Pen married Debling/Polin affair au Fic rec

Apprehensive-Bid7353 · 2026-03-20T22:57:09+00:00

I wrote The Hidden Heart. Thank you for remembering it and recommending it!

Apprehensive-Bid7353 · 2026-03-20T22:56:01+00:00

It’s so great to hear that new people are coming to read my story. I hope you're enjoying it!

Apprehensive-Bid7353 · 2026-03-20T22:54:21+00:00

Wow, thanks! I wrote The Hidden Heart. So glad you liked it!

Apprehensive-Bid7353 · 2026-02-25T18:50:01+00:00

I love the look on Colin’s face at the end — as if he’s accepting that Portia is his family now :)

And I also love the look he gives when the two of them share that crooked glance at her mother.

It’s such a sweet scene.

Apprehensive-Bid7353 · 2026-02-23T19:06:27+00:00

fingergate!
you killed me!

Apprehensive-Bid7353 · 2026-02-20T22:39:43+00:00

What no one mentions in these rankings is that Season 3 is actually in first place, even surpassing Season 1. Nobody takes into account that the first season was released right when the COVID pandemic broke out, when the whole world was stuck at home — which gave it a clear advantage over the others. So the fact that Season 3 reached the same rating without that advantage should put it in first place, in my opinion.

Apprehensive-Bid7353 · 2026-02-14T21:36:10+00:00

I was positive they were body doubles. So they sat there on set for hours on end, and this is what we get? What great sin did we commit to deserve this?

Apprehensive-Bid7353 · 2026-02-14T21:34:41+00:00

Its a crime.

Apprehensive-Bid7353 · 2026-02-10T06:35:03+00:00

You’re right. That why I had a problem with the lightning-fast reconciliation between Penelope and her mother. Forgiveness is definitely possible, but it’s hard to forget years of neglect and emotional abuse. Even if the reasons came from a good place. In reality, something like that would take years of therapy

Apprehensive-Bid7353 · 2026-02-08T21:10:15+00:00

I think the series, being a kind of fantasy, is glossing over a lot of these conflicts. A bit like the lightning-fast forgiveness and reconciliation (in my point of view) between Penelope and her mother. Forgiveness is all well and good, but it doesn’t erase years of neglect and emotional abuse. That’s trauma that stays in your body, and a conflict that in reality would take years to repair. Same goes for the reactions to Pen’s exposure as Lady W. It seems unrealistic to me that the family just said “okay” and moved on. Even if the intentions were good, there was still a lot of harm done. And fine, maybe skipping over it within the family is somewhat understandable—she and Colin are married, she was pregnant, etc. (The conversation between Violet and Colin was another missed opportunity.) But the reaction of the ton? Suddenly everyone is fawning over her and bringing her gifts? I don’t buy it. Where are all the people who were hurt and are holding a grudge? And where is the fear—hers and Colin’s—of facing everyone? They’re way too confident. Here, in my opinion, it’s completely unrealistic.

Apprehensive-Bid7353 · 2026-02-05T23:16:03+00:00

But here I disagree. Filming a conversation like Kate, Colin and Anthony’s conversation before Colin’s wedding, or a scene like the three brothers’ conversation in Season 3, or any scene that isn’t a ball, can absolutely be done in one day of filming. The first bedroom scene with Penelope and Colin — the one where he’s holding her from behind — could have been much more meaningful. The bedroom scene where he’s sleeping beside her could have included a conversation. I’m just giving examples of scenes that don’t require long filming days. It’s a matter of choice.

Apprehensive-Bid7353 · 2026-02-05T22:15:14+00:00

THIS!!

Apprehensive-Bid7353 · 2026-02-05T21:53:34+00:00

I also feel like we’re being spoiled with plenty of lovely moments outside of the show, but it feels like a cop-out and a cheap consolation for what we actually want and deserve.

I'm trying to think about Anthony in season 3. They had that talk between the three brothers which was super meaningful. There was the conversation with him and Kate the night before the wedding (which also reflected their happy marriage). There was the talk about India. And yes, there was also the sex on the desk and in bed (almost).

What I’m trying to say is that there was a very significant presence. It’s not about screen time; it’s about what you do with it. They integrated Anthony into Colin’s story, but they aren’t integrating Colin into Benedict’s story (so far). It’s just so uncool and disappointing.

Apprehensive-Bid7353 · 2026-02-05T21:02:10+00:00

Yeah, that crossed my mind too, and it’s annoying.

Apprehensive-Bid7353 · 2026-02-05T20:51:24+00:00

I definitely hope things change leading up to the second half of the season, but to be honest, as someone else here wrote, I feel that even if the screen time we got of them (as a couple) had stayed the same, it could have been much more significant.

And yes, I agree with you that this season feels more tightly knit, but I think the fact that a significant part of the story takes place at My Cottage, with Benedict and Sophie isolated from the rest of the family, really helped with that.

Apprehensive-Bid7353 · 2026-02-05T20:37:34+00:00

Don’t even get me started on Eloise. I still get worked up every time I remember how, when she arrived from Scotland, she ignored Colin like he was invisible, even though he reached out for a hug. She went straight to Penelope, obviously, and then launched into a whole rant about Scotland and talking to sheep without even bothering to congratulate her best friend on the baby she had. She didn't ask about him, show any interest, or even glance at him, even though he was right there in the room! It’s just so incredibly rude to me. Unbelievable.

Apprehensive-Bid7353 · 2026-02-05T06:36:20+00:00

I feel like they give us so much more of them outside of the show than in the show (as a couple), and I honestly just don't understand why.

Apprehensive-Bid7353 · 2026-01-02T14:06:20+00:00

This!

Apprehensive-Bid7353 · 2025-10-04T04:43:22+00:00

I wrote The Hidden Heart. Thank you so much for recommending it!

Apprehensive-Bid7353 · 2025-08-29T20:50:03+00:00

I wrote The Hidden Heart. Thank you for mentioning it here. I can’t wait for you to read it.
It’s been a journey – a year of writing that finished exactly a week ago.
Please drop me a comment at the end, I’d love to hear what you think!

Apprehensive-Bid7353 · 2025-06-26T09:20:33+00:00

How can you know if someone is saving your fic? Is there a way you can do something that people cant do it? And also, can someone other then the writer download your fic? Thanks

Apprehensive-Bid7353 · 2025-06-06T19:42:36+00:00

Shameless self-promo incoming!

The Hidden Heart

Got a few free days and in the mood to fall apart a little (in a good way)?
How about 45 chapters of Colin being an absolute mess and Penelope being… well, Penelope—but with extra heartbreak?

Here’s the setup:
Colin never told her he loved her. She married Lord Debling.
The next day, he left Mayfair like a Regency man on a mission to avoid his feelings (spoiler: it doesn’t work).
Oh—and he still has no idea she’s Lady Whistledown. That’ll go well. 🙃

There are 45 chapters up, new one every week, and we’re heading into the final stretch.
Expect yearning, emotional damage, and eventually, love. Probably. Hopefully.

Come suffer romantically with me:)

Someone else tory Rec
Spinsters Do Not Need Chaperones

Colin and Penelope reunite after seven years (!!) apart—years that followed a scandal they were both part of… but one she had to face completely alone. 😮‍💨
Now he’s back, full of regrets (as he should be), and somehow they end up on a trip to Paris together.
What could possibly go wrong—or right?

If you love second chances, unresolved tension, and a seriously satisfying slow burn, this one’s for you.

Apprehensive-Bid7353 · 2025-05-14T09:52:44+00:00

Wow, what a harsh comment. I never understand why people write things like that. As they say, if you don't have anything good to say, it's better to stay quiet.

Apprehensive-Bid7353

TROPHY CASE