When historical romance novels focus solely on white leads, it sends a message about whom the industry thinks is deserving of love
O ne month after its release, Bridgerton became Netflix’s highest viewed original series, with 82 million viewers. Set in Regency-era England and adapted from e, the show follows the eponymous Bridgerton family as its eight children encounter love and scandal about town. But the Shondaland-produced adaptation notably differs from its source material-as well as from the wider historical-romance genre in general-in one significant way: many of its characters are Black.
In Quinn’s entire eight-book series (and her collection of follow-up novellas), there is not a single racialized character-and only one who is queer. While many fans have celebrated the increased visibility, others have complained that such representation is “historically inaccurate,” criticizing the show for not conforming to the dominant image of Regency England as all white and all straight.
Like every other romance subgenre, historical romance has traditionally consisted of a white man and a white woman falling in love and overcoming obstacles to form a relationship and live happily ever after (or, in the case of most contemporary novels, happy for now). Continue reading “The show, meanwhile, features multiple Black actors in prominent roles, including Simon Basset-season one’s main love interest-and Queen Charlotte”