Kathy Hamilton Bridgerton has officially taken the world by storm! Based on the regency romance novels of Julia Quinn over 63 million of us have already streamed this delectable piece of escapism and counting. The only problem with it is that at eight episodes, it’s over too soon!
Since there’s nothing quite like Bridgerton on screen, the next best place to get your Regency Romance fix in book form. Luckily, there is a whole world of delicious books waiting for you. I’ve selected 10 of my favourites below to help you get started!
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The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
If you loved watching Bridgerton then the obvious next place step is with the novel that it’s based on. The Duke and I by Julia Quinn is the book that metaphorically started it all. It’s everything you loved about the series, and a little bit more. It introduces us to the large, loud and funny Bridgerton siblings as well as other characters we know and love like Penelope Featherington.
I have to give it to her Julia Quinn is really good at writing playful banter. Like, really good. Playful, funny, endearing dialogue is truly her forte. I’d even go so far as saying the dynamics between the Bridgerton family translate better on-page than on screen. Plus, can we talk about Daphne and Simon? The romance in this book is almost too hot to handle. The best bit? The Duke and I is part one of eight in a series- so that’s plenty to keep you going until series 2!
Frederica by Georgette Heyer
I couldn’t talk about the best books to read if you loved Bridgerton without sharing a Georgette Heyer recommendation! She’s affectionately known as the Mother of Regency Romance. And since she practically invented the genre, there might never have been a Bridgerton without her! Which is a perfect reason to grab one of her regency romances.
Venetia by Georgette Heyer is the perfect antidote to post Bridgerton blues because it is the oh so romantic story of a sheltered woman discovering what she wants from life. In all of her twenty-five years, Venetia has never left her home. Hidden away in the country and wearily pursued by two suitors (each worse than the other) she has all but given up hope of falling in love.
Then she meets the scandalous Jasper Damerel. This is the man who shocks her neighbours with his rakish behaviour. He’s also the man who begins to show Venetia that there is more to life than she ever thought possible.
Much Ado About You by Eloisa James
If one of your favourite things about Bridgerton was the camaraderie between its female characters then Much Ado About You by Eloisa James is perfect. The first book in the Essex Sisters quartet features plenty of playful banter and bickering between the young women. And even better, it’s not always about the love interest. I love novels that really show a convincing relationship between siblings, complete with all the conflict and frustrations too. This book really achieves that.
Plus, it also features an excellent friends to lovers plot. In Much Ado About You practical and responsible Tess finds herself making a bargain with a rogue by the name of Lucius Felton, they’ll feign a courtship in order to help her younger sisters find a suitable marriage. Of course, Tess soon finds out that this bargain is anything but convenient when she starts to develop feelings for the highly unsuitable Lucius.
Rebel: Women Who Dare by Beverly Jenkins
One of historical romance’s biggest problems is its lack of diversity. Whilst, thankfully, that’s starting to change the genre is still woefully white. Luckily, authors like Beverly Jenkins having been leading the change for a long time, offering sumptuous, romantic novels featuring characters of colour. And a back catalogue to lust after!
In Rebel: Women Who Dare we meet Valinda Lacy, a northern woman making a journey south in the aftermath of the US Civil War. Her aim is to help the newly emancipated community in New Orleans flourish by opening a school. But she soon discovers that freedom comes hand in hand with danger when thugs threaten to destroy everything she’s worked for.
Enter Captain Drake LeVeq. He’s an architect from an old New Orleans family and, oh yeah, he’s smoulderingly hot. Drake has a deeply personal interest in rebuilding the city. And. inspired by Valinda’s determination he can’t stop admiring-or wanting-her. But when her father demands she return home to marry a man she doesn’t love, her daring rebellion draws Drake into an irresistible intrigue.
The Lady’s Command by Stephanie Laurens
Stephanie Lauren’s is another heavy hitter in the world of Regency Romance. So, if you’re looking for the best books to read if you loved Bridgerton she’s a perfect option. Like Julia Quinn, she also loves a good family saga, at the time of this article she’s written over 30 novels in her Cynster family series!
I have chosen to recommend a different series, however. Her Adventurers Quartet adds a little spice to the ordinary regency romance by taking the action to the heart of West Africa which really sets it apart. Here a thrilling tale of espionage and deceit awaits. Don’t worry though, there’s plenty of romance along the way too!
In The Lady’s Command, the central question is “How does marriage work? If convention is set aside and is no longer there to guide?” It is the question that beautiful Edwina poses her new husband Captain Declan Frobisher soon after they marry. He is shocked at the passions and dreams that lie beneath the surface of his perfect society wife and she is determined to forge a marriage that meets her needs as well as his.
My Beautiful Enemy by Sherry Thomas
Strictly speaking, My Beautiful Enemy by Sherry Thomas is not a Regency Romance but for fans of Bridgerton, it is too good a book to ignore. Set in England and China during the 1880s, it is the story of Catherine Blade, the illegitimate daughter of a Chinese courtesan and English adventurer, and Leighton Atwood, British Spy and the man she once loved.
When Catherine arrives back in London the last person she expects to see is Leighton, after all, he’s supposed to be dead. This is no lovers reunion though, as they are soon plunged into a web of espionage and danger. Forced to work together, the pair refuse to give in to the chemistry that still sparks between them. But if they are ever to find a way out of the web around them, they must learn to forgive and even love each other again.
The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare
Girl meets Duke, Duke needs a wife. When it comes to best books to read if you loved Bridgerton it doesn’t get much closer than The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare. In fact, out of every book on this list it’s The Duchess Deal that most similarly mirrors Daphne and Simon’s love story.
When the Duke of Ashbury realises that he needs and heir, and fast. He is scarred from the war in more ways than one and simply want’s a suitable woman to marry quickly. So, when Emma Gladstone, a vicar’s daughter turned seamstress visits, literally wearing a wedding dress, he decides on the spot that she’ll do.
The pair strike up a deal, they’ll be husband and wife by night only. They won’t kiss, they only have to meet at meal times and once she’s produced an heir they’ll never have to go near each other again. If only Emma could resist falling in love with him, everything would be perfect. But these two soon discover that in order to have a perfect love, sometimes you need to ignore the rule book.
Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor
I’m here to tell you that Forever Amber is a game-changer. Set in the tumultuous years after the Restoration of the Monarchy in the reign of King Charles II, Forever Amber follows the life of Amber St-Clare, a beautiful, impetuous and determined woman as she fights for what she wants in life. Sometimes Courtesan, Sometimes Duchess, she is always true to herself.
Kathleen Winsor’s only novel is a masterpiece of the genre and one that I couldn’t put down. It’s the story of one woman’s fight to live, and love in her own terms and how threatening that can be to a society that doesn’t want to accept her. Throughout the book, Amber does many things in order to survive but she always stays true to her sense of self.
Do yourself a favour…take a trip back to 17th century England and get to know Amber.
Duels and Deception by Cindy Anstey
For my next recommendation in this list of books to read if you loved Bridgerton I’m taking you to the realm of YA (Young Adult) Fiction. That being said, I think this book is perfect for any adult who likes their romance a little less raunchy than, say, episode 6 of Bridgerton. If you know what I mean?!
Unlike many of the books featured in this list, Duels and Deception is a stand-alone novel. It centres around Miss Lydia Whitfield. As the sole heiress to the family fortune, she is used to getting her own way and has her future entirely planned out. If only real life would run as smoothly.
First, there is the fact that Robert Newton, the man she has hired to draw up her marriage contract, is so distractingly handsome. Secondly, there’s the small problem of someone trying to kidnap her and destroy her reputation. Could it be that fate is trying to show Lydia that her carefully planned future may actually be the opposite of what she really wants? A funny, sweet read.
Mills and Boon: Historical
Honestly, I’d be doing you a disservice if I didn’t mention Mills & Boon Historical in this list of books to read if you loved Bridgerton. Mills & Boon, or Harlequin as it’s known in The States, has Regency Romance down to fine art. They really are the perfect place to look if you’re in the mood for a swoon-worthy historical romance.
As a bonus, they publish around six new titles in their historical range each month. Meaning that there’s nearly always a perfect book to snuggle up with. Of course, with so many books to choose from it can be a minefield to know where to start. My recommendation is to look for books by Lara Temple, Virginia Heath and Louisa Allen. Although really, you can’t go wrong. Everyone writing in this range really knows their stuff.
