The Duke & I by Julia Quinn | Book Review

Updated for 2021: I wrote this book review for The Duke & I in 2013 and, after Bridgerton’s popularity, this post has been revived from the dead and getting a lot of traffic and it seems y’all have A LOT of questions about the sex in the show vs the books so I’m going to add some things at the end to my review of The Duke and I to include book vs show comparison (head to the very bottom for that).

(Seriously, you should see my google search console query requests for this post. Y’all are my people, clearly).

Check out this list of books to read if you loved Bridgerton!

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

Published January 5, 2000
Book 1 of the Bridgerton series

The Duke & I: Plot & Summary

Young Daphne Bridgerton is on her way to becoming an old spinster in her high society circles because she’s not yet married. Her mother is hellbent on finding her a husband but she doesn’t fancy the few suitors she’s had.

Simon Bassett, a Duke and an old friend of Daphne’s brother, comes to town and is instantly fawned over by all the society mothers and their daughters.

Both Daphne and Simon are jaded with the process and come up with a plan that benefits them both — to get into a faux-courtship. It’s a win-win for both of them so Simon can hopefully get a breather from the moms wanting him to marry their daughters and will make Daphne more desirable to the men because the Duke is pursuing her and she’ll have more suitors to choose from.

As the two get to know each other, Daphne may not be faking her feelings towards the handsome Duke, even though he’s made his intentions clear, but wants to try to convince him that perhaps they really are the real deal.

You May Also Like: Upcoming Book To Movie Adaptations To Enjoy

My review/thoughts

My first historical romance and I LOVED IT SO MUCH. I truly am sad I’ve dismissed this genre for so long. I’m so glad I listened to so many of you to give historical romance a chance and told me to read this one first.

The Duke and I was so charming and I cannot wait to read more from the Bridgerton family. It was everything I loved about Pride & Prejudice but without the more dense language of the time.

I just love books set in the Regency era — all that prim and proper etiquette, the extravagant balls and high society, the social norms, etc. but desire is still there. LOVE the tension that ensues because of all the pent-up feelings and desires.

In my general thoughts about my foray into the romance genre, I noted that this one wasn’t as steamy as the Lucky Harbor book (my first proper romance read) and honestly I went through more than half the book before there was even so much as a kiss.

I love steamy and sexy but I LOVED the tension that just smothered you because of the more modest times in The Duke and I. I think if you are looking for a romance novel filled with super sexy times — this isn’t it.

This one is just utterly romantic complete with moments that make your heart pitter patter and swoon in the midst of the obvious tension. There’s sex, yes, but it’s not as steamy and explicit as others.

The Bridgerton family and the sibling dynamics were the kind that you read and remember forever. You feel like you are cozying up with old friends and your heart feels at home.

It kind of reminded me of slipping in with the March family from Little Women or a family like that — except some darling brothers thrown in there.

I loved the relationships within the family and how they fiercely loved each other and how they all had their unique individual characteristics that really jumped out at me — rather than just being cardboard siblings. This excites me since the rest of the series focuses on a different Bridgerton sibling!

The most delightful surprise about this novel was how FUNNY it was. I don’t often laugh out loud at books but I actually did with this one. It’s so witty and peppered with humor and it just made it such a feel good read. One of the parts that made me snort laugh unattractively is the first sex scene. OH MY GOODNESS.

Also 2021 update: I feel remiss to mention there is a sex scene, while I didn’t recognize it for what it was when I read it initially, that is rape between Daphne and Simon in which Daphne has sex with him, because she’s upset he lied about something, when he’s drunk and asleep. I remember feeling like it was wrong but I never mentioned it in my original review and didn’t call it (or see it) as it was: rape.

My Final Thought

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn was so utterly charming and romantic. If you loved Pride & Prejudice or love the Regency era, I highly recommend this if you want an absolutely fun romance novel. I think it’s a perfect foray into the historical romance genre if you are coming from a non-romance background.

There’s so much about this novel that I loved and it made me smile and laugh SO MUCH — the romance, this quirky family, the humor Julia Quinn infuses and that Regency feel.

It’s more on the side of swoony rather than steamy though there is a little bit of sex but not at all graphic. Cannot WAIT to read more from this series. I’m restraining myself so I don’t binge read it all.

Let’s Talk: Have you read this one? Heard of it? What were your overall feelings about it? Did you expect it to be so funny?? I totally didn’t. If you’ve read the series, which book is your favorite? I’m so excited to read more from this family! What other historical romances do you recommend now that I think I am in love?!

Check out the must-read romances for this year! Or maybe you wanna delve into Christmas romances this year!

Bridgerton Show vs the book

Had to throw an update in here comparing the book and the show (which I LOVED — truly one of my most favorite adaptations ever).

The first season of the show is this book and the next season will be the second book and I love that they are doing it this way. I have, since this book, had read a couple of the others after (didn’t review them though, sorry) and so many of the other books were EVEN BETTER.

Some thoughts:

• in general it was a pretty darn faithful adaptation with some changes that I’m interested in — namely a character being introduced much earlier into the story and a different fate for one. There were some other characters who weren’t in it or weren’t a big part (like the Queen). Stylistically they made it much more of a Gossip Girl-y vibe.
  
  
• The biggest difference is the reveal of Lady Whistledown: we find out at the end of the season who it is (same as who it is in the books) but in the book series we don’t find out until 4 books in.
  
  
• what you all wanna know: is the book as steamy/sexy as the show? No. They definitely steamed up the show and I was HERE FOR IT but you do miss out some of the more playfulness of their first time in the books when it comes to her ignorance. I also recall some of the other books having more sex than this one. I need to revisit them.
  
  
• The show Duke is way hotter than Julia made me feel the book Duke was. I never pictured him SO attractive haha
  
  
• I loved how they played with race in this adaptation with the alternate history twist in which there is now a racism free society. I don’t get how people are so mad about it (okay I do: racism). So much historical stuff y’all consume is NOT accurate…this is not the hill to die on. Sheesh.
  
  
• I will be honest, when I read the book, I didn’t see that controversial sex scene for what it was: rape. I don’t think I had that much nuance and insight when I read it as I do now in the topic. They changed the scene from the book (in the book she takes advantage of him drunk and asleep) but it’s still very questionable in the show and still very much rape in my eyes because he’s trying to pull out and she won’t let him. There’s also some differences surrounding that scene because in the book Simon also threatens rape and he definitely didn’t do that in the show AND in the book Simon knew she had NO IDEA how babies were made. In the show he’s like more shocked she doesn’t know.
  
  
• if you are on the fence if you should read the books or just watch the show, it’s up to you and what you like to read, but I say give them a try! I think the books are funny and smart and sexy. They are historical romances and read as such when it comes to describing the sex scenes vs the hot and perfect show version. I think they are a GREAT introduction into the genre and remain one of my favorites in the genre.