Bridgerton: Daphne's Story, The Inspiration for Bridgerton Season One (Bridgertons Book 1)

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars | 66,175 ratings

Price: 7.99

Last update: 08-21-2024


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Can there be any greater challenge to London's Ambitious Mamas than an unmarried duke?—Lady Whistledown's Society Papers, April 1813

By all accounts, Simon Basset is on the verge of proposing to his best friend's sister—the lovely and almost-on-the-shelf—Daphne Bridgerton. But the two of them know the truth—it's all an elaborate ruse to keep Simon free from marriage-minded society mothers. And as for Daphne, surely she will attract some worthy suitors now that it seems a duke has declared her desirable.

But as Daphne waltzes across ballroom after ballroom with Simon, it's hard to remember that their courtship is a sham. Maybe it's his devilish smile, certainly it's the way his eyes seem to burn every time he looks at her . . . but somehow Daphne is falling for the dashing duke . . . for real! And now she must do the impossible and convince the handsome rogue that their clever little scheme deserves a slight alteration, and that nothing makes quite as much sense as falling in love.

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Top reviews from the United States

Ruth Anderson
5.0 out of 5 stars A frothy, humorous, and heart-stopping romance!
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2014
In the midst of her second Season, Daphne - the eldest girl in the Bridgerton family of eight -- has all but given up on the hope of making a love match. Daphne is the girl that everyone likes, that everyone wants to be friends with -- always the chum, the good sport, but never the lover inspiring flowery declarations of passionate intent. Buy Daphne's closely-held dream of loving husband and family, her desire to not settle, makes her reluctance to compete in the Season's Marriage Market threatens to make her the bane of her loving mother Violet's existence. Violet, after all, must think beyond her eldest daughter's reluctance to make a match to the three girls waiting in the wings to make their own debuts. When Daphne meets the newly-minted and arrived in London Duke of Hastings, Simon Basset, she's alternately maddened by his haughty demeanor and unsettled by his direct, passionate gaze. The infamous rake is her oldest brother Anthony's long-time best friend, the type of man a good society miss avoids at all costs -- until he makes an intriguing offer, one that promises a blessed reprieve from her marriage-minded mama -- but with the unintended side effect of imperiling her heart.

Only one thing could induce Simon to forsake his world travels and return to London -- his estranged father's death. The old duke made Simon's life a torment from childhood, belittling the boy for his stammer, leaving him to be raised by servants and forge a successful path in life through sheer force of will -- the will to prove his hated sire wrong. However, he was not prepared for the attention his new title brought to his personal life as Ambitious Mamas flocked to his side to introduce their debutante daughters. When Simon meets Daphne, he's shocked by how quickly she puts him at ease, intrigue colored with a desire to possess her beauty -- until he learns that she's Anthony's sister, which places her in the Strictly Forbidden category of romantic dalliances. Even so, he cannot resist suggesting an audacious scheme -- he'll pay court to Daphne, ostensibly removing himself from the Marriage Market, and she'll become more desirable than ever by virtue of being associated with London's newest duke. But when the fake courtship gives birth to real attachment, lines are crossed -- could marriage between the girl no one wanted and the duke determined to die alone become a love affair for the social record book?

After several years of two very dear friends telling me I'd love Julia Quinn's Regency romances, I finally decided to give The Duke and I a try, and I'm SO glad I did. The first installment in Quinn's popular Bridgerton series sparkles with wit, warmth, and a genuine emotional and intellectual connection that goes far deeper than any physical attraction that sparks between the duke and Daphne. I've read reviews comparing Quinn to Jane Austen, and while Quinn's sly humor and sharp characterizations were certainly inspired by Austen, I think a more apt comparison would liken Quinn to Georgette Heyer, with a dash of the chick-lit sensibilities found in the likes of Hester Browne's or Jill Mansell's novels. In other words, The Duke and I is a clever, funny, warm-hearted romp through Regency England with a romance that will take your breath away and an unexpectedly deep emotional resonance between its hero and heroine -- this is, refreshingly, the story of a physical, emotional, and intellectual union of complementary equals.

I adored the family dynamic exhibited here -- the Bridgertons are the type of sprawling fictional family I love to read about. The may fight and squabble but they are loyal to a fault (as Simon quickly learns even during the early days of his "faux courtship" with Daphne). Although this is very much Daphne's story, Quinn does an excellent job introducing the siblings that will feature in later installments. From the rakish Colin, newly-returned from Europe, to Anthony the eldest, nearly driving himself batty attempting to navigate the Marriage Mart as a very eligible viscount while sheperding his strong-willed family through society's social whirl, to the precocious ten-year-old Hyacinth, whose outspoken wisdom beyond her years marks her as a force to be reckoned with once she comes of age. And I adore their mother, Violet! At first I feared she was Mrs. Bennet reborn, but her occasional flighty absent-mindedness masks the razor sharp wit and intelligence required to survive as matriarch to the lively Bridgerton children.

Although Daphne and Simon's journey from courtship to marriage covers only the span of a few short weeks, I loved the emphasis Quinn placed on their intellectual and emotional compatibility. Yes, they each are highly appreciative of the other's fine form, what makes their romance make my heart sing is how they are both so utterly disarmed and genuinely comfortable in each other's company. Looks may fade with time, but personality is forever, eh? And while keeping with the fact that since this is a mainstream historical romance there are some spicy scenes, refreshingly those occur after marriage. I was really impressed by how Quinn touched on the intimacies of the marital relationship making each partner vulnerable to the other, and how that trust, if lost (speaking of misunderstanding, not abuse) can create a painful rift. Daphne and Simon's commitment to each other, despite their marriage's rocky start and subsequent misunderstandings, is the hook that got me so emotionally invested in this couple and kept my fingers flying to turn the pages.

Quinn possesses a delightfully breezy writing style that oft-times belies the serious issues of emotional weight that she addresses within the pages of Simon and Daphne's story. The prologue, revealing Simon's tragic childhood, reads with the matter of fact tone of a dark fairy tale, one leaving readers to question the possibility of the tortured heir's future happiness. The warmth and humor with which she imbues this romance makes the heart of The Duke and I all the more compelling and memorable, because Quinn doesn't shy away from the difficult issues that could make or break a marriage. Even if her breezy writing style lends itself to playing a *bit* fast and loose with period mannerisms, that is forgivable since The Duke and I is thoroughly engaging, romance for the heart and the mind at its finest. This is wholly memorable, utterly delightful introduction to the Bridgerton clan -- and with the added mystery of the mysterious gossip columnist Lady Whistledown's true identity, whose quips are peppered throughout the novel -- I cannot WAIT to revisit this family in subsequent novels.
MG
4.0 out of 5 stars 4.25 steamy regency stars
Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2015
Simon Basset was born with as much fanfare as he was given names (Simon Arthur Henry Fitzranulphs Basset, Earl Clyvdon, future Duke of Hastings). His mother finally did her "duty" by giving his father a son after many failed pregnancies and two stillborn births. And while the Duke of Hastings was sad she passed away in the effort, he was beyond pleased that his line would live on as he possesses one of the most prestigious and wealthy titles in all of England. But as Simon grows up, the duke realizes fate may be crueler than he imagined as he views his son's uncontrollable stuttering as idiocy. Thus, he turns his back on his son and allows most in his acquaintance to believe Simon is dead.

As a child, growing up without a mother is hard; growing up with a father who despises him and refuses to acknowledge his existence is devastating. But Simon decides to apply himself to learning to control his stutter, thanks to his devoted nursemaid, as well as to being the smartest boy at Eton and Cambridge, and he graduates at the top of his class in mathematics. When his father finally takes an interest in him and tries to approach him, Simon leaves the country and travels the world for 6 years until his father passes away. Now, he has returned to claim his dukedom, though he honestly could care less about being the duke. In fact, he has decided his best revenge will be to never marry, and thus, never produce an heir so that his father's legacy will not live on, providing him with the ultimate revenge.

Daphne is the eldest daughter of the very prolific Bridgerton family which consists of 8 children. She had her coming out 2 seasons earlier, and has turned down the handful of proposals she has received since. Fortunately, she has the support of her oldest brother Anthony, the head of the household since their father's passing several years earlier. Their parents' marriage was a love match, and while Daphne does not hold out hope that she will find that kind of devotion, she would at least like to find a husband that she likes to be around and is somewhere near her in age. When she encounters Simon as she is fending off a rather persistent suitor, she is struck by his looks and amused by his antics as he assists her in ridding herself of the unwanted attention. Little does she know he is the newly returned duke and Anthony's best friend....

Simon is shocked to learn that Daphne is his friend's sister, but he is intrigued by her quirky personality and finds her to be uniquely beautiful. He is even more impressed when she doesn't fall for his charms and puts him in his place as no one has dared to do that in years. Given that they are both anxious to avoid harassment by unwanted suitors and ambitious mothers, Simon proposes that he pretend to court her which will only allow her debutante stock to rise and will keep him away from grasping females. But what will happen when they spend more time together and discover they genuinely enjoy each other's company? Will Simon change his rigid view on marriage and children? Can Daphne be satisfied with a life without the family of her own that she has always craved?

What I liked:
--- Simon and Daphne were entertaining as a couple and likeable as main characters - the reader is quickly invested in them getting an HEA
--- We are introduced to most of the Bridgerton clan and their personalities which sets things up nicely for the later books in the series because the reader wants to learn more about each of them
--- Steamy goodness - yummy!!

What I didn't like as much:
--- Simon was a bit too stubborn at times, especially as it was clear that he cared a lot about Daphne
--- Re some criticisms about how they ended up together ***SPOILER*** I have seen some reviews where readers have said that Daphne "rapes" Simon to get what she wants... First of all, that's not how they ended up married - that was a mutual getting caught situation that was only a kiss/boob flash situation. But secondly, when the incident happened after they were married, Simon was really drunk, and Daphne was still upset with him for lying to her and refusing to talk about having children - she even says in retrospect that she didn't think she meant to do what she did, and Simon reveals that he doesn't think he would have been able to prevent it if he wanted to. And Simon was not a passive participant with respect to having sex, so I would not qualify that as rape.***END SPOILER***

Overall, this was a very fun regency romance read with a engaging characters, humorous moments, and delicious steamy goodness!

Plot --- 4.25/5
Main Characters --- 4.5/5
Supporting Cast --- 4.5/5
Steam Level* --- 4/5
Violence --- nothing graphic
Language --- some
POV --- 3rd

*Note that steam level is not a rating so much as a how hot was it: 0/5 - clean; 1/5 - mild (nothing descriptive); 2/5 - 3rd base action/1 home run; 3/5 - now we're getting somewhere (a couple of full-on steamy scenes); 4/5 - yes please! (erotica territory); 5/5 - they did EVERYTHING in this one, y'all
Leila Gipson
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic characters and story!
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2024
I absolutely love the characters, and their stories. Julia Quinn is a fantastic writer. I can’t wait to read the next book.
The only thing I didn’t’ care for are the spoilers in her continuation story about Daphne and Simon, of her brother’s wife and kids. I would have liked to have read their story first, instead of finding out who he marries, and how many kids he has in Daphne and Simon’s continuation story. I think, going forward I will read the continuation stories after I’m done with all the books.
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Love!
Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2024
Great book! I watched the show first, and they are actually very similar! There are some things added to the book, and some things changed.... I noticed the gender of Penelope and Colin's first child is not the same as the show. But overall, it was nice to experience their story again. Great writing by Quinn!
Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful romance
Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2024
Beautiful and inspiring. Lovely and vivid characters. Love the fact that an all time everlasting message is always present in Quinn"s books.

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