Bridgerton: The Duke & I

Title: Bridgerton: The Duke & I

Author: Julia Quinn

Publisher: Avon Books (2000)

Category & Genre: Adult Historical Romance Fiction

Page number: 480

Tropes: Fake dating, best friends sister, childhood trauma, overcoming insecurities

Synopsis from the book jacket:

“In the ballrooms and drawing rooms of Regency London, rules abound. From their earliest days, children of aristocrats learn how to address an earl and curtsey before a prince—while other dictates of the ton are unspoken yet universally understood. A proper duke should be imperious and aloof. A young, marriageable lady should be amiable… but not too amiable.

Daphne Bridgerton has always failed at the latter. The fourth of eight siblings in her close-knit family, she has formed friendships with the most eligible young men in London. Everyone likes Daphne for her kindness and wit. But no one truly desires her. She is simply too deuced honest for that, too unwilling to play the romantic games that captivate gentlemen.

Amiability is not a characteristic shared by Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings. Recently returned to England from abroad, he intends to shun both marriage and society—just as his callous father shunned Simon throughout his painful childhood. Yet an encounter with his best friend’s sister offers another option. If Daphne agrees to a fake courtship, Simon can deter the mamas who parade their daughters before him. Daphne, meanwhile, will see her prospects and her reputation soar.

The plan works like a charm—at first. But amid the glittering, gossipy, cut-throat world of London’s elite, there is only one certainty: love ignores every rule…”

Why did I choose this book to read?

After watching the Netflix show, I read this book, mainly to compare and contrast. I love it when producers make a film or television adaptation of a book because you see it come to life more. So, after watching the first season of Bridgerton on Netflix, I knew I had to read the book.

What did I like about The Duke & I?

I loved the tidbits of Lady Whistledown at the start of various chapters. They gave the society paper and the mysterious author personality and brought the character to life. It was very interesting to have Daphne’s character more downplayed than it was in the show. It made her personality more realistic than the crowned jewel the show made her out to be, but I thought it worked better and made her more relatable.

I also enjoyed the underlying themes that this book and the rest of the series portray, such as the complexities of love and attraction, the impact of society’s expectations on relationships, and the overcoming of one’s insecurities. 

Where did The Duke & I go wrong for me?

The love scenes truly made me uncomfortable. Don’t get me wrong—I love a good love scene in a novel and am not typically deterred when romance and sex are introduced in a plot. However, I took issue with the way it was done and felt as if it showed Daphne’s character in a really poor light. It honestly ruined the tone of the rest of the book for me and put a sour taste in my mouth about her relationship with the Duke.

Here are some of my favorite quotes…

“To say that men can be bullheaded would be insulting to the bull.”

“And if you say that's because you lot barged into her home like a herd of mentally deficient sheep, I'm disowning all three of you.”

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a married man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of an heir.”

My character connection…

The Duke of Hastings doesn’t get enough credit for his upbringing. It’s hard for me to imagine having a parent who shows you no love, especially for something that was out of your control. I respect his hard work in improving himself and trying to make his father proud. He eventually learns the hard lesson that not everyone will accept you for who you are, but he doesn’t let that deter him from commanding and deserving respect. 

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Final Verdict:

Overall, I wasn’t a fan of this and was pretty disappointed after watching and enjoying the show. I couldn’t get around certain parts of the plot, and the way the author portrayed the more graphic scenes honestly made me too uncomfortable to find any enjoyment.