Photo by Katelyn Greer on Unsplash
Dearest gentle reader, are you missing the activities of the ton? If you sped through season 3 of Netflix’s popular Bridgerton series and are left wanting more, try these readalikes. While they may not read quite like Lady Whistledown’s society papers, drama, dancing, and debutantes await! Brew a cup of tea and settle in with one of these regency-era romances.
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Earls Trip by Jenny Holiday
The annual trip that Archie takes with his BFFs Simon and Effie holds a sacred spot in their calendars. This year Archie is especially eager to get away until an urgent letter arrives from an old family friend, begging him to help prevent a ruinous scandal.
Aphrodite and the Duke by J. J. McAvoy
Aphrodite Du Bell has always resented her name. While the members of the ton, and even the queen herself, praise her warm brown skin, perfect curls, and exquisite features, Aphrodite can’t help but think that living up to the literal goddess of beauty is asking a bit much.
Hot Earl Summer by Erica Ridley
Elizabeth Wynchester adores vanquishing villains with the sharp blade concealed inside her cane. Despite others’ opinions about her body and gender, nothing will stop her from seeing justice done. When her next mission drops her at the dastardly Earl of Densmore’s castle, she’s prepared to duel like gentlemen–only to be locked inside!
A Gamble at Sunset by Vanessa Riley
Georgina Wilcox, a wallflower with hidden musical talents, is furious when her reclusive older sister-the recently widowed Viscountess-refuses sorely needed help from the Duke of Torrance, the only gentleman who has shown kindness to the bereft Wilcox sisters.
Something Spectacular by Alexis Hall
Peggy Delancey’s not at all ready to move on from her former flame, Arabella Tarleton. But Belle has her own plans for a love match, and she needs Peggy’s help to make those plans a reality. Still hung up on her feelings and unable to deny Belle what she wants, Peggy reluctantly agrees to help her woo the famous and flamboyant opera singer Orfeo.
Unladylike Rules of Attraction by Amita Murray
Anya Marleigh is a singer and sitar player in Queen Charlotte’s court. She is left a fortune by Dowager Countess Budleigh, one of her elderly clients who used to hire her for musical evenings. But there is a condition attached. Anya must marry before her next birthday if she wants to see any of the fortune.
The Ladies Rewrite the Rules by Suzanne Allain
Diana Boyle, a wealthy young widow, has no desire to ever marry again. Particularly not to someone who merely wants her for her fortune. So when she discovers that she’s listed in a directory of rich, single women she is furious, and rightly so. She confronts Maxwell Dean, the man who published the Bachelor’s Directory, and is horrified to find he is far more attractive than his actions have led her to expect.
The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles
Abandoned by his father, Gareth Inglis grew up lonely, prickly, and well-used to disappointment. Still, he longs for a connection. When he meets a charming stranger, he falls head over heels-until everything goes wrong and he’s left alone again. Then Gareth’s father dies, turning the shabby London clerk into Sir Gareth, with a grand house on the remote Romney Marsh and a family he doesn’t know.
Happy reading!
-Melinda
Read it or Weep 