Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

109 reviews

itsbaberuthless's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted tense fast-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

3.25

This book was a solid 4 and had me silently screaming at the banter between Daphne and Simon but with 25% left something happened that disgusted me so much I forced myself to finish the book.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexism, Rape, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Miscarriage, Abandonment, Ableism, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, and Misogyny

Minor: Classism, Infertility, Death of parent, Body shaming, and Fatphobia

emclougher's review against another edition

funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Started off strong but got really icky really fast. Not sure Julia Quinn knows what consent is.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Classism, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship

eva_vva's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted tense medium-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Infertility, Cursing, Misogyny, Abandonment, Sexism, and Sexual content

Moderate: Pregnancy, Grief, Murder, Infidelity, Confinement, Death of parent, Death, and Ableism

Minor: Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Child death, Classism, and Colonisation

mels_reading_rook's review against another edition

I am flabbergasted. 

I was having a wonderful time, enjoying the story and the characters. And then, a little over halfway, it all started to go downhill. Daphne and Simon were caught in a compromising position, and so Simon agreed to a duel to the death with her brother, Anthony. Daphne proceeds to manipulate the situation and guilts Simon into marrying her, where he informs her he can't have children. Yes, his choice of wording was misleading - as it is a won't not can't situation - and when Daphne discovered that discrepency, she had no respect for his boundaries. Yes, she's entitled to be upset by that misdirection, but she should still respect that children was out of the question.

Instead, Daphne does the worst possible thing. She rapes him, and violates all his boundaries.

I am done with this book. I am done with this series.

This review can also be found on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6531894162

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual content, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Classism, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, and Sexism

Minor: Miscarriage

beebidon's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

I wonder if turning 30 made me desire a need to read Regency-era romance stories when before they were never my thing. However, this was a wonderful book to get things going and I'm looking forward to the rest. I'll admit I watched the Netflix show first, so it's neat to compare page to screen and see what changes they made. I think both are great stories in their own way.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Abandonment, Ableism, Sexual content, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Sexual assault, Infertility, and Sexual harassment

fanboyriot's review against another edition

lighthearted slow-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

3.0

Dearest Gentle Reader, this book wasn’t what I was expecting.   While it did bring to life the characters and their stories, I feel as though it fell rather flat compared to the show.  I did enjoy the epilogues and the audiobook was narrated rather nicely, I don’t think I will be continuing this book series as of now.  It was entertaining just not really worth it to me, perhaps I’ll revisit this series later though.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Infertility, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Classism, Rape, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Abandonment, Pregnancy, and Infidelity

Moderate: Gaslighting, Death, Child death, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Miscarriage, and Racism

Minor: Fatphobia, Blood, Alcohol, Body shaming, Vomit, Violence, and Cursing

atlaslan's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted relaxing 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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Infertility, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content

Minor: Sexism and Injury/Injury detail

escsmith's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I read this because of the show, and without the show I wouldn't be tempted to pick up another. 
Daphne and Simon needed more scenes together building the relationship and chemistry before their marriage. It felt like they barely met and they were already wed. I know that weddings were quick in the time period, but this is a romance and it needed more romance.

I hated the scene where Simon is drunk and Daphne takes advantage of him. It soured the whole book for me. I felt like the author brushed over it and this is harmful to male victims.

Simon's use of phrases like 'mine', 'belong to me' and 'own you' totally pulled out of the story and was another reason I didn't really connect with this story. 
I wanted so much more Whistledown, she really is the best part of the book.
If I choose to continue the series, I'll be viewing it through the lens of the show, because I feel this left a lot to be desired. So many of the characters were flat and I didn't connect with any of them on the page. The descriptions of people and settings were so vague, and did not spark my imagination. 
It had potential, but fell far short.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Sexism

idyllicendure's review against another edition

emotional fast-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

3.5

As someone who has only watched the series I quite enjoyed this book. There are definetely things that have aged poorly and I have a huge problem with the book that practically takes all possibility of it being anything higher than a 3.5 away from the book, but given what I had heard about the books and how little I enjoy romance books, this book could have gone so much worse. 

Now let's talk spoilers. Simon's and Daphne's relationship is very different from the one in the series. They are never "enemies" in the book and Simon is a lot nicer and sweeter than he is in the tv show. I must say the relationship in the books is a lot better than in the movie. Now, the sexual assault. I truly don't understand why Quinn decided to make Daphne sexually assault Simon in a book where she is suppossed to be a character we root for. I truly feel bad for the man. And the fact that he ended up forgiving her. I could never. Although I knew it was going to happen I was really enjoying the book until that point. It just leaves a bad taste on my mouth. They are still cute. Can't wait to read the next book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Sexual assault

Moderate: Sexism

cicireadsinthedark's review against another edition

lighthearted slow-paced

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

1.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Ableism, and Rape

Minor: Alcohol