Bridgerton: The Duke and I

Alright, alright, alright...I have both read and watched the tv show called Bridgerton and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised and quite impressed! I am usually hesitant to read romance novels of this type...why? Well, most of the time they are full of steamy, romantic scenes that hold no significance whatsoever to the plot line as a whole.

Ridiculous...I know.

BUT! That being said, I thought that this book was cleverly done and witty beyond reproach. Even though I became quite frustrated on several occasions with the plot being solely based on the main character, Daphne, finding a husband and marrying; I still found the author's ability to keep my interest intriguing. And, before I knew it, I was rooting for Daphne to find a husband and praying that whoever it was would be worthy of her.

(SPOILER ALERT)

I'm not going to sit here and outline the entire plot for you. I would like you to go and actually read the book. However, I will highlight a few things that I thought were either interesting, or downright strange in the instance of this particular book.

First: in regards to the characters of Daphne Bridgerton and the Duke of Hastings, Simon. The author, Ms. Quinn, did an excellent job at making me, as the reader, feel for both characters. I was right there in the struggle of Daphne feeling worthy enough of deserving a husband that would love her and care for her. My heart broke for her for when she thought she would be lucky enough to have just a friendship in her future husband that she was so desperately searching for. In my head, I sat Daphne down several times and gave her an entire spiel about how any man would be lucky enough to have her as a future wife.

But then I reminded myself that this was normal for that time period and I was yet again mentally applauding Julia Quinn for taking a historical period and writing so accurately within it.

That being said, once Simon and Daphne were finally married, I was sorely disappointed in several of the decisions that Daphne made within the relationship. I have never read a book before where I finished it hating the decisions that the main protagonist made during his or her journey. I won't say exactly what her decisions were, but there was a particular scene in the novel that Daphne forced something upon Simon.

It left a bad taste in my mouth after reading it. Enough of one that I wasn't sure I could continue to route for her.

After finishing the book, I debated several days whether or not I was okay with what Daphne had done. Even though everything had turned out fine and dandy (of course) I still was unsure of what to think and what kind of message it presented to the readers. I'd be interested to hear what other's think after they read the book about Daphne's decisions. If you watched the tv series, they did a better job of hiding it and disguising it, yet I still found myself not liking Daphne very much afterwards.

Also, I couldn't help but think how completely ignorant Daphne was compared to the other characters. I believe Julia Quinn was historical here in Daphne's ignorance, but it was still hard to believe and quite frustrating. At times, Daphne was portrayed as downright stupid and utterly incompetent in certain areas of life.

I believe Quinn was aiming for naivety in Daphne's character, but goodness me...I struggled with her ignorance quite a lot.

Second: Simon was my favorite character in the entire book because I felt he was a more relatable character and his plight was more authentic than Daphne's. From childhood, he wanted nothing more than his father's attention and love. He worked so hard to prove his worth to his father only to be left scorned and shunned by the man he wanted recognition and praise from. And the fact that he had a horrid stammer made it all the more satisfying when he finally shoved his successes in his father's face!

I felt this was more relatable than Daphne's feeling of unworthiness because I couldn't help but feel that everyone is searching for that feeling of recognition and wanting that praise. (Just take a glance at Instagram and you'll know what I mean.) After reading the book, I was proud of Simon and his accomplishments. The growth that he experienced in his journey was remarkable, and the epilogue where he stands surrounded by his own family and holding his own son made me so happy to read! His journey was one of the most satisfying ones to read and root for. Out of the entire book, The Duke and I, Simon was the best character and his journey was by far the most astounding. He left with more growth than I think even Daphne.

Third: YOU CANNOT COMPARE THE TV SHOW WITH THE BOOK.

That is all I will say on the matter.

Fourth: As I said in my intro, the book was surprisingly fun to read. It was a page turner, and for a romance novel, I was turning those electronic pages like the wind. I felt that every scene and every aspect of the book contributed to the plot as a whole. Despite my frustrations with Daphne, it is obvious the author is an excellent story master because for days I was still thinking about why Daphne would act the way she would after she got what she wanted! That goes to show you the ability of the Julia Quinn to suck you right into the character's lives and feel for them, whether it is a good feeling or bad. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in romances of the historical nature. Be warned, it is a romance. If you are looking for a clean romance book without any particular scenes, then you would want to avoid this one. There are not nearly as many as there are in the tv show, but there are still a few.

Was the book cheesy at parts? Oh yes. Did I laugh out loud like a crazy person when the cheese was spread thick? Heck yes I did. Was it still worth it in the end? Most definitely.

My age recommendation? 18+ and the target audience is most definitely geared towards women. The main plot was entirely centered around Daphne's search for a husband who turned out to be the Duke of Hastings. If you're looking for something that is a light read with a wonderful Spring-ish atmosphere, that involves two unlikely people pairing together to get something they both want, then I think this book is for you! So, go pick up a copy, find it on Kindle, read it on Scribd, or visit the library. When you're finished, head on over to the forums page and leave a comment on what you thought of The Duke and I by Julie Quinn!