Book Blog #286: The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

 

Title: The Duke and I

Author: Julia Quinn

# of Pages: 440 (ebook)

Genre: Adult, Romance, Historical Fiction

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Synopsis: 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...

Review: The first time I heard of this book was because of an article on the Netflix adaptation “Bridgerton.” Or, more specifically, it was on Regé-Jean Page breaking people’s hearts after he’s seen with his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day. I obtained an e-copy of this book, and the rest is history. 

 This book was going to get a strong 4 stars. The beginning half is great; it reads like a comedy (if you read it as a serious romance book then it’s just tacky), so I was thoroughly enjoying the read. 

 The most controversial part of this book, based on other reviews I have read, is the rape scene, and it was after this scene that my enjoyment of the book began its descent. The occurrence itself was not the part that bothered me so much as how the characters were made to handle it afterward. There was little to no acknowledgement of it being considered rape. In fact, I would say that the victim plays down the assault, and this grievous offense is therefore glossed over without any serious consequences. 

 When the book focus turns to sex scene after sex scene, I began to feel like I was reading Regency era Fifty Shades of Grey (aka shallow, non-interesting plot). 

 This book goes pretty fast, so if you’re interested in the synopsis, I would say go ahead and read it. If it doesn’t sound interesting, no need to “give it a shot.”