REVIEW: Inside Bridgerton by Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers

In brief: Behind the scenes of Seasons 1 and 2 of Bridgerton, from costumes to music to sets.

The good: Great to get detailed explanations of why the costumes and music were done as they were.

The not-so-good: Hardcover = heavy to read in the middle of summer.

Why I chose it: Loved the Bridgerton books and series.

Year: 2022

Pages: 285

Publisher: Piatkus (Hachette)

Setting: The set of Bridgerton

Rating: 9 out of 10

Like millions of other people, I’m a fan of the Bridgerton books by Julia Quinn, but I was introduced to them by the Netflix series Bridgerton. With its modern spin on an inclusive Regency world, how could you not be bedazzled by the colours, jewels and food? This behind-the-scenes book is perfect for any fan of the show, and a great way to build up to Season 3 and Polin (that’s Penelope and Colin).

The book is lavishly illustrated with both posed photographs and behind the scenes shots of the shoots. It’s not uncommon to see Queen Charlotte sitting at a table laden with food in her OTT wig, surrounded by people in puffer jackets and jeans. At first it’s a little odd to see the contrast of history and modern, but you get used to it. (Also, you can pore over the detail of all the delicious looking food and flowers, something you don’t always get to dwell in the fast paced series).

Usually with a book accompanying a TV series or film, I can get through it in an afternoon. It’s usually a lot of pictures with not much text. Inside Bridgerton delivers on both the writing and picture front, which is really rare! It took me several days to get through this book. What’s also rare is that it goes deep – it’s not just interviews with the actors and a run down of episodes. The book assumes you, dearest reader, know your Bridgerton, and want more. It really does deliver on every aspect of production and goes in deeper to some key scenes, such as Daphne and Simon and the painting plus some lavish balls. I found the world building fascinating with the amount of detail that goes into everything from how quickly the actors speak to the use of silence to build tension. The way the crew shot Bridgerton was fascinating too, followed by editing done remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It could have turned out messily, but it all worked brilliantly.

There are interviews and explanations from a lot of the crew that also go into detail, so much so that I find myself wanting to rewatch the series so I can pick up on the lighting, music and costume details. This is definitely a book worthy of the series!