If January was the month of taking it slow, of poring over books with intent, then February was precisely the opposite. I devoured ten books this month, compared to last month’s five. This included six Bridgerton books – I plan to read the final two, Gregory and Hyacinth’s, in March and then make a wrap-up post for the series, so keep your eyes peeled for that! This post will probably be littered with spoilers for the Bridgerton series, both books and show, so if that’s the sort of thing you care about, you might want to skip the middle section of this post. Otherwise, I will endeavour to give spoiler warnings where they apply!

Other than regency romance, we have an eclectic mix as usual of epic fantasy, historical non-fiction, folk horror and a book with toxic lesbian vampires (and before you guess, it’s NOT Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil!). With that hook, let’s get stuck in.

• The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson

Epic fantasy / Murder mystery / Political intrigue

‘Win the throne. Destroy an empire. Either way, it begins with a murder.’

Review: Every twenty-four years, a competition for a new ruler begins. The current emperor or empress must stand down when their successor becomes apparent. Now, as Bersun the Brusque’s celebrated reign draws to an end, the competitors assemble. One from each royal house; Fox, Monkey, Bear, Hound, Dragon, Ox, Tiger and Raven. But when one of the contenders is murdered the eve before the competition begins, it falls to Bersun’s unpopular High Scholar, Neema Kraa, to find the killer. Else, she might find herself the Emperor’s convenient scapegoat…

This is a really unique epic fantasy meets murder mystery type tale. It was incredibly humorous, especially with the Raven’s scathing narration and Neema’s own cynical sense of humour. All of these elements combine to create a really bold and original story, unlike anything I’ve ever read. The murder mystery was incredibly strong – I felt like the reveals were expertly paced throughout the book. I absolutely did not guess the plot twists, and yet, upon a reread or even just thinking back, everything makes so much sense! Like dominoes slotting into place. The whole thing is expertly plotted, with events that happened ten or twenty years having such relevance and informing every decision the characters make. There was so much going on at any one point, but it never felt confusing or too much. 

Neema herself is an excellent character. Having progressed to her current rank purely by virtue of her brilliance, she is shunned by the royal court for her lower class background and pedantic personality. She was a breath of fresh air in a world where most female main characters are young, naive ingenues. There’s a really wide cast of characters who are each developed and given proper time to shine – each of the seven contenders, their abbot or abbess and even groundskeepers and courtiers. 

If you loved the gargoyle in The Knight and the Moth, you will similarly adore the Raven (although the Raven is slightly more sinister and murderous…) I don’t know where this trend of sassy talking animals has come from, but I am loving it! I also just loved this book so much. A fantasy, comedy and murder mystery all in one, it’s truly a genre bend but it WORKS. 

• The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold

Non-fiction / True crime / Social history

‘The victims of Jack the Ripper were never ‘just prostitutes’: they were daughters, wives, mothers, sisters and lovers. They were women. They were human beings, and surely that in itself is enough.’

Review: The Five is broken down into five parts – each beginning with the birth of each respective woman and ending with the night of their death. Far more focus is given to their lives, however. The reader follows their childhood and adolescence, into marriage and motherhood, and, yes, eventually where everything began to go wrong.

The insight into what was life for Londoners, especially those living in the East End, in the 1880s was incredible. If you want to get a picture of life at that time, I’d highly recommend this. It felt incredibly well-researched, given that little is known about these women (some more so than others). The end of the book contains an index of all the belongings that were found on each woman upon the discovery of their bodies – the original records from the police department at the time. I found this small detail to be incredibly impactful.

Rubenhold also draws comparisons with modern day cases, loaded with misogyny, such as the Suffolk Strangler case. It’s an imperative read for anyone interested in the history of violence against women. March is just around the corner – which also happens to be Women’s History Month *wink wink*.

I will absolutely be looking to read more of Hallie Rubenhold’s work. I knew she has another book, Story of A Murder: The Wives, The Mistress and the Dr Crippen. Fun fact: the morning after I finished The Five, I went into my local Waterstones. Having searched for Story of A Murder to no avail, I approached the bookseller and asked if they had it in stock. Unfortunately, they didn’t, but she directed me to a ton of other, similar books that she thought I might enjoy. I ended up buying The Peepshow: The Murders at 10 Rillington Place by Kate Summerscale. Chatting with her about a weird obsession we both had – Victorian true crime – genuinely made my day. Book nerds are the best people. Nevertheless, I remain undeterred in my quest to get my hands on Story of A Murder.

• The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

Historical romance / Regency era

‘Reformed rakes make the best husbands.’

Review: Here’s where the month starts to get a bit… wacky. I pride myself on reading all genres – so far we’ve had epic fantasy, historical non-fiction and now we pivot to regency romance? So, in a fugue state, induced by the horrendous cliffhanger Netflix left us on at the end of Part 1 (S4), I consumed six of the Bridgerton books over the course a week. Insane behaviour, I’m aware. I regret nothing.

Before we get into the meat of the reviews, my thoughts on the series at large: the last two books notwithstanding, I haven’t got round to them yet although I plan to soon, due to my inability to not finish a series, even, more often than not, to my own detriment – it was… meh. Okay, I’ll try to be more articulate, but that really sums up my feelings. They were a good way to pass a rainy week in February – and I don’t say that lightly. It NEVER stopped raining. I’m glad that I’ve read them, if only so I can weigh in on the book versus show debates

We begin with the Duke and I, the story of Daphne Bridgerton, eldest Bridgerton daughter, and Simon Basset, the recently inherited Duke of Hastings. Simon has made a vow never to marry, in an effort to thwart his dearly beloathed father who was determined for an heir. Daphne is simply so nice that all the men of the ton view her as more of a friend, a sister (I know, it didn’t make sense to me either, but that’s what the plot demanded!) And so, in an attempt to increase Daphne’s desirability and to get the ambitious mamas off Simon’s back, the two form a pact – a sham engagement. Fake dating in the 1800s, you might say.

I gave this three stars, but upon reflection, it was probably more like a two. It was quite… simplistic? The dialogue felt pantomime-ish and overdone, the characters flat and one-dimensional, except Simon and even then his inner conflict annoyed me to no end. However, I did enjoy seeing more of the characters I know and love from the screen – Violet Bridgerton and all of the siblings. The sibling banter definitely gets more page-time than screen-time and this was one of the things I enjoyed most about this book. Suffice it to say, I wasn’t its biggest fan, but then again, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Season 1 either. So we persevere! Onto the next!

• The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn

Historical romance / Regency era

‘And then there was Kate Sheffield. The bane of his existence. The object of his desires. All at once.’

Review: Anthony Bridgerton, the eldest son and heir to the viscount title, has decided it is time to marry. The qualities he looks for in a prospective wife? A pleasing face and acceptable wit, childbearing hips and most importantly of all, the avoidance of any love. It just so happens that he finds his perfect candidate in Miss Edwina Sharma, the season’s diamond. The only problem? Her shrew of an older sister. Fiercely protective of her younger sister, Kate Sharma takes an immediate dislike to Anthony. But the line between love and hate may be fainter than either of them expected…

I think I speak for everyone when I say that it is a universal truth that season two of Bridgerton is superior. So I had high expectations of The Viscount Who Loved Me, and while it was infinitely better than the Duke and I, the show definitely improved upon it. They erased the more unsavoury aspects of Anthony’s character and made Kate far more opinionated and sassier to better suit modern audiences.

On occasion, I was surprised by how the show deviated from the book. Spoilers ahead for anyone who doesn’t want to know the changes the show made. For example, Edwina and Anthony’s relationship doesn’t progress far beyond their initial courtship – he never proposes marriage and they certainly don’t make it all the way to the altar. Clearly the show did this for additional drama and I think it was a good decision. Without those stakes, the book almost felt a bit lacklustre.

• An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn

Historical romance / Regency era

‘In her heart, she longed for this man, dreamed of a life that could never be.’

Review: Benophie! Be still my heart! Let me preface this by saying I just binged Part 2 last night, and they mayyy have usurped Anthony and Kate as my favourite Bridgerton couple! When Sophie sneaks into Lady Bridgerton’s masquerade ball, she never truly expects to meet her Prince Charming. Of course, she’s dreamed of it. But when she meets Benedict Bridgerton and spends the night ensconced in his arms, her life is forever changed. They can never truly be together, as Sophie is an illegitimate bastard turned maid in her cruel stepmother’s house. But as Benedict searches despairingly for his elusive ‘Lady in Silver’ and Sophie finds her livelihood endangered, their paths crossing may prove too much for them both to resist.

The first few chapters, as in the show’s first episodes, this reads very much like your basic Cinderella retelling. But give it time, it finds its feet and really expands into a beautiful love story. Again, I think the show very much improved Benedict’s character – he doesn’t have an awful lot going on in the book beyond general philanderer.

Additionally, Julia Quinn wrote extended epilogues for each of the books, and this one was my absolute favourite! We need an entire Posy spin-off, I’m begging you Netflix.

• Romancing Mr Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

Historical romance / Regency era

‘She’d met Colin on a Monday. She’d kissed him on a Friday. Twelve years later. She sighed. It seemed fairly pathetic.’

Review: Now we arrive at the one I was dreading. I’m sorry to all those Polin fans out there, their season was by far the worst in my book. I say this as Penelope’s number one fan and Colin’s number one hater. My girl deserved better! However, in a shocking plot twist that nobody could have predicted… I actually really enjoyed this. Namely for one main reason; Book Colin was so much likeable than Show Colin.

And yes, I am about to compare them to the show again – I know they’re different entities but they’ve become so intertwined that it’s almost impossible to separate. Usually, I’m a staunch ‘the book was better!’ girl. However, in this case I can see pros and cons to both. The show added some things that I thought were brilliant additions (Queen Charlotte being the main one – she doesn’t exist in the books), but also changed some things which I thought would have been better remaining the same. SPOILERS AHEAD. For both the show and the books. You have been warned. For example: in this book, Romancing Mr Bridgerton, Colin accepts the revelation that Pen is Lady Whistledown in an entirely different way – one that endeared me to him rather than made me rage (as in the show *eye roll*)

That said, I don’t think I’ll ever be the biggest fan of the ‘unrequited love’ trope, so this detracted ever so slightly from my enjoyment and my rating. BUT, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, Colin was my favourite male love interest so far (possibly on a par with Benedict). Funny, suave and utterly in love with Penelope, if you’re looking for a historical romance where the male character isn’t a raging misogynist (a fate the others unfortunately suffer from), this is the one for you.

• To Sir Phillip, With Love by Julia Quinn

Historical romance / Regency era

‘She didn’t need someone perfect. She just needed someone perfect for her.’

Review: This is the one I wasn’t dreading, but by God, I should have been. The review is the epitome of ‘it’s so bad I want to give you a zero, but that’s not possible so I give you a one.’ I was excited for Eloise’s book. It’s the first I’ve read that hasn’t been adapted so I was eager to see where her book took her storyline. It’s relevant to note that Eloise isn’t set up as much of a feminist as she is in the show. However, she’s still intelligent and well-read. When she strikes up an epistolary correspondence with Sir Phillip Crane upon the death of his late wife, Marina – yes, that Marina, more on that later – she impulsively decides to travel to his country estate with the express purpose of seeing if he would make a suitable husband.

Not only is everything I have just recapped incredibly out-of-character for Eloise, the execution was terribly done. Sir Phillip Crane was rude from the off and unforgivably dull. He and Marina had been married for eight years, and she had been severely depressed throughout that time. She dies at her own hand, but not before she bore him two children, Oliver and Amanda. The way Phillip handles her depression was not great and the novel almost villainises her for it.

I thought the idea that Eloise could become stepmother to two children already half-grown could be an interesting plot device. She has never wanted children of her own, but stepchildren could be a circumvention of that. But this was immediately ruined when she bore him more children in the epilogue. Yippee. Also, the way Phillip uses Eloise as a glorified nanny and for his own sexual pleasure… the declaration of love came far too late and conveniently in my opinion.

I have no idea how the show are going to manage to salvage whatever this book was into a decent ending for Eloise. Rather them than me! I think I would have thrown everything out and started anew personally – and that’s what I wish Julia Quinn had done with this book.

• When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn

Historical romance / Regency era

‘Tell me something wicked.’

Review: Michael Stirling has yearned for Francesca Stirling from afar for years. In fact, even from before she was Stirling when she was Bridgerton. Before she married his cousin, his best friend, John Stirling. But now John is dead, in a tragic twist of fate, and Michael can barely stand to look at Francesca’s grief-stricken face that mirrors his own. So he escapes to India for four years. When he returns, ready to assume his duties as Earl of Kilmartin that he inherited upon his cousin’s death, it turns out Francesca is ready to move on too. In fact, she’s hunting for a new husband and she enlists Michael’s help in finding him.

Remember earlier when I said that I didn’t like unrequited love? Well, it turns out I do like it, when it’s the man doing the yearning! Francesca has always been my favourite Bridgerton girl, the one I relate most deeply to, so I knew I’d love her book before I even started. This was definitely the most emotional book so far, tackling themes of grief and moving on, and featuring an infertility storyline.

They’ve changed some things quite significantly in the show. I was dubious before season four but I actually think they’ve pulled it off quite well. Previously I couldn’t see any chemistry whatsoever between the two future leads, but the scenes Francesca had with Michaela, especially in Part 2, really changed my mind. Ultimately, I think Francesca’s season has so much promise and I’m so so excited to see what they do with it, especially given the disappointment that was Eloise’s book.

• The Fox and the Devil by Kiersten White

Dark historical / Paranormal horror / Sapphic romance

‘The thing I love most about humanity is their desire for beauty. That they create it for themselves and others, just to make life a little better.’

Review: Back to scheduled programming! I then picked up my early copy of The Fox and the Devil by Kiersten White, needing something a bit different. And boy, this delivered! Simply put, I adored this.

This follows a forensic detective’s obsession with a beautiful serial killer, who taunts her both with her crimes and with the letters she leaves behind. When Anneke Van Helsing opened her father’s study door and saw a woman in white crouched over his dead body, she embarks on a five-year-long quest to bring justice to her father and all the other victims. And there are a lot of victims. Anneke’s quest takes her all over Europe, from Amsterdam to Budapest to Prague to Greek islands.

When Anneke discovers her father’s journals, filled with ramblings of vampires and otherworldly creatures, the killings suddenly take on another, far darker, light. It turns out the devil Anneke has been hunting might not be a regular human devil after all, but a vampire. If you couldn’t tell from the obsessive chase, the cat-and-mouse hunting, this had an element of Killing Eve and Catch Me If You Can.

The setting was perhaps my favourite part of this. The sumptuous descriptions of the cities Anneke visits, each booming in the late 1890s, were so fun to read about. I love a book with a good atmospheric setting, part of why I adore historical fantasy so much. It also had a great found family vibe, amongst Anneke’s detective team. I thought the first half was much stronger than the latter and perhaps it did lose its way a bit. The big reveal slightly undermined the first half. But overall, a thoroughly enjoyable read, blending murder mystery, sapphic romance and paranormal activity.

Thank you to Random House UK and NetGalley for the digital proof! The Fox and the Devil is out March 10th.

• Greater Sins by Gabrielle Griffiths

Folk horror / Historical fiction

‘When we see sin, it is our duty to root it out.’

Review: When I wandered into Waterstones the other day – the same day I was looking for Story of A Murder coincidentally – of course I didn’t come out with the one book I was looking for, but an armful of ones I wasn’t. But isn’t in-person book shopping wonderful like that? I was browsing the tables and this cover caught my eye. The blurb entranced me even more, and despite having heard absolutely nothing about this, I picked it up and bought it immediately. I want to do more of that in 2026 – the impulsive buying of books based simply on their blurbs and covers. I still haven’t hear anyone promote this book online but I’m more than happy to be its sole hype woman!

1915, the Cabrach. In the fierce, wild beauty of this remote corner of Scotland, an isolated community makes a discovery: an ancient body in a peat bog, perfectly preserved. Two people haul the body from the ground: Lizzie, the wife of a wealthy, local landowner, and Johnny, a nomadic singer and farm hand. Soon afterwards, strange events begin to occur. At hearthside and inn, people whisper: what have we unearthed? As tensions run high and men leave for war, old fears and secrets emerge. But in a place where judgement is swift, who is truly without sin?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, from its excellent prose to the genuinely intriguing plot. I’m always wary that books like this are lacking in the plot department, but this kept me turning the pages and eager to pick it up. The difference in Lizzie and Johnny’s narration, from the vernacular used to their inner monologues. Back to what I was saying about loving a unique setting and atmosphere, this had it in spades. People’s pasts converge in ways that you would never have expected. My only complaint is that I wish we’d found out the origins of the bog woman! But then, the mystery that shrouds her is half the point.

If you see this in a bookstore, even if you don’t buy it, I beg you to read the first page. It starts simple, just describing the ritual of one man drinking his whiskey. The passage alone encapsulated the way this book felt – no airs or frills, just the cold seeping into your bones and the brown landscape as far as the eye can see.

‘Johnny has his ritual: slip a hand round a cool glass, feel the weight of it as it rises heavenward. […] He brings the whiskey to his lips and pauses, lets the scent beguile him – peat-sweet, a sigh in the nose. […] Johnny begins his routine again: the grasp, the lift, the tilt, then the first mouthful. A sharpness on the top of the tongue; the land made liquid – the heather and the hay and the cold clear water, the tang of the midden that gets into everything.’

Those are all the books I read in February. As far as my Winter TBR progress is concerned, I still have two books outstanding – In the Veins of the Drowning and Queen of Faces, both of which I hope to read in early March, as well as the final two Bridgerton books. I hope this still counts as winter – it certainly feels dreary enough still. But there is hope yet! The daffodils are out and the tulips in our garden are just poking their heads above the soil. See you next month!