Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Bridgerton - Der Duke & ich

This was a run of the mill historical romance although I will say I enjoyed the banter as well as the Bridgerton family. I was expecting worse, I guess. It wasn’t amazing, but it wasn’t terrible either. The controversial scene was pretty cringe though, I can’t lie.

CAWPILE Score: 6.71 = 3.75 stars
Characters: 7
Atmosphere: 7
Writing: 7
Plot: 7
Intrigue: 6
Logic: 6
Enjoyment: 7

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lucyselim's review against another edition

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dark funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.5

I, like many others, read this book after enjoying the TV show. I had heard very mixed reviews about this book, but I figured I would give it a go, and I was pleasantly surprised with the first half. It seemed like it was going to be a fluffy romcom. The friendship between Daphne and Simon seemed natural and was enjoyable to read. He was kinder and more infatuated than his TV counterpart and she was wittier and smarter. They seemed like a genuinely good match.
And then they got married and ruined it. Even without mentioning 'that' scene, the plot was, in my opinion, ridiculous. I did not love those episodes of the TV show either, but as I was reading it I couldn't help but just laugh at the ridiculousness of some of it. It was difficult to keep up with their constant mood swings and comings and goings.
Putting the plot to one side, the writing was honestly just meh. It was very jarring to find modern day slang and colloquialisms with regency-era settings. I assume Quinn was trying to make a period piece seem modern and more approachable for younger audiences, but using simple English would have sufficed. I am glad they managed to get a better balance in the TV show.
Another thing I did not like was the stark contrast between Quinn trying to write strong modern women in one moment, and then having them reduced to needing a man the next. 'Then he was completely within her, and she thought she would die from the pleasure. Never had she felt so full, nor so completely a woman,' in particular made me throw up in my mouth a little.
Despite this, I am going to read the next one (because I hate myself) but because I have heard it to be many people's favourites. Mostly, however, because I borrowed the first three books in a compendium from the library and I still have time left before needing to return it. Overall this book really wasn't that great for me, but I can understand the appeal and I hope the next one provides me with better luck.

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saturnpersonified's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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j_emerson18's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Didn't expect to like this as much as I do, happily surprised and looking forward to the rest of the series. Significantly better than the show, also vastly different then the show for a multitude of reasons. Loved the character development and how much background and relatability I got from both Simon and Daphne.

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agnesbebon's review against another edition

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medium-paced

4.0

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