Author: Julia Quinn
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Number of Pages: 384
Publisher: Avon Books
Warning! For Mature audience only! Definitely steamy scenes for sure!
First Thoughts:
Like many of you I only just discovered this series by watching Season 1 of "The Bridgertons" on Netflix. I instantly fell in love with the show. So when I heard it was based off a book, I was beyond excited. And to add to the excitement my birthday wasn't too far off and was able to snag the whole series for my present! Now that was awesome. I immediately started the first book and wow! I thought the show was awesome but the book? Even better! You get more insight and backstory, it was like I missed parts of the story in the show. The first season of "The Bridgertons" is based off just this one book. So without any more lengthy wording, here's exactly what I thought of the book.
Summary:
In the buzzing city of London in the 1800's Daphne Bridgerton is in search of her special someone. She's the fourth out of 8 children in the Bridgerton family. The first daughter of the Bridgerton family and she has a lot riding on her shoulders. Not just any eligible bachelor will do. And though most of the men who are eligible are her friends many only see her that way; a friend. Daphne feels the pressure from her mother to find a husband but unable to bear any of the men she's seen countless times she has to seek a plan.
Duke Simon Basset has had a hard childhood, not beloved by his own father and his mother dying at birth, there leaves a lot to be desired. He wants nothing more than to be single the rest of his life but being a Duke other things are expected.
Together the two form a "fake" relationship. Daphne can look more disable and Simon can take a break from the crushing elite society but can they ignore the sparks flying between them?
Plot:
The story was captivating the moment it started at Simon's backstory. I was intrigued with the Bridgerton family. It was a bit dramatic at times but it just added to the excitement. If you expect this to be just like the show you'll be pleasantly surprised. In this first book there was no Queen; no prince. This wasn't Daphne's first "Season." But I found a new love in the book. I love both the book and the show but in different ways. In the book you experience a little more of detail and inner-thoughts. You see more on the lives of the characters. Daphne wants to start a life of a wife; she wants children but she can't seem to catch the eye of any of the men in the elite society. Everyone knows her because of her name. But all the men only see her as a friend. Then, Simon comes into Daphne's life, and with a certain finesse they form a plot to appear together though their relationship is a farce. Simon doesn't want to date and Daphne wants to be married. Being in a relationship with Simon they both get what they want. Since Simon is a Duke being in a relationship with him will make Daphne desirable; the diamond of the season! I really liked that the book took different turns than in the show. This plot was filled with hidden gems and made reading the book fun and exciting!
Romance:
The romance was more pronounced in the book more than the show. You really got to know both Daphne and Simon. The love they feel starts as a spark and then dials up the more they spend time together. They both want to deny the feelings they have for each other but they also seem to proud to admit the love they have for each other. But when they are compromised they are forced to do something one loves the other hates. Soon the battle of wills comes head to head and their fate will be determined. The romance was definitely one of the best parts of this book! Hello! If you hate romance then this isn't worth your time.
Characters:
I think my favorite character has to be Simon. He has so much stacked against him and yet he has such a beautiful soul. The books starts with him as a kid then moves to him as an adult. He's such a complex person. He is having to constantly control his feelings and I'm sure it exhausts him. He has to be one of the strongest character in this book. Daphne is a well rounded character too but she's different. Such polar opposite than Simon. She had a good childhood (aside from losing her father). It was just fun watching these two characters join together. The secondary characters like Daphne's family were just as important. They made the book more enjoyable because they had life of their own. Definitely a great part of this book.
Transformation of Character:
Both Daphne and Simon had a beautiful change. Daphne's change was more subtle than Simon's but still beautiful and fun the read. Simon was such a hard and gentle soul. It took a lot for him to just accept himself. He was a relatable character and he had the most to gain from a transformation.
Description:
It had a lot more detail than the movie for sure. It was wonderful to get more detail of the 1800's elite London society. All of the parties they have go through the wee hours of the night. I loved the way the London city landscape was described. I've never visited London(definitely not the 1800's LoL). It was great to picture the different high society mansions. This was a great detailed book and it made me want to read more about this society; to immerse myself in this detail because at times it was so "juicy". The thrill of gossip and seeing how the characters interact with each other and the situations that was thrown their way. This author was great at attention to detail. Definitely worth the sometimes lengthy detail about the situations.
Style:
This was written from the perspective of Simon and Daphne. Definitely the perfect for this style of book. It allowed the reader to get a more detailed picture of why the characters were reacting the way they were. I loved reading Ms. Quinn's writing. It was so smooth and enjoyable. I sometimes shy of reading books based in the past because things can get crossed and contradict what it really was like back then, but this book did not disappoint. It was fun and adding in Lady Whistledown was just the edge it needed. The suspense was wonderful, who was Lady Whistledown and how did she know the society's best kept secrets? And unlike the tv series we were not shown who it was in this book. Each chapter Lady Whistledown's gossip was splayed before the story continued. Thank you Ms.Quinn for such brilliant talent!
Quote of the Book:
"She felt tremors spread through her body, a stange shaking over which she had no control. And then she realized she was crying. Without a sound, without even a caught breath, she was crying.
Dear God, what was she going to do?"
Last Thoughts:
I don't think I can truly explain how fun and great this book was! I absolutely fell in love with this world and would recommend it to anyone 18 and older and who loves a good romance! I will definitely read the entire series because I definitely love the writing and romance! I'm such a sap! So what are you waiting for? Get to your bookstore of choice and get it!!!
Rating:
4 Blooms!!
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