For the duration of my summer vacation, I engulfed myself in reading a long-time series by Ms. Julia Quinn. These books have been published in the earlier part of the decade. They have been actually sitting in my bookshelf for quite some time now and I only got to reading them now. Why is that? For one, they are romantic novels. I came across this series as a teenager transitioning from high school to college. At that point in time it did not seem appropriate for me-- in my point of view at least-- to read romantic novels yet. I wanted to read them at a time in my life when I know I can fully appreciate them. My decision did not let me down.
The series comprises of eight books, one for each of the Bridgerton siblings. It is set in the early 1800's of high society England. Needless to say, the setting is filled with snooty conversations and demeaning comments from members of the ton. Who are they? Why they are only your everyday high-society neighbours and friends. And in that time, their opinions mattered because your reputation and your honor rests in what they say. That is until sometime in 1814 (or 1812) when a notorious gossip columnist appeared out of nowhere writing about members of the ton as she pleases. She spares no one and exposes everyone. Who is she? Well, that is a secret she will never tell, or at least not directly. It sounds a bit like gossipgirl, if you're familiar with that scene. And yes, it might be a bit like that, but spare the rude comments, the backstabbing, the run-about flirts, the flamboyant fashions, and the snide remarks. If there is one thing that the reader must remember about these books, it is that they are quirky humorous romances.
The books tell the story of each Bridgerton sibling as they go on their debutes into the marriage mart. One novel for each sibling. They are aptly named alphabetically from oldest to youngest: Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth. Each one looking very much alike the other, but each also has his or her own quirky Bridgerton mark. They all have the Bridgerton chestnut hair and beloved charm. They are also known to their friends and house servants to be rough with one another regardless of sex. Their mother Lady Violet Bridgerton, raised them on her own since her husband, Viscount Edmund Bridgerton died of a bee sting at the age of thirty-nine (39). Yes, a bee sting. Highly unusual, but people do die of bee stings.
The Bridgerton Series
by
Julia Quinn
(Not in shot: Romancing Mr. Bridgerton)
The series comprises of eight books, one for each of the Bridgerton siblings. It is set in the early 1800's of high society England. Needless to say, the setting is filled with snooty conversations and demeaning comments from members of the ton. Who are they? Why they are only your everyday high-society neighbours and friends. And in that time, their opinions mattered because your reputation and your honor rests in what they say. That is until sometime in 1814 (or 1812) when a notorious gossip columnist appeared out of nowhere writing about members of the ton as she pleases. She spares no one and exposes everyone. Who is she? Well, that is a secret she will never tell, or at least not directly. It sounds a bit like gossipgirl, if you're familiar with that scene. And yes, it might be a bit like that, but spare the rude comments, the backstabbing, the run-about flirts, the flamboyant fashions, and the snide remarks. If there is one thing that the reader must remember about these books, it is that they are quirky humorous romances.
The books tell the story of each Bridgerton sibling as they go on their debutes into the marriage mart. One novel for each sibling. They are aptly named alphabetically from oldest to youngest: Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth. Each one looking very much alike the other, but each also has his or her own quirky Bridgerton mark. They all have the Bridgerton chestnut hair and beloved charm. They are also known to their friends and house servants to be rough with one another regardless of sex. Their mother Lady Violet Bridgerton, raised them on her own since her husband, Viscount Edmund Bridgerton died of a bee sting at the age of thirty-nine (39). Yes, a bee sting. Highly unusual, but people do die of bee stings.
The Story
I decided to write a single review for all eight books because it seemed quite repetitive and quite a spoiler to write a review about each one of them individually. That being said, I am giving the cue that there are certain similarities in the series that the reader might find exhausting after the fifth book. But do not let that get in the way when you read the series. Each one holds a unique telling of what each sibling is like when they fall in love, and when they are with their family. But just to give off a hint, there are plenty of familiar scenes or patterns you will come across as you reach the third book.
One of the familiar patterns in the plots is the presence of an innocent lady and a frivolous gentleman, or more generally known to the ton as a rake. For a more appropriate definition of what that is, please see the subscribed to definition of the ton in Lady Whistledown's Society papers. Where to find a copy? You'll have to purchase an edition once every Monday and Wednesday. They used to be delivered for free, but after two weeks they cost 5 pence a copy. Oh, and you'll have to be living in Mayfair to get the first scoop. And you'll also have to be living in 1814 Bridgerton London. Otherwise, you can get excerpts of the issues in these series.
Another familiar pattern is the light humour. For a book set in a very romantic time in England it was refreshing to read about contemporary thoughts and words from characters set in that background. Well the words were not precisely contemporary, but the jest behind them and the circumstances they were uttered in are.
The general plot is they meet, they like or dislike each other, but eventually fall in love. One of them is in denial of the fact that he or she loves the other, but still goes ahead and sleeps with him or her. After the very sensual scene, they discover a problem in the other's life that needs to be remedied if they will have their happy ending. Of course in the end, they do fix it, and they live happily ever after. Of course all of this is accomplished with the aid of seven meddlesome siblings, who know only how to show their love for each other through rambunctious terrorism and protective affection.
Oh, another commonality in the first six novels? Colin's unsolicited romantic advice. I believe there should be a column in their weekly paper dedicated to that. After reading this series, trust me, you'll think so too.
The Characters
In reading each book, a part of each sibling's personality is revealed. For example, if I were to describe each of them in two words I would do it as such:
Viscount Anthony Bridgerton is a tempermental control-freak. Benedict Bridgerton is a cheeky sensitive fellow. Colin Bridgerton is a mischievous romantic. Daphne Bridgerton is a friendly flirt. Eloise Bridgerton is nosy and hyperactive. Francesca Bridgerton is sly and seductive. Gregory is an annoying hopeless romantic and Hyacinth is vexing and diabolical.
Some traits they have in common are that they are highly competitive, sometimes impulsive, and very meddlesome.
As far as favorites go, my favorite siblings would be Anthony and Colin because they seem like the perfect duo of older brothers. Benedict is one too I'm sure, but I cannot tell because of the lack of his character's presence in the stories of his siblings. His, along with Francesca's, story seem to be the most detached from the others. That being said, these were my least favorite of the eight, along with Eloise's, the latter being my least favorite.
Out of the four younger siblings, my favorite is Hyacinth simply because she is spontaneous and reflective. Well she became reflective towards the end, at least. I also love the dynamics between her and Gegory, who was the only brother she could truly connect with. They were the youngest two and the closest in age. This seemed a pattern in their births as well. Anthony and Benedict were close since they were only a year and a half apart. Benedict practically served as Anthony's second. Colin and Daphne were quite mischievous together because they were only a year apart, with Colin being five years younger than Benedict. And because of this Daphne got the blame for everything that Colin did. Eloise and Francesca were gossip mongers together since, they were exactly a year apart-- born on the same day-- and Eloise was four and a half years younger than Daphne. So that leaves Gregory and Hyacinth making trouble together since Gregory is five years younger than Francesca, ten years younger than Colin, and only two years older than Hyacinth.
The Bridgertons at the beginning of The Duke and I: fan art not mine; credits to the owner
Favorites in Plot
Out of the eight books my favorite would have to be the fourth, which is the story of Colin Bridgerton, just because I adore his character. I loved his story the most because out of the four brothers, he seemed to be the one who knew how to recognize when he already loved someone. In fact, out the four of them, he was the only one to make a marriage proposal. Of course Gregory made a proposal as well, but it was a little too much in the nick of time thing how that happened. I also love how the plot differed from the others in that it really swayed from the general pattern and gave the reader more to be curious about. I think this has largely to do with the fact that both he and his spouse Penelope have secrets that the other just happen to discover. The exciting part was how they would both deal with the revelations between themselves and to their families. My only problem with this novel is that it was not clear how Colin fell in love with her. Sure he asked her to marry him, and he showed her that he loved her, but it was never clearly illustrated why he did. Or maybe that was part of the novel. He did say so himself that he didn't know how it happened, and he just felt one day that it had always been there. Which brings me to the reason for my second favorite in the bunch.
The second novel, which is Anthony's story, has to be the most fun to read about given his stifling demeanor. In this book, we get to see just how much of a control-freak he is, and how his heart turns into jelly when he couldn't help but fall in love with his wife already. This is my second favorite of the eight because I love how it was shown how Anthony, the person that he is, falls in love with the only person whom he did not want to fall in love with, and how this challenged all his plans in life. I also fell in love with this novel because of the Pal Mall game. What is it? Well, it is a simple Regency version of croquet. But when played with the Bridgertons, nothing is ever simple. Infamous moments like this game are what made this book even more endearing. Another one would be the bee sting scene, and then there was the park dog chasing scene. You'll have to read it to know.
As for the rest of the siblings, the stories were tolerable, but for lack of better description, I think they became predictable because they all followed the pattern I mentioned, with the addition of more highly descriptive sensual scenes in some. It's a romance novel, so I can understand that.
I would say that this pattern was broken in the last book, with Gregory because his was one of the most unusual stories. It was almost like a telenovela because of the dramatic "I want her but she's with someone else" problem they have going on. But even with that, the story managed to acquire a refreshing twist to it.
Storyline Critiques
Benedict's story was somewhat amiss within the first four novels. I would say that out of the first four, his was my least favorite because it seemed like his story was written just so he could have a story. It was a little too Cinderella themed, and a little too detached from the family as well. I got curious about his story while reading the first novel because he seemed to be the only elder brother who had no exposure, and no connection with Daphne. So I was a little disappointed when I read his story and found not much interaction with the other elder Bridgerton siblings. But the book held out a good story on its own, just not in harmony with the first four.
Daphne's story was the first novel. It was a breath of fresh air to read a romance novel with such a light humor in it. I immediately fell in love with the book and knew that I would love the series based on this first one because of how the characters interacted. I loved the fact that she always wanted to have a family and ended up marrying her eldest brother's best friend, who it turns out does not want what she does; and who ended up not being favorable to her eldest brother. This was the first dose of Bridgerton madness that I fell in love with. It also gave a glimpse of Anthony and Colin's characters which made me excited for their stories.
After reading Colin's I got curious about Eloise's since she suddenly departed at the end of Colin's novel. Lo and behold, that was where her novel picked up. I expected to be blown away by her story since she was one of the most exasperating siblings drawn up. But then her story took a turn for a darker and more serious tone. I guess that's a way to show how her character grew and a way to balance out her infectiously rambunctious vibe. But I couldn't help but be a bit disappointed that the quirky humor was lost in this book. I did not expect it since this was Eloise. I do like the fact, however, that the timeline here is immediately right after Colin's and is along the same line as Francesca's. I guess this was one of the only things I found entertaining in her and Francesca's stories. It's a little sad, but it's true. I would include Eloise's story for light reading if only for the scene where her brothers rampaged through her suitor's home thinking she was abducted and brutally beaten up. Plus there was the addition of Colin's unexpected appearances with his unsolicited romantic advice. It just really gave a good humor to all of it and to his own story.
Francesca's story, as I said, was very detached like Benedict's and Eloise's. Although if I would rank the three, I might rank this as third because the humor was practically completely lost here. Her story began with a dark and sensual note, but ended with a lovely romantic gesture. There's some relief to be found there, but this book just is not suggested for a bit of light reading, unlike the others would be. Actually, I would suggest all of these for light reading except this and Eloise's story. But I guess it wouldn't be her fault since she was hauled away to Scotland after her first marriage. That aside, the tragic tone of the book still makes it a good love story. The way that Francesca was confused about her emotions here resonated with how Anthony wanted to keep being in control of himself despite all else. The only other humorous and interesting bit was again Colin's unsolicited romantic advice while he took it himself. It was really fun seeing him be conflicted with himself.
Hyacinth's story came a year after Colin's, Eloise's and Francesca's. The most amusing part here? The part where she reads to Lady Danbury every Tuesday the now infamous Miss Butterworth and the Mad Baron, and the "thcrumthious Thinclair tots" comment courtesy of Gregory. You have to read it to know about it. However, I do find her clear determination and levelheadedness admirable despite her rowdy nature. I have nothing much to say about the plot since, as I told you, it was already a bit predictable even the how and why they fell in love. But, I did enjoy the return of the quirky humor of the series. It was ushered in the beginning by Lady Danbury and the afternoon readings, lifted back up by the Smythe-Smith musicale, and maintained by Hyacinth herself. She is a story waiting to happen on her own, which is exactly why she is my favorite of the four younger siblings. Too bad Colin was not there anymore to give her or Gareth any unsolicited romantic advice.
Last but not the least is Mr. Gregory Brdgerton's story. A I mentioned, I would have loved this had it not been for the dramatic way that his story ended. Here is the gist of his love story. He was in search of love. He meets a girl, loves her, but she loves someone else. Her best friend helps him, but then he falls in love with her (the best friend). This would be good, except she is already going to get married in a few days, when she also fell in love with him. What are they going to do? I hear you say call off the wedding, which would be feasible except this was 1827. Back then doing that earned you a big mark of shame on your head, your back, and everywhere else on your body. And when that happened, nobody will want anything to do with you anymore. So how did they find their happy ending? Well, that is the story now isn't it. You'll have to read up to find out. Needless to say despite the dramatics of this last novel, I enjoyed its humor and the way that Gregory just couldn't help keep his remarks to himself.
Recommendations
Would I recommend this series? Definitely! Just make sure you have ample time to finish it through and through, otherwise you will be itching to know what happens next while you're doing your work.
Also, if you are looking for quirky quotable quotes, scan the pages of each book and you're sure to find an abundance. :)
And as a bonus, a new book was released by the author containing the second epilogue a for each of these stories. It's called "The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After". Too much fairy tale in the title I know, but don't shun it because you might find it more entertaining than what you're watching or reading now.
As my first series of romantic novels, I praise the author because even a decade after the first publication the stories are still relevant. They are romantic without meaning to be too much, but they are also perceptive in love without being too insightful about it. All in all, I would rate the series a four and a half out of five stars. :D
If only a network or a blockbuster producer would turn this series into movies or a miniseries. That would be delightful indeed.
Ms. Quinn, it might be too late to say this, but I absolutely love your romance novels, and am about to indulge in your latest series, the Smythe-Smith quartet. Who are they? Well, find out with the Bridgertons and the rest of the ton. Better yet, ask Lady Danbury. :)
Dani
June 15, 2014- 9:08pm
"Men are sheep. Where one goes, the rest will surely follow."
- Lady Whistledown, The Duke and I by Julia Quinn;
- Gareth St. Clair, It's In His Kiss by Julia Quinn.
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