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Do you need to read the Bridgerton books in order to fully appreciate the hit Netflix series, now in its third season? That’s up to you. (But yes—the answer is yes.)
For the unfamiliar, Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton book series—which is set in London’s Regency era—is a wildly popular and mega-successful collection of novels that follow the eight affluent Bridgerton siblings in their search for love and marriage. So it wasn’t much of a surprise when Netflix unveiled the Shonda Rhimes–produced series based on the books and it became an instant smash, reaching 63 million households in just four weeks.
Season 1, like the first novel, centered on Daphne Bridgerton’s burgeoning romance with Simon, the Duke of Hastings. Season 2 picks up with Anthony Bridgerton, who is also the focus of the second novel, The Viscount Who Loved Me. However, season 3 was a departure from the book order: The show bumped up Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington’s love story, which is the focus of the fourth novel, Romancing Mister Bridgerton. Season 4 hasn’t been announced yet, but Benedict or Eloise seem the most likely to be next in line.
Diehard fans know all this, but if you’re new to the Julia Quinn Bridgerton book universe, set aside some time now and catch up. Below, a deeper look into each Bridgerton novel, where to buy them, and what order to start reading.
In what order should I read the Bridgerton books?
If you want to follow the Bridgerton books chronologically, read them in this order: The Duke and I; The Viscount Who Loved Me; An Offer From a Gentleman; Romancing Mr. Bridgerton; To Sir Phillip, With Love; When He Was Wicked; It’s in His Kiss; and On the Way to the Wedding. Just know the books are not in sequence according to the eight Bridgerton siblings’ ages—rather, they follow the order in which everyone marries. (Well, kind of…Francesca’s story is a bit of an exception, but we’ll get to that.)
If you’re hooked, and you will be, there are a few sequels you can read next: The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After includes new chapters about each happy couple, as well as one focused on how Bridgerton parents Violet and Edmund met. Then there’s The Further Observations of Lady Whistledown, Lady Whistledown Strikes Back, and The Wit and Wisdom of Bridgerton—all set in the Bridgerton universe.
Someone who wants to get really technical about the timeline would actually start with the Bridgerton prequels, also known as the Rokesby Series. The Rokesbys are the neighbors and longtime family friends of the Bridgertons, and the books follow the romantic lives of the four sons: George, Edward, Andrew, and Nicholas. And there’s some connection to the OG Bridgerton series: Edmund, Violet, and even little Anthony, Benedict, and Colin make appearances. Edmund’s sisters, Billie and Georgiana, are also the love interests in two of the Rokesby books. That order goes: Because of Miss Bridgerton, The Girl With the Make-Believe Husband, The Other Miss Bridgerton, and First Comes Scandal. Fans of the Netflix series can also now read Queen Charlotte, which Quinn wrote based on the prequel season that aired in 2023.
But do you have to read the Bridgerton books in order?
No, you don’t have to. Each book centers on one sibling’s romance at a time, so they can be read interchangeably. You may get some minor spoilers, but do you care? With romance books like the Bridgerton titles, the appeal is in knowing that everyone ends up happily married.
That said, I would recommend reading in their intended order. You might be more invested if you have the background information that The Duke and I sets up so well, and it’s fun to see the different siblings and their spouses pop up as the series continues. I also recommend starting the Rokesby prequels after you finish the original Bridgerton collection.
How many books are in the Bridgerton series?
There are eight total—one for each sibling–in the core Bridgerton series. Twelve in the series if you count the sequels like Happily Ever After. Add in the four Rokesby prequels and Queen Charlotte, and you have a total of 17 books on your list to read. It sounds overwhelming, but once you start, it is nice to know there’s always a new Bridgerton book waiting for you to dive into next.
Does the Bridgerton show follow the books?
Yes and no. So far, Netflix’s Bridgerton has kept with the core details of the books, and the first two seasons followed the same order of the novels. If you’ve read the books, you’ll spot where the show takes some departures, but the love stories have stayed true for the most part.
The biggest change on the Netflix show is that characters outside of the core Bridgerton family, such as Queen Charlotte and the extended Featherington clan, have much meatier parts than in the books. Season 3 does depart from the books in that it will move Colin and Penelope’s love story ahead of Benedict’s romance—but all signs point to him getting his time in the spotlight in season 4.
Who is Lady Whistledown in the books?
Same as in the show! Spoiler: Penelope Featherington turns out to be Lady Whistledown in the novels, a storyline that isn’t really explored until she enters the spotlight in book four, Romancing Mr. Bridgerton. It’s also covered extensively in season 3 of the show. “The main thing that’s always hovering over us is Lady Whistledown,” says Luke Newton, who plays Colin Bridgerton, of his character’s romance with Penelope. “Even if there was no drama throughout the whole season, the Whistledown thing is enough to make or break anything.”
Who is the third Bridgerton book—and season—about?
Book 3 is about sensitive artist Benedict Bridgerton. His novel is a spin on the classic Cinderella story: He falls for Sophie Beckett, the illegitimate daughter of an earl. Sophia has been relegated to the role of a servant by her evil stepmother. Benedict meets her at a masquerade ball and spends years trying to find the mysterious woman who stole his heart.
However, season 3 of the show will be about Colin and Penelope. Just as in the show, Penelope has long held an unrequited love for Colin. When he returns from his travels abroad, he starts to see Penelope as something more than a friend, but her identity as Lady Whistledown threatens to end the romance before it even gets a chance to take off.
What are all the Bridgerton books about?
I’ll tell you! I’ve read all of the Bridgerton books in order, so below you’ll find the plot descriptions as well as some opinions.
The Duke and I (2000)
You’ve already seen this story come to life on Netflix: Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) is looking to up her desirability on the marriage market, while Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page) wants the world to think he’s taken so the matchmaking-crazed mothers of the ton back off. Then the two pretend to form an attachment in the hopes that suitors will find Daphne more interesting, and singles will assume Simon is taken. This being a romance novel, real feelings start to develop between the two—and drama ensues.
My take: I’d start this after you’ve watched the first season of Bridgerton. It’s more fun to have Regé-Jean Page and Phoebe Dynevor in mind as you read.
The Viscount Who Loved Me (2000)
Anthony Bridgerton has finally chosen a woman to marry, but there’s one obstacle in his way: Kate, his intended’s older sister. She doesn’t think the reformed fuckboy is good enough for her sister, nor is she charmed by his rakish ways. What happens, then, when sparks fly between the two? The source material for the Netflix series’s second season, this novel is Jane Austen meets 10 Things I Hate About You (or rather, The Taming of the Shrew).
Simone Ashley is particularly well cast as the novel’s determined heroine. As Julia Quinn herself told me, “A lesser actress might have allowed Kate to devolve into a Taming of the Shrew caricature, but Simone tempers Kate’s fierceness with all the vulnerability and devotion to family I worked so hard to bring to the character.”
An Offer From a Gentleman (2001)
Benedict Bridgerton is the star of this story, a play on Cinderella, that begins at a masquerade ball. There Benedict becomes entranced by the mysterious Sophie, a servant girl with a wicked stepmother. He doesn’t know it, but she’s posing as a member of the ton until the clock strikes midnight.
If this becomes the source material for Bridgerton season 4, there’s plenty to work with in this story, in part because this is one of the sexier Bridgerton novels. Benedict and Sophie don’t have the will-they, won’t-they aspect of the first two books because there’s a sexual attraction between the couple almost immediately. Instead, Sophie spends a significant portion of the novel toying with the idea of becoming Benedict’s mistress. Spoiler: No, they don’t wait for a wedding night.
Romancing Mister Bridgerton (2002)
At last, Penelope Featherington finally gets her due! This is the novel I was most excited to see adapted for the Netflix show. Book 4 focuses on Penelope’s unrequited love for Colin Bridgerton. And when he returns from a trip abroad, he starts noticing a change in Penelope as well. Now that we’re invested in Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton as the beloved characters, it's all the more satisfying to watch the romance play out on screen.
To Sir Phillip, With Love (2003)
It’s Eloise Bridgerton’s turn to find love now, and she discovers it in an unlikely place: With Sir Phillip, a rough-around-the-edges type who is unlike any of the London gentleman she’s been courted by in the past. Could this seemingly imperfect man be the perfect one for her?
Sir Philip and Eloise make for a mismatched duo, but I could see him translating as one of the sexier heroes on screen. He reads a bit like Jamie from Outlander—large and strong on the outside, with a soft emotional center that’s brought out by his love for Eloise. Interestingly, we've already met Sir Philip on the show: His character makes a small cameo in season two when Colin visits his former love interest Marina Thompson.
When He Was Wicked (2004)
Playboy Michael Stirling’s heart stops when he meets Francesca Bridgerton. Too bad she’s set to marry his cousin, who’s like a brother to him. Michael keeps his feelings to himself, but then—spoiler warning—Francesca becomes a widow, and they’re brought together by their mutual grief. If that sounds like a downer, it’s not. This was one of the more satisfying romances in the series and certainly the sexiest (in this writer’s opinion). Having been married before, Francesca knows what she wants and likes in the bedroom—and has no qualms about voicing it. We love a sexually confident queen!
If you’ve watched the Netflix series, you might be asking: Where is Francesca? Great question! The character is largely absent from seasons 1 and 2—there’s a throwaway line that she’s off visiting in Bath—but the role was recast with actor Hannah Dodd for season three. As a result, the character gets a much bigger storyline. We even get to see the courtship with her first husband begin in season 3, which hopefully sets up the romance with Michael for season 5 or 6.
It’s in His Kiss (2005)
Book 7 tracks the romance between Hyacinth, the youngest Bridgerton sibling, and Gareth St. Clair. He’s the nephew of Lady Danbury (played by Adjoa Andoh on the show), so there’s an easy way to weave him into the narrative of the Netflix series. Their courtship begins when he asks Hyacinth to help him translate his family’s diary, which contains vital information—and secrets.
On the Way to the Wedding (2006)
Talk about a love triangle. Gregory Bridgerton is in love with Hermione Watson, whose heart belongs to someone else. But her best friend Lady Lucinda Abernathy doesn’t approve of the relationship, so she agrees to help Gregory win Hermione over. Along the way, Lucinda and Gregory fall in love with each other. The catch? Lucinda is already engaged to someone else.
There’s a lot going on in this novel, but it’s easy to see how it would work in the fabric of the Netflix show. It turns out Gregory is a bit of a hopeless romantic because he’s seen all of his brothers and sisters make a love match, and several of his siblings and their spouses—Anthony, Kate, Colin, Daphne, and Hyacinth included—help him and Lucy ultimately unite.
The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After (2013)
This ninth novel contains a series of epilogues that take place after the events of the original eight books. There’s also a novella about Violet and Edmund falling in love that’s worth reading. Though it’s likely we won’t see much from Happily Ever After make its way to Netflix, this is a nice way to close the book (pun intended) on these beloved characters.
Anna Moeslein is the deputy editor at Glamour. Read her cover story with Bridgerton star Simone Ashley.
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