The Duke and I (Bridgerton Series, Book 1)
by Julia Quinn

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Book Reviews of The Duke and I (Bridgerton Series, Book 1)

Book Review: Laugh & Sigh - totally entertaining
Summary: 5 Stars

Simon Basset, Earl of Clyvedon, Duke of Hasting is far from the regular heroes of most historical romance novels that I have read.  Yes, he was described as handsome, rich, intelligent & a RAKE - just like most heroes...  What made him different from the others is that he have a stuttering problems, which he has learned to control as he grew up yet it's still there when he's nervous or upset. This flaw made Simon more human, realistic. He had an awfully sad childhood too.  His father denied him love and privileged because of his stuttering. His father was so shamed of him that he told people he no longer had a son. He would rather passed his dukedom to his cousin than to his son who he called stupid, idiot, imbecile and nitwit. This lead Simon to hate and yet it inspired him to worked hard in order to proved his father wrong.  In the end, his father proudly saw that Simon was actually worthy of his dukedom and passed it on to him when he died.  Because of his father's obsession on his dukedom lineage, Simon vowed never to marry, never to have children - to end the blood line with him.  But when he returned to England & inherited his dukedom after his father's death,  he was sought after by every MOTHER of the ton with marriageable daughters. 

Dafne Bridgerton on the other hand had a full happy childhood.  Even if her father had died when she was only 10, She grew up with a loving mother,  7 brothers & sisters - who are all close knit.  Naturally, because of her happy experience as a child, she longed to get married and have lots of children just like what she was use to growing up with. Being a wife and motherhood is her simple dream.   Unlike most heroines of historical romances novels, Dafne didn't have an extra ordinary beauty but she is sweet, funny, philosophical, strong willed & determined.  She might not have "THAT" extra ordinary beauty but she is well liked by everybody... and that is somehow a problem in finding a suitable husband.  She possessed a unique character that draws every people to view her simply as A FRIEND. That is one of the two reasons why most eligible bachelors doesn't court her.  She was everybody's friend.  The other reason was his 3 elder brothers ( Anthony, Benedict & Colin) who watched her like a hawk. 

To keep ambitious mothers with marriageable daughters away from him, Simon propose a scheme to Dafne, who happens to be Anthony's (Simon's best friend) younger sister.   They will feign "attachment".   In return, he insisted to Dafne that when the Ton realize that the Duke had captured an interest towards her, Eligible bachelors who viewed her as a friend would eventually see her in different light. Rather conceited perhaps?  She agreed & gotten 6 suitors the very next day.  Interesting.  So far, the scheme seems to be working well with both of them until Dafne realized she was slowly falling in love with Simon. That's when things got complicated. At the same time, Simon's feelings towards her were getting stronger.  He tries so hard to keep it in control.  After all, Thou shalt not lust after thy friend's sister!  But what happens if Dafne seduces him?  Would he be able to keep his emotions in control?  Would he remember the most important rule amongst friends?

I normally prefer the man to be the seducer but in this book, I rather like the way Julia Quinn wrote and described Dafne's thoughts.  The way Dafne shows her emotions didn't sound disgusting nor exaggerated.  She still have innocence but with a spark if naive naughtiness... Her actions are believable, understandable & practical considering the situation Simon is in, well.. the situation, they're both in.  I also liked the idea that Simon & Dafne started as friends then developed into something deeper.  They shared thoughts & dreams as well as fears & insecurities. They understood each other before words are passed, they formed a special bond before marriage - this is somewhat unusual in historical romances novels that I have read so far.  I would like to mention my teeny bitty complaint about this story though, I wondered what happened to Nurse Hopkins. She who supposedly loved and took care of Simon ever since he was a baby. I would have loved to read about her. It would be nice to read her proud reaction to see what Simon had accomplished. Since she was the encouragement & Simon's maternal support, it would have been nice to see her involved in Simon's life all throughout the book. Oh well, this is just a small flaw which I thought I'd mention.

Oh it won't be fair not to mention the famous Lady Whistledown's gossip column.  My!  Not only is she mysteriously accurate, she is soooo funny.  Her column is one of my favorites in this book.   I have a couple of guess who this lady might be but I'm not 100% sure.  When you finish reading this book, email me your guess.   It would be fun to compare thoughts and guess about this.   I sure can't wait to read the rest of the Bridgerton Series to know who this elite lady is.  This book is my first of Julia Quinn and definitely wasn't the last.   I was thoroughly pleased & entertained with this one that I am now in the process of reading "The Viscount who love me", that is Anthony's story. Anthony is Simon's best friend & Dafne's eldest brother. Will write a review on that soon afterwards too.

Summary of The Duke and I (Bridgerton Series, Book 1)

Simon Basset, the irresistible Duke of Hastings, has hatched a plan to keep himself free from the town?s marriage-minded society mothers. He pretends to be engaged to the lovely Daphne Bridgerton. After all, it isn?t as if the brooding rogue has any real plans to marry - though there is something about the alluring Miss Bridgerton that sets Simon?s heart beating a bit faster. And as for Daphne, surely the clever debutante will attract some very worthy suitors now that it seems a duke has declared her desirable. But as Daphne waltzes across ballroom after ballroom with Simon, she soon forgets that their courtship is a complete sham. And now she has to do the impossible and keep herself from losing her heart and soul completely to the handsome hell-raiser who has sworn off marriage forever!

Relentlessly pursued by match-making mamas and their charges, Simon Bassett, the handsome Duke of Hastings, has grown tired of the societal chase. Tired too is the lovely Daphne Bridgerton, whose matrimonially minded mother is set on finding her daughter the perfect husband. Neither Simon nor Daphne is happy with this annoying state of affairs and both would give anything for a little peace and quiet. Their mutual wish for a respite from the ton's marriage mart leads to a pretend engagement--a scheme that is threatened with exposure by Daphne's suspicious older brother, who happens to know Simon's way with women very well. The two never anticipated that a mutual attraction would lead to the very thing they set out to avoid--a wedding. But Simon fears that his painful past may keep him from being able to truly love anyone. And though Daphne cares for him deeply, she won't settle for anything less than his heart.

The Duke and I is rich with author Julia Quinn's trademark humor and engaging dialogue. Beneath the Regency charm of this novel, however, dwells an insightful exploration of the impact of childhood trauma and the healing power of love. Quinn just keeps getting better and better, a fact that's sure to delight readers. --Lois Faye Dyer

Literature & Fiction Books

• Subjects > Literature & Fiction
• Romance > Historical
• Regency