The Wit and Wisdom of Bridgerton
by Julia Quinn
Published by Avon on November 9, 2021
Genres: Regency Romance
Pages: 208
Format: Paperback
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From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn comes a highly designed, colorful collection of quotes, wit, and wisdom from Lady Whistledown and the most memorable characters of the much-loved Bridgerton books, now a series created by Shondaland for Netflix.
A collection of the most dramatic, romantic, and memorable quotes from the charming characters of the Bridgerton world, The Wit and Wisdom of Bridgerton is the perfect gift for fans of the Bridgerton series and the groundbreaking Shondaland/Netflix adaptation. With her signature wink and nod, Lady Whistledown herself will act as readers’ familiar and trusted guide, introducing each character’s most memorable quotes.
Each chapter in the book will highlight a different character from the Bridgerton series and include a new introduction from Lady Whistledown, quotes from the character, and things other characters have said about them over the course of the entire series. Fans will get a 360-degree view of each of their favorite personalities, with new commentary and takeaways from Lady Whistledown.
From Daphne, to Simon, to Penelope, to Colin, fans will enter the Bridgerton world in a completely new way with a fresh and intimate perspective of each character. Readers will relive the twists and turns of the books, taking (or not taking) the advice on love, family, etiquette, and fashion from the most beloved and unforgettable voices from Bridgerton. With an introduction from the creator of the Bridgerton world and #1 NYT Bestselling author Julia Quinn, The Wit and Wisdom of Bridgerton is a highly designed keepsake and unique addition to the Regency-set series.
The Wit and Wisdom of the Bridgerton by Julia Quinn is a collection of quotes that the author uses to show the characters’ true natures.
Lady Whistledown’s Offical Guide is perfect.
Anthony
Anthony is the eldest son and the Viscount Bridgerton. He and Colin are my favorite brothers. Although, Anthony has something special that makes everyone want to stay on his good side. Anthony is also a Rake with a capital R. Until Kate tames him.
A MAN with charm is an entertaining thing, and a man with looks is, of course, a sight to behold, but a man with honor – ah, he is the one, Dear Reader, to which the young ladies should flock. ~Lady Whistledown’s Society Papers 2 May 1814
Kate
Katharine Sheffield was previously known as Edwina’s older sister. I find Kate much like Anthony, putting family above her own needs and wants. She is funny, challenging, competitive, cunning, and remarkably stubborn. Perhaps, more so than Anthony. Kate is often not seen, but she is not your typical wallflower. I find that Kate is a fabulous character and would easily have been her friend.
It has come to This Author’s attention that Miss Katharine Sheffield took offense at the labeling of her beloved pet, “an unnamed dog of indeterminate breed.”
This Author is, to be sure, prostrate with shame at this grievous and egregious error and begs of you, Dear Reader, to accept the abject apology and pay attention to the first ever correction in the history of this column.
Miss Katharine Sheffield’s dog is a corgi. It is called Newton, although it is difficult to imagine that England’s great inventor and physicist would have appreciated being immortalized in the form of a short, fat canine with poor manners. ~Lady Whistledown’s Society Papers 17 April 1814
There is nothing like a spot of competition to bring out the worst in a man – or the best in a woman. ~Lady Whistledown’s Society Papers 4 May 1814
Benedict
Benedict isn’t my least favorite Bridgerton but my third favorite. As you can see, he didn’t sit right with me in many ways. However, he is a fine artist, and once he married the woman of his dreams, he became more likable. His courtship (if you can call it that) of Sophie is not my favorite of the Bridgerton tales. However, when his family needs him, he is there for them. Also, he loves and respects his mother, which is always an excellent attribute.
Benedict stood immediately. Certain manners could be ignored for one’s sister, but never for one’s mother.
“I saw your feet on the table,” Violet said before he could even open his mouth.
“I was merely polishing the surface with my boots.”
Colin
As I stated earlier, Colin and Anthony are my favorite brothers. It is a toss-up as to which is first. Colin is so charming and friendly. Yet, he sticks his foot in his mouth a few times, making me adore him more. He is not a rake. Colin is a gentleman who wants love and a family. However, he also wants to see the world. Colin and Penelope are so cute together. Well, once he figures it out.
Colin decided then and there that the female mind was a strange and incomprehensible organ- one which no man should even attempt to understand. There wasn’t a woman alive who could go from point A to B without stopping at C, D, X, and 12 along the way.
And that was when he realized that Daphne had been right. His love hadn’t been a thunderbolt from the sky. It had started with a smile, a word, a teasing glance. Every second he had spent in her presence it had grown, until he’d reached this moment, and he suddenly knew.
Penelope
Penelope is also one of my favorite characters. She is witty, intelligent, pleasant, and loves fully. Penelope’s family is strange and doesn’t think of her much, but she loves them even though they treat her badly. She tries to be a good friend to everyone. Penelope is good friends with Lady Danbury, and she is polite and respectful. There is, of course, that side of her that has a bit of snark and the ability to make light of things that are happening in Mayfair. I would so be her friend, secrets and all.
“I have rarely known Lady Whistledown to be incorrect,” Kate said.
Penelope just shrugged and then looked down at her gown with disgust. “She certainly is never incorrect about me.”
“Isn’t it nice, Lady Danbury said, leaning in so that only Penelope could hear her words, “to discover that we’re not exactly what we thought we were?”
And then she walked away, leaving Penelope wondering if maybe she wasn’t quite what she’d thought she was.
Maybe – just maybe – she was something a little bit more.
Daphne
Daphne also has that family honor thing. You can tell by how she is so close with her older brothers. She also feels obligated to find the perfect match so that her sisters can also secure a good husband. Although, Daphne is much more naive than her younger sisters when she first enters the marriage mart. I like Daphne, and I especially like how she handles herself in tight situations or when a possible scandal is afoot.
“With four brothers, after all, one must always seize the moment when one may say, ‘I told you so,’ “
“Daphne’s the exception that proves the role. You’ll like her immensely.” ~ Anthony
Simon
Simon is set on revenge at the beginning and has lost his way. Thank goodness that Daphne finds him and helps him see happiness is better than this vow he gave to his father. Simon has a sweet vulnerability, and yet he manages it well. I would place Simon in my top three of the heroes of Bridgerton.
It has been reported to This Author that the Duke of Hastings mentioned no fewer than six times yestereve that he has no plans to marry. If his intention was to discourage the Ambitious Mamas, he made a grave error in judgment. They will simply view his remarks as the greatest of challenges. ~Lady Whistledown’s Society Papers 30 April 1813
Despite his composed demeanor, despite all of his promises to Anthony, he burned for her. When he saw her across a crowded room, his skin grew hot, and when he saw her in his dreams, he went up in flames.
Eloise
Eloise is cunning, intelligent, funny at times, and tough on the outside. However, she is also a bit jealous, and although I am sure she doesn’t mean to, she looks down on certain people. She talks a mean game, but she doesn’t try to do anything to change her circumstances. The one time she plans to make her life better, she goes about it wrong. This is where I found that her actions to meet her future husband are quite risky and not planned out well as I would assume Eloise would be. In fact, she comes across slightly like a brat. Eloise is my least favorite Bridgerton female.
“Just because we of the female gender are not allowed to study at places like Eton and Cambridge doesn’t mean our educations are any less precious,” Eloise ranted, completely ignoring her brother’s weak “I know.”
“Furthermore-” she carried on.
Benedict sagged against the wall.
“-I am of the opinion that the reason we are not allowed access is that if we were, we would trounce you men in all subjects!”
“That girl could get Napoleon to spill his secrets.” ~ Violet
Francesca
Francesca is like the hidden Bridgerton. She is sweet and intelligent, and honestly, it feels as though her family exhausts her. Please don’t misunderstand; she loves them, but her siblings are a lot of drama, and Francesca doesn’t want to be part of their shenanigans. She prefers the quiet life that she shares with her husband in Scotland.
She was different. She’d always felt a little different from the rest of her family. She loved them fiercely, and would have laid down her life for any one of them, but even though she looked like a Bridgerton, on the inside she always felt like a bit of a changeling.
Gregory
Although fourth in the male Bridgertons, Gregory would be my third favorite. Of course, he is charming, honorable, friendly, and intelligent, but just not as much as his brothers. Gregory doesn’t try to make himself stand out, which isn’t bad. However, he doesn’t seem to have the charm of Colin or the honor of Anthony. He glides through life just banking on the Bridgerton name and looks. Well, until he decides whom he actually loves and sets forth to make her his bride.
He believed in love. Wasn’t that the one thing that had been a constant in his life?
He believed in love.
He believed in its power, in its fundamental goodness, its rightness.
He revered it for its strength, respected it for its rarity.
And he knew, right then, right there, as she cried in his arms, that he would dare anything for it.
Hyacinth
Hyacinth is a person of her own. She is witty, extremely cunning, kind-hearted, and has a flair for not keeping her opinions to herself. I think she is lovely. She is friends with Lady Danbury, and how she goes over to read her on Tuesday afternoons is so sweet. I know sweet isn’t really how her brothers or sisters would describe her. I enjoyed her story, with the mystery and daring adventures she and her future husband embark on. It’s fun.
No one seemed to actually dislike Hyacinth – there was a certain charm to her that kept her in everyone’s good graces – but the consensus was that she was best in small doses. “men don’t like women who are more intelligent than they are,” one of Gareth’s shrewder friends had commented, “and Hyacinth Bridgerton isn’t the sort to feign stupidity.”
Violet
With or without her husband Edmund by her side, it takes a strong woman to raise eight outstanding, headstrong individuals, as she has done. Violet finds a way to push her boys towards ladies with character and intelligence. Then somehow, she helps her daughters figure out their way to finding the man that will treat them with respect. Most importantly, Violet has made sure that her children know what love is and shown them that it is attainable. She is kind to all who deserve it and just quickly puts someone in their place with one look. I adore Violet as she is my favorite of the Bridgerton females.
Violet blinked rapidly, and Daphne noticed that there were actually tears in her mother’s eyes. No one ever gave her flowers, she realized. At least not since her father had died ten years earlier. Violet was such a mother – Daphne had forgotten that she was a woman as well.
“My children never disappoint me,” Violet said softly. “They merely…astonish me.”
Lady Danbury
Lady Danbury, what to say that hasn’t already been said. I adore her and would totally be her friend in a minute. She is one of those ladies that was quite ahead of her time. Oh, and that cane, marvelous indeed. She makes me laugh out loud at her antics. She can conspire with the best mamas. Honestly, if you go up against her, she will outwit you in a minute.
“The world would be a much happier place if people would just listen to me before they up and got married. I could have the entire Marriage Mart matched up in a week.”
“Lady Danbury!” Penelope called out, hurrying to the elderly lady’s side. “How nice to see you.”
“Nobody ever thinks it’s nice to see me,” Lady Danbury said sharply, “except maybe my nephew, and half the time I’m not even sure about him. But I thank you for lying all the same.”
Four Stars
My rating for The Wit and Wisdom of the Bridgerton by Julia Quinn is four stars. I loved revisiting the Bridgertons but felt like this book is to appease all the fans who want more Bridgerton stories. That being said, I did enjoy it, and I think that the author does a beautiful job of putting it all together.
I highly recommend this series to all you regency romance readers out there. And don’t forget to check out Shondaland‘s version of Bridgerton on Netflix.
Bridgertons Series
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of The Wit and Wisdom of the Bridgerton by Julia Quinn.
Until the next time,
About Julia Quinn
A graduate of Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges, Ms. Quinn is one of only sixteen members of Romance Writers of America’s Hall of Fame. Her books have been translated into 32 languages, and she lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest.
The Bridgertons, her popular series of historical romance, is currently in production by Shondaland as a Netflix original series starring Julie Andrews, Phoebe Dynevor, and Rége-Jean Page.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
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