quinn was thinking for that scene. Personally, it sealed my dislike of Phillip and made me uninterested in him altogether.
I have no idea why I completed this. It literally never got better. Even when they got married, he's still a complete waste of ink. He's all overjoyed that
Don't get the idea that he's the only thing wrong with the story. Warning flags went up when the letter excerpts that were supposed to show them connecting were so banal. And then we have Eloise who talks a good game about how she has a billion siblings and is down to all the tricks. Except the ones the twins play on her, of course. She thinks she manages a stalemate with the eight year-olds but if you actually kept score, they cleaned her clock. Yeah, her kindness won out, and that's a good thing, but so much for the characterization that she's all that because of her background.
Anyway, this is one star and almost all of that is Phillip. Eloise's character issues would have dragged a normal story down a star, but Phillip already tanked this one so deep there was no going deeper.
A note about Steamy: There are three explicit sex scenes. I think. I didn't care enough to keep more careful track. The middle of my steam tolerance at any rate. They're all magically delicious because Phillip and Eloise are so well suited, you know...
March 12, 2012
Fuck off, Sir Philip, fuck off fuck off fuck off.
September 26, 2024
Wow. This was a weird one.
I was looking forward to Eloise's book because she always seemed so unconventional and spunky. So, for her to kind of end up getting married off rather quietly to a guy who reallyreallyreally wanted a mother for his children. And all because she suddenly decided she didn't want to be alone? Well, it didn't make my heart go pitty-pat.
Plus, Eloise is annoying. Like, so annoying and bossy. She never shuts up and she has an opinion on everything. And we're supposed to find that endearing?
I don't know about anyone else, but I don't personally find bossy know-it-alls charming. In real life, everyone avoids them like the plague. For good reason.
But then at the same time, she acts like this super-proper wife who doesn't want to cause any waves in her marriage. She's willing to take care of all the problems with Philip's kids and estate during the day and be his marathon lover at night.
It's like there were two separate characters. Eloise the Obnoxious Brat and Eloise the Long-Suffering Adult.
Philip. Ugh. Philip was so freaking lazy as a father. He was obnoxiously thrilled to let Eloise run everything so that he could dig in the dirt and do his experiments.
I think he was supposed to come off as this lovable absent-minded professor, but he just made me kind of sick.
At first, he seems to have no human feelings. But after a few weeks of sex, and a few dramatic moments, he decides YES! I LOVE HER!
Ok, fine. It's a romance, after all.
The way Quinn dealt with Philip's first wife's depression was a tad iffy. There was a lot of (what seemed like) blame placed on her for being mopey & suicidal, and there wasn't a lot of care taken to point out that none of this was her particular fault. But I imagine that's how it would have gone down back in the day, especially since they didn't really have therapists for that sort of thing at the time.
However, I did think it was fine to point out how it can completely derail your life to live with someone who has an illness like clinical depression. I'm not blaming the person who is sick, but if you've ever lived with someone who deals with it, you know what I'm talking about. And most people who are involved with someone like that are too busy putting out fires and taking up the slack to get any sort of support for themselves if any even exists. The caretaker is the support system and fuck you if you're not completely thrilled to deal with the aftermath of whatever problems your person is causing. And while I love that people with mental health issues are finally getting more of the understanding that they need, I think a light needs to be shined on the spouses, parents, children, and long-term partners of people with these issues, as well.
Again, I find myself torn by Quinn's writing. I enjoy listening to her books because they're light and fluffy, but they are usually lacking that whatever it is that would make me love the story. Perhaps it's because they are Regency romances and stick too close to the way things really would have been, instead of how I would like to see them written. If so, that's my fault.
However, I can't help but be disappointed by Eloise turning out to be so lackluster.
This is definitely readable (or listenable, in my case), but not going down as a favorite.
I was looking forward to Eloise's book because she always seemed so unconventional and spunky. So, for her to kind of end up getting married off rather quietly to a guy who reallyreallyreally wanted a mother for his children. And all because she suddenly decided she didn't want to be alone? Well, it didn't make my heart go pitty-pat.
Plus, Eloise is annoying. Like, so annoying and bossy. She never shuts up and she has an opinion on everything. And we're supposed to find that endearing?
I don't know about anyone else, but I don't personally find bossy know-it-alls charming. In real life, everyone avoids them like the plague. For good reason.
But then at the same time, she acts like this super-proper wife who doesn't want to cause any waves in her marriage. She's willing to take care of all the problems with Philip's kids and estate during the day and be his marathon lover at night.
It's like there were two separate characters. Eloise the Obnoxious Brat and Eloise the Long-Suffering Adult.
Philip. Ugh. Philip was so freaking lazy as a father. He was obnoxiously thrilled to let Eloise run everything so that he could dig in the dirt and do his experiments.
I think he was supposed to come off as this lovable absent-minded professor, but he just made me kind of sick.
At first, he seems to have no human feelings. But after a few weeks of sex, and a few dramatic moments, he decides YES! I LOVE HER!
Ok, fine. It's a romance, after all.
The way Quinn dealt with Philip's first wife's depression was a tad iffy. There was a lot of (what seemed like) blame placed on her for being mopey & suicidal, and there wasn't a lot of care taken to point out that none of this was her particular fault. But I imagine that's how it would have gone down back in the day, especially since they didn't really have therapists for that sort of thing at the time.
However, I did think it was fine to point out how it can completely derail your life to live with someone who has an illness like clinical depression. I'm not blaming the person who is sick, but if you've ever lived with someone who deals with it, you know what I'm talking about. And most people who are involved with someone like that are too busy putting out fires and taking up the slack to get any sort of support for themselves if any even exists. The caretaker is the support system and fuck you if you're not completely thrilled to deal with the aftermath of whatever problems your person is causing. And while I love that people with mental health issues are finally getting more of the understanding that they need, I think a light needs to be shined on the spouses, parents, children, and long-term partners of people with these issues, as well.
Again, I find myself torn by Quinn's writing. I enjoy listening to her books because they're light and fluffy, but they are usually lacking that whatever it is that would make me love the story. Perhaps it's because they are Regency romances and stick too close to the way things really would have been, instead of how I would like to see them written. If so, that's my fault.
However, I can't help but be disappointed by Eloise turning out to be so lackluster.
This is definitely readable (or listenable, in my case), but not going down as a favorite.
May 17, 2024
✨To Sir Phillip, With Extreme and Utter Disgust, You’re Tacky and I Hate You✨
Hell hath no fury like a person who just read a really bad book. It’s me. I hath the fury. Okay so I’m mad, I’m indignant, and I’m mad confused about what the hell I just read.
So for about 50% of the book I was making excuses for Phillip and was desperately hoping that he would turn out to be only a tiny dick with a big heart. Unfortunately for me, he ended the book as a massive dick and reverse Grinched us y'all! He got out the ol Uno reverse card and just shrunk the hell out of his heart. He ended the book so low in my opinion I shall quote the best movie of the 21st century, Moneyball: There are well written men, poorly written men, 50 feet of crap, and then there’s Phillip.
See our Phillip, our Phillip is special:
✨He openly admits that he only wanted a wife to be a mother to his unruly children and to “take over all the annoying little tasks of life”—takes courage.
✨Clearly states he hates and doesn’t listen when his wife talks—so bold.
✨Would rather fornicate with a plant than a person—quirky really.
✨Hasn’t had sex in ages so he deserves to just bang with abandon because “that’s what married people do” even when there’s a very important conversation trying to be had in regards to the safety of his children—peak masculinity.
✨Completely steamrolls his wife’s entire personality—amazing Bob the Builder energy.
✨Invalidates his wife’s emotions and feelings about their marriage because he doesn’t feel the same way and had a “sad” wife before, so now he wants a “happy” wife to complete the set—a true collector.
Phillip is not morally grey, no. He’s morally puce. That color sounds terrible, Phillip is terrible; it’s a match made in a puce wallpapered hell. There were multiple occasions where consent was assumed, lines were blurry, and he just ~knew~ she liked it. I really couldn’t stomach it. He was such a dick mountain and I never want to climb that ever again. I simply cannot imagine how this made it through editorial.
WE WERE ROOTING FOR YOU, TO SIR PHILLIP WITH LOVE, WE WERE ALL ROOTING FOR YOU. Like many, Eloise was my favorite Bridgerton character in the show so I was super excited for this one. It makes me sad that viewers will go specifically to this book, potentially venturing into historical romance for the first time, and this mess is what they get.
The only thing that redeemed this even slightly was the second epilogue. Now THAT’S a story I want more of. Barely any Phillip, a cinnamon roll hero, and an interesting heroine.
⭐️/5 | 🌶.*/5
*the plants got more action than Eloise
Hell hath no fury like a person who just read a really bad book. It’s me. I hath the fury. Okay so I’m mad, I’m indignant, and I’m mad confused about what the hell I just read.
So for about 50% of the book I was making excuses for Phillip and was desperately hoping that he would turn out to be only a tiny dick with a big heart. Unfortunately for me, he ended the book as a massive dick and reverse Grinched us y'all! He got out the ol Uno reverse card and just shrunk the hell out of his heart. He ended the book so low in my opinion I shall quote the best movie of the 21st century, Moneyball: There are well written men, poorly written men, 50 feet of crap, and then there’s Phillip.
See our Phillip, our Phillip is special:
✨He openly admits that he only wanted a wife to be a mother to his unruly children and to “take over all the annoying little tasks of life”—takes courage.
✨Clearly states he hates and doesn’t listen when his wife talks—so bold.
✨Would rather fornicate with a plant than a person—quirky really.
✨Hasn’t had sex in ages so he deserves to just bang with abandon because “that’s what married people do” even when there’s a very important conversation trying to be had in regards to the safety of his children—peak masculinity.
✨Completely steamrolls his wife’s entire personality—amazing Bob the Builder energy.
✨Invalidates his wife’s emotions and feelings about their marriage because he doesn’t feel the same way and had a “sad” wife before, so now he wants a “happy” wife to complete the set—a true collector.
Phillip is not morally grey, no. He’s morally puce. That color sounds terrible, Phillip is terrible; it’s a match made in a puce wallpapered hell. There were multiple occasions where consent was assumed, lines were blurry, and he just ~knew~ she liked it. I really couldn’t stomach it. He was such a dick mountain and I never want to climb that ever again. I simply cannot imagine how this made it through editorial.
WE WERE ROOTING FOR YOU, TO SIR PHILLIP WITH LOVE, WE WERE ALL ROOTING FOR YOU. Like many, Eloise was my favorite Bridgerton character in the show so I was super excited for this one. It makes me sad that viewers will go specifically to this book, potentially venturing into historical romance for the first time, and this mess is what they get.
The only thing that redeemed this even slightly was the second epilogue. Now THAT’S a story I want more of. Barely any Phillip, a cinnamon roll hero, and an interesting heroine.
⭐️/5 | 🌶.*/5
*the plants got more action than Eloise
February 25, 2021
Hopefully Netflix makes something out this mess, bye.
June 17, 2014
This was never going to be more than just a two-star book for me. The plot was lackluster, and the main characters were bland at best. There was neither wit in their dialogue nor sparkle in their relationship, and for an awfully large chunk of the book I was almost bored.
But what really pushed this over the edge was a little blurb at the book’s climax. Eloise had rightly pointed out some flaws in her and Phillip’s relationship. Instead of listening to her concerns, Phillip had a nice little tantrum wherein he claimed that, because he had previously had a much unhappier existence with his ex-wife, Eloise had no right to complain about the shortcomings in their current relationship.
Negating one person’s unhappiness because it’s not equal to the unhappiness that others have felt in the past is kind of like saying, “I don’t care if you have strep throat. Because you’ve never had cancer, you don’t really know what it’s like to suffer, so I’m not going to bother taking you to the doctor to get it fixed.” It was more than a little repulsive that was part of the emotional climax of the book, and represented the characters’ happily ever after. I hate, hate, hate it when passionately-delivered stupidity is supposed to serve as a substitute for passion.
But what really pushed this over the edge was a little blurb at the book’s climax. Eloise had rightly pointed out some flaws in her and Phillip’s relationship. Instead of listening to her concerns, Phillip had a nice little tantrum wherein he claimed that, because he had previously had a much unhappier existence with his ex-wife, Eloise had no right to complain about the shortcomings in their current relationship.
Negating one person’s unhappiness because it’s not equal to the unhappiness that others have felt in the past is kind of like saying, “I don’t care if you have strep throat. Because you’ve never had cancer, you don’t really know what it’s like to suffer, so I’m not going to bother taking you to the doctor to get it fixed.” It was more than a little repulsive that was part of the emotional climax of the book, and represented the characters’ happily ever after. I hate, hate, hate it when passionately-delivered stupidity is supposed to serve as a substitute for passion.
May 24, 2022
The men in this series are so infuriating. Anger issues are not hot. And I do not understand why Julia Quinn feels the need to add in a bunch of obscure words, someone please confiscate her thesaurus. And after you confiscate her thesaurus, give her a dictionary so that she can look up the definition of consent. But I liked the family dynamics and these books are really fast and easy reads, so two stars it is.
March 11, 2024
The one with all the red flags
May 23, 2023
3.75 Stars
August 18, 2021
”Men. The day they learn to admit to a mistake was the day they became women”.
Cuando dije por Instagram que estaba leyendo este quinto libro de la saga Bridgerton, muchos me escribieron diciéndome que era su favorito y, para ser completamente sincera, es el que menos me ha gustado de toda la serie.
En este libro nos encontramos con Eloise que, a sus 28 años, ya se considera una solterona y, aunque no está buscando activamente un marido, se siente un poco dejada de lado tras la boda de Colin con su mejor amiga Penelope. Sin embargo, desde la muerte de Marina, su prima, Eloise ha estado enviándose cartas con quien fuera su esposo, Sir Phillip, un barón de Gloucestershire. Llega un punto en el que Sir Phillip le propone en una carta que vaya a conocerlo y que, si se llevan bien, se casen. Y Eloise, abrumada por su ordinaria vida en Londres y por todo el asunto de Colin y Penelope, se escapa a la otra punta del país para ver por primera vez en persona a este hombre, pero el problema es que quizá no es tal y como se lo imaginó.
A decir verdad, desde que Eloise llegó a Gloucestershire y Sir Phillip la recibió con la sorpresa de que tenía dos hijos y, al menos al principio, de que solo se quería casar con ella para que tuvieran una madre… creo que me perdieron. Con A Sir Phillip, con amor no me sucedió lo que con los otros libros: flechazos inmediatos, Isa amando locamente a los personajes, queriendo saber más de la historia, etc. No, no me pasó. De hecho, creo que no fue sino hasta el final cuando Sir Phillip me empezó a caer medianamente bien. ¿Y Eloise? Sentí que su personalidad, al menos como nos la habían pintado en los anteriores libros, se perdió durante el 80% de la trama.
Creo que lo que más disfruté del libro fue cuando aparecieron los cuatro hermanos Bridgerton (Anthony, Benedict, Colin y Gregory) para defender el honor de su hermana y amenazar a Sir Philip con cortarle los… bueno, me entienden. Esos capítulos del libro los disfruté muchísimo por los malentendidos, las bromas y el espíritu competitivo que había entre todos ellos. Sin embargo, cuando todos se fueron y volvieron a ser sólo Eloise y Sir Phillip… como que todo perdió color.
En fin, que ya sabía que era imposible que me encantaran los ochocientos setenta y dos libros que tiene la serie de Bridgerton, pero aún así me decepcioné. Eso sí, tengo muchísima curiosidad por llegar al libro de Francesca. No sé por qué, pero siento que oculta algo bastante interesante.
Cuando dije por Instagram que estaba leyendo este quinto libro de la saga Bridgerton, muchos me escribieron diciéndome que era su favorito y, para ser completamente sincera, es el que menos me ha gustado de toda la serie.
En este libro nos encontramos con Eloise que, a sus 28 años, ya se considera una solterona y, aunque no está buscando activamente un marido, se siente un poco dejada de lado tras la boda de Colin con su mejor amiga Penelope. Sin embargo, desde la muerte de Marina, su prima, Eloise ha estado enviándose cartas con quien fuera su esposo, Sir Phillip, un barón de Gloucestershire. Llega un punto en el que Sir Phillip le propone en una carta que vaya a conocerlo y que, si se llevan bien, se casen. Y Eloise, abrumada por su ordinaria vida en Londres y por todo el asunto de Colin y Penelope, se escapa a la otra punta del país para ver por primera vez en persona a este hombre, pero el problema es que quizá no es tal y como se lo imaginó.
A decir verdad, desde que Eloise llegó a Gloucestershire y Sir Phillip la recibió con la sorpresa de que tenía dos hijos y, al menos al principio, de que solo se quería casar con ella para que tuvieran una madre… creo que me perdieron. Con A Sir Phillip, con amor no me sucedió lo que con los otros libros: flechazos inmediatos, Isa amando locamente a los personajes, queriendo saber más de la historia, etc. No, no me pasó. De hecho, creo que no fue sino hasta el final cuando Sir Phillip me empezó a caer medianamente bien. ¿Y Eloise? Sentí que su personalidad, al menos como nos la habían pintado en los anteriores libros, se perdió durante el 80% de la trama.
Creo que lo que más disfruté del libro fue cuando aparecieron los cuatro hermanos Bridgerton (Anthony, Benedict, Colin y Gregory) para defender el honor de su hermana y amenazar a Sir Philip con cortarle los… bueno, me entienden. Esos capítulos del libro los disfruté muchísimo por los malentendidos, las bromas y el espíritu competitivo que había entre todos ellos. Sin embargo, cuando todos se fueron y volvieron a ser sólo Eloise y Sir Phillip… como que todo perdió color.
En fin, que ya sabía que era imposible que me encantaran los ochocientos setenta y dos libros que tiene la serie de Bridgerton, pero aún así me decepcioné. Eso sí, tengo muchísima curiosidad por llegar al libro de Francesca. No sé por qué, pero siento que oculta algo bastante interesante.
August 23, 2024
I didn't like Phillip so much but Eloise is a gem. FRTC.
Omg. Eloise's story?! 😭 I can not freaking wait -
“𝑀𝑒𝓃. 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝒶𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓃𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝒶𝒹𝓂𝒾𝓉 𝓉𝑜 𝒶 𝓂𝒾𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓀𝑒 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝒶𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝒶𝓂𝑒 𝓌𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓃.” 🤭
Omg. Eloise's story?! 😭 I can not freaking wait -
“𝑀𝑒𝓃. 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝒶𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓃𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝒶𝒹𝓂𝒾𝓉 𝓉𝑜 𝒶 𝓂𝒾𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓀𝑒 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝒶𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝒶𝓂𝑒 𝓌𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓃.” 🤭
January 15, 2021
I don't have the best track record with the Bridgertons series (I know, blasphemy), but I'm making my way through all of my unread books in the series prior to the release of the Netflix series. Yes, I am very excited for the show even if I have had mixed results with the books. It's a show based off of a romance series! I feel like a proud mama.
So where does To Sir Phillip, With Love fall in my Bridgerton scale? Squarely in the middle.
I liked the story, even a lot at times, but I kept frowning at how stupid Philip acted. Why do you keep insisting and telling your wife over and over again how you want her to care for your kids and that's basically it? Stop calling having a wife convenient! Ugh, I wanted to smack him. Hard. He liked how clever and chatty Eloise was when it suited him, but when it didn't, he just acted annoyed. I wanted some good apologies for his behavior, and I felt frustrated with him, even though he sort of redeemed himself at the end. Sort of.
There were some cute moments with the entire Bridgerton clan, and I liked Eloise a great deal, so I left the book feeling reasonably happy. Here's to hoping I have some luck with the remainder of the series.
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So where does To Sir Phillip, With Love fall in my Bridgerton scale? Squarely in the middle.
I liked the story, even a lot at times, but I kept frowning at how stupid Philip acted. Why do you keep insisting and telling your wife over and over again how you want her to care for your kids and that's basically it? Stop calling having a wife convenient! Ugh, I wanted to smack him. Hard. He liked how clever and chatty Eloise was when it suited him, but when it didn't, he just acted annoyed. I wanted some good apologies for his behavior, and I felt frustrated with him, even though he sort of redeemed himself at the end. Sort of.
There were some cute moments with the entire Bridgerton clan, and I liked Eloise a great deal, so I left the book feeling reasonably happy. Here's to hoping I have some luck with the remainder of the series.
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June 28, 2020
Argh
Phillip was awful. It's so nice to hear that he had such a difficult time with his depressed wife, who he resented. That depressed people aren't worth it, and make everyone else's lives miserable too. That we're selfish.
He was terrible to Eloise too.
Eloise was great, though. Except when she was excusing Phillip.
Phillip was awful. It's so nice to hear that he had such a difficult time with his depressed wife, who he resented. That depressed people aren't worth it, and make everyone else's lives miserable too. That we're selfish.
He was terrible to Eloise too.
Eloise was great, though. Except when she was excusing Phillip.
April 17, 2021
4.25 stars
I couldn’t wait to get to Eloise Bridgerton’s story. She’s one of my favorite characters throughout the books and I loved this one!
Eloise is a twenty eight year old spinster, and after her best friend/fellow spinster gets engaged, she starts to feel some kind of way. She’s been corresponding by letter to her distant cousin’s widow, and when he suggests marriage, she thinks something she never thought before… maybe. Just maybe.
Eloise goes to see Sir Phillip Crane and is surprised to see he has children. Two unruly and wild children. There were parts of this book that were so fun. I loved the kids and Eloise with them. There were also emotional parts looking back into Phillip’s past. And when the Bridgerton brother’s show up… that was the absolute best! I think Eloise found her match with Phillip and I enjoyed this one so much!
I couldn’t wait to get to Eloise Bridgerton’s story. She’s one of my favorite characters throughout the books and I loved this one!
Eloise is a twenty eight year old spinster, and after her best friend/fellow spinster gets engaged, she starts to feel some kind of way. She’s been corresponding by letter to her distant cousin’s widow, and when he suggests marriage, she thinks something she never thought before… maybe. Just maybe.
Eloise goes to see Sir Phillip Crane and is surprised to see he has children. Two unruly and wild children. There were parts of this book that were so fun. I loved the kids and Eloise with them. There were also emotional parts looking back into Phillip’s past. And when the Bridgerton brother’s show up… that was the absolute best! I think Eloise found her match with Phillip and I enjoyed this one so much!
Audio book source: Hoopla (library borrow)
Story Rating: 4.25 stars
Narrators: Rosalyn Landor
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Historical Romance
Length: 10 hours and 26 minutes
December 31, 2020
TW for child abuse and suicide.
I really enjoyed this one! This might be my second favorite? Maybe third behind The Duke and I. I really loved how Phillip was a single father and how he needed a mother for his children. He was a damaged hero and had no idea how to even be around his own children. As always, the prologue was heartbreaking.
I loved the overbearing brothers and the family scenes in this one! I also adored Phillip's children and how Eloise interacted with them. Eloise was a fun character and it was charming watching her show up at Phillip's house with the intent to marry him.
While I don't have any complaints, there's just something stopping me from giving it a full five stars. I loved it while I was reading it, but when I finished and think about it, there's nothing amazing or that I remember loving or swooning over? So a solid four!
I really enjoyed this one! This might be my second favorite? Maybe third behind The Duke and I. I really loved how Phillip was a single father and how he needed a mother for his children. He was a damaged hero and had no idea how to even be around his own children. As always, the prologue was heartbreaking.
I loved the overbearing brothers and the family scenes in this one! I also adored Phillip's children and how Eloise interacted with them. Eloise was a fun character and it was charming watching her show up at Phillip's house with the intent to marry him.
While I don't have any complaints, there's just something stopping me from giving it a full five stars. I loved it while I was reading it, but when I finished and think about it, there's nothing amazing or that I remember loving or swooning over? So a solid four!
August 14, 2018
As someone who was diagnosed with depression and has a history with physical abuse, I am disappointed with the author of this book that there was no nuance and care in her writing when dealing with these issues. I know and understand that the belief and behaviour of Sir Phillip to his first wife was a reflection of the time period but it was very triggering to read about Sir Phillip's blasé attitude towards his first wife and even go so far as to say that she was a burden to him and was relieved that she's gone. After I read that part of the story, I couldn't continue and had to shelf the book as unfinished.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 20, 2019
"...any day with you."
Wow. I did not expect to fall in love with this book so much. But that ending... that freakin' ending just blew me away. What a sad existence Sir Phillip lived. And I'll have to be honest, I did not like this man very much. Not until the very end. But boy oh boy did he blow my knickers off at the end. I had planned on taking a break with the series after this book. But now... I think I must move forward. I am humbled Ms Quinn by your ability to spin a story.
February 3, 2021
Are you effing kidding me? This was so bad. Zero stars. What the f*ck.
First of all, the way Phillip dismisses his first wife's depression and always treats her like a burden for being depressed… I understand that it's not easy to deal with somebody who's dealing with depression, but IMAGINE ACTUALLY DEALING WITH DEPRESSION? There are no words to express how bad this is. Just. Icing on the cake is that he
His whole goal since the beginning is finding himself a wife to bring laughter to his home and in his life, and to be a good mother to his children. This is because, although the children beg him to spend time together, he wants to shut himself in his greenhouse all day, every day, and not care for them. This is because, in his view, he's a bad parent, so there's no use trying. GUESS WHAT, PHILLIP. GUESS WHY YOU'RE A BAD FATHER. So what you're thinking is, well, that's just the starting point. He'll grow and change his ways and attitude towards his life and children. Well, I thought so too. And guess what: Icing on the cake here?
Which brings us to the worst thing about him—yeah, it wasn't any of the horrible things listed above, if you can believe it.
Eloise flattens herself at every turn to accomodate him, and I HATE IT. I HATE IT.
So, to sum up, VERY unbalanced and unhealthy relationship, bad man, the only thing that works in their relationship is sex. And even there, I have some thoughts™, but this is too long already.
First of all, the way Phillip dismisses his first wife's depression and always treats her like a burden for being depressed… I understand that it's not easy to deal with somebody who's dealing with depression, but IMAGINE ACTUALLY DEALING WITH DEPRESSION? There are no words to express how bad this is. Just. Icing on the cake is that he
His whole goal since the beginning is finding himself a wife to bring laughter to his home and in his life, and to be a good mother to his children. This is because, although the children beg him to spend time together, he wants to shut himself in his greenhouse all day, every day, and not care for them. This is because, in his view, he's a bad parent, so there's no use trying. GUESS WHAT, PHILLIP. GUESS WHY YOU'RE A BAD FATHER. So what you're thinking is, well, that's just the starting point. He'll grow and change his ways and attitude towards his life and children. Well, I thought so too. And guess what: Icing on the cake here?
Which brings us to the worst thing about him—yeah, it wasn't any of the horrible things listed above, if you can believe it.
Eloise flattens herself at every turn to accomodate him, and I HATE IT. I HATE IT.
So, to sum up, VERY unbalanced and unhealthy relationship, bad man, the only thing that works in their relationship is sex. And even there, I have some thoughts™, but this is too long already.
April 7, 2022
No idea how I forgot to rate this, but it's hands down the best Bridgerton book for me!
October 15, 2018
Another fun read and Phillip was the third hero, after Simon and Anthony, where daddy played a big role in how their life. Sadly it was bad influence here and innocent kids had to suffer. In all three books, this influence played a huge part in some of the vital decisions that our heroes took and it felt a little repetitive
December 31, 2020
How is it that with each of these books I fall deeper, and more madly in love with these characters. I always knew Eloise Bridgerton was special. This book just took my heart, and meshed it into something beautiful. I have laughed, cried, clutched my chest, and just hugged this book at times throughout my reading journey. The Bridgerton brothers, I can assure you brought on all the chuckles with those protective big brother vibes, and one younger.
“Men. The day they learned to admit to a mistake was the day they became women.”
Eloise is such a special woman, and was so sure of herself. She truly inspired me, making me feel things. She wasn’t afraid to take the bull by the horns so to speak, and make her own way.
“I had to do something," she said. "I couldn't just sit and wait for life to happen to me any longer.”
Her and Philip’s love story was so uniquely different, and perfect. I just want to stay here a little while, and just relish in this feeling.
Anthony, and his talk with his younger sister really pulled on my heart strings. I will end with this quote:
“Love your siblings. Love them well,
for they are your blood, and when you are unsure,or times are difficult, they will be the ones to stand by your side.”
“Men. The day they learned to admit to a mistake was the day they became women.”
Eloise is such a special woman, and was so sure of herself. She truly inspired me, making me feel things. She wasn’t afraid to take the bull by the horns so to speak, and make her own way.
“I had to do something," she said. "I couldn't just sit and wait for life to happen to me any longer.”
Her and Philip’s love story was so uniquely different, and perfect. I just want to stay here a little while, and just relish in this feeling.
Anthony, and his talk with his younger sister really pulled on my heart strings. I will end with this quote:
“Love your siblings. Love them well,
for they are your blood, and when you are unsure,or times are difficult, they will be the ones to stand by your side.”
August 8, 2022
I’m afraid I have to be honest with myself in this one, even if it’s an unpopular opinion: I don’t hate this book, or rather, I don’t hate Phillip…. In fact, I liked him. Go on, chastise me for enjoying myself.
Plot
Feeling unsatisfied and terrified of life, Eloise ran away from home to meet a stranger. Well, not actually a stranger. Someone she knew only on paper. They had been corresponding for a year, and he has invited her to his country home to see if they would suit. She came unannounced to Sir Phillips's home, and found out he has children! and is in fact in desperate need of help. Or, more specifically, a wife. Because his kids are…to put it mildly, actual satans.
To be frank, I do not know why people hate Phillip. He’s not the best, sure, but he’s just a flawed guy. I actually like him more than Colin Bridgerton, no surprise there.
Honestly, I found it baffling that people hated Phillip. He doesn’t deserve all the hate thrown at him. People call him a rapist, a bad father, a loner, and whatever else. Let me just say, people give Eloise no credit at all. Our heroine is the smartest girl in Bridgerton and you don’t think she thought this through? The smartest girl, of course, wouldn’t give her heart away THAT easily. Phillip must have something (and yes, he does).
Lets' transition into #phillipdefensesociety
Let’s list it, shall we -*spoilers-* : (1)He honoured his brother’s promise and gave up his life as an academic to marry his brother’s intended and took up the family’s responsibility. (2) Honored his vows to his depressed wife he didn’t pick nor love, never took a mistress (3) Didn’t take advantage of his wife’s mental state and actually tried to help her, actually respected her for being the mother of his children, and tried to make her happy despite always failing miserably (4) Despite his abused childhood, he treated his children with respect and sometimes afraid of being too disciplined because he didn’t want to become his abusive father. (5) He Always apologised when he lost his temper and actually self-aware of his behaviour, that’s why he’s always hard on himself. AND LASTLY: (6) He spends lots of time in the garden not because he hated his children, but because he is afraid of being a bad father. I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH. He was abused. He is SCARED of turning into his father. He doesn’t know how to do dad things. He is alone in this world for god’s sake. His first wife is horrid, he got physically and mentally abused as a kid, and when he found his love for botany, his brother had to go out and die, forcing him into a life he didn’t want. BUT WHAT DID HE DO? He’s done the honourable thing every time. God forbid a man cannot be the perfect father because he’s scared shitless! Goodness, He didn’t know what to do, people! Have some fucking sympathy.
I am so sick of flawed heroes being the subject of hate. Phillip is nowhere near villainous. Actually, when we think about it… everything he did was for other people. His life is terrible ngl. He is the most selfless hero in the Bridgerton series so far. He was not even thirty when his life went to shit. Actually, I think he was rather young (early 20s) when he lost his normal life. Since then, he dedicated his life to other people. Compare this to other Bridgerton heroes (almost all has some rakish qualities). Phillip is just this clueless introverted botanist who knew more about flowers than people. To top it all off, he is honourable. That has to count for something.
The perfect hero doesn’t have to be brooding, handsome, confident, suave and worldly. We actually get to learn this because Eloise expected Phillip to be perfect. But, at the end of the day, his imperfection is so human that it made Eloise snap out of her daydream and grow up.
Don’t get me wrong, Phillip is not my favourite Bridgerton hero. But he is NOT EVIL for god’s sake. We have got to leave him alone and let him be in love with Eloise in peace.
Also, let’s give Eloise some credit. People actually rant about her deserving better. Better could be referring to a handsome man, lots of fortune, high status, an academic, with no kids. UGh. As much as I dislike Phillip’s kids, Eloise clearly has no problem with it. She doesn’t care about the fortune, title, or his introvertedness either.
Overall, I think this one is not bad. I just have a lot of passion because I don’t think Phillip deserve the hate. God forbid readers have empathy for an imperfect hero! smh.
Anyways, enough of me defending Phillip. All you have to know is that he’s not my fave but nowhere near the worst.
This book doesn’t have that fairytale feeling like Benedict, or the easygoing vibe like Colin’s. This book has the struggles of married life. It’s a step closer to reality, where the hero is not charming and the sparks don’t appear right away.
Don’t expect perfection from this book. Expect a story of struggles; One that ends with love. That’s it. Good day.
Plot
Feeling unsatisfied and terrified of life, Eloise ran away from home to meet a stranger. Well, not actually a stranger. Someone she knew only on paper. They had been corresponding for a year, and he has invited her to his country home to see if they would suit. She came unannounced to Sir Phillips's home, and found out he has children! and is in fact in desperate need of help. Or, more specifically, a wife. Because his kids are…to put it mildly, actual satans.
To be frank, I do not know why people hate Phillip. He’s not the best, sure, but he’s just a flawed guy. I actually like him more than Colin Bridgerton, no surprise there.
Honestly, I found it baffling that people hated Phillip. He doesn’t deserve all the hate thrown at him. People call him a rapist, a bad father, a loner, and whatever else. Let me just say, people give Eloise no credit at all. Our heroine is the smartest girl in Bridgerton and you don’t think she thought this through? The smartest girl, of course, wouldn’t give her heart away THAT easily. Phillip must have something (and yes, he does).
Lets' transition into #phillipdefensesociety
Let’s list it, shall we -*spoilers-* : (1)He honoured his brother’s promise and gave up his life as an academic to marry his brother’s intended and took up the family’s responsibility. (2) Honored his vows to his depressed wife he didn’t pick nor love, never took a mistress (3) Didn’t take advantage of his wife’s mental state and actually tried to help her, actually respected her for being the mother of his children, and tried to make her happy despite always failing miserably (4) Despite his abused childhood, he treated his children with respect and sometimes afraid of being too disciplined because he didn’t want to become his abusive father. (5) He Always apologised when he lost his temper and actually self-aware of his behaviour, that’s why he’s always hard on himself. AND LASTLY: (6) He spends lots of time in the garden not because he hated his children, but because he is afraid of being a bad father. I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH. He was abused. He is SCARED of turning into his father. He doesn’t know how to do dad things. He is alone in this world for god’s sake. His first wife is horrid, he got physically and mentally abused as a kid, and when he found his love for botany, his brother had to go out and die, forcing him into a life he didn’t want. BUT WHAT DID HE DO? He’s done the honourable thing every time. God forbid a man cannot be the perfect father because he’s scared shitless! Goodness, He didn’t know what to do, people! Have some fucking sympathy.
I am so sick of flawed heroes being the subject of hate. Phillip is nowhere near villainous. Actually, when we think about it… everything he did was for other people. His life is terrible ngl. He is the most selfless hero in the Bridgerton series so far. He was not even thirty when his life went to shit. Actually, I think he was rather young (early 20s) when he lost his normal life. Since then, he dedicated his life to other people. Compare this to other Bridgerton heroes (almost all has some rakish qualities). Phillip is just this clueless introverted botanist who knew more about flowers than people. To top it all off, he is honourable. That has to count for something.
The perfect hero doesn’t have to be brooding, handsome, confident, suave and worldly. We actually get to learn this because Eloise expected Phillip to be perfect. But, at the end of the day, his imperfection is so human that it made Eloise snap out of her daydream and grow up.
Don’t get me wrong, Phillip is not my favourite Bridgerton hero. But he is NOT EVIL for god’s sake. We have got to leave him alone and let him be in love with Eloise in peace.
Also, let’s give Eloise some credit. People actually rant about her deserving better. Better could be referring to a handsome man, lots of fortune, high status, an academic, with no kids. UGh. As much as I dislike Phillip’s kids, Eloise clearly has no problem with it. She doesn’t care about the fortune, title, or his introvertedness either.
Overall, I think this one is not bad. I just have a lot of passion because I don’t think Phillip deserve the hate. God forbid readers have empathy for an imperfect hero! smh.
Anyways, enough of me defending Phillip. All you have to know is that he’s not my fave but nowhere near the worst.
This book doesn’t have that fairytale feeling like Benedict, or the easygoing vibe like Colin’s. This book has the struggles of married life. It’s a step closer to reality, where the hero is not charming and the sparks don’t appear right away.
Don’t expect perfection from this book. Expect a story of struggles; One that ends with love. That’s it. Good day.
March 3, 2022
I wanted to enjoy this book so badly, the premiss set up in the previous book & the letter writing was a different way in to the story, leaving the London Scene was also refreshing. I liked Eloise's appearances in the earlier instalments and will admit to much of my curiosity for this series stemming from her appearances in the YouTube clips I've seen of the show - what a firecracker...but this was not it! She hardly seemed like the character we saw glimpses of in previous books and in any case...
Sir Phillip ruined this read!
WTH is up with the tempers & tendency towards violence for the men of this world? Perhaps a product of the time & it is becoming increasingly apparent that these are the kind of men this author writes but they are such hard passes...I cannot with them! 🤬 Their overbearing reactions are not romantic and should not be glorified as such 🤢
Poor Marina, my heart broke every time she was mentioned. Not solely because of the circumstances under which we met her but the life she led 💔
She deserved so much better, I know the mental health awareness we have gleaned since this was based and indeed probably since this was first published absolutely colours my opinion but it is what it is and I cannot get over it 😖
The twins, Eloise (for the most part) & super surprisingly to me considering how much I've bemoaned the Bridger'bois when they are the MCs - their more entertaining appearances as side characters in this stopped me breaking my phone in anger over Phillips macho-man antics & thoughts 🤦♀️🙈
I was also slightly saddened not to see the interaction between Eloise & Hyacinth from the second epilogue of the previous book + the reaction to the reveal therein ... but I guess that was possibly written after this books publication 🤔 so 🤷♀️
One other thing I liked was the snippets of Eloise's correspondence at the start of each chapter - but even that touching glimpse into her past was not enough to pull my disappointment away from almost every action of Phillips 🙄
Seeing as the first book & *THAT* scene got a 2.5* rating...Phillips shenanigans in this and the mistreatment (imho) of Marina prob put my "enjoyment" of this read on a par with that one despite the twins adorable antics in attempting to be beastly (an aside but I need to work that word more into my vernacular teehee) & the bro'vention scenes were a reminder why I like reading about this fam despite the male love interests carry on.
Francesca is next and seeing as she has barely appeared in any of the books so far I will admit to being more than a little curious to learn more about her & honestly at this point am not holding out much hope for her love interest but will try to "measure my expectations" (soz YouTube drahmz ref) and limit any propensity I may have towards ranting 🤐 *whispers* but I make no promises some things may be beyond my self control 🤗😅
Sir Phillip ruined this read!
WTH is up with the tempers & tendency towards violence for the men of this world? Perhaps a product of the time & it is becoming increasingly apparent that these are the kind of men this author writes but they are such hard passes...I cannot with them! 🤬 Their overbearing reactions are not romantic and should not be glorified as such 🤢
Poor Marina, my heart broke every time she was mentioned. Not solely because of the circumstances under which we met her but the life she led 💔
She deserved so much better, I know the mental health awareness we have gleaned since this was based and indeed probably since this was first published absolutely colours my opinion but it is what it is and I cannot get over it 😖
The twins, Eloise (for the most part) & super surprisingly to me considering how much I've bemoaned the Bridger'bois when they are the MCs - their more entertaining appearances as side characters in this stopped me breaking my phone in anger over Phillips macho-man antics & thoughts 🤦♀️🙈
I was also slightly saddened not to see the interaction between Eloise & Hyacinth from the second epilogue of the previous book + the reaction to the reveal therein ... but I guess that was possibly written after this books publication 🤔 so 🤷♀️
One other thing I liked was the snippets of Eloise's correspondence at the start of each chapter - but even that touching glimpse into her past was not enough to pull my disappointment away from almost every action of Phillips 🙄
Seeing as the first book & *THAT* scene got a 2.5* rating...Phillips shenanigans in this and the mistreatment (imho) of Marina prob put my "enjoyment" of this read on a par with that one despite the twins adorable antics in attempting to be beastly (an aside but I need to work that word more into my vernacular teehee) & the bro'vention scenes were a reminder why I like reading about this fam despite the male love interests carry on.
Francesca is next and seeing as she has barely appeared in any of the books so far I will admit to being more than a little curious to learn more about her & honestly at this point am not holding out much hope for her love interest but will try to "measure my expectations" (soz YouTube drahmz ref) and limit any propensity I may have towards ranting 🤐 *whispers* but I make no promises some things may be beyond my self control 🤗😅
April 15, 2020
Vamos a ver, una intenta mantener la compostura, sonreír lo menos posible, no sonrojarse ni suspirar mientras lee este libro, pero es imposible. 𝘼 𝙨𝙞𝙧 𝙋𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙨, 𝙘𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙢𝙤𝙧, es el quinto libro de la saga Los Bridgeton y, a pesar de que en esta ocasión, la autora no nos regala su característico sentido del humor, la historia de Eloise y sir Phillips se te mete en la piel y consigue emocionarte, tanto como las demás.
April 3, 2019
DNF'd 25% wow this is a mess. Our "hero" describes raping his wife but he feels really bad afterwards. I don't care if he feels bad. I don't want to read about him what a scummy scummy scum bag. I also don't feel like the depression was handled well in this book. And content warnings for attempted suicide. Which has a horrible pun made about it which was supposed to be romantic??!! Like I said, this is a mess and I hate it a whole lot.
July 16, 2024
|| 3.0 stars ||
In a way, Phillip was a much better love interest than any of the Bridgerton men. After all, my main problem with those boys has always been how self-important they are; they’re so arrogant and sure of themselves, they never seem to feel particularly lucky to get the girl of their dreams. It’s like they expected no less. And that’s certainly not what I want to see from a love interest.
However, Phillip was very different. He didn’t think much of himself and truly counted himself the luckiest man alive to have snatched Eloise. He never expected to find happiness, so he was genuinely grateful when he did find it with her.
Still, this by no means meant that Phillip was perfect, because he certainly wasn’t. This author simply seems incapable of writing a truly respectful or healthy hero, so Phillip was no exception to that either.
He definitely had some serious anger issues and he was utterly incapable of communication, but most importantly, he was an absolutely terrible father. He had no excuse for the severe neglect he imposed on his children, and I feel like such bad parenting says a lot about a person…
I also didn’t like that the sole reason he even wanted to find a wife was because he wanted to find someone to take care of his children, since he refused to do it. Not only do his children deserve more love than that, Eloise certainly deserved a better reason for marriage than that as well.
Speaking of, I was constantly waiting for more scenes between Eloise and the children, but they never really came. I really wanted to see those abandoned little creatures finally find warmth with a maternal figure, and see them slowly open up and learn to love/trust again. I really expected a more heartwarming story with proper development there.
Nonetheless, this was a pretty good historical romance overall. It was fun and engaging, although it could have been a little more romantic, and preferably with a deeper love story.
'Bridgertons' series:
1. The Duke and I - 3.5 stars
2. The Viscount Who Loved Me - 2.0 stars
3. An Offer From a Gentleman - 3.5 stars
4. Romancing Mister Bridgerton - 3.5 stars
5. To Sir Phillip, With Love - 3.0 stars
6. When He Was Wicked - 3.5 stars
7. It’s in His Kiss - 2.0 stars
8. On the Way to the Wedding - 2.5 stars
In a way, Phillip was a much better love interest than any of the Bridgerton men. After all, my main problem with those boys has always been how self-important they are; they’re so arrogant and sure of themselves, they never seem to feel particularly lucky to get the girl of their dreams. It’s like they expected no less. And that’s certainly not what I want to see from a love interest.
However, Phillip was very different. He didn’t think much of himself and truly counted himself the luckiest man alive to have snatched Eloise. He never expected to find happiness, so he was genuinely grateful when he did find it with her.
Still, this by no means meant that Phillip was perfect, because he certainly wasn’t. This author simply seems incapable of writing a truly respectful or healthy hero, so Phillip was no exception to that either.
He definitely had some serious anger issues and he was utterly incapable of communication, but most importantly, he was an absolutely terrible father. He had no excuse for the severe neglect he imposed on his children, and I feel like such bad parenting says a lot about a person…
I also didn’t like that the sole reason he even wanted to find a wife was because he wanted to find someone to take care of his children, since he refused to do it. Not only do his children deserve more love than that, Eloise certainly deserved a better reason for marriage than that as well.
Speaking of, I was constantly waiting for more scenes between Eloise and the children, but they never really came. I really wanted to see those abandoned little creatures finally find warmth with a maternal figure, and see them slowly open up and learn to love/trust again. I really expected a more heartwarming story with proper development there.
Nonetheless, this was a pretty good historical romance overall. It was fun and engaging, although it could have been a little more romantic, and preferably with a deeper love story.
'Bridgertons' series:
1. The Duke and I - 3.5 stars
2. The Viscount Who Loved Me - 2.0 stars
3. An Offer From a Gentleman - 3.5 stars
4. Romancing Mister Bridgerton - 3.5 stars
5. To Sir Phillip, With Love - 3.0 stars
6. When He Was Wicked - 3.5 stars
7. It’s in His Kiss - 2.0 stars
8. On the Way to the Wedding - 2.5 stars
August 17, 2024
I was disappointed with this Bridgerton entry. I've always liked Eloise and wanted the same kind of love story for her that her siblings have enjoyed. While I loved the references to her letters... they weren't enough to capture my attention.
It was one of those stories where the characters live more in their heads-- lots of second guessing which always drives me a little crazy... I missed the charming repartee and funny encounters found in some of the other stories.
I won't give up on the series just hopeful that the others are more like the first two.
(Reviewed 2/12/17)
It was one of those stories where the characters live more in their heads-- lots of second guessing which always drives me a little crazy... I missed the charming repartee and funny encounters found in some of the other stories.
I won't give up on the series just hopeful that the others are more like the first two.
(Reviewed 2/12/17)
March 9, 2012
Wow, how much did I hate this book? I mean, completely fucking hated? Eloise and the children were beyond delightful, and if this had just been a book about Eloise and the children I would have loved it to pieces, but no.
No it was not.
I am ridiculously upset that Eloise got stuck with a piece of shit like Sir Phillip, when all of her siblings get wonderful husbands (I assume). There is literally nothing I liked about Phillip. Nothing. I would like to be able to give him some leeway by saying that everything that he did was a product of the time period except 1) No, and 2) None of it has been in the other books, so why is it suddenly appearing in this one?
I especially liked the scene where Phillip and the Bridgerton men treated Eloise like chattel. Again, period appropriate, but it was never so blatant in the other books. I wish I'd had a physical copy of the book so I could've thrown it across the room.
I guess my most major problem with Phillip was that he let life happen to him, and refused to do anything to change it, and, in fact, blamed other people for his douchiness. Wife suicidal? Oh well he did everything he could and stopped caring years ago, whatevs. Doesn't know how to act around his children? Obvs. avoid them and mope about it instead of doing something.
Also: the bit that really stuck with me, besides the chattel scene, was the bit where Phillip tells Eloise that their marriage was perfection to him, so she couldn't complain about anything. And suddenly it all becomes clear: the other men in the other books understood that a marriage involves two real people. To Phillip, the marriage was all about him.
From a queer perspective: Holy shit Eloise totally only got married because Penelope did, which meant the person she shipped herself with was completely unattainable and she couldn't bear the thought of being lonely for the rest of her life. That is fucked up.
No it was not.
I am ridiculously upset that Eloise got stuck with a piece of shit like Sir Phillip, when all of her siblings get wonderful husbands (I assume). There is literally nothing I liked about Phillip. Nothing. I would like to be able to give him some leeway by saying that everything that he did was a product of the time period except 1) No, and 2) None of it has been in the other books, so why is it suddenly appearing in this one?
I especially liked the scene where Phillip and the Bridgerton men treated Eloise like chattel. Again, period appropriate, but it was never so blatant in the other books. I wish I'd had a physical copy of the book so I could've thrown it across the room.
I guess my most major problem with Phillip was that he let life happen to him, and refused to do anything to change it, and, in fact, blamed other people for his douchiness. Wife suicidal? Oh well he did everything he could and stopped caring years ago, whatevs. Doesn't know how to act around his children? Obvs. avoid them and mope about it instead of doing something.
Also: the bit that really stuck with me, besides the chattel scene, was the bit where Phillip tells Eloise that their marriage was perfection to him, so she couldn't complain about anything. And suddenly it all becomes clear: the other men in the other books understood that a marriage involves two real people. To Phillip, the marriage was all about him.
From a queer perspective: Holy shit Eloise totally only got married because Penelope did, which meant the person she shipped herself with was completely unattainable and she couldn't bear the thought of being lonely for the rest of her life. That is fucked up.
March 10, 2021
I think this is where i leave this series.
This was my least favourite of the books i've read by far and i have absolutely no interest in the other Bridgerton siblings.
This was my least favourite of the books i've read by far and i have absolutely no interest in the other Bridgerton siblings.
December 15, 2018
Julia Quinn, I expected better than this.
I didn't expect much, this is a Regency romance novel, after all, and there are certain genre tropes to uphold. I don't read these books for realism, I read them for entertainment. But the gross mishandling of mental illness in this book is just unforgivable.
Having a wife who is clinically depressed to the point of suicide is horrible, yes. Watching her try to kill herself, then slowly die of the consequences is even moreso. But that does NOT give you an excuse to invalidate your second wife's concern that you don't do anything but say hello, eat meals, and fall into bed.
Eloise deserved so much better than a man who gaslights her out of her concerns, then distracts her by declaring his love. She deserves better than a man who says to her face that her concerns are invalid, that they "don't have a problem," because Eloise isn't suicidally depressed.
And we, the readers, deserved better than this steaming pile of crap. Especially because the ablism doesn't show it's full disgraceful head until two chapters from the end of the book.
I'm honestly questioning if I want to finish the Brigertons series, that's how offensive and gross I found this book.
I didn't expect much, this is a Regency romance novel, after all, and there are certain genre tropes to uphold. I don't read these books for realism, I read them for entertainment. But the gross mishandling of mental illness in this book is just unforgivable.
Having a wife who is clinically depressed to the point of suicide is horrible, yes. Watching her try to kill herself, then slowly die of the consequences is even moreso. But that does NOT give you an excuse to invalidate your second wife's concern that you don't do anything but say hello, eat meals, and fall into bed.
Eloise deserved so much better than a man who gaslights her out of her concerns, then distracts her by declaring his love. She deserves better than a man who says to her face that her concerns are invalid, that they "don't have a problem," because Eloise isn't suicidally depressed.
And we, the readers, deserved better than this steaming pile of crap. Especially because the ablism doesn't show it's full disgraceful head until two chapters from the end of the book.
I'm honestly questioning if I want to finish the Brigertons series, that's how offensive and gross I found this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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