Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 Review

Mild spoilers abound. Read at your own risk if you have not watched the released episodes.

There is nothing like a well-written romance, modern or otherwise. It sweeps the audience off their feet, takes them for a ride, and leaves them wanting more.

The first half of Bridgerton, season 3, was released last Thursday. Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) has been ignored by society at large and friend-zoned by Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) for years. While still hiding her identity as Lady Whistledown (voiced by Julie Andrews), Penelope decides that it is time for a makeover.

The result of this glow-up (after a bumpy start) is catching the attention of Lord Alfred Debling (Sam Phillips). Colin figures out that his long-term pal could be so much more. That is if he dares to reveal what is in his heart.

I never thought that the first two seasons could have been topped. I was wrong. The chemistry between Coughlan and Newton is on fire. Specifically when they get into the bumpy “will they or won’t they” stage. By the time the credit rolled at the end of the fourth episode, I was more than eager for more.

Kudos goes to the scriptwriting team that finally allowed Penelope to gain agency over her own life. And for Colin to ask for consent and being respectful of her needs. It was a landmark moment in the genre that should become commonplace in stories of this nature.

the way he backed off immediately and without any anger when penelope called them friends, the way he waited for her consent to go any further, the way he fixed her dress and hair (without using THOSE fingers)… colin bridgerton in a world full of boys you're a GENTLEMAN pic.twitter.com/X8WiGuBy5P

— kay (@clarkkentgf) May 18, 2024

The other kudos go to the costume designers. Penelope’s dresses after her complete wardrobe overhaul are beautiful. I would wear any and all of them.

Do I recommend it? Did you ever doubt that I would?

The first four episodes of Bridgerton season 3 are currently streaming on Netflix. The next four will be released on June 16th.

P.S. Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) reading Emma is meta in multiple ways. Technically, the timeline is off because the book was published in December of 1815. But that is a tiny detail that I am willing to overlook.

Thoughts On the Season 3 Bridgerton Trailer

The release of a trailer for the next chapter of a beloved IP brings both a sense of anticipation and joy. The hope is that it will only add to the reputation of the tale, but that is to be seen.

The trailer for season 3 of Bridgerton was released earlier this week. This season follows the friends-to-lovers romance between Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan). After years of keeping her in the “just friends” box, Colin notices that her glow-up has attracted other male attention.

Whoever chose Coughlan’s costumes this season deserves an award. The dresses (at least the ones that we have seen so far) are stunning. It makes this redhead and Regency nerd almost giddy at what we will see come next month.

Am I looking forward to it? Absolutely.

The first half will be released on May 16 on Netflix. The second half will be released on June 13.

Temptations of a Wallflower Book Review

Some of the best romances start out as friendships.

Temptations of a Wallflower, by Eva Leigh, is the third book in The Wicked Quills of London series. It was published in 2016.

As the unmarried daughter of a Duke, there are certain expectations that Lady Sarah Frampton has to live up to. That includes marrying a man of appropriate stature. But her reputation as a wallflower has kept any possible suitors at bay. No one knows that staying on the sidelines has kept Sarah’s identity as the author known as The Lady of Dubious Quality a secret.

The youngest son of an Earl, Jeremy Cleland was forced into the Church by his father. Though he plays the role of the prim and proper Vicar, he is more than his uniform. The problem is that when his dad asks him to jump, he asks “how high”. Though Jeremy secretly loves the books by The Lady of Dubious Quality, he has been tasked with finding the writer and publicly outing them.

I loved this book. I knew who Sarah was from the get go. I also understand why Jeremy continued to obey his father’s orders as if he was still a child.

What made this narrative is that the leading characters had an initial attraction that was more than physical. It was emotional and intellectual, opening the door to being friends before they can be lovers.

Sarah is definitly a proto-feminist character. Though she is of her time, she wants more than just to marry and become a mother. She wants to be a writer and tell stories on her own terms.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Temptations of a Wallflower is avaliable wherever books are sold.