To Sir Phillip, With Love

Rating:
Summary: Definitely not her best.
Review: I was thrilled when I spotted her new book on the bookshelf, but I was less then thrilled when I began to read it. The very first part of the book was alright, but then it fell into a slump until her brother Anthony came into the picture. However, once he left, it was an incredibly boring read. I was disappointed in this latest Bridgerton book, especially after reading Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, Colin's story. This is actually the first book by Julia Quinn that I did not enjoy. She's a wonderfully humorous, witty writer but she failed there too with this book. I thought Phillip was too involved in his own pity party to really like him. And Eloise was just a bit too perfect, a bit too controlling. I didn't care at all for their first real love scene when they consummated their marriage. It was over in a couple paragraphs and I could have done without the references as to how he took care of himself all those years. But Quinn is a wonderful author. I just hope she's not losing her magic.

Rating:
Summary: Passable, by Quinn standards...
Review: I'm not sure why, but this last installment of Quinn's Bridergton series left me with a bit of a sour taste in my mouth. I've waited for this book for a year, read the rest of the series over again in preparation, and then finished this book in one afternoon... feeling as if I'd read a short-story that didn't live up to the standards of the rest of her books.
Julia Quinn is something of a hero to me because she manages to liven-up a genere of romance (regency) that is so often over-written and under-developed. Her characters are wonderful, not only because they fall in love so beautifully, but because they interact with their families, they have issues they need to resolve (Simon's fear of being a father, Anthony's fear of death, Colin's fear of a wasted life, etc.) and the love they find helps them grow and accomplish that. They also make the reader laugh, and seem so real that you have to love them.

But Phillip and Eloise seem to sail through their story, never quite getting into the real issues facing their relationship. It happens too quickly, and their distance from the rest of the Bridgerton clan takes away some of the charm of the tale (most especially the absence of Penelope, Eloise's best friend and Colin's wife, who on the day of Eloise's dissapearance revealed a great secret that Eloise never learns and really should).

All in all, by the standards of the genre, it is a fun, easy and engaging story that will make you want to read all the other Bridgerton books. But by Quinn's standards, well, I'm just waiting for the next one.

Rating:
Summary: Smart, Fast Read... and a Bridgerton Tale Too
Review: Julia Quinn delivers yet again with her trademark Bridgerton books, this time telling Eloise Bridgerton's adventure on her path to true love. Much like the previous ones, the wittiness, humor and touching familial bonds pulls her simple plots to deeper levels of emotion. At the end of Romancing Mister Bridgerton, Eloise had dissappeared. Where has she gone indeed?

Eloise has finally been left alone. She and Penelope have been best friends for ages and had decided they would be spinisters after having several years go by after their coming out debuts. Happily however, followers of the Bridgerton books, know that Penelope finally found love with Colin (Eloise's brother). She's feeling quite left out watching her brothers and sister and now her best friend find the exact kind of romance she herself cannot.

Over the year, she has been writing to Sir Phillip Crane, a relation by marriage. His wife a distant cousin of Eloise passed away and Eloise being the attentive writer of letters sent a condolence letter that led to a mail (male) friendship with Crane. Abruptly months before Colin and Penelope's wedding, Crane sends a letter with a marriage proposal of sorts in it. And in a spurt of desperation, Eloise runs off to find her destiny.

Sir Phillip Crane is a bit darker and broodier than other Quinn hereos. This book is less fun, even though the four brothers showing up to rescue their wayward sister allows hilarity of true Quinn potential to occur, and more a character display for Eloise and Phillip. They are two strong character types and their clashing and romance gently buffets the story along rather than the story plodding their romance along. In the end, they come together with as much passion and love as the other Bridgerton siblings and their spouses have.

To Sir Phillip ... will delight Quinn fans. However, this book just cannot stand against my other Bridgerton favorites (the Viscount and Duke and I). I would like to see Quinn move out of the Bridgerton series and write other characters as she so deftly did for the novella included in The Further Observations of Lady Whistledown. It seems like even she seems a bit bored with the same characters showing up in every novel.

Rating:
Summary: Endurance.
Review: Julia Quinn's writing technique is light, quick, and easy to read. This book continues the Bridgerton family yarn. Unfortunately, I believe the storyline is growing stale. This novel supports the series, but to stand alone on its own merit -- never!

By now, every Julia Quinn fan knows the history of the Bridgerton clan. I realize Quinn must inform a first time reader, but this generates a difficult situation for her loyal fans. Such repetition is boring for steadfast followers, after all this is book # 5 in the Bridgerton series. Five times Ms. Quinn has enlightened us! The family still has two unmarried children not to mention sister Francesca's tragedy!!

Eloise Bridgerton, of course, is from a large boisterous family and throughout the first half of the story the reader wonders how the devil Eloise has escaped these folks. Regardless, Eloise has gone missing; she is fleeing to meet her secret pen pal. She left in the dead of night -- what no trustworthy servants haunting the halls? Nevertheless, she is gone! When Eloise's male siblings discover her whereabouts, Quinn's promising love story screeches to a halt. Here lies the problem; the author now devotes endless pages to the Bridgerton family and their history.

Then this gem -- during the grand consummation scene (Right In The Middle Of The Scene) -- Eloise spots Phillip's back! A back heavily marked with scar tissue. Stop the action, now the two lovers decide to discuss Phillip's abusive father. Whoa -- Julia, not in the middle of the wedding night scene! Talk about COLD water -- where was the editor?

Grace Atkinson, Ontario - Canada.

Rating:
Summary: I Am SO Not Wowed By This
Review: Let me start off by saying that the only reason I am even giving "To Sir Phillip. . ." 3 stars is because I love Julia Quinn and, as bored as I was with this book, I still like her writing style.

Synopsis: Spinster Eloise Bridgerton, sibling number 5, decides to act on a whim and travel hours away to Romney Hall to meet the pen pal she has been corresponding with for numerous months. Her "pen pal" is, Sir Phillip Crane, the widowed husband of Eloise's distant cousin and the father of rambuctious twins. Somehow through the correspondence of letters, Phillip decides that Eloise would be the perfect wife/mother combination. She is a spinster, and he assumes, an unattractive one at that, on whom he can hoist his child raising and house managing duties. Then he can go back to his greenhouse where he concocts mutant vegetables and potions for better living.

Life is going well when, not surprisingly (and not as wittingly as it used to be), the Bridgerton brothers come barging into Romney Hall and DEMAND that Sir Phillip marry their spinster sister. Phillip and Eloise pretend to be indignant (how is that, when that is the reason she went to him in the first place --- to explore the possibility of marriage?) but of course, march to the altar anyway.

Where to begin? I bought this book the day it hit the shelves and I'm still not done with it! I bring this book with me everywhere I go in the hopes that in all my free time, I will just sit and read it --- and finish it! Every time I pick it up, I get so easily distracted. With "The Duke and I" and "The Viscount Who Loved Me" and not to mention, "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton," I devoured them! The house could have been on fire and I would not have known, yet alone cared!

With this book, I am frequently eyeing the book of matches...

But seriously, I had a problem with the hero of the story. He was supposed to be a more intellectual hero, a more subdued but more vulnerable man. Instead, he came across as a horny husband and a bumbling father who doesn't have the instinct to be a family man.

Okay, so that's Phillip.

I was more keen on Eloise. She was just how she was in the other books: witty and smart. But I was disappointed that Quinn did not include a dialogue between Eloise and Penelope, her supposed best friend. Eloise cited Penelope's marriage to her brother Colin to be a significant factor in her decision to slip away in the middle of the night to meet and possibly marry Phillip. She explains that she expected Penelope to grow old with her. I would think that there would be a special moment between them. Overall, I thought that the Bridgerton family's presence was too brief. In the other books of the series, it felt like the Bridgerton family was always courting the hero/heroine, whichever the case may be. But in "To Sir Phillip...," Eloise was on her own, really. Not even Hyacinth made an appearance.

There was a lot missing with this book. I am beginning to ask the dreaded questions such as, "Is Julia Quinn getting tired of writing about the Bridgertons? Because there are a few more stories we'd like to see." or even, "Did the publishers and the fans rush her on this book, thereby compromising the quality?"

Regardless of this unfortunate experience, I am still looking forward to Julia Quinn's next books. Rumor is that she will write about Francesca next. I hope Gregory and Hyacinth are in the works as well!

Rating:
Summary: I really had problems with this book...
Review: One of the things I enjoy most about reading Julia Quinn's work is how the themes and characters seem to grow more complex with each new book. In terms of the perfect blend of humor, drama and romance, as well as a marked improvement in writing over some of her earlier novels, this one is definitely one of the best. To Sir Phillip with love is one of my favorites thus-far, eclipsed only by Romancing Mr. Bridgerton.

I didn't expect to like this book at all--throughout the other books I must confess I found Elloise rather obnoxious. However, her know-it-all attitude and somewhat managing personality were just what Phillip needed. I agree with some of the other reviewers that it was difficult to like Phillip--he was a bit self-absorbed--but I think the author does an excellent job of giving insights into why precisely he is so emotionally inept, which make it hard to continue disliking him as the story progresses.

Quinn's character's walk a fine line, carrying certain traits to an amusingly absurd level, but as much as they sometimes resemble caricatures, they always have plenty of individual characteristics to make them unique, lovable and unforgettable. Elloise and Phillip are no acception. Also, as with all of the Bridgerton books, we get to catch up with characters from the rest of the series. Some authors, I have found, seem to reduce the substance of characters from their other books when they reappear in later novels, but as with the rest of this series, all of the Bridgertons and their spouses who make appearances are drawn exactly as they were before, complete with their attendant flaws and absurdities, helping to make the story even warmer and more enjoyable. This is definitely a must read, especially if you've been keeping up with the rest of the Bridgerton series.

Rating:
Summary: You Won't be Disappointed
Review: One of the things I enjoy most about reading Julia Quinn's work is how the themes and characters seem to grow more complex with each new book. In terms of the perfect blend of humor, drama and romance, as well as a marked improvement in writing over some of her earlier novels, this one is definitely one of the best. To Sir Phillip with love is one of my favorites thus-far, eclipsed only by Romancing Mr. Bridgerton.

I didn't expect to like this book at all--throughout the other books I must confess I found Elloise rather obnoxious. However, her know-it-all attitude and somewhat managing personality were just what Phillip needed. I agree with some of the other reviewers that it was difficult to like Phillip--he was a bit self-absorbed--but I think the author does an excellent job of giving insights into why precisely he is so emotionally inept, which make it hard to continue disliking him as the story progresses.

Quinn's character's walk a fine line, carrying certain traits to an amusingly absurd level, but as much as they sometimes resemble caricatures, they always have plenty of individual characteristics to make them unique, lovable and unforgettable. Elloise and Phillip are no acception. Also, as with all of the Bridgerton books, we get to catch up with characters from the rest of the series. Some authors, I have found, seem to reduce the substance of characters from their other books when they reappear in later novels, but as with the rest of this series, all of the Bridgertons and their spouses who make appearances are drawn exactly as they were before, complete with their attendant flaws and absurdities, helping to make the story even warmer and more enjoyable. This is definitely a must read, especially if you've been keeping up with the rest of the Bridgerton series.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent, Eloise, Excellent!
Review: Perhaps, my second favorite Julia Quinn heroine, next to Penelope Featherington, is her best friend, Eloise Bridgerton. In "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton," Eloise realized that after Penelope and Colin got married, she won't have her former spinster friend with her anymore to enjoy "blessed singlehood." In the next Bridgerton installment, "To Sir Phillip, With Love" we discover who Eloise has been corresponding with -the husband of their late cousin. It started when Eloise wrote a sympathy letter to Sir Phillip when she heard their cousin died. Then, Sir Phillip responded, until their correspondences developed into friendship, which led Sir Phillip to propose to Eloise!

Sir Phillip proposed to Eloise thinking that she was the typical spinster and so conveniently solving his problems in finding a "permanent" governess for his two children and a companion who will be there but not distract him from his first love: botany. He did not expect Eloise to really respond immediately; he did not even expect Eloise to arrive in his doorstep. Sir Phillip was not only shocked to find Eloise unannounced in his home but she was not his picture of a homely spinster, Eloise was beautiful, smart, tough, and talks to distraction. His first reaction was to shut her up with a deep, passionate kiss.

I can't wait to read this follow up to "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton" and I was not disappointed. There were some dark moments there in the book but Eloise is such a strong and positive heroine, she shines through most of those moments. Plus, the appearance of the gorgeous Bridgerton brothers to "rescue" Eloise should not be missed.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent, Eloise, Excellent!
Review: Perhaps, my second favorite Julia Quinn heroine, next to Penelope Featherington, is her best friend, Eloise Bridgerton. In "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton," Eloise realized that after Penelope and Colin got married, she won't have her former spinster friend with her anymore to enjoy "blessed singlehood." In the next Bridgerton installment, "To Sir Phillip, With Love" we discover who Eloise has been corresponding with -the husband of their late cousin. It started when Eloise wrote a sympathy letter to Sir Phillip when she heard their cousin died. Then, Sir Phillip responded, until their correspondences developed into friendship, which led Sir Phillip to propose to Eloise!

Sir Phillip proposed to Eloise thinking that she was the typical spinster and so conveniently solving his problems in finding a "permanent" governess for his two children and a companion who will be there but not distract him from his first love: botany. He did not expect Eloise to really respond immediately; he did not even expect Eloise to arrive in his doorstep. Sir Phillip was not only shocked to find Eloise unannounced in his home but she was not his picture of a homely spinster, Eloise was beautiful, smart, tough, and talks to distraction. His first reaction was to shut her up with a deep, passionate kiss.

I can't wait to read this follow up to "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton" and I was not disappointed. There were some dark moments there in the book but Eloise is such a strong and positive heroine, she shines through most of those moments. Plus, the appearance of the gorgeous Bridgerton brothers to "rescue" Eloise should not be missed.

Rating:
Summary: I hated this book. I wish I could give it 0 stars.
Review: Phillip was abusive (mentally and physically) towards his children. He's not a hero or someone I care to read about. The fact that Eloise tolerated this abuse made her my least liked heroine EVER.

Phillip was a narcissistic, cold, unlovable man and Eloise was a fool for loving him.

ZERO stars.