If you loved Bridgerton's scandalous ballrooms, try these 10 Regency romances

If Bridgerton's got you craving more ballroom scheming, forbidden glances across drawing rooms, and the kind of scandal that requires a lady to take to her fainting couch, you're in luck. These classic romance novels from the Regency era deliver all the corseted longing and improper proposals your heart can handle — minus the Netflix budget.

A Scandalous Marriage — Cathy Maxwell

Lady Leah Carrollton's in a bind: marry well or watch her family's estate crumble. Enter Rex, whose reputation precedes him in all the worst ways. Maxwell knows how to work the marriage-of-convenience trope — these two start as reluctant allies and end up in territory that would definitely raise eyebrows at Almack's. The tension simmers exactly as it should.

Her Scandalous Affair — Candice Hern

A respectable widow decides respectability is overrated and embarks on an affair that would have the ton clutching their pearls. Hern writes Regency romance for readers who like their heroines a bit older, wiser, and utterly uninterested in playing by society's rules. This one's got the wit and heat of Bridgerton's steamier moments without the Netflix-mandated soft focus.

An Affair Most Wicked — Julianne MacLean

Clara Wilson's already scandal-adjacent when she gets tangled up with exactly the wrong man — or is he? MacLean delivers chemistry that crackles and a plot that keeps you guessing. This is the kind of book that makes you miss your train stop because you absolutely need to know if they're going to ruin each other or save each other first.

To Tame a Dangerous Lord — Nicole Jordan

Fifth in a series but stands alone just fine. Jordan serves up a hero whose danger isn't just reputation — there's actual intrigue here, the kind involving secrets and stakes higher than who's dancing with whom. The heroine's got backbone and the kind of determination that makes for excellent verbal sparring. Think less dance floor, more shadowy corners of the estate.

Ravishing in Red — Madeline Hunter

Audrianna Kelmsleigh's family is broke, and she's determined to fix it — even if that means scheming her way into situations a proper lady would avoid. Hunter writes smart heroines and heroes who respect that intelligence, which makes the romance land harder when it finally does. The banter here rivals anything Daphne and Simon served up.

A Rival Heir — Laura Matthews

Inheritance drama meets romance when Caroline discovers she's not the only one eyeing the family fortune. Matthews leans into the enemies-to-lovers energy with two stubborn leads who'd rather die than admit they're attracted to each other. Perfect for anyone who loved watching Anthony and Kate pretend they weren't completely obsessed.

The Princess of Park Lane — Jacqueline Navin

An American heiress hits London's most exclusive address and discovers that propriety is more of a suggestion when the right person's involved. Navin captures that fish-out-of-water energy that makes for excellent comedic tension before the inevitable falling-into-bed — or at least into scandalously close proximity. There's something deeply satisfying about watching an outsider shake up stuffy society.

The Heiress of Hyde Park — Jacqueline Navin

Another Navin, because she knows her way around an heiress with attitude and a love interest who's absolutely not what society had in mind. This one plays with the fortune-and-expectations formula in ways that feel fresh even if you've read a thousand Regency romances. The Hyde Park setting adds that London-specific glamour that Bridgerton fans will eat up.

The Beauty of Bond Street — Jacqueline Navin

An American fashion buyer meets a British antique dealer on Bond Street, and the sparks are immediate. Navin excels at writing women with ambition who aren't about to shelve their dreams for anyone — until, of course, they meet someone worth reconsidering for. The London setting is lush, the romance is smart, and the whole thing feels like the grown-up version of a Regency fantasy.

These are the kind of classic romance novels the Regency era was made for — all scandal, social climbing, and the delicious tension of two people who absolutely should not but definitely will. Come browse the romance shelves and find your next improper read.