All 8 ‘Bridgerton’ Books, Ranked By Least to Most Spicy
Bridgerton may take place in a time period known for its stuffiness, but the Regency romance series is far from it. While we wouldn’t put Julia Quinn’s novels in the bodice ripper category, the Bridgerton siblings and their love interests know their way around the bedroom (or carriage). Well, more so in the case of the gentlemen. Barring the widowed Francesca, the ladies aren’t well-versed in sex — one chapter usually involves their cherries being popped — but they catch on fairly fast.
Considering the sheer size of the Bridgerton family, their stories don’t all look the same — and neither does the smut. We know some readers prefer a healthy amount of spice in their romance novels, so we’ve decided to do them (and probably you, if you’re checking out this article) a favor. We’ve ranked the Bridgerton books from least to most spicy, from Daphne’s The Duke and I all the way to Gregory’s On the Way to the Wedding. Keep in mind that when we came up with this order, we considered not just quantity but quality. Without further ado:
On the Way to the Wedding
Julia Quinn
Chapters: 11, 17, 19
Gregory’s book is by far the most tame, but it makes sense when you consider that he spends a portion of it pining after another woman before falling for her best friend, Lucy. And even then, Lucy is engaged to someone else, so they don’t cross the line much. They only briefly kiss in Chapter 11 before Lucy remembers herself. They get a little frisky after they exchange love confessions in Chapter 17, but it too is nothing too intense. Gregory and Lucy finally get the chance to go all the way in Chapter 19. On the night before Lucy’s wedding, no less. (Points for dramatic flair!) Despite knowing they can’t be together, Lucy gives into her passion, and what ensues is just as desperate and intense as you’d expect given the circumstances. We’d put Gregory and Lucy higher if only they had a few more steamy moments.
An Offer From a Gentleman
Julia Quinn
Chapters: 3, 11, 17, 23
Sophie and Benedict may not have as many sex scenes as some of the other couples, but they do a lot with what they get. Chapter 11 ramps up the tension when Sophie stumbles across a naked Benedict swimming, leading to their first kiss, and the nobleman asks the maid to become his mistress. Despite the forbiddenness of their attraction, they can’t stay away from each other, even after Sophie becomes a maid for Benedict’s family. They aren’t married when they sleep together in Chapter 17. It’s Sophie’s first time, but her inexperience isn’t the focus. The sequence is made even more intense by Benedict realizing just how much he needs and loves Sophie. Chapter 23 offers a less explicit sex scene between the two, but they get points because it starts in a bathtub before they get into a bed. We do love a romantic bath moment.
To Sir Phillip, With Love
Julia Quinn
Chapters: 12, 14, 18
Unlike most other Bridgerton male leads, Phillip isn’t a rake, but his passion for Eloise makes up for it. After months of exchanging letters, Phillip doesn’t expect spinster Eloise to be as alluring as she is. Their tension finally erupts in Chapter 12 in the form of their first kiss — and they don’t stop there. He gets her off with his fingers while they make out, and it’s so hot that Eloise’s doubts that they’ll “suit” as a married couple are silenced. Post-wedding in Chapter 14, Eloise and Phillip get down to business yet again, though there’s a brief pause when Eloise sees his scars from being whipped by his dad. When they sleep together for the first time, the scene is more emotional than anything else. Still, Phillip goes down on Eloise first and almost gets off on it untouched, so we have to give him props. There’s a bit of spice after their love confession in Chapter 18, but it’s faster and less detailed.
Romancing Mister Bridgerton
Julia Quinn
Chapters: 9, 13, 15, 18
Colin and Penelope’s slow burn, friends-to-lovers story is a little more plot-heavy than smut-heavy because of Penelope’s gossip column drama, but they’ve got some steamy highlights. Their first kiss in Chapter 9 comes about when Penelope, thinking she may never get the opportunity to kiss anyone, asks Colin to do it. It’s not the hottest setup, but it ramps up when Colin loses himself in it and has to hold himself back from going too far. He saves that for the famous carriage scene in Chapter 13. Colin follows Penelope when he sees her get into an unmarked carriage, and though it leads to the Lady Whistledown revelation, they eventually can’t keep their hands off each other. He proposes immediately after their groping-kissing interlude, and their next spicy scene arrives in the form of a drawing room makeout session in Chapter 15. They don’t go all the way until Chapter 18. It’s punctuated by Colin telling his new bride just how beautiful he finds Penelope, an ample amount of dirty talk, and love confessions. Needless to say, they have to push forward the wedding date after.
The Duke and I
Julia Quinn
Chapters: 10, 15, 16, 18, 21
The Bridgerton series starts off with a bang. After they enter a fake-courting arrangement, Daphne has a heated encounter with the Duke of Hastings, Simon, in Chapter 10. They kiss and don’t go all the way, but it does lead to Simon proposing to protect Daphne’s reputation. They do, however, consummate their marriage on their wedding night. Chapter 15 really puts Simon’s experience in contrast to Daphne’s inexperience, but it gets hotter as it goes along. (Simon has got dirty talk down.) They don’t wait long to do the deed again in Chapter 16, but the hotness is a bit overshadowed by Daphne discovering that Simon lied to her about having kids. (He’s been pulling out before he reaches completion, and an oblivious Daphne didn’t realize that he was trying to keep her from getting pregnant.) It leads into the controversial Chapter 18, which we hesitate to call a “spicy” scene. Knowing now what she has to do to get pregnant, Daphne initiates sex with a half-asleep, half-drunk Simon, and she forces him to finish inside her. They make up by Chapter 21, leading to more emotional and less graphic sex.
It’s in His Kiss
Julia Quinn
Chapters: 7, 12, 14, 18, 20
Hyacinth and the rakish Gareth don’t waste much time. Though they’re caught up in the mystery of translating an Italian diary and finding the hidden treasure it describes, Gareth realizes quickly how much he wants Hyacinth in Chapter 7. (His desire is at first wrapped up in his need to feel as good and worthy as her. Gareth is illegitimate, but the rest of the Ton doesn’t know.) Still, he is desperately attracted to his partner in crime, and it manifests in their wanton first kiss, which Hyacinth cuts off. In Chapter 12, Gareth sneaks into Hyacinth’s room at her request. When they start making out and engaging in some fondling, Gareth realizes she could marry her and get back at his horrible “father.” When they do go all the way in Chapter 14, the hotness is lessened slightly by the fact that Gareth is trying to “ruin” Hyacinth and trap her into marriage, ignoring his real feelings for her. Still, the fiery pair is well-matched in the bedroom, which they prove again in Chapters 18 and 20.
The Viscount Who Loved Me
Julia Quinn
Chapters: 7, 17, 20
When enemies finally become lovers, their sex scenes are seriously hot. Anthony and Kate may wait to consummate their relationship until their wedding night — they’re forced to wed after they’re caught in a compromising-looking position — but the sexual tension begins early. Chapter 7 isn’t a full sex scene, but Anthony is so consumed by Kate that he almost gets carried away. On their wedding night in Chapter 17, Kate’s scared about her first time and Anthony’s a little too demanding with his desire, but eventually they’re both on the same page. The Viscount Who Loved Me has some of the best tension and foreplay… Let’s just say Anthony knows how to use his mouth. It gets even hotter when Kate expresses her insecurity about her looks, and Anthony vigorously corrects her, even while they’re in the middle of doing the deed. Chapter 20 is a little less detailed and more emotional as Anthony realizes how much he loves Kate. At first, he’s caught up in his fear of her eventual death and losing her, but he winds up losing himself in the moment. He can’t wait to have Kate, so there’s less build-up and more desperation.
When He Was Wicked
Julia Quinn
Chapters: 17, 19, 21, 22
Not only does When He Was Wicked have the most sex scenes, but they’re also the most graphic. Our girl Francesca, as mentioned, knows what she’s doing. After the death of her husband, John, Francesca hesitates to give in to her attraction to his former rake of a cousin, Michael. Michael’s always had feelings for his cousin’s wife — so he feels guilty, too — but it’s just physical for Francesca when they fall into bed. Their entanglement starts with a steamy smooch in Chapter 14, possibly the hottest first kiss in the entire Bridgerton series. Then, in Chapter 17, the book lives up to its title. Francesca and Michael’s first time is scorching, especially because Michael’s years-long, pent-up yearning. But the real showstopper is Chapter 19, when Francesca takes charge. She teases Michael and makes him wait before going all the way. There’s another steamy moment in Chapter 21, though Francesca stops it. They pick things back up in Chapter 22, after their wedding when Francesca realizes the depth of her feelings for Michael.
