The hit Netflix show eight Bridgerton siblings of various ages: Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, sca, Gregory, and Hyacinth. While the siblings are named based on their birth order and corresponding alphabetical letter, Quinn's books are written and released in the order that each sibling is married. The Bridgerton netflix series follows the same structure as Quinn's novels, with each season centering around a specific Bridgerton sibling.
Since Bridgerton season 1 was released in 2020, it has become one of the most popular shows on Netflix. While only two seasons have aired, Netflix has renewed the series through season 4, and the show also inspired a 2023 spinoff called Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. With the success of Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, producer Shonda Rhimes has teased more Bridgerton spinoffs. The popularity of the show has also put the spotlight on the differences between Bridgerton and Quinn's novels as well as the order the Bridgerton book series should be read.
How To Read The Julia Quinn Books In Order
- The Duke And I (2000)
- The Viscount Who Loved Me (2000)
- An Offer from a Gentleman (2001)
- Romancing Mister Bridgerton (2002)
- To Sir Phillip, With Love (2003)
- When He Was Wicked (2004)
- It's In His Kiss (2005)
- On the Way to the Wedding (2006)
- The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After (2013)
The Duke And I (2000)
The Duke and I follows Daphne, the fourth Bridgerton child, making her social season debut in 1813. Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings, put on a fake courtship so she can attract more suitors while he remains unavailable. The two fall in love, but their differences about what married life should entail causes complications. Bridgerton season 1 is based on The Duke and I, with Phoebe Dynevor starring as Daphne and Regé-Jean Page playing Simon. Dynevor and Page's chemistry launched the success of Bridgerton, and the season proved to be a solid starting point for the Netflix series the same way Quinn's novel was.
The Viscount Who Loved Me (2000)
Taking place in 1814, Quinn's novel The Viscount Who Loved Me tells the love story of Anthony, the eldest Bridgerton child, and Kate Sheffield. While Anthony sets out to have a loveless marriage by courting Kate's sister, he is forced to marry Kate after they are caught in a compromising way. The Viscount Who Loved Me is the basis of Bridgerton season 2, starring Jonathan Bailey as Anthony and Simone Ashley as Kate Sharma. While season 2 follows the timeline of the novels, there are key Bridgerton differences regarding Kate's character, and Anthony and Kate's love story is an enemies-to-lovers plot instead of a forced marriage.
An Offer from a Gentleman (2001)
An Offer from a Gentleman begins in 1815, when second-eldest Bridgerton child Benedict meets Sophie Beckett at a masquerade ball. Years later, Benedict is still pining over this mystery girl, but when he has another chance meeting with Sophie he does not recognize her. Luke Thompson plays Benedict on Bridgerton, while Sophie has not been officially cast yet. Even though An Offer from a Gentleman is the third Bridgerton novel, Netflix will not follow the order of Quinn's books in Bridgerton season 3, so Benedict's love story will have to wait until at least Bridgerton season 4.
Romancing Mister Bridgerton (2002)
Colin is the third Bridgerton child, and Romancing Mr. Bridgerton tells his love story with Penelope Featherington. While Quinn's novel shows a flashback in 1812 of Penelope developing a crush on Colin, most of the novel takes place in 1824 where Penelope is considered to be a "spinster" and Colin is a bachelor traveling the world. In classic friends-to-lovers fashion, the two companions unexpectedly fall for each other. Colin (Luke Newton) and Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) will be the stars of Bridgerton season 3, and Quinn s Bridgerton season 3 changing the book order and focusing on Colin and Penelope since they are already established characters.
To Sir Phillip, With Love (2003)
Fans wanting to read Julia Quinn's books in order will want to pick up To Sir Phillip, With Love after Romancing Mister Bridgerton. Once Penelope is with Colin, Eloise, the fifth-oldest Bridgerton child, no longer wants to be a "spinster," and Sir Phillip Crane, a widower, thinks Eloise will be desperate enough to marry him. Since Bridgerton premiered, Claudia Jessie has stolen the show for her portrayal as the independent Eloise. Narratively, it would make sense for Eloise's story to be part of Bridgerton season 4, as her love story is supposed to follow Penelope's, and Eloise and Phillip (Chris Fulton) are both established characters on the show.
When He Was Wicked (2004)
When He Was Wicked is about sca, the six-oldest Bridgerton child. After her husband dies, the estate is ed on to her husband's cousin, Michael. sca decides to remarry and start a family, but Michael has been in love with her for years. Though sca has been mostly absent from the Bridgerton series, Ruby Stokes played her in the first two seasons, and Hannah Dodd will play her in season 3. Michael has not yet been cast, as it's likely Fransceca's Bridgerton season will not take place until after Eloise and Benedict'.
It's In His Kiss (2005)
It's In His Kiss follows Hyacinth, the youngest Bridgerton child, and like Hyacinth's adventurous nature, It's In His Kiss is both a romance and mystery novel. When Gareth St. Clair needs help translating a family diary written in Italian to secure his inheritance, Hyacinth volunteers, and a romance between the two blooms. Because Bridgerton currently focuses on the older characters, fans who have not read Julia Quinn's books in order do not know much about Hyacinth besides the fact that Florence Hunt plays her. However, it can be assumed based on the characters' ages and the novel order that Hyacinth and Gareth will fall in love in Bridgerton season 7.
On the Way to the Wedding (2006)
Set in 1827, On the Way to the Wedding follows Gregory, the second-youngest of the family and the last of his siblings to get married. When he realizes he is in love with his friend Lady Lucy Abernathy, he must find a way to stop her from marrying someone else. So far in Bridgerton, Gregory (Will Tilston) has only been in a few scenes at the Bridgerton home with the rest of the family. Because of how dramatic Gregory's love story is and because he is canonically the last Bridgerton sibling to marry, his story will likely be saved for Bridgerton season 8, should the show continue that far.
The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After (2013)
The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After features eight epilogues and a novella. While the epilogues were previously published by Quinn online, the novella Violet in Bloom is new material and details Violet Bridgerton falling in love with her late husband and learning to find happiness after his death as a doting mother-in-law and grandmother. The Bridgerton season 1 and season 2 finales end similarly to Daphne and Anthony's book epilogues, so it seems Netflix is including the material from The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After in standard Bridgerton seasons while Violet appeared in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, making a case for why young Violet's story should be the next Bridgerton spinoff.