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kelly_e's review against another edition
- 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
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."
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
em_davies7019's review against another edition
- 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
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
macknificent's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
I'm so glad that I didn't spend money on this book. I will not be continuing the series.
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Rape, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Fatphobia and Sexual harassment
agnesbebon's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Gun violence
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Fatphobia
summerslittlelibrary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment, Ableism, Child abuse, Pregnancy, and Infertility
Minor: Death of parent, Vomit, Sexism, Body shaming, Cursing, Misogyny, and Fatphobia
lunep's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Alcohol, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Violence, Abandonment, Cursing, Rape, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Infertility, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Pregnancy, Blood, Sexism, Misogyny, and Fatphobia
Minor: Death of parent, Miscarriage, and Grief
02062000's review against another edition
- 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
1.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Bullying, Cursing, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infertility, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
oceanw1's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, and Misogyny
Minor: Pregnancy, Violence, Miscarriage, and Fatphobia
linesiunderline's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Minor: Fatphobia
jularcido's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Ableism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship