Title: Romancing Mister Bridgerton
Author: Julia Quinn
Series: Bridgertons #4
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Historical romance, Regency romance
Dates read: 5th – 7th March 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Avon
Year: 2002
5th sentence, 74th page: But Penelope had a feeling she wasn’t quite as firm in her convictions as her friend.
IEveryone knows that Colin Bridgerton is the most charming man in London…
Penelope Featherington has secretly adored her best friend’s brother for… well, it feels like forever. After half a lifetime of watching Colin Bridgerton from afar, she thinks she knows everything about him, until she stumbles across his deepest secret… and fears she doesn’t know him at all.
Colin Bridgerton is tired of being thought of as nothing but an empty-headed charmer, tired of the notorious gossip columnist Lady Whistledown, who can’t seem to publish an edition without mentioning him. But when Colin returns to London from a trip abroad, he discovers nothing in his life is quite the same – especially Penelope Featherington! The Girl who was always simply there is suddenly the girl haunting his dreams. When he discovers that Penelope has secrets of her own, this elusive bachelor must decide…is she his biggest threat – or his promise of a happy ending?
I’ve been wanting to know how Penelope and Colin ended up together ever since their appearance in The Duke and I: The Second Epilogue. It was a bit of a hint as to what was to come, but, since these are romance books as soon as you read about the two leads, you know that they’re going to end up together anyway. But the way in which they do it? That’s the journey that I was excited about. And it turns out that the excitement was TOTALLY justified.
Of the two “spinsters” in this story, I’m more like Eloise than Penelope. I’ve never been the full centre of attention, but I also haven’t been a total wallflower with no attention. Yet, it was still kind of relatable reading about a woman who is like this. She’s not odious, she’s not ugly. But she also doesn’t get attention. She’s kind of invisible. Which is a little gut wrenching, but I love how Penelope isn’t bitter and snarky about it. She just kind of accepts that this is what life will be and continues to hold her loved ones close.
Colin is probably my favourite of all the Bridgerton brothers. He has been since he was announced as Daphne’s favourite in The Duke and I. Which made it incredibly nice to find out that he also gets an amazing happily ever after. Especially when the happily ever after has been in front of him for TWELVE damn years. Who said men aren’t just a little bit silly?
But, even though the romance in this was fun, witty and quite light… it was actually the shock reveal that was the best. For two people who have known each other for twelve years, you would think that Colin and Penelope have got a pretty good understanding of each other. They don’t. they both have secrets that they’ve kept hidden from everyone. And I just LOVED the jaw drop moment when these secrets are revealed… it certainly left me in my deliriously happy place.
Earth and Skye 
13 thoughts on “Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn”