Bridgerton is a series of eight historical romance novels set during the Regency era, written by Julia Quinn. Published between 2000 and 2006, the books follow the eight children of the Bridgerton family as they explore life in London's high society while searching for love, adventure, and happiness.
The novels were turned into a TV series by Shondaland, titled Bridgerton, which first shown on Netflix in 2020.
Background
Set between 1813 and 1827, each novel focuses on one of the eight children of the late Viscount Bridgerton and his wife, Violet. The children are Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth. Anthony is the current Viscount Bridgerton. The Bridgerton family is part of British nobility and is known for being highly respected, very loving, and closely connected. They are admired by the upper class.
— Lady Whistledown's Society Papers, The Duke and I
Publishing history
- 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)
Reception
The book The Duke and I faced criticism for including a scene where Simon and Daphne had sexual contact without consent, which was considered marital rape. Critics noted that the story did not recognize the challenges faced by men who are victims of rape, especially since Simon experienced trauma after the event.
The book The Viscount Who Loved Me, a longtime favorite among fans, was ranked as the best book in the Bridgerton series. It was praised for its enemies-to-lovers story pattern, filled with lively conversation and romantic tension, and for showing how the main characters grew as individuals and as a pair.
On the Way to the Wedding won the Romance Writers of America RITA Award in 2007. In 2002, To Sir Phillip, With Love was listed as one of the top six mass-market original novels of the year by Publishers Weekly.
The novels received positive reviews when they were first published. Sales increased significantly when the Netflix series Bridgerton began airing its first season in December 2020 and again when its second season aired in March 2022. Several books in the series have appeared on The New York Times bestseller list, with The Duke and I and The Viscount Who Loved Me reaching the top spot for multiple weeks.
Spin-offs
The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After was published in 2013. It is sometimes listed as the ninth book in the Bridgerton series. The book includes second endings for each of the eight main Bridgerton novels, as well as a short story about Violet Bridgerton.
The Rokesby series, also known as The Bridgerton Prequels, focuses on the Rokesby family. These stories take place before the main Bridgerton series and include younger versions of some characters from the original books.
- Because of Miss Bridgerton (2016)
- The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband (2017)
- The Other Miss Bridgerton (2018)
- First Comes Scandal (2020)
The Further Observations of Lady Whistledown and Lady Whistledown Strikes Back are two books written by Julia Quinn and three other authors. These books include stories about Lady Whistledown, a character first introduced in the Bridgerton series.
Queen Charlotte is a book written by Julia Quinn and Shonda Rhimes. It is set in the same world as the Bridgerton series.
Adaptation
The book series was produced by Shondaland for Netflix as a television show called Bridgerton. The show first aired on Netflix in 2020. It follows the structure of the books, with each season telling the story of a different Bridgerton sibling and their search for marriage.