CBR15 BINGO (Sex square: Sexy times, sexual politics, sexuality ) BINGO! South America to Sex BINGO! Sex to Europe BINGO! Sex to History BLACKOUT!
*First, a big thank you to everyone involved in the annual CBR Bingo setup, monitoring, artistry, and square-developing shenanigans. It is one of my favorite times of the year. Hats off to you all. *
I enjoyed all but one of the Bridgerton books and loved the first and third seasons of the Netflix series. I appreciate that the series uses the books as a blueprint but isn’t afraid to expand the story to include a racial spin to the high society politics of the time. In particular, the addition of a new character, Queen Charlotte, added so much to the first two seasons of the show that I was excited for the third season to branch out to include a backstory for her. This book is described as a “companion” to the Netflix series and is written by both the author of the Bridgerton books and the creator/screenwriter of the Bridgerton TV series.
Queen Charlotte is married off to the King of England at the age of 17 for the political gain of her family’s German principality. Spun by England as the “Great Experiment” that will join together the two tiers of British Society, white and black, their match is an attempt to pair King George with a wife who will be grateful enough to overlook his struggles with mental illness. The book and show are both steeped in racial politics, but also sexual politics as well. Lady Agatha Danbury, promised at the age of 3 to a man much older than she is, lives a life entirely crafted for his enjoyment and convenience. Charlotte, married to a stranger almost immediately after landing on British shores, is a vessel expected to birth heirs to the throne. Brimsley and Reynolds, the King and Queen’s royal right-hand men, whose love and sexuality are forbidden are only afforded stolen moments to be together.
I don’t usually bother with reading TV/film-to-book adaptations. Seems redundant to me. This was totally an impulse buy that I enjoyed a lot more than I expected. While it does follow most of the show pretty faithfully, it does flesh out the characters a bit more. If you are a fan of the Bridgerton books and series, it’s worth the read.