Reviews with content warning for Mental illness - Queen Charlotte

I thought it was charming. Essentially, it was a print version of the show, so at times, it felt like reading a script vs. a book. I wish, as a reader, that we were able to peer more into the personalities of the characters. I loved reading their thoughts and worries. I did like that it focused specifically on George & Charlotte, instead of pinging back and forth between past & present; that being said, it took less pressure off of "securing the bloodline." And it took away Charlotte's sassy "Sorrows, Prayers" line. Agusta was an absolutely overbearing and nosey MIL. I wish we got to see more growth from Agatha/Lady Danbury, since she had a good number of POV chapters. The book cut a good bit of her finding her independence and happiness after her husband passed.

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5ammiereads's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The writing in this book had me hooked from the first page! George stole my heart and I adored his courage and being open with the fact that he was afraid. And I loved how strong willed Lottie was. I related to her and Lady Danbury’s struggle with being a minority in a majorities environment and I adored the LGBTQ representation. The plot was wonderful and I thought was full of depth for a short read. This books convinced me to read the entire Bridgerton series.

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reka111's review against another edition

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funny inspiring relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

I will stand with you between the heavens and the earth, do you love me?

Honestly, I have mixed feelings about this book. I went into it knowing that I had already seen the series and knew the history, so there were no surprises, but even then, something caught my eye and didn't let me go until the end.

Charlotte was obviously my favorite character, i loved her for being so independent, understanding and helpful, a great queen and George was simply the luckiest man in the world to have her. Their relationship has evolved so much over time that it's incredible, I loved that they both had reservations about it, but they both tried to make the best of it — even in real life.

The plot was understandable and easy to read, the pace was good and the time jumps don't bother me. Basically, i liked it, alone as i said the ending was just fast.

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bookishmillennial's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial

This is basically the tv show/limited series but you get to read the inner thoughts/context behind certain moments, such as George’s experience running into the gardens naked late at night and Charlotte claiming she was Venus. We get the third-person, past-tense POVs of Brimsley, Agatha, Charlotte, and George.

It was a tender and bittersweet read, and I teared up while reading because I could vividly remember the scenes from Netflix lol. I definitely winced each time characters were discussing George’s mental health because he is called “broken” and “a mad man” multiple times. He never receives a specific diagnosis and everyone talks around it, but it was frustrating to hear mental health discussed as such a horrible, disdainful, shameful thing. I recognize that is representative “of the times” but it still felt uncomfortable reading the ableism and prejudice they all possessed.

Overall, this was a quick and easy historical romance to read, mostly because I was envisioning the tv series the entire time. I highly recommend the audiobook as the narration was excellent!

see content warnings below 🤎

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_alyssar_'s review against another edition

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

4.0

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danajoy's review against another edition

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emotional reflective

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

This is so like the show.
It doesn't have the bridgerton era storyline but outside that it's largely the same.

It was fun to read but I had already watched the series and there was very little added by the novelisation. It was nice to be in the world again.

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mari1532's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I was lucky enough to get to listen to this audiobook from my library. I have yet to watch Queen Charlotte (I know), but decided to read the book anyway. I found this to be a nice cozy read. Quinn and Rhimes do an excellent job of shifting the narrative between characters without getting too weighed down in any one perspective. Brimsley and Lady Danbury were my favourite characters because they had the most intrigue throughout the story. However, I found Charlotte the most endearing and likable character and when she was not the central focus I often found myself wondering when she would come back because I felt her personal development was beautifully written. If you are a fan of the Netflix series or the Bridgerton universe I would recommend this read.

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reclusivebookslug's review against another edition

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emotional funny sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

One of my favorite romance novels of the year! I've never read or watched any of the Bridgerton books or shows besides this, but after seeing some clips from the Queen Charlotte show I decided to give this one a try. I don't actually have Netflix, so I can't compare the book to the show at the moment. I've heard that Julia Quinn's writing often leaves something to be desired, but if the main Bridgerton series is anything like this I'll have to give it a try.

A few notes:

The beginning of the book makes a big deal about Charlotte's favorite name being the nickname Lottie, but this is never brought up again.
I wish we got to see a bit more of them figuring out how to live together and be happy with one another. This is always my favorite part of arranged/forced marriage romances.
I don't know how I feel about the ending. I think my opinion would be contingent upon the illness George is supposed to have in this historical fiction account.

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