Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

'Romancing Mister Bridgerton' is part of a serial of books, which this particular one is the fourth instalment. However, in my opinion, it can be read as a singular entity, as I have come to find that I accidentally started this series on the third book, 'An Offer From a Gentleman'.

In the Bridgerton series, Quinn delves deep into high society of the ton and the peaks and troughs of being on the 'marriage mart'. The Bridgertons consist of eight siblings, each named after the next letter in the alphabet: Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory and Hyacinth. However, in the context of this book, the sibling which the story is based is on Colin.

However, the other main protagonist in the book is Penelope. Penelope is someone who is considered to be one day a spinster, rather than married off to anyone of interest to the ton. In fact, it is assumed by her mother that she will grow old and look after her when she is much older. But this is not something which Penelope wants in her heart. Far from it actually.

Even though being a member of the ton can be seen as being a blessing in this time, it can also be a curse for someone such as herself. As she is considered as being a wallflower and given the most hideous clothes during her time of the marriage mart season, she has simply been regarded by other society members, as well as possible suitors that they would not believe her to be a good match. But Penelope is so much more than their opinions of her, which has attracted not only the person of her affection, but one of the most eligible bachelors in society, Colin Bridgerton.

But this story is not without struggle. Things come to light, drama unfolds and romance blossoms in some of the most unexpected of ways.

Personally, I found this book to be one of the better books in Quinn's Bridgerton series. It feels more real, more material and something that could possibly be relevant to the present day. Colin made me laugh out loud so many times to his reactions of how people were around him, to the point that I had to explain why I was laughing so much. Penelope was one of the better protagonists, as it feels as though she has a lot to lose, but yet still has society by the tips of her fingers, as they have not come to know her in the way that she should.

I'm glad that Quinn used less cliché's compared to other books within her series and I am glad that she gave the underdog the story that she deserves. I'm a little bit sad that I won't get to find out what is next for Penelope except for the epilogues that have been provided. She is definitely an interesting character indeed and one I cannot wait to see on the small screen.

I gave this book a four star rating due to how even though this seems like one of the better books that Quinn has written, I am still a bit annoyed that there isn't any more to read on these two particular people. In some ways, the book felt a bit formulaic and from reading other books she has written, I have begun to see a pattern of how her stories tend to end. But hey, you can't always win as they say.

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