The long wait between seasons of amazing shows like Bridgerton can feel like a lifetime. When the modern-style period piece hit Netflix, it drew viewers in with its lavish balls, Regency Era decorum, romance, and the mysterious identity of the Gossip Girl-esque Lady Whistledown.
Fans twiddling their thumbs until the airing of the second season next January may be looking for some entertainment that provides that same level of historical decadence and intrigue. Luckily there is an entire literary world full of historical fiction that matches the fun and witty tone of the television series inspired by Julia Quinn's novels.
Reputation - Lex Croucher
This book is described as: "If Bridgerton and Fleabag had a book baby." This alone should be enough to spark interest in fans of Phoebe Waller Bridge's poignant and hilarious series. In addition, this book delves deep into high society, much like Bridgerton, when Georgiana Ellers meets the charismatic Frances Campbell at a party and is sucked into his wild world and the shocking reality of how the other half lives.
The novel covers relevant topics like feminism, consent -- a topic Bridgerton addresses when Daphne assaults Simon, the worst decision a Bridgerton character made in season one -- and social status through the lens of Regency society in a witty and enthralling way that will keep readers flipping pages until the early hours of the morning.
To Have And Hoax - Martha Waters
For any viewers who enjoy watching flirtatiously coy mind games and extravagant schemes play out, To Have And Hoax will be nonstop entertainment. An estranged husband and wife, Violet and James, get caught up in a game of "anything you can do, I can do better" when Violet receives a note that James has been in an accident and is injured. She finds him perfectly well and decides to even the score with a lie of her own to get his attention.
He, however, decides to play along, and the charade keeps growing to a comical size. And, of course, throughout all of the bickering, the two begin to rekindle the romance that brought them together, to begin with.
A Companion For The Count - Sally Britton
Fans swooned over Daphne and Simon's unsuspecting romance and A Companion For The Count ticks that same box. When Emma Arlen, a ward to the duke and honorary member of his family, is asked by Lady Josephine to distract an especially enthusiastic suitor for a few weeks, she naturally agrees but is soon hit with the unexpected chemistry that she and Luca, the Conte di Atella, seem to share.
At first, he's annoyed by her attempts to divert him from Lady Josephine, as he's on a mission to strengthen their nations' bond through marriage, but things slowly start to change from inconvenient to desirable.
A Fall From Grace - Jennie Goutet
Selena Lockhart is a bit of a pariah in the harsh world of 1800s society, which Bridgerton taught viewers is full of gossip and manipulation. Her father's gambling problem doomed both their family's reputation and her impending marriage. Then, she meets Lucius Clavering, the seemingly permanent bachelor who almost immediately thinks she's part of some kind of plot to get him to tie the knot.
When he finds out that she's not, his interest is piqued, and he's suddenly worried about how to impress her instead of getting rid of her.
Lady August - Becky Michaels
Just as Daphne went from being a normal teenage girl to a duchess and showstopping socialite after her debut at court, August Summer has an equally shocking change of fate. One day, she is suddenly visited by solicitor Samuel Brooks and told that she's the daughter of an earl and an heiress to a sizable fortune, to boot.
As she figures out her place in the world of dinners and decadent gowns, the previously uninterested Mr. Brooks finds himself more and more invested in her journey to aristocracy. When she must marry and vows to only marry for love, he realizes that a spot in high society isn't so bad if it's at Lady August's side.
The Wisteria Society Of Lady Scoundrels - India Holton
Like Bridgerton's edgy Victorian older sister, The Wisteria Society Of Lady Scoundrels takes the scheming and deception up a notch. A group of charming and well-to-do ladies travels around England thieving, blackmailing, and going to the occasional dinner party. Cecilia Bassingwaite is a member of said group, and although she has some skeletons in her closet, she's perfectly happy with her life.
That is until Ned Lightbourne is contracted to kill her in an attempt to wipe out the entire Wisteria Society. Unfortunately, Ned falls for Cecilia immediately, making her assassination difficult. The unexpected pair grow from killer and target to partners and work together to stop the attempt on the women's lives.
Do You Want To Start A Scandal - Tessa Dare
A juicy Bridgerton scandal surrounding a kiss in a garden has nothing on the rumor in this court: a man and a woman had a steamy dalliance in the library during the Parkhurst ball, and the word around town is that it was Charlotte Highwood and Piers Brandon, who are discovered in the library after she was actually trying to warn him about her mother trying to marry her off.
She'll be forced to marry him if they can't figure out who the real debauchers were. Charlotte detests Piers, and couldn't imagine a life with the cold and arrogant gentleman -- or could she?
Mr. Malcolm's List - Suzanne Allain
Bridgerton's Simon, a frustratingly moody bachelor with a detached nature, is much like Mr. Jeremy Malcolm. Mr. Malcolm has an impossible set of standards for his potential wife and the endless number of matchmakers and female suitors don't seem to measure up to the perfect woman he's imagined.
Selina Dalton isn't usually a presence in London society, but she was invited to tag along by her friend Julia Thistlewaite. She finds out, however, that Julia invited her to seduce Mr. Malcolm, then dump him for not meeting her own "list" of qualifications in some sort of revenge plan for rejecting her. When Jeremy finds out what they're doing, chaos ensues and the two discover that they may not have needed lists in the first place.
A Lady's Guide To Mischief And Mayhem - Manda Collins
This bright and lively book takes the mystery aspect of discovering Lady Whistledown's identity to a whole new Sherlock Holmes level. In the same way that Daphne is a feminist icon with a love story, romance, female empowerment, and murder are central themes that Manda Collins explores. Lady Katherine Bascomb becomes a controversial sensation when one of her news pieces leads to a murder arrest.
She escapes from the attention to the country where she witnesses another murder, and Detective Inspector Andrew Eversham is less than thrilled that she's meddling in yet another of his cases and threatening his job. But try as he might, her astute observations and intellect are helpful -- and attractive -- and the two have to work together if they want to catch a killer.
Infamous (Rebels Of The Ton) - Minerva Spencer
As Bridgerton shows, it's easy to fall in and out of societal favor at the drop of a hat. That's exactly what happened with Celia. She held court and was known as Lady Infamous, confidently accosting and ridiculing whoever she decided was her next target. Forced into humility, Celia has a quick fall from grace and has to make an embarrassing and reluctant return to the world she used to rule.
The girl she used to bully is married to the man she pined for, a powerful socialite is bent on ruining her life, and the lovesick boy she used to make fun of is wealthy, handsome, and practically famous. With some steamy scenes that Bridgerton fans will warmly welcome, the two begin to fall for each other -- unless Celia's dark secret comes between them.