**Major Book Spoilers Ahead - Read With Caution***
The Bridgerton series took the world by storm when the Netflix series became an overnight success. That's actually how I got into this book series: after being playfully peer-pressured into watching the show, I needed to know what happened next.
I spent the next month devouring all of the books: crying for Francesca, facepalming at Colin and Eloise, and hysterically laughing at Hyacinth and Gregory's unhinged actions. It was a world that I found joy in, and provided me with a new love of regency romance as a genre.
Julia Quinn gave us a world of happy endings: one that's extended into a prequel book series, the Smith-Smythe quartet, and a graphic novel based on a novel Hyacinth reads Lady Danbury in book seven. So I took it upon myself to do the impossible: rank the novels of the series from best to least best (because none of them are bad - so I refuse to use the word "worst!").
Here are my results:
1. It's In His Kiss
Hyacinth Bridgerton may be the youngest, but she is also the wildest. I tend to call this book Breaking and Entering 101 - because Hyacinth and Gareth sure do bond over committing crimes together. This book is equal parts treasure hunt and love story, with a dash of humor sprinkled in. Not to mention, Gareth is the amazing Lady Danbury's (favorite) grandson which immediately is a point in his favor. I read this book in a day and had to pause so many times because I was laughing so hard.
2. On The Way To the Wedding
Each chapter of this book starts as scene descriptors of a play. A creative way for Julia Quinn to emphasize that Gregory's story is a true comedy of errors. Gregory falls in love at first sight with a very uninterested Hermoine, whose best friend Lucy attempts to help Gregory win her over, only to fall in love with him herself - even though she's engaged to someone else. It's very Shakespearean in the way that everyone's feelings are all over the place, reminding me quite a bit of A Midsummer Night's Dream. But as the book continues, we see things escalating more and more - to the point that Gregory even kidnaps someone (his little sister's love of crime certainly rubbed off on him). It's a fun end to an iconic series and leaves us with a sense of closure because everyone in this family got their happily ever after, just like Gregory hoped they would.
3. Romancing Mr. Bridgerton
Collin and Penelope's story is peak friends-to-lovers. We watched their relationship grow over the previous three books, making it long worth the wait. But even more importantly: this is the book where we find out the identity of Lady Whistledown. After Lady Danbury sends the Ton on a wild goose chase to unmask the writer's identity, all of Penelope's secrets come out. There is a swoon-worthy romance, blackmail, and a carriage scene so hot I can't talk about it on this website. Unfortunately, it's the last time that we see Lady Whistledown, as Penelope reveals herself at the end of the book ending her career as the writer - and I can't help but wish that she had kept going. The rest of the series definitely was missing that signature snark.
4. The Viscount Who Loved Me
There are certain scenes of this book that immediately come to mind when I think of it: the Bee Scene, Pall Mall, and Newton the Corgi. However, it follows a lot of the same beats as The Duke & I: falling in lust, a compromising situation that ends in a forced marriage, and not falling in love until after the wedding. The repetitive nature of the plot has one stand-out feature that makes it better than its predecessor: Antony and Kate's PTSD. The two of them both traumatically witnessed the death of a parent and can support each other through those wounds and hardships. So even though it follows the same beats as the first book, it does it better. Thankfully only two of the Bridgerton siblings are ever caught in compromising positions, making this the last time that we see this plot in the series.
5. When He Was Wicked
Francesca has a reputation as the forgotten Bridgerton, as she spends most of the series living in Scotland. In fact, she isn't even invited to Colin or Eloise's weddings - she finds out about them in a letter! After the tragic passing of her first husband less than a year into their marriage, it took her a long time to heal, and I love and respect that look into grief and Fran's self-awareness to know that she's ready to find love again. It's beautifully written, and the change in setting is rather refreshing, especially since it takes place at the same time as Romancing Mr. Bridgerton and To Sir Philip, With Love. I just wish that Francesca didn't always get the short end of the stick. Not only did she lose a husband incredibly young, but she also struggled with infertility. That's a lot to put on one character, and this book definitely would have been higher on this list if her circumstances weren't always as sad as the weather in her beloved Scotland.
6. The Duke & I
The book that started it all! I have a lot of love for The Duke & I - it introduced us to the Bridgerton family, Lady Whistledown, and the glitz and glamour that we have come to expect from this series. However, because there is so much that has to be introduced, it does take away from the plot. It's simple and fun but ends in a great misunderstanding where you just keep screaming at Simon and Daphne to just talk to each other. I've never been a fan of that trope, which leads to this rank. It's a fantastic entry into the story and setting, but compared to later books, it is missing a tiny bit of the Bridgerton magic.
7. To Sir Phillip, With Love
One of the opinions I see often on the internet is that Eloise settled with Sir Phillip. However, I also think that most of the people who say that only believe so because the version of Eloise we see in the Netflix series is so insanely different than the one in the book. Like Francesca, Eloise is often an afterthought in the books. Only unlike Francesca, Eloise is in London with her family the entire time. Well, that is until she runs away unchaperoned to surprise her pen pal Sir Phillip by arriving unexpectedly at his doorstep. However, Sir Phillip is a socially anxious single father with out-of-control twins who has no idea how to talk to her if it isn't through pen and paper. Eloise is part Mary Poppins and part impulsive bookworm and neither fully mesh with the other. Eloise when she talks to Phillip is very different from Eloise who falls in love with the rambunctious twins. And I think that if her personality had melded together more, and had a chance to shine in previous books, this one would have been a home run.
8. An Offer From a Gentleman
This story is literally Cinderella. The first edition cover even had the iconic shoe on the steps. This book is actually the one that most people I know expect me to put in the number one spot because I love fairy tale retellings. But having one book be a retelling when the rest of the books are original stories just makes it feel like it doesn't quite fit into the series the way the rest of the books do. I actually think that it works better as a standalone novel, instead of a part of a series - which is a bit ironic as Sophie and Benedict end up being the couple who show up the most in later books, and their relationship is one of the most relatable in the series.
So there you have it - the best to least best of the Bridgerton books. That being said, I highly recommend this series as a whole, and wish you happy reading!