You might not have heard of Julie Pottinger, but you’re far more likely to be familiar with Julia Quinn - the pen name she uses to write the Bridgerton books, along with a host of other historical romance novels.
She was already a New York Times bestselling author before an explosion of interest in her work courtesy of the hugely-popular BridgertonNetflix series.
Originally studying at Yale University to become a doctor, when her first two romance novels unexpectedly sold at auction she swiftly realised her future lay in writing.
To date, Pottinger has written 38 books in nine different series, has been translated into 41 languages and has been inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame.
With so many books to choose from, it’s hard for a Julia Quinn beginner to know where to start.
To help out, we’ve had a look at how the millions of readers of book website Goodreads have rated her books.
Here are the top 10.
1. Queen Charlotte
The best-reviewed Julia Quinn book with readers is Queen Charlotte - inspired by the original Netflix series 'Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story'. First published in 2023, it has an average rating of 4.15 (out of five) from 28,893 reviews. "In 1761, on a sunny day in September, a King and Queen meet for the first time. They are married within hours. Charlotte is beautiful, headstrong, and fiercely intelligent - George is instantly captivated. But as Charlotte falls in love, the King starts to push her away. Because George has secrets...secrets with the potential to shake the foundations of the monarchy. Thrust into her new role, scared and alone, Charlotte must learn to navigate the intricate politics of the court, and to understand that she has been given the power to remake society. She must fight - for herself, for her husband, and for all her new subjects. For she will never be just Charlotte again. It's time for her to fulfil her destiny...as Queen." | Contributed
Second spot goes to the 1999 book How to Marry a Marquis. The second in the Agents of the Crown series scored an average rating of 4.04 from 24,213 reviews. "When James Sidwell, Marquis of Riverdale, offered to help Elizabeth Hotchkiss find herself a husband, he never dreamed that the only candidate he could propose would be himself..." | Contributed
2018 Bridgerton prequel The Other Miss Bridgerton comes third when it comes to best Julia Quinn books. The third in the Rokesbys series has an average Goodreads score of 4.04 from 43,258 reviews. "Poppy Bridgerton may be fiercely independent and adventurous but even she was not prepared to be kidnapped by pirates from the Dorset coast! Despite his reputation as a rascal and reckless privateer, Captain Andrew James Rokesby is stunned to find Poppy tied up and waiting for him in his cabin. Poppy has no idea that Andrew is actually the son of an earl, but when he learns that she is a Bridgerton, he knows he will likely have to wed her to avert a scandal. On the high seas, their war of words soon gives way to an intoxicating passion. But when Andrew's secrets are revealed, will his declaration of love be enough to capture her heart...?" | Contributed
Fourth position goes to the second in Quinn's Bevelstoke series - What Happens in London. Published in 2009. it has an average rating of 4.03 from 31,147 reviews. "Olivia Bevelstoke, the only daughter of the Earl of Rudland, is beautiful, wealthy, twenty-one and unmarried, making her the subject of much gossip: 'What is she waiting for? A prince?' But Olivia isn't stuck up, and neither is she a hopeless romantic. However she is waiting for something - or someone. Enter Sir Harry Valentine, her intriguing new neighbour. Sir Harry Valentine is not a spy, but he's had all the training, so when a beautiful but mysterious woman begins to watch him from her window, he is instantly suspicious. But just when he decides that she's nothing more than an annoyingly nosy debutante, he discovers that she might be engaged to a foreign prince, who might be plotting against England. And when Harry is roped into spying on Olivia, he discovers that he might be falling for her himself." | Contributed