The first novel in Julia Quinn's worldwide best-selling Bridgerton novels, now a series created by Shonda Rhimes for Netflix. This is the story of Daphne Bridgerton and the Duke: welcome to the ballrooms of Regency London.....

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 plan 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....

Their ruse works like a charm - at first. But as Daphne waltzes across ballroom after ballroom with Simon, it's hard to remember that their courtship is a complete sham. Maybe it's his devilish smile, certainly it's the way his eyes seem to burn every time he looks at her. It wasn't the plan, but it seems she's falling for the duke, for real. And amidst the glittering, gossipy, cut-throat world of London's elite, there is only one certainty: love ignores every rule....

Listening Length

12 hours and 9 minutes
Author

Julia Quinn
Narrator

Rosalyn Landor
Audible release date

20 July 2017
Language

English
Publisher

W. F. Howes Ltd
ASIN

B073SBRLW4
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	12 hours and 9 minutes
Author	Julia Quinn
Narrator	Rosalyn Landor
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com.au Release Date	20 July 2017
Publisher	W. F. Howes Ltd
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B073SBRLW4
Best Sellers Rank	174 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) 1 in Regency Romance (Audible Books & Originals) 4 in Regency Romance (Books)

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Top reviews from Australia

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Mrs Mac

All hail Julia Quinn

Reviewed in Australia on 28 February 2020

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Ah Julia Quinn, you make me cry and you make me laugh till my ribs hurt. How many times I've had to take my glasses off and wipe them and my eyes I can't remember. I absolutely love these books on Lady Whistledown . I have just purchased the first of the Bridgerton series and true to form I went to bed last night with sore ribs but quite relaxed and slept well. Now that's not bad for a 79 year old insomniac suffering from chronic illness. All I need do when miserable is read one of you stories and it fixes thjngs for a while. Thank you Julia.

14 people found this helpful

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Kel's Opinion

Bought the whole series!

Reviewed in Australia on 1 January 2021

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I bi he watched the series on Netflix then realised it was from a book so came to find the author and have purchased the series.
I was super impressed with The Duke and I. I loved all of the characters and the storyline. So much better then the show (which was still good) but as my first foray into this author I was not disappointed and I’ve gone ahead and bought the whole Bridgertons Book Series.

10 people found this helpful

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Travelmel

Cliched smutty romance novel, couldn't finish it

Reviewed in Australia on 3 February 2021

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Less than average romance novel with all the trimmings - cliches (I kid you not, there is a swan-like neck, glossy chestnut hair and ice-blue eyes), stereotypes (strong-willed yet vulnerable girl, muscly bad boy who secretly loves her) and gratuitous smut of the throbbing member/slippery sheath variety. Nothing interesting or special about it, I have no idea why it's so popular - sex really must sell.

5 people found this helpful

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Tess

The netflix show was better

Reviewed in Australia on 21 April 2022

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🐝 His mouth captured hers, trying to show her with his kiss what he was still learning to express in words. He loved her. He worshipped her. He'd walk across fire for her 🐝

🐝 Season 2 of the Netflix show was watched and I finally caved and started reading (after buying the entire series after season 1) haha 😂 I thought that the build up for this romance was really well done 👍 and I thought that Daphne and Simon had great chemistry when they were falling in love 😍 it found it really easy to get to know the characters and was comfortable to be reading ☺️ I will admit that my cover is TV show Simon and Daphne and that is how I pictured them the entire time 🤭 although I didn’t like Daphne’s whole smart-not-really innocence 😑 and I HATED *that* scene - why would you ruin a perfectly good romance book😔 this was a good book but a bit meh after the show

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Jolly good

Reviewed in Australia on 8 March 2020

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An engaging regency with wit, romance and good characters. Because it’s a good read, it’s possible to forgive the modernisms and anachronisms (such as dance cards, which were not a thing during the regency). This series is a bit of a find.

5 people found this helpful

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Sucked into the Bridgerton vortex

Reviewed in Australia on 25 February 2021

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I felt like I was one of the few romance readers on Earth who hadn't read or watched Bridgerton and after much contemplation I decided that I would read the series and then watch the first season on Netflix. And I have to say that I am very glad I did. I fell in love with the Bridgerton clan and I'm so excited to read more books and see the remaining seven siblings get their HEAs.
I did like Simon and Daphne's story and I could feel the chemistry between the two from very early on. There is one scene - which is well written about in reviews and articles so I won't bother rehashing it here - that is very unpleasant to read in the books (and unfortunately is not rectified in the TV show either) but as I was prepared it existed I was able to reconcile my distaste for what occurred and move on (which I know isn't something everyone can do). This scene is really the reason it's 3.5 stars for me (otherwise it would've been a 4/4.5) but it is what it is.
I'd still recommend reading giving this book a go... especially as the later books look fantastic!!

3.5 stars

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Maram Ayad

What a disappointing read.

Reviewed in Australia on 22 January 2021

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Julia Quinn decided to take a very sensitive issue, and incorporated it into her book in the worst way possible.
I admit, it had a very promising start, but I eventually started thoroughly disliking it and waiting for it to end.

Others' opinions might vary. But I'm very certain of my one star review.

3 people found this helpful

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Andrew S.

"She smiled, and he forgot to breathe."

Reviewed in Australia on 25 April 2021

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This book hardly needs another review at this point, so I'm just going to say it is quite splendid.

Don't listen to the naysayers, and don't be influenced by the TV series (of which I have seen some, and it is quite different to the book, though I've no doubt they both hit the same essential plot points).

I'm totally down for the rest of the series.

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Top reviews from other countries

Caitlin

Even ignoring the male rape scene it’s still not great

Reviewed in the United States on 23 October 2020

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Hoo boy. I used to read regency romance novels in college all the time and there’s a few books that are genuinely well written and I still occasionally reread them. I heard about the upcoming Shondaland series, which sounds exactly like something I’d love, and decided to check out the books. I had high hopes with all the positive reviews.

I’ll get to reviewing the quality of the material after this big thing that completely destroys this book and entire series for me: the main character Daphne rapes Simon and no one cares and there’s no consequences. One review I read also gave a bad review because of this but I genuinely thought they were wrong because there’s no way this would happen in an internationally best selling book with 1000 good reviews, right??? Nope, apparently I discounted how poorly understood male rape is in our society esp with female perpetrators. Was it “violent” or was he “forced”? Not really. Did he “””enjoy it”””? Technically, yes. But he was absolutely wasted, had no idea what was going on (which, drunk sex, it happens and can be fine) and then she (trying not to spoil??) very specifically decides to take advantage of his drunken state and do something to him he has EXPLICITLY said no to, multiple times over several instances. Is his reasoning on why not to do the thing stupid? Yes. More on his ridiculous character later. But it doesn’t matter if his reasons are dumb. He has said no to this many times and she has to sort of hold him down to get him to do it??? It’s very icky and was hard to read. He then, unsurprisingly, freaks out and is very upset and sort of has a mental breakdown? But he’s over it in about one chapter, there are no real consequences whatsoever, and Daphne explicitly thinks to herself “she’s not ashamed of what she did” afterwards. WTF??? I am so surprised more people aren’t taking about this with the adaptation announcement and I really hope the series drastically changes this.

Separately from this, is the book good? No, not really. I mean it’s readable, and I was entertained at least in the beginning. The family dynamics are cute and some scenes are funny but I read this 3 days ago and can’t remember anything else good about it. I can barely even remember Daphne’s personality. The pacing of the plot is a bit awkward alongside the pacing of the romantic development. Some scenes just stretch on into awkwardness with cringey dialogue but not in a funny, tongue in cheek way. Simon’s character is ridiculous and melodramatic to the point of exhaustion and the book leans heavily on the whole “tragic backstory” cliche but it barely even makes sense when you find out all his “secrets”. I love cheesy romance cliches and ridiculous characters in regency novels when they’re done well, when the cliches are cheeky and self aware and the book isn’t taking itself too seriously. This book fails at that. And I have no issue when characters act like a-holes or irrationally because of terrible things in their life. They’re only human. But Simon’s whole schtick is just ridiculous and so dragged out it's almost painful. Romance novels often get a pass for having not great or even bad writing, but I’ve read some genuinely fantastic and well written regency romance novels that are just so much better than this.

1,119 people found this helpful

Mr C.Hatmaster

It's not worth reading

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 January 2020

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the best thing about this book is that it has renewed my faith that I could too could get a book published

97 people found this helpful

Anisha

Hit and miss

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 December 2020

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Have to agree more with the negative reviews on here. Decided to read this book in advance of the upcoming Netflix series as I hadn’t heard of the books before but enjoy a good period drama/romance.

Agree with the other reviews that the language and narrative were not right for the period the story is set in. It really felt like a supposedly historical version of ‘Gossip Girl.’ Nothing much happens in terms of plot, the events that do happen feel a bit contrived and there’s far too much sex described (one ‘scene’ or so is fine but it goes on and on) and agree that Daphne does indeed rape her husband (!) yet this is all poised as being perfectly acceptable behaviour because she’s apparently justified in her desire to have children at any cost.

Although I found myself able to read the book quite quickly, I don’t think I’ll be reading the others. I will give the Netflix series a try though!

57 people found this helpful

Frances Bard

Wonderful

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 May 2018

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I have had this waiting on my kindle for 3 years but made the schoolboy error of reading and allowing myself to be influenced by some negative reviews. I forgot that there are those who write lovely fiction and those who revel in being controversialists and write scathing reviews. Reviewers sometimes forget these are works of fiction so inevitably there will be significant tension,conflicts that are resolved in the course of the story. That is the case here but let's not get carried away- to describe the events that occur as rape (and i speak as an English lawyer) is a an exaggeration that wholly fails to take into account all of the circumstances. If you were going to be technical Daphne's consent to marriage and all it entailed was vitiated by her belief that Simon could not have children rather than he had chosen not to have them.
So put those issues aside and proceed on the basis that arising out of a very unhappy childhood Simon Duke of Hastings resolved not to have children and then let's his hatred for his father govern his life. He gets caught in a compromising situation with Daphne Bridgerton then refused to marry her because of the child issue and is challenged by her brother.He apparently prefers to die in a duel rather than marry her, is how Daphne sees it. She intervenes in the duel and they end up married. Daphne soon comes to understand that he could potentially have a child and in a drunken encounter that he is an active participant in she ensures he ‘completes’ the act of intercourse inside her. I think on any rational analysis she does it with mixed motives - she wants a child and she loves Simon very much and wants him to be happy. Not surprisingly she doesn't want his father to rule his life from beyond the grave. How this is resolved I thought was very well written,there was lots of angst,but essentially I thought Daphne and Simon were great characters and ultimately she did him a huge service . Ignore the naysayers it's a wonderful story. I intend to read the rest in the series.

95 people found this helpful

California Quinn

The First of an Auto-Buy Series... I guarantee it!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 July 2020

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Having just finished Lisa Kleypas's latest Ravenel book I was on the look-out for a new auto-buy author to feed by historical romance obsession when someone mentioned Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series... So I dived into this first book of the series, and found instant joy. The Bridgerton clan our eight strong, all named alphabetically so they are easy to keep in order and each one wonderfully real and witty and deliciously fun to read about. A Regency family with a matriach who keeps them all in line and is desperate to get them all married off. Daphne, the oldest daughter is the perfect match for the uber eligible Simon Bassett - a duke who is dark, handsome and was brought up with a complete lack of familial or parental affection. Of course neither he nor Daphne can figure out at first how perfect they are for each other – Simon's cynical wit matching Daphne's lively pragmatism and making for some hilarious exchanges – but when they make a Devil's bargain to keep marriage minded mammas off Simon's back by pretending to be engaged it's not long before the fake engagement starts to feel rather more real than imagined. And not long after that that Anthony - Daphne's super over protective older brother and Simon's friend - has gotten wind of the arrangement which threatens to upend Daphne's reputation. A brilliant introduction to this rambunctious clan with a heart-rending subtext about how important it is to be loved, if you are ever going to lead a full life... Needless to say I soon had a new auto-buy author and had quickly hoovered up all the other Bridgerton books in quick succession. What better way to spend a pandemic, frankly?

42 people found this helpful

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