Author: Julia Quinn,
Genre: Romance, Historical Fiction
Personal Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ / ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (3 out of 5 stars)
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Depression, harm to children, and suicide.
We begin where the last book ended: Colin Bridgerton and Penelope, Eloise’s best friend, were about to make an announcement at a party. But Eloise would miss this announcement as she slips out of the party to meet a gentleman from outside the city proper with whom she has been corresponding for a year. She would meet him in person for the first time in his estate and all the vital information she knew about him from their letters were that a) he was her cousin’s husband and he was widowed at her cousin’s demise and; b) he loved plants.
The gentleman is Sir Phillip Crane. If it wasn’t for the fact that Eloise was the one who first wrote to him to send her condolences when her cousin – his wife – died, all of Eloise’s actions would ring alarm bells and the reader might think she’s probably going to be abducted. Phillip would continue writing to Eloise because he needed a wife to tend to his twin children. He lacked the social skills to court and he preferred working in his greenhouse; so when he invited Eloise to his estate to see if they can be a good match for marriage and then received no reply, he was surprised to see her in his front steps without any escort.
Is it starting to sound like a romance novel? If yes, then great because it is. The Bridgerton series circle around the Bridgerton children’s quest for love, mainly at the urge of society like their well-meaning mother, the previous Viscountess Violet Bridgerton. Each book is focused on a specific Bridgerton sibling and in this fifth installment we follow the second eldest daughter, Eloise.
From that point, we follow the ups and downs of their romance. This felt like new territory because all of the previous Bridgerton siblings were not partnered with someone who was already married once, and Phillip already has children. I was very intrigued. The subjects are also all really heavy topics to personally deal with. Phillip’s ex-wife was depressed and committed suicide, one he witnessed and continuously suffer the consequences of. He also dealt with his father’s issues because he was beaten as a child and that estranged him from his own children. They really feel darker than the previous books but it made it all the more possible to empathize with Phillip and understand his unacceptable actions towards his children and Eloise.
At first, I didn’t really like the match. Phillip preferred silence and Eloise was opinionated. Phillip was not a romantic and Eloise was secretly one. But while Eloise dealt with his children with the right amount of comfort and strictness as she grew up with the competitiveness of her seven siblings, it made a lot of sense in the end.
I’m happy to say that it’s not bleak all the time. There are a lot of bright moments sprinkled in, and I will, as usual, point to the Bridgerton siblings for this. My favorite moment in the book is when they discovered where Eloise was. The Bridgerton boys showed up and Viscount Anthony, the protective eldest brother he is, immediately attacked Phillip. Colin was, again, looking for food, and because he was also a brother he took the trip even though he was supposed to be on his honeymoon. As Anthony took Eloise aside to talk to her, the other Bridgerton boys made friends with Phillip after the latter asked them to just go ahead and break his legs.
All that said, it was a little heavy book to go through but there was a good amount of romance and uplifting moments to try and lighten the pace. The beginning made me uncomfortable but the match made fundamental sense in the end and that’s probably why I love this series. Initially, the characters feel like they would be unlikely matches but their ideal pairing would make sense the more you get to know them. Excellently executed as always.
Favorite Quote(s):
“When,” Eloise said with exaggerated patience, “did you all become the best of friends?”
― Eloise Bridgerton and Phillip Crane, To Sir Phillip, with Love
“Oh,” he said, nodding. “Funny thing actually, I asked them to break my legs.”
“Speechless” he murmured. “You? I must be better at this than I thought.”
― Sir Phillip Crane, To Sir Phillip, with Love
The Stray Reader 
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