The show was also a great gift for romance lovers.
But what will change, and who will benefit, is a story that has not yet been written.
Times of uncertainty turned everyone into a romantic
“Love, sex and relationships are universally attractive themes,” says Dare.
They are also profitable. A spokeswoman for Avon, the publisher of the “Bridgerton” novels, told CNN that sales of the original eight “Bridgerton” books have increased exponentially since the program’s debut. “
It is no surprise that these ultra-romantic and ultra-sensual things are at the top of the bestseller lists and breaking streaming records. In fact, it is just business as usual.
“Last year was very difficult for everyone. Collectively, we needed a mass infusion of joy,” says Dare. “If the world can’t agree on anything else, at least 63 million families can celebrate the Duke of Hastings’ perfectly arched brow.”
“Bridgerton” could attract new romance readers
Despite being a prosperous and evolving genre, strangers often view novels with disdain. Each time a series like “Bridgerton” gains a cultural foothold, part of that stigma disappears. The effect can be win-win for both parties, drawing more readers into the romance universe and encouraging longtime fans, who may have hidden their passion, to share more about the genre they love.
Why, exactly, romance writers and readers continue to struggle with these assumptions is a thorny question.
“Sexism”, Tessa Dare says simply. “Society is prepared to see anything produced by women for women as inferior, and there has always been an assumption that the novel is frivolous, poorly written and has little appeal to men. Bridgerton’s success is proving that all of these assumptions are false. “
That kind of value can’t be marked with a dollar sign, and when social media is full of people joking and sharing their sassy romantic opinions, it’s not just increasing financial results. It is revealing the true impact of the genre and inviting others to warm up under the softly lit glow.
New eyes on the novel highlight inclusion
So while “Bridgerton”, the TV series, provides an inclusive experience for its fans, that level of representation is not transported to the world of romance as it is. While there are sparks of new interest in the industry, the writers are hopeful that the program’s success will prompt readers to explore a wider range of romance stories.
“We welcome new readers via ‘Bridgerton’ with open arms,” says Suliekha Snyder. “But the critical point with the ‘high tide raises all boats’ philosophy is that sometimes it only raises certain boats.”
“Will these new people gravitate only to the white novel of the Regency era? Or will opening a Julia Quinn book and realizing that the duke is really white will make them look for more diverse and inclusive books, thus expanding the network?”
When Snyder, who is South Asian, began to write novels, she realized that many books of the genre fetishized and treated South Asians. This led her to write stories with characters from the South Asian heritage.
Snyder warns against seeing this level of “diversity” in the publication as some kind of option or a way to fill a special shelf in the store. It is, she points out, simply reality.
“Diversity and inclusion are not just an educational tool. They are our lives. It’s how we love it, ”she says. “And this is part of the struggle that we have had in the last few decades. Just remind people that [authors of color] they exist and are real and that our books have as much mass appeal as those of a white author. “
Speaking of mass appeal, the TV show “Bridgerton” also raised tantalizing questions about the popularity of inclusive media.
“I don’t think of it as if the series helped drive the conversation about diversity in the novel,” says author Alyssa Cole. “But if it wasn’t the other way around”
In short, it is common to assume that stories like these don’t sell.
But, Cole postulates, the truth revealed by Bridgerton’s success, and the future it can invite, are more promising.
“At this point, we saw several novel adaptations with black characters and colored characters added – would these programs have been so successful without a diverse cast?” she asks. “And if diversity is an integral part of the success of an adaptation, why not adapt more books by authors of color?”
In the novel, everyone deserves a happy ending
If there is really going to be a “Bridgerton effect” in the romance industry, it’s clear that it has to be one that pushes writers and readers from all backgrounds. After all, the unifying theme of the novel – whether you like werewolves, cybersex, kilts Scots or corset women – is that everyone deserves a happy ending.
“I think that’s where the importance of inclusion is, having that space to safely navigate our identities, knowing that this will end in a happily ever after,” says Snyder. “Queer readers, color readers … when we reflect on the pages, we see our happily ever after normalized. And this is radical. It shouldn’t be. It should be common. But we are still not there, unfortunately.”
Those are the things to remember the next time someone considers the romance frivolous. Yes, there is sex. Yes, there is fun and escapism. And these things do not justify excuses.
But romance means more to people than that.
“It is very feminist. In many novels, the woman is saving herself. It is so pro-consent – it is our fantasy, that we want to be treated with respect ”, says Roni Loren.
Cole says another big attraction is trust. “The characters are usually protected due to past trauma. Part of their story is learning to trust someone, and that trust is not a mistake, ”she says.
“One of the biggest fantasies is that you can show yourself – all of yourself, including the bad things – to a partner or friend and trust them to still love you. In a romance, that trust is always rewarded in the end.”
When readers open a novel, they trust that something from them will be reflected in these pages, no matter who they are, who they love or how they live.
And if a very sexy and lucrative Netflix show can pave the way for more of these stories to be told, then bring the love.