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A review by beffynicole
To Sir Phillip, with Love by Julia Quinn
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
My question is: how many times can Julia Quinn write the exact same story with different names and get away with it?
I wanted to love this book. I loved Eloise, that is, at least the Eloise we saw in earlier books & in the show. However, this Eloise was almost nothing like either version. Somehow, this author is great at showing us how side characters have motivations and great personalities, but as soon as they become the main character & love interest, they suddenly lose all depth & interesting parts about themselves. Instead of being the Eloise we've learned about from other snippets, we meet a ridiculously foolish girl obsessed with love & any good parts of Eloise were drowned out by Phillip.
Maybe I would have rated this higher if I read it before the other books, but I'm growing increasingly bored with reading the same story over and over. Man meets woman. Man has a temper that is hard to control. Man also has secret. Man & woman get caught in whatever compromising position. Forced to marry without love. They fight. Then they realize they love each other & everything is solved.
Oh and let's not forget the running theme that the author does not understand consent & at some point someone experiences assault but it's never addressed as assault. The men in these books are so ridiculously toxic - usually because of their tempers. The only reason I finished this book was because I had made it so far & wanted to add it to my reading goal. I did absolutely put the audiobook on 2x speed because the sex scenes were completely uncomfortable. I don't mind smut by a long shot, but something about these scenes just made me want to rush through them.
I wanted to love this book. I loved Eloise, that is, at least the Eloise we saw in earlier books & in the show. However, this Eloise was almost nothing like either version. Somehow, this author is great at showing us how side characters have motivations and great personalities, but as soon as they become the main character & love interest, they suddenly lose all depth & interesting parts about themselves. Instead of being the Eloise we've learned about from other snippets, we meet a ridiculously foolish girl obsessed with love & any good parts of Eloise were drowned out by Phillip.
Maybe I would have rated this higher if I read it before the other books, but I'm growing increasingly bored with reading the same story over and over. Man meets woman. Man has a temper that is hard to control. Man also has secret. Man & woman get caught in whatever compromising position. Forced to marry without love. They fight. Then they realize they love each other & everything is solved.
Oh and let's not forget the running theme that the author does not understand consent & at some point someone experiences assault but it's never addressed as assault. The men in these books are so ridiculously toxic - usually because of their tempers. The only reason I finished this book was because I had made it so far & wanted to add it to my reading goal. I did absolutely put the audiobook on 2x speed because the sex scenes were completely uncomfortable. I don't mind smut by a long shot, but something about these scenes just made me want to rush through them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault
Minor: Suicide and Suicide attempt