Reviews with content warning for Panic attacks/disorders - The Duke and I

I was thoroughly unimpressed by this. I am that person who is actually offended by great books being adapted for screen. This book is not great by any stretch of the imagination, and the TV adaptation is so wildly more layered and nuanced in the storytelling (not to mention…the writing is simply better: less hackneyed, less repetitive, less trite and gender-stereotyped and overall gross).

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itsbaberuthless's review against another edition

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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.

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siglerbooknook's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.75

After watching Bridgerton I was sure I would like the book, but never would have guessed how completely I enjoyed it start to finish.

I don't think a book has ever made me laugh as much as The Duke and I. I adored every character we got a chance to know. I was surprised how little a part Lady Whistledown played in the book. Many of the conflicts in the book were far more satisfying than the show, feeling much more realistic and believable.

I would definitely suggest checking trigger warnings. Even with the show I wasn't expecting so much talk on a few heartbreaking subjects that could be sensitive.

All in all I'm very excited to start the next book even though Ibwas hesitant before having not really enjoyed Anthony's season of the show.

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nikogatts's review against another edition

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dark hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated

2.0

I went back and forth between a 2-star score and a 2.5 or 2.75. I tried to be generous as possible with a certain scene and its aftermath, keeping in mind how long ago this book was written. But even accounting for that scene, there just wasn't enough that I liked about this book to push it to a higher score.

I did my best to judge this book on its own merits, but I feel like a comparison to the Netflix adaptation by Shonda Rhimes is warranted when discussing how sparse the story feels. Without the show's (in my opinion, much more interesting) side characters and B-plots, you're left with one mostly straightforward story and a handful of characters with one-word personalities. A lot of the witty banter felt like it went back-and-forth much longer than it needed to, and it feels a bit like the author was just padding out the page count.

Admittedly, this was the first book in the series, and presumably the author hadn't planned out many of the side characters or decided what to do with the other Bridgertons beyond the standard hallmarks of the genre (overprotective brothers, marriage-obsessed mother, etc.). Again, trying to provide the benefit of the doubt.

What I did like: Lady Whistledown as a scene-setting device, Daphne throwing hands with a creepy guy, Daphne and Simon's meet-cute involving them planning what to do with the body of the guy they knocked out, Daphne refusing to bow to the pressure of her three overbearing brothers. Judging this as a standard Regency romance with a few erotic scenes, it's pretty decent. But for me, this book didn't go beyond "just okay" and any memorable parts of it will be memorable for being horrific.

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