It takes an awful lot to follow something like Romancing Mister Bridgerton. In fact, in my mind, I felt it would take so much to successfully follow Romancing Mister Bridgerton that I actually took a break after reading it and then read it again before moving forward because I felt that nothing else could ever possibly approach the heights that Romancing Mister Bridgerton reached.

I'm happy to say that I was wrong! While I don't love To Sir Phillip, with Love with quite the overwhelming fervor that I do Romancing Mister Bridgerton, it's totally fucking enjoyable and a totally fucking great entry in the series. Taking place concurrently with Romancing Mister Bridgerton (and with When He Was Wicked which follows it), Eloise running off to the country in a fit of panic about her future after her best friend Penelope -- whom she always assumed would be a spinster with her forever -- gets married is pretty much a delight from start to finish.

As made evident in Romancing Mister Bridgerton, Julia Quinn unquestionably does her best work when she's clearly very invested in the characters and in who they, specifically, are and how they relate to each other, and not just the formula to get them together. Talkative, smart, wonderful Eloise is a spectacular heroine. The book explores her inner workings -- what she feels and what she wants and doesn't want from life, her flaws and her virtues -- with the same sort of consideration that marks all the strongest books in the series. And, while that sort of care wasn't surprising for Eloise, Quinn actually does similarly great work with the characterization of Phillip. My own personal weaknesses mean that Colin will eternally be my favorite of the Bridgerton series romantic heroes, but Phillip is an extremely close second. He's sweet and kind and grumpy, and the one thing he wants most in the world is to be a good father to his two children despite the fact that he's severely self-conscious about his ability to do so. He's a big, lovable bear, and he and Eloise are great together.

Even the handling of the children characters, Amanda and Oliver, is good, and I'm a pretty harsh judge of fictional children. But they're appropriately childlike and monstrous and darling without being obnoxious. Then, of course, the extended appearance of all four Bridgerton brothers is pretty much magical.

It also cannot be left unsaid that To Sir Phillip, with Love marks the very first of the Bridgerton novels to feature cunnilingus, implicit or explicit. I will never forgive Julia Quinn for taking five fucking books to get to it though OR for not including it in Romancing Mister Bridgerton (even if she did imply it in the second epilogue for same).

My only real qualm with this book is the utilization of the Mad First Wife trope. While Phillip is certainly no Mr. Rochester, and the emotional problems he experiences as a result of the first Lady Crane's depression and suicide are understandable, it's still uncomfortable to have the story be so focused (if, again, understandably) on how terrible it was for him and the children that Marina was mentally ill. The narrative is reasonably sympathetic towards her through her children and through Eloise, but overall it's still a bit: she was always sad and weird and made everyone miserable and then died and ruined everyone's lives, alas, save us with your happiness, Eloise!! Which... ableist.

That said, this is easily one of the absolute strongest books in the series.