Author: Julia Quinn

Rating: 3.5/5

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...

Not going to lie, didn’t really like this book all that much. I’ll blame it on the fact that the Netflix show put in so much more than what this book gives us so when reading the story AFTER having watched the show, it pales in comparison. There were many moments where I was expecting something to happen and then it didn’t. I can blame this on myself for having watched the show first.

The writing is easy to understand as well as the plot, but I couldn’t help but find it lacking solely because, once again, the show gave us so much more. Please, if you haven’t watched the show yet, read the book first because you may just end up being severely disappointed. I love the way the Bridgerton family was written. Everything seemed so sincere and their love for each other practically leapt off the pages.

I loved Daphne and Simon together. It was blatantly obvious that they were a perfect fit for each other. The romance was a little bland compared to the show but it was still enjoyable. However, there was one scene that irked me, and I know we can all agree on which scene it is. I didn’t agree with Daphne’s actions here and it definitely subtracted a good few points from the relationship for me. The trust levels went down.

It was a fun read, very fast-paced, and I had a good time reading it. The only problem was that I found myself wanting more than what was given. Other than that, it’s a good book with great characters and I’d definitely recommend it! But please read the books first before diving into the show.