How To Read The Bridgerton Books In Order

Thanks to Netflix and Shonda Rhimes, "Bridgerton" has become a household name. The show, based on Julia Quinn's book series of the same name, has become enormously popular on the streaming service, even inspiring spin-offs. It's also in no danger of going anywhere any time soon.

"Bridgerton" will run at least eight seasons, if Rhimes has her way. But in the wait between seasons, superfans may want to dive deeper into this universe. Fortunately, it's a rich universe with much to explore — not just because there are other shows like "Queen Charlotte" to enjoy, but because Quinn has been writing the books that the show is based on for more than 25 years.

The first book in the series, "The Duke and I," was published way back at the dawn of the new millennium in 2000. Since then, the main series has expanded to include eight books, with lots of supplemental material and spin-offs. So there is quite a bit of reading to be done, should fans be motivated to do so.

That said, diving into such a large universe can be daunting. Where to begin? Though it's a little more complicated than figuring out the correct order to watch the "Bridgerton" shows on Netflix, it's not that hard. We're here to walk you through the proper reading order for the books, both in release order and the suggested reading order. Let's dive in, shall we?

First, we'll go over the reading order for the "Bridgerton" books in terms of when they were released, beginning with "The Duke and I." This order allows fans to understand the "Bridgerton" family tree as it unfolded in real time. Here's how it shakes out:

• "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)

• "The Further Observations of Lady Whistledown" (2003)

• "When He Was Wicked" (2004)

• "Lady Whistledown Strikes Back" (2004)

• "It's In His Kiss" (2005)

• "On the Way to the Wedding" (2006)

• "The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After" (2013)

• "Because of Miss Bridgerton" (2016)

• "The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband" (2017)

• "The Other Miss Bridgerton" (2018)

• "First Comes Scandal" (2020)

• "The Wit and Wisdom of Bridgerton: Lady Whistledown's Official Guide" (2021)

• "Queen Charlotte" (2023)

Fans should have no issues should they choose to read the books in the order they were published. Julia Quinn wrote them in a certain order as the universe continued to evolve, so this would be the most direct approach to engage with this universe. 

For those who simply want to read the core eight "Bridgerton" novels, they would just skip "The Further Observations of Lady Whistledown" and "Lady Whistledown Strikes Back," which are anthologies set in the universe. That would take them up to "On the Way to the Wedding." Anyone who wishes to dive into what came after, "The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After" is sort of an epilogue. After that, "Because of Miss Bridgerton" begins a prequel series.

For those who want to read the "Bridgerton" books in chronological order according to the narrative, Julia Quinn has made that rather easy as well. The author included a suggested reading order on her website. However, it should be noted that the prequels weren't included in her order, so those are suggested up top here. Books like "The Wit and Wisdom of Bridgerton: Lady Whistledown's Official Guide" in 2021 and "Queen Charlotte" come later in the order as they were published long after the main series concluded. Here's that recommended order:

• "Because of Miss Bridgerton" (2016)

• "The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband" (2017)

• "The Other Miss Bridgerton" (2018)

• "First Comes Scandal" (2020)

• "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)

• "Queen Charlotte" (2023)

• "The Further Observations of Lady Whistledown" (2003)

• "Lady Whistledown Strikes Back" (2004)

• "The Wit and Wisdom of Bridgerton: Lady Whistledown's Official Guide" (2021)

Fortunately, it's not nearly as complicated as trying to figure out something like the proper reading order for "Star Wars: The High Republic," which has an entire galaxy of stories to consider and a much longer timeline. The "Bridgerton" series is pretty straightforward, despite its depth.