As you make your way through all the Regency scandals your heart desires, This Author advises you to prepare yourself. Here’s a character cheat sheet to help you parse who’s who and what they’re all up to based on information from both the novels and season one (so yes, Dearest Reader, there are many spoilers). Since some of us have already tackled this world in book form, we have insider knowledge that may be useful as you make your way through the TV show.

Add in all the other lords and ladies and dukes and anonymous gossip columnists who spend the social season in London and you have a whole mess of people to keep straight. If you’re thinking, Umm, this seems like a lot, and I am already confused, you’re not alone! The Bridgertons may be named in alphabetical order, but for newbies to the ton, they’re easy to mix up.

Both seasons dip into some of the later novels while making necessary changes, not just in the show’s racially diverse casting but with new or revamped story lines. The second season follows suit and pulls its major arc from the second novel, The Viscount Who Loved Me, about firstborn son Anthony. Spanning 1813 to 1827, the eight books chronicle the lives and loves and steamy hookups of the eight Bridgerton siblings (each novel focuses on a different sibling’s story), who are part of a well-off and well-respected family in high-society London, aka “the ton” - short for “ le bon ton” or “good manners.” The first season of Bridgerton aligns most closely with the first book in the series, The Duke and I, and follows the eldest Bridgerton daughter Daphne’s story. The Netflix series, produced by Shonda Rhimes and created by Chris Van Dusen, is based on the best-selling Regency-era romance novels by Julia Quinn. Which is to say: Bridgerton is back for season two. Tighten up those corsets and snap open those folding fans, people: It’s swooning season. The second season of Netflix’s Bridgerton aligns with the second book in the series, The Viscount Who Loved Me, and follows the story of eldest Bridgerton son Anthony and Kate Sharma.

The duke and i book