Reviews with content warning for Domestic abuse - To Sir Phillip, With Love

Upon seeing her best friend become engaged to her brother, Eloise Bridgerton realises that her dreams of growing an old maid with Penelope have been quashed and she must, at long lost, succumb to the pressure of an appropriate marriage. The intriguing pen-pal she has been liaising with seems just the man and so, in true Eloise fashion, she rides straight to him without a moment’s hesitation. Only, her ideal husband turns out to be anything but when she finally meets Sir Phillip in person.

I truly hated this book. As much as I think it was an interesting look into Eloise’s psyche, reflecting on her views of marriage despite the success her siblings have found in their own matches, and cementing the level of friendship between her and Penelope, I spent the entire novel thinking “she could do way better!” Sir Philip is awful! He’s a terrible father, neglecting his children completely then acting surprised that he has no tangible relationship with them. He’s a terrible husband, assaulting his first wife Marina who was suffering with depression, then expecting Eloise to simply fill the shoes of mother and wife with no consideration of her as a person. He’s another victim of Quinn’s “all men are always angry and mean” characterisation, and even though there’s something endearing about his profession as a botanist, it does nothing to soften his character into anything like likeable. Eloise could have had such a wonderful story of discovering her queerness, or finding a marriage of convenience to support her desire for education, or even just another boring not-quite-enemies-to-lovers story like her siblings. Instead, she landed herself as a glorified replacement, and I hated every minute of her ending up there.

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fenkje's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful lighthearted relaxing sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

3,75⭐

I liked this book, but I didn't love it. The previous Bridgerton books spoke more to me than this one did. Don't get me wrong: it wasn't bad at all, but it was just not completely what I expected. Eloise is one of my favourite Bridgerton siblings, so my expectations were a lot higher. I loved the beginning of the book, but I found it a bit boring after a while. The end made up for it in some way, but it wasn't enough for me.

Also: the s*x-scenes were so unrealistic, reading this as woman. Women don't 'explode', as described by Quinn, as easy or at all in the way the couple made love. I would have loved a more realistic representation.

Content Warnings