Are These Popular Netflix Books Any Good? | ad [cc] 

Ohhh so fun seeing you go in to both series without having seen them (I've seen both and not read either!)

I would love to see a mini vlog/review for when you check out the shows!

Definitely want to give Shadow and Bone a watch soon. Really appreciated your discussion on toxic relationships 🖤

My friend and I read both series because of the hype and devoured both of them in their entirety within a few weeks instead of just the first of each series like we thought. Both are so good in their own rights and get better as the series' continue. With the Bridgerton's #2, 4, 6, and 8 were my favourites :)

I completely agree with what you said about Alina and the Darkling. But they went and cast Ben Barnes to play him in the show and I just... he's terrible but he is very good looking. Also I definitely recommend Six of Crows, it's amazing!

Alina absolutely shouldn't have wound up with either Mal or the Darkling based on how they treated her in the books. Show!Mal is much improved and Show!Darkling is well... more rapidly humanized and Ben Barnes. 😂🙈🤷‍♀️

This was so much fun! I hope you will also do a video of you watching the shows, because I would love to see that!

I loved this!! Also great that you were going in fresh, having not watched the Netflix yet. I watched and loved Bridgerton and the Duke of Hastings omg 🔥🔥 I haven't read either book, but now I definitely want to watch shadow & bone!!

Love this video idea! It's interesting looking up Leigh Bardugo's interviews and her thoughts around the Darkling as she acknowledges how toxic and abusive the relationship is (I heard somewhere she based it on her own experiences but not certain on that), yet she also wrote the Darkling as charming and attractive to show how the most dangerous people are also not the most obvious of those around you. I read the trilogy years ago, but all this discussion has made me want to reread it just to see what I would pick up on this time around!

I like how they made The Darkling a more complex, nuanced character in the show. Still manipulative and power-hungry, certainly, but also misguided and hurt and lonely. His actions are still despicable but they did a good job of showing you where he’s coming from, what he went through and why he is the way that he is now. Plus Ben Barnes is *chef’s kiss* excellent.

I am so glad you did wind up enjoying Shadow and Bone. Can't wait to see what you think of the rest of the series. The Brighton series, I can't remember if I ever read. It sounds like a title that I read when I was a lot younger. I am in my 50's now. So I haven't read any of this authors books in a very long time. And now that I am into romance again, I might try and buy some of her books. I believe I might have a couple of her books. That I got in a mystery type of book box, off of ebay. So I might read some of her books this summer. Hope you have a great day and I really enjoyed your vlog.

I really liked the Bridgerton series! When i read it there were 8 books, one for each child. Not sure if they shortened it for that set

I saw the Shadow and Bone series advertised on Netflix, so I read the trilogy and really enjoyed it, then read the Six of Crows duology, and absolutely loved it. I was struck by what you said about Alina at the start of S&B because the rather unnecessary level of girl hate and spite really jumped out at me as I read it but the further I got, the more it made sense. At the start of the trilogy Alina has no self-confidence and hates pretty much everyone except Mal, and I personally think her relationship with Mal is just as emotionally abusive as her relationship with the Darkling, and Mal has even less excuse because he's meant to be the hero and not the villain! He friend zones her, strings her along, rubs his conquests in her face, is only attracted to her once he can't have her and other people have started to pay her attention, hates her power, hates her success, is constantly trying to manipulate her into abandoning her cause and responsibilities and run off with him and live in hiding, having to pretend to be less than she is. It's really gross. So I think between the two of them, the trilogy displays two different types of abusive relationship that teenage girls are prone to falling into, although whether this is deliberate or accidental, I'm not entirely sure. The ultimate ending would suggest the latter, I think. Six of Crows does a much better job dealing with personal relationships and their complexities, both positive and negative, and its actually rather uplifting in the end.

Oooh this is SUCH a good video idea!!

Hi Jean! I haven't watched your videos for a while but it's always so nice to come back to you! I am still super hesitant about The Duke and I because I heard both good and bad things about it... I usually love this kind of serie though and enjoyed the TV show. It got super popular in France too of course... As for Shadow and Bone, I have never been interested in these books at all even though I love Leigh Bardugo's writing. The "not like the other girls" trope is something super annoying for me too. In an other hand, I absolutely loved Six of Crows and all its characters. I used to dislike Nina though but the serie actually changed my mind which I was glad about. Keep up the good work Jean, always a pleasure to listen to your advices and your adorable scots accent. :)

Books2Door stopped delivering internationally and it makes me so sad because they're the only place I could find a Becky Chambers boxset haha! Also I really appreciate your comments on Aline and The Darkling! Most people have just told me "Darkling bad" and I never really understood why people were so against that ship, since I haven't read the books myself. So thank you for taking the time to talk about it!

The fomo got me too! I'm up to book 5 in Bridgerton and the last Shadow and Bone series. 🤣

A little heads up: There are a few things from the Bridgerton series that are revealed earlier on Netflix than in the books! So Netflix might hold some spoilers if you want to experience the books first :) Books2door sounds great, if they shipped to my country I would definitely order from them (middlegrade series are my favourite)!

This is a well developed channel. Very professional 📈

I’m currently reading Shadow and Bone too - trying to read the series before I watch the Netflix show

I've not seen either show and the only related books I've read is the Six of Crows duology. Which I absolutely loved.

I completely agree with you on the relationship between Alina and the Darkling! It's so incredibly toxic, and it's indeed sad that people would ship that, but I do also understand why that happens. Leigh Bardugo actually recently posted a picture of herself on Instagram. I think the picture was taken the day before she started writing Shadow and Bone, and in the caption, she talked about how she was in a very bad relationship herself at the time, and that she wanted to write a story about a girl finding her way out of the dark. When I read that, things definitely clicked in terms of where the Darkling came from... I'm glad you liked the book! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the rest of the series :)

I'm really glad that you liked both series but sucks about the second half of The Duke and I. I have the Shadow and Bone Trilogy in my TBR but soo badly need to read them

Well, I had to buy the Shadow and Bone trilogy after this... ☺ seems like I buy at least one book after every one of your videos!

I remember reading The Duke and I a few years ago and I checked it again after the Netflix series rekindled my interest. So I checked my goodreads and remembered what made me not like the first book. I was ranting in my review haha. That part about consent and manipulation, I just have a hard time going past them. I wonder if you've read the other books and how you feel about them. I'm thinking if I should give them another try... I do remember enjoying the Bridgerton siblings hmm

I didn't love the first Grisha trilogy but I think you enjoy the later books so much more if you've read it. :) I will not read the Bridgerton books because of that "consent issue" and I also don't think the show handled it well but I think I'll watch the second season.

I haven't read any of these books, but I've watched both series, in fact I kljust finished watching Shadow and Bone and now I'm dying to read the book! I completely agree with you about the Darkling and Alina. Before actually watching the show I knew that people shipped those characters and I thought that maybe he'd be a more "grey" villain, but after watching it I really don't get it at all; the guy is a mass murderer! 😅 When Mal is there all the time being sweet and supportive, shipping Alina with the Darkling is beyond me.

Have you read the second book in the Bridgerton series ? It's the best one ! The new character is great :)

In think for both these book series, the shows are actually better than the books, by far. The Six of Crows duology is by far way more entertaining and better written than the Shadow and Bone trilogy (I have yet to read the third book) and the second book of the Bridgerton series is much more fun than the first in my opinion! I can't wait for Netflix to release season two of both these shows!

Books2Door needs to start shipping to the US!! (sad face) Those Grisha books are SO pretty!

All the bridgeton books are basically a copy and paste of one another and most have issues with consent. I have read them and if you can sort of pass over that then they are good books but i personally prefer other historical romance books. Yay! So happy to hear your opinion on shadow and bone. Think will be ordering this one!

Try the Secret History of the Pink Carnation series by Lauren Willig

Ugh, Julia Quinn... I did try to give the series a chance and read the first two books (the second one is slightly better, imo) but honestly, just about any book from your "10 favourite romance novels" (and I read them all, bar 1) is better written and has more well-rounded characters and more engaging plot. The Netflix show, on the other hand, is beautifully shot and I love the acting. They tried to make the storyline much more complex and developed other characters. I'm glad I watched the series first and then read the books, I don't think I would have given it a go if it had been other way round. I haven't read Shadow and Bone yet, but I have watched 4 episodes of the show so far and I loooove it. Amazing cast and brilliant special effects, such a well-made production!

I think the Duke and I is my least favourite of the series, I just can't get past the icky bits. It's a shame that so many people have read the books since the netflix show and just run into the wall with it though, she definitely doesn't handle topics amazingly in this but I think the later books are really solid. I also don't think many people write funny family dynamics quite as well as the Bridgertons, it's the reason I keep going back to Quinn despite her flaws (would love to hear if people have recs)

I couldn’t stand Alina! She had all this power but was focused on the boys in her life and definitely acted as a victim. I Loved Six of Crows though. I would recommend reading that before you watch the series.

👍

Glad I’m not the only one that felt the same way about The Duke and I. I enjoyed the beginning, but the last of it was just a big no for me

Do I think that The Darkling is incredibly toxic and awful? Yes Do I want him and Alina to be together? No Will I still be drawn in by Ben Barnes in the show? Absolutely

Gorgeous person 👍

Honestly, Mal is just as toxic as the Darkling. In a different way, yes, but not less problematic. Anyway, I love your complex thoughts and discussions