The Duke and I

I confess that I picked these books up after the huge success of the adaptation currently taking the world by storm. Rather than Instagram made me do it, it was a 'I can't look anywhere without seeing the Duke' moment and here we are.

I read it in a day, I discovered that I do like historical romance, and that the Bridgerton family are hilarious.

The world-building is wonderful and Regency London comes to life from Quinn's writing and the elegance of the aristocracy is one that is mixed with intrigue, gossip and trouble. (I'm looking at you Lady Featherington who I both love and loathe already).

The story of Simon, Duke of Hastings is beautifully told and Quinn cleverly highlights the reality of expectation and appearance and how it affected those who many would look up to. Yes, the Bridgerton series is one filled with romance but within the stsged fainting of eligible young ladies new to society and young men wanting to flee from the prospect of marriage? There is an observation of society that is a harsh reminder that these people may have not wanted for anything, but perfection was regarded as a necessity at all costs and Simon has to fight both the weight of his inheritance as the heir to one of the most respected titles in English society and the expectation and abhorrent neglect of an absentee father who puts title before love.

I was cheering for Simon from the moment of his birth and his nurse as he took on the world around him. I also cannot blame his disgust of English society and the necessity of appearance over reality. He may well be an arrogant SOB but he has his reasons and I only wish others could have realised his act was only that - the man needs a hug and a reminder he's a decent man on a regular basis. (Also, seriously I wanted to see the nurse come into her own but sadly, I was denied that so in my head she's off living her best life with not a care in the world and is surrounded by luxury and is truly happy for standing by the Duke.)

The Bridgerton Family are a lot. I do love the idea of the alphabetised naming because Lord Almighty, there is a lot of them. Daphne is the epitome of a debutante who knows her role in life, and I love how she's also one of the boys with her brothers as much as she is able.

Each character created by Julia Quinn is so well-written that you can imagine them at the many balls, ladies with their fans fluttering delicately and men watching the ever-present Mothers eagerly introducing their daughters as if shown off prized items at a market. I'm not going to lie, it sounds like an elegant nightmare to me. No one I imagine, wants to be forced into being the perfect match for another rather than themselves.That's what I did love about Simon and Daphne, they are polar opposite to one another; but like magnets they are drawn to one another regardless of Simon's insistence that he can never submit to society's expectations. Such a silly Duke - doesn't he know that the more you fight something the more you see it fully and realise you handy known all there was to it?

I really enjoyed The Duke and I, I am going to be starting The Viscount Who Loved Me and learn more about the Bridgerton Family who are anomaly in the very world they exist in. I'm very glad I got curious as I truly believe the book is far better than the adaptation that drew me in.

The Duke and Daphne truly deserve their happiness, and I loved how they went about their unplanned romance. The story is sweet, with a plethora of incredible, well-rounded characters who all add so much to their story with no one seeming to be there just for the sake of it which is something I always hate. Lady Whistledown's Society Papers are fun and remind me of Gossip Girl's alerts but are so much .. more if you know what I mean. She's witty, and I can only imagine the excitement as pennies were exchanged for the latest gossip about places people couldn't go, and people who were the who's who of the Season.

I'm going to enjoy this series- because who doesn't love a little disappearance to another world every now and again?

I've enjoyed many of the other books Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series, but I read them out of order. The Bridgerton books (and their Smyth-Smith Quartet spin-offs) has a delightful array of background characters. Since this book was the first one, the rest of the characters besides Daphne and Simon didn't feel quite as developed. But on the flip side, Daphne doesn't really appear in any of the other stories I've read so far, so it was a good opportunity to get to know the oldest Bridgerton daughter.