To Sir Phillip, With Love Review

Eloise Bridgerton’s Slow-Burn Romance

I can’t believe I’ve already finished my fifth Bridgerton novel. To Sir Phillip, With Love is the fifth book in Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series, and it tells Eloise Bridgerton’s long-awaited love story.

If you don’t know what the Bridgerton books are, or what I’m talking about, let me explain myself. The Bridgertons are a British noble family in Regency-era England. The Bridgerton books follow the eight children of Viscount and Viscountess Bridgerton.

Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton saga has nine books in total, one for each Bridgerton child, and a grand final (I’m not sure if the last one is a final, but it’s what I hope it will be). To Sir Phillip, With Love is the fifth book of the Bridgertons and tells the story of Eloise.

Eloise Bridgerton is the fifth-born child and second daughter of the Bridgerton family. She is already 28 years old, a spinster, but in a sudden change of mind, she realizes that she would like to marry. The novel follows her unexpected correspondence and eventual meeting with Sir Phillip. To find out what happens, you’ll have to read the book yourself. I promise it’s worth it.

Now that I have finished all the required explanations, let’s dive into my To Sir Phillip, With Love review.

If you have read my previous Bridgerton book reviews, you will know that I first watched the Netflix Bridgerton series. I fell head over heels in love with it, and I decided that I had to read Julia Quinn’s books.

In the Netflix series, Eloise Bridgerton is an independent woman. She doesn’t care about men and marriage, and actually likes her “spinster” life. However, in the books, she is a completely different character. She is still the independent woman we all know, but she actually wants to find love. She has been asked to marry plenty of times, but she keeps rejecting them, because she is waiting for a love marriage.

I found this change impressive, since the more Bridgerton books I read, the more I realize that the books and the Netflix series have nothing in common (though I don’t consider this a bad thing).

In terms of the storyline, Eloise’s story surprised me, and not in the way I expected. Nevertheless, I can’t say I didn’t like it. In fact, I really enjoyed the book.

Julia Quinn’s writing style is what keeps me hooked. She has the capacity to describe the scenarios and characters in a way that makes you actually relate to them (which I find really difficult in many romantic books).

Eloise’s love story is not the most romantic one, nor the most dramatic, nor the most mysterious. In fact, I don’t even know how to categorize it. Slow-burn maybe? However, what I can say is that it hooks you from the first chapter.

To Sir Phillip, With Love might not be the best Bridgerton book (I still think that the first book, The Duke and I, is the best Bridgerton book so far). However, after several intense Bridgerton romances, this grounded, quieter love story feels refreshing. A simple yet lovely ending for Eloise.

Hence, would I recommend To Sir Phillip, With Love? 100% yes. I feel like any Netflix Bridgerton lover should read the books. Though the series is more entertaining, the books provide deeper insight into each character that the series lacks. The books explore the characters’ backstories, fears, and memories in much greater depth.

In fact, I would say that once you read the books and get to know the Bridgerton children, watching the series is even better. We understand the key scenes better and can truly appreciate the changes in the storyline.

If you’ve read Eloise’s story, did it change your perception of her? And if you haven’t, are you team Book Eloise or Netflix Eloise?