A review by thaliareads
To Sir Phillip, with Love by Julia Quinn

adventurous emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

While this book is very good, compared to some of the other sibling's stories I typically find it falls a bit flat for me. Sometimes I struggle to see the Eloise from the previous books and even the Eloise in this book settling down with someone like Philip. However, their story is well put together and I adore the twins. So, if I put these preconceived notions of Eloise away and just focus on this book as a standalone I do really enjoy the general story it weaves.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Death and Abandonment

Minor: Death of parent and War

As with the other Bridgerton books, this one is also spicy, so be aware that there will be graphic sexual content as the book progresses. The suicide attempt warning is for the very beginning of the book. I will put it under a spoiler tag if you are concerned:

The book starts when Philip is still married to his first wife. It is implied that she has struggled with depression for her entire life, and that it got worse after she gave birth to her children. This leads to her attempting to drown herself. While she was saved by Philip she did die from the cold she caught while wet from the pond.

. Childhood abuse is a theme that comes up quite frequently during the book:

It is discussed how Philip's father was physically abusive. They do discuss both the techniques visible and invisible his father would use to discipline him. Later in the book, it is also discovered that the twin's nanny was abusing them as well, ensuring it was done without leaving a mark to remain hidden

. For the minor mentions, Philip wouldn't be in his social position without the death of his older brother in the war and the death of his father, who previously held the title he now holds.