The Ultimate Guide to Immersing Yourself in Julia Quinn's Bridgerton Series
Discover the captivating world of Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series with this essential reading order! Immerse yourself in the enchanting tales of love, scandal, and wit as you follow the Bridgerton siblings through their thrilling romantic adventures Don't miss out on this delightful collection that inspired the hit TV show Bridgerton
The hit Netflix show Bridgerton is an adaptation of a series of novels by author Julia Quinn. The books, released in a specific order, each focus on a different sibling from the noble Bridgerton family during the British Regency period in London. There are eight siblings in total, named alphabetically based on their birth order: Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth. Interestingly, Quinn's books are written and published in the order of each sibling's marriage. Similarly, the Netflix series follows this structure, with each season centered around a specific Bridgerton sibling.
Since its release in 2020, Bridgerton season 1 has become immensely popular on Netflix. With only two seasons aired so far, Netflix has already renewed the series for up to season 4. In addition, the show has inspired a spinoff called Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, set to premiere in 2023. The success of Bridgerton and its spinoff has sparked producer Shonda Rhimes to hint at more potential Bridgerton spinoffs in the future. The show's popularity has also shed light on the differences between the TV adaptation and Quinn's novels, as well as the recommended reading order for the Bridgerton book series.
How To Read The Julia Quinn Books In Order
The Duke And I (2000)
The Viscount Who Loved Me (2000)
An Offer from a Gentleman (2001)
Romancing Mister Bridgerton (2002)
To Sir Phillip, With Love (2003)
When He Was Wicked (2004)
It's In His Kiss (2005)
On the Way to the Wedding (2006)
The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After (2013)
The Duke And I (2000)
Daphne, the fourth Bridgerton child, makes her debut in society during the year 1813 in The Duke and I. To increase her chances of finding a suitable match, she and Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings, pretend to be in a courtship while keeping Simon out of reach. Despite falling in love, their differing views on marriage lead to complications. The first season of Bridgerton is based on The Duke and I, featuring Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne and Regé-Jean Page as Simon. The undeniable chemistry between Dynevor and Page contributed to the show's success, establishing a strong foundation for the Netflix series, much like Quinn's novel.
The Viscount Who Loved Me (2000)
An Offer from a Gentleman (2001)
Set in 1814, The Viscount Who Loved Me by Quinn depicts the romance between Anthony, the eldest Bridgerton sibling, and Kate Sheffield. In his pursuit of a loveless union, Anthony courts Kate's sister, but circumstances lead to his unexpected marriage to Kate. This novel serves as the foundation for the second season of the Bridgerton series, where Jonathan Bailey portrays Anthony and Simone Ashley portrays Kate Sharma. While the second season stays true to the timeline of the original novels, there are noteworthy divergences in Kate's characterization, transforming Anthony and Kate's relationship from a forced marriage to an exhilarating enemies-to-lovers tale.
The narrative of An Offer from a Gentleman commences in the year 1815, where Benedict, the second-eldest offspring of the Bridgerton family, encounters Sophie Beckett at an enchanting masquerade gala. As years pass, Benedict continues to yearn for this enigmatic lady, yet when he coincidentally encounters Sophie once again, he fails to recognize her. Luke Thompson masterfully portrays Benedict in the television series Bridgerton, while the casting for Sophie has not yet been finalized. Despite the fact that An Offer from a Gentleman is the third installment in the Bridgerton book series by Quinn, Netflix has decided to deviate from the chronological order of these novels for Bridgerton season 3. In consequence, Benedict's romantic journey will have to endure until at least the arrival of Bridgerton season 4.
Romancing Mister Bridgerton (2002)
Colin is the third Bridgerton child, and Romancing Mr. Bridgerton depicts the love story between him and Penelope Featherington. While Quinn's novel showcases a flashback to 1812, when Penelope developed feelings for Colin, the majority of the story takes place in 1824. During this time, Penelope is labeled a "spinster" and Colin is a bachelor exploring the world. In a classic friends-to-lovers twist, their friendship unexpectedly blossoms into love. Bridgerton season 3 will revolve around Colin (Luke Newton) and Penelope (Nicola Coughlan), who are already familiar characters. Quinn fully supports this shift in the book order to highlight their narrative.
To Sir Phillip, With Love (2003)
To read Julia Quinn's books in chronological order, fans should read To Sir Phillip, With Love after finishing Romancing Mister Bridgerton. After Penelope's relationship with Colin, Eloise, the fifth-oldest Bridgerton sibling, no longer wishes to remain a "spinster." Sir Phillip Crane, a widower, believes that Eloise may be desperate enough to agree to marry him. Claudia Jessie's portrayal of the independent Eloise in Bridgerton has received widespread acclaim. Considering the narrative flow, it would be fitting for Eloise's story to be featured in Bridgerton season 4 since her romance is meant to follow Penelope's. Furthermore, Eloise and Phillip (played by Chris Fulton) already hold established roles in the show.
When He Was Wicked (2004)
When He Was Wicked revolves around Francesca, the fifth eldest of the Bridgerton siblings. Following the death of her husband, the family estate is inherited by her husband's cousin, Michael. Determined to find happiness again and start a new family, Francesca remains oblivious to the fact that Michael has been deeply in love with her for years. Despite her limited presence in the Bridgerton series, Francesca was portrayed by Ruby Stokes in the first two seasons, while Hannah Dodd is set to portray her in the upcoming third season. Casting for Michael is yet to be announced, as it is anticipated that Francesca's Bridgerton storyline will unfold after Eloise and Benedict's.
It's In His Kiss (2005)
In It's In His Kiss, we are introduced to Hyacinth, the youngest Bridgerton sibling. Just like her adventurous spirit, this novel combines the genres of romance and mystery. When Gareth St. Clair finds himself in need of assistance in translating an Italian family diary for the sake of his inheritance, Hyacinth steps up to the task. As they work together, a beautiful love story begins to unfold between them. Unfortunately, since the current focus of the Bridgerton series revolves around the older characters, viewers who haven't read Julia Quinn's books in sequence might not be familiar with Hyacinth, aside from recognizing Florence Hunt as the actress who portrays her. However, it can be inferred, based on the age of the characters and the chronological order of the novels, that Hyacinth and Gareth will discover love in the upcoming seventh season of Bridgerton.
On the Way to the Wedding (2006)
The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After (2013)
Taking place in 1827, On the Way to the Wedding centers around Gregory, the second-youngest member of the family who has yet to tie the knot. As he discovers his feelings for his dear friend Lady Lucy Abernathy, Gregory embarks on a mission to prevent her from marrying another suitor. Although Gregory's presence has been limited to a few moments at the Bridgerton household in the series so far, his captivating love story and position as the final Bridgerton sibling to wed suggest that his narrative may be reserved for the potential eighth season of Bridgerton, if the show continues to unfold.
The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After comprises of eight epilogues and a novella. Previously published online by Quinn, the epilogues have now been supplemented with new material in the form of the novella Violet in Bloom. This novella delves into the story of Violet Bridgerton, chronicling her journey of finding love with her late husband and subsequently discovering happiness as a devoted mother-in-law and grandmother. Remarkably, the finale episodes of both season 1 and season 2 of Bridgerton mirror the themes explored in Daphne and Anthony's epilogues from the book, hinting at the possibility of Netflix incorporating content from The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After into future seasons of Bridgerton. Furthermore, the presence of Violet in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story adds weight to the argument that a spinoff dedicated to young Violet's narrative should be the next installment in the Bridgerton series.
