My Bridgerton TBR List: 7 Tantalizing Historical Love Stories

Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley met and fell deeply in love five years ago, but after a year of wedded bliss, a fight causes it all to implode. Although they remain married, they barely speak to one another and Lord James often travels to their other estates. One day, Violet receives a letter that her husband has had a terrible accident and was knocked unconscious at their country estate. She rushes to his side only to discover he is perfectly fine, drinking with his friends at the pub. She decides to teach him a lesson for making her worry unnecessarily and feigns her own illness. They begin to one-up each other in their antics and the bantering allows them to rediscover the feelings that made them fall in love in the first place.

This charming novel reminds me of the bantering relationship of Daphne and Simon. Both couples have secrets that they are keeping from each other and the ton and have to find a way to let the truth set them free.

Set in the 1830s, this novel is perfect for fans of historical novels that have a romantic flair. THE PARTING GLASS is a heart-wrenching tale set in New York City. Mary Ballard serves as a lady’s maid to Charlotte Walden, a wealthy woman of society. When she’s allowed to be away from the prim and proper eyes of high society, Mary’s true identity is revealed—Maire O’Farren, an Irish exile. Mary is captivated by the young mistress she serves, but she doesn’t know that Charlotte has a secret of her own. The lady has been having an affair with a groomsman who works in the stables, who turns out to be none other than Maire’s twin brother, Seanin. The twins’ mutual love of Charlotte threatens to come between them.

Similar to Bridgerton, the love triangles in this story make it even more dramatic and intriguing. Both stories also explore the challenges of having gay relationships in a society that is not at all accepting of that type of love and hiding one’s true feelings.

If the storyline of the courtship of convenience is what drew you in to Bridgerton, look no further than THE DUCHESS DEAL by Tessa Dare as your next read. Unlike Simon Basset, the Duke of Ashbury is eager to marry to continue his family line and produce an heir. When Emma Gladstone, a seamstress and the daughter of a vicar appears in his library wearing a wedding gown, he decides that she will suit his needs. The duke’s former fiancée called off the wedding after he returned from war scarred from burns and refused to pay Emma for the labor of the ornate wedding gown. In desperate need of funds to support herself, Emma hoped the duke would be able to cover the cost, but she never expected the proposal that would make her a duchess. If she accepts his offer, she’ll never have to worry about her finances again, but she may have to endure a loveless marriage with the brutish man.

After a sudden disastrous event, Mauro Larrea, a widower who emigrated to Mexico from Spain, loses his fortune. Like Lord Featherington in Bridgerton, Mauro has to find a way to reclaim his fortune to pay off his debts. Luckily for Mauro, he has better luck gambling than Lord Featherington. With the last bit of money he has left, he places a bet and wins an abandoned home and vineyard in Spain. Mauro journeys across the ocean with every intention of selling the land and returning to Mexico, but when he meets Soledad Montalvo everything changes. Soledad is determined to protect her family’s legacy: the vineyard. Mauro begins to immerse himself in the wine trade and endeavors to restore the vineyard to its former glory. He can’t help but fall in love not only with the rich culture of his new home, but also with Soledad.

Much like Eloise Bridgerton, Ina Duncan is not in any hurry to get married. Throughout Bridgerton, Eloise shares her disdain for the inequalities of society and the pressures put upon women to be married, when all she wants to do is explore her passions.

Ina is a sculptor and wants to spend her days experimenting with her art and hanging out with her best friend, Gavin. But after an accidental encounter at a party, Ina is compromised and must quickly find a husband or be ruined. The most powerful matchmaker in Edinburgh, Moira Sullivan, is summoned to help her find a suitor. Moira realizes the solution to Ina’s predicament is right in front of her—Gavin. The second son of a baronet, he has secretly been in love with Ina for years, but he never thought he would be able to capture her heart. Moira convinces Ina to propose a marriage of convenience to save her from ruin. After all, Gavin is her best friend and will allow her to continue with her art. After a rocky beginning, the newlyweds begin to find happiness, but another twist of fate bestows a title of Sir Barrett on Gavin. He is forced to assume responsibilities in society that could tear them apart.

For fans of historical fiction without the steamy romance, I recommend EQUAL OF THE SUN by Anita Amirrezvani. This enchanting tale, set in 1576 Iran, is based loosely on the life of Princess Pari Khan Khanoom. This story will envelop you in a tale of political intrigue and the unlikely bond of a princess and a eunuch.

Javaher, a eunuch, has just joined the shah’s household and quickly becomes Pari’s confidante and trusted servant. When the shah of Iran dies without naming an heir, the court is thrown into turmoil. The shah’s daughter, Princess Pari knows more about the inner workings of the state than anyone else, but as a woman she’s unable to assume the responsibilities of being the ruler. Javaher is the only person Pari is able to trust and begins to act as a spy and vizier on her behalf. As a eunuch he has access to every part of the palace, including the harem, and is able to gather information on behalf of the princess.

Javaher’s ability to sneak around in plain sight reminds me a bit of Lady Whistledown. Throughout Bridgerton, we don’t know the true identity of the person writing the society paper. But the character always seems to know the secrets buzzing about and is able to use that knowledge to their advantage.

The London social season is in full swing and the ladies of the ton are eager to find suitors at the many society events that will hopefully result in a proposal of marriage. But the mysterious Lady Whistledown is lurking at every event, ready to document every scandal and blossoming romance. Nobody is safe from her prying eyes and the reports of the society events in her paper. All eyes are on Daphne Bridgerton who has been dubbed the “Diamond of the Season'' and Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings who recently returned to London.

The duke has no interest in marriage and is desperate to avoid the overeager mothers who are constantly foisting their daughters upon him. Unfortunately for Daphne, her brutish elder brother Anthony bullies every potential suitor, leaving her without anyone to court her. The duke and Daphne strike up an arrangement: a faux courtship. The appearance of the most eligible bachelor vying for her attention is sure to strike up jealousy among the rest of the men while sparing him the constant overtures from the mothers of other single ladies. As the pair spend more time together to keep up the ruse, they begin to develop feelings for each other, but the duke has a secret that threatens their happily ever after.