A review by leonalikesliterature
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

slow-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? Yes

2.0

Decided to start this series because I love the show and I’m obsessed with regency-era historical romances right now.

During the first half of this book, I was convinced it would at least be 3 stars. The writing was pretty good. I loved the banter between Simon and Daphne, and I loved Simon’s character.

Unfortunately, the second half of the book ruined everything for me. Daphne becomes insufferable and she crosses so many lines.
I can understand why Daphne desires a child so desperately. During that era, women didn’t have a lot of ways to feel purposeful besides having children. HOWEVER, what Daphne does is unforgivable. I thought her behavior was bad in the show, but oh my god the book is so much worse! Trigger warning!!! Daphne r@pes Simon when he is intoxicated and unconscious so she can try to get pregnant when she knows he doesn’t ever want children. It’s genuinely so fucked up. I actually felt disgusted when reading that scene because she describes how “powerful” she feels in the moment. Before that scene, Daphne and Simon explicitly talk about why he doesn’t want children and she tries to guilt him into having a baby, and then the book frames HER as the victim. As if Simon is depriving her of something she’s entitled to, despite the fact that she agreed to their marriage knowing he didn’t want kids. Daphne doesn’t even apologize for it, even though that wouldn’t make it okay, but Simon comforts her because she didn’t get pregnant from assaulting him. Regardless of his reasons, Simon is allowed to not want to have kids and he doesn’t need to be convinced to have children! He feels violated after the fact, but it’s twisted so apparently he’s upset because he hates himself, not because he’s mad at Daphne for violating him. At the end of the book, Daphne tells Simon he should decide to have children for himself and NOT for his father, but her advice lacks any credibility because it just seems like a manipulation to get him to give her babies. I hated this conflict in the show and I hate it even more in the book. People who want to be childless are not broken people who need fixing.


Wish this book had ended very differently, but I will read the second one and hopefully it’s not as bad.
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