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Bridgerton: The Duke & I by Julia Quinn

Rating: 3.8 / 5.0

Just like everyone else last Christmas, I binged watched Bridgerton on Netflix! That said, I had to get my hands on a copy of this book. This is also the first time I am reading a full blown romance novel. 

“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.”

As with any romance novel I presume, the plot was rather predictable. That said, the foundation of this book is built on the love and unbreakable bond of the Bridgerton Family. Julia Quinn took her time to equip each of the Bridgertons with strong personalities and traits. That, I believe, is why every reader will immediately fall in love with this family. 

This first book in the series, centers around the fourth child, Daphne Bridgerton and her second season out in London’s marriage market. It takes place during the Regency era. The first three quarters of the book were great with an eloquent writing style from Quinn. I thoroughly enjoyed the fluent and quick-witted banter that was complemented with subtle hints of cheekiness. 

A brilliant addition by Julia Quinn was the inclusion of a gossip column in the society papers with the author’s identity only known as Lady Whistledown. This added additional intrigue with readers attempting to deduce Lady Whistledown’s identity - I too have a couple of guesses up my sleeve. 

Now, the last quarter was a slight let-down. The author’s writing changed, with it feeling jaded and stretched with unnecessary drama created to prolong the end. Also, there is a pejorative scene that pretty much stripped the main character of all class, growth and nobility which has also been the cause of much debate among readers. 

Nevertheless, I am glad Daphne's story has come to an end. Still intrigued with the identity of Lady Whistledown, I will be looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

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