Forget the Duke —Anthony Bridgerton is now the best man (and Rake) to grace Victorian England! That is, in the hit book series-turned-television show Bridgerton, which finally returned for a season two on March 25th. Julia Quinn wrote the Bridgerton series, an 8-book historical romance, where each book stars one of the Bridgerton siblings’ marriage story. 

  The first book centers around the oldest daughter Daphne and the Duke’s love story, and that was made into an eight episode series. Viewers (myself included) absolutely devoured season 1 and were blown away by the story, music, outfits, and sets! Having read both the book and watched season 1, it is clear that the writers of the show stuck closely to the plot of the book. There were more side storylines in the television show to keep people entertained, but they didn’t take away from Daphne’s love story.   

  However, the same cannot be said about season 2 of Bridgerton, which is very contrasting to the second book in the series, The Viscount Who Loved Me. Anthony Bridgerton is the oldest son in the family, and he is in search of a wife. Luckily for him, the Sharma sisters have come to London, and the youngest daughter Edwina is his perfect match. Much to the Viscount’s annoyance, however, Edwina’s older sister, Kate, hates his entire being. The two are constantly bickering and simply cannot get along. This is a big problem for Anthony because Edwina wants her sister’s approval of her future husband. The set up is the same for both the television season and the book, but things begin to differ after. 

  In the book, although Anthony is courting Edwina, neither person is that invested in one another. Anthony is simply looking for a viscountess to help him with his duties and start a family, and Edwina only wants a kind and respectable husband. Due to the low stakes of their arrangement, when Kate and Anthony realize they may have feelings for one another, Edwina doesn’t feel betrayed or upset. 

   The television adaptation changes it up and has Edwina fall in love with Anthony. This creates a love triangle, and when Edwina realizes Kate’s attraction towards her fiancé, she is greatly upset. 

   Oh yes, and in the show Edwina and Anthony become engaged, and Edwina ends up leaving him at the altar after seeing how he looks at Kate! The relationship, if you could even call it that, between Edwina and Anthony in the book ends very quickly.

  The second largest difference between the show and the book is the bee scene. Kate gets stung in both versions, and Anthony becomes frightened because that’s how his father died. In the show, he just becomes very distressed, and Kate ends up hugging him to calm him down. In the book though, Anthony becomes so horror-struck he attempts to suck the venom out of the sting: weird, I know. Their mothers catch him doing this, and it looks like they are engaging in, uh, other activities. 

   Because of the time period, this means that the two must wed, and that is what happens. Anthony and Kate get married halfway through the book, so their married life is very prominent. In the show, there isn’t even a wedding scene! In the last episode, the two confess their love for one another, and the show then cuts to the future, after the two had tied the knot. 

  The last major difference of the two are the inner conflicts of Kate and Anthony and how it plays out in their romance. Kate is terrified of storms in both versions of the story, although it is mentioned more in the novel. At one point, Anthony is there to comfort her during a storm, which grows the love they feel for one another. 

   Anthony’s reasoning for not caring about love in his marriage is explained in more detail in the novel, too. Anthony believes that since his strong dad died so young, there would be no way he could possibly outlive him, so what’s the point of trying to find true love? The Viscount’s inner conflict is entirely missed in the television show, and I think it would’ve added more depth to his character.

  Having read the book first, I have to say I think it did a better job in telling the epic love story of Anthony and Kate. However, the television show has great characters that are shoved to the side in the book. The Featheringtons are a hilarious family, and Lady Featherington will do anything to bolster their popularity. 

   Also, we know the identity of Lady Whistledown in the show, but not the book yet. Knowing that Penelope is the secret gossip writer, we see how she does it, and the secrets she must hide from her friends and family, most notably Eloise. Eloise in the show is a much more focal character, and we see her feminist ideas really expand in season 2, something very refreshing for the time period. Once again, the sets, music, and outfits were all incredible and jaw-dropping, just as it was in season 1.

  I would recommend watching the newest season and reading the book as well. Although the two have many differences, both are able to craft a story that is hard to stop watching or reading!