Just when you thought I was finished here. Prepare the fainting couch, because there is more. MORE. Turns out (a surprise to no one who has already read these books, I imagine) that fans had been anxious about the future fates of the beloved Bridgerton clan after finishing the books so Quinn decided to “answer” their pleas with a series of 2nd epilogues. The epilogues published with each book were mere tidbits and demanding readers were not satisfied! I believe that these 2nd epilogues were added to reprints of the individual novels, but as luck would have it, were also eventually gathered together along with a little novella about Mama Bridgerton in yet ANOTHER Bridgerton book for me to consume. Think of this one as a buffet.
Suffice it to say that each of the 2nd epilogues for the 8 books in the Bridgerton series were lovely peeks into the future of child rearing and marrying off the next generation. Oh, and the best vengeful game of Pall Mall. The real winner here, however, is the novella at the end which offers vignettes of the meet cute and eventual relationship of the Bridgerton matriarch and patriarch: Violet and Edmund.
While I harbor a soft spot for many of the Bridgertons (particularly Eloise and Colin), Violet is my favorite. Maybe I relate to her as a mother or as one of the few middle aged characters in the books, but her ability to hold so large a family together after the loss of her husband and to do so without a crazy amount of dysfunction is admirable. Getting a chance to see a youthful Violet getting her swoon on was a treat. Truly, I would read the heck out of a Lady Violet book (hey, Julia!).
If you read and enjoyed the books, this one is worth picking up. If you haven’t read any of the books yet, but are on the fence, get started! It’s not all kisses across collar bones and unlaced corsets. There is plenty of dreamy and steamy woven together with character development and plot, especially as the books progress. Each of these Bridgerton books has, in some part, been about overcoming deeply rooted insecurities and discovering purpose.
I’m taking a short Bridgerton hiatus, but rest assured that I have discovered the Bridgerton prequels (which are already neatly stacked in my TBR) and will be snatching up the Smythe-Smith Quartet books as well. I have watched and re-watched the Netflix series over the last week and am fully invested. Now, if Quinn would just write a series on Lady Danbury…
