The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

The Duke and I (Bridgertons, #1)

by Julia Quinn

'Men are sheep. Where one goes, the rest soon follow'.
– Lady Whistledown's Society Papers, 30 April 1813.

After enduring two seasons in London, Daphne Bridgerton is no longer nave enough to believe she will be able to be marry for love. But is it really too much to hope for a husband for whom she at least has some affection?

Her brother's old school friend Simon Bassett—the new Duke of Hastings—has no intention of ever marrying. However, newly returned to England, he finds himself the target of the many marriage-minded society mothers who remain convinced that reformed rakes make the best husbands.

To deflect their attention, the handsome hell-raiser proposes to Daphne that they pretend an attachment. In return, his interest in Daphne will ensure she becomes the belle of London society with suitors beating a path to her door. There's just one problem, Daphne now in danger of falling for a man who has no intention of making their charade a reality.

Reviewed by pamela on

2.5 of 5 stars

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Far too many romance novels glorify toxic relationships - and while everyone in The Duke and I appeared to have a fairytale ending, nothing was really resolved, and people's appalling behaviour was pushed under the rug as "cute" or "fixable."

This is another case where the television adaptation far outstripped its source material. I was expecting something sweet, witty, and self-aware. I was sorely disappointed. While sometimes a simple, straightforward, easy read can be just what the doctor ordered, The Duke and I raised far too many problematic elements to get away with not analysing or discussing them. That, combined with some limited, boring, vanilla sex scenes, one of which was an entirely unnecessary nonconsensual one, made for a rather dull read overall.

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Reading updates

  • 1 January, 2021: Started reading
  • 1 January, 2021: on page 0 out of 384 0%
  • 4 January, 2021: Finished reading
  • 5 January, 2021: Reviewed