Bridgerton is a show we can’t get enough of. We have waited for Season 3 for a while now, and in between, found books that give us the same feels and take us into a different era of courtship, defying societal norms and scandal. Below, we listed five books you’ll love if you love Bridgerton. Let us know your favorite in the comments!
Mr. Malcolm’s List by Suzanne Allain ($10.14, shop here)
Like Bridgerton, Mr. Malcolm’s List takes place during the Regency period. As with the show, the book keeps you hooked with its witty dialogue and romance, from attraction to courtship to finding happily ever after. Jeremy Malcolm is seeking the perfect woman, and Selena Dalton, new in town, helps her friend seek revenge against him. Her friend describes him as arrogant based on “the list” of things he seeks in a partner.
Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore ($11.29, shop here)
Bringing Down the Duke takes place in the Victorian Era. It is less comedic than Bridgerton, integrating romance into a strong political and social context. However, they are similar in that both dive into forbidden love, defying societal norms, are witty, and depict a beautiful portrait with historical detail. The book’s setting is 1879, England, where a suffragette, Anabelle, our protagonist, infiltrates Duke Montgomery’s castle.
Mad and Bad by Bea Koch ($11.90, shop here)
Set in the Regency Era, Mad and Bad is not a romance novel, as in Bridgerton, the novel highlights real-life women who navigated their own desires and relationships within the Regency context. The book explores the rigid expectations of the era. It shares historical accounts of the time and examines marginalized voices often missing from mainstream Regency depictions, such as women of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those working outside societal norms.
To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters ($12.69, shop here)
In To Have and to Hoax, we find ourselves immersed in the opulent world of Regency society of lavish balls and the presence of pressure to find a suitable match, much like in Bridgerton. Our favorite part of this novel is the romantic entanglements of Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley, from tricks and lies to lessons learned and rediscovering love. The book is full of scandal and is truly funny and witty.
A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby by Vanessa Riley ($8.99, shop here)
Bridgerton meets Jane Eyre is how we can best describe A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby. The whirlwind tale finds our protagonist, West Indian heiress Patience Jordan, wrongly imprisoned and soon in search of her son, who she’s lost just after her husband’s suicide. She finds an unlikely ally in Duke Busick, who takes us through a journey of loss, deception, and forbidden passion. As with the other novels, this book also helps us explore the societal expectations towards women in the Regency Era and the limitations of their freedoms and choices.