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3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Pro mne zatím asi nejslabší kniha série. V příběhu Eloise mi chyběla ona jiskra a vtip dílů předchozích. Kniha mi pak přišla tak trochu jako mechanicky napsaný vyplňující díl, aby bylo všem sourozencům dáno za dost. Škoda, doufám, že u dalších Bridgertonových, se autorka vrátí ke svému standardu.
emotional
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Is this a heart-pounding indulgent romance? No. Is it a genuine, realistic romance? Yes.
One of Julia Quinn's charms as an author is her ability to create people and especially relationship conflicts that feel SO real. In this case, the real situation is kind of a shitty one: Sir Phillip is a widower in search of a mother figure for his chaotic twins because he doesn't want to spend time with them out of fear of being as bad of a father as his own. Did I feel mad every time he more or less said "I just want Eloise to be a mother for my children and fix my whole household/life" with no consideration for her own dreams and goals for their potential marriage? Yes, but it's a realistic depiction of a shitty dad.
What's less realistic is Eloise's... choices. Running off to live with Sir Phillip without even sending a NOTE?? Leaving them unchaperoned even though she's a ton member who knows exactly how dangerous that is to her reputation? Somehow nobody in her family finding the note she left telling them not to worry? It feels as though Eloise was forcibly made stupid for the sake of putting together a scene where she's forced to marry Sir Phillip before she's ready. The narrative posits her choices as her trying to take control of her life and be independent or something, but the way she's punished for it makes for a frustrating read.
Going back to the "Sir Philip doesn't want to abuse his children like his father abused him" point--I think it was severely undercut by the fact that he spanks his children. It's done offscreen, but it's posed as a completely reasonable thing for a parent to do, while spanks USING an object such as a book, switch, or whatever else are the "bad" kind of physical abuse to subject children to. Though it might be realistic for the time period and culture, a modern author can make choices as to what they depict and how. In a story where physical abuse is such a charged subject (and the cruelty of it is an important plot point later on!), treating spanking as a morally neutral or even right thing to do and not as a failing on Sir Phillip's part whatsoever felt deeply hypocritical.
There are various cute scenes, and times when Eloise and Sir Philip have genuine chemistry (and other times where their bickering I think is SUPPOSED to imply chemistry... but comes off more like they're both huge dicks), but I would caution some of the fluffier romance readers away from this entry in the Bridgerton series. Especially if they're sensitive to women's rights being trampled upon, women being expected to fix a man's life and mother his children, and a romance that's not all passion and fluff. However, if you like a romance that feels realistic and grounded, warts and all, then you may get some good mileage out of this frank depiction of two grown adults slowly coming together and learning to trust and care for one another.
One of Julia Quinn's charms as an author is her ability to create people and especially relationship conflicts that feel SO real. In this case, the real situation is kind of a shitty one: Sir Phillip is a widower in search of a mother figure for his chaotic twins because he doesn't want to spend time with them out of fear of being as bad of a father as his own. Did I feel mad every time he more or less said "I just want Eloise to be a mother for my children and fix my whole household/life" with no consideration for her own dreams and goals for their potential marriage? Yes, but it's a realistic depiction of a shitty dad.
What's less realistic is Eloise's... choices. Running off to live with Sir Phillip without even sending a NOTE?? Leaving them unchaperoned even though she's a ton member who knows exactly how dangerous that is to her reputation? Somehow nobody in her family finding the note she left telling them not to worry? It feels as though Eloise was forcibly made stupid for the sake of putting together a scene where she's forced to marry Sir Phillip before she's ready. The narrative posits her choices as her trying to take control of her life and be independent or something, but the way she's punished for it makes for a frustrating read.
Going back to the "Sir Philip doesn't want to abuse his children like his father abused him" point--I think it was severely undercut by the fact that he spanks his children. It's done offscreen, but it's posed as a completely reasonable thing for a parent to do, while spanks USING an object such as a book, switch, or whatever else are the "bad" kind of physical abuse to subject children to. Though it might be realistic for the time period and culture, a modern author can make choices as to what they depict and how. In a story where physical abuse is such a charged subject (and the cruelty of it is an important plot point later on!), treating spanking as a morally neutral or even right thing to do and not as a failing on Sir Phillip's part whatsoever felt deeply hypocritical.
There are various cute scenes, and times when Eloise and Sir Philip have genuine chemistry (and other times where their bickering I think is SUPPOSED to imply chemistry... but comes off more like they're both huge dicks), but I would caution some of the fluffier romance readers away from this entry in the Bridgerton series. Especially if they're sensitive to women's rights being trampled upon, women being expected to fix a man's life and mother his children, and a romance that's not all passion and fluff. However, if you like a romance that feels realistic and grounded, warts and all, then you may get some good mileage out of this frank depiction of two grown adults slowly coming together and learning to trust and care for one another.
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
I didn’t think the Bridgertons could get any worse. Eloise lost any hint of personality and suddenly decided to become a housewife. Phillip never had any personality to begin with. Over the course of this book, not a single problem is solved. When Eloise is upset about how she’s treated by her husband, he growls at her that she shouldn’t be upset, and all is well. There was no chemistry between the two main characters. Don’t even get me started on Phillip seducing Eloise to make her shut up when she’s worried they’re not compatible. Or how much of a red flag it is that his main criterion for a wife is that she’ll always be happy.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I HATE YOU SIR PHILLIP!!!!! I HATE YOU!!!!!