Bridgerton Author Julia Quinn Shares The Ton’s Best Dating Advice

The wait is finally over for Bridgerton fans now that Season 3 is on the way. When Part 1 premieres on May 16, it will be a return to the Regency era, high society, and instrumental covers of pop songs. There will also be plenty of romance on screen, an ideal that’s been having its own renaissance in today’s dating world.

People are longing for grand gestures and true love confessions, which can be hard to find on dating apps and in situationships. Luckily, Julia Quinn knows the advice her characters would give to anyone looking for love and romance in 2024. The Bridgerton series author chatted with Elite Daily after International Delight’s Coffee and Courting event on Feb. 22 in NYC, celebrating its Bridgerton-inspired International Delight’s Berries & Créme and English Toffee creamers, and International Delight Berries & Créme Iced Coffee.

“A coffee date is actually the perfect first date because it’s a little low stakes,” Quinn tells Elite Daily, adding that it’s “easy to extend” if you’re having a good time. She also admits that Daphne Bridgerton would be the one to suggest going to a cafe on the first date, saying, “She had so much pressure on her during her season. She would love something easier.”

Grabbing coffee with Simon Basset could even lead to another viral spoon moment. (Let us never forget the scene in Season 1 when the Duke of Hastings flirtatiously licked his ice scream spoon.) Out of all her Bridgerton characters, Quinn says Simon has the most rizz. “I have met Regé-Jean Page in person, and when he smiles at you, you practically fall over,” she says.

Along with charisma, golden retriever boyfriends are currently having their moment, and Quinn says of the Bridgerton boys, Gregory exudes the most easygoing and lovable personality. One of the most famous golden retriever boyfriends is Travis Kelce, who famously shot his shot with Taylor Swift on a podcast and succeeded.

Which Bridgerton boy could pull off a grand gesture that smoothly? Quinn says Benedict would be the one to go out of his way to ask you out or profess his love publicly. While Benedict would be the next character to find love if the Netflix series was going in order, Bridgerton Season 3 is making the jump to Penelope and Colin’s story.

Below, Quinn shares what dating advice she believes Polin would give to someone today, along with tips from Lady Whistledown, Anthony Bridgerton, Eloise Bridgerton, and Queen Charlotte.

Penelope Featherington Would Encourage You To Keep Trying

Penelope has been the queen of unrequited love so far on the Netflix series, but fans are about to see her love story unfold. It has taken a hot minute for Colin to come around, which is why Quinn says Penelope’s dating advice for any struggling singles out there is to “have hope.” The right person is out there — you may just have to go through a few marriage seasons to get to them.

Colin Bridgerton Would Suggest You Expand What You’re Looking For

Colin is our oblivious king who doesn’t quite notice Penelope right away. She may be wearing bright yellow gowns everywhere she goes, but he’s fully in the friend zone and doesn’t realize love is right in front of his face. As far as his dating advice goes, Quinn says, “He would say that you might find it where you least expect it.” If you keep going for the same people and failing miserably, it might be time to broaden your dating horizons.

One great way to do this is ditch the height expectations. It may be a dream to date someone tall like Jacob Elordi, but short kings are having their moment and you could snag the Tom Holland to your Zendaya if you just open your eyes.

Anthony Bridgerton Would Show You How Great Finding Love Could Be

Despite spending some time in the land of Oz and filming Wicked, Jonathan Bailey will be returning for Season 3 of Bridgerton. Simone Ashley shared with Deadline in 2022 that Kanthony will be back, saying, “Kate and Anthony are just getting started.”

That means Anthony has the opportunity to lay down some iconic lines like “You are the bane of my existence and the object of all my desires.” Of course, if you were chatting with him about your dating life IRL, Quinn says the eldest Bridgerton child would get emotional. “He would probably end up being really sappy,” she admits. “He’s the one who didn’t believe in love and then fell hard, so he would probably just wax on about how amazing his wife is and kind of maybe make it a little bit about him.” How adorable.

Lady Whistledown Would Caution Anyone On Dating Apps

Fans of the show know that Lady Whistledown is just Penelope’s gossip-loving alter ego, but Quinn says she wouldn’t give the same dating advice. In fact, while Penelope would be optimistic, Lady Whistledown wouldn’t be so kind. “She would probably be caustic about it because in the books, she stopped writing after she found love,” Quinn shares. “She was still a little bitter when she was writing, so she would probably say something like ‘Good for you if you find it, but don’t hold your breath.’”

Basically, Lady Whistledown would caution you when looking for love on a dating app. While she’s not opposed to swiping right on Tinder, she would suggest you be realistic about your matches. Don’t expect Mr. Right waiting patiently for you on Hinge.

Queen Charlotte Would Be A Matchmaker

Deep down Queen Charlotte is a sucker for romance. She enjoys watching the Ton fall in love each season, and she goes out of her way to make romance happen. She’s not one for the slow burn either, which is why she would go out of her way to move things along. “She’d probably just say, ‘Do what I tell you,’” Quinn says.

When her “Diamond” Daphne didn’t say “I do” right away in Season 1, Queen Charlotte stepped in to offer up her nephew, Prince Frederick of Prussia. She really pushed for Daphne to marry Frederick before she ultimately went with Simon, but according to Quinn, Queen Charlotte believes, “I’m always right.”

Eloise Bridgerton Would Want You To Stay Strong

When you’re fresh off your third situationship and chatting with less-than-stellar candidates on a dating app, you might feel yourself giving up. Instead of lowering your standards or returning to your ex, Quinn says Eloise Bridgerton would tell you “Don’t settle.”

The independent and fiery Bridgerton would rather you chart your own course than end up with someone who doesn’t quite feel right. Especially in an era where you don’t need a partner to thrive or make money, Eloise would likely be wondering why you’re thinking of settling in the first place. She would rather be focusing on her career achievements. After all, it was Eloise who said, “We should both aspire to be just like [Genevieve Delacroix]. Unmarried, and earning our own money.”