Book Review: To Sir Philip With Love (Bridgerton #5) by Julia Quinn

“I always loved everything about you, of course, but for some reason I always found your impatience especially charming. It was never because you wanted more, it was because you wanted everything.”

― Julia Quinn, To Sir Phillip, With Love

The fifth installment of Julia Quinn's bestselling Regency series, which features the enchanting, aristocratic Bridgerton family, tells the tale of Eloise Bridgerton. 

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Sir Phillip knew from his correspondence with his dead wife’s distant cousin that Eloise Bridgerton was a spinster, and so he’d proposed, figuring that she’d be homely and unassuming, and more than a little desperate for an offer of marriage. Except . . . she wasn’t. The beautiful woman on his doorstep was anything but quiet, and when she stopped talking long enough to close her mouth, all he wanted to do was kiss her…

Eloise Bridgerton couldn’t marry a man she had never met! But then she started thinking… and wondering… and before she knew it, she was in a hired carriage in the middle of the night, on her way to meet the man she hoped might be her perfect match. Except… he wasn’t. Her perfect husband wouldn’t be so moody and ill-mannered. And he certainly should have mentioned that he had two young – and decidedly unruly – children, as much in need of a mother as Phillip is in need of a wife.

My reaction to this novel...

This novel started out well and only recently became tiring. I felt like I was always waiting for the storyline to begin. I’ve like the series in general, but this one just didn’t have the same fire or love as the others. I spent a significant amount of time reading this and still couldn’t get into it. It had so much promise. Sir Phillip has a psychological burden, although he looks to be off-kilter a lot. It’s a tiresome novel, so I was disappointed since I loved Eloise, and I was looking forward to Eloise’s book because she seemed so whimsical and feisty. As a result, she ended up receiving a covert offer from a man in need of a mother for his children. Overall, it didn’t satisfy my heart in the least.

This novel was the one where I couldn’t engage as much as the others. I believe I was drawn in by the story’s diverse cast of people. Whisteldown was another character that I missed. They did, however, add a nice touch because each chapter opened with a section of a letter Eloise had written.

Sir Phillip, in my opinion, wrecked the plot in this novel. What the hell is going on with his demeanor? I was hoping that the character would develop with time, but it became increasingly evident that Phillip is the type of man Julia Quinn envisioned, making him far more difficult to pass and very impossible to consider. His tyrannical responses are unacceptable and should not be praised. I despise this novel because I believe Eloise deserves a better romance tale. I, on the other hand, expected this novel to be promising, but it only served to disillusion and misery for Eloise.

I will rather skip this one and will choose to proceed to the next story than to recommend this book.

My Overall Rating: ⭐(1/5)

“Love your siblings. Love them well, for they are your blood, and when you are unsure, or times are difficult, they will be the ones to stand by your side.”

I wholeheartedly agree. Your siblings will be your steadfast allies. My two siblings and I are quite close. Though we have many significant differences, and most of the time, misunderstanding and fighting with them appears to be normal, at the end of the day, we know that we are allies, and we do not let each other down. Siblings are a blessing from God that we should treasure.

“Be strong. Be diligent. Be conscientious. There is never anything to be gained by taking the easy road.”

Most people want to avoid suffering, so they choose the easy route. They also believe that taking shortcuts is equivalent to working hard for what they want since they believe that doing so would result in their success in the end. Yet I believe that to be wrong. Cheating is the act of choosing a quick or shorter route. We must have the fortitude to defend our dignity and to pursue it, and we must have confidence that, even if we have challenges along the path, we can overcome them because Jesus is with us.

Where to buy this book...