The Duke and I

I’m coming into this series from the Netflix show, so I can’t help but compare and contrast. While there’s undeniable differences between the book and the show adaptation, I still had a lot of fun seeing where everything started. 

While I missed watching the other plots run simultaneously in the background (Netflix was really playing the long game), I enjoyed the exclusive focus on the first couple. I also have to say that I like Daphne here more than I did in the show—to not have her be a younger, sought-after Diamond but instead slightly older and somewhat resigned to being a wallflower made her deal with the duke all the more believable. And on the leading man’s side, the story opens with all of his tragic backstory trauma, so instead of wondering why he behaves like he does, as the reader we have full context and are just waiting for Daphne to put the pieces of the puzzle together. 

The only real downside to the book is That Scene—I don’t remember feeling this conflicted about it watching the Netflix version, but in the book there’s no other way to describe it than dubious consent. Even with internal monologues from both leads after the fact mulling over the blurred lines, I don’t blame anyone who outright calls it rape. 

It’s a shame that kind of scene happens in this book, because outside of that it’s a great bit of regency era fake dating with a focus on love giving someone the courage to overcome a traumatic past. And while That Scene did throw me for a loop, I found enough to like here—and enough that was different from the show—that I want to give the rest of the series a shot.

I was curious to read this book because of the Netflix series. I haven't watched the show but I've heard some blurbs about it. And, I had fun reading it, for the most part. I thought the build-up romance was well done in the beginning. I enjoyed the funny dialogues between the two main protagonists. But there was something weird about the female main character. Daphne was portrayed as being smart for the local regency standards. We hear her saying that she was raised with 4 brothers, so she knew everything about rakes and swear words. She's in her 20's, and then we find out that she didn't know how babies are made? And she didn't have a clue what happens to "consummate a marriage"? That threw me off a little bit, suddenly she wasn't as smart as I'd thought.
And the conundrum of the Duke, Simon, falling for her and not wanting to marry her because of his issues with siring heirs that was also related to his issues with his late father... anyway.
I prefer historical romance when the characters break with the status quo of the time. When they question cultural norms. And in this one the female character, Daphne, achieves her dream of marrying and having a family, changing the Duke's opinion about being father. They live happy ever after. The end.
So, I was enjyoing it in the beginning but then it turned to be bleh in the end.

Why yes, I will have a little cheese with my romance. Thank you. Give me a double-helping. I'm a marshmallow. Crusty on the outside, and gooey and warm inside.

Julia Quinn writes great historical romances. I accidentally started with book 2 in the series, and have worked my way back to book 1. I will definitely continue my journey with the Bridgertons. They are fun. You know there will be troubles. Misunderstandings, tears. Family meddling where they shouldn't be. But lots of love, and always my HEA. I gotta have that. This one is the eldest daughter, Daphne. Pretty, but in a regular person way. Smart. Outspoken. A little flawed. My favorite kind of heroine! Simon is a little bossy, smart, funny, and flawed as well. My favorite kind of hero. Add up all the historical romance tropes and you have this book, but in the best possible way.

If I wrote historical romances, I would hope they would turn out like this. 4 stars.

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect going into The Duke and I. I'm not a romance aficionado, but I was (obviously) definitely interested in exploring the genre and this turned out to be a pretty perfect not-quite-introduction (as I'd already read Jeannie Lin's Butterfly Swords) to both the genre and the Bridgerton series itself.

Daphne is sweet, kind, and extremely likable, while Simon, though carrying what I imagine is fairly typical dark, brooding romantic hero torment, is sympathetic enough that you're willing to forgive him brief lapses into jerkitude (especially given that he apologizes later). The overwhelming impression as soon as you start the book and experience Simon and Daphne's first meeting is that everything about it (them, the narrative, everything!) is just so charming and though things take darker turns later in the book, that charm never goes away. And, for the most part, the problems that the two encounter in their relationship are actually handled well, with wrongs on both sides being acknowledged and Daphne granted agency in their dealings.

In addition to making you care about Daphne/Simon and wanting things to work out for them, the main thing that The Duke and I needed to do was introduce you to the Bridgertons so that you'd want to keep reading on about Daphne's numerous siblings. I think almost more than any other book in the series, this first one does so much to show you who the family itself is and put their various personalities and foibles on display. And it does so to such great effect -- also involving Daphne's brothers directly in the plot -- that I pretty immediately began anticipating various characters' own novels.

Which means that overall it did its job well, and in and of itself is a strong book, towards the high end of the middle, if I were to rank the entire series.