Bridgerton author Julia Quinn spills on how she feels about the TV deviation from her books

In Australia for the first time since her best-selling books were adapted into a Netflix blockbuster, Julia Quinn talks about her favourite character and how she’s feeling the pressure.

While fans expressed their outrage online at the news Bridgerton would deviate from their beloved books’ timeline, author Julia Quinn is not fussed in the slightest.

Netflix’s hit series is expected to return for its highly anticipated third season later this year which will explore the love story between Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlin).

It means the raunchy Regency-era romance will skip ahead in Quinn’s book series, and adapt the events of the fourth book in the franchise, Romancing Mister Bridgerton.

Quinn, who was touring Australia with HarperCollins for the first time since her books hit the screen, isn’t among those who have fears when beloved books are adapted for screen.

Especially with revered TV creator Shonda Rhimes – the hit maker behind Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and Station 19 – in charge.

Julia Quinn takes a break from her HarperCollins book tour in Hyde Park. Picture: Julian Andrews

“Shondaland, I mean, they are simply the best people in TV – I’m certainly not going to tell Shonda Rhimes how to make television,” Quinn said,

“And it’s not even just about the finished product, as a company they align with all my values. I really wasn’t worried at all.

“I also think there’s the fact I am very passionate about my characters, but when I shut the book, I shut the book.

“I don’t live and breathe the characters all the time. I’m able to give myself a certain degree of separation that other authors have some degree of difficulty in doing.”

One of Quinn’s favourite characters in the Netflix adaptation is the indomitable Queen Charlotte, who actually doesn’t feature in her original novels.

“Hands down, my favourite change that they made for the show was adding Queen Charlotte as character,” she said.

Netflix just announced the Bridgerton prequel will air in May. Centred on Queen Charlotte’s rise to prominence and power, the six-episode series tells the story of how the young Queen’s marriage to King George sparked both a great love story and a societal shift, creating the world of the ton inherited by the characters in Bridgerton.

The books that inspired a show, which inspired another show and now a book, are the gift that keeps giving. Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) prequel drops on Netflix in May. Picture: Liam Daniel

And now Quinn is co-writing a book with Rhimes inspired by the TV prequel.

“So you have a set of books that inspired a show, that inspired another show which has now inspired a book,” Quinn said.

While Quinn’s not privy to when the “Polin” season will drop on the streamer, she put paid to rumours circulating that production had stopped to completely rework the script.

“I saw that stuff on the internet as well – and as far as I know, there’s no truth to it,” she said, before sharing her own favourite conspiracy theory.

“There’s this one going around that I left a hint on my website as to the order of who’s going to star in the next series – like if you look at the character pages.

“And I laugh, if you guys think I’m organised enough to drop subtext hints on my website … I can tell you there is no truth to that rumour either.”

It’s Colin’s (Luke Newton) turn for love in Bridgerton series 3, skipping past Book 3 in the original series. Picture: Liam Daniel

And – not really a spoiler alert – he’ll finally realise it’s his dear friend Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlin) who holds his heart. Although when the new third instalment of the raunchy Regency-era series will drop is still up in the air. Picture: Liam Daniel

While the financial pressure’s certainly off the best-selling author, there’s a whole level of scrutiny the Netflix series has brought.

“I don’t need to write a book in order to support my family,” Quinn shares. “I no longer have the financial pressure to get a book done in a certain amount of time, so that’s quite liberating.

“But there is a new pressure, which is that whatever comes next is going to be scrutinised in a way that my other stuff wasn’t.

“So I do feel the pressure to make sure I really get it right. I’m still waiting for the exact right idea.”

Queen Charlotte, May 4, Netflix

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, released later this year

Originally published as Bridgerton author Julia Quinn spills on how she feels about the TV deviation from her books