Yes, the characters are flawed (I’m talking to you Benedict), but at the same time we have to remember the era and, I think, we have to acknowledge the growth. Sure, Benedict was teetering between manipulative and respectable, but he was also someone who saw his faults, understood his wrongs, and tried to right them. 

Beyond that, the story was just so fun. I loved the Cinderella parallel, the banter between Benedict & Sophie was cute and had me kicking my feet and squealing at my walls, Violet Bridgerton & her daughters were such a joy to read about, and Sophie was honestly a bit of fresh air. Sophie was strong, but at the same time a little insecure. She was strong in her morals & beliefs, but also faltered (because she’s human). She was independent and could take care of herself, but she was also a woman in love (and sometimes that involved wanting to be saved my a man 🤷🏻‍♀️). She wasn’t too perfectly like this or too perfectly like that, she was just a woman. And Benedict, while skewed in some of his ways, was just a man. Both of them, products of the society they were born in, but somehow made it work for each other. 

Definitely my favorite Bridgerton story as of right now.