Love is well and truly in the air this Valentine’s Day weekend, and what better way to celebrate than an update on the diamonds of the impending season? This author has some exciting news that was unveiled during Netflix‘s Season of Love event during which Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell peeled back the curtains on Season 4 of the fiery regency romance between one Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) and one Lady in Silver, Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha).

The season will be based on the third Bridgerton novel from Julia Quinn‘s series, An Offer From a Gentleman. The most quirky, out-of-the-box Bridgerton brother is set to have his world turned upside down by Sophie, who is unlike anyone he has ever met. A big part of this puzzle is because Sophie does not share the glittery-ton lifestyle Benedict had grown up in. In fact, Sophie is from the other end of the social spectrum as a maid to a family not of a dissimilar class to Benedict’s. The pair’s worlds collide when they meet at an elusive masquerade ball hosted by Benedict’s mother, Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell).

During the special event, showrunner Brownell teased an uphill battle for the pair in what she described as the ultimate “class clash” for the pair. She said:

“Every season we try to look at a different trope within the romantic world and this year it’s all about forbidden love. That class clash gives us a very serious obstacle and the stakes could not be higher this year so it’s really a juicy one. I feel like we’ve spent the first three seasons really digging into the upstairs world and getting to know the rules of the ton and so it felt right that after three seasons of doing that we get to expand the world out and go downstairs and broaden our world and also because you are now so familiar with the upstairs I think viewers know just how difficult a pairing between a gentleman and a maid will be, they’re right there with us.”

‘Bridgerton’ Season 4 Will Mark the First Season To Explore the Forbidden Love Trope

The insight into the upcoming season is particularly interesting as the class divide is something that has been gently touched upon in previous seasons. As the heart of the drama has always been centered on the upper classes, little airtime has been given to those who live beyond the diamond-dazzling walls. Over the course of the previous seasons, race and cultural barriers have been broken down across the romances including, most recently, Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley). However, as the couple were of a similar enough social standing this did not prove to be a significant obstacle. Benophie’s love story will be the first time audiences are presented with a love separated by social class. If the show’s previous seasons are anything to go by, this concept is sure to make for an even more passionate, meaningful love story between the pair. After all, is there really a better romantic trope than forbidden love?

You can see brand-new images from season four above. Seasons 1-3 of Bridgerton are on Netflix now.