Reviews

Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

Only show reviews with written explanations

jordangilbert's review against another edition

lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

3.5

Would I have enjoyed this book as much if I couldn't perfectly visualise the characters thanks to the tv show? Probably not. However, I do love this series and these characters and still found it to be an enjoyable read. Colin was a lil too angry for me though... Penelope slays always.

mkurban25's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

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

4.5

dargeereads's review against another edition

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3.5

| I thought this was okay, maybe because all the hype for the show ruined it for me a bit, or maybe because knowing what was coming kept me on edge for most of the book. Either way, I did like the characters and am happy with how their story ended up 😊

frankie36's review against another edition

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lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

whit_lovesbooks's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Friends-to-lovers will forever be my favorite romantic trope, and this one does it pretty well for a regency-period story.
Penelope is one of my all-time favorite female main characters (top 10). Her personality, the reason she does what she does, her deep feelings - I relate to all of it. Her motivations make sense and I love her for that so much.
Colin is, well, kind of an asshole. He's rude to Penelope on multiple occasions once he finds out she's Lady Whistledown, and I hated it. Understanding his jealousy and insecurities made it MUCH easier to like him later, but his initial lashing out in anger made me want to reach into the book and STRANGLE HIM. Especially because of how much I love Penelope.

I am writing this review after a second reread (following the third season of Bridgerton following Polin), and I can say with absolute certainty that this novel made it SO MUCH EASIER to love show!Colin. In the show, Colin only really lashes out in anger twice, but both times were extremely understandable (especially because in the show, Penelope legitimately hurts the Bridgerton family on multiple occasions, which does *not* happen in the book). Other than those momentary angry moments, show!Colin was SO DAMN SOFT. He was so sweet, he knew what he wanted and went after it immediately. He loved her and made sure she knew that. God.
Anyway, my point is this; book!Colin has his flaws, but I am grateful for the book nonetheless. I was able to have context for his insecurity far before any other person did, and I am glad about that. It made the show so much more enjoyable.

weyheyitsrachel's review against another edition

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lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.5

This one was alright. Not my favorite of the series. I adore Penelope, but Colin's character felt flat to me. This one was super slow going, too - I wasn't immediately drawn in like I have been with the others. But this did have a cute ending.