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moriahleigh's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Misogyny, Rape, Child abuse, and Violence
selene_nyxly's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
I really loved this story. The characters were fun, and the plot was easy to follow. However, I did have a major issue with this book.
TW: RAPE Daphne literally rapes Simon. They try to play it off as if he also wanted what was happening since he vocally encouraged her. However, literally moments before, he had been passed out drunk. He could not consent in the moment and had specifically stated that he did not want to have even the slightest chance of getting her pregnant. The entire thing ruined the book for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Rape
Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, and Abandonment
Minor: Death of parent
nyreen's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Death of parent
grace33's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Sexual content
Minor: Miscarriage and Violence
chaotically_katie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Grief, Medical content, Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Death, Miscarriage, Vomit, Chronic illness, Medical trauma, Sexism, Abandonment, Alcohol, Body shaming, Cursing, Excrement, Infertility, Toxic friendship, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, and Blood
myinvinciblesummer's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I am going to have spoilers because I’m going to discuss exactly what scene causes me to say this book needs TW: Rape
I am the one person left who hasn’t seen the show. So this book is my absolute first introduction to the series, except for some still photos of what look to be beautiful costumes in the show. I had no idea what the storyline was beyond the blurb on the back of the book.
This book started off interesting enough. A basic but interesting enough romance story. Was enjoying the book, the pace was both rushed and slow but I was enjoying it well enough. But then(I am now going to discuss TW: Rape)
Then we get to the scene where Daphne rapes the Duke. Absolutely not ok. ABSOLUTELY NOT. And then she dares to be presented as the character that deserves empathy and should be excused because she really wants a kid? Has a tantrum when it’s turns out she’s not pregnant and makes him feel guilty saying why would you care to him? That’s purely manipulative.
The Duke said he didn’t want kids, he was inebriated, but she did it anyways knowing he couldn’t and wouldn’t be able to say no.
The rest of the book, after that deplorable scene, trudges on slowly and is so boring. Daphne is sad. The Duke needs therapy. Daphne’s brothers are all up in her business. Oh but wait suddenly they are ok she raped him. Fine whatever.
The two stars instead of one is because at least the beginning was interesting.
I am the one person left who hasn’t seen the show. So this book is my absolute first introduction to the series, except for some still photos of what look to be beautiful costumes in the show. I had no idea what the storyline was beyond the blurb on the back of the book.
This book started off interesting enough. A basic but interesting enough romance story. Was enjoying the book, the pace was both rushed and slow but I was enjoying it well enough. But then(I am now going to discuss TW: Rape)
Then we get to the scene where Daphne rapes the Duke. Absolutely not ok. ABSOLUTELY NOT. And then she dares to be presented as the character that deserves empathy and should be excused because she really wants a kid? Has a tantrum when it’s turns out she’s not pregnant and makes him feel guilty saying why would you care to him? That’s purely manipulative.
The Duke said he didn’t want kids, he was inebriated, but she did it anyways knowing he couldn’t and wouldn’t be able to say no.
The rest of the book, after that deplorable scene, trudges on slowly and is so boring. Daphne is sad. The Duke needs therapy. Daphne’s brothers are all up in her business. Oh but wait suddenly they are ok she raped him. Fine whatever.
The two stars instead of one is because at least the beginning was interesting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Rape, and Sexual content
Moderate: Pregnancy, Death of parent, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Bullying
jackiebee's review against another edition
1.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Fatphobia
jencolumb0's review against another edition
emotional
medium-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? Yes
2.0
As an enthusiastic fan of Shondaland’s Season One of Bridgerton, I am happy that I did not read this first, because I’m not sure that Regé-Jean Page could have convinced me to give a TV adaptation of that nonsense a go. Blessedly, Shondaland was only exceptionally loosely inspired by the source material and redid it in such a tremendously better way. The original work just barely squeaks into the arena of something *vaguely* tolerable, in a second-wave white-lady feminist, “look at the plucky white lady getting away with doing not thoroughly feminine things while perpetuating an exclusionary world order” kind of way, not in the (preferable) third-wave, “imagine we all learned and did better” kind of way (where the Shondaland version seems to exist).
And I will never get over Daphne attempting to garner sympathy from herself and others after raping Simon. That was thoroughly not okay. I get why it is a plot line that even made it into the Shondaland version but it’s gross and at least Phoebe Dynevor’s Daphne seemed to grasp more firmly that she was wrong.
Given that the Shondaland team had trouble breathing life into Anthony’s story and they improved so thoroughly on the source material, here, I’m not sure I’ll bother with reading the rest of the series. I have better things to do than spite-read until Season Three drops, like catch up on all of Alexis Hall’s releases . . . or watching Regé-Jean Page breathe life into Dungeons & Dragons.
Suffice it to say that I am even more impressed with the Shondaland team’s ability to succeed as they have with the adaptation after reading this.
And I will never get over Daphne
Given that the Shondaland team had trouble breathing life into Anthony’s story and they improved so thoroughly on the source material, here, I’m not sure I’ll bother with reading the rest of the series. I have better things to do than spite-read until Season Three drops, like catch up on all of Alexis Hall’s releases . . . or watching Regé-Jean Page breathe life into Dungeons & Dragons.
Suffice it to say that I am even more impressed with the Shondaland team’s ability to succeed as they have with the adaptation after reading this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy and Abandonment
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Violence, Gun violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Vomit
camillarossi's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual content, Abandonment, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Classism, Miscarriage, and Death of parent
Minor: Murder, Sexual harassment, and Infertility
mhairi_reads's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️
Tropes: Fake dating
POV: Third person
Daphne Bridgerton is the oldest daughter of the Bridgerton bunch and all she wants is to find a husband who she can settle down with and have her own children. But it’s not that easy. Everybody in society loves her but in a friendly way with the only gentleman caller being someone she most definitely does not want to enter into marriage with.
Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings and well known rake, has retuned to England. He, unlike Daphne wants nothing to do with English society. Mothers forcing their daughters on him and so on. He has vowed to never marry nor does he want children and nothing is going to change his mind.
Or is it?
Daphne and Simon cross paths and devise a plan that suits them both. If they are seen to be a couple Daphne will become more sought after and receive more gentleman callers and Simon will be seen to be off limits to the ladies and their desperate mothers. It’s a win-win. They agree to show an interest in each other and everything starts to fall into place.
But what happens when the interest is no longer just a ploy?
I genuinely enjoyed this book, however I watched the Netflix series first and adored it so I’m not sure if that has swayed my interest in these characters. I loved the wittiness of Daphne and Simon. The banter between the two of them had me genuinely smiling on numerous occasions.
⚠️ Content Warnings: Miscarriage, stillbirth, abandonment, child neglect, death of parent, death during childbirth, dubious consent, misogyny
Spice: 🌶️
Tropes: Fake dating
POV: Third person
Daphne Bridgerton is the oldest daughter of the Bridgerton bunch and all she wants is to find a husband who she can settle down with and have her own children. But it’s not that easy. Everybody in society loves her but in a friendly way with the only gentleman caller being someone she most definitely does not want to enter into marriage with.
Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings and well known rake, has retuned to England. He, unlike Daphne wants nothing to do with English society. Mothers forcing their daughters on him and so on. He has vowed to never marry nor does he want children and nothing is going to change his mind.
Or is it?
Daphne and Simon cross paths and devise a plan that suits them both. If they are seen to be a couple Daphne will become more sought after and receive more gentleman callers and Simon will be seen to be off limits to the ladies and their desperate mothers. It’s a win-win. They agree to show an interest in each other and everything starts to fall into place.
But what happens when the interest is no longer just a ploy?
I genuinely enjoyed this book, however I watched the Netflix series first and adored it so I’m not sure if that has swayed my interest in these characters. I loved the wittiness of Daphne and Simon. The banter between the two of them had me genuinely smiling on numerous occasions.
⚠️ Content Warnings: Miscarriage, stillbirth, abandonment, child neglect, death of parent, death during childbirth, dubious consent, misogyny
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Sexism
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Miscarriage
Minor: Sexual assault, Rape, and Alcohol