The Bridgerton Series
The Bridgerton Netflix show is based on Quinn’s eight novels about the family. There are eight Bridgerton siblings and each one gets their own book, so season one of the Netflix show is mostly an adaptation of the first book in the series, while season two is the same for the second. We’ve gotten word that the third season will actually portray the events of the fourth book, but will have to wait and see how the show’s creators and writers plan to handle forthcoming seasons—they may blend books together, as some of the storylines happen concurrently even though they’re in different novels. One consistent plot thread through the books is the existence of Lady Whistledown, an anonymous gossip columnist whose risqué columns set off several of the events in each book. I don’t think these books necessarily have to be read in series order. I started with book 6 and was able to catch up pretty quickly. But the books do follow one another, so here’s a breakdown of the series in order.
The Bridgerton Prequels
Quinn is also currently writing a Bridgerton prequel series set in the late 18th century. It follows the Rokesby and Bridgerton families, country neighbors and close friends with children of marriageable age. So far, there are four books in this series: Because of Miss Bridgerton, The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband, The Other Miss Bridgerton, and First Comes Scandal. These books share a similar feel to the original Bridgerton books—a close-knit family, amusing shenanigans—but they don’t have quite the same charm as the originals, in my opinion. You’ll notice a few differences between Bridgerton season two and The Viscount Who Loved Me, including Kate and her sister’s Indian name and heritage, as well as a few plot points. But both are similarly entertaining.
The Smythe-Smith Quartet
The unfortunate Smythe-Smith family musicale makes an appearance in several of the original Bridgerton books. In the Smythe-Smith family, it’s tradition for the eldest unmarried daughters to form a quartet and play a concert every year…but they are all awful at music. The Smythe-Smith musicale is mostly an object of amusement in the Bridgerton books, but in this quartet of novels our main characters are the unlucky musicians themselves. These have a light, not-too-angsty tone and are lots of fun. The four books are Just Like Heaven, A Night Like This, The Sum of All Kisses, and The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy.
Other Julia Quinn Books
Quinn has a number of other trilogies and duos. If you want to read more of her work, The Lost Duke of Wyndham and Mr. Cavendish, I Presume? are good places to start. Her website has a complete list of the rest of her books. And, of course, she’s still writing more. Once you’ve read all of the Bridgerton books, and Quinn’s other work, you can move on to some of the many other great historical romances out there. You can check out this list of Bridgerton alternatives to try, or do a deep dive into specific authors. Start with the work of Courtney Milan, Beverly Jenkins, Lisa Kleypas, Sherry Thomas, Eloisa James, Tessa Dare, and Jeannie Lin. If the humor and banter of Bridgerton are what you’re after, try Lydia San Andres’s A Summer for Scandal, Evie Dunmore’s Bringing Down the Duke, Minerva Spencer’s Notorious or Martha Waters’s To Have and to Hoax. And if you’re in the mood to read a whole completed series, here’s a list of recommendations. You may also want to check out this Book Riot list of historical romance by Black authors and our suggestions for how newbies can get into historical romance. And if the fire that Bridgerton lit just won’t go out, try this list of steamy historical romances. After all, it’ll be a long wait for the next season of Bridgerton—thank goodness we have books to keep us occupied!
