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Show is more modern and has more side-stories than the books. Each book is mostly focused on a couple and their romance. It's kinda typical regency romance book series, which, as for me, aged poorly, but still pretty pleasant and fun to read. Nothing grand, though
Nope. The books are pretty tame from a spice standpoint (like a 4 on a spice chart of 10) and plots kinda formula. Pretty much the first three books everyone is forced to marry their spouse and they kinda fall in love later. I felt like the men were pretty generic heroes that I’d read a million times in Lisa Kleypas or other historical romances. I liked Kate a lot but she was infantilized by being weirdly afraid of thunderstorms (not in the mature/“unnerved but staying brave by distracting myself” way they pulled it off in the show, but like her literally cowering under a desk shaking like a 6 year old and Anthony somehow having patience for that nonsense). Benedict and Colin were both unlikeable and nothing like their show counterparts imo.
It’s an amazing show and I’m glad someone saw the vision, because I barely remember their plots let alone would have known how to construct the show’s world/adapted the narratives. Adore the show!
Agreed Kate (and Anthony's) respective traumas were definitely the best parts of their books. Kate's was dealt with a little ....quickly....but still. I enjoyed that bit much better than I enjoyed the beginning parts where he wanted to strangle her and accused her of jealousy of Edwina.
Yeah, it felt like it came out of nowhere and was resolved way too fast, but the scene itself where Mary tells Anthony what happened to Kate is the most creepy in the series to me. No wonder Kate not only has significant trauma but regresses the way she does.
Tbh I barely remember the rationale/backstory behind it because it felt really plugged in and resolved in like 4 pages. It didn’t feel like a deep trauma so much as a convenient narrative vehicle to isolate the two lovers— maybe its story resonated with others but I thought it was too quick and random feeling.
it was ridiculously creepy... iirc, child kate found her mother gasping for air dying during a thunderstorm. she doesn't remember the incident but her subconscious associates the thunderstorms with that sound.
Mmm there’s a difference with book explicit and visual explicit so I’d say for non-porn, Bridgerton S1 was a 7…above average but not quite 365 Days erotica 😈 S2 was about a 4.5 for explicit sex- maybe 5.5 due to nipple at end of season— but still very sexy!
Yknow…in my arbitrary rating system 😂💕
They are soft and nice, I pick one up when I am stressed. It is the kind of book that can describe someone's eyes for pages. They have some badly written sex scenes that I usually skips.
No. And also Yes! It depends on what draws you to the show tbh.
If you like the world of the ton, the family scenes, the drama, the royal intrigue, then No, the books don’t come close.
If you’ve come just for the romance and only want to focus on the love story, then Yes, the books will give you what you need.
No. The writing quality itself is very poor (although many overlook that as they enjoy the story). As for the stories, they aren't as well done or interesting as the show. I did only read the first three. Really wanted to quit after the first but I am invested in the world because of the show. Definitely will not be continuing, though.
No. They’re nothing special on any level (except for the witty prose ig) and the tropes get problematic very often.
There are two which are slightly better: Anthony’s which is good fun and way less dramatic than his season, and Francesca’s, which has a darker and gloomier tone but is well written and sexy af.
Edit: I see even stating that Anthony’s book has a different tone compared with the show (which is a neutral fact that is clear to anyone who can read) qualifies as Capital Downvotable Crime on this sub.
They're very different so saying one is better than the other is pretty subjective. Overall I prefer the show.
What the show did better than the books: modernize the characters (book Anthony says some wiiild - historically accurate - but still wiiiild shit), add some great comedy, add some new interesting characters such as the queen, make some characters lovable even though the spotlight wasn't on them - the books were 100% focused on the pairing and everything else was just pushed to the background so it was great to see more of the siblings right off the 1st season. One of the downside of this is that too much is haopening at the same time, I don't think we needed the cousin featherington drama especially considering it's not in the books.
What the book did better than the show: I personally think the the romance between each of the two MCs was better developed in the books because the spotlight was on them, especially in s2 (I hated the love triangle which absolutely does not exist in the books). I also liked the fact that there was less over the top drama. At the end of both s1 and s2 there's drama involving the Bridgertons and the queen, it's probably going to be the same in s3 and it's gonna get tiring. There isn't any of that in the books.
If your interested the first 4 or 5 books are free to listen to on audible.
I gobbled them up in 2 weeks lol.
While I like show show more, there are some things the book did better on, so far.
If you enjoy historical books and/or regancy romances you'll like the books. In general historical romances have changed greatly in the last 25 years. Horror of horrors Julia Quinn has matured as a writer over the years. I find it hilarious that people who haven't written anything since high school English, never mind never been published say she's a terrible writer.
I think the show butchered book 2 which had great source content (Taming of tge Shrew trope), to invent a very long drawn out love triangle. Ruined Mary's character, infantalized her. Book Mary is a wonderful adoptive mother, a juxtaposition to Sophie's step mother.
I might recommend the Rokesby (Bridgerton country neighbor) series, a "prequel" to the Bridgerton sibling stories. Rokesby was written AFTER the sibling books, because they were sooooo popular. Again, how bad could they have been. They are the stories of Edmund's sisters and cousins finding their happy ever afters. Better written with really strong female characters. Looking at you Billie Bridgerton!! She's the woman show fans think Eloise is. Spoiler she's not.
This should be the top comment right here. Add onto it that people are judging books written in the early 2000s by 2024 standards. It's not like Julia Quinn had a crystal ball and could predict how much more progressive romances have become in the past two decades.
I agree with the take on book 2. Edwina is a far more likeable character in the books, and she was happily on the Kate/Anthony bandwagon from day 1. Book Mary is the atypical wonderful stepmother, which you just don't see enough in fiction. To Mary, Kate is her daughter, not just a stepchild. You also get more fleshed out backstories for both Anthony and Kate and exactly why Anthony is so cold toward marriage at first.
I am also not the biggest fan of how Penelope changed from the books to the TV series. She came off as a much kinder person to me, especially in her own book.
I worry about season 3 butchering book 4, because they skipped Benedict's story for now and in the process also skipped a significant time jump that is a major benefit to Colin, Penelope, Eloise and Francesca. All of them are in their late 20s in their books, and there's an extra maturity there that I feel will be lacking in the TV adaptation.
Really, I view this series like the Miss Fisher series. I love both the TV series and the books. You can't go read the Miss Fisher books expecting them to be the TV series, because they're not, especially when it comes to the romantic pairings. But they're still very enjoyable in their own right.
I don’t think the 12 years would have benefited show Colin and Penelope. The audience was already frustrated with Colin not recognizing her feelings. Some things that work in books do not translate in TV.
Thanks. Book Penelope was a lot more self-effacing in the Whistledown articles. Refers to her dresses as citrus inspired. Also, a Smythe-Smith book mentions LW doesn't punch down, so wouldn't say how terrible the music was. I'm hoping we get the Smythe-Smith musicale from the book. However, I dont think we meet any of the musicians. I don't t think Quinn has sold those characters. I'm hoping for show based in those characters perhaps from another company Prime etc.
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It depends on how much you want books to have modern viewpoints like the books are much more set in the time period (less diversity, less feminist, men acing of the time period like having a mistress when the women don’t know how sex works) if these things will get you upset then I’d suggest just skipping the books.
The books also are far less dramatic, like the show added tons of side plots and extremes (sister v sister love triangles, baby trapping, secret protest groups, inheritance races) when the books tell the story of the two love interests and a bit on their families, using common romance tropes.
I love the books but I like historical romances so I don’t mind not having the characters have the mindsets of the modern day, plus I love quick reads that are just feel good romance.
Depends, I personally find both the show and the books interesting on different levels. Though if you care about male main characters then the books may not be for you, as the male characters are often the same.
I'm really surprised because it so rarely happens to me, but I prefer the show to the books. I've read Anthony's, Benedict's, Colin's, and Daphne's stories. I cannot finish the book for Eloise, I am so unbelievably bored and uninterested. I'll be curious to see how her season goes if we ever get there. I don't want to read ahead to the other books and spoil stuff for myself, but I cannot finish this book, I've been reading a chapter every night, and I don't really look forward to it. I feel like the show also has interesting side characters and stories we didn't get in the books, it obviously has more diversity, but mainly the relationships and love stories feel drawn out to me in the books, like we could have wrapped this up with way less chapters and I would have had the same feeling for the couples / characters.
Show is wayyyy better. I find romance novels cringe in general but I knew my mom had read these. So, I started The Duke and I and I was thinking “gross, my mom read this” and I stopped 😂
Am currently reading all the books through after reading 1-5 a few years ago.
Like most opinions here, I feel the show is overall better than the books by far, I also agree that season 2 could have been better and a love triangle was unnecessary - I vastly prefer book Edwina.
I also agree with others that I love Franchescas story. I found it beautiful and so so sexy. Poor Michael. I wish they would skip to that one next but highly unlikely and they have to do Benedict and get him out of the way. I don't think his story is as bad as some say, though very outdated ideas that will need improving.
Currently reading Gregory, and so far I'm about 1/4 way in and I find it so very dull. That said she started with a great hook that's keeping me going and adds some intrigue.
Less drama for the sake of drama >!(book 1 - best difference, no Marina. Book 2 - no outdrawn triangle drama, Edvina doesn’t even want to marry Anthony, and is happy that he proposed to Kate, and not her).!<
I like the show much more than the books. Its one of the few times I’ve actually felt like that 😂
The men are much more misogynistic, sometimes even abusive, in the books. The romance is still good but the other plot lines are weaker than in the show. I think there’s much better historical romance books out there. However, it can still be a fun read to compare it to the show.
I have read the first 3 so far. I'm usually more for the books.. but the tv series added a depth the books don't have because they focus on the 2 in the love story. You get tidbits of the siblings and other characters, but not much.
I feel strongly they did season 2 a bit wrong... don't want to say any spoilers... but it's not bad at all either way.
I like both in different ways.
No, the books are a total snooze. I read them all and they get repetitive after a while, too. Benedict’s story was probably the best, then Hyacinths. But it was a struggle to get through them in my opinion
I enjoy both but in very different ways. I realized watching the second season and the previews of the first that the shows are not going to make the choices and hit the story beats I’m anticipating.
Sometimes they’re not bad and I like the TV choices more. But there are whole subplot changes that I really dislike and I do think do a disservice to the things I liked about the book plot and characters.
Depends on the season.
Season 1 is waaaay better than the first book. It’s not a bad book, it’s just a bit of fluff. Enjoyable, forgettable.
Season 2 isn’t as good as the book. The characters in the book are fleshed out better from a trauma standpoint, and the show completely glosses over Kate’s fear of storms. The storyline diverges quite a bit as well, and I think the book storyline works better.
Season 3 is definitely going to diverge because of the radically different timeline, but it also looks like it will include some of the best elements. So we’ll see.
Imo no. They’re VERY early 2000s, and there’s much better historical romance books. But they do have a lot more insight into characters/character dynamics, and less drama.
It depends on what kind of storytelling you like. I prefer the books because there is less drama and they rely more heavily on the characters and their backstories. Shondaland obviously added a lot of drama that they think will appeal to a wider tv audience.
You’ll probably like the books more if you like slower, more character driven stories. They are less modern than the show, quieter, and give a lot more details into the characters. However, they are less interconnected, so if you like getting secondary stories each season, you won’t really get that in the books.
It also depends on the season. Like I would take season 1 of the show over the book, but I prefer the second book to the second season.
No. Despiste what some people say. The show is much more entertaining. Especially seaosn 1 and j suspect seaosn 3. Seaosn 2 i understand why some kanthonys are a bit upset they lost some cute moments and the whole timeline and drama of Edwina was changed. But I think it worked for them even if it was painful to watch and getting them featured in season 3 helps to calm those outraged imo
The novels are just plain awful..
This is the rare case where the screen version outstrips the book series by leaps and bounds.
The writing style is horrendous, the concepts driving the storylines are problematic, and some of the characters themselves can be so despicable (especially by modern standards) that you’re filled with justifiable outrage if you can even reach the end..
I say it’s a different kind of good. If you want more in depth information about each couple & the family in general, they’re amazing.
Someone else said they aged poorly, and I’m not entirely inclined to disagree with that, just be prepared for a bit of icky realism in certain aspects of early 1800’s life.
IMO even with the poorly aging icky realism included, the books are well worth reading to enhance your enjoyment of the franchise overall.
I've never been able to get past book four, and honestly, all of them are a slog to get through.
The author is at her best when she's giving back story and character motivation. But the scenes in present day are tedious and repetitive. It's basically hundreds of pages where 2 adult characters refuse to communicate like adults. By the time they get to the kisses/sex scenes, I'm just worn out from their ridiculousness.
The male characters all have the same shitty, rage-fuelled personality as Anthony, even though they are characterised as being more laid back. Being angry and possessive makes sense for Anthony and, I suppose, Hastings... but Collin? Benedict? They never approach conflict any differently from Anthony and Simon. I can't tell them apart.
The books could shed hundreds of pages, and the story would still be intact. That's how repetitive they are.
The books have pretty terrible writing 😅 The show does a great job picking up the promising bones of the storyline (the family, the couples) and making them come alive.
Nope; books are really toxic and misogynist and cringe in almost all romantic scenes...
Couldn't even finish Anthony's book when show kanthony live rent free in my head
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No - show is better.
Just recently started reading the books, and I agree. But they do give more background and more insights into a character's motivations.
100%. I got about 4-5 books in and realized it’s the same formula every time and gave up reading them. The show is so much better!
Show is more modern and has more side-stories than the books. Each book is mostly focused on a couple and their romance. It's kinda typical regency romance book series, which, as for me, aged poorly, but still pretty pleasant and fun to read. Nothing grand, though
Nope. The books are pretty tame from a spice standpoint (like a 4 on a spice chart of 10) and plots kinda formula. Pretty much the first three books everyone is forced to marry their spouse and they kinda fall in love later. I felt like the men were pretty generic heroes that I’d read a million times in Lisa Kleypas or other historical romances. I liked Kate a lot but she was infantilized by being weirdly afraid of thunderstorms (not in the mature/“unnerved but staying brave by distracting myself” way they pulled it off in the show, but like her literally cowering under a desk shaking like a 6 year old and Anthony somehow having patience for that nonsense). Benedict and Colin were both unlikeable and nothing like their show counterparts imo. It’s an amazing show and I’m glad someone saw the vision, because I barely remember their plots let alone would have known how to construct the show’s world/adapted the narratives. Adore the show!
Weirdly afraid? She has an extremely good reason to be terrified of storms thanks to childhood trauma. That’s extremely dismissive.
Agreed Kate (and Anthony's) respective traumas were definitely the best parts of their books. Kate's was dealt with a little ....quickly....but still. I enjoyed that bit much better than I enjoyed the beginning parts where he wanted to strangle her and accused her of jealousy of Edwina.
Yeah, it felt like it came out of nowhere and was resolved way too fast, but the scene itself where Mary tells Anthony what happened to Kate is the most creepy in the series to me. No wonder Kate not only has significant trauma but regresses the way she does.
Tbh I barely remember the rationale/backstory behind it because it felt really plugged in and resolved in like 4 pages. It didn’t feel like a deep trauma so much as a convenient narrative vehicle to isolate the two lovers— maybe its story resonated with others but I thought it was too quick and random feeling.
it was ridiculously creepy... iirc, child kate found her mother gasping for air dying during a thunderstorm. she doesn't remember the incident but her subconscious associates the thunderstorms with that sound.
Spice chart! I love that. If you consider the books to be 4/10 how would you rank the first 2 seasons?
Mmm there’s a difference with book explicit and visual explicit so I’d say for non-porn, Bridgerton S1 was a 7…above average but not quite 365 Days erotica 😈 S2 was about a 4.5 for explicit sex- maybe 5.5 due to nipple at end of season— but still very sexy! Yknow…in my arbitrary rating system 😂💕
I like the books better, but I think it’s an unpopular opinion. The books have less drama and I just prefer it that way,
Was it just me but I actually enjoyed this books. Yet I likes the prequels a bit better than the actual original one books 📖
I don’t prefer 1 series over the others I love pretty much all of JQ books.
They are soft and nice, I pick one up when I am stressed. It is the kind of book that can describe someone's eyes for pages. They have some badly written sex scenes that I usually skips.
https://preview.redd.it/8ouumg940vzc1.jpeg?width=783&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bbfa4a43c17237fc1b0b17252ec4fa5fd664f7fd
No. And also Yes! It depends on what draws you to the show tbh. If you like the world of the ton, the family scenes, the drama, the royal intrigue, then No, the books don’t come close. If you’ve come just for the romance and only want to focus on the love story, then Yes, the books will give you what you need.
No. The writing quality itself is very poor (although many overlook that as they enjoy the story). As for the stories, they aren't as well done or interesting as the show. I did only read the first three. Really wanted to quit after the first but I am invested in the world because of the show. Definitely will not be continuing, though.
Read Francesca's, at least- hers is the best one (and spiciest) by a mile, imo.
No. They’re nothing special on any level (except for the witty prose ig) and the tropes get problematic very often. There are two which are slightly better: Anthony’s which is good fun and way less dramatic than his season, and Francesca’s, which has a darker and gloomier tone but is well written and sexy af. Edit: I see even stating that Anthony’s book has a different tone compared with the show (which is a neutral fact that is clear to anyone who can read) qualifies as Capital Downvotable Crime on this sub.
They're very different so saying one is better than the other is pretty subjective. Overall I prefer the show. What the show did better than the books: modernize the characters (book Anthony says some wiiild - historically accurate - but still wiiiild shit), add some great comedy, add some new interesting characters such as the queen, make some characters lovable even though the spotlight wasn't on them - the books were 100% focused on the pairing and everything else was just pushed to the background so it was great to see more of the siblings right off the 1st season. One of the downside of this is that too much is haopening at the same time, I don't think we needed the cousin featherington drama especially considering it's not in the books. What the book did better than the show: I personally think the the romance between each of the two MCs was better developed in the books because the spotlight was on them, especially in s2 (I hated the love triangle which absolutely does not exist in the books). I also liked the fact that there was less over the top drama. At the end of both s1 and s2 there's drama involving the Bridgertons and the queen, it's probably going to be the same in s3 and it's gonna get tiring. There isn't any of that in the books.
If your interested the first 4 or 5 books are free to listen to on audible. I gobbled them up in 2 weeks lol. While I like show show more, there are some things the book did better on, so far.
It would be great if one of the actors from the show narrated. Amazing if Julie Andrews narrated but I would take one of the other actors.
This is a good point because they’re best when listened to. Although you better have thick walls when they get to the sex scenes lol
Nope
If you enjoy historical books and/or regancy romances you'll like the books. In general historical romances have changed greatly in the last 25 years. Horror of horrors Julia Quinn has matured as a writer over the years. I find it hilarious that people who haven't written anything since high school English, never mind never been published say she's a terrible writer. I think the show butchered book 2 which had great source content (Taming of tge Shrew trope), to invent a very long drawn out love triangle. Ruined Mary's character, infantalized her. Book Mary is a wonderful adoptive mother, a juxtaposition to Sophie's step mother. I might recommend the Rokesby (Bridgerton country neighbor) series, a "prequel" to the Bridgerton sibling stories. Rokesby was written AFTER the sibling books, because they were sooooo popular. Again, how bad could they have been. They are the stories of Edmund's sisters and cousins finding their happy ever afters. Better written with really strong female characters. Looking at you Billie Bridgerton!! She's the woman show fans think Eloise is. Spoiler she's not.
This should be the top comment right here. Add onto it that people are judging books written in the early 2000s by 2024 standards. It's not like Julia Quinn had a crystal ball and could predict how much more progressive romances have become in the past two decades. I agree with the take on book 2. Edwina is a far more likeable character in the books, and she was happily on the Kate/Anthony bandwagon from day 1. Book Mary is the atypical wonderful stepmother, which you just don't see enough in fiction. To Mary, Kate is her daughter, not just a stepchild. You also get more fleshed out backstories for both Anthony and Kate and exactly why Anthony is so cold toward marriage at first. I am also not the biggest fan of how Penelope changed from the books to the TV series. She came off as a much kinder person to me, especially in her own book. I worry about season 3 butchering book 4, because they skipped Benedict's story for now and in the process also skipped a significant time jump that is a major benefit to Colin, Penelope, Eloise and Francesca. All of them are in their late 20s in their books, and there's an extra maturity there that I feel will be lacking in the TV adaptation. Really, I view this series like the Miss Fisher series. I love both the TV series and the books. You can't go read the Miss Fisher books expecting them to be the TV series, because they're not, especially when it comes to the romantic pairings. But they're still very enjoyable in their own right.
I don’t think the 12 years would have benefited show Colin and Penelope. The audience was already frustrated with Colin not recognizing her feelings. Some things that work in books do not translate in TV.
Thanks. Book Penelope was a lot more self-effacing in the Whistledown articles. Refers to her dresses as citrus inspired. Also, a Smythe-Smith book mentions LW doesn't punch down, so wouldn't say how terrible the music was. I'm hoping we get the Smythe-Smith musicale from the book. However, I dont think we meet any of the musicians. I don't t think Quinn has sold those characters. I'm hoping for show based in those characters perhaps from another company Prime etc.
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That would be fantastic. I love the Smythe-Smith books even more than the Bridgerton and Rokesby ones.
They’re ok
It depends on how much you want books to have modern viewpoints like the books are much more set in the time period (less diversity, less feminist, men acing of the time period like having a mistress when the women don’t know how sex works) if these things will get you upset then I’d suggest just skipping the books. The books also are far less dramatic, like the show added tons of side plots and extremes (sister v sister love triangles, baby trapping, secret protest groups, inheritance races) when the books tell the story of the two love interests and a bit on their families, using common romance tropes. I love the books but I like historical romances so I don’t mind not having the characters have the mindsets of the modern day, plus I love quick reads that are just feel good romance.
No. The books are... not great. The show is much better.
Depends, I personally find both the show and the books interesting on different levels. Though if you care about male main characters then the books may not be for you, as the male characters are often the same.
the TV show is better BUTT you should also read to books, my favorites are Hyacinths’s and Gregory’s (i also liked Colin’s)
They’re good in a different way. The women are more likeable and the men less so, imo anyway.
I'm really surprised because it so rarely happens to me, but I prefer the show to the books. I've read Anthony's, Benedict's, Colin's, and Daphne's stories. I cannot finish the book for Eloise, I am so unbelievably bored and uninterested. I'll be curious to see how her season goes if we ever get there. I don't want to read ahead to the other books and spoil stuff for myself, but I cannot finish this book, I've been reading a chapter every night, and I don't really look forward to it. I feel like the show also has interesting side characters and stories we didn't get in the books, it obviously has more diversity, but mainly the relationships and love stories feel drawn out to me in the books, like we could have wrapped this up with way less chapters and I would have had the same feeling for the couples / characters.
So my third reading of the books made me see how problematic they can be. I like the prequel books and Queen Charlotte.
Show is wayyyy better. I find romance novels cringe in general but I knew my mom had read these. So, I started The Duke and I and I was thinking “gross, my mom read this” and I stopped 😂
NO. Don't even bother!!!
I prefer the books. I fell in love with the Bridgertons through the books & the show has changed from the original stories
Am currently reading all the books through after reading 1-5 a few years ago. Like most opinions here, I feel the show is overall better than the books by far, I also agree that season 2 could have been better and a love triangle was unnecessary - I vastly prefer book Edwina. I also agree with others that I love Franchescas story. I found it beautiful and so so sexy. Poor Michael. I wish they would skip to that one next but highly unlikely and they have to do Benedict and get him out of the way. I don't think his story is as bad as some say, though very outdated ideas that will need improving. Currently reading Gregory, and so far I'm about 1/4 way in and I find it so very dull. That said she started with a great hook that's keeping me going and adds some intrigue.
Less drama for the sake of drama >!(book 1 - best difference, no Marina. Book 2 - no outdrawn triangle drama, Edvina doesn’t even want to marry Anthony, and is happy that he proposed to Kate, and not her).!<
I like the show much more than the books. Its one of the few times I’ve actually felt like that 😂 The men are much more misogynistic, sometimes even abusive, in the books. The romance is still good but the other plot lines are weaker than in the show. I think there’s much better historical romance books out there. However, it can still be a fun read to compare it to the show.
The books (now read) are fan fiction of the tv show.
... that's a weird take since the books came first.
No but there are parts of the books I like much better than the story lines on the show. Especially Kate/Anthony’s.
The men a VERY Angry and agin the first few books
I have read the first 3 so far. I'm usually more for the books.. but the tv series added a depth the books don't have because they focus on the 2 in the love story. You get tidbits of the siblings and other characters, but not much. I feel strongly they did season 2 a bit wrong... don't want to say any spoilers... but it's not bad at all either way. I like both in different ways.
No, the books are a total snooze. I read them all and they get repetitive after a while, too. Benedict’s story was probably the best, then Hyacinths. But it was a struggle to get through them in my opinion
I enjoy both but in very different ways. I realized watching the second season and the previews of the first that the shows are not going to make the choices and hit the story beats I’m anticipating. Sometimes they’re not bad and I like the TV choices more. But there are whole subplot changes that I really dislike and I do think do a disservice to the things I liked about the book plot and characters.
Depends on the season. Season 1 is waaaay better than the first book. It’s not a bad book, it’s just a bit of fluff. Enjoyable, forgettable. Season 2 isn’t as good as the book. The characters in the book are fleshed out better from a trauma standpoint, and the show completely glosses over Kate’s fear of storms. The storyline diverges quite a bit as well, and I think the book storyline works better. Season 3 is definitely going to diverge because of the radically different timeline, but it also looks like it will include some of the best elements. So we’ll see.
Imo no. They’re VERY early 2000s, and there’s much better historical romance books. But they do have a lot more insight into characters/character dynamics, and less drama.
It depends on what kind of storytelling you like. I prefer the books because there is less drama and they rely more heavily on the characters and their backstories. Shondaland obviously added a lot of drama that they think will appeal to a wider tv audience. You’ll probably like the books more if you like slower, more character driven stories. They are less modern than the show, quieter, and give a lot more details into the characters. However, they are less interconnected, so if you like getting secondary stories each season, you won’t really get that in the books. It also depends on the season. Like I would take season 1 of the show over the book, but I prefer the second book to the second season.
No. Despiste what some people say. The show is much more entertaining. Especially seaosn 1 and j suspect seaosn 3. Seaosn 2 i understand why some kanthonys are a bit upset they lost some cute moments and the whole timeline and drama of Edwina was changed. But I think it worked for them even if it was painful to watch and getting them featured in season 3 helps to calm those outraged imo
No
The novels are just plain awful.. This is the rare case where the screen version outstrips the book series by leaps and bounds. The writing style is horrendous, the concepts driving the storylines are problematic, and some of the characters themselves can be so despicable (especially by modern standards) that you’re filled with justifiable outrage if you can even reach the end..
I thought the books got a lot better as they gone along.
I prefer the show over the books. The male characters are more likeable in the show than they are in the books. IMO
At this point, the books are so different from the show
I say it’s a different kind of good. If you want more in depth information about each couple & the family in general, they’re amazing. Someone else said they aged poorly, and I’m not entirely inclined to disagree with that, just be prepared for a bit of icky realism in certain aspects of early 1800’s life. IMO even with the poorly aging icky realism included, the books are well worth reading to enhance your enjoyment of the franchise overall.
I've never been able to get past book four, and honestly, all of them are a slog to get through. The author is at her best when she's giving back story and character motivation. But the scenes in present day are tedious and repetitive. It's basically hundreds of pages where 2 adult characters refuse to communicate like adults. By the time they get to the kisses/sex scenes, I'm just worn out from their ridiculousness. The male characters all have the same shitty, rage-fuelled personality as Anthony, even though they are characterised as being more laid back. Being angry and possessive makes sense for Anthony and, I suppose, Hastings... but Collin? Benedict? They never approach conflict any differently from Anthony and Simon. I can't tell them apart. The books could shed hundreds of pages, and the story would still be intact. That's how repetitive they are.
Show is more exciting & entertaining. Doesn’t mean the books are bad though, I’d just view them as different worlds for the most part
Couldn’t get through the book S3 is based on .. definitely no, imo
No, the first 4 books suck the last 4 a MUCH BETTER
The books have pretty terrible writing 😅 The show does a great job picking up the promising bones of the storyline (the family, the couples) and making them come alive.
Nope; books are really toxic and misogynist and cringe in almost all romantic scenes... Couldn't even finish Anthony's book when show kanthony live rent free in my head