"The Duke and I" by Julia Quinn (Book 1 in Bridgerton Series), eBook, 433 pages
From GoodReads: 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 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...
My ratings, remember, are based on my gut feeling as soon as I'm done. First thing, I didn't understand why we were getting a 2nd epilogue. The reader's note said have you ever wondered...and I thought uh this is book 1 out of 8...what is there to wonder about. I didn't realized that each book in the series followed a different Bridgerton child. I know that now.
I felt at times like I was reading someone's personal diary. I'm a visual reader. I have not seen the show so I wasn't able to picture the actors (probably for the best) but I do picture the story in my head as I read. Some of the scenes made me feel like I was watching a very private moment. Don't get me wrong. I can watch those things in movies and whatnot but it just feels different to me to read those kinds of scenes. It kind of solidified that I can't read those heavy romance novels. It's just not my jam and that's okay.
I did enjoy how the story flowed. You could see how it switched back and forth between Daphne and Simon in the story without the author having to announce at the top of each chapter who was narrating the story. It really was because of the 2nd epilogue and the spicy scenes that resulted in the 4 star rating. I'm not entirely sure if I will continue to read the series but I am definitely ready to give the show a watch!
4/5 Stars
2024 Reading Challenge: 14/50 complete
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