In the midst of her second Season, Daphne - the eldest girl in the Bridgerton family of eight -- has all but given up on the hope of making a love match. Daphne is the girl that everyone likes, that everyone wants to be friends with -- always the chum, the good sport, but never the lover inspiring flowery declarations of passionate intent. Buy Daphne's closely-held dream of loving husband and family, her desire to not settle, makes her reluctance to compete in the Season's Marriage Market threatens to make her the bane of her loving mother Violet's existence. Violet, after all, must think beyond her eldest daughter's reluctance to make a match to the three girls waiting in the wings to make their own debuts. When Daphne meets the newly-minted and arrived in London Duke of Hastings, Simon Basset, she's alternately maddened by his haughty demeanor and unsettled by his direct, passionate gaze. The infamous rake is her oldest brother Anthony's long-time best friend, the type of man a good society miss avoids at all costs -- until he makes an intriguing offer, one that promises a blessed reprieve from her marriage-minded mama -- but with the unintended side effect of imperiling her heart.
Only one thing could induce Simon to forsake his world travels and return to London -- his estranged father's death. The old duke made Simon's life a torment from childhood, belittling the boy for his stammer, leaving him to be raised by servants and forge a successful path in life through sheer force of will -- the will to prove his hated sire wrong. However, he was not prepared for the attention his new title brought to his personal life as Ambitious Mamas flocked to his side to introduce their debutante daughters. When Simon meets Daphne, he's shocked by how quickly she puts him at ease, intrigue colored with a desire to possess her beauty -- until he learns that she's Anthony's sister, which places her in the Strictly Forbidden category of romantic dalliances. Even so, he cannot resist suggesting an audacious scheme -- he'll pay court to Daphne, ostensibly removing himself from the Marriage Market, and she'll become more desirable than ever by virtue of being associated with London's newest duke. But when the fake courtship gives birth to real attachment, lines are crossed -- could marriage between the girl no one wanted and the duke determined to die alone become a love affair for the social record book?
After several years of two very dear friends telling me I'd love Julia Quinn's Regency romances, I finally decided to give The Duke and I a try, and I'm SO glad I did. The first installment in Quinn's popular Bridgerton series sparkles with wit, warmth, and a genuine emotional and intellectual connection that goes far deeper than any physical attraction that sparks between the duke and Daphne. I've read reviews comparing Quinn to Jane Austen, and while Quinn's sly humor and sharp characterizations were certainly inspired by Austen, I think a more apt comparison would liken Quinn to Georgette Heyer, with a dash of the chick-lit sensibilities found in the likes of Hester Browne's or Jill Mansell's novels. In other words, The Duke and I is a clever, funny, warm-hearted romp through Regency England with a romance that will take your breath away and an unexpectedly deep emotional resonance between its hero and heroine -- this is, refreshingly, the story of a physical, emotional, and intellectual union of complementary equals.
I adored the family dynamic exhibited here -- the Bridgertons are the type of sprawling fictional family I love to read about. The may fight and squabble but they are loyal to a fault (as Simon quickly learns even during the early days of his "faux courtship" with Daphne). Although this is very much Daphne's story, Quinn does an excellent job introducing the siblings that will feature in later installments. From the rakish Colin, newly-returned from Europe, to Anthony the eldest, nearly driving himself batty attempting to navigate the Marriage Mart as a very eligible viscount while sheperding his strong-willed family through society's social whirl, to the precocious ten-year-old Hyacinth, whose outspoken wisdom beyond her years marks her as a force to be reckoned with once she comes of age. And I adore their mother, Violet! At first I feared she was Mrs. Bennet reborn, but her occasional flighty absent-mindedness masks the razor sharp wit and intelligence required to survive as matriarch to the lively Bridgerton children.
Although Daphne and Simon's journey from courtship to marriage covers only the span of a few short weeks, I loved the emphasis Quinn placed on their intellectual and emotional compatibility. Yes, they each are highly appreciative of the other's fine form, what makes their romance make my heart sing is how they are both so utterly disarmed and genuinely comfortable in each other's company. Looks may fade with time, but personality is forever, eh? And while keeping with the fact that since this is a mainstream historical romance there are some spicy scenes, refreshingly those occur after marriage. I was really impressed by how Quinn touched on the intimacies of the marital relationship making each partner vulnerable to the other, and how that trust, if lost (speaking of misunderstanding, not abuse) can create a painful rift. Daphne and Simon's commitment to each other, despite their marriage's rocky start and subsequent misunderstandings, is the hook that got me so emotionally invested in this couple and kept my fingers flying to turn the pages.
Quinn possesses a delightfully breezy writing style that oft-times belies the serious issues of emotional weight that she addresses within the pages of Simon and Daphne's story. The prologue, revealing Simon's tragic childhood, reads with the matter of fact tone of a dark fairy tale, one leaving readers to question the possibility of the tortured heir's future happiness. The warmth and humor with which she imbues this romance makes the heart of The Duke and I all the more compelling and memorable, because Quinn doesn't shy away from the difficult issues that could make or break a marriage. Even if her breezy writing style lends itself to playing a *bit* fast and loose with period mannerisms, that is forgivable since The Duke and I is thoroughly engaging, romance for the heart and the mind at its finest. This is wholly memorable, utterly delightful introduction to the Bridgerton clan -- and with the added mystery of the mysterious gossip columnist Lady Whistledown's true identity, whose quips are peppered throughout the novel -- I cannot WAIT to revisit this family in subsequent novels.
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Men, she thought with disgust, were interested only in those women who terrified them.Highlighted by 2,880 Kindle readers- The Duke of Hastings. Daphne decided then and there that she’d be a fool if she didn’t fall in love with him.Highlighted by 407 Kindle readers
- “Any man, you’ll soon learn, has an insurmountable need to blame someone else when he is made to look a fool.”Highlighted by 399 Kindle readers
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3.5-stars: 'The Duke and I' by Julia Quinn
The Duke and I is the first book to Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series. The first book focuses on Daphne, the fourth of eight siblings in the Bridgerton family, and the Duke of Hastings, Simon Basset. Readers will also meet the other Bridgertons’ and other secondary characters that I liked getting to know more than the main characters at times in this book.Female Protagonist: Daphne Bridgerton is a beautiful young lady who everyone loves as a friend, but nothing more. I liked her character but did not connect with her. She was sweet at first but turned into something else later on, especially after working with the Duke to have a pretend relationship that grew into something more. She’s determined to get what she wants, and she’ll do anything, even do something that I found unforgivable.Male Protagonist: Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings, has to be my favorite in this book. He’s a handsome young Duke that every woman wants to be with, but he has no desire to be with them unless it’s casual. He has his reasons. He is considered a Rake by many, but he changes once he meets Daphne. He has a past that made me feel for him immediately. I loved everything about him. Yes, I have a thing for flawed heroes. 🙂Storyline/My Thoughts: My thoughts on The Duke and I are that I enjoyed the book, up until one particular scene, which I mention in my review’s forewarning (below). This is the first book I read by Julia Quinn, so I did enjoy the storyline of how Daphne and Simon met in this book. I also love the trope(s) that were in this book. One, in particular, the Fake/Pretend Relationship. You know it’s never going to continue to be fake. One character or both will eventually fall in love. It’s inevitable.Julia Quinn was very descriptive in details with the events the characters went to in the book, making it feel like I was there with them. I’m afraid I could not live back in a day where marriages were arranged, and women were not allowed to do certain things because it was frowned upon back then. There’s also the issue of wearing dresses every day. Nope, not this gal here. I love wearing my t-shirt and jeans, especially living in a rural area with livestock.There was so much drama in this book that kept me turning the pages. Daphne has three older brothers who are protective of her. What does she think they will let her marry just anyone? Nope!This book has a Gossip Girl feel to it, with the gossip papers from Lady Whistledown going around. I may know who she is but won’t give it away to readers who have yet read the book/series.Forewarning: This book does have a scene that I would consider a rape scene. I will not go into details with it because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t read the book or watched the show on Netflix. I was disappointed with this scene, so I gave it 3.5 stars instead of 5 stars.Standalone or Part of Series: Part of Series.Steaminess: Some steam towards the end of the book.HEA: Yes.Trope: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Shotgun MarriageWould I recommend this book? Yes. I would recommend it to Historical Romance readers out there if you have read any of Julia Quinn’s other books, too. Again, this was the first book I read from Julia Quinn, and I look forward to diving into the rest of the Bridgerton series this year (2021). I’ll need to read them before the next season comes out on Netflix.I will say this; this will be my first time I loved the show better than the book. I know it’s due to Shonda Rhimes. She’s amazing! (Although I may be the only person who hasn’t seen Grey’s Anatomy, I plan on changing that soon. I did fall for her show Scandal. I loved that show!!) Shonda Rhimes did a fantastic job with the first season of Bridgerton.
Top reviews from other countries
Katrina C. Kosyk
"Regency Rom-Com Rumble: 'The Duke and I' Book vs. TV Show"
Reviewed in Canada on December 15, 2023
