I absolutely loved this, but at the time I read it I couldn't find it on Goodreads and while I was waiting for it to come up, it disappeared from my shelf.
I 100% recommend it.
It is a well-documented presentation of the people who made it into the gossip columns in the Regency era. Even though it is non-fiction, it is so juicy and compelling to read that I just couldn't put it down.
My only reason for not giving it 5 stars is the fact that my criteria for giving 5 don't normally apply to non-fiction. There is one memoir I gave 4.5, but I rarely do that, so don't mind my rating. It is still one of the best works of non-fiction I have ever read.

This was an accessible and engaging run through some of the most scandalous episodes of the Georgian period which, judging by the number of sources quoted, is also thoroughly researched. Despite the title, don't expect any significant tie-in with Bridgerton, because the connection is literally that it covers the entire period of history in which it is set. Some of the antics on the page here however make Bridgerton's exploits look tame.

If you are a fan of Bridgerton and historical romance then this is for you. A well researched and well written book, Catherine Curzon definitely knows her Georgian era. This is a fun book to read, full of gossipy tidbits and scandalous behaviour from the upper classes. Curzon paints a broad picture of both rich and poor and the Society in which they lived.
The rules of this Society were stringent in terms of how women were expected to behave and touches on the relative invisibility of that gender. Overall a very entertaining read and my thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review The Real Bridgerton. Top marks

I found this book to be full of fun facts and gossip. Being a fan of Bridgerton, I wanted to know what the season was like in reality and this book did not disappoint. I had no idea that Lady Whistledown was based on a real gossip column that was released to the ton. A very fun, gossipy read for any fan of Bridgerton.

We like to think that the scandalous behavior we see in the Netflix series, Bridgerton, is the folly of a writer's imagination (specifically that of Julia Quinn, author of the book series). But fiction so often can't hold a candle to the truth.

Author Catherine Curzon does a deep dive in Britain's lascivious history and shares a number titillating tidbits that sometimes make Bridgerton seem quite tame by comparison.

Nobility in the Georgian era appeared to have a strong libido - for anyone other than their partners. There were lots of rumors and lots of suspicions of adulterous behavior, but Curzon does a fine job with backing up much of this book with historical documentation. This comes primarily from newspaper accounts and legal trials ... husbands and wives would go to court to 'prove' infidelity (which was often the testimony of maids and servants as to seeing or hearing someone visiting rooms late at night) and the more prominent the persons the more the newspapers would report on the proceedings. Today's U.S. politicians buying time with porn stars or luring interns into bed isn't anything new.

This is a quick, well-written, well-researched read and I suspect only touches the surface (certainly the more prominent figures) of the illicit pastime for Britain's noteworthy. And, just as there is Lady Whistledown in Bridgerton, there was a Mrs. Crackenthorpe, who published The Female Tatler, for less than a year between 1709 and 1710 and the thrice weekly, The Tatler, published by Isaac Bickerstaff, Esq. which reported on society news and gossip.

Each of the subjects reported on here was sufficiently interesting and could probably worthy of having their own book, but I did appreciate the brevity, keeping it interesting and moving on. Even so, they began to sound the same. 'He' (insert royal title and name) has affairs with women (who probably like his power or status. His wife begins to have affairs and he gets upset.

One that does stand out as being a bit different was Anne Lister (b. 1791) who is considered to be the first modern lesbian and was in the first lesbian marriage (1834) in Britain.

Looking for a good book? Fans of Bridgerton or any kind of sexual 'scandal' should find The Real Bridgerton, by Catherine Curzon, a quick, entertaining read.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

The Real Bridgerton is a juicy, interesting read! The regency period was a wild, wild time and I was entertained throughout this whole read! I would say you could not make this stuff up but I do read a lot of regency fiction, but this is amazing that these were real-life people creating all this chaos in a time that you think is refined and dignified at all times.
The Real Bridgerton is well-researched, well-written and very enjoyable. I plan on getting it on audiobook when it's available in the US, it would be great read as an audiobook if you're too busy or don't enjoy reading historical non-fiction. I hope someone makes a documentary as well, there's a lot of material to work with!
Very interesting book that I'd recommend to history lovers or historical fiction fans that want to hear about the real-life counterparts of their fictional characters.

This book is full of juicy gossip, jaw dropping scandals, and newspaper worthy events in the Georgian era! I was on the edge of my seat with each new story and characters (or reoccurring characters!) that were on the page. History is something I love to read but it can be dry or difficult to grasp. This is definitely not that. The shocking stories of the past were engaging, surprising and reflective of the culture they lived in. It was a hard world for women in horrible marriages and the children who saw how their mothers suffered. This all came through with juicy stories and interesting characters that showed us the reality of the aristocracy. This is a definite read!

I received an arc via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

In The Real Bridgerton, Catherine Curzon explores the many scandals and wild characters from the eighteenth century. Across the English nobility, Curzon provides an enjoyable, raunchy, and outrageous perspective of the incidents and social scandals that her historical figures would have wanted swept under the rug. Providing a new and accessible perspective to the eighteenth century and Regency period a la Bridgerton, Curzon launches her reader immediately into the thick of the period, exploring a host of scandals (major and minor), divorces, dramas, and everything in between. Covering a wide swath of history in short, accessible vignette chapters, Curzon’s prose is to the point yet full of detail, and she immaculately translates the real drama of it all into prose for the reader. Her book serves as an excellent entry point for new history readers and fans who want the action of history without the long build up and biography. The narratives are fascinating and engaging, and Curzon deftly handles multiple short narratives over the course of the book. Overall, Curzon creates an engaging book composed of a variety of short narratives, all of which attract the reader’s attention and draw them into the eighteenth century.

This was a wonderful read that definitely rivaled Lady Whistledown's gossip. I was so excited to receive a copy and be able to read about the real history. This was a delightful read and it would make a wonderful gift for friends.

Loved this book! This selection of juicy Georgian stories are well chosen and definitely worth re-reading. Lady Whistledown has nothing on this lot.

Brilliantly well written, this book will tell you some of the scandals of the Georgian Court both humorous and poignant.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Georgian period or Court history in general

The tidbits in this book would rival any of Lady Whistledown's despatches. However, these are real events that take place during the times covered in the Bridgerton books. And it remains that real life can be stranger--and more scandalous--than fiction.

It is very easy to read and flows along like any gossip magazine. Dry history this is not and it is not bogged down by in depth analysis. For that is not what this is trying to be. Entertaining and informative as well.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

I loved this look at the real people and era that inspired the hit show Bridgerton. The author has put together a compilation of real scandals from regency era Britain and some of them make the show seem staid and placed in compare! What these people got up to back then! I am not giving any spoilers so you will just have to read this book yourselves if you want to know. You won't be sorry once you do.
This contains several short stories and anecdotes about the scandals of the time, info gotten from scandal sheets, newspapers, court transcripts and more. Some you may have already known, but there are many you won't, all are interesting and most made me ask, what in the world were they really thinking when they did that? Some I just don't get what drove them to act the way they did? Boredom? I have no idea, but it is quite a riot reading about the aristocratic behaviors of what was deemed "polite society" which as it turns out wasn't so polite at all!
I recommend this book and give 5 stars! It is non-fiction but reads as easily as fiction, you can breeze through in one sitting or break it up and read a scandal here and there. Thank you to Pen & Sword Publishing and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

This was a great read! I've been a fan of the Regency period for years now and with Bridgerton coming out on Netflix it's been exciting to see more light being shed on the time period. The writing style was really accessible and it felt like a conversation rather than text on the page. If you also enjoy learning about this era then pick this book up!

This book guides us through a century of aristocratic scandals, covering both stories that are well-known today and others that have faded from public memory, discussing adultery, murder, and even incest.

I read an awful lot of historical romance, and many Regency romances use the plot device of social ruin being carried around town by scandal sheets. Having read this book though, I am rather astonished that these fictional scandals managed to shock anyone at all, considering what the aristocracy was really getting up too!

The author recounts about twenty-five stories, with a few additional vignettes here and there, about a plethora of rich people behaving badly. Some figures discussed, such as Caroline Lamb and Emma Hamilton, are well-known to me, but Curzon added enough new details that I still found myself interested. The majority of the stories I had never heard of, which shocked me considering how strange and sensational some of them were.

The author recounts each story with enough detail to get a clear picture of the rather tangled social connections of everyone involved and explanations of what made these scandals so beyond the pale during the time period. However, I did wish we got a better understanding of how they were viewed by society at large, particularly in those cases which made their way to the public stage via the legal system - we get some catty remarks by other aristocrats and the occasional quote from a newspaper, but not much about consequences for those beyond the central figures.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for sending me an ebook version of this read! I'm rounding up to 4, but I'd give it more of a 3.75.

As a Bridgerton lover, I was so excited to read this. I love scandal and the Regency Era is such a fun time. The Real Bridgerton is an enjoyable read, filled with familiar and new figures. Some of the things that happened in these stories were so surprising to hear happening at that time. There's heartbreaking stories of society screwing over women, and heartwarming anecdotes of lovers being together against all odds. There's also a lot of weird, a lot of wild.

This book is very binge-able. Quick stories and even smaller anecdotes dotted throughout them. It's a short read and a good middle ground for someone who prefers fiction over non-fic.

At times, I felt the stories needed more context and more fleshing out. I didn't always know the figures it was discussing, but the way some bits were written assumed that I would know. Same with some laws and references to things from the time: they needed a bit more explanation.

I also felt like it didn't do enough to reframe the scandals. It was fun to read them as they were, but I wanted some comment on the way society functioned/failed. We got it at times, but other times the language fell into the sensationalising that was common in the gossip pamphlets. I thought it was going to be more about de-mystifying some of these stories, but it was mostly just a retelling of the scandals as they were received back in the day.

However, it was a very fun read. It's easy to dip in and out of with the short stories. If you're looking for a non-fic that feels like a regency romance novel, definitely check this out!

Entertaining and fast-paced, this is a short collection of scandals across the Georgian era. Told in vignettes of generally only a few pages, these scandals cover everyone from the Prince of Wales to Anne Lister, and a good chunk of the aristocracy in between. You can be forgiven for wondering how anyone got anything accomplished for all the bed hopping going on- although occasionally the 'scandals' of the time are the occasional strong willed woman wealthy enough to live life on her own terms.

Readers who know anything about history of this era will already know some of these stories, but there are plenty in here that will be unfamiliar to the general reader, keeping things interesting along the way.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I love the Georgian era and Bridgerton so I was really excited for this book! Curzon writes brief chapters on the various scandals happening at this time, with sources from gossip papers, court transcripts, and memoirs from the time period.

Interesting to learn how gossip was spread during the Georgian era and get a glimpse into the history. The chapters are short which can be nice to read during spare moments. However this also meant so many names that I honestly couldn’t keep track of who was who, and had trouble keeping details straight.

It feels more like a compilation of scandals/gossip without diving into the actual history of the time or social concepts of marriage, sexuality, gender roles, etc. I would’ve enjoyed it more if the info on each scandal was slightly more detailed instead of the highlights, and provided with more historical context. I often found my eyes glazing over and going through the motions of reading without retaining the information because it could be so confusing trying to keep track of everyone mentioned.

This wasn't for me but maybe others will enjoy it, the idea is there but the execution fell flat. I personally think it would’ve been more well done if the author focused on 5-10 “cases” rather than 20+ therefore providing more detail and making it less confusing with how many people are seemingly involved in each scandal.

Great book about the real lives of those who lived in the Regency era. Although the Bridgerton series is loosely based on the actual facts during this time period, this book is the facts. From scandelous tales and bedroom whispers this book has all and more than you would expect. Actual people living lives that were caught up in everyday drama based on facts. This author did a wonderful job of documenting what some of us would beleive that is could be far fetch but actually all true.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are of my own.

The Real Bridgerton by Catherine Curzon takes a look at the real life scandals and intrigues of Georgian Britain. The title is pretty apt as a lot of the stories in this book would make Bridgerton seem like a chaste regency romance. It is pretty extraordinary what people got up to: incest and masturbation admitted as evidence in court are just a couple of the incidents that come to mind.

The mix of single paragraph incidents and longer stories give it a coffee table feel and I liked dipping in and out of it., very much like sticking my hand into the biscuit jar and pulling out a sordid bit of gossip.

What I found most interesting was the source material; the book is filled with quotations from scandal sheets, court transcripts, newspapers and memoirs from the time. Its such a fascinating way to see these stories and shows that gossip and scandal are not modern concepts at all.

At the heart of this gossip and intrigue are real people with real issues and problems, not dissimilar to the struggles that people have today and they are not lost here. You are left thinking about people like Caroline Lamb and Anne Lister: people attempting to live life on their own terms with any failure ridiculed in the penny sheets.

This ARC was supplied by netgalley and all thoughts are entirely my own.