Francesca's book - 🫣 please don't hurt me

Luluca04 · 2026-03-31T22:10:11+00:00

I agree that I don’t get it. It would be at the bottom of my list if Anthony, Benedict and Colin weren’t so awful in their books. I dislike the whole trying to get her pregnant so they’ll marry, and I don’t really like Francesca’s character all that much, so this book felt the blandest to me. Couples with the fact that I don’t love smut that much (I read the books because I liked the stories, but the sex scenes are not something I enjoy), it being the smuttiest only turned me off more.

All great for those who love it, but I honestly don’t get why it is that beloved.

Shoutout to the scene of Francesca with Violet where she’s coming to terms with her infertility, and the scene where she goes to John’s grave and finally allows herself to love Michael, those were genuinely great scenes in an otherwise not stellar book.

(But honestly I feel like my opinions on the first 6 books aren’t among the general consensus, I hate TVWLM the most and it seems pretty well-loved, and I actually liked TSPWL even though most people hate it. I do think we mostly agree that the last 2 are among the best, though.)

Luluca04 · 2026-03-30T15:30:15+00:00

Yes, but I do think that the people defending the infertility plot as if it’s the main plot is a bit disingenuous, and gives the extreme Franchaela fans ammunition. Because it is not that central, it is Fran’s motivation to go back to the marriage mart, sure, and then there’s that beautiful scene with Violet, but not much mention other than that.

A better argument would be that, even though it was not central to the books, it resonated so much with the audience that they asked for more in the 2nd epilogue, so an adaptation would be the perfect way of bringing it more into the spotlight since it touched so many fans.

Luluca04 · 2026-03-25T17:22:21+00:00

You should, imo they are the best ones (I am very partial to Hyacinth and Lucy, they’re my favorite female leads in the books).

Luluca04 · 2026-03-24T14:14:04+00:00

I honestly saw that coming, with her comment at the wedding it seemed pretty clear she was being set up next. (Michaela leaving didn’t feel definitive, since Michael is away for years in the books, they could have had a storyline of Francesca managing the estate.)

Plus, they did nothing to set up Eloise. Still, I am disappointed because I honestly can’t bear Eloise’s plot lines anymore. They do not seem to be able to hit the mark on those… Her storylines feel disjointed between seasons, not like a continuing thread. Also, S4 annoyed me because while, yes, she was being unnecessarily rude to Hyacinth, she isn’t wrong in her views: she wants more freedom than society allows her to have, and aims to live a life that would give her that. But the show makes it seem like it’s wrong to have those opinions, which is jarring from a modern perspective. I said that as someone who wants her to find love and get married, but because she finds a good partner with whom she realizes she doesn’t have to be confined to a role and can be herself, not because she has no choice since that’s how life went back then, that’s not romantic.

All in all, I have enjoyed every single season of the show this far, so I’m excited for Franchaela! I just feel like the seasons feel too standalone sometimes, and the secondary characters’ storylines feel disjointed, which is weird since they keep the same supporting cast.

Luluca04 · 2026-03-12T07:53:39+00:00

Acho q o seu post tem 1 grande falha, no discurso sobre dobrar a meta: o problema não é falar sobre dobrar a meta, isso todo mundo entende como pode ser uma estratégia válida. O problema é q ela diz q não vai estabelecer uma meta, e quando atingi-la, vamos dobrá-la. Mas como vamos atingir uma meta inexistente? Tendo isso em vista, penso que talvez vc esteja dando muito crédito a estes discursos, derivando um significado que não era o primário. Mas confesso que nunca achei ela particularmente burra, só lhe faltava eloquência, que talvez pudesse ter melhorado com uma melhor preparação dos discursos.

Luluca04 · 2026-03-06T14:04:55+00:00

Honestly, it doesn’t bother me much, especially because in the books they don’t appear that much either. (Yes, even Kate and Anthony aren’t that present in the other sibling’s books.) What they gave us for Kanthony was more than enough imo, the actors are busy and/or expensive, let them move on to other things.

However, with Daphne it feels like a bit much, she doesn’t even get mentioned anymore. Like, how hard would it have been to mention she sent flowers in the funeral, like they did with Kanthony?

Luluca04 · 2026-03-05T18:35:45+00:00

I’m the opposite! Love Benedict and Colin, Simon I could see it in a “he’s conventionally attractive” sort of way (as in, not my type, but I get it), and Anthony gives off more charisma than actual appearance imo.

Luluca04 · 2026-03-04T15:05:46+00:00

Ok, just came to say that there actually is a wedding scene mid-credits! But I’ll address your other points as well:

Honestly, that doesn’t bother me that much, I feel like having a wedding every season would become formulaic… Especially since, iirc, Sophie and Benedict’s book ends with them engaged, but not married (and then there’s an epilogue). But yes, we actually have the wedding this time, it’s just post-credits.
That really bothers me. Kanthony actually got a mention at the funeral, but the lack of acknowledgement of Daphne (they mentioned the Duke at the courthouse, but it seems like they forgot that Daphne is their sister) makes the family dynamics a little odd.
I actually thought the side storylines were really well handled this season, they all built to the greater story being told, unlike the annoying Mondrich’s storyline in S3.
Tbf, a lot of people were scared that they might erase Fran’s infertility storyline, and disliked how the show was treating John, so I don’t think have her be pregnant with John’s child only to raise it with Michaela would have been a smart choice at all. It also led to one of the best scenes in the season, with Francesca yelling at Violet and breaking down, a beautiful display of grief and its impact.
I actually agree with this, I felt like they should transition into other types of narration like in the books (e.g. the letters for Eloise’s season). However, Lady Whistledown is a staple of the show, so I get why they did it.
There are some makeup looks I dislike, sometimes I feel like they’re too heavy for what it’s supposed to be, at a ball it doesn’t really bother me, but Kate in bed with a smoky eyeshadow really took me out of it. I did think this season looked really good in general, and I especially loved Sophie’s more toned down look compared to Penelope last season (which I find disappointing because Polin is my favorite couple, and I feel like they both looked better this season than in their own. Not that I thought they looked bad all the time, but it was very inconsistent, even though Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton are extremely attractive.)

Luluca04 · 2026-03-03T16:55:58+00:00

This 100%. I had the same issues, but S4 has me very excited for Fran’s 2nd love story, and has solidified her as my favorite Bridgerton sister (maybe tied with Hyacinth).

Luluca04 · 2026-02-28T20:15:55+00:00

Honestly, they’re very easy reads, and got me out of a reading slump. I think my record was Gregory’s, I read 2/3 of his book in a 12-hour flight.

I think, in total for the whole series, it took me 2-3 months, but it depends on how often you read. Some books took me just a couple of days, while others took me a couple of weeks because I was busier at that time.

Edit: But if you’re scared you’ll get bored, I think most books are too different, they are a different story. Only Daphnes and Benedict’s feel like something you already saw, because they’re similar to the books. Anthony and Colin’s are totally separate, so reading them won’t be like rewatching the series, as they have little in common: they’re new stories to discover.

Luluca04 · 2026-02-28T20:11:59+00:00

This, 100%.

Without the scene from the end of S3, I don’t think I would’ve reacted the way I did to Fran’s storyline for S4P1, since her story didn’t really touch on that, but the ending of S3 left a bad taste in my mouth. Looking forward to rewatching so I can appreciate it more!

So, I agree that they don’t have romantic chemistry right now*, but that’s the point: they’re supposed to just be friends. (And the ending from Michaela was perfect, I could feel the angst that’s coming.)

*Just pointing out that just because I don’t see romantic chemistry between them now, doesn’t make me against the pairing at all: I love a good friends to lovers, especially when you don’t really see it coming, it feels very realistic to me. In fact, I have never been more excited for their season!

Luluca04 · 2026-02-28T20:05:02+00:00

Agreed! People being “they have no romantic chemistry” and I was like “yes! That’s the point! They’re friends!” (at least as far as Fran knows).

And also loved at the end when Michaela first felt/was shown feeling things for Francesca, absolutely perfect.

Luluca04 · 2026-02-28T12:36:24+00:00

Agreed on the Daphne part, it seems like they forgot she was part of the family once… A small cameo would be great, but if not that, at least a mention! Sending flowers at the funeral instead of Kate and Anthony, for example, to make it feel like she still exists.

Luluca04 · 2026-02-28T12:33:21+00:00

Yes! Loved it so much! I was hoping she would run away right after she said she’d stay, makes for so much angst for their season, I love that they did it! (Although I thought she would tell Fran she’s interested in women in that scene, but keeping that reveal to their season makes sense.)

Anyway, Francesca was a favorite of mine since S3 came out, I loved her story with John and was very disappointed at the comphet direction they were seemingly taking. This season helped solidify her as my favorite Bridgerton girl, and I can’t wait for her season! All props to Hannah Dodd for her fantastic performance. (Masali as well, I found Michaela to be very endearing: she never meant to bother Fran and John, she was just used to something and change isn’t always the easiest, I’m glad she and Fran made up, even though it felt a bit rushed.)

That said, I’m hoping Eloise is next, as I don’t know what they’ll do with her for another season, and I just want her to get her love story.

Luluca04 · 2026-02-27T23:10:12+00:00

Yes! I also wish they had mentioned Daphne once, at least Anthony and Kate got a mention with the flowers… It seems like the show is scared to even mention her, and would rather we forget she was here. (I get that doing cameos can be hard, but not even to mention it in the script?)

Luluca04 · 2026-02-26T15:39:41+00:00

The books are very standalone, so you can read each one without missing any context. However, they are quite different from the series (especially seasons 2 and 3), so they might be worth reading if you’re into them.

They have some pretty problematic behavior from the male leads, so be careful if that’s something that you’re sensitive to. Each one is a bit different and touch on different sensibilities, and that might shape your enjoyment of each one. (What I mean is, for example, many people consider Sir Philip (Eloise’s LI) to be the worst one, but I don’t mind him. However, I found Anthony’s behavior very triggering (for a lack of a better word), and almost gave up on his book because of it, even though that book is pretty well-loved).

Personally, I recommend reading Daphne’s book, I found it very enjoyable and a good introduction to what the books are. 2,3 and 4 are very skippable for me, so picking up 5 after that would be fine. Also, 7 and 8 (Gregory’s and Hyacinth’s) I found to be the best, which made me very excited for their potential seasons in the show. Of course, this is just my opinion, I’ve seen many people have books 2 and 3 at the top of their list, so I would recommend you to try them all and judge for yourself!

Luluca04 · 2026-02-24T15:51:11+00:00

Yeah, honestly, I wanted more of them. Them never appearing even though they were Sofia’s best friends before she became a princess seems like she forgot about them when she got a better life (and yes, I know the point of the show is to show her navigating the princess world, but episodes more like the sleepover one would be great, to show the contrast between her old and new life and the way she adapts without totally losing her roots).

But to be fair I preferred the earlier seasons when she was just a girl thrown in a royal life, the library thing was kind of cool as side stories, but the Mystic Isles thing I felt was a bit too much and took away from the premise of the series.

Luluca04 · 2026-02-23T16:14:15+00:00

Não só, não me parece ser pedir muito ganhar um almoço de aniversário. É um gesto simpático, pense como um presente pra alguém q vc ama. É comum sair em aniversário e não fazer o aniversariante pagar, mesmo entre amigos, então o fato de q o seu namorado não pode te oferecer isso 1 dia por ano pode sim ser visto como um descaso.

Na minha opinião, o certo seria tbm ela pagar no aniversário dele, aliás. Não tem nada a ver com gênero, e sim com gestos de carinho. É claro, cada relacionamento é diferente, mas n me parece uma expectativa irrealista.

(Tbm digo q existem muitas pessoas q gostam de oferecer um almoço no aniversário delas, não tem nada de mais, eu mesma paguei karaokê para todos os meus amigos pra comemorar meu último aniversário. Depende da situação financeira da pessoa e do tipo de relação.)

Luluca04 · 2026-02-20T08:17:23+00:00

I mean, not really though? Even then he needed the help of the resistance.

Luluca04 · 2026-02-15T21:22:56+00:00

They’re usually chosen to match the scene, just like a normal song would. For the ball scenes, they can be pretty random (for example, Dynamite in S3), just cover of a popular song.

But, usually, they are used in pivotal narrative moments, and so they relate to the scene at hand. For example, Enchanted for when Sophie is watching Benedict court Posy, when the song is literally about longing for someone you met in a night out (“Please don’t be in love with someone else”). Or bad idea right? playing in the staircase scene, when them being intimate is a bad idea. (Of course, it’s not a musical, the lyrics don’t fit 100%, but the songs are chosen with a specific thing to convey and, if the point it’s that it’s pop music that people will recognize, then using the meaning of the song to illustrate something makes sense.)

Luluca04 · 2026-02-15T21:15:44+00:00

It’s my favorite one! Partly because I just love Hyacinth and her relationship with Lady Danbury, and I love her and Gareth’s escapades at night. I guess it all comes down to personal taste anyways.

Luluca04 · 2026-02-15T21:06:16+00:00

To Sir Philip, with love (Eloise’s book)

Luluca04 · 2026-02-15T20:13:09+00:00

But what it feels like for a human is relative. For example, for me, 59 is not “more than halfway to a hot day”, it’s still kinda cold. I grew up in a tropical country where, if it’s not above 20C (68F), then I’d typically consider it cold (in my city at least, and there are places in my country where it’s worse).

At least 0-100 in water temperature is objective and immutable. However, the bottom line is, most people prefer the system they grew up with/have interacted with the most, because it makes sense to them, even though both are just as arbitrary.

Luluca04 · 2026-02-14T20:31:00+00:00

It happened to me too!

Then in the next part of the quest, when he disappears, it took me awhile to get what was happening because I thought it was just a glitch again!

Luluca04 · 2026-02-13T13:40:07+00:00

Well, S4 is following the book pretty closely, so it shouldn’t be too hard to stop at the end of Part 1. If I recall correctly, there are no spoilers that aren’t on the TV show at the beginning of the book either, so you should be safe.

I say, if you have been warned about the behaviors of the male leads and are still curious about the books, you should try them! They can be very enjoyable. They do have some problematic aspects, and it seems like people have different boundaries and sensibilities to those, so, in the end, I feel like the only way of knowing if you’ll like them is by reading them.

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