Here’s what happens in season three of Bridgerton based on the books

A few weeks ago, Netflix teased Bridgerton fans with an exclusive look into the next season of the show. Although there is no official release date yet, the series finished filming in March of this year.

Bridgerton season three will be based on the fourth book in the series, Romancing Mr Bridgerton by Julia Quinn. Skipping Benedict’s love story in the third book, it will focus on the love story between Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton. Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton will reprise their roles once again, but what else is there to know about Bridgerton season three?

The official synopsis for Bridgerton season three reads: “Penelope Featherington has finally given up on her long-held crush on Colin Bridgerton after hearing his disparaging words about her last season. She has, however, decided it’s time to take a husband, preferably one who will provide her with enough independence to continue her double life as Lady Whistledown, far away from her mother and sisters. But lacking in confidence, Penelope’s attempts on the marriage mart fail spectacularly.

“Meanwhile, Colin has returned from his summer travels with a new look and a serious sense of swagger. But he’s disheartened to realise that Penelope, the one person who always appreciated him as he was, is giving him the cold shoulder. Eager to win back her friendship, Colin offers to mentor Penelope in the ways of confidence to help her find a husband this season. But when his lessons start working a little too well, Colin must grapple with whether his feelings for Penelope are truly just friendly.”

But if you want to know more, here is everything that is going to happen in Bridgerton season three based on the books

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In the aftermath of season two, Penelope is heartbroken after hearing Colin say he would never court her as well as falling out with Eloise after she finds out Penelope is really Lady Whistledown.

The series will kick off with the ton returning to London for another season. Netflix has already confirmed that the series will pick up less than a year after the last left off, ignoring the decade-long time jump that the book sees.

Having loved Colin for years, Penelope comes to term the fact that they are not suited whilst Colin, returning again from travelling, begins to see Penelope in a new light. Penelope discovers Colin’s journals from his travels and begins secretly reading them. They get into a fight which quickly diffuses with her praising his writing. After expressing her concerns of dying having never been kissed, the two kiss for the first time.

Via Netflix

The book then features a flashback to when a young Penelope first meets Colin, meaning we might get an insight into their origin story in the show. As a teenager, Penelope goes for a walk with her mum and sisters and bump into Lady Bridgerton and Daphne. A gust of wind sends Penelope’s bonnet flying into Colin’s face which makes him fall off his horse. Penelope is horrified, but Colin finds the whole thing hilarious, and she falls for him immediately.

Throughout the book, the entire ton is obsessed with trying to find out who Lady Whistledown is. At a ball, Lady Danbury announces her challenge to reward £1,000 to the person who can unmask Lady Whistledown sending everyone into a frantic scramble.

Confused after their kiss, Colin plans to apologise to Penelope at a ball but is stopped with a shock fake announcement that everyone’s least favourite character, Cressida Cowper is actually Lady Whistledown.

This, of course, isn’t true and Colin begins to suspect his own sister Eloise and tells Penelope his concerns. She shuts him down and tells him that she can’t be Lady Whistledown.

But after the ball, Colin goes back out to apologise to Penelope and follows her into a dodgy part of town. He sees her drive to a church and drop off an envelope inside of a prayer book. He confronts her, reads the envelope and learns that she has actually been Lady Whistledown all along.

Via Netflix

Colin is furious that she kept it from him and they argue in the carriage ride home. But, then in a pretty spicy scene, they end up making out in the carriage and Colin proposes to her!

At their engagement ball, an issue of Lady Whistledown is released, publishing that Cressida’s Cowper’s claim to being lady Whistledown is fake. The issue was supposed to go out the following day but the editors thought it would make more money that night. Colin is angry with Pen for not leaving Lady Whistledown behind and they go upstairs to have an argument but end up having sex.

Colin then manages to convince their families to move forward the wedding in case Penelope turns out to be pregnant. They get married and have another conversation about Penelope being Whistledown where Colin actually reveals he is jealous of her writing. She reveals that she has become very wealthy from being Lady Whistledown and encourages him to publish his own travel writing.

After the marriage, Cressida comes to visit and reveals that she knows that Penelope is Lady Whistledown. She worked it out with a certain phrase that Penelope and Whistledown both use. She tries to blackmail her for £10,000.

After confiding in Colin about Cressida, he beats Cressida to it and, after getting both their family’s blessings, he reveals Penelope’s identity as Lady Whistledown himself at a ball. The announcement is meet with cheers and applause.

In a time jump of a year, the book ends with the two happily marries, Penelope pregnant and Colin having published a travel book An Englishman in Italy. Penelope also starts writing a new novel titled The Wallflower.

When will Bridgerton season three be released?

While the release date of Bridgerton season three hasn’t been announced, there has been speculation around when it could possibly be released.

The biggest theory is that season three could drop on Netflix on December 25th, just as the first season was. However, the second season premiered on March 25th 2022, so there’s a trend when it comes to the 25th.

The first two seasons of Bridgerton are available to watch on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news, drops, quizzes and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.

Featured image via Netflix. 

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