Romancing Mister Bridgerton

By Julia Quinn | Book (2002) → Netflix’s Bridgerton Season 3

Wine Selection: Cooper's Hawk • Malbec

Wine of the night: our trusty Cooper’s Hawk Malbec 🍷

This round, we tackled Julia Quinn’s Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, the fourth book in the series and the basis for Netflix’s Bridgerton Season 3 (yes, they skipped the order, and yes, we’re still side-eyeing that choice).

The Book: Classic Bridgerton vibes: romantic, dramatic, and fun. The Penelope/Colin storyline flowed well, though some of us felt Book 4 worked better than Book 3’s Cinderella-ish plot.

The Show: Season 3 brought the heat but took liberties. We weren’t fans of how Penelope’s Lady Whistledown reveal was handled early, or Colin’s extended temper tantrums. Still, the chemistry was strong, Nicola Coughlan shined as Penelope, and the body-positive love scenes were a win. Some small character tweaks (like Penelope’s best friend arc) didn’t hit as hard as in the book.

The Verdict: Ratings were mixed: some gave it a “full glass,” others just a “long day of work.” Bottom line: it’s worth watching, just know Season 3 lines up with Book 4 so you don’t get lost in the shuffle.

Overall Rating:

Raya:

Treava:

Lynn: