The Duke and I is the start of the much beloved Bridgerton series.
Daphne Bridgerton has been out in society for two years. Unfortunately, she hasn’t had many offers of marriage. It seems the men of the ton look at her as a little sister or a girl-next-door type. The ones who did offer for her were not the type she’d ever want to marry. They were either too old or too dumb.
We often see this trope used in romance novels. The poor miss with a matchmaking mama who hasn’t had an acceptable offer of marriage. Though in this case the matchmaking mama in question has reason to worry – she has another girl getting ready to come out, and 7 siblings at home that need to be married off.
Though the theme can be tiresome, Quinn brings new life to it by bringing Simon and Daphne together in a scheme to put off the matchmaking mamas on both sides. Daphne wants a husband and children, but she doesn’t want to settle for just anyone. Getting the pressure off her by pretending to be courted by a Duke is just what she needs. Not only does it spark renewed interest in her as a catch, but it also buys her time to find a man she really wants.
How do you think Daphne differs from other young misses in regency romances? Did you like her? Do you think she grew over the course of the novel?
We’ll be discussing TDaI all month long. You’re welcome to join in the discussion at any time.
This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here or here in e-format.
This book was my first introduction to Julia Quinn, and I’m glad I chose to start with this series/this book. I enjoyed Daphne as a character—though I did find her a bit anachronistic for the time period (as I did many things in this book). However, as a girl who was raised in a household with lots of brothers, the idea that she’d be seen as the “little sister” or “girl-next-door” by all of the men of the ton worked well. Girls raised in that kind of situation are usually a little more wise to how men think/behave and do behave toward them in more of a friendly/sisterly manner than a girl raised without so much male influence around her.
The interesting thing about the pretend-courtship trope is that I’d just read another book right around the same time as this one in which the characters tried to use the same ploy to get meddling friends/relatives to leave them alone and then ended up falling in love.
You know, I really liked Daphne. As a heroine, she’s everything that I like reading about. She’s funny, she’s witty and she’s very likable. She’s good to her family and she’s got a good relationship with each of her siblings. It’s just that one thing that taints in her my eyes.
As for growing over the course of the book, she’s definitely a lot wiser to the goings on between a man and a woman and what she does with that knowledge left a very bad taste in my mouth.
But after all is said and done, I liked her…she’s just not my favorite Bridgerton sister. But Simon??? Holy hot damn!
I enjoyed Daphne as a character. Her blunt speech was refreshing, as was her general attitude toward members of the opposite sex. It was easy to see why she was so well liked in the ton, as well as why many of the men looked at her as a little sister and/or girl-next-door.
Her wit and sense of humor were well done, making her an easy character to relate to. As for her growth over the course of the novel, I think she matured quite a bit. She had an air of girlishness at the beginning of the novel, but she read more as a woman at the end. I think the hardships she faced as well as the losses hardened her in some ways.
As for her actions in regard to Simon (something we’ll discuss in depth later this month), I admit it did taint her in some ways. But more about that later.
@Kaye – which book was that? I think I’d like to read it.
Kaye,
Have you gone on to read any of JQ’s other books? Also, like Holly, I find myself curious about the book you mentioned.
Holly,
I’m so ready for that discussion. I mean, I’m kicking myself because I can’t believe that I breezed over that and this re-read brought so many things I didn’t see before to light and my enjoyment of the book this time around dimmed compared to other reads…but it’s a testament to JQ’s writing ability that I was still able to enjoy the heck out of this book.
I enjoyed Daphne because, as the youngest of five with three overbearing older brothers, I completely get the “she’s so and so’s little sister, not, you know, a girl” but that one thing we are so determinedly not mentioning made me dislike her intensely.
Mind you, I get why Simon forgives her and, to an extent, so do I, but holy cow, that was bad bad bad.
I’d planned to wait until later in the month to start that particular discussion, but I think I’ll post it next week instead. We need to put it out there.