Book Recommendations Based On Your Favorite Bridgerton Character
Season 3 of Netflix’s hit drama show Bridgerton just dropped. Luckily, it has proven to be just as swoon-worthy as previous seasons.
However, Netflix chose to release this season in two parts, and Part 2 will not be released until June 13. If you’re anything like me, you have long since finished Part 1 and are craving similar entertainment in the meantime.
That’s why I’ve compiled a list of characters from the show and paired them with some luscious book recommendations. If you’re looking for a way to channel your favorite Bridgerton characters, you’re in the right place.
Kate Sharma
Kate Sharma is the quintessential eldest sister archetype. She raises her younger sister like she’s her own daughter, she shies away from any vulnerability, and she builds an impenetrable wall around her heart. Kate Sharma is a powerful, headstrong woman. However, deep down, the one thing Kate wants is for someone to break down her walls and see her for who she truly is.
If you love Kate Sharma, I have no doubt you’d be a fan of Zoya Nazyalensky in Leigh Bardugo’s King of Scars duology. King of Scars is an epic fantasy spin-off series following side characters from Bardugo’s hit Shadow and Bone series.
Like Kate Sharma, Zoya Nazyalensky is a very closed-off character. But Zoya also happens to be a general for her country’s new king, and she possesses an unnatural amount of elemental magic. This series follows Zoya as she tries to not only protect her king and her country, but her own heart.
Penelope Featherington
Penelope Featherington, and her alter ego, Lady Whistledown, are no strangers to drama. Some would say she has quite the nose for it. Penelope is not afraid to get messy with her quill and spill the tea of the ton, even if it means that she has to sacrifice her own honor in order to keep her precious secret identity.
Despite being a “wallflower” and running into troubles on the marriage mart, Penelope cannot give up hope that she will find true love. She wants someone she doesn’t have to pretend with — a true example of holding out for the friends-to-lovers romance.
Because of this, I think Penelope would love the mystery-romance genre. Books like Dana Schwartz’s Anatomy duology have all the elements that make this genre so intriguing.
Schwartz’s Anatomy follows Hazel Sinnett, a girl in Edinburgh’s high society who lives a secret life as an aspiring surgeon. But when the inner workings of Edinburgh’s esteemed Anatomist Society become shady, Hazel has to rely on the help of Jack Currer, a lowly resurrection man, to help her uncover the mystery.
With a precarious double life, a drama-filled mystery, and, of course, a blooming love story, this series is perfect for Penelope fans.
Colin Bridgerton
Even though he is willing to change himself to fit in with society, Colin Bridgerton is truly a lover boy at heart. Once he becomes set on someone, it is impossible for him to get that person out of his head.
Colin is also drawn toward adventure and travel. He has an undeniably young, curious, and open-minded eye for the world and what it has to offer.
Katy Rose Pool’s The Age of Darkness trilogy is a perfectly thrilling series for fans of Colin. These three books follow a cast of five characters, each from vastly different walks of life, as they try to save the world…or at least, try not to destroy it.
Some characters long for family, others for friendship, and still others for love.
This series has adventure, yearning, and desire — all of the key ingredients to find a place in the world that Colin Bridgerton would love.
Eloise Bridgerton
Eloise is everyone’s favorite witty, unfiltered Bridgerton girl. But beyond her quick quips, Eloise is highly independent and an advocate for the empowerment of women.
She also desires her own form of love — longing for someone to confide in and to engage in meaningful conversations.
Fans of Eloise’s bold character would love The Madness of Miss Grey by Julia Bennett. This standalone takes place right after the Regency Era in gloomy Victorian England.
This story follows Helen Grey, a woman who believes that she has been wrongly imprisoned in an asylum. No doctors will listen to her pleas of sanity — that is, until the empathetic Doctor Carter shows up.
Despite the restraints that society has placed on her, Helen is intelligent, empowered, and determined. Most importantly, her wish is to find someone who will listen to what she has to say. She is just the sort of character that Eloise fans would resonate with.
Queen Charlotte
Bridgerton would not be the same without Queen Charlotte. She has a blunt, dry, and undeniably hilarious sense of humor; yet she holds all the poise and seriousness required to run a country.
Although Queen Charlotte’s personal love story is quite tragic, she cannot help but be enamored by other acts of love. Playing the debutants of the ton like her own chess pieces, Queen Charlotte is the mastermind of this show.
Fans of Queen Charlotte would love These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong. This series is a drama-filled historical fantasy set in 1920s Shanghai, and Queen Charlotte would surely be pleased with the relationships that unfold amidst the drama.
The main characters, Juliette Cai and Roma Montagova, are royalty in their own right as heirs of rival gangs. When they meet again after years of separation, their relationship reignites in spite of dangerous tensions between the gangs. A bewitching tale of star-crossed lovers, this Romeo and Juliet retelling is sure to please any queen.
As Season Three Approaches its Finale…
Though the wait for Part 2 of Bridgerton Season 3 is agonizing, these stellar book recommendations should provide great entertainment in the meantime. If your favorite character didn’t make the list, and you’d like some recommendations, be sure to drop a comment below.
Otherwise, check out these similar articles while you wait for your books to arrive:
- ‘Bridgerton’ Is Back: What We’ve Seen So Far And Where It Could Go In Part Two
- ‘Bridgerton’ Season 3: Everything You Need To Know
- 9 New LGBTQ+ Books To Dive Into
- The 10 Best Summer 2024 Books
- 5 New Romantic Fantasy Books That Will Leave You Swooning
This article was first published on TrillMag.
