Romancing Mister Bridgerton

Romancing Mr. Bridgerton is the fourth of the Bridgerton books, part of a historical romance series written by New York Times best-selling author Julia Quinn and first published by Avon Books in 2002. The series, already popular among fans of historical fiction, garnered broader interest after being adapted into a Netflix series helmed by veteran showrunner Shonda Rhimes. Set in Regency London, the books describe the courtship and marriage of the eight siblings of the Bridgerton family. Romancing Mr. Bridgerton follows the friends-to-lovers romance of the third son, Colin, as he falls for family friend and confirmed “spinster” Penelope Featherington. As Penelope discovers Colin’s secret passion for writing, Colin helps Penelope discover her true worth. 

This guide refers to the mass market paperback edition published by Avon Books in 2015, which includes a second epilogue for the novel, previously published in the collection The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After. [Note: The 2015 edition has different pagination than the mass market tie-in reprint published in 2021.]

Plot Summary

In 1812, just before her 16th birthday, Penelope Featherington falls in love with Colin Bridgerton when she witnesses him laughing after he falls from his horse in the park.