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kelly_e's review against another edition
funny
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
3.75
Title: The Duke and I
Author: Julia Quinn
Series: Bridgertons #1
Genre: Historical Romance
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: December 1, 2020
T H R E E • W O R D S
Charming • Playful • Entertaining
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Daphne Bridgeton, the fourth of eight siblings, has formed friendships with many of London's finest, yet finds herself unwilling to play their romantic games. Everyone likes her for her kindness yet no one truly desires her.
Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings, has recently returned to England and is dead set against marriage. After a difficult childhood, in thanks to his very own father, he has no intentions of fulfilling his royal duties.
After an encounter with Daphne (his best friend's sister), Simon thinks there may be another option, one that could deter the elite from parading their daughters before him. His plan: a fake courtship with Daphne that will in turn help boost her prospects.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Historical romance is a genre I tend to stay away from, yet I decided to see what all the fuss was about with this series. And of course, I was pleasantly surprised with this first installment and was not expecting the witty humour
I have to say it was surprisingly well-written and the Bridgerton family captured my heart from the very first page, their family dynamic felt so genuine and relatable, and the regency setting was enticing. I'm a sucker for books with a real sense of community, and The Duke and I certainly delivers on that front.
During the first half of the book, I appreciated Daphne's character development, but unfortunately for me things kind of fell apart in the second half with some of her questionable choices. When it comes to the romance, I enjoyed the playful banter, which helped make their romance feel genuine.
Overall, I picked this up looking for an escape, and it delivered. I'll definitely be looking forward to the next installment and getting to know each of the Bridgerton siblings' stories.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of Downtown Abbey
• historical romances enthusiasts
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Heartache, Daphne eventually learned, never really went away; it just dulled. The sharp, stabbing pain that one felt with each breath eventually gave way to a blunter, lower ache—the kind that one could almost—but never quite—ignore."
Author: Julia Quinn
Series: Bridgertons #1
Genre: Historical Romance
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: December 1, 2020
T H R E E • W O R D S
Charming • Playful • Entertaining
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Daphne Bridgeton, the fourth of eight siblings, has formed friendships with many of London's finest, yet finds herself unwilling to play their romantic games. Everyone likes her for her kindness yet no one truly desires her.
Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings, has recently returned to England and is dead set against marriage. After a difficult childhood, in thanks to his very own father, he has no intentions of fulfilling his royal duties.
After an encounter with Daphne (his best friend's sister), Simon thinks there may be another option, one that could deter the elite from parading their daughters before him. His plan: a fake courtship with Daphne that will in turn help boost her prospects.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Historical romance is a genre I tend to stay away from, yet I decided to see what all the fuss was about with this series. And of course, I was pleasantly surprised with this first installment and was not expecting the witty humour
I have to say it was surprisingly well-written and the Bridgerton family captured my heart from the very first page, their family dynamic felt so genuine and relatable, and the regency setting was enticing. I'm a sucker for books with a real sense of community, and The Duke and I certainly delivers on that front.
During the first half of the book, I appreciated Daphne's character development, but unfortunately for me things kind of fell apart in the second half with some of her questionable choices. When it comes to the romance, I enjoyed the playful banter, which helped make their romance feel genuine.
Overall, I picked this up looking for an escape, and it delivered. I'll definitely be looking forward to the next installment and getting to know each of the Bridgerton siblings' stories.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of Downtown Abbey
• historical romances enthusiasts
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Heartache, Daphne eventually learned, never really went away; it just dulled. The sharp, stabbing pain that one felt with each breath eventually gave way to a blunter, lower ache—the kind that one could almost—but never quite—ignore."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Rape
Moderate: Sexism, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Child abuse, Abandonment, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Death of parent, Fatphobia, Death, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
helloimjacq's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
slow-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
3.25
I’m actually quite surprised at how similar this was to the show. If anything, in some ways the show was a bit more enjoyable since there was more action overall. Not a lot happens, but it was still a decent read. I mean what’s not to like about enemies to lovers that are fake dating (or I guess courting in this case)?
I would have given it a higher rating, but the clear sexism and manipulative behavior was a huge turn off. I’m not sure if this is how historical romances are supposed to be, but certain aspects definitely didn’t sit well with me.
All-in-all, if you’re looking for something quick and easy, this is your book. But, if you’re looking for something riveting… well then this probably isn’t your book.
Oh, and just a side note but if you would like to avoid all spoilers, I would highly suggest not reading the second epilogue until you’ve completed the series!
I would have given it a higher rating, but the clear sexism and manipulative behavior was a huge turn off. I’m not sure if this is how historical romances are supposed to be, but certain aspects definitely didn’t sit well with me.
All-in-all, if you’re looking for something quick and easy, this is your book. But, if you’re looking for something riveting… well then this probably isn’t your book.
Oh, and just a side note but if you would like to avoid all spoilers, I would highly suggest not reading the second epilogue until you’ve completed the series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Infertility, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Emotional abuse
lin3han's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
3.75
I liked this book explored Simon’s stutter much more. I thought it was more emotional that way
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Sexual assault
whimsykat's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Emotional abuse, Vomit, and Child abuse
em_davies7019's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Child abuse, Ableism, Alcohol, and Abandonment
Moderate: Infertility, Grief, and Gaslighting
Minor: Fatphobia and Injury/Injury detail
torireads13's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Rape, and Emotional abuse
kb33's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I don’t usually read historical romance, but I enjoyed the tv series and decided to give this a try. I enjoyed the book, but it did have some problematic parts, including the rape scene and both characters’ handling of it. If you haven’t seen the tv series, it wasn’t forced intercourse, it was consensual sex, with Simon’s expectation that he can pull out, and Daphne doesn’t allow him to.
Minus that, it was an enjoyable book.
Minus that, it was an enjoyable book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Emotional abuse, Rape, and Violence
Moderate: Classism and Pregnancy
Minor: Death of parent, Infertility, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
arys_library's review against another edition
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? It's complicated
3.5
This book was a pretty easy and enjoyable read. I was entertained basically the entire book, which kind of surprised me considering I don’t usually read this genre. I loved the plot of the book, but I didn’t connect at all with the characters.
I really enjoyed the beginning half of the book but there was a scene that turned me off of the book quite a bit. Not enough to completely stop reading the book, but enough to definitely lower the rating
*spoilers*
.
.
The scene in which I referred to was when daphne impregnated herself by having sex with Simon, while he was drunk, and practically forced him to impregnate her. It was pretty disturbing how after Simon left and came back, he said how he wasn’t even mad at her because of that and it was another reason why he left. It excused her actions, the sexual assault that honestly mighty count as rape.
I really enjoyed the beginning half of the book but there was a scene that turned me off of the book quite a bit. Not enough to completely stop reading the book, but enough to definitely lower the rating
*spoilers*
.
.
The scene in which I referred to was when daphne impregnated herself by having sex with Simon, while he was drunk, and practically forced him to impregnate her. It was pretty disturbing how after Simon left and came back, he said how he wasn’t even mad at her because of that and it was another reason why he left. It excused her actions, the sexual assault that honestly mighty count as rape.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Sexual assault
Minor: Cursing and Emotional abuse
cdoubet's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Ableism, Violence, Sexism, Death of parent, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Vomit, and Gun violence
Minor: Alcohol and Cursing
jenna36's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
slow-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? It's complicated
2.0
I would have rated this one 3.5 stars if it were not for the r*pe scene. I do not think it was necessary, and I do not think that it was handled well. The person never received any consequences and it was just sort of glossed over. I think it was handled this way because it was a woman assaulting a man instead of the other way around. I found it really gross and upsetting. It tainted their relationship for me, which I had been enjoying up to that point.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Ableism, and Emotional abuse