The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After: Includes Violet's Story

I love Julia Quinn's books. Love them. The Bridgerton Series is so much fun. Ms. Quinn tugs at my heart strings and makes me want to hug her characters. Then I'm laughing out loud. Hanging out with her characters is a lovely way to spend an afternoon. And with so many books, one can spend weeks with them! At one point Julia Quinn had these "second epilogues" posted on her website, but people wanted to HOLD them, wanted to place them on the shelves alongside her novels. She listened and gathered them together to share with us. I am remiss in that I haven't read each and every one of the Bridgerton novels, but that didn't keep me from totally enjoying this anthology. I devoured these peeks into the future of the Bridgertons. And those novels that I hadn't read, didn't matter, I was quickly caught up in the stories. Ms. Quinn, as she writes her series, brings characters from the previous books in. It's like visiting with old friends. I love it. And this anthology is just like that, a visit with old friends! And new ones, too. She has written stories for the children of the main characters, and that's fun, too. She also tied up a few loose ends...diamonds! That will make sense if you've read the series! I needed a tissue as I read Violet's story. She's the mother of the Bridgertons. The mother of eight children! When the series starts, she's been widowed for over a decade. In her story, we see the love she held for their father, Edmund. Yes, I admit to sniffling through those pages. It was great! If you are looking for a lovely historical series to read, one that will touch you and make you laugh, The Bridgertons is the series for you. You'll find hours of enjoyment! This is FIVE BOOKMARKS for the JOY it brought me. This and other reviews can be read at my blog: First Page to the Last

This collection was the most perfect ending to the series and I’m so glad I waited to read it at the end! If you haven’t read the Bridgerton books then definitely don’t read the 2nd epilogues because it’ll spoil things for you with the series. It had all the siblings & Mama Violet and just the best of each of their books revisited in a new way. The Duke and I - 20 years later, Daphne is now 41 & finds out she is expecting their 5th child, which is a surprise as their youngest child is already 16-years-old. Colin & Penelope show up to chat with Simon because their son is 3-years-old & not speaking yet. Simon decides to open his late father’s letters which reveal & help with nothing. The Viscount Who Loved Me - every year Anthony & Kate have a rematch of their epic Pall Mall game (that took place in book 2) with all the original players present (Colin, Daphne, Simon, Edwina). Their competitiveness has only heightened in the 15 years & it was such a fun time! An Offer From a Gentleman - Sophie & Benedict play matchmaker for her stepsister Posy & set her up their new neighbor, the vicar. Romancing Mr. Bridgerton - takes place after Colin & his brothers show up at Sir Phillip’s house to find out where Eloise ran off to in book 5. Colin & Penelope return for Eloise’s wedding, where Penelope & Eloise both confess to secrets they held from one another. Sweet BFF time. To Sir Phillip, With Love - follows Phillip & stepmom Eloise’s daughter Amanda, who is all grown up & finding her own love match. This one is told in first person! When He Was Wicked - Francesca & Michael have been married for 3 years and the question of if Francesca is able to become a mother like she so desperately wished in her book is finally answered. It’s in His Kiss - Hyacinth & Gareth’s daughter Isabella found the jewelry they’d been searching for at the end of their book, now this epilogue starts up 9 years later (when Isabella is 19 and Hyacinth & Gregory have been married for 22 years). And Hyacinth finally finds the jewelry she’s been searching for. On the Way to the Wedding - picks up right where we left off in the book’s epilogue when Lucy gives birth to twins, bringing her and Gregory’s children total to 9. Violet in Bloom - Violet & Edmund’s through the years was the sweetest, hardest thing to read. Knowing where the story would go I was sobbing reading their bittersweet love story but I loved every minute of it too. Violet is just the best book-Mama ever.

I have been a fan of historical romances for almost six years now and I have Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series to thank for that. I discovered this genre by chance when I was looking for gift ideas for my mother and saw a five-star review for The Duke and I. She loved it so much that she told me I had to try it and the rest was history. I read the entire series within two months, glommed the rest of her backlist, and eagerly anticipate each new release. Because of my fond memories of reading about the Bridgerton family, I was ecstatic to learn that Julia Quinn was writing second epilogues featuring these characters and releasing them in a massive anthology. In full disclosure, I have read most of these novellas before when they were released as single titles over the years, but I re-read them in order to do this review. I am going to provide a brief summary of each novella and then sum up my thoughts on the entire anthology at the end. I will say that there may be minor spoilers for people who have not finished the Bridgerton series so you have been warned! The Duke and I: Second Epilogue revisits Simon and Daphne after twenty years of marriage when they get a bit of a surprise. At the same time, they also have an unexpected visit from Colin and Penelope who are concerned that their son is not speaking yet which brings up memories for Simon. For The Viscount Who Loved Me, Julia Quinn has Kate, Anthony, and the rest of the crew in a rematch of the infamous Pall Mall scene. It shows the main couple as being comfortable in their marriage, but still competitive in every way possible. The epilogue for An Offer From a Gentleman doesn't deal directly with Benedict and Sophie, but focuses on a popular side character. Sophie's stepsister, Posy, finally gets her own happily ever after thanks to an idea from Benedict. Romancing Mr. Bridgerton: Second Epilogue takes place soon after the completion of the original book and shows how Penelope tells Eloise about being Lady Whistledown. It focuses primarily on Penelope and Eloise's friendship rather than Colin and Penelope as a couple. The novella for To Sir Phillip with Love is told from the point of view of Eloise's stepdaughter, Amanda, and shows the influence that Eloise has had on her life. It features Amanda's devotion to her family and how she falls in love. When He Was Wicked shows Michael and Francesca being happy after four years of marriage yet they still struggle with infertility. Many of the Bridgertons make cameos in this one as the main couple visits for the christening of Hyacinth's daughter. Hyacinth gets her just desserts in the epilogue for It's In His Kiss because her daughter, Isabella, is exactly like her mother. It specifically focuses on Isabella's discovery of the jewels from the first book and how she hides it from her family. On the Way to the Wedding takes place almost immediately after Lucy gives birth to her and Gregory's twins (babies eight and nine). Things take a more serious route in this story when complications arise from the birth. This anthology also includes "Violet in Bloom" which tells the tale of Lady Bridgerton herself. It begins with her first meeting with Edmund and shows key parts of their relationship until its tragic ending. Then, the story shifts gears and shows Violet's life after Edmund's death all the way to her own reflection at seventy five years old. As a Bridgerton fan, I enjoyed all the stories in this collection. My personal favorites were the second epilogues for The Viscount Who Loved Me, When He Was Wicked, and The Duke and I. I also have to say that I had a hard time getting through "Violet in Bloom" because of the scenes involving Edmund/Violet and the heartbreaking reflection of Lady Bridgerton at the end of the everything. But, overall, I had a great time revisiting the Bridgerton clan and am glad that Julia Quinn let us spend more time with her beloved characters.

If you love the Bridgerton sagas you will love this book!! Nicely wraps up each of the 8 stories and offers a "teaser" on what Violet Bridgerton's back story might look like should there be one. Easy read.

I'm gald I decided to order it. Since I have the bridgerton collection.

It came in great condition however it does not match my other I did look it up and found out it doesn’t come in the small size so I guess I have to deal with it

I bought this book for the Kindle Fire HD the day it came out, and now on the day after, I find myself as much in love with the Bridgertons as ever. For those who have read the Bridgertons' and fell in love with them as well as their stories, this is the perfect compendium to finish off the series. The stories contained in this book are based entirely off of the best parts of the eight previous books we have grown to love, but in a fair twist of genius, each contains their own little self dependent universe. This story was written with the fans in mind, and I applaud Ms. Quinn on doing the job of telling nine short stories so succinctly and so well. The book displays heart and heartache, comedy, tragedy, and lessons on always remembering that family is important. Perhaps most importantly of all, however, is that romance doesn't end with an "I do", but that it is, instead, the wonderful beginning to a wonderful life. Please pick this book up and enjoy it as much as I did. And the other Bridgerton novels as well. They are far and away my favourite series of this genre.

I attribute my "getting back into reading " as an adult to Julia Quinn. She is an amazing storyteller and I for one am thankful that she shared the Bridgerton family with us. I have never been able to pick a favorite from the Bridgerton family stories because every story has a moment where I feel like I've just learned a life lesson - I'll call them little epiphanies. This gem of a book contains the 2nd epilogues from the family stories. A few I had already read, but the ones that I hadn't seen were, as expected, simply wonderful. I really love that we were given a glimpse into Violet and Edmund's story - the perfect way to end the series. Edmund was better then expected...a bit more like a cross of Benedict and Gregory and I think I loved the family even more with this portrayal (Although if you are read this JQ I would love to put in a plug for more of their story - from the dance where the met again, to the wedding...to know what happened in those 6 months would no doubt be a great read). So, sad as I am that "HEA" is probably the swan song for the Bridgerton family stories, I look forward to anything, anything at all that Julia creates! If you like regency romance, make sure you read the series. If you haven't read any, start with the Bridgerton family.

muy bueno fue para mi novia

This book ties up all the lose ends and really helps with each of the characters

The last of the much-loved book series for me, which sums up all the earlier 8 books and gives the second epilogue to all of them in one place. I actually wanted to know what happens with each Bridgerton kid after they all get married one by one and settle with their life partners, and to finally know what happens with their mother, one of my favourite Bridgerton character Violet, reading the Violet in Bloom as the last chapter of this book was totally amazing. It was fantastic to read 40-50 pages dedicated to each kid starting in alphabetical order as they are named in the story, starting from Anthony and going upto Gregory with all the rest in between :). The only grudge in this one was no mention of either Lady Danbury, one of my all-time favourite characters, or anything on much-loved Queen Charlotte, who usually makes a guest appearance in all her stories. Nevertheless, Julia Quinn has become the fifth most-read author for me, after my all-time favourite, Stephen King, followed closely by my young age favourite, Jeffrey Archer, further followed by Nicholas Sparks (my romantic author) and historical fiction, until he was writing Wilbur Smith. I haven’t read more than 4-5 books by any author in one particular year, but this year I have read 9 from Julia Quinn, and that too almost back to back :). She is full on entertainment and good on happiness quotient as far as my reading taste goes. I am going to change that in 2026 and want a new writer to show up in my list, overtaking all three above. Also, I had to read this one and close the chapter on the Bridgerton family once, and for all, as come Jan 2026 end, we have another season of TV series coming up based on Benedict’s life and story, which I am definitely looking forward to. I loved reading these books for their simple yet heart-touching story, and with so much humour of a close-knit joint family feeling they gave. Have you read Happily Ever After and loved it too? Do let me know if you have a personal favourite Bridgerton novel or any other Julia Quinn novel that stayed with you for a long time. I may read a few from her other series just to check if they are any good.

Well such a good conclusion to the Bridgeton series. What did l like most in the book? Firstly l loved and laughed with the annual sports day. I thought it was like Harry Potter's Quidditch games - all craziness and competition. Next it was great to see more of Francesca. She was daughter who was there but wasn't in the first few books "married and up in Scotland". So to hear more about her was a joy. I was pleased that Hyacinth finally found this missing jewellery, not for the value, more to end her constant frustrated searching. Finally it was lovely to get the back story about Edmund and Violet and to understand why Violet was happy not to pursue any further relationships after Edmund passed away. Overall it had been a wonderful ride through the Bridgerton era.

Great book