Then, there is the Bridgerton matriarch, Violet, who at times surreptitiously and other times not-so-subtly manages her children. You cannot help but laugh at some of the things that he says and does in the name of protecting his sister. Daphne’s eldest brother, Anthony, for instance, displays a level of overprotectiveness so great as to be comical. This initial chunk of the story is also quite humorous, owing to not only Daphne and Simon’s sham relationship but also the antics of the Bridgerton family.
Ignorant as to what would transpire between them in chapter 18, I found myself rooting for them as a couple while reading this part of the book. There is banter, chemistry, and sexual tension aplenty between them. At this point, they have a wonderful dynamic.
This portion of the book covers Simon and Daphne’s fake courtship, as well as the early days of their marriage. The goodĪs indicated at the beginning of this review, The Duke and I is enjoyable up through chapter 17.
Simon and Daphne may have complemented one another nicely as friends, but once they become a couple, their relationship turns toxic. Rather than lie to Daphne, he should have been honest with her and admitted that he can have children but has chosen not to. He seizes upon her naïveté to deceive her about his ability to have children. While Daphne is indisputably the more repugnant of the two, Simon is not without his faults. A character who does such a reprehensible thing should not be granted a happily-ever-after ending. Simon forgives her, and in the end, she gets what she has always wanted: children. Moreover, she suffers no real consequences for her actions. She rapes her husband, and when he subsequently leaves, she feels not remorse but rather indignation. In that chapter, Daphne takes advantage of Simon while he is intoxicated: she arouses him, starts to have sex with him, and refuses to stop when he indicates that he wants her to do so. I was wholeheartedly enjoying it up until chapter 18, at which point my opinion of the book soured. I have mixed feelings about The Duke and I. TLDR: Starts off strong but sinks in my estimation after some problematic content later in the book.
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