Series · historical romance
Bridgerton
The Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn has 13 books and is best read in publication order, starting with The Duke and I (2000).
- Books
- 13 books
- First published
- 2000
- Status
- completed
- Last checked
Start here: The Duke and I (2000) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
The Duke and I
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Duke and I - Book 2:
The Viscount Who Loved Me
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Viscount Who Loved Me - Book 3:
An Offer From a Gentleman
Alternative text for cover: Cover of An Offer From a Gentleman - Book 4:
Romancing Mister Bridgerton
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Romancing Mister Bridgerton - Book 5:
To Sir Phillip, With Love
Alternative text for cover: Cover of To Sir Phillip, With Love - Book 6:
When He Was Wicked
Alternative text for cover: Cover of When He Was Wicked - Book 7:
It's in His Kiss
Alternative text for cover: Cover of It's in His Kiss - Book 8:
On the Way to the Wedding
Alternative text for cover: Cover of On the Way to the Wedding - Book 9:
The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After - Book 10:
Because of Miss Bridgerton
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Because of Miss Bridgerton - Book 11:
The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband - Book 12:
The Other Miss Bridgerton
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Other Miss Bridgerton - Book 13:
First Comes Scandal
Alternative text for cover: Cover of First Comes Scandal
About the Bridgerton series
Two decades before Netflix made the name a global obsession, Julia Quinn's Bridgerton novels were already the gold standard of Regency romance. The series gives each of the eight alphabetically named Bridgerton siblings — Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth — their own love story, set amid the balls, promenades, and merciless gossip of London's ton, all narrated in part by the anonymous scandal sheet of Lady Whistledown. The Duke and I opens the sequence with Daphne's fake courtship with the marriage-averse Duke of Hastings; The Viscount Who Loved Me delivers the series' most beloved enemies-to-lovers duel between Anthony and Kate Sheffield; and the remaining books work through the family with Quinn's signature blend of wit, warmth, and genuinely funny dialogue — closer to a drawing-room comedy than a brooding bodice-ripper. The core eight novels ran from 2000 to 2006, later joined by The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After, a collection of second epilogues checking in on every couple. Quinn then wrote the Rokesby quartet (2016-2020), a prequel series set a generation earlier featuring the Bridgerton parents' era and the family next door. The Netflix adaptation remixes the books' order and plots, so readers coming from the show will find familiar couples in unfamiliar configurations — and a great deal more of Lady Whistledown's pen.
How to read this series
The eight core novels follow sibling order, one romance per book: start with The Duke and I and read through to On the Way to the Wedding. Each romance is self-contained, so show fans sometimes jump straight to a favorite couple (The Viscount Who Loved Me for Kate and Anthony, Romancing Mister Bridgerton for Penelope and Colin) — that works, though the family cameos and the Lady Whistledown thread land best in order. Save The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After for last; it's a book of epilogues and assumes you know every couple. The four Rokesby prequels (Because of Miss Bridgerton onward) stand fully apart — read them before or after the main series, in their own publication order, ideally after book one so the family names mean something.
Frequently asked questions
How many Bridgerton books are there?
Eight core novels (2000-2006), one for each Bridgerton sibling, plus the epilogue collection The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After. Counting the four Rokesby prequel novels, the extended Bridgerton universe runs to thirteen books.
What order should I read the Bridgerton books in?
Publication order matches sibling order: The Duke and I, The Viscount Who Loved Me, An Offer From a Gentleman, Romancing Mister Bridgerton, To Sir Phillip With Love, When He Was Wicked, It's in His Kiss, On the Way to the Wedding — then Happily Ever After.
Do the books match the Netflix series?
Loosely. Each season draws on one sibling's book (season 1 = The Duke and I, season 2 = The Viscount Who Loved Me, season 3 = Romancing Mister Bridgerton), but the show reorders events, expands side characters, and changes several plots.
What are the Rokesby books?
A four-book prequel series (2016-2020) set in the 1780s, a generation before the main novels, starring the neighboring Rokesby family and Billie Bridgerton. They're companions — enjoyable before or after the main eight.
Is Julia Quinn writing more Bridgerton books?
The main series and prequel quartet are complete, and no new Bridgerton novel has been announced. Quinn has collaborated on related projects, including Queen Charlotte (2023), a novelization written with Shonda Rhimes.
Reading order last verified .