Dearest Reader, I am sad to say that you have run out of episodes of Bridgerton to watch on Netflix. However, fear not, for I have the perfect recommendation for you!
For those of you who haven’t yet watched Bridgerton (I highly recommend that you do so now), it tells the story of Daphne Bridgerton and the Duke of Hastings, Simon Basset. They pretend to court one another for their own gains. This, of course, goes terribly wrong when various problems occur, including them genuinely falling in love with each other. The romance is set in the Regency Era in England with stunning sets and costumes and an even more stunning cast.
Is it any wonder that this show has provided the perfect escape for audiences during the pandemic? Bridgerton has become Netflix’s most streamed series to date, having 82 million viewers in its first month. Whilst the series has been renewed for a second season, we do not yet know how long it will be before it graces our screens again.
The perfect way to bridge the gap between seasons is to dive into the fictional world of Bridgerton with the novels written by Julia Quinn. There are plenty of stories to keep you going with eight novels, each featuring a different Bridgerton sibling trying to find love. Here are just five reasons why you should check out these books!
Getting to know the Bridgertons
The novels are a great way to get to know the Bridgerton siblings in more depth. Each novel focuses on the storyline of an individual sibling, although the others often appear as background characters. There is nothing like an entire novel devoted to a character to get you to fall in love with them. It is especially helpful to get to know the younger siblings who do not get much screen time in the Netflix series. You are sure to be extra fond of the siblings after reading the novels. Perhaps next series I will even be able to tell the difference between Anthony and Benedict (those two were cast amazingly well as siblings).
2. Readability
Another reason to immerse yourself into the literary world of Bridgerton is because of Julia Quinn’s lovely writing style. Unlike your more traditional Regency Era romances, her writing style is modern and easy to read. The short chapters beg you to read just one more before you put the book down, making them very easy to binge-read. The novels include the witty dialogue we all know and love from the Netflix series and of course the spicy scenes are still there. If that isn’t enough to convince you, just check out the clip below of the Bridgerton cast reading an extract from the first book, The Duke and I.
3. Happy Endings
As you may expect from the Netflix series, each book has a happy ending. Each Bridgerton sibling must go through hurdles and misunderstandings in their relationships, but they always find their happily ever after. Isn’t this exactly the kind of story we need right now in the middle of a pandemic?
4. Beyond Happily Ever After
However, unlike many romance stories, the story does not cut off with the words “and they lived happily ever after.” Each story features an epilogue that shows us a glimpse into the Bridgertons’ future lives and, of course, they often appear as background characters in future novels as they age and their families expand. If that doesn’t satisfy your knowledge for their future lives, there are even second epilogues! After readers kept asking for more, Julia Quinn wrote a separate book entitled The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After, which gave a glimpse into each of the siblings’ futures. However, more recently published versions of the original eight novels now include these second epilogues so you don’t even need to buy a separate book!
5. Spoilers
Of course, the biggest reason you probably want to read the novels is that, like me, you are too impatient to wait for season 2 and beyond to find out what happens to our beloved characters! Will Anthony stop being so jaded about love? Will Eloise find a life with the independence she craves? Do Penelope and Colin end up together? Will anyone figure out that Penelope is Lady Whistledown? You can find all of this out by reading the books!
Bonus: by reading the books you may also pick up on some of the Easter eggs that they throw into the Netflix series. You’ll get to find out why bees keep appearing and what the significance is of Anthony mentioning his “lucky mallet” in the final episode.
It is unsurprising that since the Netflix series has debuted, the books have also soared in popularity. Books one, three and four (The Duke and I, The Viscount Who Loved Me and Romancing Mr. Bridgerton) reached the New York Times bestseller list with The Duke and I, reaching number one and remaining there for three weeks running!
Make sure you don’t miss out and get reading this amazing series of novels!
