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Dearest reader,
It’s time to return to the glittering world of debutantes and dukes with Season 3 of “Bridgerton,” returning to Netflix on May 13. This season’s adaptation will be of Julia Quinn’s fourth novel, “Romancing Mister Bridgerton,” from her now-famed book series, and focuses on the romance between Colin Bridgerton, played by Luke Newton, and Penelope Featherington, played by Nicola Coughlan.
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The pair have been playing a coy game of friends-to-possible lovers for the past two seasons, all the while Penelope has been building her writing empire as none other than the town gossip with the razor-sharp pen, Lady Whistledown.
The Netflix series, which was brought to life by Shonda Rhimes in 2020, became a massive success, and caused a flurry of interest in the show’s cast and the guilty-pleasure romance books that inspired the show. We spoke with Quinn last May about Hollywood’s newfound efforts to take romance novels and their significant fan base more seriously — a base that has helped sell $1.44 billion in sales per year.
For any “Bridgerton” lovers looking to add the next great historical romance to their reading list, below are eight titles that we believe will scratch that itch.
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“Bringing Down the Duke” by Evie Dunmore
This first book in Evie Dunmore’s popular historical romance series follows a group of young Oxford students who are among the first women to attend the prestigious university in the late 1870s. One of them is Annabelle Archer, a brilliant woman attending Oxford on scholarship since her father’s role as a vicar doesn’t pay very well. One aspect of her scholarship is to recruit not only more women to their cause, but also men of high-standing and influence, like Sebastian Devereux, the Duke of Montgomery. But Sebastian isn’t an easy man to speak with. He's distant and not an ardent supporter of the suffragist movement. In spite of this, he understands how restricting it is to move in their society and knows that he has a role to play too. Sebastian needs a wife to secure his legacy, and the sharp-minded, outspoken Annabelle (politics included) may become more than just a distraction for the Duke.
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"The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen" by KJ Charles
Regency-era waistcoats, marsh-dwelling smugglers and a tale that rivals the most epic of love affairs, KJ Charles’ “The Secret Lives of Country Gentleman” has been called “Bridgerton meets Poldark” by the publisher of this 19th century historical gay romance series. Set in the darkly romantic Kentish moors, a new baronet, Sir Garth Inglis, and a smuggler named “Kent” fall in love. Sir Inglis wasn’t expecting to inherit a title, let alone the charge of a teenage half sister and an estate located far from London that his estranged father left him. He also wasn’t expecting that his ex “Kent,” whose actual name is Joss Doomsday, would be his new neighbor and the boss of a smuggling operation. But, despite the ridiculous circumstances, and equally outlandish family members present in both the gentleman’s lives, the pair reunite to save Gareth’s new fortune and rekindle one of the sweetest love stories on this list.
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“Mortal Follies” by Alexis Hall
Alexis Hall, the author best known for his contemporary romance series, “London Calling,” ventures more into the fantastical realm with his historical romance, “Mortal Follies.” The story is narrated by Robin Goodfellow, a Puck-like imp reminiscent of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer’s Night Dream.” The first book in the series follows Miss Maelys Mitchelmore, a noblewoman in need of a witch. Miss Maelys has been cursed, and when there are balls to attend and no marriage proposals to attain, she fears the curse will only make matters worse. She lives in a world where fairies, sorcerers and even a few deities mingle with humans — it's a high society with magical high stakes. As the possibility of death looms near, Maelys is forced to seek out the assistance of mysterious Lady Georgianna Landrake, who may or may not have murdered her father and brothers for a title and inheritance. Georgianna is nicknamed “the Duke of Annadale” and though she’s the last person a well-respected lady should be cavorting with, Maelys is desperate. Together, the ladies navigate a delightfully written world of magical beings and strict societal expectations all to break a curse, while also maybe falling in love.
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“To Have and to Hoax” by Martha Waters
The “Regency Vows” series by Martha Waters has received high praise from Julia Quinn and fans of romance alike, and is now complete with five books total. The first book in the series, “To Have and to Hoax,” begins with the estranged couple Lord James Audley and Lady Violet Grey. Once madly in love, the pair married only to be living separately five years later with deep dislike for one another. But when Violet receives a letter that James was in a riding accident, she rushes back to their country home. Instead of finding an incapacitated James, she finds her husband drinking in a tavern, shocked to see his distant wife. This unexpected meeting ignites a game of preformative manipulation between the two as the former couple seem to do everything in their power to stay apart when all they truly want is the opposite.
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"Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake" by Sarah MacLean
The rebellious Calpurnia Hartwell is a lady unwilling to continue following the social rules and constraints of her high society life. She’s 28, and by societal standards, a spinster with an impeccable reputation — a combination that has only led to a terribly boring life. Now, she’s ready to indulge but will need a partner in crime while navigating her new life of gambling, smoking and skirting scandals. So, she enlists the help of the charming Gabriel St. John, Marquess of Ralston. But this new and free existence for Callie will come at the expense of her family, reputation and maybe even her heart. Readers will very likely fall in love with Callie's biting wit and Gabriel’s surprisingly altruistic reasoning behind helping her break all of society’s rules. The pair team up without intending to fall for one another but, since this is a romance novel after all, you can expect a happily ever after.
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"Aphrodite and the Duke" by J.J. McAvoy
The first book in this regency romance series follows protagonist Aphrodite DuBell, who, like the goddess who is her namesake, is stunning to behold. But Aphrodite could care less about her beauty, especially since it hasn’t stopped her from experiencing a boatload of heartache. When her mother enlists her to help her younger sister debut in London, she begrudgingly heads back to the city and the site of her last devastating betrayal. Aphrodite aims to outright ignore the man who broke her heart, Evander Eagleman, the Duke of Everely, but her heart isn’t fickle, and she still finds herself swooning anytime he’s near.
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“A Viscount for the Egyptian Princess” by Heba Helmy
Heba Helmy’s steamy novel interweaves Arabic and Egyptian culture into a lush and sweet romance that begins with a chance encounter at the Louvre in Paris. Viscount Louis Wesley is struck by more than just the beautiful art displayed within the world-famous museum, he’s also completely entranced by a woman he meets there. Thinking he’ll never see her again, he’s shocked when he arrives in Cairo to attend a royal wedding where the mysterious woman from Paris is actually the expectant bride, Princess Mervat. Louis discovers the bride-to-be and her fiancé (a close friend of his) are marrying out of family obligations and not because either of them want to. Thus, the Viscount decides he’ll help the pair escape their nuptials— for reasons not entirely selfish.
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"We Could Be So Good" by Cat Sebastian
Cat Sebastian's “We Could be So Good,” which earned praise from Julia Quinn herself, is set in the 1950s and follows the self-made reporter, Nick Russo. Nick was raised in a tough part of Brooklyn, New York, and now keeps mostly to himself, not only to protect his heart but also his job. Nick is gay during a time when openly admitting his sexuality could come at a very high price. He tries to keep things strictly professional in the newsroom, but when he befriends the fumbling and disorganized Andy Fleming, their mutual attraction is going to complicate both their lives. Andy is the son of a newspaper tycoon and despite his general lack of knowledge on how to run a paper, he’s determined to prove his worth, and thankfully Nick is around to help him navigate the office supply list.