Hmm . . . I wonder if they will include more of Reynolds and Brimsley storyline. I just might have to read this one! ~ V

“Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story,” a prequel to and spinoff of the über-popular “Bridgerton” Netflix series and books, premiered on Netflix Thursday. The Shondaland show follows Queen Charlotte’s early reign and the beginnings of her relationship with King George III.

Unlike the original “Bridgerton” show, “Queen Charlotte” was not adapted from a bestselling book by series author Julia Quinn — this time, Quinn and Shonda Rhimes co-wrote the book version of Queen Charlotte’s story, which releases on Tuesday.

The collaboration is clearly a testament to the well-made match between the two writers. Avon Books, the publisher of Quinn’s “Bridgerton” series, said the book will be “centered on Queen Charlotte’s rise to prominence and power.” The prequel tells the story of how the young queen’s marriage to King George III sparked both a great love story and a societal shift. Though Charlotte and George were real historical figures, Quinn notes at the beginning of the book that her new work is one of fiction.

“Queen Charlotte” is the glorious result of a circuitous journey: It’s a story inspired by a script, which was inspired by a Netflix series, which was inspired by a book. (TV and film writers, including those who worked on “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story,” are currently on strike over pay and working conditions.)

“Bridgerton” was a sweeping success, an inescapable pop culture phenomenon. More than 82 million households around the world watched the first season, smashing Netflix’s own initial predictions and likely many others.

It took Hollywood far too long to take authors like Quinn seriously, likely because they were writing romance novels. But numbers don’t lie: Seventeen million “Bridgerton” books have sold in the U.S. alone, and the romance genre makes more money than any other in publishing, with a reported $1.44 billion in sales per year.