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A review by nikogatts
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
dark
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
2.0
I went back and forth between a 2-star score and a 2.5 or 2.75. I tried to be generous as possible with a certain scene and its aftermath, keeping in mind how long ago this book was written. But even accounting for that scene, there just wasn't enough that I liked about this book to push it to a higher score.
I did my best to judge this book on its own merits, but I feel like a comparison to the Netflix adaptation by Shonda Rhimes is warranted when discussing how sparse the story feels. Without the show's (in my opinion, much more interesting) side characters and B-plots, you're left with one mostly straightforward story and a handful of characters with one-word personalities. A lot of the witty banter felt like it went back-and-forth much longer than it needed to, and it feels a bit like the author was just padding out the page count.
Admittedly, this was the first book in the series, and presumably the author hadn't planned out many of the side characters or decided what to do with the other Bridgertons beyond the standard hallmarks of the genre (overprotective brothers, marriage-obsessed mother, etc.). Again, trying to provide the benefit of the doubt.
What I did like: Lady Whistledown as a scene-setting device, Daphne throwing hands with a creepy guy, Daphne and Simon's meet-cute involving them planning what to do with the body of the guy they knocked out, Daphne refusing to bow to the pressure of her three overbearing brothers. Judging this as a standard Regency romance with a few erotic scenes, it's pretty decent. But for me, this book didn't go beyond "just okay" and any memorable parts of it will be memorable for being horrific.
I did my best to judge this book on its own merits, but I feel like a comparison to the Netflix adaptation by Shonda Rhimes is warranted when discussing how sparse the story feels. Without the show's (in my opinion, much more interesting) side characters and B-plots, you're left with one mostly straightforward story and a handful of characters with one-word personalities. A lot of the witty banter felt like it went back-and-forth much longer than it needed to, and it feels a bit like the author was just padding out the page count.
Admittedly, this was the first book in the series, and presumably the author hadn't planned out many of the side characters or decided what to do with the other Bridgertons beyond the standard hallmarks of the genre (overprotective brothers, marriage-obsessed mother, etc.). Again, trying to provide the benefit of the doubt.
What I did like: Lady Whistledown as a scene-setting device, Daphne throwing hands with a creepy guy, Daphne and Simon's meet-cute involving them planning what to do with the body of the guy they knocked out, Daphne refusing to bow to the pressure of her three overbearing brothers. Judging this as a standard Regency romance with a few erotic scenes, it's pretty decent. But for me, this book didn't go beyond "just okay" and any memorable parts of it will be memorable for being horrific.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Moderate: Pregnancy