#Are the best Julia Quinn couple

[spiced-chai-lattes]

🕰️🕯️🍁First Comes Scandal Playlist 🍁🕯️🕰️

[mostlikelyshutup]

@horsetailcurlers2 and i finally finished the magicians the other day and though i do think the show shouldve ended differently and really should have been different from like s4e12 onward, i think with the current ending it just doesnt make thematic sense for eliot and alice to be where they are

like somehow eliot has tied himself down to brakebills which admittedly the physical cottage is his safe space or whatever but on the whole feels like hes not doing what he should be doing in the grand scheme of his character, (in terms of like tethering himself to a place where he was never actually himself and tethering himself to anywhere in general but i digress) like he should be helping build new fillory!! him and margo and josh and fen should be together and i feel like that was just thrown away for alice's self discovery or whatever (like cmon weve seen what the healers in the magical world can do, youre telling me broken fingers trumps missing fingers in terms of spellcasting??) it would also help on his growth, showing that although fillory kindve sucks and he definitely does not want to run it, it is still his home now and making sure its okay?? well thats been his goal fo a while even without being high king (also him naming margo high king margo the creator would have been way more moving than fen doing it im sorry)

whereas alice herself would have shown major growth if she were to be with the library or at brakebills, showing that she finally understands the importance of not just hoarding knowledge but sharing it (if she were a professor at brakebills) or working towards sharing it (leading the library in a way that further goes with that view shes been working on getting for the past idk four seasons???)

it also would have furthered both of their connections to quentin, with alice working with brakebills and eliot in fillory, which were where both of their connections to him really flourished and grew and how they could stay connected to him despite it all

[strnger1985]

Ew….

“infertility isn’t emotional enough” first off she can have her fertility issues with john for 2seasons, wlw have fertility issues… 2 women who can’t get pregnant that’s emotional, they can easily adopt or not lose the baby after john dies

secondly the fertility story was hardly even in the book even julia quinn forgot about it till she was writing their second epilogue

“ruin the best couple” he told her he wants to keep her tied to a bed till she gave him a child (she literally struggles with fertility that’s vile and disgusting) and guilt tripped her into marriage while she said she felt used

mid you want fertility representation there is plenty of it in fact since the 1960s there has been perfect representation of it in films and tv

this show is literally just straight ppl

wlw never get good representation, the kinda good ones we get end up only getting one season bc streaming services basically fetishise gay relationships but think wlw is gross (my interpretation) we deserve our representation and this show is all about giving ppl representation

PLSS SHUT UP🤍🤍🤍

[traeumenvonbuechern]

Historical Romances by Black Authors

Aphrodite wishes to escape the marriage mart but will a second chance with the elusive Duke of Everely change her mind? Aphrodite Du Bell is a diamond of the first water and a favourite of the queen. But her renowned loveliness didn't stop the love of her life, Evander Eagleman, from jilting her and marrying another woman four years ago. Aphrodite has been in self-imposed exile ever since. However, when her formidable mother summons her back to London Aphrodite has no choice but to acquiesce. Upon her return, Aphrodite learns that the newly widowed Evander is in town and, despite her best efforts, the grand society events of the season repeatedly push them together. With each encounter, Aphrodite's traitorous feelings make it perfectly clear that the Duke still holds court over her heart. Why did Evander cast Aphrodite aside all those years ago, and now that they have a second chance, can the couple make strides to mend past hurts?

Ailsa Connery has waited three long years to finally escape her enslavement at Stirling Castle and reunite with her clan. But her carefully laid plans are completely destroyed by the arrival of the infamous Highland warrior known as Dubh Mahoun, the Black Devil…who has plans of his own. Kallum MacNeill's fearsome reputation has long allowed him to keep hidden his secret double life of freeing enslaved captives across the land. It's only when he kidnaps a servant lass—quite by accident—that he finds himself facing a wee predicament. He must accompany the lass home or risk her exposing his true identity. It'd be easy enough…if the feisty hellion didn't fight him at every turn. As they make their way to the Highlands, the perils the two must face are surpassed only by their constant sparring. Soon, their heated sniping sparks heat of a totally different kind. The kind that ignites a hunger that could consume them both. Yet the difficult journey is no match for the dangerous secrets they're about to uncover.

The first novel in USA Today Bestselling Author Beverly Jenkins’s compelling new series follows a Northern woman south in the chaotic aftermath of the Civil War . . . Valinda Lacy’s mission in the steamy heart of New Orleans is to help the newly emancipated community survive and flourish. But soon she discovers that here, freedom can also mean danger. When thugs destroy the school she has set up and then target her, Valinda runs for her life—and straight into the arms of Captain Drake LeVeq. As an architect from an old New Orleans family, Drake has a deeply personal interest in rebuilding the city. Raised by strong women, he recognizes Valinda’s determination. And he can’t stop admiring—or wanting—her. But when Valinda’s father demands she return home to marry a man she doesn’t love, her daring rebellion draws Drake into an irresistible intrigue.

A fun and feminist Regency romp from a master of the genre hailed as "a delight" by Bridgerton author Julia Quinn. Nothing happens in London without Graham Wynchester knowing. His massive collection of intelligence is invaluable to his family’s mission of aiding those most in need. So when he deciphers a series of coded messages in the scandal sheets, Graham’s convinced he must come to a royal’s rescue. But his quarry turns out not to be a princess at all… The captivating Kunigunde de Heusch is anything but a damsel in distress, and the last thing she wants is Graham’s help. All her life, Kuni trained alongside the fiercest Royal Guardsmen in her family, secretly planning to become her country’s first Royal Guardswoman. This mission in London is a chance to prove herself worthy without help from a man, not even one as devilishly handsome as Graham. To her surprise, Graham believes in her dream as much as she does, which makes it harder to resist kissing him…and falling in love. But how can she risk her heart if her future lies an ocean away? 

Jane Austen meets The Princess and the Frog For as long as Prairie can remember, living in paradise has been boring. Her days are filled with helping at her family's resort, sewing, daydreaming, and observing fashionable guests from the sidelines. But when a fairytale-Esque opportunity arises, she does something out of character and agrees to marry a man she's never met. Suddenly, she's navigating a new life that is a world and an ocean away from everything she's ever known. Her new husband, Wright, is decidedly Mr. Wrong. If there's a schedule, he'll ignore it. If there is a rule, he'll break it. If there's a risk, he'll take it. Has the girl who has always had a plan finally met her match? If you're a fan of TV shows like 'Vanity Fair', 'Bridgerton' and 'The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' or enjoy reading comedies of manners, you'll love 'That, My Dear, Is Love.' This is a full-length, standalone novel featuring a diverse ensemble cast, whimsical magic, and hilarious misadventures. This is a clean romance with a HEA. Featuring some of your favorite tropes: Marriage of Convenience Opposites Attract Reformed Rake

The Davenports delivers a totally escapist, swoon-worthy romance while offering a glimpse into a period of African American history often overlooked. The Davenports are one of the few Black families of immense wealth and status in a changing United States, their fortune made through the entrepreneurship of William Davenport, a formerly enslaved man who founded the Davenport Carriage Company years ago. Now it's 1910, and the Davenports live surrounded by servants, crystal chandeliers, and endless parties, finding their way and finding love—even where they’re not supposed to. There is Olivia, the beautiful elder Davenport daughter, ready to do her duty by getting married . . . until she meets the charismatic civil rights leader Washington DeWight and sparks fly. The younger daughter, Helen, is more interested in fixing cars than falling in love—unless it’s with her sister’s suitor. Amy-Rose, the childhood friend turned maid to the Davenport sisters, dreams of opening her own business—and marrying the one man she could never be with, Olivia and Helen’s brother, John. But Olivia’s best friend, Ruby, also has her sights set on John Davenport, though she can’t seem to keep his interest . . . until family pressure has her scheming to win his heart, just as someone else wins hers. Inspired by the real-life story of the Patterson family, The Davenports is the tale of four determined and passionate young Black women discovering the courage to steer their own path in life—and love.

[somedayillbepeterpan]

I'm glad to have been on the right side of history for this moment.

In honour of the 7-day countdown and before this tag gets flooded by part 2 gifsets, analyses, and general insanity, I'd like to add to the Tumblr void my appreciation for Bridgerton S3.

Luke and Nicola, this whole season has been an absolute dream ❤️ I don't think you'll ever see this but I'll share it with the ones who love you as much as I do.

Thank you!

I know that the 2 previous couples weren't able to really showcase their chemistry and story because of Covid but thank you for the run-up and for introducing the world of Bridgerton to us. Thank you Phoebe, Rege, Jonny, and Simone.

Thank you to Shondaland and Netflix and the whole team/crew behind Bridgerton because the fantasy that you brought on TV is now more than than-- it is a lifestyle phenomenon.

To the cast that bring these characters to life, thank you for your patience and love for the show because that love is shown on screen and we audience appreciate your efforts.

To Julia Quinn for writing a whole family that represents the full range of love. And for sharing that to the world so we, too, can know the different facets of it.

And lastly, to my roman empire, the only reason I'll use this term--

to Luke and Nicola

THANK YOU.

For being the perfect Colin and Penelope. RMB is my favourite Bridgerton book so I was very excited to see them onscreen.

Thank you for advocating for us fans. Thank you for not making us feel ashamed for loving the steamy moments. Thank you for being so transparent about the love you have for Colin and Penelope. Your love translated well onscreen and it has made me fall in love even more with their love story.

Thank you for bringing your talent and a-game and for presenting one of the most beautiful love stories I've seen onscreen. This season has been so personal to me (same size as Nicola in height and weight, same type of height difference with my SO, and same demisexual tendencies as Colin).

Thank you for sacrificing 6 months of your life for the press tour. I can't imagine that being the easiest thing to do considering that you are both confessed introverts.

Thank you for giving a part of yourselves to each and every interview. Doing your best to be eloquent and witty even though you are exhausted from having to answer the same questions over and over. Your real life friendship made this press tour so so magical.

This maybe ending in a week's time but I will forever cherish the magic of Polin.

Thank you, Bridgerton Season 3 Polin. You will always be famous.

[lily-s-world]

Discrimination on Romance Media

Bridgerton officially announced their female lead for the upcoming Benedict’s season, a Korean-Australian woman. The casting announcement was well received by some fans but like with every change on Bridgerton there was push back from the diehard fans of the novels. I understand feeling disappointed on an adaptation, we all had been there at some point, but when does it stop being disappointment and start being hatred towards the communities that will now see themselves represented by these changes? Why does the change of race, body type or sexuality create this type of uproar?  

And yes, also body type. One of the comments I saw asked “when we will finally see a non-diverse couple?”, to which several people replied that Polin season was led by a non-diverse couple. The original commenter said, “she was fat, that is diverse for me.”

Romcoms and romance novels are a genre that has been active for several decades now, and when we look back at them, it is easy to notice how the vast majority of the content is led by a straight white couple. A couple whose bodies fit the beauty standards established by the North American and European markets. Nowadays the beauty standard is a petite woman, and a man build like a truck, something incredible common on the romance novels popularized on Instagram and Tiktok.

The problem with these types of media is not that they exist, but that people use it as the standard for how romance couples should look like in the products they consume. Bridgerton is honestly a prime example.

A black man as the lead? Sure, as long as it looks like Simon but not John Stirling, we don’t find him attractive. A bisexual man is okay if he ends up with another man, because the fetish is real, but not if he chooses a woman to date – I won’t see him attractive after I saw him kissing another man (actual comment I saw on Instagram about Benedict). And it goes way worse when it comes to female leads, the racism against Michaela, Kate and now Sophie is alarmingly high. The fatphobia surrounding Nicola, even coming from reporters. The homophobia against Francesca.

The fandom on a lot of romance media is created by white straight women that only want men they find attractive in their narrow view of the world, and women they can relate to a.k.a white skinny woman. If the media dares to go against it, they will raise hell. To the point of telling the original creators, in this example Julia Quinn, that they are woke sell outs with no respect for their own work (just check her Instagram and you will see.)

Adding more diversity on romance is by no means removing the typical representation. Just look at the success “Anyone but you” had last year, even though it wasn’t the best romcom, it still had a great reception. In fact, looking at the romcoms from the past year, over half of them are led by white straight couple. Yet, the uproar for diversity on romance continues.

I am a firm believer that everybody deserves to see themselves in romance stories, and I don’t think I’ll ever change that point of view. I just hope that people can look back at their actions and stop believing that romance should only be available for a certain group.

[daydreamer-in-reverie]

I think one of my biggest gripes about S3 of Bridgerton is that I am utterly unconvinced that Colin and Penelope started as friends.

Now hear me out. I believe that Eloise and Penelope are friends. I believe that they grew up together, having lived across each other. I believe that Eloise loved Pen so much, Penelope was always welcomed to the Bridgerton home. I believe that by virtue of Eloise loving Pen and having her as a best friend, the Bridgerton family loved Pen as an extension.

But I’m unconvinced that Colin ever saw Pen or loved her as more than his sister’s best friend.

They tried so hard to convince us that it was Colin and Penelope who met first and that theirs is a stronger bond than what Eloise and Pen have by virtue of this but I just remain skeptical. In S1 and S2, we never really see them interact without the intervention of a ball or a social gathering. Eloise and Penelope actively seek the other person out while it was only Pen who looked for Colin and never the other way around. Colin only ever stumbled upon Penelope. He never scanned the room the find her, never tried to pull her away from Eloise so they could have their own conversation. I always felt like Penelope was such an afterthought to Colin while Penelope always made space for Colin in his life. Even while Colin was writing letters to Pen, and it was only Pen who consistently read and replied to his missives, it felt so one-sided. Penelope was eager to know of Colin’s adventures but Colin never asks Penelope about her own life and hobbies.

In all honesty, I think this could have easily been remedied by a good flashback. In Bridgerton S1, S2 and even in Queen Charlotte, flashbacks were the mediums used to fill in the gaps of the story. To inform the readers of a character’s history, and why the choose to do the things they do.

In a single episode, we saw how horribly Simon was mistreated by his father. In a single episode, we saw how deeply Edmund’s death wrecked Anthony’s boyhood and broke his mother’s heart. These flashbacks told us why Simon refused to procreate or why Anthony didn’t want to marry for love. We saw how deeply these core memories hooked themselves into these characters psyches, forcing them to become the people we know today. Without these integral flashbacks, we’re left with words said in passing to convince us of the story they’re trying to sell.

And don’t tell me flashbacks in the Bridgerton-verse are unimportant. Flashbacks have always been Julia Quinn’s method of choice when trying to inform readers of a character’s decisions. In Book 1 and 2, we got the same flashbacks as S1 and S2. In Benedict’s book, we got Sophie’s flashbacks. How her father treated her and how much her life changed after he died. In Book 4, which is Polin’s book, we still got flashbacks on Pen and Colin’s relationship and how much their friendship actually meant to the other. Book 5 showed us Philip’s backstory while 6 showed Michael’s and Francesca’s and John’s friendship, and 7 showed Garett’s and 8 showed Lucy.. While these flashbacks maybe used to showcase the love-interest’s past, they were still utilized by Julia Quinn to give us insights on the characterizations that make up their respective relationships.

I feel like this season, while having its moments, wasn’t what I was hoping it would be. There were so many changes that I feel the original plot of the story got lost. Polin didn’t feel like the main couple, just a couple with a story to be told. There were so many plots told in such extended ways that the main event was sidelined. The Mondriches, Benedict (who by the way is my favorite character), Francesca were all put on spotlight more than Polin was. In the books Francesca barely gets a passing mention of her marriage until her actual book (an act I believe to be intentional on Quinn’s part. It fits that the black sheep of the family who prefers the quiet didn’t have all of the fanfare that came with marrying an earl) yet her time at the marriage mart was put as a spotlight. In fact, when Francesca and John marry, it doesn’t happen with the series and happens much in the same way as Prudence’s marriage is (by this I mean it happens off screen). Don’t even get me started on her character assassination and deviation from the books (I can write a whole essay on this without even mentioning Michael/Michaela). All of these plot points, were put as main focuses when they shouldn’t have been. A waste of Polin’s amazing love story, if you ask me.

[eleanor-bradstreet]

Hi! I love your blog and I like show!Ben very much. However I felt meh about his book, and Sophie while sweet, strong and deserving of respect seemed a little bit bland to me. It's fine and probably won't ruin the pleasure of following their story for me. The book and Cinderella themes was simply not my cup of tea, but they definitely will make some changes anyways. That all being said I want to very politely ask you to explain to me what's magic of this couple is for you?

Hello Nonny!

Thank you so much for your kind words and this truly thought provoking question! I have a long-winded answer 😜

I agree with you on many points: I am typically not one for fairytale romance/Cinderella tropes; I believe Benophie's book An Offer from a Gentleman has a TON of problems including making Sophie bland and helpless; and I am hopelessly in love with show!Ben.

As best I can describe it, Luke Thompson's show!Ben is the answer to everything. I love that character and find him to be 'magical' moreso than I do the coupling of Benophie and their story. I believe that he could have a captivating love story with literally anyone and anything. Show me his forbidden romance with a dustbin and I will eat it up 😅 He is just such a well-written and acted character (despite being rather bland and directionless in S3 IMO). He is always kind-hearted and emotionally intelligent (looking askance at dear Anthony). He is adventurous and funny, creative and romantic, and yet not a pushover. He still exudes masculinity and sexual intensity. He is, in my opinion, the complete package. There's nothing he can't do. That's why he's my favorite Bridgerton sibling and why I fell hopelessly in love with him.

His love story with Sophie came second for me. I watched the show first, fell in love with Ben and then read his book. And I nearly chucked it into a fire. In my opinion his book and and show versions are so wildly divergent they may as well be two different people. Book!Benedict's flaws are well documented - the misogyny, toxic manipulation, violence, flippancy, selfishness, on and on... And the plot itself had plenty I didn't like - Sophie was passive and hollow, the sex and romance was toxic, some plotlines were nonsensical, some exposition was lazy. But the skeleton of a grand love story was still there, to Julia Quinn's credit. And when I imagine show!Benedict dropped into that plotline, it has so much potential to be beautiful and as you say: magical.

At it's core, Benophie's love story is uncomplicated. Especially in comparison to the other Bridgerton siblings. So many of the stories center around couples fighting with and/or denying love of their spouses until a deus ex machina comes along and resets their perspective - literally Daphne, Anthony, Colin and Eloise and I havent read the last 3 books so I can only imagine the pattern may repeat 😅 And Benophie do fight over Sophie's hidden identity but it never undermines Benedict's love for her. It's tropey as hell but they fell in love at first sight and never stopped loving each other. It is the issue of class and society that creates complications for their marriage, not their own miscommunications and misunderstandings. To me, that makes their story the most compelling, with the most satisfying pay off.

There is also the visual and action-oriented aspect of their romance. Imagine the sparkling delight of a midnight masquerade. The cozy interior of a country cottage. A glimpse at the 'downstairs' world of servants within the ton. These are realms only Benophie's story dives into. And so much happens other than conversations and balls. A thwarted attack, a nighttime dash through the rain, nursing back to health, lakeside flirtation, sneaking around the Bridgerton household, a chase in the London streets, fight sequences in a jail. There is - A LOT going on to hold one's interest. (I beg of you to tell me one 'action' sequence Polin had other than Pen falling out of a carriage 😜)

Again, when I picture show!Ben in this plot (or something similarly adapted) I am so frickin excited to see Luke Thompson blow us all away with his performance. I also hold out hope that Sophie can be fleshed out and given more agency as a character in the show. Her profile is starkly different from any of the other Bridgerton spouses, growing up cast into the servant class. It's important to expanding the world to show how people outside of the ton lived in this era and she is our vehicle to do that.

So while I fully acknowledge the story is modeled on the tired Cinderella trope, if I stop thinking about it as a paint-by-numbers fairytale, and cast the leads as show!Ben and a dynamically written Sophie, I see a story with immense potential to entertain, full of passion, perseverance, social struggle, action and unwavering love. Yeah, love-at-first-sight is cheesy in theory, but in the world of Bridgerton with show!Benedict waiting for us at a sparkling silver-themed masquerade? I think we're all going to fall irrevocably in love on sight 😉 That's the promise the show holds and I keep my fingers crossed they deliver.

(But just in case they don't, or if anyone is curious on my 'fixes' to the book, I am rewriting it in my fic Let Me Be Your Anchor which I am working to finish soon. The whole idea is plopping show!Ben into the book story and giving Sophie more to do.)

Thank you again for this ask! Sorry for the tome - I had a lot of fun answering 😅💙

[garciaasfluffypen]

bright beginnings pt. 10

pairing: single dad!joseph quinn x fem!reader  wc: 868  warnings: grace being sneaky but in a good way i promise

part nine • part eleven

a/n: hi sorry im so bad at uploading mental health went poopy stinky but im back

“grace elizabeth vandien!” joe gasped, practically hitting the phone out of grace’s hand. “you did not just friend request my employee!” 

“well she’s cute and clearly you need to get your head out of your ass, so if you don’t do it i will.” 

“you’re not playing cupid.”

“and you’re stupid if you think i’m going to listen to you.” 

“i cannot believe you’ve done this.” 

“well believe it, buckaroo. this is happening whether you like it or not.” 

joe had to stop himself from shoving grace off the couch, instead choosing to throw a pillow at her face before getting up to pace the room. there was no way this was going to turn out good. there absolutely wasn’t. but it wasn’t like he was nervous, right? granted, the last person he was with was julia. she didn’t really do much in terms of their relationship, seeing as it appeared to be purely transactional. and the fact that she left the kids with joe a majority of the time. he wasn’t going to lie, the honeymoon phase was nice, but it didn’t last much longer than six months before he started noticing a few things. then six turned into twelve, julia got pregnant and those twelve months turned into 23 with divorce papers in his hands. and now the twins were three, he was sex deprived and dear god, he just-- 

but he couldn’t, could he? he wasn’t going to lie, y/n was one of the only things on his mind lately. okay so maybe he had looked at her profile picture on facebook for too long. and memorized the freckles on her cheeks and how some of them almost looked like the little dipper if you squinted just enough. or how her cousin commented “so hot so pretty you need a boyfriend” on every profile picture and y/n would just reply with an eyeroll emoji and a “get me one then”. how she laughed so gracefully when the kids at the daycare did something funny. or cute. or both. how she took such great care of the twins and didn’t care at all that they attached themselves to her. 

yeah, maybe he needed a new relationship. he needed to stop thinking about y/n. he needed--

“joe, get out of your head.” grace lightly slapped his cheeks. “i promise i won’t say anything too out of pocket to her.” 

“grace!” 

“i’m joking! mostly. listen, you know your worth and you deserve to have it. julia can suck my ten inch clit, and if she pulls a fuss to her lawyer about you moving on you can literally bring up the fact she leaves you with the kids and breaks her custody agreement almost weekly to go fuck some guy on whatever costal island she flies to with daddies money. you. deserve. so. much. better. don’t stop yourself from pursuing this because of some silly little lady who can’t tell her left from her right.”

“i— she’s not directionally challenged.”

“that’s not my point.” grace rolled her eyes. “stop being such a worry wort and just get back out there! what’s wrong with going on one date with y/n?” 

“well for one, if it goes bad we might lose our best employee.” 

“i doubt she would quit if the date goes that roughly. and you gotta believe in yourself, dude. you had everyone in college swooning over you. it’s a surprise you’re not playing some heartthrob metal head somewhere on tv that everyone is going to fall in love with.”

“stop reminding me of my failed dreams.” joe dramatically flopped back on the couch. “i’d much rather be on tv than running a daycare.”

“but you’re doing a damn good job at it. honestly? i think it's your calling.” 

“huh?”

“working with kids. maybe you could like, develop a show about a couple in a daycare that falls in love and has like ten babies.” 

“y/n and i are not going to have ten babies.” 

“i never said that.” grace cheekily smiled as she typed away on her phone. “and besides, you never know what’ll happen.” 

“i have two, and they are more than enough right now, thank you very much.” 

grace rolled her eyes. “puh-lease, you want more kids and you know it.”

“i do know it, but i have two three year olds.” 

“and like, how many girls watching them constantly? joe. i’m going to be blunt and you’re going to take it. you need to get laid. and i’m going to help you get laid.” 

“i- grace…” 

“listen, i’m gonna find you someone. even if it’s on tinder, okay?” grace pushed herself off of the couch. “i’m gonna head out because i have an 8am, but i’ll send you updates. also send me your favorite pictures of yourself in case i end up making you a tinder.”

“i don’t want to be on tinder.”

“i’ll do bumble then.” grace paused in the doorframe.  “oh, before i forget, y/n and i are getting tea tomorrow, i’ll let you know how it goes!” 

and with that, grace shut the door and joe was left to once again scream into his pillow.

[alrightsnaps]

You're quitting bridgerton? Won't you watch season 4?

i will probably watch if it’s sophie and benedict’s season (i know people are confident it will be but for me it’s a big if. i’m not at all confident sophie beckett will be in the show at all).

but strictly as a casual viewer. fandom has been growing sour for me for the past two years and the past season was pretty much the last straw.

i don’t think i’ve come across a fandom so hostile about book readers asking the bare minimum of respect from the production supposedly responsible for bringing these books to life. i already stayed through the insane policing of s2 after what shondaland did to kate and anthony. i can’t stomach the same for benophie or franchael.

at best ill finish some edits i have sitting on my laptop for a while out of nostalgia, but the bridgerton fandom is not for me anymore. it was my comfort during some very difficult times during covid and after and went in with a lot of excitement for what the future of the show would bring. that was crushed repeatedly at various points since 2022.

i don't think genderbending michael of all male characters was a good decision and i’m not sticking around for sanctimonious fans, who either got their faves on screen and don't care or are casual watchers who don't care, censoring book fans for expressing their frustration. before a day passed from the news mind you! it may work with straight women who are too scared to be accused of homophobia but im a wholeass sapphic woman, i could care less about keyboard warriors’ nonsense (especially when half oh them aren't even queer but feel like white knighting for some reason?)

representation is not and was never supposed to be a competition and i’m never forgiving jess brownell for making it appear it is. there could absolutely be room for ALL of us in the bridgerton universe in a way that would leave most viewers happy. and i’m not talking about supporting characters, but leads too. the bridgerton franchise already had a very successful limited series; more could be made, with queer leads this time.

that woman knew exactly what she was doing when she decided to scrap a favourite male lead of the book series. she knew this isn't a contemporary story but HR and the narrative largely hinges upon gender. especially for francesca and michael. she knew genderbending would mean essentially an original story but instead of creating original queer characters to star in it she took away a favourite book couple.

all this while putting a black woman in the middle of it all to face the backlash.

i wish masali the best and hope she has a strong support system.

but julia quinn, jess brownell and shonda can fuck off as far as i’m concerned.

maybe in a couple of years someone who loves romance will make a beautiful adaptation about a fan favourite HR book, whether straight or sapphic, with respect to the readership. and i’ll be tuned in.

[thekatebridgerton]

In one of your older posts you described Eloise and phillip as a single dad x magic pixie dream girl.

I was wondering if you could expand on this concept?

I've always wondered what happened after end of the book.

Honestly I need to read the Bridgerton Epilogues too.

I don't remeber when I said this about Phillip and Eloise being an example of the single dad x manic pixie dream girl trope. But it does sound like me. Mostly because to me Julia Quinn averted falling into the trap of making Eloise relationship with Phillip entirely two dimensional.

So we all know about the MPDG she's the female version of the hallmark hero. She's fun, quirky, outside the mold and seems to have landed on our hero's doorstep to cure his depression and make him feel like life can be fun again (then Julia said 'hey, what if the manic pixie dream girl had trauma after seeing her dad die and also had a family of wacky, equally traumatized siblings). Then we have the single dad, he's often overworked, depressed and his dubious approach to parenting has turned his kids into unruly brats.

Wait a minute, what do you mean that the resident MPDG has trauma? And a life of her own? so here's where it gets fun. Because as the story progresses we learn that not only was Eloise not placed in the story to solve Phillip's problems, she is quite frankly going trough a existential crisis of her own, and he and his kids are invertedly helping her trough it. Because we come to learn that Eloise is a lot more than this talkative extrovert who likes to give orders. She is deeply concerned about life passing her by and everyone moving on with their lives except her and she just really wants to find out if falling inlove IS actually something she's been missing out all along.

And it turns out that our depressed single dad really never had anyone to teach him how to be a good person, other than his brother who died. But he's been muddling trough and all this time the depression was because he simply has been beating himself up most of his life, for not being good enough or 'man enough' to fix everything that's wrong in his life without help.

And this is where we reach the deconstruction of the trope, because at the end of the story, Phillip comes to terms with the fact that Eloise isn't this perfect idealized woman of his dreams, I mean she's certainly brilliant and wonderful but not perfect. And that's okay, he never wanted perfect, he just wanted someone who would smile and maybe love him. He never expected Eloise to change his life but she did and he doesn't know how to go back to living without that.

And then we see Eloise, who never thought anyone would need her or appreciate her for all the things everyone told her were flaws, like being loud, bossy and energetic. And tho Phillip is not perfect, he does try his best to be better every day and appreciate who she is as a person, not because of how she's good at fixing his life, but because she's herself, a kind, friendly no nonsense woman with a heart of gold who can and will stand up for herself even against someone she loves. He's not her perfect one dimensional hallmark hero, he has a life of his own, and hopes, dreams and fears, outside of just pleasing her and being her husband. But he would do anything to make her happy and that's all she needs to build a good marriage.

It's very much real, in TSPWL how sometimes we idealize the people we are writing to, when we have never met them in person and build them up to be these perfect paragons of virtue and then we meet them in person and it turns out the manic pixie dream girl has trauma and the hallmark one dimensional hero, is actually just a guy trying to figure out his life.

Maybe that's another thing i love so much about this couple.

[mrowmrowmrow9]

Bridgerton books: rank & review

I recently read all of the bridgerton books. Why? I...don't really know. Morbid curiosity, perhaps? Here's how it went anyways!

General thoughts

Whether a book was supposed to be really bad or really good, I think what I felt mostly while reading all of them was just...underwhelmed. It's rare that a subpar book is made into an excellent show instead of the other way around, but here we are. Anyways, one of my main critiques is that Julia Quinn just has kind of a bland writing style. She writes these conversations that just go on forever and run in circles without actually getting anywhere. I finished all of the books pretty quickly, and the endings felt almost abrupt; it was hard to believe the book was over because it often felt like so little had happened. But what bothered me the most about these books was definitely the male love interests. Besides the rage and possessiveness, they basically felt like the exact same guy written eight times over, with some slight changes. After reading a few I was desperate for something different - a guy who's awkward, or sexually inexperienced, unpopular with women, plus-sized, freaking short. Anything 😫

Now for the rankings!

#8: The Duke & I (Daphne & Simon)

I give this one a 4/10. It was more or less exactly what I expected, but I did manage to read through it, so points for that I guess. Their whole relationship just felt kind of icky and unhealthy. And Daphne in particular was very bland as a character. At least in the show, they had some sizzling chemistry. The best part of this book was the 2nd epilogue - Polin cameo!

#7: To Sir Philip, With Love (Eloise & Philip)

6/10. Philip was a bit of a dick and I'm salty that Penelope is neither in this book nor any of the others after it (I read this one last) even though Colin is, although that's not super relevant to the quality of the book. I would say that I liked this one about the same as #6, which is to say there were parts about it I liked but even then it was kind of just okay. I really didn't like the way Philip was always demeaning Eloise, especially when he said she wasn't allowed to have complaints about their marriage because his first wife killed herself!! Anyways I’m super curious to see where the show goes with Eloise, considering everything that’s different about her and Philip from the book.

#6: An Offer From a Gentleman (Benedict & Sophie)

6/10. I liked this one more than I thought I would based on what people said, although Benedict was definitely still an asshat. But at least he apologized for...some of it? I did like Sophie a lot as a character, and was very invested in her story, so that's where most of the rating comes from. Excited for season 4!

#5: Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Penelope & Colin)

6/10. Penelope was pretty great in this book, and so was Lady Danbury, but Colin felt almost unrecognizable from the show and from what he's like in the other books as well. It's almost like Julia Quinn thinks that in order for a male character to be a love interest he has to be violent and forceful and other unpleasant things. No thank you! The scenes in the church and at the engagement ball were especially icky, and the sex scene was just kind of...weird. Altogether, I was pretty disappointed considering show!polin owns my heart 🥲

#4: It's In His Kiss (Hyacinth & Gareth)

6.5/10. I thought I would like this one a lot based on what people said about it, but Hyacinth and Gareth just didn't really draw me in, individually or as a couple, and the mystery plot didn't feel very interesting to me. I did love the way Hyacinth and Lady Danbury interacted, though, that was super fun.

#3: The Viscount Who Loved Me (Kate & Anthony)

7/10. This one was great, just not quite my favorite. Enemies to lovers dynamic was a lot of fun, although it felt kind of ridiculous and improbable that they were forced to get married just because of the bee sting thing. Otherwise, I had a good time!

#2: When He Was Wicked (Francesca & Michael/a)

7/10. The sex scenes were great and focused more on female pleasure and empowerment than the others, so kudos for that. Michael was also a much more decent person than many of the other male love interests. The only thing that really bothered me was the lack of Bridgerton family scenes and dynamics, since most of the book takes place in Scotland. I'm curious and excited to see where the show goes with the gender swap when they do Francesca's season.

#1: On The Way To The Wedding (Gregory & Lucy)

8.7/10. I wasn't prepared for how much I liked this book! I adored Lucy, and her whole thing about needing things to be straightened out and even and liking to count is something I can relate to. The plot felt plausible, and yay for a bit of gay rep in Lord Haselby! I kind of wish Lucy had been less of a helpless damsel in distress near the end, but oh well. Gregory was enjoyable as a character and together they made a great couple. I loved the 2nd epilogue as well. This may sound strange given it’s the last in the series, but if you're going to read a Bridgerton book, I'd say read this one!

If anyone's still here, thanks for reading this insanely long post 😘😘

[bohemian-nights]

i will honestly never forgive them for the whole lady danbury mess in QC. totally unnecessary and extremely difficult to sit through for so many reasons.

but yeah it’s a pattern with the writers atp to put bw in unfulfilling AT BEST situations. “but that’s how it was back then!” well i don’t want to see it! why is it only happening to the black women? and also, there is nothing realistic or period-accurate about this show, so that argument doesn’t even hold up.

i’m still holding out for black Sophie but i’m trying not to get my hopes up. i honestly thought the people latching on to the Michaela theories were just (at least some of them) racists coping with their favorite lead having a bw love interest bc it seemed totally illogical, right? like i thought they’d have to be completely insane and out of touch to actually do it. but then they did.

i’m queer! sapphic/bisexual specifically. i am always looking not just for queer representation but for good wlw love stories with happy endings bc we are severely underfed! but holy shit! bridgerton’s main audience is middle-aged heterosexual women. what the hell were they thinking???

sorry. this is getting into rant territory. i was going to ask you what chance you thought there was of us actually getting a black Sophie but then i realized i actually don’t care anymore and you probably don’t either. Bridgerton dipped majorly in quality this season anyway, imo, so it’s probably best to check out before it gets even worse.

The last part especially because there isn’t anything left enjoyable about this show. It’s quite literally gone off the rails.

I stand by that the ones who leaked this crap and are salivating over this are racist assholes who never wanted Sophie to be Black because all of them have voiced in some fashion or another their preference for a non-Black Sophie and/or how there are “too many Black people on the show.”

They’ve got their wish in part because I doubt Sophie will be Black or even Black-ish now, however, their prize isn’t anything worthwhile.

Making Benedict bi at the millionth hour when Sophie is supposed to come into the picture makes no sense unless you are going to put in a MMF love triangle which isn’t the premise of AOFAG and cheapens Benophies love story since Benedict always just wanted Sophie/TLIS.

Regardless of what they do Jess is a shit writer and show runner(I mean look what she did for Shonda’s favorite girl). Next season is hardly going to be award winning...

Now as far as this gender-bending mess goes, Franchael’s book is very gender specific and dependent on Michael being a man. So there is no way that whatever they put out will remotely resemble When He Was Wicked.

Bridgerton canon has also established that gay marriage is illegal. Not to mention that really isn’t an any reason to change it, in fact it would be be counterproductive to change that considering the basis of their society is built on women being second class citizens and the continuation of the family line through the union of a man and a woman.

You can’t exactly do that in a society that allows two women to marry. Two women in 1815 can’t make a baby either, so I really can’t see how they’ll write a happily ever after complete with a legal marriage for this OC couple they’ve created.

I should say there is nothing wrong with queer rep. That’s not why I’m disgusted and disappointed. There was a way to add it, but they went about it the wrong way

Season 1 they should’ve established that gay marriage wasn’t a problem and created an OC couple or couples which they could do a spin-off or two on or hell made Gregory bi this season(his book literally has a gay plot), but instead they went out of their way to establish that gay people were persecuted and have to hide their love which was only reinforced with Queen Charlotte.

Essentially they’ve roped people in and switched their narrative up all because Jess wants to play self-insert, Julia Quinn only sees dollar signs, and Shonda has severe self-hate issues.

Honestly at this point I feel like both of these decisions were done to keep a Black woman from playing Sophie.

The show has literally gone on 3 seasons without including Black women in a leading romantic role. We weren’t asking for much. We weren’t even breaking it up by ethnicity and saying that Shonda(who is a Blsck woman herself) needs to cast a Caribbean, an Afro-Latina, a Black American, and an African woman. We just wanted someone fully Black to play a leading woman who gets a happily ever after.

Sophie would’ve been the perfect time to include us in this supposedly progressive show that cares about diversity. Sophie’s story is really just spicy Cinderella which would’ve been a breath of fresh air, but that is too good for us apparently.

When you factor in how Lady Danbury in the other Blackish women on this show are depicted, they really seem to have a problem with showing Black women being openly loved, desired, and fought for.

It is what is though. I don’t really care what they do at this point because the show reached its peak with Queen Charlotte. The best days are behind it, but yeah, they’ve lost me as a viewer…

[ao3feed-kathony]

A Valentine's Day Bargain

read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/56872075 by stellamccartney When best friends and co-workers Kate Sharma and Anthony Bridgerton decided to take advantage of the city's generous couples discounts. What starts as a harmless money-saving scheme quickly turns into an unexpected realization. Or Prompt: on Valentine’s Day everything seems to have a discount for couples, so why not pretend to be one to save some money and have fun? Words: 3027, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Bridgerton (TV), Bridgerton Series - Julia Quinn Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: F/M Characters: Anthony Bridgerton, Kate Sheffield | Kate Sharma Relationships: Anthony Bridgerton/Kate Sheffield | Kate Sharma Additional Tags: Friends to Lovers, Valentine's Day, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, One Shot read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/56872075

[mulderscully]

reading the bridgerton books and the thing is that julia quinn is not necessarily the best or most poetic writer. her stuff is actually pretty simple (to be fair, she went to medical school) but she is very good at making the interactions between characters feel warm and real. she also is able to make it so even the most outwardly different couples are similar in all of the ways that matter. idk i know everyone clowns her but the ease and comfort of these books and how they translate onto the screen are successful for a reason.

[bridgertonbabe]

Ranking the Rokesby Series

So after recently reading all 4 Rokesby books, here’s my ranking of them;

1. The Girl With The Make-Believe Husband

Cecilia and Edward’s love story has to be my favourite from the sheer drama of it all. This book has everything; the hero suffering from amnesia, the heroine pretending to be his wife, a brother MIA, falling in love over correspondence, a strawberry-induced allergic reaction, and the ever beloved “there’s only one bed” trope. I also think Cecilia and Edward’s book is my favourite of the Rokesby series because while reading it I felt as though it was a bit Benophie-coded, due in part to the heroine having to go by an alternate identity of sorts and the hero not being any the wiser right up until the last few chapters (though to be fair Edward is suffering from memory loss - Benedict is just an idiot lmao). 

2. The Other Miss Bridgerton

Andrew and Poppy are next and while I initially thought Billie was as chaotic a Bridgerton as her nieces and nephews, it turns out drama and scandal is simply a Bridgerton family trait, as proven by Poppy when she manages to get kidnapped by privateers. Andrew makes for the perfect charmingly cheeky hero and he definitely reminded me a lot of Colin especially with his inability to stay in one place for too long yet coming to a point where he desired more from life. I enjoyed the witty back and forth between the pair but also how closely they bonded through their deeper conversations and how their attraction became more and more palpable as the story progressed. I genuinely didn’t expect the drama that would ensue upon their arrival in Portugal but it made for a pleasant surprise and appropriately raised the stakes for them to realise just how much they meant to each other. 

3. Because Of Miss Bridgerton

Now while I did thoroughly love George and Billie’s love story they’ve ended up ranking third only because there was so much drama in the above books in stark contrast. Again, I can’t help but compare the Rokesby series with the Bridgerton series and in doing so it’s so abundantly clear that this story is Kanthony-coded; from the enemies-to-lovers trope between two respective eldest siblings, the alleged supposition among the other characters that Billie is destined to end up with one of George’s brothers (even though it’s quite obvious that the supporting players are all lowkey side-eyeing the pair throughout), and even a game of Pall Mall featuring the mallet of death. While it could be viewed as an italicized version of Kanthony; TVWLM is one of Julia Quinn’s best stories for a reason so fuck it, why shouldn’t it be echoed? 

4. First Comes Scandal

And just because Georgie and Nicholas’s story is ranked fourth doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it; again, purely based off of drama, this book simply wasn’t as wildly dramatic as it’s three predecessors. I loved the Muppet baby cameos of young ABC but if anything I loved it too much because I wanted more of them, plus I was a little disappointed that we never saw Edmund’s reaction to his best friend becoming engaged to his younger sister; did he get mad, was he shooketh, or did he find it a bit funny? For me the journey to Scotland dragged on a little more than I would have liked though I did enjoy reading how Georgie and Nicholas slowly fell for each other and transitioned from being friends to lovers (plus it was a nice touch having their first time being both of their first times; it gave their love scene a fresh dynamic from the rest of Regency couples’ first times).