Exactly How to Read the ‘Bridgerton’ Books in Order
You know you can read ahead for show spoilers, right?
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If you binge-watched all of Bridgerton (same!) and Queen Charlotte and you’re anxiously awaiting season 3 of the steamy 19th-century English romance—then don’t worry, because there’s an entire series of books ready to help you pass the time (and get ahead!). That’s right, in case you didn’t know, Bridgerton is actually based on a series of books by best-selling author Julia Quinn. There are literally thousands of pages’ worth of promenading, stolen glances, and scandalous hand touching, all under the watchful eye of Lady Whistledown and her gossip paper.
Each one of the eight books in the series follows one of the Bridgerton kids and their (oddly dramatic) love lives. The first book starts with Daphne and her, er, rough road to marrying the Duke, which was well documented in the first season of the show. Then the books jump to the oldest Bridgerton child, Anthony (which season 2 followed), and go down in the order of Benedict, Colin, Eloise, Francesca, Hyacinth, and Gregory for a total of eight books. Season 3 primarily deals with Colin and Penelope’s story, but it also lays the groundwork for some of the remaining siblings’ stories. If you start reading now, you can be one of those people who gets to brag about knowing what’s going to happen next (à la the Game of Thrones book readers). But the fact that these are amazing books that you won’t be able to put down is reason enough to start, honestly.
Season 1 of Bridgerton is based on The Duke and I, so if you want to be one of those “I preferred the book” people, you’re gonna want to read this ASAP. Plus, you’ll get to go through Daphne and Simon’s hot, hot romance all over again in descriptive literary detail.
Anthony Bridgerton may have spent The Duke and I having some, erm, trouble in the love department, but in this book, he’s London’s most eligible bachelor and it’s his turn to find some love. And you guys, it’s honestly SUCH a good story. After Anthony chooses the woman he wants to marry, her sister (who actually kinda hates Anthony) very quickly becomes the woman he can’t stop thinking about. There’s one scene involving croquet (I know, how British) that’ll have you straight-up laughing out loud.
If you love a Cinderella-inspired story, then you’re REALLY going to love this book. Sophie Beckett may be the daughter of an earl, but her nasty stepmother has downgraded her to the role of a servant. But one night, she manages to sneak into the Bridgertons’ masquerade ball and twirls right into the arms of none other than Benedict Bridgerton. After the ball, he sets out on a mission to find the enchanting woman he met, but meanwhile, he finds himself drawn to a ~mysteriously familiar~ housemaid. The series has so far skipped over Benedict’s story, but it’s a fan favorite, so here’s hoping he’s next!
Dear sweet Penelope Featherington is still in love with her best friend’s charming brother Colin Bridgerton. He just doesn’t know it yet. But when Penelope starts to uncover some of Colin’s secrets, she’s worried she doesn’t actually know him at all. And as Colin, who is seriously frustrated with Lady Whistledown’s gossip paper, will soon find out, Pen has some pretty big secrets of her own (wink, wink). This is actually going to be the central story in Bridgerton season 3. Book 4, but season 3. Confusing!
Eloise is hands down the best character in the whole series (yeah, I said it), and now that she’s all grown up and earned herself the label of unmarried spinster, the now-widowed Sir Phillip assumed she’d be desperate for a husband. Eloise surprisingly entertains his marriage offer and travels to meet him because, oh yeah, they’ve never actually met face-to-face. She secretly hopes he’ll be the perfect match for her, but reality is, uh, different.
Francesca Bridgerton has caught the eye of London’s most infamous playboy. And no, not in that way—in the full-on head over heels, I’m done chasing other women kind of way. There’s just one problem: She’s supposed to marry his cousin in less than two days. It smells like some drama is brewing!
Gareth St. Clair’s father leaves him absolutely nothing of their estate except for an old family diary, but it’s in Italian, which he doesn’t read or speak. Enter: Hyacinth Bridgerton. Her Italian is pretty good and she offers to translate the diary for Gareth. As they spend more and more time together uncovering his family’s history, what happens next, well, that’s amore.
Gregory, the youngest Bridgerton, believes in the magic of love at first sight, which is great, except that when he thinks he’s found it with Miss Hermione Watson, it turns out she actually loves another man. Thankfully, Hermione’s got a clutch BFF who teams up with Gregory to help him win her over. But through it all, Gregory might just realize that it’s not Hermione who has his heart after all.
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