Bridgerton author Julia Quinn considers Eloise's relationship with Theo 'less of a romance' and 'more of an intellectual awakening'

• Insider spoke with Julia Quinn about Eloise and Theo's relationship on "Bridgerton" season two.
• To her, it seemed like "less of romance" and more of an "intellectual awakening" for Eloise.

When it comes to whether or not Eloise Bridgerton and Theo Sharpe have a romantic connection on "Bridgerton" season two, your guess is as good as Julia Quinn's.

"That's not in the books," the Bridgerton book-series author told Insider while promoting her forthcoming graphic novel, "Miss Butterworth and the Mad Baron," available for purchase on May 10.

The 52-year-old relinquished control of her Regency-era series to Shondaland years ago and now has "minimal" involvement in the TV adaptation, which premiered its second season on Netflix in late March.

Though she holds the title of "creative consultant" on the series, she isn't privy to the writers' room conversations about the characters inhabiting the expansive "Bridgerton" universe.

And since Theo doesn't appear in her books (and the show isn't a word-for-word adaptation), his role in the story and his relationship with Eloise are completely uncharted territory for the author.

From a viewer's standpoint, Quinn questions the nature of the connection between Eloise (Claudia Jessie), a member of one of 19th-century English society's most esteemed families, and Theo (Calam Lynch), a humble print-shop assistant.

"This is my speculation as a viewer — but to me, it showed her less so much a love interest and maybe more of a recognition of her own privilege," Quinn told Insider.

The author said that Eloise, a character keen on ranting about gender inequality and sneaking in feminist remarks, "is always complaining about injustice, yet she's easily one of the most privileged people in the country."

"I'm not sure how much she realizes that," Quinn continued, adding, "I'm not knocking her for that because the injustice that she is commenting upon is very, very real."

The debutante meets Theo during her covert hunt to uncover Lady Whistledown, a mysterious gossip columnist. He supplies her with new reading material and invites her to political rallies. In doing so, he exposes her to the realities and injustices faced by less affluent members of society.

"I think it's helping her realize that there's more injustice than what is raining down on her. To me, it seemed like less of a romance. It's more of an intellectual awakening for her," Quinn said.

As the show moves onto its third and fourth season, which Netflix has already greenlit, the writer said she isn't sure where it's headed, or even whether it will continue to follow the path laid out in her books.

"I don't know," she told Insider. "I have no idea what will happen."

Read Insider's full Q&A with Quinn here.