Queen Charlotte by Julia Quinn, Shonda Rhimes
My Rating: ★★★★
When Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz’s brother informed her that she was to marry King George III, she was furious. This was a king she had never once met nor would ever expect would want to marry her. Sharp as ever, Charlotte knew something was up. Why would the king have his people travel to Germany and form an alliance with her brother in exchange for her hand in marriage? Upon Charlotte’s arrival, her suspicions appear to be confirmed when no one will tell her anything about the king. Then she meets him and it’s love… or so she thought, because the king has his secrets and the palace will not share them with her.
I was extremely excited when I saw the book covering Bridgerton’s mini- series was coming out because I absolutely loved the show. I know that the king and queen are inspired by real people and that this is an extremely fictional account of their lives, but it was still a little weird remembering who they were in reality. I don’t often read historical fiction inspired by real royals, so it was an interesting experience! However, I absolutely loved the book and how it expands on the show.
Unlike the other books in the series, we follow four characters: Queen Charlotte, King George III, Bartholomew Brimsley, and Lady Agatha Danbury through their rotating perspectives. I really thought we’d get to see a lot more through Agatha’s point of view, but instead, we saw less of her than we do in the show! That was disappointing, especially since she’s my favorite character. The lack of chapters from her perspective is my only complaint, especially because she serves a smaller role with a smaller storyline compared to the show.
However, I absolutely loved Charlotte and Brimsley. George’s chapters were great, but nothing compares to Charlotte and Brimsley’s chapters! I love the relationship they form and the loyalty they have to each other. I particularly enjoyed seeing that Charlotte was more open to learning about Brimsley’s life than in the show long before we get to the ending of the book. I think the dynamic between these two characters are absolutely golden, which makes their interactions my favorite interactions.
The romance between Charlotte and George is both sweet and sad, especially knowing how it ends for them. If you’ve seen the mini series, you’ll notice that the book expands on their lives as royals, especially the crash course Charlotte goes through as a new queen who was never prepared to be queen one day. The friendship and romance between Charlotte and George is very sweet and cute, and it was also fun to see that the pair has a smidge of a goofy side in the book. The story also expands on George’s struggles, as we see his fears and what he’s dealing with from his perspective many times.
All in all, I love the book, but I wish that Agatha’s storyline was bigger than it was. I was really looking forward to seeing things from her perspective and discovered that there was a lack of chapters from her, which is rather sad. That said, I enjoyed the book, so that’s really the only complaint I have.
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