The Duke and I
by Julia Quinn
Description 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 deuced 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...
Review by Zoe Bastone
If you are like me, you may have watched a show on Netflix called “Bridgerton.” Released in late 2020, Bridgerton follows the plot of Julia Quinn’s The Duke and I. In this regency romance, Daphne longs to marry for love, not just for wealth, status, and to meet the societal expectations of a woman of marriable age. So what can you expect from Julia Quinn’s The Duke and I?
It’s Fast:
The Duke and I runs at a rapid pace, replicating the feeling of binge-watching your favorite tv show. Altogether, the Duke and I runs at around 300 pages, making it the perfect book to read when you have time for a short read. It IS a page turner, so be prepared to finish it fast.
What’s to love:
Protagonist Daphne Bridgerton is an empowered woman. Though confined by the societal expectations of Regency-era London, she longs to be married for love. She is a fierce protagonist who is not afraid to stand up for what is right.
What’s not to love:
For those who have watched Bridgerton on Netflix, do not expect that this book will be verbatim to what you will see on screen. For those who are sticklers about book adaptations in tv and film, this may frustrate you.
Where to read:
Faculty, staff, and students of UT can check out Julia Quinn’s The Duke and I from the Pendergrass leisure reading collection. Place a request for it through the Libraries’ OneSearch system. Check it out and let us know what you think of the book! Make sure to tag your responses on social media with #utksharedshelf so we can see what you think!
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