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A review by stungbythewood
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I truly debated on whether I should give this 2.5 or 3 stars and settled on 2.5.
I am genuinely surprised that I found a Bridgerton book that I liked LESS than Romancing Mr. Bridgerton,but alas, here we are.
My first thought when completing this book was “Thank the lord it’s over,” so do with that what you will.
I am quite simply very disappointed in this book. I had watched the first two available seasons of the Bridgerton show on Netflix before reading this and I must say that the show is so much better than this book. So if you’re debating on watching the show before having a chance to read the book just watch the show, I promise there’s no worthwhile context from the book that you’d be missing if you watch the show before reading the book.
Daphne in this book is sometimes simply unbearable and I LIKE Daphne in the show.
Something about hearing a thin, well off, attractive white woman say that she was not desired in society and no one saw her as more than a friend felt very “woe is me” in my opinion.
It’s slightly irritating and somewhat disheartening to see
the women in this series have next to no confidence in themselves.
There is just so much “time period misogyny” that I truly can’t look past regardless if it’s a historical romance novel. Just because it takes place in a certain time period doesn’t mean we have to uphold all the societal norms from back then.
I don’t know when it became romantic for men to voice such willing violence against you or say things like:
Simon started to shake with rage. “I own this room,” he growled. “I own you.” page: 337
and
He looked up, his eyes haunted. “You’re my wife.”
She said nothing.
“Legally, I own you.”
Daphne just stared at him as she said, “That’s true.”
He closed the space between them in a heartbeat, his hands finding her shoulders. “I can make you want me,” he whispered.
page: 340
I won’t get into details of the rape scene but just know that there is one and it isn’t handled tactfully at all.
There were some minor highs in this book for me, most of which being the moments between the Bridgerton family themselves. I admired how Anthony wasn’t quick to push Daphne to marry Nigel Berbrooke and wanted to let her choose a husband she’d at least like, even if she did not love him.
There was one quote that really stood out to me and it was from page 300
”She died at my birth.”
Daphne nodded. “I’d heard. I’m sorry.”
Simon shrugged. “I didn’t know her.”
“That doesn’t mean it wasn’t a loss.”
All and all this book is painfully just okay at the best of times and varying degrees of irritating at the worst of times with very few sprinkles of hope in between. I truly believe a majority of Daphne and Simon’s conflicts would have been solved in they simply communicated better but then I suppose we would have no story.
The show handles a majority of these issues in a much better light than the book does so if you’re debating on whether to read the book first before the show, just watch the show instead.
I am genuinely surprised that I found a Bridgerton book that I liked LESS than Romancing Mr. Bridgerton,but alas, here we are.
My first thought when completing this book was “Thank the lord it’s over,” so do with that what you will.
I am quite simply very disappointed in this book. I had watched the first two available seasons of the Bridgerton show on Netflix before reading this and I must say that the show is so much better than this book. So if you’re debating on watching the show before having a chance to read the book just watch the show, I promise there’s no worthwhile context from the book that you’d be missing if you watch the show before reading the book.
Daphne in this book is sometimes simply unbearable and I LIKE Daphne in the show.
It’s slightly irritating and somewhat disheartening to see
the women in this series have next to no confidence in themselves.
There is just so much “time period misogyny” that I truly can’t look past regardless if it’s a historical romance novel. Just because it takes place in a certain time period doesn’t mean we have to uphold all the societal norms from back then.
I don’t know when it became romantic for men to voice such willing violence against you or say things like:
Simon started to shake with rage. “I own this room,” he growled. “I own you.” page: 337
and
He looked up, his eyes haunted. “You’re my wife.”
She said nothing.
“Legally, I own you.”
Daphne just stared at him as she said, “That’s true.”
He closed the space between them in a heartbeat, his hands finding her shoulders. “I can make you want me,” he whispered.
page: 340
I won’t get into details of the rape scene but just know that there is one and it isn’t handled tactfully at all.
There were some minor highs in this book for me, most of which being the moments between the Bridgerton family themselves. I admired how Anthony wasn’t quick to push Daphne to marry Nigel Berbrooke and wanted to let her choose a husband she’d at least like, even if she did not love him.
There was one quote that really stood out to me and it was from page 300
”She died at my birth.”
Daphne nodded. “I’d heard. I’m sorry.”
Simon shrugged. “I didn’t know her.”
“That doesn’t mean it wasn’t a loss.”
All and all this book is painfully just okay at the best of times and varying degrees of irritating at the worst of times with very few sprinkles of hope in between. I truly believe a majority of Daphne and Simon’s conflicts would have been solved in they simply communicated better but then I suppose we would have no story.
The show handles a majority of these issues in a much better light than the book does so if you’re debating on whether to read the book first before the show, just watch the show instead.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexual content