The Author-Approved Way to Read the Bridgerton Books in Order

Updated by Esther Fung, Dec. 16, 2024


Dearest gentle readers, welcome to the ton. 


When it was released on Christmas Day 2020 to a world looking for escape after months of lockdown, Netflix’s historical romance television series, Bridgerton, captivated and scandalized households everywhere. With its decadent sets, steamy storylines, and Jane-Austen-meets-Gossip-Girl feel, Bridgerton, produced by Shonda Rhimes, dominated the pop culture conversation for months. 


And the hype hasn’t gone away. Season two premiered in March 2022 and was the most viewed show in the United States for three weeks. Similarly, the spin-off series, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, was the number one show in 91 different countries in the first week of its premiere in May 2023. 


Now, fans are counting down the days until they can hit play on the long-awaited season three on May 16, 2024. But if a month is still too far away, the good news is that you can find out what’s next for your favorite characters much sooner by reading the books.


That's right. Netflix’s hit show is actually based on Bridgerton, a historical fiction romance book series by Julia Quinn. All eight books in this Regency romance series have already been published, along with six spin-off novels, one gift book, and two anthology collections. Read below to discover in what order you should read all the Bridgerton stories and just how spicy these Regency romances are.

the Illumicrate edition of the Bridgerton series

How many books are in the Bridgerton series?

On her website, author Julia Quinn shares that she originally envisioned her historical romance series as a trilogy. But like her readers, she fell in love with the Bridgerton family. 


Now, there are eight novels in the original Bridgerton series. Each novel follows a different one of the late Viscount Bridgerton’s children as they search for love and family in English high society. Book one, The Duke and I, was published in 2000, and the eighth book, On the Way to the Wedding, was published in 2006. All eight romances are set in Regency England. During this time period, Quinn also collaborated with other writers to create two anthologies that are set in the same universe: The Further Observations of Lady Whistledown, published in 2003, and Lady Whistledown Strikes Back, published in 2004. 


In 2013, Quinn also published The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After, which some consider to be the ninth book in the series, as it provides more information on what happened to each of the children after their novel ended. 


Three years later, Quinn took fans back to the Bridgerton world, but a generation prior. Set during the Georgian Era, the prequel, Because of Miss Bridgerton, introduces the Rokesbys, the family who lived next door to the Bridgertons. This prequel was by three more books: The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband (2017), The Other Miss Bridgerton (2018), and First Comes Scandal (2020). 


Finally, owing to the success of the Netflix show, Quinn gave fans The Wit and Wisdom of Bridgerton: Lady Whistledown’s Official Guide in 2021 and Queen Charlotte in 2023, the latter of which was co-written with Shonda Rhimes. 


What year is the Bridgerton series set in?

The Bridgerton books are all Regency-era romances. The Duke and I takes place in 1813, while On the Way to the Wedding is set in 1827. The Regency period refers to the time in British history when King George III, who is a main character in Queen Charlotte, was deemed unfit to rule due to his mental illness. Instead, his son, George, ruled as the Prince Regent.

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In what order should I read the Bridgerton books?

Even though each of the Bridgerton books focuses on a different sibling, the series order doesn't follow the children's birth order. For example, the first book of the series is The Duke and I, which is about Daphne's romance with her older brother's best friend, Simon the Duke of Hastings. However, Daphne is actually the fourth child in the family, and readers need to read book two, The Viscount Who Loved Me, to get the oldest Bridgerton child, Anthony's, story.


There are two approaches to reading all the books in the Bridgerton universe. See below for the publication order and the author recommended order.

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Bridgerton series order by publication:

  1. The Duke and I (2000)
  2. The Viscount Who Loved Me (2000)
  3. An Offer From a Gentleman (2001)
  4. Romancing Mister Bridgerton (2002)
  5. To Sir Phillip, With Love (2003)
  6. The Further Observations of Lady Whistledown (2003)
  7. When He Was Wicked (2004)
  8. Lady Whistledown Strikes Back (2004)
  9. It's In His Kiss (2005)
  10. On the Way to the Wedding (2006)
  11. The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After (2013)
  12. Because of Miss Bridgerton (2016)
  13. The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband (2017)
  14. The Other Miss Bridgerton (2018)
  15. First Comes Scandal (2020)
  16. The Wit and Wisdom of Bridgerton: Lady Whistledown’s Official Guide (2021)
  17. Queen Charlotte (2023)


Bridgerton series order as recommended by the author:

On her website, the author provides her recommended reading order for all the Bridgerton universe books except for those from the Georgian Era series. Because they are a prequel, we recommend starting with those four books and then moving on to the Regency Era works.


  1. Because of Miss Bridgerton (2016)
  2. The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband (2017)
  3. The Other Miss Bridgerton (2018)
  4. First Comes Scandal (2020)
  5. The Duke and I (2000)
  6. The Viscount Who Loved Me (2000)
  7. An Offer From a Gentleman (2001)
  8. Romancing Mister Bridgerton (2002)
  9. To Sir Phillip, With Love (2003)
  10. When He Was Wicked (2004)
  11. It's In His Kiss (2005)
  12. On the Way to the Wedding (2006)
  13. The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After (2013)
  14. Queen Charlotte (2023)
  15. The Further Observations of Lady Whistledown (2003)
  16. Lady Whistledown Strikes Back (2004)
  17. The Wit and Wisdom of Bridgerton: Lady Whistledown’s Official Guide (2021)
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Are the Bridgerton books spicy?

In 2024, actress Nicola Coughlan, who plays Penelope Featherington, made headlines when she shared a detail in her Netflix contract. In a conversation on SiriusXM Hits 1, Coughlan revealed that her contract stipulates that a PG cut of Bridgerton season 3 be provided for her parents.


The request is not unreasonable. A big draw of the series for many fans is the steamy scenes, and it's natural that Coughlan would prefer a more family-friendly version to watch with her parents. But how spicy are the Bridgerton books?


For those who don't know, spicy is the word readers online, including BookTok and Bookstagram, have used to describe books with erotic content. Because the spiciness of a book is largely subjective, we can share what Pango readers have shared, but please keep in mind that their opinions may differ from you.


The overall consensus is that compared to other adult romance novels, the Bridgerton series is a 3 out of 5 on the spice meter. For example, Booksalacarte rated The Duke and I as a 3 and It's In His Kiss a 3.25. The Neverending TBR gave Romancing Mister Bridgerton 2 out of 5 on the spiciness scale.

Are the Bridgerton books good?

The Bridgerton series is the perfect read for anyone who loves historical romance. The Duke and I, the first and bestselling book in the series, currently enjoys a 3.79 rating on Pango. Booksalacarte shared that it is "just the best regency romance writing you can get. It’s so feel good and fluffy, you can’t help but love it." Madison Pettus also described it as "a low stakes, period romance/drama that is a much needed break from romances that ... drag on."


The second bestselling Bridgerton book on Pango is Romancing Mister Bridgerton, which has a 4.25 rating. According to Bridget, if you want "a classic friends to lovers trope, this is certainly the book for you."

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Should I read the Bridgerton books if I've already seen the show?

Absolutely! We're always a fan of reading the source material, especially if you enjoyed the adaptation. Not only will you get a more in-depth look at your favorite characters, but you'll also catch all the Easter eggs you would've missed otherwise. (Did anyone else scream when they saw THAT character's early entrance in season one?)


Plus, we already had to wait two years for season three, which covers Colin and Penelope's story in Romancing Mister Bridgerton. Do you really want to wait two more years to see Benedict or Eloise's happy endings?

Books to read if you love Bridgerton

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