Books to Read Based on Your Favorite Bridgerton Couple

Simon and Daphne’s season was so poetic, we were all a little worried about how the next seasons were going to top it. Luckily, Shonda Rhimes delivered, but it is quite difficult to find a love story as elegant. A Scandalous Proposal by Kasey Michaels mirrors it quite well, though. 

This is the story of Cooper Townsend and Miss Daniella Foster. Cooper has returned from France a hero, and with an elevated title, which means that every marriageable lady in London is trying to become his forever. That may be the reason he spends so much time with Miss Foster; she simply wants his help identifying his sister’s blackmailer, and she won’t resort to flirting with him to get it. 

Marriage was not high on Dany’s list of priorities. At least, not until she kissed him. But now, a mutual enemy is looking to tarnish Cooper’s reputation and Dany’s family name, and an engagement of convenience may be the only way to save them both. 

With the gender roles reversed, and perhaps slightly more conscious methods of ruining a sibling’s marriage, How to Seduce a Duke is still a worthy parallel to Anthony and Kate’s steamy season. In it, we meet Mary, who is trying desperately to make a worthy match for herself by marrying handsome Viscount Wetherly. But his brother, the Duke of Blackstone, is hell-bent on preventing it. 

Blackstone doesn’t want his brother falling for some wily, privileged social-climber…even though Mary is deliciously tempting. But Mary is the only woman who has ever resisted his well-practiced charms. Is it possible that there are multiple reasons he’s vetoing this union, one of them being that he wants Mary instead? 

After all these years of mourning and match-making, everyone was thrilled to see Violet’s second chance at love hit the big screen this season. How ironic would it be for Marcus and Violet’s romance to end in a marriage of convenience after all these years of Violet telling her children to marry for love…though I suppose it doesn’t matter, as long as she’s happy. 

In Laurie Benson’s One Week to Wed, widowed Lady Charlotte Gregory doesn’t think she’ll ever be able to marry again after losing her husband—but then she meets charming Lord Andrew Pearce. Being in his presence brings all the vibrancy she was missing back into her life. When left alone one night, they can’t help but give in to their desires. But it quickly turns into a whirlwind of shock and scandal, resulting in a sudden marriage of convenience. 

I saw Colin and Penelope’s story as, in addition to a flowering romance, also quite a coming-of-age story for the both of them. Both had finally come into who they are, and had to make the difficult decision of whether to choose love, or their passions. Secrets of a Wallflower by Amanda McCabe poses a very similar question for two young lovers, Diana Martin and Sir William Blakley. 

The first of her Debutantes in Paris series, Diana is thrilled to be a writer covering the Parisian Exposition, but she must keep her excitement quiet, as her parents would never approve of such a thing. When Sir William Blakely discovers what she’s up to, she’s afraid all hope for her career is lost. But he realizes, amidst the sparks flying between them, that the only way to keep her safe is to keep her close. 

Another (but different) story of a wallflower, John and Francesca’s marriage was the joining of two twin-flames. Perfectly content to spend the entirety of their marriage in blissful silence, many did not understand their attraction to each other. But nevertheless, it prevailed. 

In Waltzing With the Earl, the Earl of Shalford requires a match with financial gain to save his estate. Henrietta Buxted is the perfect candidate for the job…so what a shame it is when her quiet cousin, Charlotte Wyncroft, is the one who catches his eye. 

Charlotte, like most of our favorite historical female protagonists, detests the games of courtship, and watches upon her cousin with amusement. But one dance with Adam changes everything. Knowing her penniless state makes her far from a suitable match, in Adam’s arms, she can at least dare to dream…

It’s no secret that Queen Charlotte and King George have easily one of the best love stories of the whole series. But if you’ve watched their season, you know how complicated it was to reach that status. To Swoon and to Spar by Martha Waters features a similar love story, though the roles are slightly reversed. In this arranged marriage, it’s the wife who ultimately ends up warming up to her husband, instead of King George ultimately warming up to Queen Charlotte. 

In Waters’ novel, we meet Viscount Penvale, who, after working for years to buy back his ancestral home, Trethwick Abbey, his estranged uncle finally puts it up for sale. But there’s one condition: he must marry his uncle’s ward, Jane Spencer. 

Neither of the two is impressed by the other on their first meeting–Jane is too headstrong, and Penvale too aloof–but they agree to the marriage, by name only. Jane attempts to order her housewife into staging a hunt so Penvale will leave for London and give her some space, but ultimately, Jane discovers that his company may not be the worst thing. To Swoon and to Spar is very much a Bridgerton-esque historical romance romp. 

I am definitely not the only one who can only see Cinderella’s stepsisters every time I look at the Featherington sisters. In this newest season, you almost want to feel bad for the two of them, what with their lack of brains and decreasing attention from their mother. Almost. 

But that’s why Robin Benway’s The Wicked Ones is such a great choice—in her series highlighting the origins of Disney’s villains, Drizella and Anastasia get some of the attention they deserve. While it is a story focused primarily on their (complicated) sisterhood and their relationship with their mother, there is a secret romance involved that all Bridgerton lovers are sure to enjoy. 

Everyone’s hearts broke a little bit when watching Brimsley and Reynold's love story in Queen Charlotte’s season. The undeniable intimacy paired with the equally undeniable need for secrecy made for a heart-wrenching end. 

The story is similar in Heart of Stone by Johannes T Evans. Set a little earlier in 1764, Henry Coffey, upon receiving a glowing recommendation, hires a new personal secretary: young Theophilus Essex. This is very much a tale of opposites attracting, and through Evans’ gorgeous prose, we watch them become more entangled in each other despite the ever-looming awareness of their need for polite boundaries. 

While it is worth noting that Henry Coffey is a vampire, it’s also worth noting that it doesn’t actually alter the plot of the story much.