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A review by smblanc1793
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
This book started fine.
Yes, the language feel a little forced.
Yes, the language feel a little forced.
but if I recall, you were the one holding me over that fragrant receptacle
Chamber pot. He’s talking about a chamber pot. And this sentence is so shit that it belongs in one. Yes, the Lady Whistledown snippets seem to be a relatively lazy narrative device to explain banal exposition. Yes, the attempt at quippy dialogue and banter feels like something Jane Austen may have written had she been declared insane and lobotomized (this is to say, not particularly phenomenal, but about as well as I could do most of the time.)
But overall it was what I expected. It’s fun and lighthearted; similar in tone to the kitsch and joviality of the show. Daphne punches a dude. Groping in the garden. Simon’s a dickhead about having children. Daphne doesn’t know how penises work. The usual. Then, about 85% of the way to the end…BAM! KA-RAPE!
HOLY SHIT! I’d seen the show so I expected the scene (and yes, it it was despicable in the show too) but in the book not only does she forcibly attempt to impregnate herself, she does it while he’s unconscious. WHILE. HE’S. UNCONSCIOUS. And then they just…get over it…in about 40 pages. Daphne doesn’t even seem to understand that what she did was wrong…
But overall it was what I expected. It’s fun and lighthearted; similar in tone to the kitsch and joviality of the show. Daphne punches a dude. Groping in the garden. Simon’s a dickhead about having children. Daphne doesn’t know how penises work. The usual. Then, about 85% of the way to the end…BAM! KA-RAPE!
HOLY SHIT! I’d seen the show so I expected the scene (and yes, it it was despicable in the show too) but in the book not only does she forcibly attempt to impregnate herself, she does it while he’s unconscious. WHILE. HE’S. UNCONSCIOUS. And then they just…get over it…in about 40 pages. Daphne doesn’t even seem to understand that what she did was wrong…
…she’d assumed if she worked hard enough for something, treated everyone the way she would like to be treated, then she would be rewarded.
Did you really treat Simon how you wanted to be treated? Raped while drunk and passed out? Doesn’t sound like fun to me.
But even a class 1 felony can hardly be allowed to stop true love. So Simon takes a lil vacay, gets some fresh air, then goes back to his beloved rapist wife so he can finally get over his daddy issues and live happily ever after. Isn’t love wonderful?
But even a class 1 felony can hardly be allowed to stop true love. So Simon takes a lil vacay, gets some fresh air, then goes back to his beloved rapist wife so he can finally get over his daddy issues and live happily ever after. Isn’t love wonderful?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Rape, Sexism, and Death of parent