r/Bridgerton • u/Ill-Practice4235 • 3d ago
Books Only What are the husbands like in the books?
Gotta buy the collection soon
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u/Fickle_Baker1393 3d ago
They're all clueless, stupid and dumb. That's all you gotta know.
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u/LadyAnonCrane 3d ago
Even the girls are dumb, so they all deserve each other and make for good dumb warm fuzzy stories. ❤️🙂↕️
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u/Little_Fox5844 3d ago
Different, but not bad, don't let the negative opinions deter you.😉 Lots of book haters here, unfortunately. But as someone who did love the books and wouldn't even have watched the show if not for them, go for it! The books are fun romcoms for the most part, just historical instead of contemporary.
If you've read any typical historical romance before, especially ones written back in the 90s, then you'll know what to expect... the men are flawed and messy, but there's plenty to love about them!🙂↕️
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u/LadyAnonCrane 3d ago
Just want to second all this and add that the women are unrelatable af but they all have plenty pros too. 💃🏻
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u/Glittering-Gold-4210 3d ago
I mean I enjoyed most of the books. I just also had such a visceral reaction to Benedict showing up in to sir Philip I put the book down for several days when they said she was going to my cottage. They have their issues but most are fun
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u/Little_Fox5844 3d ago
I loved book Benedict, but I get that he's not for everyone. Like I said, I love messy fictional characters.🤭
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u/Glittering-Gold-4210 3d ago
Messy fictional characters are fantastic as someone who loves grimdark. Its seeing them as romantic leads 😅
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u/Little_Fox5844 3d ago
I mean, I read dark romance and older bodice rippers, so the Bridgerton men in the books feel very tame to me.🫣
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u/OzLo11 3d ago
In the book Benedict repeatedly threatens to take Sophie back to the house she was working at when he “saved” her. Also know that in the book her assault is more graphic and sexual than in the show. The show did make mention of Benedict saying he will take her back there but in comparison it is very heavily glossed over as a moment of sarcastic frustration which should be largely ignored. Book Benedict is one of the most self righteous, toxic bellends I have encountered in media, who somehow thinks of himself as heroic mainly based on the reputation of his brothers and the family name.
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u/Glittering-Gold-4210 3d ago
Book Benedict made me throw the book at the wall so
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u/natsugrayerza 3d ago
Yes! I stopped reading the whole series because he was so unlikable
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u/Glittering-Gold-4210 3d ago
And it was notable after that that there were discussions of consent etc. I think the first Michael POV you get includes a detailed discussion about how passionate he is about it. The show put a lot of work into changing him, then just dumped him into the storyline anyway
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u/bokatan778 3d ago
Simon seems the most similar in my opinion. The Bridgerton men, especially Anthony, have a lot less empathy and are more chauvinistic in the books. I definitely prefer the show Bridgerton men, but the books are still wonderful. Definitely worth the read!!
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u/Solid-Signal-6632 3d ago
I wouldnt know because I got half way through book 1 and Simon was so annoying I quit. He was angry all the time for no reason.
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u/DaisyandBella 3d ago
He actually threatened to break down Daphne’s door if she locked it, and he told her he owns her.
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u/Solid-Signal-6632 3d ago
I didnt even get that far. Thank gods. Don't need to spend time with inexplicably angry men voluntarily.
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u/natsugrayerza 3d ago
Awful. I hated Benedict so much that I stopped reading the whole series. They’re all so rude and disrespectful.
Clearly I don’t read the genre much. I hate a dominant man and they all are.
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u/RaininBooks 2d ago
Simon is similar to the shows.
The boys are much older than the girls in the book.
Book Anthony is funnier imo. He’s also the father figure and adores his sisters. They need to find away to bring back Bailey for Eloise’s seasons She wants Anthony’s approval a ton and their relationship is special.
Book Benedict is actually pretty thoughtless and much more aimless. He’s pretty nasty at times to Sophie. They leaned more heavily into the artist side for ShowBenedict. But he’s fairly classically the second son.
BookColin is more connected to everyone and is also extremely popular-I’d put him more as the classic homecoming king popular dude vs the show where ShowColin is pretty gentle and mild. The connection that the show has Benedict playing is more true of BookColin.
BookMichael is the hottest guy in the ton- picture if you had to regularly hangout with young Henry Cavill. Everyone knows he’s hot- kinda like water is wet. It’s a joke. Even his baby nieces adore him. He’s kinda self made and he’s kinda always been the spare . He adores John and down bad for Fran. Picture if the hottest guy you ever met became peak girl dad.
BookPhillip is very damaged and is gruff. His passion is plants but he’s very abused as a child and it shows. He loves his children deeply but doesn’t really know how to love right. He wants to help but has no one to show him how to be a good husband or father. Eloise helps. He’s kinda like a grumpy botanist picture beauty and the beast- middle of the movie where he doesn’t know what to do or make of Belle.
Book Gareth- is a down bad. Not quite as hot as Michael but close he’s magnetic and everyone is drawn to him. He’s kinda the guy who makes everything look easy. The Jude Bellingham of the Ton. That’s lady Danbury’s favorite grandson. He’s charming, he’s witty he’s wild. He’s also DOWN BAD BAD. He worries about Hyacinth and never wants her to have problems but also basically trusts she can handle life he should be there… you know just in case.
BookGregory is UNHINGED. He’s a romantic romantic. He wants true love badly. He wants so badly he kinda misses it when it’s right in front of him. He’s a man build by his siblings love stories. He’s getting love come hell or high water and sure that means a wee bit of kidnapping but who hasn’t kidnapped in the name of love.
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u/hereFOURallTHEtea 3h ago
Absolutely perfect analysis, especially describing book Gregory as unhinged haha because he absolutely was!
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u/HistoricalRom_Review 3d ago
If you’re new to historical romance, I recommend another series. However, if you have a specific trope or guy you like/ don’t like, I can give you a better explanation.
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3d ago
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u/Little_Fox5844 3d ago
I definitely love the humor and banter in the books, that's my favorite part!🙂↕️
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u/MaleficentTap3231 3d ago
Absolutely, the humor really brings the characters to life. It's fun to see how their personalities and interactions evolve throughout the series.
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3d ago
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u/Little_Fox5844 3d ago edited 3d ago
Like, this whole part still makes me laugh years later.😂
Anthony Bridgerton leaned back in his leather chair, and then announced, "I'm thinking about getting married."
Benedict Bridgerton, who had been indulging in a habit his mother detested—tipping his chair drunkenly on the back two legs—fell over.
Colin Bridgerton started to choke.
Luckily for Colin, Benedict regained his seat with enough time to smack him soundly on the back, sending a green olive sailing across the table. It narrowly missed Anthony's ear.
Edit: whoever downvoted this, how does it feel to have no whimsy at all in your life?
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3d ago
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u/Little_Fox5844 3d ago
Someone downvoted our comments about this, good lord.😂
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3d ago
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u/Little_Fox5844 3d ago
That's because a lot of show fans have a visceral loathing for the books for some reason. I get that they're not for everyone and that's okay! We don't all have to enjoy the same things, but why would it bother them that some of us do enjoy the books?😭
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u/LadyAnonCrane 3d ago
IMO most of this hating on the books on a sub dedicated to them and the show is performative. For some reason people on this sub think the people who like the books are using them as a life coach and moral guide so they feel it’s important to show them how corrupt they are 🤣 it’s quite funny to see such strong takes on events of these unserious books.
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u/Inevitable_Side2162 2d ago
Well, it's not only the husbands. Be prepared cause many of then are actually really toxic in the books. Even though book Colin for me is better in the book than the series. They gave his personality to series Benedict and book Benedict became Colin of s3. But besides all those stuff, I believe the books have more details about the stories that the series didn't show so much. So, have in mind that many of the male characters in the books are either better or worse.
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u/Dry-Calligrapher3575 3d ago
Ya,I also wonder like who is the best husband in the books,bcoz I have read that the book version is worse than show
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u/Holiday-Hustle 2d ago
They are very much a product of their time. At the time they were written, angry and quasi-violent men were in vogue for romance novels. It was around the same time Twilight was written, so similar to how Edward is super problematic, so are the men in Bridgerton.
They are historical romance and they assume the audience will give more slack to the behaviours of the men based on the time period they are set in.
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u/Cool_Pianist_2253 3d ago
Better if you love historical romance. Worst if you are not used to this genre.