The Social Season Is Upon Us - Initial Thoughts on the "Bridgerton" Teaser Trailer

 The teaser trailer for "Bridgerton" dropped this morning! Take a look -

My initial thoughts -

- I have never watched "Gossip Girl," so I have zero idea what's it's about. But there are a LOT of comments comparing "Bridgerton" to that so... sure?

- On that note, I have also never watched anything that is produced through Shondaland, though I certainly know of Shonda Rimes's output. Nothing that she's produced has really piqued my interest enough to try it out until now. That being said, I'm willing to be impressed.

- I am slightly annoyed that the teaser trailer touted its TV connections, but failed to mention that this series is based on Julia Quinn's original Bridgerton series of romance novels. Maybe another trailer will drop and make that clearer? Or the show itself will say so? Maybe my inner book nerd is just needlessly irritated on that score.

- I am well-aware that the series definitely has its own look to it. Not just the racial diversity of the cast, but also some of the costuming is... interesting. Like I said, I'm willing to be impressed. The actress playing Daphne Bridgerton looks amazing and the actor cast for Simon Bassett is damn easy on the eyes. So maybe I'm being a bit shallow, but I'm okay with it. As long as the subplot regarding the Duke of Hastings's father and his childhood is left intact, and we get the glorious relationship between the two leads, I will be happy.

- And here I probably should go with the broad statement that book-to-screen adaptations can be hit and miss. Some are great (Lord of the Rings), some are ehhhhh.... (Artemis Fowl). So while I say I am willing to be impressed, I also am approaching this with some trepidation. Or I can just sit back and enjoy this for what it is, while enjoying the book as a different entity.

- But dammit - Julie Andrews as Lady Whistledown? Yes, you have my attention! (Though how they'll handle the reveal of Whistledown when they finally get there... not sure. But that seems that it'll be in a future season, if they do the "season = book" formula that it looks like they're doing for the whole series.)

- I hope this series is successful, both in terms of ratings and in terms of impressing the True Believers. I would love the possibility to open up for other romance series to get adapted into streaming shows - the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that streaming is the perfect outlet for such adaptations. I will always love reading romance books and visiting those settings in my head. But there is something to be said for being able to see it played out on screen. And while I love Jane Austen adaptations and the like, period drama needs to branch out. Just a bit.

That's really all I have as far as thoughts. I mean, this was just a minute and a half trailer for a series that's going to be eight episodes (all dropping on Christmas Day - yay!), so it's impossible to know the whole picture. But it's a nice little tease and I'm excited to see the finished product.

Autenberry's (Step)Mom Has Got It Goin' On - Review of "The Scandal of It All" by Sophie Jordan

Title: The Scandal of It All 
Author: Sophie Jordan
Release Date: July 25, 2017
Series and Number: The Rogue Files, #2

I swear, Sophie Jordan must have had "Stacy's Mom" playing on repeat when she was writing this book. I mean, I had it looping over and over in my head while I was reading it. Which actually made the experience even more entertaining.

Okay, let's get one thing out of the way: If the heroine in this book hadn't been married to the hero's best friend's (now deceased) father, there would be zero problem. Graciela, the Dowager Duchess of Autenberry is only six years older than Lord Strickland (the hero) and the late Duke of Autenberry was an old man when they got married (and a gross one, it turns out). But if Graciela and Colin had met before Graciela got married, it wouldn't be so awkward.

Then again, that's what makes everything so funny.

Graciela is a widow who is tired of just killing time until her daughter is grown and married and then she'll be left all alone. She lets another friend, also a widow, convince her to go to this club called Sodom (three guesses what kind of club that is). While she goes and is in disguise, she encounters her stepson and his best friend. The friend, Lord Strickland, recognizes her and does everything he can to hide her presence from her stepson.

And I do mean EVERYTHING.

The scene where Strickland is hiding Graciela from Marcus is absolutely hilarious. It has the tone of a Three Stooges sketch, but everything is R-rated. Because Marcus just Won't Go Away. I do feel bad for Graciela, but at the same time she said she wanted adventure and to take risks and not just have a sedate life as a respectable widow. Well, my dear, you got EXACTLY what you wanted.

And that's one issue with this book - Graciela will make a decision (like going to Sodom or to seek out a gentleman to have an affair with), but when it comes time to put that decision into action, she wimps out completely. Which would be okay, if she ever overcame that fear. It happens CONSTANTLY in the book. Even up to the end when circumstances make it so she and Strickland must marry and she still waffles back and forth about her choices.

As far as Strickland goes - he's the kid in "Stacy's Mom." He even says that he's been in love with Graciela since Autenberry's father married her. Obviously he never acted on that while the old duke was still alive, and he's even weirded out by this situation now. But that the difference in the two characters - he gets over it. He changes and develops as events unfold, where Graciela does not. Not, at least, until the very last page when it's supposed to be Happy Ever After!

So the first 3/4 of the book is almost a comedy of errors (and a very entertaining one, at that), but the last quarter of the book feels too repetitive because Graciela just cannot get over her hangups. Which is disappointing. I really hoped that she'd become this confident and adventurous lady after all her escapades.

Still, for the scenes at Sodom and the scene at the musicale (not quite as funny as the Sodom scene, but still humorous), I do recommend this book. Just don't get too excited for the ending.