A review by escsmith
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

emotional lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I read this because of the show, and without the show I wouldn't be tempted to pick up another. 
Daphne and Simon needed more scenes together building the relationship and chemistry before their marriage. It felt like they barely met and they were already wed. I know that weddings were quick in the time period, but this is a romance and it needed more romance.
I hated the scene where Simon is drunk and Daphne takes advantage of him. It soured the whole book for me. I felt like the author brushed over it and this is harmful to male victims.

Simon's use of phrases like 'mine', 'belong to me' and 'own you' totally pulled out of the story and was another reason I didn't really connect with this story. 
I wanted so much more Whistledown, she really is the best part of the book.
If I choose to continue the series, I'll be viewing it through the lens of the show, because I feel this left a lot to be desired. So many of the characters were flat and I didn't connect with any of them on the page. The descriptions of people and settings were so vague, and did not spark my imagination. 
It had potential, but fell far short.
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