Need more Bridgerton now? 17 steamy historical romances and raciest Regency books to whet your appetite

Gentle readers, if you binged the first half of Bridgerton season 4 and devoured Benedict and Sophie’s blossoming romance, you’re probably now staring at the calendar, counting down to Part Two on 26 February. We feel you.

To pass the time, why not become a true gentle reader? Close that Netflix tab and pick up a book, it’s the best way to immerse yourself in the Regency romances of Bridgerton and other period dramas.

To make it easier, we’ve rounded up the best historical romances and Regency-style reads to tide you over until the next episode.

Let's get into some historical fiction.

What to read after finishing Bridgerton

1. An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn
2. Marry Me By Midnight by Felicia Grossman
3. Bookshop Cinderella by Laura Lee Guhrke
4. A Waltz on the Wild Side by Erica Ridley
5. A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin
6. A Lady For a Duke by Alex Hall
7. A Rogue of One's Own by Evie Dunmore
8. Desperate Duchesses by Eloisa James
9. Much Ado About Margaret by Madeleine Roux
10. A Gentleman’s Gentleman by TJ Alexander
11. Hathor and the Prince by JJ McAvoy
12. Remember When by Mary Balogh
13. The Duke Undone by Joanna Lowell
14. Notorious by Katherine Harlow
15. Denying the Duke by Callie Hutton
16. The Duchess Takes a Husband by Harper St George
17. Lady Sophia's Lover by Lisa Kleypas

1. An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn

It’ll come as no surprise that if you’re looking for books like Bridgerton season 4, the place to start is the novel that inspired it. The third book in the Bridgerton series follows Benedict and Sophie’s love story – a classic Cinderella tale, though even more enchanting on the page.

Sophie Beckett was adapted into Sophie Baek for the series to suit the brilliant Yerin Ha and add extra layers to the role, and the novel has been rereleased with a series tie-in, making it the perfect follow-up to the season.

Sophie never imagined she’d sneak into Lady Bridgerton’s legendary masquerade ball – or that her very own ‘Prince Charming’ would be waiting. Though the daughter of an earl, Sophie had been relegated to servant by her cruel stepmother. But that night, spinning in the strong arms of the debonair and devastatingly handsome Benedict Bridgerton, she felt like royalty… even if all enchantments must eventually end.

2. Marry Me By Midnight by Felicia Grossman

It’s 1832 in London, and Isabelle Lira may be in distress, but she is no damsel. Since her father’s death, his former partners have been trying to edge her out of their joint equity business, leaving her with one urgent solution: marry fast – to a powerful ally outside the respected Berab family’s sphere. Finding the right spouse means casting a wide net, so she hosts a series of festivals, inviting every eligible Jewish man in town. Think of it as a romance full of fake dating and arranged agreements… which, naturally, get a little messy along the way.

It has some Cinderella vibes, much like Bridgerton season four, except this time she’s the wealthy heiress, and he’s the penniless orphan.

And if you loved this one, don’t miss Felicia’s other books, including Dearest Beast, out in June.

3. Bookshop Cinderella by Laura Lee Guhrke

Once again, a Cinderella retelling worthy of An Offer From a Gentleman, now sprinkled with a cosy bookshop and a classic makeover trope — the perfect book for fans of Bridgerton season 3 as well.

Evie Harlow runs a quaint little bookshop in London, the grandest adventure an unmarried woman with no prospects could hope for. That is, until Maximillian Shaw, Duke of Westbourne, strolls in with a daring proposition: to win a bet with his friends, he’ll transform her into the diamond of the season. The duke may be devilishly handsome, but Evie has no intention of accepting his outrageous offer. When disaster strikes her shop, however, she finds herself with little choice but to be swept up into his dazzling high-society world.

4. A Waltz on the Wild Side by Erica Ridley

A wilder take on historical romance, packed with danger, daring rescues, and swoon-worthy heroes.

Advice columnist Miss Vivian Henry despises the Wild Wynchesters her young cousin idolises. Privileged families might get away with murder while ordinary people remain firmly in their place. But when her cousin goes missing, and the authorities turn a blind eye, Viv has no choice but to seek help from the very vigilantes she loathes. Animal trainer and secretive poet Jacob Wynchester leaves his comfort zone and finds himself on an adventure far beyond anything he could have imagined.

With the gentlemanly charm of Bridgerton and its own Lady Whistledown-style intrigue, this one’s a historical romance with bite.

5. A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin

Kitty Talbot doesn’t need love; she needs a fortune, and she sees marriage as her only way to secure it. With just twelve weeks to find a wealthy husband and save her sisters, she must use every ounce of cunning and ingenuity to climb London society. The only person she can’t fool is Lord Radcliffe, who sees straight through her schemes and is determined to stop her at any cost.

Much like Bridgerton, the author deftly explores the era’s social dynamics, highlighting the sexism that favoured men, the pressures faced by the eldest child, and the biases and prejudices of the upper class toward those less fortunate.

6. A Lady For a Duke by Alexis Hall

One of the standout elements of the Bridgerton adaptation is its thoughtful approach to queer storylines, and this remarkable LGBT historical romance delivers in the same spirit. Presumed dead at Waterloo, Viola Carroll seized the chance to live authentically as herself, but freedom came at a steep price: the loss of her wealth, her title, and her closest companion, Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood. Years later, when their families reconnect, Viola discovers just how deep that loss ran. Shattered without her, Gracewood has retreated so far into grief that Viola barely recognises the lonely, brooding man he has become.

As Viola works to restore Gracewood to himself, new desires give fresh names to old feelings, ones that were impossible before, and perhaps still are, yet Viola cannot deny them. Even if embracing them risks losing everything all over again. The stakes are high!

7. A Rogue of One's Own by Evie Dunmore

If you love your Regency romance with a strong heroine – think Sophie Baek or Kate Sharma – you’ll devour this novel by Evie Dunmore. Lady Lucie and her band of Oxford suffragists are ready to stage a coup against Parliament, but the one obstacle she didn’t expect? Her old nemesis and London’s notorious lord of sin, Lord Ballentine. And he’s only willing to hand over the reins for an outrageous price: a night in her bed. Yep, this is one delightfully racy Regency you won’t want to miss.

8. Desperate Duchesses by Eloisa James

The stakes are never higher than a woman’s virtue, something we’ve seen play out in nearly every season of Bridgerton.

Lady Roberta St Giles, the sheltered only daughter of a marquess, falls for a man glimpsed across a crowded ballroom: a duke, a masterful player, and notorious rakehell with no interest in marriage... until he lays eyes on Roberta.

Yet the Earl of Gryffyn knows all too well that the price to gain a coronet can be dangerously high. Damon Reeve, the earl, is determined to shield the exquisite Roberta from the wrong destiny, but can he entice her into a high-stakes game of his own, even if it means risking his own heart along the way?

9. Much Ado About Margaret by Madeleine Roux

Fancy another masquerade ball?

Margaret Arden dreams of living like the passionate, daring heroines in her novels. Life at Mosely Cottage with her mother and two younger sisters is safe, but Margaret craves more than the demure, dainty existence she’s always known. After a particularly brutal rejection from an annoyingly attractive publisher, she fears being forced into marriage to protect her family. Then her cousin’s glamorous wedding masquerade sets her on a thrilling collision course with scandal, notoriety, and maybe even love.

10. A Gentleman's Gentleman by TJ Alexander

Lord Christopher Eden is far from your typical gentleman. Preferring the quiet company of his childhood cook and his elderly butler to the endless eyes and ears of the ton, he enjoys a life removed from society’s scrutiny. But when his late father’s will demands that he marry by the end of the season to inherit the family fortune and Eden estate, Christopher faces a daunting challenge: he isn’t attracted to women, and making a wife happy seems impossible.

Then comes the real complication: James Harding, his new, distractingly handsome valet. Their growing friendship carries secrets that could upend everything — and puts Christopher’s impending nuptials in jeopardy.

11. Hathor and the Prince by JJ McAvoy

Daphne may not have ended up with a prince in Bridgerton season 1, but Hathor Du Bell might just get her fairy-tale ending. Long overshadowed by her sister and thoroughly bored by the ton’s uninspiring suitors, Hathor finds herself facing the close of the London season with no match in sight. That is, until the Queen announces the arrival of Prince Wilhelm Augustus Karl von Edward of Malrovia at a glittering week-long society event hosted at the Du Bells’ Belclere Castle.

The fantasy quickly unravels when Hathor finally meets the prince, and he’s nothing like she imagined. What follows is a deliciously flirtatious rivalry that neither can resist, making this a Regency romance that’s as addictive for the reader as it is for its heroine.

12. Remember When by Mary Balogh

Feeling particularly taken by Violet and Marcus's storyline this season? Well, then we'd love to introduce you to Clarissa Ware, the Dowager Countess of Stratton. After sorting a suitable match for her daughter, she returns to Ravenswood, intending to spend the summer alone there.

But that's difficult given the return of Matthew Taylor, a gentleman who became the village carpenter she was close to when younger, who never would've made a match. Now everything is different, as their summer friendship deepens into romance, they stand together on the precipice of change.

13. The Duke Undone by Joanna Lowell

Before he was searching for the Lady in Silver, Benedict was a painter refining his craft, so it seems only fitting to include this tale of a Royal Academy painting student. Lucy Coover quickly comes to the aid of the naked drunkard she stumbles upon one evening in the Shoreditch slums.

If only she could banish his lovely form from her dreams as easily. Instead, she finds herself compelled to paint the man in his natural form. Little does she know that her impromptu subject is none other than the seventh Duke of Weston, Anthony Philby. He needs the painting destroyed to save his reputation, so he goes hunting for the artist and finds more than he bargained for.

14. Notorious by Katherine Harlow

Oh, you want steamy? Say no more. Rumours swirl around the rakish Viscount Rochford, a man who’s left a trail of broken hearts in his wake and built a fearsome reputation for jilting society women. So when whispers suggest he’s finally ready to settle down, the ton is shocked, none more so than Miss Penelope Stratton.

Beautiful, shy, and armed with a sizeable dowry, Penelope has no shortage of suitors, yet against all better judgement she finds herself drawn to the one man least suited to marriage: a notorious rake with a scandalous past. Consider this the perfect follow-up for fans of rakish Benedict Bridgerton.

15. Denying the Duke by Callie Hutton

Lord Alexander Pemberton lost the love of his life, Lady Patience, to an arranged marriage with his brother, driving him to bury his broken heart in the military. Four years later, he’s summoned home to inherit the title after his brother’s death – only to discover a shocking truth: Patience never married his brother, and now Alex is expected to marry her instead. But Patience can’t wed a man who no longer loves her… or does he? Can they find their way back to each other before it’s too late?

16. The Duchess Takes a Husband by Harper St George

Let’s be honest: Lady Danbury is one of Bridgerton’s most iconic characters – and this book serves up that same unapologetic girlboss energy. Camille, Duchess of Hereford, is a society outcast thanks to her American ways and outspoken interest in the suffrage movement. Enter Jacob Thorne, the illegitimate son of an earl and co-owner of London’s notorious Montague Club. Camille proposes a scandalous deal: she’ll lend him the respectability of a fake engagement if he shows her whether pleasure is something she can claim for herself. This is a provocative tale you don't want to miss.

17. Lady Sophia's Lover by Lisa Kleypas

Let’s close our list of steamy Bridgerton-style reads with this racy delight. Lady Sophia Sydney will stop at nothing to ensnare the unattainable Sir Ross Cannon, scheming to ruin his reputation and spark a scandal that will rock all of London. She charms her way into his life, earning his trust and taking up residence in his home.

By day, her intoxicating presence tempts him beyond reason; by night, her eyes – and her body – promise hours of unbridled passion before dawn, if only he’ll let her share his bed. She knows he’s falling for her more with each passing day… but she never expected to fall in love with him herself.

For all the latest RT Book Club news, interviews, Q&As with the authors, reviews of previous books and more, visit The Radio Times Book Club.