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Quick Answer

How Many Bridgerton Books Are There?

Short Answer

9 books total by Julia Quinn: 8 main novels (one per Bridgerton sibling, in order of eldest to youngest) plus 1 prequel novel about their parents. The series is complete.

Complete Bridgerton Reading Order

Each book follows a different Bridgerton sibling finding their match. They can technically be read standalone, but reading in order gives you the richest experience as the family builds across all 8 novels:

#TitleSiblingYear
1The Duke and I START Netflix S1Daphne2000
2The Viscount Who Loved Me Netflix S2Anthony2000
3An Offer From a GentlemanBenedict2001
4Romancing Mister Bridgerton Netflix S3Colin2002
5To Sir Phillip, With LoveEloise2003
6When He Was WickedFrancesca2004
7It's in His KissHyacinth2005
8On the Way to the WeddingGregory2006
0Prequel: The Wit and Wisdom of BridgertonLady Whistledown2021
The fan favourite is Book 2The Viscount Who Loved Me (Anthony & Kate). It's also the source of Season 2 of the Netflix show. Many readers consider it Julia Quinn's best Bridgerton novel. If you've watched the show and loved Season 2, Book 2 is the place to go deeper.

Do the Books Need to Be Read in Order?

Each Bridgerton novel is self-contained — you can read them in any order and understand the story of that couple. However, reading in order is recommended because earlier siblings appear as characters in later books, and their marriages and families build through the series. You'll also appreciate the running thread of Lady Whistledown's gossip column more if you follow it from Book 1.

How Does the Netflix Show Compare to the Books?

The Netflix series is loosely based on the books but makes significant changes to characters, diversity, and plot. The show's Regency England is more racially diverse by design. Some character arcs are altered substantially — notably Eloise and Penelope's friendship, and the Bridgerton/Sharma family dynamics in Season 2. The books are more tightly romantic and less politically engaged than the show.

If you loved the show, the books offer more time inside the characters' heads and more explicit content. They're a faster read than most historical romance — Quinn's style is witty and efficient.

Is the Bridgerton Series Finished?

Yes. The 8 main sibling novels are complete. Julia Quinn published a collection of Lady Whistledown columns in 2021, and has written a prequel novella about the Bridgerton parents, but the main series is done.

Get Book 1: The Duke and I →