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A review by st0bbit
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- 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
2.5
this book was going so strong for me… this is the first proper romance book i’ve read in a while so i expected worse but i genuinely enjoyed the cheesy bits, despite how predictable. i’ll just start off with the good bits first, because there really was quite a lot i enjoyed until THAT scene. massive ick brush completely threw me off
the banter, the dialogue!! each character feels very raw and real to me, and how natural (most of) the dialogue feels helped them stand out even more. i LOLed a few times at different points for good reason. and this book covers tropes that i’m a sucker for… pretend relationship, (sort of) enemies to lovers, best friend’s sibling… yk the vibe. maybe i just like this so much because it reads like a fan fiction LMAO but i really did enjoy reading about individual characters and the way they’ve been set up felt very natural to me. the bridgerton family interactions was hilarious and a large part of why i’ll still be reading the next books
the romance itself was predictable but who’s surprised. the meet cute felt too cliche already because given simon’s aversion to people and dating in general it rly makes no sense that he is even capable of having a meet cute with anyone, especially based off such few interactions. i can understand physical appeal but when the book goes to such lengths to differentiate her from the other ladies, it’s hard to see what he physically sees in her that other men don’t. and yes, quite a lot of not like other girls energy in this book… but i guess i can overlook that given the context that this was written in the 2000s. it really does show LMAO i be putting on my 2000s-tinted glasses on and expecting the worst.
and finally… THAT scene… so many things icked me out but it’s the fact that it was barely brought up afterwards and that simon just let it go. HE SHOULD NOT HAVE LET IT GO. my jaw legit dropped as i was reading i knew this was coming and yet… yikes… she fully took advantage of him. knowing that he was both unable and unwilling to consent to such an act, and she did it anyway. she was fully aware and i hate how she later tries justifying it to herself or downplaying it with her intentions for simon to not let his father dictate his life anymore because that’s HIS decision to make, not for her to do on his behalf. it’s ridiculous that simon forgave her so quickly. ugh. this scene single handedly knocked the entire book down to this rating, otherwise it could’ve been a solid 3.5-4 stars honestly i’m not ashamed to admit i enjoyed this cheesy ass book. anyway, evidently, i will continue with the next book… already borrowed it on libby LOL
the banter, the dialogue!! each character feels very raw and real to me, and how natural (most of) the dialogue feels helped them stand out even more. i LOLed a few times at different points for good reason. and this book covers tropes that i’m a sucker for… pretend relationship, (sort of) enemies to lovers, best friend’s sibling… yk the vibe. maybe i just like this so much because it reads like a fan fiction LMAO but i really did enjoy reading about individual characters and the way they’ve been set up felt very natural to me. the bridgerton family interactions was hilarious and a large part of why i’ll still be reading the next books
the romance itself was predictable but who’s surprised. the meet cute felt too cliche already because given simon’s aversion to people and dating in general it rly makes no sense that he is even capable of having a meet cute with anyone, especially based off such few interactions. i can understand physical appeal but when the book goes to such lengths to differentiate her from the other ladies, it’s hard to see what he physically sees in her that other men don’t. and yes, quite a lot of not like other girls energy in this book… but i guess i can overlook that given the context that this was written in the 2000s. it really does show LMAO i be putting on my 2000s-tinted glasses on and expecting the worst.
and finally… THAT scene… so many things icked me out but it’s the fact that it was barely brought up afterwards and that simon just let it go. HE SHOULD NOT HAVE LET IT GO. my jaw legit dropped as i was reading i knew this was coming and yet… yikes… she fully took advantage of him. knowing that he was both unable and unwilling to consent to such an act, and she did it anyway. she was fully aware and i hate how she later tries justifying it to herself or downplaying it with her intentions for simon to not let his father dictate his life anymore because that’s HIS decision to make, not for her to do on his behalf. it’s ridiculous that simon forgave her so quickly. ugh. this scene single handedly knocked the entire book down to this rating, otherwise it could’ve been a solid 3.5-4 stars honestly i’m not ashamed to admit i enjoyed this cheesy ass book. anyway, evidently, i will continue with the next book… already borrowed it on libby LOL
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault