The Duke and I
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ROMANCE · HISTORICAL FICTION
Bridgerton Book VS the Netflix Series
If you fell in love with Bridgerton on Netflix and wondered whether the books are worth reading, The Duke and I is where it all begins. It’s the first book in Julia Quinn’s nine-book Bridgerton series and the inspiration behind Netflix’s Bridgerton.
The Duke and I tells the story of Daphne, the fourth-born daughter of the Bridgerton household. This is her third season on the wedding market, and thanks to the help of the highly sought-after Duke of Hastings, she is set to find a husband this year. However, with a sudden change of heart, Daphne finds herself falling in love with the only man she isn’t supposed to marry: the Duke of Hastings.
I didn’t know the Bridgerton books existed until I watched the second season of the Netflix Bridgerton series. I had already loved the first season, and quickly found myself admiring the mind behind such stories. Imagine my surprise when I realized the Netflix series was actually inspired by Julia Quinn’s books!
However, it wasn’t until the fourth season of the Bridgerton series was announced that I decided to give the books a chance. I knew that once I started reading the books, it would be a nonstop journey until I finished the ninth book. Yet, I found myself worried that if I read the books first, I would be let down by the new season once it aired.
Well, let me be certain that I was very wrong.
The Duke and I is not only a good book, but also engaging, funny, romantic, and surprisingly different from its Netflix adaptation. The first season is also centered on Daphne and Simon, but the portrayal of the story is very different.
The main differences are Queen Charlotte and Lady Whistledown. They are both really important characters of the Netflix series. Nevertheless, they merely appear in the book. In fact, there is no single mention of Queen Charlotte in this book. They both make the series stand out, creating an engaging storyline by finding the mysterious Lady Whistledown.
Julia Quinn’s The Duke and I only relies on Daphne and Simon to make the storyline come alive. Changing the point of view from one to another, we get to read how they slowly fall in love with each other. We can say that The Duke and I is a classic friends-to-lovers story. Or were they ever friends?
All in all, I would say that the book makes the most out of the characters. Nevertheless, Netflix takes the storyline and makes it a series-worthy plot. The book on its own is good, but it wouldn’t be enough for a series (series are faster, more visual, and therefore, we need to quicken the storyline). We could say that although there are some changes to the books, Shonda Rimes has effectively kept the essence of the book in the Bridgerton series.
If you are hesitant to start reading the Bridgerton books because of the series, don’t worry. The directors have perfectly turned this book into a series, so believe me when I say you won’t feel let down when you watch the series after reading the books (well, if Netflix maintains the high quality of the first three seasons of the Bridgerton series).
Have you read The Duke and I? Did you prefer Julia Quinn’s version or Netflix’s adaptation? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Summary
The Duke and I is a romance set in the Regency era.
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…
