With the booming success of Netflix’s hit series, Bridgerton, there is little wonder as to why everyone is rushing to shelves to pick up the novel that the show was based on. Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series has everything you could want: romance, regency, and a powerful female lead, all wrapped up into one well-written masterpiece.
There are sixteen books like Bridgerton on our list, including A Duke, The Lady, And A Baby; To Have And To Hoax; Bringing Down The Duke; and Ten Things I Hate About The Duke, among others. They are all categorized under the same genres of historical fiction and romance.
So, if you were as taken with the Bridgeton Netflix series and Julia Quinn’s series of novels as we were, we’re here to help. We have put together a list of sixteen books similar to Bridgerton that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
1. A Duke, The Lady, And A Baby
- Author: Vanessa Riley
- Genre: Romance, Historical Fiction, Mystery
- Series: Volume #1 of Rogues and Remarkable Women
- Published: 2020
- Awards: Starred Review – 2020 Publisher’s Weekly
After the death of her English husband, West Indian heiress Patience Jordan lost everything. Her infant son, Lionel, her fortune, and – worst of all – her freedom. All of Patience’s questioning around the mysterious death – labeled a suicide – has landed her falsely imprisoned and without the love of her life: her son.
Risking her life to be close to her child, Patience is hired to be the young boy’s wet nurse under a false identity. Thrilled to be close to him again, she begins to learn more about his guardian, Busick.
The Duke of Repington, an ex-rake, and a wounded military man, Busick Strathmore, has charms that Patience finds irresistible.
But now that passions are growing between the heiress and the Duke, Patience will have to learn to juggle her need to be close to her son and her undeniable feelings for his new guardian.
2. To Have And To Hoax
- Author: Martha Waters
- Genre: Romance, Historical, Regency, Fiction
- Series: Volume #1 of The Regency Vows
- Published: 2020
- Awards: Starred Review – 2020 Booklist
Starred Review – 2020 Publisher’s Weekly
Five years ago, Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley’s whirlwind romance led them down the aisle. But, less than two years after their marriage, their fiery tempers caused them to come head-to-head in a massive fight.
Since their row, the halls of their home have fallen silent. Barely talking to each other, their marriage seems rockier than ever.
So when Violet receives word that her husband has been gravely injured, her love for him forces her to rush to his side and care for him. But when Violet discovers that James is nothing short of the picture of health, she begins to hatch a plan.
A plan to feign illness and make her husband dote on her, the way that she was ready to dote on him. The Lord quickly cordons on to her scheme, but he keeps up the façade just the same.
Violet’s plan may be the one thing that can save her marriage, but at what cost? Her schemes may just make or break their relationship for good.
3. Bringing Down The Duke
- Author: Evie Dunmore
- Genre: Romance, Historical Fiction, Adult Fiction
- Series: Volume #1 of A League Of Extraordinary Women
- Published: 2019
- Awards: Starred Review – 2019 LibraryReads
Best Books: Romance – 2019 Library Journal
Best Books: Romance – 2019 Publisher’s Weekly
Starred Review – 2019 Kirkus Reviews
Starred Review – 2019 Library Journal
Starred Review – 2019 Publisher’s Weekly
It’s 1879, and the daughter of a country vicar, Annabelle Archer, has been given the chance of a lifetime – as part of the first group of women enrolled at the University of Oxford.
But Anna’s scholarship doesn’t come for free. To keep her place as part of the female students, she will have to recruit influential men to support the all-important women’s suffrage movement.
And Annabelle knows exactly who her first target will be. She has her eye on one of the most influential men in Britain: the Duke of Montgomery, Sebastian Devereux.
Little does she know that the man she has her eye on isn’t that easy to persuade and stands for everything Annabelle opposes.
Despite Sebastian’s outrage at discovering a suffragist squad infiltrating his castle, he’s more concerned about his impossible feelings for the gorgeous green-eyed beauty Annabelle.
To secure the legacy he has worked so hard to create, the Duke will have to seek a wife of equal standing, not an outspoken commoner who has no chance of becoming his wife. Even if his attraction for her is making him second-guess everything he thought he knew.
And Anna can’t help feeling the same. But she will have to put her undeniable attraction for the Duke aside in order to find a way to bring down the man that she can’t stop thinking about…
4. Ten Things I Hate About The Duke
- Author: Loretta Chase
- Genre: Regency Romance, Historical Fiction, Romance
- Series: Volume #2 of Difficult Dukes
- Published: 2020
- Awards: Selected as a finalist for the RWA’s 2021 Vivian Award
Think Taming of the Shrew – but with a twist. This fun novel brings a breath of fresh air to Shakespeare’s classic and will be hard to put down.
Young and outspoken, Cassandra Pomfret is used to causing chaos within her town because of her outlandish opinions.
Tired of her antics, her father lives in the hope that a man might tame his unruly daughter. But when the Duke of Ashmont – whose wild nature outmatches even Cassandra – causes unsurmountable trouble for the Pomfret family, Cassandra’s family name and fortune are put at risk.
Knowing what he must do to rectify the situation, the Duke marries Cassandra. But she may turn out to be too much of a free spirit for even an adventurous man like him to tame.
5. A Lady’s Guide To Mischief And Mayhem
- Author: Manda Collins
- Genre: Romance, Mystery, Historical Fiction
- Series: Volume #1 of A Lady’s Guide
- Published: 2020
- Awards: Starred Review – 2020 Booklist
The streets of London aren’t safe for young women anymore. It’s 1865, and newspaper columnist, Lady Katherine Bascomb, feels she must warn young ladies of the dangerous criminals that have taken to roaming the streets in search of a female victim.
But when her determination leads to the arrest of a blood-thirsty killer, she flees to the countryside to escape her newfound and unexpected fame.
Meanwhile, ambitious Detective Ander Eversham’s job is at stake. And he blames the headstrong columnist for the growing pressure from his superiors to solve his cases as quickly as possible – even if it means skipping a few steps and ignoring evidence.
When Katherine becomes the key witness in one of his newest cases, the two must work together and ignore their growing feelings for one another to catch yet another killer that is threatening their home.
6. Nine Rules To Break When Romancing A Rake
- Author: Sarah MacLean
- Genre: Regency Romance, Historical Fiction, Romance
- Series: Volume #1 of Love By Numbers
- Published: 2010
- Awards: Regency Romance finalist – 2011 Rita Award
Top 100 Romances – 2013 All About Romance Reader Award
Top 100 Romances – 2018 All About Romance Reader Award
Lady Calpurnia Hartwell is tired of being told what a lady ought to do – or ought not to do, for that matter. She has always followed the rules, but where has that gotten her?
Unmarried and bored with her current life, she has decided that maybe breaking the rules is exactly what she needs to do.
But when she meets the devilishly handsome and wild Gabriel St. John, the Marquess of Ralston, she may have to break the most important rule of all – don’t fall in love with a man whose reputation makes him an unsuitable match.
Although, how can you ignore what your heart is telling you? Even if it means taking on a man who is just as wicked as he is charming.
7. My Darling Duke
- Author: Stacy Reid
- Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Regency Romance
- Series: Volume #1 of Sinful Wallflowers
- Published: 2019
Ten years ago, Alexander Masters was left scarred and imprisoned in his wheelchair. The tragic accident took away his life and his one true love.
Shunned by society and labeled a beast because of his disfigurements, his heart has only grown hard and cruel over the decade he has spent alone.
Masters’ cynicism of the world only grows when he learns that he is engaged to quiet and shy Miss Katherine Danvers.
Katherine, now engaged to the monster Alexander Masters, has to find a way to see this unfortunate marriage arrangement through. She will have to learn to love the hideous and wicked man that everyone is afraid of in order to save her family’s fortune and the good standing of the Danvers name.
8. The Heiress Gets A Duke
- Author: Harper St. George
- Genre: Romance, Historical Fiction, Victorian
- Series: Volume #1 of The Gilded Age Heiresses
- Published: 2021
American heiress August Crenshaw has bigger dreams and ambitions than the rest of her peers. While they waste their time dreaming of husbands and titles, August dreams of taking control of the family business: Crenshaw Iron Works.
Her aspirations leave her branded by society as an unsuitable match, and her family knows that she is deemed unfit for marriage by any possible suitors. Instead, they offer her sister up to the highest bidder.
But August can’t let her sister be trapped in a loveless marriage with the seemingly pompous Duke of Rothschild. She doesn’t have to worry for long, though, because the Duke doesn’t want her younger sister. He wants August. And he’s used to getting his way.
Determined to put an end to the Duke’s pursuit of her hand, August must pull out all the stops. There is just one problem: her antics only make the Duke want her more.
9. Everything Forbidden
- Author: Jess Michaels
- Genre: Historical Romance, Erotic Romance, Historical Fiction
- Series: Volume #1 of Albright Sisters
- Published: 2007
For the last few years, Miranda Albright has kept a close eye on her neighbor, Ethan Hamon, the Earl of Rothschild – and the parade of women that come in and out of his home on a near-daily basis.
Notorious for his womanizing ways, the Earl seems mysterious and wicked, and as much as Miranda tries to deny it, exciting in ways, she never knew possible.
When Miranda’s father dies suddenly, she is left to support her younger sisters socially and financially. Desperate and in debt, Miranda has no choice but to turn to her wealthy neighbor for help.
He agrees. But not without wanting something for himself, too: Three months of being at his mercy. Three months of passion and pleasure.
Although Miranda knows she should say no, how can she when her family name and sisters’ futures are at stake?
Readers should take note that this particular series of books were written for a mature audience and should only be read if you are 18 or older. We would advise reading with caution, and sensitive readers should be advised.
10. A London Season
- Author: Joan Wolf
- Genre: Historical Romance, Traditional Regency, Romance
- Series: Volume #1 of Regency Duo
- Published: 1981
Jane Fitzmaurice is the picture of the perfect Lady. Beautiful, rich, and from a good family, she is revered by the rest of High Society. There’s just one pesky detail about Jane that has tongue’s wagging: her headstrong attitude.
The young Lady Fitzmaurice seems to be more preoccupied with horses than with learning proper etiquette, but perhaps it has something to do with her dreamer horse-trainer, David Chance.
But Jane is expected to court the notorious nobleman, Julian Wrexham, and fall in line with her family’s wishes.
Can she fight against her heart and listen to her head to avoid possible heartbreak and scandal among the rest of society?
11. Slightly Married
- Author: Mary Balogh
- Genre: Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Regency Romance
- Series: Volume #1 of Bedwyn Saga
- Published: 2003
- Awards: Winner of the Best European Historical – 2003 All About Romance Reader Awards
Of all six of the Bedwyn children, second son Aidan is the most reluctant to be married. His reputation as an arrogant, privileged young man has preceded him for years among the rest of society. But nobody knows the true desires of Aidan’s passionate heart.
After making a promise to a dying soldier, the young rake arrives at Ringwood Manor to care for the deceased hero’s seemingly helpless sister.
But Eve is feisty and headstrong and far from the timid young woman that Aidan had expected.
Following an argument with a disgruntled relative, Eve is faced with the threat of losing her home and tarnishing her family name. So, when Aidan offers her a lifeline – to marry him and save her family – Eve has no choice but to accept.
Now, as the new bride of the notorious Aidan Bedwyn, Eve will have to change her ways and fit the role of wife and Lady of the house. But what happens when an arrangement of convenience turns into a passion that neither one of the young nobles can ignore?
12. The Magpie Lord
- Author: K.J. Charles
- Genre: Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ
- Series: Volume #1 of A Charm of Magpies
- Published: 2013
- Awards: Top Pick – 2013 RT Book Reviews
Recommended Novel – 2014 Spectrum Award
After being exiled to China for the last two decades, Lucien Vaudrey has found a way to feel content in his new life. That is until he is called back to England after his father and brother die under mysterious circumstances. With an unexpected new title, Lucien – now the Lord of the Crane house – will have to adjust as his life is turned upside down.
Armed with his new title of Earl and facing the enemies of his late family, Lucien is out of his depth. He is going to need some help.
So, after enlisting the help of Stephen Day, a Magician brimming with hatred for the Crane family, the two men find themselves in a predicament far worse than the threat of enemies that are lying in wait.
To save the mysterious Earl that has piques his interest – and his desires – Stephen will have to find a way to quiet the evil residing within the walls of the Crane house.
13. Brontë’s Mistress
- Author: Finola Austin
- Genre: Historical Fiction, British Literature, Retellings
- Published: 2020
After losing everything important to her when her mother and young daughter passed away in the same year, Lydia Robinson returns to her home, down-trodden and feeling nothing but grief.
What’s more, all of the relationships she has held dear are crumbling before her, including her marriage, which seems to be growing colder every day.
So, when her son’s tutor arrives, Lydia begins to feel renewed and reborn. Branwell is a breath of fresh air, but he’s twenty-five, where Lydia is forty-three. And he is passionate, where Lydia seems lackluster at best.
Branwell Brontë is exciting and handsome, though, and the longer Lydia denies her attraction to the young Brontë boy, the more she finds herself caught up in his scandalous and very dangerous web.
14. Mr. Malcolm’s List
- Author: Suzanne Allain
- Genre: Romance, Historical Fiction, Adult Fiction
- Published: 2009
- Awards: Starred Review – 2020 Booklist
Romance Novels to Read Summer – 2020 Buzzfeed
When the Honorable Jeremy Malcolm begins searching for the perfect wife, he knows exactly what he wants. Armed with a list of what he hopes his future bride will be and an even longer list of unsuitable money-hungry women vying for his hand, all hope seems lost.
That is until Selina Dalton arrives. A vicar’s daughter and a simple woman living off of what little she does have, she may not quite fit the bill of what Mr. Malcolm is looking for.
But Selina is determined to prove him wrong and show him that qualifications aren’t all they’re cracked up to be, especially when it comes to matters of the heart.
15. Devil’s Bride
- Author: Stephanie Laurens
- Genre: Historical Romance, Historical Regency, Romance
- Series: Volume #1 of Cynster
- Published: 1998
- Awards: Winner of Best European Historical – 1998 All About Romance Reader Award
Winer of Historical Romance in a Series – 1998 RT Reviewers Choice Award
Top 100 Romances – 2000, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2018 All About Romance Reader Award
While none of the townspeople expected to find the incomparable Devil Cynster in a scandalous entanglement with Honoria Wetherby, they definitely didn’t expect for him to ask for the young governess’ hand in marriage.
With the most eligible bachelor in England now off the market and society rocked at the thought of a rake taking a bride of Honoria’s caliber, everyone in the town is waiting with bated breath to watch the marriage unfold.
But Honoria is not so easily tamed. Unbothered by the rules of high society and with a free spirit seeking adventure above all else, the engagement seems doomed to fail before it has even begun.
With her desire for the handsome rake growing, Honoria is left to face an unthinkable choice: giving up her freedom for the man she is coming to love.
16. Seducing An Angel
- Author: Mary Balogh
- Genre: Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Regency Romance
- Series: Volume #4 of Huxtable Quintet
- Published: 2009
Cassandra Belmont is notorious for being a selfish and dangerous beauty, intent on seduction. But only on her terms: her lover must be wellborn, rich, and want her – and only her.
After setting her sights on the young Huxtable boy, Stephen, she knows she must do everything in her power to capture his attention. Well, that’s if she ever wants to change her reputation among society as a murderous woman suspected of killing her late husband.
And her alluring ways seem to be working in her favor – at least until Stephen decides that he wants the stunning widow as well, but only on his terms.
Now, Cassandra will have to choose between her headstrong ways and her undeniable feelings for the irresistible Earl of Merton.
References:
Good Housekeeping: Books Like Bridgerton
Real Simple: Books Like Bridgerton
Good Reads: The Duke and I Bridgerton 1