Bookish Thoughts

I know Bridgerton is a modern classic of the genre, but I'm finding this series to be way more uneven than I expected. The Duke and I was fun, The Viscount Who Loved Me was perfect and cathartic. I was really excited for An Offer From a Gentleman , especially since the cover implied similarities to Cinderella. But I was underwhelmed. It didn't help that I really didn't like Benedict. He's pushy and patronizing, and it drives the plot, but I really needed him to back off. Sophie was lovely, but I have a hard time with the whole "I won't be a mistress, just a wife" plot line. Maybe I'm just too modern. So this book was disappointing. But I bought the whole series, and they're fun and light enough for me to keep going. Especially since the next book is Colin and Penelope, which I cannot wait for. I also just found out that Francesca's book takes place after her first husband died, and I'm really interested to see a romance starring a widow.

The hero in this book, Anthony, lives with an intense fear that he will die young. His father and uncle both died before reaching 40, and he has convinced himself that he will do the same. It shapes his entire life, most notably when it comes to marrying and having kids. Quinn notes that this tends to be a male fear and that she worries the women reading her book won't be able to relate to it. But it struck home in a weirdly unexpected way. You see, my husband's father died young. As did his father. We used to joke, blackly, that it had been a few generations since a man in his family had made it much past 60. And as irrational as it was, I entered my marriage fully expecting to outlive my husband. He would occasionally point out that there was no reason to believe he would die young. Nevertheless, in my heart of hearts, I did believe it. Of course, by young, I was thinking 60. Not 34. And now I have this fear, just as strong, just as irrational, that I will also outlive my son...

I picked this up in anticipation of the Netflix series, and I actually managed to read it before the series hit Netflix. This story was lovely and hilarious.I love that the series focuses on a family, and I love the Bridgerton's as a family. They're so warm and happy, and I can't wait to read about each and every one of them finding love of their own. I also love the framing of Lady Whistledown. I'm excited to find out who she is. I'm also really, really excited for the Netflix series to drop. It's going to be just the thing I need in the week between Christmas and New Year's