How many ‘Bridgerton’ books are there and in what order should you read them?

Chronicling the romantic adventures of eight siblings in high-society London in the early 19th century, Julia Quinn’s bestselling Bridgerton novels make up an eight-book series. So far, three have been adapted for the hit Netflix show of the same name - but the TV series does not follow the order of the books.

Set in the period between 1813 and 1827, the Bridgerton novels devote one book each to the children of the late Viscount Bridgerton and his widow, Violet: Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory and Hyacinth. Quinn, whose opening Bridgerton book was published in 2000, has revealed that she did not originally plan to dedicate a novel to every sibling. “At first it was just going to be a trilogy!” she says on her website. “But readers really took to the Bridgertons (and to the mysterious Lady Whistledown, whose gossip columns ‘narrated’ the first four books), and I found myself rather enamored with the family, too.”

What order are the Bridgerton books in?

Each book in Quinn’s series is explicitly numbered from one to eight, with its storyline written to follow that of the previous instalment in chronological order. As the author also spells out by including a specific ‘reading order’ explainer on her website, the sequence that the Bridgerton novels follow is:

What order does the Netflix series follow?

Bridgerton’s Netflix series, whose third season premiered on the streaming service in May, initially kept to the order of the books. Released in 2020, season one was based on The Duke and I, and focuses on the relationship that develops between eldest daughter Daphne (played by Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page). Brought out in 2022, season two then took The Viscount Who Loved Me as its inspiration, following the love affair between Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley).

However, Bridgerton season three has skipped book three - whose storyline is centred around Benedict - and headed straight for the fourth novel in Quinn’s series, Romancing Mister Bridgerton. This deals with the blossoming romance between Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Eloise’s friend Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan).

Why is the order of the Bridgerton TV series different?

In an interview with Variety magazine in 2022, Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell explained that she felt season three was “Colin and Penelope’s time”.

“Because we’ve been watching both of these actors on our screens since Season 1, we’ve already invested in them a little bit,” Brownell said. “We know who they are as people. I feel like, especially in the last season, there are these moments of tension between them where it’s like, Colin walks up to the line of almost realizing that Penelope has feelings for him but doesn’t quite get there. Instead of treading water on that dynamic, we wanted to push it into their season. It really felt like the perfect moment to tee it up.”

Are there any other books in the Bridgerton series?

Yes. Aside from the eight main books, Quinn has put out a number of companions and spin-offs. In The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After, readers will find a collection of short stories that check back in with the main characters, for a look at what happens to them after the conclusion of the novel series. “I received hundreds of questions from readers about the Bridgertons and what happened to them later in their lives,” Quinn says. “So I decided to give all of the main characters an update in what I call ‘2nd Epilogues.’”

What’s more, Quinn has also written four prequel novels that focus on another family in the Bridgerton world, the Rokesbys: Because of Miss Bridgerton (2016); The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband (2017); The Other Miss Bridgerton (2018); and First Comes Scandal (2020). In 2023, meanwhile, Quinn teamed up with Shonda Rhimes, the producer of the Bridgerton TV show, to write a prequel novel about Queen Charlotte - a character who appears in the books and the series, and is based on the real-life figure Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who was British queen consort from 1761 to 1818. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is also a spin-off Netflix show starring India Amarteifio and Golda Rosheuvel.

Bridgerton season three: release dates

Bridgerton’s third season is being released on Netflix in two, four-episode instalments. Part 1 premiered on Thursday 16 May, while part 2 is due to drop on the platform at 3am ET on Thursday 13 June.

Bridgerton season three - watch the trailer:

Netflix: how much does it cost with and without ads?

You can sign up to Netflix’s ad-free standard plan for $15.49 a month, and to its ad-free premium plan for $22.99 a month. A standard plan with ads is also available, for $6.99 a month.