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raereadswiththefae's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
Okay, I was enjoying this book until the last 20% when the marital rape happened and let's be honest that's what it was. If the gender roles were reversed and Simon had inseminated Daphne against her previous (and sober) consent, all whilst under the influence of alcohol... more people would be upset about it.
Now, the scene on it's own wasn't what soured the book for me, it was subsequent justification and sweeping under the rug of what happened that did. Daphne was not informed, sure, but she knew enough to feel bad about it before she justified it to herself.
Now, Simon did deliberately keep his wife misinformed but does that mean he deserved to have the choice taken out of his hands? In my opinion, No, it doesnt.
Honestly the more I think about it, the more I realise both of these characters did and said some horrible things.
I just could not root for these guys.
Now, the scene on it's own wasn't what soured the book for me, it was subsequent justification and sweeping under the rug of what happened that did. Daphne was not informed, sure, but she knew enough to feel bad about it before she justified it to herself.
Now, Simon did deliberately keep his wife misinformed but does that mean he deserved to have the choice taken out of his hands? In my opinion, No, it doesnt.
Honestly the more I think about it, the more I realise both of these characters did and said some horrible things.
I just could not root for these guys.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Minor: Pregnancy and Sexual content
lunahbee's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I don’t feel like I disliked this as much of other people. I actually quite enjoyed my time with for most of it. Maybe it’s a case of going in with low expectations from hearing other people’s feelings on it before reading. But I actually think I went in with the right amount of expectations. The book is exactly what it says on the tin. Nothing more, nothing less. And that’s okay!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
khaleesiofthegreatwhitenorth's review against another edition
emotional
tense
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Alcohol
jae_28's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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
2.5
This is my second read for this book and it's still hardly three stars. I forgot how witty and sarcastic the characters were in this (especially Daphne) and enjoyed their personalities a lot more in the books. Also despise that the relationship between Daphne and Colin isn’t as great on screen as it is in the book. I feel like they gave Eloise and Benedict what was supposed to be Colin and Daph, but I digress!
The romance was…
I actually have no clue what to say about it, just that they were better as friends for me and something gross happened that threw me off entirely. I just couldn’t root for them anymore. Anyway, I came back to refresh my memory and remembered why this wasn’t on my list of favorites in the series.
The romance was…
I actually have no clue what to say about it, just that they were better as friends for me and something gross happened that threw me off entirely. I just couldn’t root for them anymore. Anyway, I came back to refresh my memory and remembered why this wasn’t on my list of favorites in the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Minor: Child abuse
thekissballad's review against another edition
I've decided not to numerically rate this nor any Bridgerton books since I'll always be influenced by the show. Instead I'll share what I liked/disliked in comparison.
To start off, I was never a big fan of season one and finally reading the book makes me understand why. The source material just wasn't all that great, in my opinion.
I expected the misogyny since it's a part of historical fiction/history in general, but the levels of it in the book were much higher than the show, and both left me with an icky feeling.
Anthony is the biggest hypocrite ever, but I did like him a little better in this book than in season one.
I liked that Colin played more of an overprotective older brother role in the book since, y'know, he is older than Daphne. He feels younger and more immature in the show.
The scene of Simon giving Lady Bridgerton was heartbreaking.
Hyacinth shooting her shot with Simon was one of the best parts.
My thoughts on the SA:
I hated, both in the book and the show, that Daphne rapes Simon and it's never truly dealt with, there are no consequences of actions. I know that how SA would have been handled then is different than how it would be handled now, but it still feels gross that nothing was handled.
And the brothers hating Simon during the "separation" of sorts because they didn't know what was happening made it worse. Like why does Daphne get all this support for something she did wrong? Again, I know it's because the brothers don't know the details so they can only assume the worst of Simon, much like the rest of the ton, but there was nothing fixing this after things were resolved.
To start off, I was never a big fan of season one and finally reading the book makes me understand why. The source material just wasn't all that great, in my opinion.
I expected the misogyny since it's a part of historical fiction/history in general, but the levels of it in the book were much higher than the show, and both left me with an icky feeling.
Anthony is the biggest hypocrite ever, but I did like him a little better in this book than in season one.
I liked that Colin played more of an overprotective older brother role in the book since, y'know, he is older than Daphne. He feels younger and more immature in the show.
The scene of Simon giving Lady Bridgerton was heartbreaking.
Hyacinth shooting her shot with Simon was one of the best parts.
My thoughts on the SA:
And the brothers hating Simon during the "separation" of sorts because they didn't know what was happening made it worse. Like why does Daphne get all this support for something she did wrong? Again, I know it's because the brothers don't know the details so they can only assume the worst of Simon, much like the rest of the ton, but there was nothing fixing this after things were resolved.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
theasi's review against another edition
hopeful
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Moderate: Bullying, Vomit, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Pregnancy
whittiebee's review against another edition
fast-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? No
1.0
This was a super fun read & was ready to rate it 3-4 stars and then got to the spot where Daphne rapes Simon andddd now it’s a 1. Julie Quinn could have gone about Simon changing his mind in 100 different ways. Why did it have to be THAT?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
jaedee09's review against another edition
emotional
tense
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? Yes
2.5
If you've read the book or any reviews, you know why I had to rate this low. I enjoyed it all the way up to "that" scene and just couldn't get past it. I've watched the show (and am currently re-watching it), but was disappointed to find that the book version still existed. There were any number of ways to give Daphne and Simon a regency version of a "third act breakup," but I couldn't get past marital r*pe. Glad they worked through Simon's issues, but it didn't seem like Daphne had much character development outside of learning about sex. Loved all the side characters!
Personal Bridgerton Rankings:
1. When He Was Wicked (Francesca and Michael)
2. It’s in His Kiss (Hyacinth and Gareth)
3. On the Way to the Wedding (Gregory and Lucy)
4. To Sir Phillip, With Love (Eloise and Phillip)
5. Romancing Mr. Bridgerton (Colin and Penelope)
6. The Duke & I (Daphne and Simon)
Personal Bridgerton Rankings:
1. When He Was Wicked (Francesca and Michael)
2. It’s in His Kiss (Hyacinth and Gareth)
3. On the Way to the Wedding (Gregory and Lucy)
4. To Sir Phillip, With Love (Eloise and Phillip)
5. Romancing Mr. Bridgerton (Colin and Penelope)
6. The Duke & I (Daphne and Simon)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
whatsamanthadoes's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-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? It's complicated
1.75
Short book, but hard to read for other reasons.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape