From Book to Screen: Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn
Gentle reader,
Welcome back to the ton and a new season of Bridgerton!
For the past couple of years, Netflix has had grand success with the help of this series and the brilliant characters by Julia Quinn. Each season allows for a new couple to take the spotlight. The series has been a reminder that so many of us need love stories in our lives. The dating scene has changed drastically because of technology, so going back to the Regency Era to find romance has been well-needed.
Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn is the fourth novel in the Bridgerton series and highlights Penelope Featherington’s marriage to Colin Bridgerton. The longtime friends slowly find themselves at a crossroads as the yearning is now reciprocated. Colin does not know how or why this shift in perspective happened, all he knows is that he needs Penelope by his side at all times.
The book is quite different than season three of Bridgerton, but the important scenes between Colin and Penelope are by far the most exciting parts of the new season. Regardless of it feeling overstuffed because of additional characters not highlighted in the book, their love story reigns supreme because of the friends-to-lovers trope.
Romancing Mister Bridgerton
Synopsis:
Everyone knows that Colin Bridgerton is the most charming man in London. Penelope Featherington has secretly adored her best friend's brother for...well, it feels like forever. After half a lifetime of watching Colin Bridgerton from afar, she thinks she knows everything about him until she stumbles across his deepest secret...and fears she doesn't know him at all.
Colin Bridgerton is tired of being thought nothing but an empty-headed charmer, tired of everyone's preoccupation with the notorious gossip columnist Lady Whistledown, who can't seem to publish an edition without mentioning him in the first paragraph. But when Colin returns to London from a trip abroad he discovers nothing in his life is quite the same - especially Penelope Featherington! The girl haunting his dreams. But when he discovers that Penelope has secrets of her own, this elusive bachelor must decide...is she his biggest threat - or his promise of a happy ending?
***SPOILERS BELOW***
Romancing mISTER bRIDGERTON Quotes
“And then the most bizarre thing happened. He realized that he didn’t know what to say, either. Because he’d forgotten about rumours and the power of the word and all of that rot, and the only thing he could think of was the part about the kissing, and… and — and — good god in heaven he wanted to kiss Penelope Featherington.”
“He was lost. There was something heartbreaking in the way she was gazing at him as if she might die if he didn’t kiss her. Not from heartbreak, not from embarrassment — it was almost as if she ended him for nourishment, to feed her soul, to fill her heart. And Colin couldn’t remember anyone else ever needing him with such fervour.”
“There was something quite humbling in feeling nervous about seeing Penelope. Penelope was… Penelope. It was almost as if she’d always been there, smiling politely at the perimeter of a ballroom. And he’d taken her for granted, in a way. Some things didn’t change, and Penelope was one of them. Except she had changed…. Or maybe she was the same, and he had changed.”
“Maybe all this sadness building up inside of her was for the death of a dream. Her dream of him. She’d built up the perfect image of him in her mind and with every word he spat in her face, it was becoming more and more obvious that her dream was quite simply wrong.”
“And somehow, it made it all all right. I was almost twenty-eight and unmarried, and we’d always have each other. But now you have Colin.” - Eloise Bridgerton
Colin had never been opposed to marriage. He’d simply been opposed to a dull marriage. He wasn’t picky; he just wanted passion and friendship and intellectual conversation and a good laugh every now and then. A wife from whom he wouldn’t want to stray. Amazingly, he seemed to have found that in Penelope.”
Maybe this, then, was the definition of love. When you wanted someone, needed her, adore her still, even when you were utterly furious and quite ready to tie her to the bed just to keep her from going out and making more trouble.
“I love you with everything I am, everything I've been, and everything I hope to be. I love you for my past, and I love you for my future. I love you for the children we'll have and for the years we'll have together. I love you for every one of my smiles and even more, for every one of your smiles.”
Themes
Friends to lovers
Enemies to lovers
Unexpected love
Personal achievement
Social stature
Romancing mister bridgerton
Characters
Penelope Featherington: Penelope has been the wallflower for most of her life and writing the Lady Whistledown journals makes her feel accomplished. She is still pining over Colin Bridgerton, but after overhearing that he would never court her that dream slips away. The Penelope in the book is more meek and timid. The people who are closest to her like Colin and Eloise know her quick wit and brilliant mind. Once Penelope is declared a spinster, she changes her wardrobe and makes an impression on the ton. She learns to speak her mind and be unapologetically herself.
Colin Bridgerton: Colin is a world traveller and adored by the ton. He has been the most charming of the Bridgerton brothers. Another reason why Penelope has a difficult time even being around him. Colin feels like he doesn’t have a sense of purpose. That’s his main conflict in the novel. He has travelled the entire world, and written beautiful pieces in his journals, and it’s all fulfilling, but what does he have? He struggles with this throughout the book only to have Penelope save him from this spiral.
Lady Danbury: Lady B is more prominent in this book than in the series. She sees Penelope as an equal and helps her find her light. She is the one who puts the bounty on Lady Whistledown’s head so she might reveal herself to the ton. Lady Danbury finds Penelope as fierce and outspoken as she is. That’s why she takes her under her wing in this novel. She finally understands who Penelope is and wants the rest of the ton to know how brilliant she is.
Eloise Bridgerton: Eloise still has no idea who Lady Whistledown is. She is still best friends with Penelope and plans to remain a spinster forever. Eloise and Hyacinth develop a strong relationship and are the main gossips in the Bridgerton family. Once Penelope and Colin spend more time together, Eloise is left to her entertainment as she begins writing letters to an unmentioned person. It’s under the assumption that it is Sir Philip. Eloise is more secretive with whom she’s speaking and eases up on her plight of remaining a spinster.
Bridgerton Season 3 Additions
Characters
Lord Debling: In the novel Lord Debling is a suitor for Penelope’s younger sister Felicity. They changed the pairing because Felicity was never presented in the series and there needed to be a suitor for Penelope considering the storyline for season three. Colin helps Penelope by securing a match and gives her tips to attract them. Debling has a peculiar likeness and is straightforward. He values Penelope in the series because of her honesty towards the ton.
Will and Alice Mondrich: The series has built up Will and Alice Mondrich for some reason. The club is a huge deal in the show and in this season they both take a step up into high society. They’re invited to all the balls and even host one themselves to make an impression on Queen Charlotte. Will doesn’t know how to give up his hard-working genes. Alice fully embraces this new lifestyle because they do not have to struggle to make ends meet. Their love is rekindled and their relationship blossoms beautifully in the season.
Francesca Bridgerton: Francesca has returned from Bath and has been recast since the last time we saw her. It is her social season as Eloise had hers the year before. What’s fascinating about Francesca is that she is the most timid of all the Bridgertons. She’s soft-spoken, kind and sweet. She is the most unpredictable because she wants her love story to flourish. She has plenty of suitors but is unbothered by finding a true love match. She also becomes close to Penelope and envies how she is comfortable herself. Francesca does marry Lord Sterling.
Lord Marcus Anderson: Lady Danbury’s estranged brother who is now interested in Violet Bridgerton. We don’t know why he’s in the ton yet, but Lady Danbury does not want him anywhere near Violet. Fortunately, Lady Danbury reconciles with her brother and wants the best for Violet. There is a tie-in for Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story beneficial to their character dynamic.
Michaela Sterling: If you have read the other Bridgerton novels, fans know that John Sterling’s cousin, Michael is the one Francesca ends up with. The gender-swap in the final episode of season three has made Francesca’s story even more interesting and we cannot wait for her season.
Important scenes from the book that made it to Bridgerton season 3:
Colin Bridgerton expressed he’d never court Penelope Featherington.
The retelling of the first time they met.
The “éclair” scene
It is spread out differently: she wears the green gown for her first reveal in the series of a changed wardrobe, and Colin sees her eating a dessert which he zones in on her mouth.
Colin dances with her because he wants to and Penelope is worried the ton might think he’s courting her. She voices it to him.
Penelope asked Colin if he could kiss her.
Penelope reads Colin’s journals without permission, which leads to his hand being cut and Penelope mending his wound.
The carriage scene.
It is executed differently because it happens after Penelope runs out of the ball. After all, Lord Debling revokes the proposal.
Colin proposed to Penelope with the exact line: “For God’s sake Penelope, are you going to marry me or not?”
The “mirror” scene.
Colin finds out that Penelope is Lady Featherington. This was underwhelming because the carriage scene would have followed right after.
Penelope tells Colin she has made her own money as Lady Featherington to pay Cressida Cowper to keep her secret.
What did you think about Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn? How are you feeling about the changes in Bridgerton season 3? Let us know in the comments below, or join our discord today!
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