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![Bridgerton: The Duke and I (Bridgertons Book 1) by [Julia Quinn]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/510GRvgpNRL._SY346_.jpg)
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Bridgerton: The Duke and I (Bridgertons Book 1) Kindle Edition
Julia Quinn
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Length: 433 pages | Word Wise: Enabled | Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled |
Page Flip: Enabled |
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Language: English |
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Book Description
From the Back Cover
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn comes the first novel in her beloved Regency-set series featuring the charming, powerful Bridgerton family
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...
--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.Product details
- ASIN : B00UG8RP8Q
- Publisher : Avon (28 April 2015)
- Language : English
- File size : 2381 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 433 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: 1 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
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I was super impressed with The Duke and I. I loved all of the characters and the storyline. So much better then the show (which was still good) but as my first foray into this author I was not disappointed and I’ve gone ahead and bought the whole Bridgertons Book Series.
Eldest Bridgerton daughter Daphne strikes a deal with adult Duke Simon to get matchmaking mothers off their backs. They will pretend to be besotted with each other. Romance readers will know exactly where this plot is headed. The central romance is a moving emotional voyage, and there are many funny moments thanks to the entertaining Bridgerton family.
It's a good book. I would give it 4.5 stars if I could as it didn't fully realise the potential of its enthralling beginning.
I admit, it had a very promising start, but I eventually started thoroughly disliking it and waiting for it to end.
Others' opinions might vary. But I'm very certain of my one star review.
Top reviews from other countries

I’ll get to reviewing the quality of the material after this big thing that completely destroys this book and entire series for me: the main character Daphne rapes Simon and no one cares and there’s no consequences. One review I read also gave a bad review because of this but I genuinely thought they were wrong because there’s no way this would happen in an internationally best selling book with 1000 good reviews, right??? Nope, apparently I discounted how poorly understood male rape is in our society esp with female perpetrators. Was it “violent” or was he “forced”? Not really. Did he “””enjoy it”””? Technically, yes. But he was absolutely wasted, had no idea what was going on (which, drunk sex, it happens and can be fine) and then she (trying not to spoil??) very specifically decides to take advantage of his drunken state and do something to him he has EXPLICITLY said no to, multiple times over several instances. Is his reasoning on why not to do the thing stupid? Yes. More on his ridiculous character later. But it doesn’t matter if his reasons are dumb. He has said no to this many times and she has to sort of hold him down to get him to do it??? It’s very icky and was hard to read. He then, unsurprisingly, freaks out and is very upset and sort of has a mental breakdown? But he’s over it in about one chapter, there are no real consequences whatsoever, and Daphne explicitly thinks to herself “she’s not ashamed of what she did” afterwards. WTF??? I am so surprised more people aren’t taking about this with the adaptation announcement and I really hope the series drastically changes this.
Separately from this, is the book good? No, not really. I mean it’s readable, and I was entertained at least in the beginning. The family dynamics are cute and some scenes are funny but I read this 3 days ago and can’t remember anything else good about it. I can barely even remember Daphne’s personality. The pacing of the plot is a bit awkward alongside the pacing of the romantic development. Some scenes just stretch on into awkwardness with cringey dialogue but not in a funny, tongue in cheek way. Simon’s character is ridiculous and melodramatic to the point of exhaustion and the book leans heavily on the whole “tragic backstory” cliche but it barely even makes sense when you find out all his “secrets”. I love cheesy romance cliches and ridiculous characters in regency novels when they’re done well, when the cliches are cheeky and self aware and the book isn’t taking itself too seriously. This book fails at that. And I have no issue when characters act like a-holes or irrationally because of terrible things in their life. They’re only human. But Simon’s whole schtick is just ridiculous and so dragged out it's almost painful. Romance novels often get a pass for having not great or even bad writing, but I’ve read some genuinely fantastic and well written regency romance novels that are just so much better than this.

Agree with the other reviews that the language and narrative were not right for the period the story is set in. It really felt like a supposedly historical version of ‘Gossip Girl.’ Nothing much happens in terms of plot, the events that do happen feel a bit contrived and there’s far too much sex described (one ‘scene’ or so is fine but it goes on and on) and agree that Daphne does indeed rape her husband (!) yet this is all poised as being perfectly acceptable behaviour because she’s apparently justified in her desire to have children at any cost.
Although I found myself able to read the book quite quickly, I don’t think I’ll be reading the others. I will give the Netflix series a try though!



So put those issues aside and proceed on the basis that arising out of a very unhappy childhood Simon Duke of Hastings resolved not to have children and then let's his hatred for his father govern his life. He gets caught in a compromising situation with Daphne Bridgerton then refused to marry her because of the child issue and is challenged by her brother.He apparently prefers to die in a duel rather than marry her, is how Daphne sees it. She intervenes in the duel and they end up married. Daphne soon comes to understand that he could potentially have a child and in a drunken encounter that he is an active participant in she ensures he ‘completes’ the act of intercourse inside her. I think on any rational analysis she does it with mixed motives - she wants a child and she loves Simon very much and wants him to be happy. Not surprisingly she doesn't want his father to rule his life from beyond the grave. How this is resolved I thought was very well written,there was lots of angst,but essentially I thought Daphne and Simon were great characters and ultimately she did him a huge service . Ignore the naysayers it's a wonderful story. I intend to read the rest in the series.