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emilywemily6's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Racism, Torture, Medical content, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
mrsmishler's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Mental illness, Racism, Torture, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Sexual content
rhiannon814r's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Confinement, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Torture
Minor: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Homophobia, Sexism, Blood, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
onefineelephant's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Grief, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Dementia
kbairbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
What a beautiful story about loving our family despite their flaws, persevering in hard times, and changing the world with our actions. Brava!
Moderate: Ableism, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Torture, Dementia, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
inkdrinkers's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
The upcoming nuptials of King George have sent the palace ablaze. Princess Charlotte of Germany is... darker than any of the palace expected, leading to The Great Experiment and whether or not the ton can be united as one, regardless of skin color. But despite the social shifting occuring, the new King and Queen are at odds with one another as George struggles to hide his own secrets from his new bride.
Oof. Total honesty - I read up to 50% and skimmed the rest. This just wasn't it for me. The magic of Julia Quinn's other novels just wasn't in this one. I found it really hard to connect to Charlotte as a character because she genuinely felt like she didn't have much of a personality other than being brash and blunt. I would have adored to see the backstory of her leading up to her arrival in London, being told she had to have a marriage of convenience and setting up her and George. The other aspects of the novel just seemed to happen to her, instead of her having an active part in her own story. George was also the kind of love interest I just... didn't like. Coupled with the fact there is so much torture and horrific depictions of mental healthcare via him, it just became too much to read about.
On a technical level this novel is really poorly done. I wish I had understood it's a straight to page adaption from the show (which I've not watched yet - maybe the actors can sell this plot) but Quinn's magic of the Ton and the way London society works is all gone. It's dreadfully bland, with paragraphs and paragraphs of just pure dialogue moving the book forward. It almost reads like a script, which is maybe some of Shonda Rhimes' input, but it felt off. It was all just so bizzare? The sex scenes (that I got to) were also really awkwardly written and I couldn't help but be painfully aware that Charlotte is seventeen in this (unlike Quinn's other heroines who are at least legal). It just missed the mark entirely for me and I feel icky and don't want to waste anymore time on it.
Content warnings: Mental illness (George's mental illness is very present), Physical abuse/Torture (via medical doctor, it's so uncomfortable and graphic), rape/sexual content (via marriage bonds), racism (via skin color descriptions/society)
Graphic: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Torture, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Racism, Rape, and Sexual content
author2223's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Torture
venusf1ytrap's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Torture
mariahrayxoxo's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Sexual content and Torture
vihi_s's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: Mental illness and Rape