Bridgerton is one of Netflix’s most successful shows, capturing viewers with its heart-fluttering romances, stunning visuals, and captivating characters. Before the show, though, there was the book series.
Mixing historical fiction and drama to portray some truly gossip-worthy love stories, Julia Quinn’s novels have been catching avid readers’ eyes for over two decades. Back in 2000, when the first book was published, there was no BookTok to spread the word and drive sales, but that didn’t stop Quinn from finding her audience and thriving. Logically though, once the Netflix adaptation came about, the Bridgerton series skyrocketed in popularity, with new fans hungrily searching for more content.
Over the years, this universe has expanded beyond Quinn’s initial intentions, and now comprises a main series, a prequel series, as well as a few companion books. As readers will come to discover, some books are, naturally, better than others, but all of them are worth our time, so you won’t want to miss out on even a single one. Of course, this also means that there is a lot of content to get through, which can be intimidating for new fans, who have no clue where to start the series. Well, if that’s your case, you should know that there are two ways in which to enjoy the Bridgerton novels, depending on whether you prefer to do it in order of release or chronologically.
How to read the Bridgerton books in release order
For first-timers, it’s best to read this series in release order, as it lets you get acquainted with the story’s main cast of characters, the Bridgerton family. Thus, the main book series is where you’ll want to start, before diving into the prequels.
The main Bridgerton series
The main series comprises eight books, each focusing on one of the Bridgerton siblings and their love stories. These books should be read in order of release, as follows:
- The Duke and I (2000) — Daphne’s story
- The Viscount Who Loved Me (2000) — Anthony’s story
- An Offer from a Gentleman (2001) — Benedict’s story
- Romancing Mister Bridgerton (2002) — Colin’s story
- To Sir Phillip, With Love (2003) — Eloise’s story
- When He Was Wicked (2004) — Francesca’s story
- It’s In His Kiss (2005) — Hyacinth’s story
- On the Way to the Wedding (2006) — Gregory’s story
Once you’re done with these books, you can also read the Lady Whistledown anthologies, The Further Observations Of Lady Whistledown (2003), and Lady Whistedown Strikes Back (2004). Although these are not part of the main series, they’re considered honorary Bridgerton books, featuring the fan-favorite Lady Whistledown in a collection of stories.
If you want to know what happens to this generation of Bridgertons further down the line, you should also read The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After. This book was released in 2013, and is often considered the ninth in the main series, despite not being technically a part of it. It provides us with short stories about what became of each of the siblings, as well as a novella focused on Violet.
The Bridgerton prequels
With the main series out of the way, you can dive into the prequels, also known as the Robesky series. These books take us to the Georgian Era, focusing on the Bridgerton family’s neighbors, the Robeskys, with some appearances of characters we already know and love, like Anthony, Benedict, and Colin. There are four novels in this series, that should be read in the following order:
- Because of Miss Bridgerton (2016)
- The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband (2017)
- The Other Miss Bridgerton (2018)
- First Comes Scandal (2020)
Although Queen Charlotte (2023) is not a part of the Robesky series, it is also a book that precedes the main Bridgerton novels. It tells the love story of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and King George III, and is the latest of the franchise’s many novels. Thus, if you’re making your way through the series in order of release, this should be your final stop.
How to read the Bridgerton books in chronological order
For a reread, going through the novels in chronological order can be an enriching experience, as it can give you a different perspective. Of course, there are also those who much prefer reading everything chronologically instead of trying it in order of release. Whichever your case may be, you can dive into the Bridgerton world by following this list:
- Queen Charlotte
- Because of Miss Bridgerton
- The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband
- The Other Miss Bridgerton
- First Comes Scandal
- The Duke and I
- The Viscount Who Loved Me
- An Offer from a Gentleman
- Romancing Mister Bridgerton
- To Sir Phillip, With Love
- When He Was Wicked
- It’s In His Kiss
- On the Way to the Wedding
- The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After
While you catch up on all these books, make sure not to miss out on season 3 of Netflix’s adaptation. The upcoming episodes promise to give fans what we’ve all been waiting for.
