Book Review: The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
Picking up The Duke and I to review, I already had an idea what I was getting into. Since this was not my first book read by Julia Quinn, I know a little about her style and her love of older eras. With that said, I ranked The Duke and I pretty low on my Bridgerton list because it isn’t really my favorite…. It’s not the worst book I’ve read by any means, but it was just meh.
Book Information
Daphne Bridgerton is not like the other eligible women in London. She does not think she’s beautiful, or that she’ll be able to find a suitable husband who she likes. Simon Basset, however, sees her beauty. He sees her for the amazing woman that she is and that is exactly the type of relationship he wants to avoid the most. Even though he knows he wants Daphne Bridgerton—and that she wants him—he has made a promise to himself never to get married and have children. But Daphne has other plans, and she knows that she can win his heart despite the scars Simon holds close to him.
Review | Heidi Dischler
So, this is not the first Julia Quinn book I’ve read. I actually started with her prequel to the Bridgerton Series called Because of Miss Bridgerton in the Rokesby Series, but I decided to finally read The Duke and I when I found out that it was becoming a Netflix series. I love Julia Quinn’s romance novels even if they get a little uncomfortable at times when you’re listening to them in audiobook form…. With The Duke and I, though, I finally got to see where it all started in terms of the Bridgertons.
I really liked Simon as a character, but I found Daphne very lackluster in terms of development. While I love Julia Quinn’s romantic novels, it isn’t necessarily for their complexity. That’s what I love about them, though. I simply get to get lost in the world and its characters. I love the rowdy Bridgertons, and how they all seem to stick together. I have something similar with my family (although, we are not as quite large as a group), so I could really relate to a lot of their jests.
Spoilers ahead.
My favorite part of the novel was when Simon and Daphne were fake courting each other. It made it very interesting and lighthearted. When they were forced to get married, however, I found that the novel became a little slower in terms of pacing. There were also a few parts that made me cringe. Like Daphne’s attempt to become impregnated while Simon was drunk. It made me lose a lot of respect for her character, and I still don’t know how I feel about the whole thing.
Overall, though, this book is very light reading in terms of fluffy, lighthearted writing. It was a cute story with a memorable family, but I do really think Simon stole the show in terms of character development.
Check out the next book in the series, The Viscount Who Love Me!
Source: Audible Audiobook
