The Duke & I by Julia Quinn

Title: The Duke & I
Author: Julia Quinn
Series: The Bridgertons (book #1)
Next in series: The Viscount Who Loved Me

My rating: 4.5 Stars

Synopsis: To protect himself from ambitious mothers, Simon Basset Duke of Hastings, makes a deal with his best friend’s sister – they will pretend to be engaged. For Daphne Bridgerton, the pretend betrothal turns out to be quite lucrative as she becomes the belle of the ball. The only problem is that Daphne begins falling for the devastating Duke who has made it clear that he has no intention of ever marrying.

Review: After hearing such marvelous things about this book and the series as a whole, I just had to see for myself and was not at all disappointed. The Duke and I is a wonderfully sweet and charming story with engaging characters and some of the funniest dialogue.

Julia Quinn’s writing style makes it impossible not to feel for her characters. Simon is a heart-wrenchingly tortured hero but unlike the physical torment that many characters of this type endure, Simon’s suffering is all emotional and as such even more compelling. It is amazing that he is still capable of love after the rejection that he bore as a child. 

Daphne is a spunky heroine and the way in which she handles both Simon and her brothers is inspiring. She and Simon have great chemistry and their banter is excellent. Their relationship develops in a predictable way. However, there is one questionable scene that some readers may find offensive. I don’t want to give too much away but suffice it to say that Daphne can be seen as taking advantage of Simon. I won’t say that the scene didn’t bother me because it places Daphne in a rather negative light but taken within the context of the story it is understandable if not quite acceptable. 

The introduction to the other Bridgerton siblings is mainly focused on Anthony and Colin. While both brothers are sympathetic and engaging, Anthony’s overprotectiveness and belligerence is often grating and excessive. Nevertheless, the Bridgerton family dynamic is one of the highlights of the story and I look forward to reading the rest of the series soon.