The Duke and I by Julia Quinn Series: Bridgertons #1
Published by Avon on December 5, 2020
Pages: 433
Genres: Historical Romance
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The Duke and I is a romance set in the Regency era.
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...
Like some people, I read this book after watching the first season of the Netflix series Bridgerton. Since I don’t read much historical romance, I expected The Duke and I to be rather stodgy without all the Hollywood glam, but I became easily addicted to this story that is filled with humor and warmth.
Daphne’s delightful dry wit and kind disposition won me over easily, while Simon’s painful past and taciturn temperament tugged at my maternal heartstrings. Daphne brings out the best qualities in him, including the ability to make fun of himself. Throughout the ruse of their fake relationship, they find each other welcome company at various extravagant balls where they share humor about some of their town’s residents and customs. Their banter is highly entertaining.
The Duke and I is different than the show in that some characters are barely—if at all— mentioned, but the book is meant to be focused on Daphne. I loved the exploration of Daphne’s relationship with her brothers and the insights into her mother. Simon and Daphne share the same degree of passion—who knew Regency romance could be so steamy?—and even though they fall for each other relatively quickly by today’s standards, I believed it.
I definitely recommend this book for those new to the genre. I’m looking forward to reading about the other siblings and their quest for love in the rest of the series.
Note: This edition has been updated with a second epilogue.
Recommended for fans of:
Historical romance
Fake relationships
Steamy goodness
Banter
You are in for a treat with the whole series. It just keeps getting better and better, I loved them all except for maybe the last one . Have fun reading them!
That’s good to know! I hate it when a series goes downhill.
I loved this one, too! I actually listened to all of the audiobooks before I watched the series. That’s because I didn’t have Netflix yet, though!
I remember you enjoyed the entire series of books. I’m looking forward to reading them.
I need to snag these books. Great review!
I read the series shortly before the show released and enjoyed it for the most part. I liked book 2 the best so I can’t wait to see your thoughts! 🙂
Daphne’s dry wit was my favorite here too!
I’m currently reading book two. I’ll let you know how it turns out!